Abstract: The present invention includes a chain type cutting apparatus for continuous cutting of a rope of a center-filled consumable product into individual pieces, which includes a first continuous elongate rotary chain with a plurality of first open die cavity portions and a second continuous elongate rotary chain with a plurality of second open die cavity portions. The first and second die cavity portions are mutually engageable to form a closed die cavity about a rope of center filled consumable product, forming pieces. The invention incorporates four main variables, dwell time, chain length, chain speed and the number of closed die cavities in simultaneous engagement. These four variables can be altered to increase the output of the product, as well as maintain a satisfactory seal of the center-filled consumable product.

Abstract: A device provides for displaying and dispensing retail articles. The device includes a plurality of product support modules that are detachably coupled to one another. Each support module includes a bottom mating portion and a top mating portion, each of which may be operatively coupled to a top mating portion and a bottom mating portion of another support module, respectively. Each support module also include sidewalls that may be operatively coupled to sidewalls of another support module. All of the product support modules of the present invention have a substantially similar profile.

Abstract: The present invention relates to oral compositions and beverage products, which include taste potentiators to enhance the perception of active substances contained therein. More specifically, some embodiments provide potentiator compositions, which include at least one active substance, such as a sweetener, and at least one potentiator, such as a sweetness potentiator, which enhances the sweetness of the composition upon consumption.

Abstract: The present invention relates to oral compositions and beverage products, which include taste potentiators to enhance the perception of active substances contained therein. More specifically, some embodiments provide potentiator compositions, which include at least one active substance, such as a sweetener, and at least one potentiator, such as a sweetness potentiator, which enhances the sweetness of the composition upon consumption.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions and edible orally delivered products, such as confectioneries and chewing gum, which include taste potentiators to enhance the perception of active substances contained therein. More specifically, some embodiments provide potentiator compositions, which include at least one active substance and at least one taste potentiator. The active substance and/or taste potentiator may be encapsulated in some embodiments to modify the release rate of the composition upon consumption.

Abstract: A package assembly for supporting a delivery system for inclusion in an edible composition is disclosed. The edible composition is formulated to have at least one ingredient encapsulated with an encapsulating material. The delivery system and the resulting edible composition may include other ingredients to create a desired release profile for the at least one ingredient, any of which can be indicated by indicia on the assembly.

Abstract: The present invention includes a package for holding one or more comestible products having a first compartment and a second compartment extending from, and rotatable with respect to, the first compartment. The package has a closed position where the first and second compartments are substantially coplanar with each other and an open position wherein the second compartment lies in an adjacent overlapping tiered relation to the first compartment. A cover extends from the second compartment and overlies at least a portion of the first and second compartments when the package is in the closed position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to chewing gum and confectionery compositions and methods for reducing dental caries in mammals. In particular, the compositions may include a gum base or carrier, sweetening agents and casein phosphopeptide-calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP). The compositions may be employed to slow the progression and enhance the regression of carious lesions in mammals, particularly in humans.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for conveying gum components and for making chewing gum compositions, by conveying a substantially horizontally stratified flow of two or more gum components along a conveying path. Once the horizontally stratified flow of gum components is established, the flow of gum components can be supplied to a gum mixing machine in a substantially constant cross-sectional ratio of the gum components, even where it is necessary to adjust the rate of flow of gum components along the conveying path, or to periodically start and stop the flow of components during the gum making process.

Abstract: A continuous coating process for chewing gum and bubble gum materials. Small cores or pieces of gum material are introduced into inclined rotating drums in solution material plurality cores or rotating requisite which heated air is circulated and a coating is applied (liquid or powder). The coating is dried on the pieces of material, and a of thin layers are formed on each of the small pieces of material. A series of drums can be provided to provide the number or thickness of coating layers. In an alternate embodiment, initial coatings of material can be provided on the cores by a batch-type process before the materials are introduced into the continuous coating drums. The formulas for the coating solution can also be adjusted at different stages of the coating process in order to provide a more consistent and uniform coating.

Abstract: A package assembly encloses a plurality of individual elongate consumable products. The package assembly includes a plurality of products aligned in a side-by-side array. The package housing encloses the array of product. The package housing has front and back walls for supporting the products therebetween and a closeable cover for closing a product dispensing opening. The package housing further includes a frictional product retention member insertably supported within the package for frictionally retaining the array of product within the package.

Abstract: The present invention includes a package for holding comestible products and blanks for forming the same. The packages can have opposing side walls with generally rounded contoured bottom and top ends and bottom and top walls that conform to the round bottom and top end so that the bottom and top walls have a curved surface that follows the curvature of the bottom and top ends.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a chewing or bubble gum composition which includes a liquid fill composition and a gum region which includes a gum base surrounding the liquid fill which may include a modified release component, wherein the gum region includes a polyol composition including at least one polyol and having a water solubility of less than 72% by weight at 25° C. The composition may also include a coating region which surrounds the gum region.

Abstract: An epaulet system for shoulder pads, the system including an epaulet having an elongate epaulet projection extending outwardly therefrom, an epaulet restraining member having an elongate channel for receiving the epaulet projection, a flexible connector hingedly connecting the epaulet to the shoulder pad, and a force member for urging the epaulet toward the shoulder pad.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for continuously producing pieces of liquid-filled gum material, including applying an anti-sticking agent to the rope of liquid-filled gum material before it is individually cut into pieces. The invention further provides for a liquid-filled chewing gum including a liquid-fill composition, and a gum region surrounding the liquid-fill composition, where the gum region includes an anti-sticking agent that reduces the tendency of the gum region to stick to the molds and operating machinery during gum manufacturing.

Abstract: Gum manufacturing machinery and method of manufacturing gum is illustrated in which a gum loafing machine generates loaves of finished gum that are then subsequently run through a gum conditioner to more uniformly set the temperature and viscosity of the gum material prior to further processing. Upon achieving the appropriate conditioning level, a further forming extruder may be used to generate a continuous gum ribbon for subsequent rolling and scoring operations. The gum conditioner may include vertically stacked conveyors that have different operational modes including a first mode that provides a serpentine path for a long residence time and a second mode that provides a cascading path that avoids or bypasses much of the length of some of the conveyors to provide a shorter residence time. The gum manufacturing machinery may be used in an adjustable manner so as to accommodate difference gum recipes for different batches of gum product.

Abstract: A gum packaging design that utilizes two separate compartments, an upper compartment and a lower compartment. Each of the compartments may be formed from a separate paperboard blank. The blanks are folded to form the compartments and then the lower compartment is adhered to the upper compartment in a fashion that allows the lower compartment to be later separated therefrom by tearing along a perforation after the lower compartment is emptied. A cover flap on the upper compartment can be used to hold the package in a compact, closed position by folding the compartments to face each other and tucking an end into a receiving slot formed in the back panel of the lower compartment. Once the lower compartment is separated from the upper compartment, the same cover flap can be used to close the remaining package by tucking the same end of the cover flap into a receiving slot formed in a front panel of the upper compartment.

Abstract: A package assembly encloses a plurality of individual elongate consumable products. The package assembly includes a plurality of products aligned in a side-by-side array. The package housing enclosed the array of product. The package housing has front and back walls for supporting the products therebetween and a closeable cover for closing a product dispensing opening. The package housing further includes a frictional product retention member insertably supported within the package for frictionally retaining the array of product within the package.

Abstract: A package assembly for a multi-layer center-filled chewing gum is disclosed. The package assembly supports individual gum pieces that have a center surrounded by a gum region. The gum region may include a gum base. Optionally, the individual gum pieces may be further coated with an external coating layer. Components of the individual gum pieces create a duality, such as two tastants, that are identified by indicia on the package.