Abstract: Heat is applied to a solid or semi-solid material in a cylindrical container in such a way that a precise, predetermined amount of heat is transferred to a horizontal layer of the material until it softens sufficiently to allow the heating element to sink into the material where it will heat the next layer. The container is rotated about a vertical axis, and a horizontally-oriented heating element is lowered into contact with the material to apply heat to a horizontal layer. The heating element is lowered through the material in a controlled manner to heat progressively lower layers within the container, until the whole container has been heated. The heating element may be heated by pumping hot water therethrough, or by other means. A container of hot liquid may be cooled in a similar fashion, by gradually raising a cooling element from the bottom of the container.

Abstract: A frozen dessert such as ice cream, and a process for manufacturing same, are described. The chocolate or other flavoring composition is injected into the stream of semi-frozen dessert in the form of a pumpable semi-liquid which freezes into ribbons or strands upon contact with the dessert. The fat and oil fractions of the flavoring composition are formulated so that the composition can be conditioned from a solid or semi-solid paste into a high-viscosity semi-liquid composition which can be pumped with a positive-delivery pump, and so that as soon as the composition is cooled a few degrees by being in direct contact with the ice cream, the viscosity rises rapidly and the composition once again becomes a solid or semi-solid. The conditioning can be accomplished in one of at least two ways. Firstly, the flavoring composition can be conditioned from the temperature at which is is a semi-solid paste, to a few degrees above that temperature.