Abstract: The present disclosure describes apparatuses and techniques for room temperature three-dimensional (3D) printing using edible printing materials. In some aspects, a 3D printer includes a printing platform configured to receive the extruded edible printing material from the printing cartridge, a cartridge receiver configured to hold an integrated printing cartridge that contains an edible printing material that can be extruded at room temperature, and a printing target. The position of the printing platform can be adjusted vertically and the position of the cartridge receiver can be adjusted in a plane perpendicular to the printing platform. The printing target is configured to allow extrusion of the edible printing material at precise and repeatable locations.

Abstract: Severing apparatus (1) for severing a string of pasty foodstuff material, in particular of meat or doughs, into individual portions, comprising a movable and drivable severing knife (2, 2?) having a knife edge (12), and at least one preferably stationary shear bar (8, 8?) associated with the severing knife (2, 2?). The knife edge (12) of the severing knife (2, 2?) has a cutting edge (20, 20?) which is at least portion-wise concavely curved in the longitudinal direction of the severing knife.

Abstract: A food topping and cutting device includes a handle coupled to a cutting edge, and further includes a container coupled to the handle. The container has a dispenser at one end configured to dispense, adjacent to the cutting edge, a food topping supplied from the container.

Abstract: A method for applying print to at least one chewing gum surface, the method including forming a chewing gum composition into at least one chewing gum sheet having at least one printable surface, the chewing gum sheet having a desirable thickness, providing a print roller, transporting the at least one chewing gum sheet towards the print roller via a transporting surface, providing a gap between the print roller and the transporting surface, the thickness of the at least one chewing gum sheet being greater than a height of the gap, moving the at least one chewing gum sheet through the gap, printing indicia on the chewing gum sheet via the print roller during the moving of the at least one chewing gum sheet through the gap, and compressing the at least one chewing gum sheet during the moving of the at least one chewing gum sheet through the gap, the compressing occurring simultaneously with the printing.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for assembling a pizza, including a pizza sauce spreading station, a cheese spreading station and a pepperoni applying station. A robot including a stationary base and an articulating arm having a gripper attached to the end is operable to grip a pizza pan having pizza dough therein to allow said robot to move the pan throughout the pizza sauce spreading station, and to a rotary dial system including the cheese spreading station and the pepperoni applying station. The robot arm manipulates the pizza pan in the sauce spreading station and the rotary dial system manipulates the pizza pan in the cheese station and the pepperoni applying station to properly distribute the cheese and pepperoni on the pizza.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing molten mass, especially chocolate mass, from a rear bottom portion of items, especially confectionaries, includes a first and a second conveyor belt for transporting the items in a conveying direction perpendicular to the working width of the apparatus. The second conveyor belt is located adjacent to the fist conveyor belt and downstream of the first conveyor belt as seen in the conveying direction. A driven hollow shaft is located in a gap portion between the two conveyor belts, it extends over the working width, and it is supported from its inside and within the working width.

Abstract: Method of coating a substrate which is a belt, sheet, film, or tape, comprising applying an active coating material to the substrate to form an active coating layer, the active coating material comprising biologically active material. The active coating material is applied electrostatically as a powder and, after the active coating material is applied, the active coating material is fused to form an active film layer. The active coating material is removable from the substrate as a wafer comprising the active film layer.

Abstract: The method relates to a disposable device for the application of a coating (2) on a tablet, a capsule or a pill. The coating (2) is applied enclosing the tablet, capsule or pill (3) during its passage through a bowl formation (4) with a coating mass (5) and through an elastic diaphragm (12) located in the bottom (11) and provided with a centrally disposed, conveniently penetrable opening (13). During the passage of the tablet, capsule of pill (3) the opening (13) encloses the tablet, capsule or pill and simultaneously shapes a film of coating mass (5) thereon.

Abstract: A method and device for manufacturing confectionery bars in the form of a three dimensional core at least partially covered with at least one layer of boiled sugar confectionery material. The method involves dimensioning at least one continuous band of boiled sugar confectionery material on a roller, cooling the band of boiled confectionery material, detaching the band from the roller, depositing the band on a core by bringing the band substantially into contact with the core on a plane that is adjacent to the most elevated surface or point of the core, and allowing the band to bend under its own weight to cover the sides of the core. The band is deposited in a viscoplastic state such that the band is capable of bending under its own weight.

Abstract: An improved extrusion processing system (10) for sticky extrudates such as candy products is provided which includes an extruder (12) equipped with a die (16) presenting an outlet face (23) and a knife assembly (19) and a knife hood (18). The system (10) further has a particulate delivery unit (20) which serves to direct a stream of particulate substance under positive pressure onto the outlet face (23) of extrusion die (16). The delivery unit (20) includes a container (42) for holding a supply of a particulate substance such as starch or sugar together with conduits (52, 56) adapted for coupling with a source of pressurized air and connected with container (42); a stream of the particulate substance under pressure is created and delivered via conduit (56) to hood (18) where it passes through delivery tube (60) for application onto outlet face (23).

Abstract: A process is disclosed for extruding and coating foodstuffs, in which the foodstuff is extruded by means of an extruder device and, after the extrusion, is cut off by means of a cutting device (4, 5), the material (11), after leaving the extrusion die (2), being sprayed with at least one additive before it is cut off; furthermore, a device for carrying out the process is disclosed, which has an extruder screw for feeding the material (11) to be extruded, which is extruded through an extrusion die (2) and, after extrusion, is cut off by means of a cutting device (4, 5), at least one additive being sprayed onto the extruded material (1i) by means of at least one spray device (7) before the said extruded material (11) is cut off.

Abstract: A food spreader, particularly for spreading cheese onto a pizza crust, includes a food feed hopper mounted above a food spreader housing having movable paddles therein and a porous bottom member spaced above the surface upon which the food is to be spread.

Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus for making printed foods such as cookies, crackers, and snacks at high production speeds on a continuous basis. The apparatus includes a rotary printer which is synchronized with dough forming apparatus such as a rotary cutter or rotary molder.

Abstract: Paste-form material is shaped into individual portions by an apparatus wherein a feed pipe provides a continuous supply of paste-form product under pressure to a distributor which is synchronized with a cutting device to produce the individual portions which are delivered to a support. Elements of the cutting device collect drops produced when cutting the distributed paste-form product, and the collected drops are removed from the cutting device such that the drops do not come in contact with the support.

Abstract: In an ice slicer with syrup supply mechanism, a frame is mounted on a base, a cutter case accommodating a rotary blade is mounted to the frame, a slit is formed in the cutter case, a cutting blade is so mounted as to be exposed to the slit, a syrup discharge nozzle is provided at the front of the frame, a connecting tube connects the discharge nozzle to a syrup container, and an electromagnetic valve is provided in the connecting tube. The electromagnetic valve is opened or closed by manipulating an operation switch provided on the frame.

Abstract: A low labor, highly efficient process and system for manufacturing chocolate coated ice cream cookie sandwiches is achieved by incorporating conveyor means for transporting the ice cream cookie sandwich through the various stages of its manufacture along with uniquely constructed ice cream brick slicing machines and a unique chocolate coating machine. In addition, a pass-through freezer is preferably employed prior to the chocolate coating, in order to assure a high quality, tasty product. The ice cream slicing machine of the present invention employed in the process and manufacturing system of this invention is constructed for receiving a plurality of ice cream bricks and cutting each brick into a plurality of slices in an efficient, automatic, integrated operational procedure and presenting each ice cream slice to a holding zone for placement on a cookie moving along the conveyor means.

Abstract: An installation for coating baked products, such as wafer sheets, with a viscous, edible spreading mass, such as caramel, includes a transport installation for moving the wafers and a revolvable, generally cylindrical coating roll above the transport installation. An application reservior cooperates with the coating roll to spread a layer of the spreading mass on the surface of the coating roll. A coating roll squeegee controls the thickness of the spreading mass on the coating roll, and a coating roll blade removes the spreading mass from the coating roll in the form of a layer. This layer of spreading mass is then deposited on the wafers transported by the transport installation. The viscous material of the spreading mass will be continuous and will tend to join the separate wafer sheets together when the layer is deposited on the wafer sheets. In this regard, a separating device is disposed downstream of the coating roll.

Abstract: A machine for extruding dough, typically of the bagel variety, about a food, such as a frankfurter, is disclosed. Typically, the frankfurters are loaded into a magazine. The magazine feeds a star wheel at the bottom. The star wheel singulates, rotates and discharges the frankfurters into a chute. Once the frankfurters are deposited in the chute, an endless chain with propelling pawls propels each sequential frankfurter through the chute concentrically to an extruder. The extruder continuously dispenses bagel dough concentrically around the frankfurters and is supplied with bagel dough under pressure by an auger flight extruder or other propelling mechanism. Extrusion occurs from an extrusion head having a frankfurter passageway centrally thereof. Dough is extruded into first and second extrusion chambers and out first and second immediately concentric extrusion annuluses about the frankfurter passageway.

Abstract: Means for trimming, icing levelling and smoothing of cakes or the like comprising a generally rectangular framework having posts at the four corners which adjustably receive frame rods and support instrumentalities so that the area within the framework can be adjusted to accept cakes of different sizes, the support instrumentalities being vertically adjustable and adapted to provide for movement of a screed-like member therealong to engage with the cake or icing thereon to smooth and level such icing or trim the cake to provide a suitable level surface for icing, indicia means being availed of to enable uniform positioning of the instrumentalities.

Abstract: An improved apparatus is provided for depositing pepperoni slices which may have a relatively high fat content and grated cheese on a series of pizza pie shells made of pastry. The apparatus includes a main conveyor which is continuously operated to sequentially move pizze pie shells along a path extending through a food processing station. A carriage at the food processing station moves a stick of pepperoni relative to a rotating blade to slice pieces of pepperoni from the stick. A secondary conveyor receives the slices of pepperoni and positively moves the slices of pepperoni toward a pastry shell being moved by the main conveyor. The secondary conveyor includes surfaces which apply forces to opposite sides of the pepperoni slices to grip the slices and positively move them toward the main conveyor. At another food processing station, a body of cheese is sliced into elongated pieces by a grater. A second cutter severs the elongated pieces of cheese into relatively short lengths.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed in a system for drilling holes with a laser beam in a plurality of discrete moving workpieces carried by a support which moves each workpiece sequentially along a predetermined path at a predetermined velocity, the apparatus including means for sequentially tracking along a portion of such path each workpiece being drilled seriatim by the laser beam. This tracing apparatus includes means for directing the laser beam generally transversely of the direction of movement of the workpiece on the support and a mirror for folding the transversely directed laser beam toward the workpieces with means for oscillating the folding mirror synchronously with the movement of the workpiece to track the workpiece as it moves.