Apparatus for Treating Materials Containing Cocoa Butter

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the treatment of materials containing cocoa butter with regard to the air entering therein during processing thereof. Hereby, the air is permitted to remain in the material, but is very uniformly and finely distributed throughout the material.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art

In order to implement this method, the applicant has already proposed an apparatus in which a plurality of separating elements are disposed in an axially mutually offset arrangement within a conduit which conveys the various material during its flow, with the elements imparting turbulent motion to the material, which then again flows together downstream of the elements. The separating elements, in essence, are stationary discs having slots through which the material is forced, so that the air bubbles are substantially reduced in size and finely distributed.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to develop this apparatus in a manner as to increase the intensity with which the air bubbles are reduced in size while at least the constructional demands are not increased.

In order to attain the inventive purpose, it is proposed that the separating elements comprise rotating blades which beat and distribute the air bubbles which are entrained in the material. Further features of the invention will become readily apparent from the claims and the following detailed description of the exemplified embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Reference may now be had to an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus constructed pursuant to the invention; taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings; in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through an apparatus for the treatment of cocoa butter constructed in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged end view of a blade utilized in the apparatus of FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing, a shaft 2 is rotatably mounted in a housing 1 by being journaled at one end thereof in axially spaced bearings 3, 4, so as to be essentially cantilevered. The shaft 2 is rotated through the intermediary of a coupling 5 by a drive motor which is disposed exteriorly of the housing 1. A number of blades 6, having a configuration as shown in FIG. 2, are provided proximate the free end of the shaft, being axially spaced and circumferentially offset relative to each other. The blades taper symmetrically from a bearing collar to two points 180.degree. apart. The innermost blade on the shaft bears against a collar formed on the shaft 2, while the stack of blades is rigidly maintained against the collar by means of lock nuts 7, 8 so as to be restrained from movement relative to the shaft.

The substance for processing is supplied through a lateral feed pipe 9, the material being discharged from the apparatus through an end spigot 10 which is coaxial with the interior of housing 1 and shaft 2. The configuration of the bearing housings prevents the material from leaving the housing 1 at the end at which the bearings 3, 4 are located.

When chocolate is supplied by suitable conveying means (not shown) to the housing 1 through the feed pipe 9, it must pass through the zone of the rotating blades, during which air bubbles which are entrained in the substance are beaten at a high degree of energy and very effectively into extremely small bubbles, with these bubbles being uniformly distributed throughout the chocolate material.

The number of blades which are employed in the apparatus depends upon conditions at any current time. For the usual conditions, between seven and twelve have proven suitable. The working edges of the blades are sharpened at the top in order to assist their operative effect.