U.S. patent application number 09/551644 was filed with the patent office on 2002-08-22 for method and apparatus for producing products with serially registered multiple colors.
Invention is credited to Ackley Jr., E. Michael, Burin, Ralph R., Cahill, S. Kristine, Corriveau, Christine L., Hassler, Donald C., Louden, Samuel J., Mormann, Jeffery C., Partipilo, Nicholas, Pawlowski, Rocco A., Ream, Ronald L..
Application Number | 20020114863 09/551644 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24188209 |
Filed Date | 2002-08-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020114863 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ream, Ronald L. ; et
al. |
August 22, 2002 |
Method and apparatus for producing products with serially
registered multiple colors
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for printing indicia on
confectionery products such as chewing gum. A mass of confectionery
product is formed into a thin, flat sheet. The sheet may be divided
into individual sheets for cooling. Next, the sheet or sheets of
confectionery are passed through the printing machine to print
indicia thereon. Printed confectionery products and packages
thereof are also provided.
Inventors: |
Ream, Ronald L.; (Plano,
IL) ; Corriveau, Christine L.; (Orland Park, IL)
; Cahill, S. Kristine; (Sugar Grove, IL) ;
Hassler, Donald C.; (Naperville, IL) ; Mormann,
Jeffery C.; (Minooka, IL) ; Partipilo, Nicholas;
(Naperville, IL) ; Pawlowski, Rocco A.; (Wheaton,
IL) ; Burin, Ralph R.; (Annandale, NJ) ;
Ackley Jr., E. Michael; (Moorestown, NJ) ; Louden,
Samuel J.; (Moorestown, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OLIFF & BERRIDGE, PLC
P.O. BOX 19928
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22320
US
|
Family ID: |
24188209 |
Appl. No.: |
09/551644 |
Filed: |
April 18, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09551644 |
Apr 18, 2000 |
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09070985 |
May 1, 1998 |
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09070985 |
May 1, 1998 |
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PCT/US96/17461 |
Oct 28, 1996 |
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09070985 |
May 1, 1998 |
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08548293 |
Nov 1, 1995 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
426/3 ; 426/104;
426/5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A23G 3/0289 20130101;
A23G 3/2092 20130101; A23G 4/025 20130101; A23G 3/28 20130101; B41F
17/26 20130101; A23G 4/18 20130101; A23G 4/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
426/3 ; 426/5;
426/104 |
International
Class: |
A23G 003/30 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A method of printing indicia on confectionery products
comprising: a) providing a sheet of confectionery product; b)
cooling the sheet to a temperature below approximately 56.degree.
F.; and c) printing indicia on the cooled sheet of confectionery
product.
2. The method of claim 1 where at least two colors are printed in
registration with one another on the sheet of confectionery
product.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of dividing
the sheet into individual sheets prior to printing.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of forming the
sheet from a mass of confectionery product, the sheet having a
thickness of approximately 0.054 inches to about 1 inch.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of forming the sheet is
performed on a different machine than that used to perform the
printing step.
6. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of storing the
sheets for approximately 12 hours to about 36 hours prior to
printing.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of removing
excess dusting compound from the sheet prior to printing indicia on
the sheet of confectionery product.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least three colors of edible
ink are printed on the sheet of confectionery product.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of dividing
the sheet into pieces of confectionery product after printing.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the confectionery product is
selected from the group consisting of chewing gum, taffy, gummy
candy and dehydrated fruit based confections.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the confectionery product
comprises chewing gum.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein the pieces comprises generally
flat pieces of chewing gum formed by scoring a thin, flat sheet
having a thickness of between about 0.054 inches and about 1 inch,
the gum piece having a rectangular shape with a length of between
about 3 and about 5 inches and a width of between about 1.5 and
about 2.5 inches.
13. The method of claim 3 wherein the sheets are generally
rectangular, flat sheets of chewing gum having: a) a thickness of
between about 0.054 and about 1 inches; b) a width of between about
5 and about 20 inches; and c) a length of between about 1 and about
17 inches.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicia is in the form of
printing on a check.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicia is in the form of
printing on a traffic citation.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicia is in the form of
printing on a magic eye puzzle.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicia is in the form of
printing on a sports trading card.
18. The method of claim 1 wherein the confectionery sheet is
printed with multiple printed indicia thereon and is divisible into
smaller pieces of confectionery, each with an individual, complete
printed indicia thereon.
19. The method of claim 1 wherein the printing is done by a
rotogravure process.
20. The method of claim 1 wherein the printed indicia has a high
degree of resolution.
21. The method of claim 1 wherein the confectionery comprises
chewing gum and is cooled to a temperature of approximately
51.degree. F. to 56.degree. F. prior to printing.
22. A method of printing indicia on confectionery products
comprising: a) providing a plurality of separately divided sheets
of confectionery product; and b) printing indicia on the sheets of
confectionery product.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the sheets are cooled to a
temperature below approximately 56.degree. F. prior to
printing.
24. The method of claim 22 further comprising: a) feeding the
sheets of confectionery products onto a moving conveyor bed; b)
removing excess dusting compound from the sheets of confectionery
on the conveyor bed; and c) printing the indicia on the de-dusted
sheets of confectionery product as they move on the conveyor
bed.
25. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of printing indicia
comprises printing two colors of ink in register on the
confectionery product sheets.
26. The method of claim 24 wherein a rotating brush is used to
remove excess dusting compound.
27. The method of claim 26 wherein a plurality of hold down fingers
hold some of the sheets of confectionery product on the conveyor
bed while the sheet is being contacted by the rotating brush.
28. The method of claim 24 wherein the conveyor bed includes
recesses and the confectionery product sheets are carried in the
recesses while the sheets are printed to provide accurate
registration of two or more successive prints on the confectionery
product sheets.
29. The method of claim 24 wherein the individual sheets are fed
from a magazine feeder.
30. The method of claim 29 wherein the magazine feeder is
positioned at an incline relative to the conveyor bed.
31. The method of claim 22 wherein the confectionery product is
selected from the group consisting of chewing gum, taffy, gummy
candy and dehydrated fruit based confections.
32. The method of claim 22 wherein the confectionery product
comprises chewing gum.
33. An apparatus for producing a sheet of confectionery product
with printing thereon comprising: a) a cooling device for cooling
the sheet of confectionery product to a temperature below
approximately 56.degree. F.; and b) a printing device for printing
indicia on the sheet after cooling.
34. The apparatus of claim 33 further comprising a rolling machine
to form a continuous sheet of confectionery product and a blade
configured to cut the continuous sheet into separate sheets of
confectionery product prior to printing.
35. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the blade comprises a
rotating blade.
36. An apparatus for producing sheets of confectionery with
printing thereon comprising: a) means for providing individual
sheets of confectionery products; b) a printing device; and c) a
conveyor bed for conveying the individual confectionery sheets
through the printing device.
37. The apparatus of claim 36 further comprising a de-dusting
station for removing dusting compound from a surface of the sheets
of confectionery to be printed.
38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the de-dusting station
comprises a plurality of hold down fingers for holding the
confectionery sheet down on the conveyor bed as the sheet travels
through the de-dusting station.
39. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the apparatus comprises two
de-dusting stations.
40. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the apparatus comprises two
printing devices to print two colors of ink in register with one
another.
41. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the de-dusting station
comprises a brush which rotates opposite the direction of travel of
the confectionery sheet through the de-dusting station.
42. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the apparatus comprises two
de-dusting stations each comprising a brush which rotates opposite
to the direction of travel of confectionery sheet through the
de-dusting station and a plurality of hold down fingers, and
wherein the hold down fingers of one de-dusting station are offset
from the hold down fingers of the other de-dusting station.
43. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the conveyor bed conveys the
sheets in a spaced apart fashion through the printing device.
44. The apparatus of claim 36 further comprising a magazine feeder
for feeding the individual sheets one at a time from a stack of
sheets.
45. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein the magazine feeder is sloped
compared to the conveyor bed.
46. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein the angle of slope of the
magazine feeder is adjustable.
47. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein the magazine feeder comprises
a pneumatic cylinder and two guide shafts parallel to the
cylinder.
48. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein the magazine feeder comprises
a push plate with a machined end used for actuating the push
plate.
49. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the conveyor bed includes
recesses sized to accept the sheets of confectionery.
50. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein the recesses have a depth of
about {fraction (1/16)} inch.
51. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the printing device comprises
a roller with one or more raised surfaces for contacting the
surface of the sheets of confectionery to be printed.
52. The apparatus of claim 36 further comprising a scorer device to
divide the sheet of confectionery after printing into individual
pieces of printed confectionery.
53. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the printing device is
configured to print onto chewing gum.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of
Application Ser. No. 08/548,293, filed Nov. 1, 1995, and a
continuation of PCT Application Serial No. PCT/US96/17461 filed
Oct. 28, 1996 designating the U.S., both of which are hereby
incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of
confectionery products. More specifically, the present invention
relates to printing indicia on confectionery, including chewing
gum.
[0003] To promote its marketability, confectionery products have
been molded, extruded and otherwise shaped into various forms over
the years. For example, bubble gum has been formed into shapes such
as flat sheets, cylinders, cubes, cigars, shredded chew, and the
like. Providing a confectionery product, such as bubble gum, in
novel shapes or forms enhances the marketability of such a product,
particularly with younger customers.
[0004] Likewise, providing bubble gum in unique containers and
packages enhances the marketability of the bubble gum product. In
fact, bubble gum products and containers designed for children now
comprise a substantial portion of the gum industry. Naturally, the
more fun and exciting the packaging is for the bubble gum or other
confectionery, the more a younger customer will want such
products.
[0005] One unique aspect that has previously not been explored is
the printing of indicia directly on chewing gum or other
confectionery products, particularly to make the products simulate
a known article.
[0006] Small, hard articles, such as pharmaceutical capsules,
tablets and candies, often are marked with indicia, such as
trademarks, lot numbers and the like. U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,904
details a printing apparatus for such purposes, as well as various
printing machines that have been utilized in the past to print
indicia on such small, hard articles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,589
discloses an apparatus for ink-jet marking of pellet-shaped
articles.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 3,052,552 discloses a process of printing on
the surface of confection items such as chewing gum using relief,
offset and gravure printing methods. However, the patent does not
specify whether any indicia, or simply stripes or other continuous
areas, can be printed on the gum, although one of the purposes of
the invention is stated to be printing at high speeds without
smudging.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 3,215,536 discloses an improved ink for
printing on chewing gum, and states that "It has been proposed that
various printing designs, such as numerals, letters, words,
phrases, and the like be imprinted on the surface of the slab gum
sticks." This patent discloses the use of a conventional Harley
Proving Press machine, but again does not disclose the actual
printing of any specific indicia. Further, no commercial products
made by such a process are commercially available today. It may be
that these prior proposals were never commercially successful
because the printing operation added a high cost to the product,
did not have a good print quality, or both.
[0009] Thus it is believed that no commercial printing of any
indicia onto chewing gum was accomplished heretofore, particularly
with any high degree of resolution, which is difficult but which
would make for a more desirable product. Further, there is no
disclosure of printing on confectionery products with more than one
color of ink, with the multiple colors of printing in register with
one another, which would provide even a more desirable product.
[0010] Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus for
printing indicia on chewing gum or other confectionery products,
particularly at high resolution, at a high speed, and in a cost
efficient manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present invention provides a method and apparatus for
printing indicia on chewing gum and other confectionery products.
The preferred method includes the following steps. Initially, a
sheet of chewing gum is provided. The sheet is preferably cooled to
allow for hardening or tempering of the chewing gum. Preferably the
sheet is divided into individual sheets that are cooled so that the
sheets can be fed to a printing operation by an indexed printer.
Then the chewing gum is passed through a suitable printing press to
print indicia on the sheet of chewing gum. In a preferred
embodiment, the sheet is formed on a machine separate from that
used for printing on the sheets.
[0012] The present invention also provides an apparatus for
printing indicia on soft confectionery products such as chewing
gum. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes means for delivering
gum sheets to the printing operation which prints indicia on the
sheets of chewing gum.
[0013] Moreover, the present invention provides a printed product
comprising a chewing gum piece or other confectionery product with
indicia printed thereon. Pursuant to the present invention, the
indicia can be in many forms and colors. The indicia printed on the
chewing gum pieces or other confectionery pieces comprises an
edible ink.
[0014] In an embodiment, the confectionery product incorporates at
least two different colors of indicia that are printed on pieces of
confectionery. Preferably the multiple colors are in registration
with one another.
[0015] In an embodiment, the confectionery is a chewing gum
product, such as bubble gum pieces. The bubble gum may be printed
to look like a check (bank draft), and preferably packaged to
simulate a checkbook. Other embodiments include traffic citations,
sports trading cards and even a "magic eye" puzzle printed on
chewing gum.
[0016] The present invention offers a practical means for printing
indicia on confectionery products such as chewing gum and provides
a printed product, preferably with a high degree of resolution. The
preferred embodiment, with printed chewing gum pieces that simulate
known printed articles, are fun to look at and chew. Packaging
which simulates a holder for the known articles adds to the play
value of the products.
[0017] Additional features and advantages of the present invention
are described in, and will be apparent from, the detailed
description of the presently preferred embodiments, as well as the
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a
printed confectionery product package simulating a checkbook.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the checkbook of FIG. 1 in an open
configuration, showing confectionery with printed indicia
thereon.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a slab of confectionery prior to
slicing with printing thereon in the form of five checks.
[0021] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a
printed confectionery product package simulating a police officer's
book of traffic citations.
[0022] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the package of FIG. 4 with
the flap open.
[0023] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a
printed confectionery product package simulating a packet of sports
trading cards.
[0024] FIG. 7 is a view of the package of FIG. 6 with the package
open.
[0025] FIG. 8 is a plan view of a fourth embodiment of a printed
confectionery product and package.
[0026] FIG. 9 is a side view of a conventional apparatus for
creating sheets of chewing gum.
[0027] FIG. 10 is a side view of an embodiment of a printing
apparatus of the present invention.
[0028] FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the printing apparatus of FIG.
10.
[0029] FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line
12-12 of FIG. 11.
[0030] FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line
13-13 of FIG. 11.
[0031] FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the
line 14-14 of FIG. 11.
[0032] FIGS. 15 and 16 are enlarged top plan views of the feeding
section of the apparatus of FIGS. 10 and 11, showing two different
operational positions of the equipment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND PRESENTLY PREFERRED
EMBODIMENTS
[0033] The present invention provides methods and apparatus for
printing indicia on chewing gum and other confectionery products,
and the resulting printed products. As used herein, the term
chewing gum is broadly used and refers to all types of chewing gum,
such as bubble gum and the like. Other confectionery products with
which the invention may be utilized include taffy, gummy candy,
dehydrated fruit based confections and the like. While methods and
apparatuses may have existed for printing tablets, capsules and the
like, the industry has never developed a commercially acceptable
method or apparatus for printing indicia on soft confectionery
products, particularly sheet chewing gum, that operated at high
speed, had good print quality and was cost effective.
[0034] FIGS. 1-8 depict four different products utilizing printed
indicia on confectionery products, in this case chewing gum. For
each product, there is a package containing one or more generally
flat, rectangular chewing gum pieces, each having an edible ink on
the gum piece in the form of a printed indicia simulating a known
printed object. Further, the outer package includes a reference to
the object simulated by the chewing gum having printed indicia
thereon. Of course, instead of chewing gum, other confectionery
products could be used.
[0035] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a product 110 referred to as "Check Book
Bubble Gum". The product includes an outer package 112 simulating a
checkbook, which opens up as shown in FIG. 2. Inside the checkbook
112 are multiple pieces of chewing gum 116. Each piece 116 is
generally flat and rectangular. Several pieces 116 are wrapped
together in one protective plastic pouch 114. Two pouches 114 are
included, one in each pocket of the checkbook 112.
[0036] The pieces of chewing gum 116 are preferably made by
dividing a sheet of chewing gum 118 (FIG. 3) into the individual
pieces, each with an individual printed indicia thereon. In the
embodiment shown in FIG. 3, five checks (bank drafts) are printed
on one sheet 118, and then the sheet is divided between the checks
to give five individual pieces of chewing gum 116. In this way the
printing operation is simplified since five pieces of chewing gum
are printed at one time. Also, it is easier to print on the larger
sheet 118 than it would be to print on the individual pieces
116.
[0037] Preferably each of the pieces 116 making up sheet 118 and in
the package 112 has a different indicia of a similar object printed
thereon. Thus one package contains multiple pieces of chewing gum,
but each piece is different. For example, in the "Check Book Bubble
Gum", each piece of gum 116 has indicia 119 printed thereon
representing several items found on a typical bank draft, such as a
date, a check number, the payee (entity to whom the check is made
out), a dollar amount (in numerical and written form) and a
signature, as well as other symbols and a border. Preferably the
indicia represents fictional information that is clever and relates
to the type of printed article being simulated. For example, the
check number on gum pieces 116 simulating a check could be "I8it",
"UChu" or "UR2CUTE"; the date could be "Justintime 1, 1999"; or
"February 30, 1999"; the payee could be "M. Bezzler"; "M.T. Vault"
or "Bo Gus Bucks"; the dollar amount could be
"$1,000,000,000,000,000.00 One Zillion Dollars and {fraction
(00/100)}"; the signature could be "Wally Street"; "Kool Cash" or
"Granny Larceny".
[0038] FIGS. 4 and 5 depict another product 130 using the present
invention, referred to as "Speeding Ticket Bubble Gum". Product 130
also includes an outer package 132 which includes a reference 133
to the object simulated by the printed chewing gum, in this case a
police officer's booklet of traffic citations. The package 132
opens up as shown in FIG. 5 and contains two plastic protective
pouches 134 each including several pieces of chewing gum 136. Each
piece of chewing gum 136 has indicia 139 printed thereon simulating
the printing on a traffic citation. Preferably each piece 136 will
have different printing thereon, again representing fictional
information cleverly related to the simulated traffic ticket. For
example, in addition to an official looking seal and the words
"VIOLATION"; The People of the State of Confusion vs." and "Speedy
Smith" or "Crash Kelly", the indicia may have boxes, one of which
is checked, with a pretended violation thereafter, such as
"Breaking the Sound Barrier"; "Reckless Driving"; "Otherwise
Traveling `Way Too Fast`"; "Impersonating a Crash Test Dummy"; "No
Helmet" or "Look Mom . . . `NO HANDS`". Also, an amount of a fine
and the fictional name of a police officer, such as "Lieutenant
Lawful" or "Officer Friendly" can be included. As with chewing gum
pieces 116, gum pieces 136 may be divided from a larger sheet that
includes several different traffic citation types of printed
indicia 139.
[0039] FIGS. 6 and 7 depict a product 150 constituting another
embodiment of the invention, referred to as "Wild Pitch Printed
Bubble Gum Baseball Cards". As with the other embodiments, the
printed chewing gum pieces 156 are packaged in an outer package 152
which includes a reference 153 to the object simulated by the
printed chewing gum, which in the case of product 150 is a sports
trading card, particularly a baseball trading card. Several pieces
of chewing gum 156, preferably each with a different indicia 159
printed thereon, are included in the package 152. Optionally a
non-chewing gum trading card can also be included in package
152.
[0040] FIG. 8 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention, product
180 referred to as "Bubble-Prints Magic Eye.TM. Puzzle". In the
case of product 180 the outer package 182 is a plastic wrapper with
a reference 183 printed thereon referring to the Magic Eye.TM.
Puzzle simulated by the printed chewing gum 186. In this
embodiment, two colors of opaque ink are used to print the indicia
189. Magic Eye.TM. is a trademark of N.E. Thing Enterprises. Magic
Eye.TM. puzzles have recently become quite popular, and are often
reproduced in books or on posters. As used herein, the term "magic
eye puzzle" refers to a printed image which, when a person's eyes
are focused on the proper plane, which is different than the plane
on which the image is printed, creates a three dimensional image in
the mind of the person looking at the puzzle. In the preferred
embodiment, using two or more colors of edible ink in proper
registration, the indicia 189 on the chewing gum piece 186
constitute a magic eye puzzle.
[0041] Referring now to the drawings of the apparatus, FIG. 9
illustrates generally a process for sheeting chewing gum. In this
regard, an apparatus 12 is provided for forming a flat rectangular
sheet of a chewing gum. FIGS. 10-16 illustrate the apparatus 10 of
the present invention for printing indicia on the gum. It should be
noted that the sheeting step can be performed in a separate
operation or facility from the printing step.
[0042] In an embodiment, the means 12 for forming a flat
rectangular sheet is a conventional chewing gum rolling machine.
For example, a suitable rolling machine 12 that may be utilized in
the present invention can be purchased from the Gimpel
Manufacturing Company, W.L.S. of West Germany. Naturally, other
machines with the ability to roll or extrude a sheet of chewing gum
can also be used.
[0043] The conventional rolling machine 12 includes an extruder 14
into which a mass of the chewing gum is put. A series of rollers 16
act on the mass of chewing gum to form a relatively thin, flat
continuous sheet 20. The rolling machine 12 also includes a dusting
apparatus 17 for dusting the sheet 20 in order to reduce any
adhesiveness. Typically, starch may be utilized as the dusting
compound. However, in order to improve the print quality of the
resulting printed gum product, only a minimal amount of starch or
dusting compound should be utilized.
[0044] The rollers 16 size the thin, flat sheet 20 to a few
thousandths of an inch larger than the desired configuration size.
In an embodiment, the rollers 16 size the thin, flat sheet to a
thickness ranging from approximately 0.054 inches to about 1.00
inches. In an embodiment, the resulting flat sheet has a thickness
of approximately 0.058 inches to about 0.062 inches, with an ideal
thickness of 0.060 inches. Sizing the thin, flat sheet 20 to the
desired thickness allows for the subsequent printing of such
sheets.
[0045] After the rolling machine 12 forms the chewing gum into a
thin, flat sheet 20, the sheet 20 could be printed on in a
continuous fashion, but more preferably it is cut across its width
by a rotating blade 18 to form individual sheets 21. These sheets
are then scored by a set of rotating knives 19 into smaller sheets
22. The sheets 22 which are actually printed on will preferably be
about five to about 20 inches wide, more preferably about eight to
about 14 inches wide, and most preferably about 10 inches wide. The
sheets will preferably be about one inch to about 17 inches long,
more preferably about two to about seven inches long, and most
preferably about 4-1/2 inches long. As used above, the term
"length" refers to the dimension in the direction of travel through
the printing operation, and the term "width" is the dimension
perpendicular thereto. Of course, after the printing operation the
sheets 22 may be further divided. The terms "length" and "width"
when describing dimensions of sheets or pieces of chewing gum may
therefore use the conventional terminology where "length" refers to
the longest side, regardless of its orientation with respect to the
direction of travel of the gum sheet or piece.
[0046] In an embodiment, gum scores are made at approximately 4 1/4
inch intervals across a 17 inch wide and 10 inch long sheet,
producing a sheet 22 which is 10 inches by 4-1/2 inches. In another
embodiment, the sheets 22 are about 10 inches by 2-7/8 inches.
Thereafter, the sheets of chewing gum are stacked, stored and
cooled to a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time to
allow for tempering/hardening of the chewing gum for automatic
feeding of the gum sheets to the printing operation, as well as for
the printing operation itself.
[0047] Any type of cooling tunnel or cooling device that
effectively cools the sheets 22 of chewing gum to a temperature of
approximately 48.degree. F. to 70.degree. F. can be utilized in the
present invention. In an embodiment, the sheets 22 of chewing gum
are cooled to a temperature ranging from approximately 48.degree.
F. to 56.degree. F. In a preferred embodiment, the chewing gum is
cooled to approximately 51.degree. F. to about 55.degree. F. prior
to printing.
[0048] The ideal temperature for the sheets 22 depends upon the
formulation of the chewing gum. Naturally, the formulation of the
chewing gum affects the tackiness and ultimate printing of such
gum. If the gum were to be printed on as one continuous sheet,
adequate cooling would be carried out between the sheet forming
equipment and the printing operation. If the gum is cut into
individual sheets 22, the chewing gum is preferably cooled and
stored for a period of time prior to printing indicia on such gum.
In an embodiment, the chewing gum is stored for a time of
approximately 12 hours to about 36 hours. In an embodiment, the
chewing gum is stored for approximately 18 to 30 hours, with the
most ideal time being 24 hours.
[0049] In a preferred embodiment, the gum that is to be printed is
bubble gum. Notably, the specific formulation of the bubble gum is
not critical to the performance of the present invention. In
general, the bubble gum formulation should be of sufficient texture
so as to promote printing of indicia on same. Also, the formulation
for the bubble gum, including the amount and type of dusting
compound, should be selected so as to avoid adhesion of the bubble
gum to itself.
[0050] An example of a preferred bubble gum formulation is as
follows:
1 Ingredients Percent (by wt.) Powdered Sugar 65.69 Gum Base 20.79
Corn Syrup 8.79 Glycerine 3.23 Lecithin 0.71 Flavoring 0.75 Color
In Dispersing Agent 0.04
[0051] After the cooling and storing steps, the sheets 22 of gum
then have indicia printed thereon. FIGS. 10-16 illustrate the means
for printing indicia, namely printing machine 24 of the apparatus
10. As one skilled in the art would recognize, a variety of
printing machines could be modified, pursuant to the concepts
described herein, to perform the printing of indicia on the chewing
gum. Thus, while the present description will reference an example
of a suitable printing machine 24, the inventors intend such other
embodiments to fall within the scope of the present invention.
[0052] Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 11, the printing machine 24
includes a magazine feeder 26 for use when individual sheets 22 are
printed on. The magazine feeder 26 feeds the chewing gum sheets 22
into the printing machine 24. In an embodiment, the magazine feeder
26 is a bottom discharge magazine slab feeder for feeding the gum.
The sheets 22 of gum can be manually loaded on the magazine feeder
26. In a preferred embodiment, the magazine feeder 26 is capable of
stacking gum up to 12 inches high.
[0053] The magazine feeder is set up on a slope or incline, as
shown in FIG. 10, with the angle of slope being adjustable. The
preferred magazine feeder 26 is shown in detail in FIGS. 15 and 16.
Preferably, it uses a Thompson style pusher that uses a push plate
71 with a machined end connected to two 5/8 inch diameter guide
shafts 72 and a pneumatic cylinder 73. The gum sheets 22 are placed
in a magazine 75. It may be preferable to use a magazine 75 with
cutouts in the front and back walls to allow the operator to hold
gum with both hands while loading a stack of gum sheets 22 into the
magazine 75. Filler may be placed along the side walls of the
magazine 75 if the inside dimensions of the magazine 75 are greater
than the width and length of the gum sheets 22. The push plate 71
is narrow enough to slide between the sides of the magazine 75. The
front and back sides of the magazine are open at the bottom. The
push plate 71 is approximately the same thickness as a sheet of gum
22, and initially (FIG. 15) rests against the edge of the bottom
sheet. As the cylinder 73 extends, it pushes on the back end of
push plate 71, forcing the front edge of push plate against the
bottom sheet of gum 22 in magazine 75. This pushes the gum sheet 22
out onto conveyor bed 28 (FIG. 16). The guide shafts 72 help to
keep the push plate 71 square to the magazine 75. A stop 76 on the
back of one of guide shafts 72 limits the distance of travel of the
push plate 71. Thereafter the cylinder 73 retracts, the gum sheets
22 in magazine 75 fall down as the push plate 71 pulls out from
under them, and the cycle is ready to be repeated.
[0054] The push plate 71 is preferably machined so that it has a
flange which connects to the end member 77 attached across the ends
of cylinder 73 and guide shafts 72. It has been found that when the
push plate had a flange that was made by simply bending up the end
of push plate 71, the push plate began to crack at the bend due to
the large number and high speed of the repetitions the push plate
71 executes.
[0055] After being fed into the machine 24, the sheets 22 of
chewing gum are moved in a spaced apart fashion by way of a
conveyor bed 28 through the printing machine 24. As best seen in
FIGS. 12-14, the conveyor bed 28 is made of individual slats 52.
Some of these slats have been machined so that the slats 28 provide
a plurality of evenly spaced depressions or recesses 54 in the bed
28. The pneumatic cylinder 73 is preferably timed to eject a gum
sheet 22 each time one of these recesses 54 come up to the top of
the conveyor bed 28. If gum or other confectionery were printed on
directly from the sheet forming equipment, it may still be
advisable to cut it into sheets and use depressions 54 on the
conveyor bed to transfer individual sheets 22 through the
equipment. Alternatively, the continuous sheet 20 could be carried
by the bed 28 through the printing equipment and the depression 54
would then not be used. These recesses have a width and length
slightly larger than the width and length of the sheet of gum 22 to
be printed on apparatus 24. The depth of the recesses 54 is
preferably the same as the thickness of the sheet of gum 22.
[0056] The conveyor bed 28 has a optimum length to promote product
handling and permit de-dusting of the sheets 22 of chewing gum
necessary for printing. In an embodiment, the conveyor bed 28 is
approximately 100 to about 140 inches in length. The conveyor bed
28 is driven by suitable means, such as a drive wheel which engages
chain links connected to slats 52. The printing rates are a
function of product size, shape, consistency, and lubricity. In an
embodiment, the line speed of the conveyor bed 28 is approximately
400 to about 700 inches per minute.
[0057] To promote quality printing, the printing machine 24 also
includes two de-dusting stations 30a and 30b (referred to
generically with reference number 30). The de-dusting stations 30
remove excess dusting compound, such as cornstarch, powdered sugar
or other dusting agents, from the sheets 22. The cross section of a
preferred de-dusting station 30 is shown in FIG. 13. The de-dusting
station 30 preferably includes a chamber cover 60 connected to
flexible pipe 61 which in turn is connected to a source of vacuum
(not shown), a brush 62, a compressed air pipe 63 and a plurality
of hold down fingers 64 secured by a holder 67. The brush 62 is
powered by a suitable motor 65 (FIG. 11) which rotates the brush in
a direction opposite to the direction of travel of conveyor bed 28.
Preferably the brush bearing system uses angular/sealed bearings.
Grease fittings are also preferably included in the conveyor bed 28
and other parts of the equipment since it operates in a dust laden
atmosphere. Hold down fingers 64 hold the gum sheet 22 into the
recess 54 as it passes under the brush 62, thus preventing the
brush from picking up the leading edge of sheet 22. The slope on
the magazine feeder 26 is adjusted so that the gum is ejected at an
angle so that it goes into the recess 54 under the fingers 64.
[0058] Compressed air blown through pipe 63 helps direct starch
brushed off the gum sheet 22 up the pipe 61 to a dust collection
system (not shown). Upon leaving the de-dusting station 30, the gum
sheets 22 are against the back edge of the recess 54. Because of
this consistent positioning, the sheets 22 are more easily printed
on in an accurate fashion down stream of the de-dusting
operation.
[0059] It is preferred to use two de-dusting stations 30 to remove
sufficient starch to leave as clean of a gum surface as possible.
Since the hold down fingers 64 block access of the brush 62 to the
gum surface directly under the fingers 64, as shown in FIG. 11, the
fingers 64a of the first de-dusting station 30a are offset compared
to the fingers 64b of the second de-dusting station 30b. In this
manner starch not removed in the first de-dusting station because
it was covered by hold down fingers 64a is brushed off by the
second de-dusting station.
[0060] Preferably after leaving the de-dusting stations 30, the gum
sheets encounter a guide rail 69 that pushes the gum sheets to the
side of the recess 54 so that they are properly aligned for
printing. The sheets 22 are next moved along through two printing
devices 32, each printing a different color ink onto the gum sheets
22 on the moving conveyor bed 28. Of course, if only one color
printing is desired, either a machine 24 with one printing device
32 could be used, or the second device 32 could be moved up out of
the way. On the other hand, to allow for the printing of three or
more colors, three or more printing devices 32 can be incorporated
into the printing machine 24 of the apparatus 10 and the printing
registered.
[0061] The indicia that is printed onto the chewing gum comprises
an edible ink. A variety of such edible inks, in a variety of
colors, may be utilized pursuant to the present invention. By way
of example, and not limitation, a suitable confectionery ink that
may be utilized is Confectionery Ink.RTM. CI-10529, Blue available
from Colorcon of West Point, Pa. Suitable inks may contain food
grade shellac, ethanol, propylene glycol, n-butyl alcohol, titanium
dioxide, isopropyl alcohol, lecithin and coloring agent, such as
FD&C Red #40 lake or FD&C Blue #2 and #1 lakes.
[0062] Any variety of suitable printing device that can effectively
print indicia on a sheet of chewing gum can be utilized in the
present invention. Preferably, a suitable rotogravure printing
device is utilized. Such a device is available from Ackley Machine
Corporation, Morristown, N.J. The description of a suitable
printing device is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,904 entitled:
"INK RESERVOIR REMOVING AND INSERTING STRUCTURE FOR ARTICLE MARKING
APPARATUS", the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by
reference.
[0063] As best seen in FIG. 14, the printing devices 32 each
include various components and assemblies normally provided in such
equipment. For example, the printing device includes a design
roller 34 and a rubber roller 36. A doctor blade 38 serves to
remove excess ink from the design roller 34.
[0064] The quality of the printing on the surface of the
confectionery may best be evaluated by comparing it to the quality
of printing on a sheet of paper, measured in dots per inch (dpi).
The printing on the confectionery product is preferably comparable
to a print resolution of at least about 200 dpi, and more
preferably comparable to a print resolution of at least about 300
dpi, and most preferably comparable to a print resolution of about
400 dpi or better. In other words, to be considered as having a
high resolution of print quality, the printing on the final product
should appear comparable in quality to a document printed with a
print resolution of at least about 200 dpi.
[0065] The quality of the printed indicia on the confectionery will
be a function of the quality of the engraving on the design roller
34, as well as other factors, such as how well the confectionery is
dedusted, how good of an image transfer there is between the design
roller 34 and the rubber roller 36, as well as onto the
confectionery itself, and how clean the rollers 34 and 36 are kept
of dusting compound. It is preferred to use an engraving on the
design roller having a resolution of 400 dpi or better.
[0066] In an embodiment, the printing machine 24 includes an
electronic doctor blade safety system (not shown) to prevent
accidental ink spills caused by one of the following: 1) loss of
doctor blade pressure; 2) inadvertent raising of the doctor blade
holder while the machine is running; 3) attempting to start the
machine with the doctor blade in the "up" position.
[0067] To further promote quality printing of indicia on the sheets
22 of chewing gum, the printing device 32 has a lateral adjustment
system (not shown). The lateral adjustment system allows the
operator of the apparatus 10 to center the printing, from side to
side, while the printing machine 24 is running. Similarly, the
printing machine 24 includes a circumferential printing register
(not shown). This printing register will allow the operator to
center the printing, front to back, while the printing machine 24
is running.
[0068] In an embodiment, the printing device 32 is a lift up
printing device. Such a device is available from Ackley Machine
Corporation, Morristown, N.J. The lift up ability offers a
multitude of advantages. For example, the use of such a device
allows easy removal of an ink pan 39 from the front of the printing
machine 24, thereby reducing the possibilities of ink spills. The
lift up device allows the operator to lift the entire printing
device 32 away from the conveyor bed 28 without losing print
registration. In addition, the lift up device facilitates cleaning
of the printing device 32, as well as easy removal of the ink pan.
The lift up device also eliminates the need for readjusting the
rubber roller 36 to the design roller 34 impression after changing
the height of the rubber roller 36 compared to the product being
printed.
[0069] In an embodiment, the printing machine 24 preferably has a
variable speed drive system installed to include a totally
enclosed, permanent magnet motor for a more reliable system. The
printing machine 24 may include an ink recirculation and viscosity
control system available from Ackley Machine Corporation to monitor
and maintain the proper ink consistency for the best print
quality.
[0070] The sheets 22 depicted in FIG. 11 are the magic eye puzzle
product 180 which are not further cut or divided. However, if the
sheets 22 are to be cut into smaller pieces, the conveyor bed 28
moves the sheets 22 through the scoring device 40 (shown in FIG. 10
but left off of FIG. 11 for the sake of clarity). The scoring
device 40 engages the sheets 22 of chewing gum as they travel
beneath it. When a scoring device is used, the conveyor bed 28 is
preferably grooved (not shown) to accept the knife points of the
scoring device. In an embodiment, the scoring device 40 cuts the
sheets 22 into pieces that are approximately 3 to about 5 inches
long and approximately 1.5 to about 2.5 inches wide, resulting in a
rectangular shaped product.
[0071] The cut up pieces then slide onto an extended conveyor belt
42. The extended conveyor belt 42 ensures that the indicia printed
on the chewing gum adequately dries. Preferably a fan blows air on
the printed gum pieces to help dry the ink. The extended conveyor
belt 42 preferably has a length of approximately 80 to about 120
inches. From there the pieces, such as pieces 116 printed to
simulate checks, are inspected, stacked and further packaged.
[0072] As an example, the printed check gum 116 is approximately
4-1/4 inches by about 2 inches. The thickness of the printed check
gum 116 is approximately 0.058 to about 0.062 inches.
[0073] The recesses 54 are preferably {fraction (1/16)} inch deep.
This depth has been found superior to recesses only {fraction
(1/32)} inch deep. As shown in FIG. 14, the rubber roller 36 has a
plurality of raised surfaces 37 which contact the gum and transfers
the print image. The raised surfaces are sized and placed, and
roller 36 is rotated, so that the raised surfaces match the
recesses 54 in the conveyor bed 28. The raised surface is
preferably slightly larger than the gum, which is slightly smaller
than the recess. For example, the recess 54 may be 4-3/4 inches
long (in the direction of conveyor bed travel), with the gum being
4-1/4 inches long and the raised areas 4-1/2 circumferential inches
long. Preferably the printing is carried out at least 80
impressions per minute and more preferably 120 impressions per
minute.
[0074] Naturally, as one skilled would contemplate, a variety of
different shapes and sizes of printed chewing gum can be made
pursuant to the present invention. By way of example, other
suitable products could be comic books, puzzles, name placecards
and educational facts, to name just a few. The inventors intend
that all such additional embodiments fall within the scope of the
present invention.
[0075] Further improvements may be made to the equipment. For
example, starch sometimes fall through spaces between the slats 52
in the conveyor bed 28. A vacuum system inside the apparatus 24
could be used to remove some of that starch. The vacuum would also
help hold the gum sheets 22 onto the conveyor bed 28. Also, in the
de-dusting stations 30, the amount of air flow taken away by the
vacuum system may have to be limited to avoid having he gum sheets
22 picked up by the air flow. If vacuum were applied underneath the
bed 28 in the area of the de-dusting stations 30, high air flow
rates into the upper vacuum system could be used. Alternatively, a
de-dusting operation could be carried out in a separate room or on
a separate machine as long as the gum was quickly printed
thereafter. While the sheet forming apparatus 12 is conventional
and not by itself part of the present invention, it may also be
improved to include additional rollers, dusting stations and a
metal detector not shown in FIG. 9.
[0076] Specific examples of other confectionery items that can be
printed on in accordance with the present invention include gummy
candy, such as gelatin gummy jellies made as follows:
2 Gelatin (200 Bloom) 8 lb. Water 11.5 lb. Sorbitol 2.5 lb. Sugar
30 lb. Corn syrup (42 D.E.) 40 lb. Water 7.5 lb.
[0077] The gelatin, first amount of water and sorbitol are mixed
together, and then the sugar, corn syrup and second amount of water
are added. The mixture is warmed to 180.degree. F. in a
predissolving tank. Thereafter, the material is continuously
processed through a Terbraak static cooker at 260.degree. F. for 20
seconds. A vacuum is drawn in the discharge chamber, continuously
cooling the mixture to 140.degree. F. After color and flavor are
added, the material is deposited in dry moulding starch at about
77% d.s. and allowed to dry for about 24-48 hours in a 120.degree.
-130.degree. F. curing room. Thereafter, the gummy candy is
demoulded, dedusted and printed on as described above with respect
to the chewing gum.
[0078] Another confection that can be printed on is a taffy
confection referred to as chewy fruit caramels, made as
follows:
3 Sugar 44 lb. Water 14 lb. Glucose (38 D.E.) 66 lb. Fat 3 lb.
Lecithin 30 gr. Dextrin 8 lb. Water 8 lb. Whipping Agent 7 oz.
Water 10 oz. Glucose (38 D.E.) 27 oz.
[0079] The first five ingredients are mixed and brought to a boil.
The dextrin and second amount of water are mixed together and then
added to the other ingredients. The mixture is boiled while
stirring to 246.degree.-248.degree.F. (119.degree.-120.degree. C.)
and put on a cooling table. The whipping agent and the third amount
of water are mixed, and then mixed with the second amount of
glucose. This material is mixed with the warm batch on the cooling
table. Color and flavor are added, and the material is pulled for
approximately five minutes and passed through a sheet forming
machine. Thereafter, it is printed on as discussed above.
[0080] A dehydrated fruit based confectionery such as a sweetened
dehydrated fruit leather derived from fruit purees could also be
printed on as described above.
[0081] It should be understood that various changes and
modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described
herein can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of
the present invention and without diminishing its attendant
advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and
modifications be covered by the appended claims.
* * * * *