Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Process and apparatus for feeding wafer pieces into
chocolate slab casting moulds
The invention relates to the manufacture of chocolate slabs which
are filled with one or more wafer-pieces. In the chocolate slab, each wafer-
piece is surrounded by chocolate. Preferably, the wafer slices are laid into
individual ribs and connected to one another with chocolate bridges.
Chocolate slabs of this type are made in so-called single-slab
installations in which the depressions in a casting mould are lined with a
chocolate coating, the wafer-pieces are then laid into the appropriate depres-
sions in the chocolate casting mould and the casting mould is filled with
chocolate. The wafer-pieces have a shape corresponding to the dep~essions in
the chocolate slab and are obtained by cutting up wafer sheets, or wafer sheets
combined into wafer blocks. The wafer sheets used in this process are gener-
ally rectangular, very thin and flat, brittle baked products such as are also
used for ice-cream wafers or cream-filled wafer slices.
So that the chocolate slabs made in this way have a pleasant
appearance and no wafer-piece projects from the chocolate, that is to say all
the wafer-pieces are surrounded on all sides by chocolate, it is necessary to
lay the individual wafer-pieces into the particular depression in the casting
mould in the correct position with great accuracy.
For this purpose, the present invention provides a process and an
apparatus for feeding a single-slab installation with wafers cut into wafer-
pieces.
In particular, the invention provides process for feeding cut wafer-
pieces into the chocolate slab casting moulds of an apparatus for manufacturing
chocolate slabs filled with wafers, while the casting moulds are conveyed in
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a straight line one behind another, the wafer pieces being laid into depressions,
provided to form the chocolate slabs and located side by side and one behind
another, in the casting moulds, after the depressionsihave been covered with a
chocolate layer; wherein the wafer pieces ejected from a cutting device and
being adjacent both laterally and longitudinally are first moved against
the direction of transport of the casting moulds, then guided apart from one
another, laterally and longitudinally to the spacing between the depressions,
and, finally, with a reversal of the direction of movement, are laid synchron-
ously with the movement of the casting moulds into said depressions, any
margins of the wafer pieces projecting beyond the casting mould being pressed
under the margin of the casting mould by local compression thereof.
By this process, the individual wafer pieces, which have been obtain-
ed by cutting up a wafer sheet or a wafer block consisting of several wafer
sheets superimposed on one another in layers, are laid accurately and in the
correct position into the depressions in the chocolate slab casting moulds.
According to an alternative form of the process according to the
invention, it is envisaged that, during their movement counter to the direction
of transport of the casting moulds, the contiguous wafer pieces are first
guided apart laterally, then the front ends of the foremost row of wafer pieces
are each aligned with a line at right-angles to the direction of transport of
the casting moulds, the rows of wafer pieces are then separated longitudinally
to the spacing between the depressions in the casting moulds and, subsequently,
with a reversal of the direction of movement, are laid synchronously with the
movement of the casting moulds into the depressions.
Another alternative form of the process provides that, during their
movement counter to the direction of transport of the casting moulds, the wafer
pieces are separated in the longitudinal direction, to the spacing between the
depressions and are guided apart from one another laterally to the lateral
spacing between the depressions only during the reversal of the direction of
movement, and are subsequently laid into the depressions.
To achieve an exact position, constant for all wafer-pieces, in rela-
tion to the chocolate slab casting moulds, even when the movement of individual
wafer-pieces is uneven, the process envisages that the wafer-pieces are stopped
before they are drawn apart from one another in a longitudinal direction.
The invention also provides apparatus for feeding cut wafer-pieces
into chocolate slab casting moulds which are conveyed one behind another on a
conveying arrangement and which have depressions provided for the chocolate
slabs and into which the wafer-pieces are laid, wherein, above a conveying
arrangement for the casting moulds, there is a spreader device for wafer-pieces
transported, lying against one another, counter to the direction of movement
of the casting moulds, a transfer device driven by the conveying arrangement
being connected to said spreader device, said spreader device having channels
leading to the transfer device and having a lateral spacing corresponding to
the lateral spacing of said depressions, a roller resting on the casting moulds
and adapted to press the wafer-pieces into the casting moulds being located
downstream of the transfer device in the direction of movement of the casting
moulds.
This apparatus makes it possible to lay the wafer-pieces which are
pushed ~forward, for example, from a buffer zone or the like in the correct
positions in the chocolate slab casting moulds. During this time, the forward
push which conveys the wafer-pieces out of the buffer zone is used to intro~uce
the wafer-pieces into the apparatus as far as the transfer device.
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A further feature of the invention envisages that the transfer device
has a supporting plate for the wafer-pieces which is arranged in an extension
of th,e spreader device, a movable, preferably pivotable stop for the wafer-
pieces which is located in the region of the end of the supporting plate, and
an endless revolving wafer-piece carrier which passed under the supporting plate
and which carries holding members for the wafer-pieces, these members being
assigned to the depressions in the casting moulds, and if appropriate, a clean-
ing device for the wafer-piece carrier, the spreader device having at the end
a transport device which preferably forms the bottoms of the channels receiving
the wafer-pieces and which conveys the wafer-pieces over the supporting plate
up to and against the movable stop. This design permits uniform pushing-forward
of the wafer-pieces by means of the transport device connected downstream of
the spreader device. This pushing-forward guarantees, together with the
movable stop, a constant position of successive rows of wafer-pieces, when
these are gripped and carried along by the holding members of the wafer-piece
carrier. As soon as they are held firmly by the holding members of the wafer-
piece carrier, the wafer_pieces are in the correct mutual position for being
laid into the depressions in the chocolate~slab casting moulds.
According to the invention, the holding members can be designed as
preferably movable clamps gripping the wafer-pieces when they come up against
the stop.
According to a preferred feature of the invention, the holding mem-
bers are designed as mandrels insertable into the wafer-pieces. They can be
arranged so that they can be sunk into and retracted from the wafer-piece
carrier. A mandrel with a preferably rectangular cross-section is assigned to
each wafer-piece or to each depression in the casting mould.
g~9
It can also be provided, that in each case two mandrels are assigned
to each wafer_piece or to each depression in the casting mould~ This results,
especially in the case in relatively long wafer-pieces, in a stable retention
of the wafer-pieces on the wafer-piece carrier.
When the row of wafer-pieces lying against the stop are gripped by
the holding members of the wafer-piece carrier, to prevent the next row of
wafer-pieces from being pushed further, another preferred feature of the
invention envisages that the transfer device has a holding device for that
next row. According to the invention, this holding device can be formed by
clamps gripping the individual wafer-pieces laterally~
According to another feature of the invention, the holding device
can be formed by mandrels which are mounted pivotably in respect of the support-
ing plate of the wafer-pieces and which are insertable into the wafer-pieces.
A preferred embodiment of the invention involves providing the
mo~able stop at the squared-off end of a two-armed lever which is pivotable
in relation to the supporting plate and which supports at its other end the
holding device designed as insertable mandrels. Simultaneous movement of the
stop and holding device is thereby made possible, as a result of which the
control is substantially simplified, since only one cam control is required
for two functions.
The transfer device may have a pressure plate for the wafer-pieces,
which is located above the supporting plate and is arranged pivotably in rela-
tion to the supporting plate and which, when the wafer-pieces are gripped by
the mandrels, lies par~llel to the supporting plate, in which case the distance
between the pressure plate and the supporting plate is then at least equal to
the height of the wafer-pieces. This guarantees reliable and uniform insertion
1~9~
of the holding members into the wafer-pieces and, consequently, exact posi-
tioning of the wafer-pieces on the periphery of the wafer-piece carrier.
The wafer-piece carrier is preferably designed as a drum revolving
about an axis at right angles to the direction of transport of the casting
moulds. This design provides a simple construction of the wafer-piece carrier
which can be driven, in a simple way, synchronously with the conveying arrange-
ment of the chocolate slab casting moulds.
In the case of a wafer-piece carrier equipped with immovable mandrels,
the path of which in the region of the supporting plate of the wafer-pieces
runs away, preferably downwards, from the plane of the supporting plate,
preferably in the form of an arc of a circle, the end of the supporting plate
pointing towards the wafer-piece carrier preferably has a segment which is
pivotable towards the wafer-piece carrier and which interacts with a pivotable
pressure plate located above this segment, the respective wafer-pieces being
attached onto the mandrels as a result of the pivoting of the segment and of
the pressure plate. The simultaneous pivoting of the pressure plate and of the
pivotable segment of the supporting plate enables the wafer-pieces to be attach-
ed onto the mandrels of the wafer-piece carrier, without the wafer-pieces being
moved in a longitudinal direction relative to the mandrels. This ensures that
the wafer-pieces are treated carefully. The pivotable segmont of the supporting
plate can be inclined obliquely upwards in relation to the supporting plate
itself, so that a wafer-piece running onto this segment is lifted somewhat.
The pivot axis of the pivotable segment of the supporting plate is appropriately
located in front of the summit of the wafer-piece carrier, looking in the direc-
tion of movement of the wafer-piece.
A further preferred embodiment of the invention involves designing
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09
the wafer-piece carrier as a rotating drum which is driven by the conveying
arrangement of the casting moulds and which carries on the drum periphery
mandrels arranged according to the depressions in the casting moulds, and
locating the supporting plate for the wafer pieces tangentially to the drum
periphery, the pivot bearing of the pivotable segment of the supporting plate
being positioned in the region of this upper side of the drum, whilst the cast-
ing moulds can be moved tangentially past the lower side of the drum. This
gives a compact and simple construction of the apparatus.
Furthermore, the invention provides apparatus for feeding cut wafer
pieces into chocolate slab casting moulds which are transported behind one
another on a conveying arrangement, said moulds having depressions for the
chocolate slabs and into which the wafer pieces are laid, wherein, above the
conveying arrangement of the casting moulds, there is a feed for wafer pieces
supplied, lying against one another both laterally and in a longitu~inally
counter to the direction of movement of the casting moulds a transfer device
being connected downstream of this feed and adapted to engage the individual
wafer pieces individually and, with a reversal of the direction of movement,
separatesthem from one another laterally and longitudinally to spacings
corresponding to the arrange~ent of the depressions in the casting moulds,
and lay them into the depressions, a roller resting on the casting moulds being
adapted to press the wafer pieces into the casting moulds being connected
downstream of the transfer device.
This design makes it possible to introduce in the correct position
into the chocolate slab casting moulds the wafer pieces which emerge, for
example, lying against one another from a cutting device, even without inter-
posing a laterally acting separating device for the wafer pieces. For this
purpose, the invention envisages, that the transfer device has individual
carrier elements each assigned to a wafer-piece~ and provided with holding
members for the wafer-pieces, that the transfer device has for each carrier
element a particular guide path which leads from the feed of the wafer_pieces
lying against one another, with a reversal of the direction of movement, to a
scraper device located above the path of the casting moulds, and that a drive
device shifting the carrier elements along their guide paths is provided. In
a compact construction of the apparatus, this enables the wafer-pieces to move
apart from one another simultaneously both to the lateral distances between the
depressions located side by side and to the longitudinal distances between the
depressions located one behind another, the exact position of the wafer-pieces
which corresponds to the mutual positions of the depressions being reached
immediately before the wafer-pieces are laid into the depressi~ns.
A further feature of the invention provides that the drive device may
have drive elements which are arranged transversely to the transport device of
the casti~g moulds and are movable along this direction of transport and which
each engage with all the carrier elements of a row which are arranged side by
side.
A preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention involves forming
the transfer device as a stationary drum, in the periphery of which the guide
paths are designed as grooves, and providing a cage which surrounds the drum,
formed from bars and driven by the conveying arrangement of the casting moulds
and which re~eives between its bars the carrier elements engaging into the guide
paths by means of pins.
A robust construction which is susceptible to few faults and which
enables the wafer-pieces to be laid precisely into the casting moulds is achiev-
ed in this way. A further advantage is the smaller number of lateral guide5
necessary for the wafer-pieces before they are gripped by the transfer device.
Several wafer-pieces can be laid side by side or one behind another
into the depressions in the casting moulds provided for the chocolate slabs,
so that each chocolate slab represents a uniform block of wafer-pieces which
is covered with chocolate. The depressions in the chocolate slab casting
moulds can also be made like ribs, and only one wafer-piece is arranged or
several wafer-pieces are arranged side by side or even one behind another in
each rib of the finished chocolate slab. The ribs of the chocolate slab are
connected to one another via chocolate bridges forming predetermined breaking
points, and the chocolate slabs can have ribs connected to one another on
their longitudinal sides only OT the ribs can also be connected to one another
via chocolate bridges on their longitudinal sides and on their end faces.
The invention is explained in more detail below in exemplary embodi-
ments with reference to the drawings. In the drawings: Pigure 1 shows a
cross-section through a chocolate slab provided with ribs filled with wafers,
Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through the chocolate slab according to
Figure l, Figure 3 shows a cross-section through an embodiment of an apparatus
according to the invention, with a drum as a wafer-piece carrier, Figure 4
shows a view of the embodiment of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the
arrow A in Figure 3, Figure 5 shows a plan view of a detail of Figure 3, Figures
6 to 8 show, in successive phases of movement, the movable stop and the pivot-
able pressure plate of a first embodiment, interacting with the mandrels of
the wafer-piece carrier, Figures 9 to 12 show successive phases of movement of
a second embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, Figure 13
shows a view of a further embodimen+ of an apparatus according to the invention,
Figure 14 shows a diagrammatic view of part of the embodiment of Figure 13,
looking in the direction of the arrow B of Figure 13, Figure 15 (on the same
sheet as Figure 1) shows a detail of Figure 14 in a cross-section, Figure 16
shows a carrier element in a side view, Figure 17 shows a plan view of the
carrier element of Figure 16, Figure 18 shows, similarly to Figure 16, a
further embodiment of the carrier element in a side view, and Figure 19 shows
a plan view of the carrier element of Figure 18.
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a chocolate slab which has ribs 3 filled
with wafer-pieces 2 and connected to one another via chocolate bridges 4.
Chocolate slabs 1 of this type are made in a so-called single-slab
installation. Here, chocolate slab casting moulds 5 are moved on a conveying
arrangement through the single-slab installation. The chocolate slab casting
moulds 5 have rib-like depressions 7 for forming the ribs 3 of the chocolate
slab 1. The casting moulds S are first covered with a chocolate layer, the
wafer-pieces 2 are then laid into the rib-like depressions 7 in the casting
moulds 5 and the cavity of the casting moulds 5 which remains afterwards is
filled with chocolate.
The wafer pieces 2 are obtained by cutting wafer sheets or wafer
blocks. To enable the wafer-pieces 2 to be laid into the rib-like depressions
7 in the casting moulds so that, when the casting moulds 5 are filled with
chocolate, none of the wafer-pieces projects out of the chocolate coating, it
is necessary to align each wafer-piece 2 exactly with that rib-like depression
into which it is to be laid. For this purpose, the wafer-pieces 2 ejected from
a cutting device, lying against one another both laterally and in a longitudinal
direction or separated laterally merely by the cutting width of the cutting
device are first moved counter to the direction of transport of the casting
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g~ 9i~
moulds 5, then guided apart from one another laterally up to the lateral
distances between the rib-like depressions 7 and in a longitudinal direction
up to the longitudinal distances between successive rib-like depressions 7,
and, finally, with a reversal of the direction of movement, are laid synchron-
ously with the movement of the casting moulds 5 into rib-like depressions in
these.
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, there is a
spreader device 8 which has diverging channels 9 for wafer-pieces located next
to one another. These channels g~are formed by lateral guides lO and a bottom.
A transport device ll aligned with the bottom of the channels is provided at
the end of the spreader device. The channels 9 guide the wafer-pleces ap-art
from one another laterally to distances corresponding to the lateral spacing
between the rib-like depressions, and into a transfer device. This has a
supporting plate 12 which is arranged as an extension of the~conveyor belt
ll of the spreader device 8 and on which the wafer-pieces 2 are pushed up to
and against a stop 13 by the action of the conveyor belt ll. Located above the
supporting plate 12 is a holding-down device 14 for wafer-pieces, the distance
between this and the supporting plate 12 being somewhat greater then the height
of the wafer-pieces. The holding-down device 14 is stationary in relation to
the supporting plate 12.
The end of the supporting plate 12 away from the spreader device 8
is provided, in the manner of a comb, with several slits 15. Locate~ above the
comb-like end of the supporting plate 12 is a pressure plate 16 which is
pivotable in relation to the latter and which can be pivoted between a position
in which it lies parallel to the supporting plate 12 and a position inclined
thereto.
V9
Above the pressure plate 16 a two-armed lever 17 is arranged
pivotably in relation to the supporting plate 12 about an axis at right angles
to the direction of movement of the wafer-pieces. The lever 17 is angled at
its end located downstream in the direction of movement of the wafer-pieces,
and is provided with the st~p 13 for the wafer_pieces 2. At its opposite end
the lever 17 is provided with one or more rows of mandrels 18 arranged trans-
versely to the direction of movement of the wafer-pieces, and in each row of
mandrels one mandrel is assigned respectively to one of the transversely
spaced wafer-pieces. The distance between the first row of mandrels and the
stop 13 is made greater than the length of a wafer_piece 2, so that, when the
lever 17 is pivoted, a mandrel 18 of the foremost row of mandrels penetrates
respectively into that wafer-piece 2 which lies, on the supporting plate 12,
behind the wafer-piece 2 which has just been released by the stop 13. The
function of this row of mandrels is to ensure that the wafer_pieces advanced
by the transport device 11 do not run beyond the raised stop 13, since this
can be lowered only when the rear end of the wafer-piece impaled on the drum
has passed beyond the stop. If several parallel rows of mandrels are provided,
successive mandrels 18 can engage the same wafer-piece or two successive wafer_
pieces.
The pivotable pressure plate 16 is connected to the two-armed lever
17 via lateral push rods 20 provided with stops 19, so that, when the lever 17
is pivoted and the stop 13 lifted beyond a certain amount, the pressure plate
16 is also lifted.
A wafer-piece carrier 21 is located underneath the supporting plate
12 and above the conveying arrangement for the casting mould 5. This carrier
is designed as a drum which is driven by the conveying arrangement of the
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~ vg
casting moulds and is provided on the outer side of its shell with holding
members for the wafer-pieces 2 designed as mandrels 22. In this embodiment,
two mandrels 22 are provided for each wafer-piece 2 or each rib-like depression
7 in the casting moulds S, the centre-to-centre distance between successive
pairs of mandrels 22 being equal to the centre-to-centre distance between
successive depressions in the direction of transport. The lateral distance
between the mandrels 22, measured in the axial direction of the drum, corres-
ponds to the lateral centre-to-centre distance be~een rib-like depressions
7 lying side by side.
When the drum 21 rotates, the mandrels 22 pass through the slits 15
of the supporting plate 12.
Between the drum 21 and the top side of the casting moulds 5 there
is a scraper device which has a stripper plate 23 arranged essentially tangent-
ially to the drum 21.
The plate 23 has an initial segment 24 which is inclined towards the
drum 21 and which engages under the wafer-pieces 2 attached on the mandrels
22~ Like the supporting plate 12, the stripper plate 23 is also provided with
slits for the passage of the mandrels 22. On the periphery of the drum 21 there
is a cleaning brush 25 which clears from the mandrels 22 any adhering residue
of wafer or cream. A roller 26 can be provided behind the scraper device and
located just above the top side of the casting moulds 5. This roller rests~on
the casting moulds 5 and presses any projecting edges of the wafer-pieces 2
under the margin of the casting moulds as a result of local compression of the
wafer-pieces 2.
The interaction between the two-armed lever 17, the pivotable preSsure
plate 16 and the drum 21 provided with mandrels 22 is now explained in more
detail with reference to Figures 6 to 8 with stop 13 and pressure plate 16
- 13 -
3s
lowered, the wafer-pieces 2 are pushed up to and against the stop 13 by the
conveyor belt 11 of the spreader device 8. The front of the wafer-pieces 2,
which is curved as a result of the spreading of the wafer-pieces 2 in the
spreader device 8, is aligned by the stop 13 perpendicularly to the direction
of transport of the casting moulds 5 or parallel to the drum axis.
As a result of rotation of the drum, the first mandrel 22 of a pair
of mandrels penetrates into the wafer-piece 2 lying against the stop 13, this
wafer-piece being pressed both against the pressure plate 16 and against the
stop 13. The distance between the first mandrel 22 and the front end of the
wafer piece 2 is thereby set exactly. The stop 13 now rises as a result of
pivoting of the lever 17, and the first mandrel carries the wafer-piece with
it and, when the drum 21 rotates further, the second mandrél 22 then penetrates
into the wafer-piece 2 which has been moved a little further forward. The
two-armed lever 17 is now pivoted further, as a result of which the pressure
plate 16 is likewise pivoted up via the push rods 20 and stops 19, so that the
rear end of the wafer-piece 2 can pass through under the pressure plate 16,
and, the mandrel 18 attached to the front end of the lever 17 penetrates into
the next wafer-piece 2.
As soon as the rear end of a wafer-piece 2 has passed the front end
of the pressure plate 16, the two-armed lever 17 is partially pivoted back again,
as a result of which th0 pressure plate 16 is first lowered into its operative
position and the mandrel 18 is drawn out of the following wafer-piece 2. As
soon as the rear end of the wafer-piece has also passed the path of movement
of the stop 13, the latter returns to its original position, and the next
wafer-piece is pushed against the ~top 13 as a result of the th~st of the
conveyor belt 11, the cycle of operation beginning again.
- 14 -
.
The cycle of operation in another embodiment of an apparatus accord-
ing to the invention is illustrated in Figures 9 to 12.
According to this embodiment, an end segment 27 which is pivotable
towards the drum 21 about an axis parallel to the drum axis is provided in the
supporting plate 12. The pivot axis of the associated pressure plate can be
located either above the latter, preferably on the axis of rotation of the
lever 17, or below the pressure plate 16 (indicated by a broken line),
preferably on the axis of rotation of the end segment 27.
In Figure 9, the wafer-piece 2 rests against the stop 13. The end
segment 27 of the supporting plate 12 is arranged horizontally. When the
wafer-piece 2 located on the drum has advanced a little, the stop 13, the
end segment 27 and the pressure plate can be lowered somewhat, without the
mandrels penetrating into the wafer-piece resting on the end segment 27.
In Figure 10, the stop 13 is in its lowest position and the wafer_
piece is easily pressed onto the mandrels 22. After this has been carried
out, the stop 13 pivots back to its topmost position (Figure 11), and the :end
segment 27 and the pressure plate 16 are pivoted further downwards.
In Figure 11, the pressure plate 16 and the end segment 27 are in
their lowest position and the wafer-piece is secured on the mandrels. The
pressure plate 16 now pivots upwards to the topmost position and thus ~pens the
way for the pressed-on wafer-piece and also ~r the next wafer-piece. To
prevent the following wafer-piece from being pressed onto the impaled wafer-
piece, it is possible, as in the embodiment of Figures 6 to 8, to provide one
or more rows of mandrels to press into the following wafer-pieces or the con-
veyor belt 11. When the rear end of the preceding wafer-piece 2 moves clear
as a result of rotation of the drum 21, the end piece 27 can pivot back again
- 15 _
into its horizontal position and the restraining mandrels removed or the
conveyor belt 12 switched on> as a result of which the wafer-pieces move up
against the stop 13. A new cycle of operation can now begin.
The actions of Figures 6 to 12 were each described for only one wafer-
piece 2 or for the wafer-piece following it in the direction of movement. The
same actions also apply, of course, to all other wafer-pieces arranged parallel
thereto.
The embodiment of Figures 13 to 17 provides, above the conveying
arrangement 6 for the casting moulds, a feed 28 for wafer-pieces 2 which lie
against one another both laterally and in a longitudinal direction and which
are separated laterally merely by the cutting width of the cutting device. As
regards separation of the wafer-pieces 2 in the longitudinal direction, this
embodiment is identical to the construction described with reference to Figures
6 to 12. Only as regards the lateral spacing of the wafer-pieces to distances
corresponding to the rib-like depressions 7 does this embodiment differ from
that described previously. A stationary drum 29 has on its periphery guide
tracks 30 which can be designed preferably as dovetail-shaped or T-shaped or
such-like grooves, and these guide tracks 30, extending over half the drum
periphery~ diverge from spacings corresponding to wafer-pieces 2 lying against
one another to spacings corresponding to those of the rib-like depressions 7
in the casting moulds 5. Carrier elements 31, one for each wafer-piece 2, en-
gage with these guide tracks 30 through pins 32.
Two mandrels 22 are provided as holding members on each carrier
element 31, the rear pin 32 of the carrier element 31 being located behind the
rearward end of a wafer-piece 2 attached on the mandrels 22.
The carrier elements 31 are arranged on the drum periphery in rows
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~Q90~
separated from one another by bars 33 parallel to the drum axis~ The bars 33
project laterally beyond the drum 29 and are connected, via lateral discs 34
mountled rotatably on the stationary drum shaft, to a cage which can be driven
by the conveying arrangement 6 of the casting moulds. As a result of rotation
of the cage, the carrier elements 31 are shifted row by row along the guide
tracks 30, the guide tracks 30 extending over the drum shell in such a way that
the carrier elements 31 are arranged parallel to one another both when the wafer_
pieces 2 are received and when the wafer-pieces 2 are deposited in the rib-
like depressions 7 in the casting moulds 5.
An alternative form of the invention provides carrier elements, having
pins with projections located underneath the bars 32, so that the guide tracks
can be designed as simple grooves and the carrier elements are held in the
guide tracks by the bars engaging over the projections. In this case, the rear
end of the carrier elements is rounded semi-circularly (Figure 18 and Figure 19).
Furthermore, a holding-down device can be located above the supporting
plate, even in the embodiment of Figures 9 to 12, the front edge of the holding-
down device being flush with the start of the end segment 27. The holding-
down device prevents the wafer-piece from tipping off.
Although, in each case, drums have been described as preferred
exemplary embodiments for wafer-piece carriers or for supports of the guide
tracks of the carrier elements, it is also possible, of course, to provide
endless revolving chain drives or conveyor belts or carriers of any shape for
the guide tracks, without departing from the idea of the invention. In the
same way, instead of the rigid mandrels, movable mandrels or clamps can also be
provided as holding members. Likewise, the cross-sectional shape and the number
of mandrels can be varied, depending on the size and shape of the wafer-pieces.
