MXPA98007580A - Assembly of winding and food product enroll - Google Patents

Abstract

A winding assembly for making individual pieces of rolled product includes a slidable winding unit, a product feeding guide, a driving unit, a time regulator and a securing unit, several alternative winding devices include a vacuum device, a device with three projections and a forced air device, preferably a nozzle deposits a drop of edible adhesive adjacent to the rear end of a strip of support material which is then used to adhere the rear end of the rear side of the next outer winding, maintaining the roll in a rolled state

Description

ASSEMBLY ROLLER AND FOOD PRODUCT ROLLED REFERENCE TO RELATED REQUESTS This application is a continuation in part of US patent application Serial No. 08 / 616,754, filed on March 15, 1996, entitled "Rolled food product and rolling assembly" which is a continuation in part of the patent application. US Serial No. 08 / 2-49,753, filed March 26, 1994, entitled "Roller Assembly", "abandoned." The description of the cited applications is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates in general to winding or unwinding devices and is specifically directed to a winding assembly for manufacturing individual pieces of rolled food product as well as to the method of operation and to the rolled food product itself. Like other manufacturing businesses, the food processing industry is rapidly developing ways to increase productivity by automating food processing. Because an automated factory is more efficient, less expensive and more sanitary than the manual work nano, new and improved devices are continuously being developed. Food of all varieties is now being produced in fully automated assembly lines. Bakery products »biscuits» sweets »flakes» pizza »chinese rolls» burritos »enchiladas» ravioli and anicotti are just a few examples of food products processed entirely by machines. Machinery now performs a variety of functions that were once performed only by humans. The processing equipment cuts »cut» slices »shapes» decorates »sets» extrudes »doubles» stuffed »rolls and packages the food without human manipulation. Rolled food products are particularly suitable for the automated assembly line. U.S. Patent No. 5,012,726, for example, describes an automatic processing line for producing a folded, rolled-up food product. This processing line includes a synchronized conveyor having a plurality of work stations. Each work station comprises a sheet feeder mechanism »a food loader mechanism» a winding mechanism and means for unloading the rolled product »from the conveyor. The rolling mechanism consiof two spaced fingers that straddle a sheet of dough. A single finger is placed between the two fingers »to grasp the folded mass. When the fingers rotate »the rolled product is formed. Then the individual finger is removed from the dough and the rolled product falls on a conveyor. Similarly, U.S. Patent No. 5,284,667 describes another food assembly line that also produces a rolled product. A food substance is extruded onto an external support material and then strips of food product are cut to a desired length and rolled into multiple turns. Like US Pat. No. 5,012,726, a fork is used to roll up the food product. However, in order to remove the rolled product, the fork is slid axially relative to the roll by dropping the rolled food onto a conveyor. Additionally, the equipment of US Pat. No. 5,284,667 is designed to wind several strips of material at the same time. Therefore »if a strip of material is not fed» if it breaks or if it falls during the winding in the winder medium »the entire line must be stopped. Additionally, in order to secure the rolled-up food strip in a rolled-up position, a pressure plate which advances between a first and a second position is required by means of a pneumatic cylinder as part of the winding device. As a result »the roller assembly takes up a lot of space and is complicated. US Patent 3,669,007 is directed to another additional assembly line for rolling up a food product. This assembly line is particularly suitable for processing burritos »enchiladas» Chinese rolls of flour and cabbage », fblintzes >; * and canelloni. The assembly line contains a winder that again uses a fork whose fingers are removed from the coupling with a rolled product by sliding the fork to a decoupling position. However, »this winding device requires a combination of gears and chain links» in order to rotate the fork »which complicates the entire mechanism. Accordingly "there is a need for a simplified device that is easy to maintain and replace in an assembly line" that offers the flexibility of a variety of winding mechanisms. The product made by the apparatus described in US Patent 5 * 455 »053 (incorporated herein by reference) is a food product carried on a strip of support material which has been shaped into a roll. A label is secured to the pulling end of the strip of support material »in order to keep the roll in a rolled state. A problem with this product has been the fact that the labels "once removed when the product is consumed" have to be discarded. Since the product is consumed primarily by children, "there has been a problem in the past that children apply labels removed to furniture" to clothing or other places where they are undesirable and inappropriate. Therefore "if a rolled product without a label could be produced" would be beneficial. However, the problem with this is that the product is unrolled once it is removed from the winder if the label is not applied, which makes packing difficult.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In one aspect, the present invention is a winding assembly for manufacturing individual rolled strips of material. The preferred embodiment is a compact, uncomplicated device particularly suitable for wrapping or wrapping strips of food product. The preferred winding assembly incorporates a product feeder guide »a winding unit» a driving or actuating unit and a time controller ». A strip of food product is fed to the winding unit through the product feed guide. The time controller senses the presence of the food strip and initiates the rotation of the winding unit. In a preferred embodiment, the winding unit uses pressurized air to hold the leading end of the strip of material while the strip is rolled. In an improved embodiment an edible adhesive is applied adjacent to the trailing or trailing end of the food product. When the back end is wrapped around the penultimate turn »the adhesive keeps the roll in a rolled state until the product can be packaged. This improvement thus solves the problem of keeping the product rolled without using a label. The winding assemblies of the present invention are simple in construction and easy to maintain and operate. The preferred furling assembly uses a variety of furling devices - one of which is easily replaced in an assembly line. Due to the fact that no label is applied in the improved modality »the labels do not detach from the product nor adhere to furniture, clothing or other inappropriate places. These and other advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a typical assembly line for a rolled food product. Figure 2 is a perspective view of a series of roller assemblies shown as part of an assembly line.

Figure 3 is a side perspective view of the winding assembly of the first embodiment of the invention. Figure 4 is a side view »rear» perspective of the winding assembly of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a front elevation view of the winding assembly of Figure 3. Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the winding assembly of Figure 3. Figure 3. Figure 7 is a top elevational view of the furling assembly of Figure 3. Figure 8 is a top elevational view of a three-throw mode of the furling device. Figure 9 is a side elevational view of the three projection mode of the winder device. Fig. 10 is a top elevational view of a C-shaped mode of the winder device. Figure 11 is a side elevational view of the C-shaped mode of the winding device. Figure 12 is a top elevational view of a U-shaped mode of the furling device. Figure 13 is a side elevational view of the U-shaped mode of the winding device. Fig. 14 is a top elevational view of a four-legged T-shape of the furling device. Figure 15 is a side elevational view of the four-legged T-shape of the furling device.

Figure 16 is a top elevational view of a vacuum mode of the furling device. Figure 17 is a side elevational view of the vacuum mode of the furling device. Figure 18 is a front elevational view of an embodiment of the insurance unit used with the winding assembly of Figure 3. Figure 19 is a top elevational view of a forced air mode of the winding device used in an improved embodiment. of the invention. Figure 20 is a side elevation view of the forced air mode of the winder device. Figure 21 is an exploded view of some of the components used in the forced air mode of Figures 19 and 20. Figure 22 is a sectional view taken along line 22-22 of Figure 21. Figure 23 is a sectional view »taken along line 23-23 of Figure 21. Figure 24 is a perspective view of a section of the assembly line used in the improved embodiment of the invention. Figure 25 is a sectional view of the nozzle and the air-powered feeding device »shown in Figure 24. Figure 26 is a side elevational view of the winding device of Figure 19» showing a partially rolled food product » at.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND THE PREFERRED MODALITIES The present invention is illustrated in several preferred embodiments which offer various alternative winding devices. These modalities are particularly suitable for rolling up food products such as candies or other sandwich or snack foods. However, the present invention can also be used for many types of food products. Referring to Figures 1 to 7 and 18, the first embodiment of the present invention includes a roller assembly 10"suitable for rolling up food products," particularly foods such as gum and sweets. The winder assembly 10 comprises a winding unit 12 for winding a food product strip »a guide 14 for feeding the product, which receives the food product strip, a driving or driving unit 16 for moving the winding unit between an extended position and a "retracted position" and a timing controller 18 for controlling the winding unit 12 and the driving unit 16. In the first mode »the winding assembly 10 also includes an insurance unit 20. to secure the rolled strip of food product. Figure 1 illustrates a processing line 22 »suitable for implementing a preferred embodiment of the present invention. With specific reference to FIG. 1, "the pre-cut paper strips" are fed to a carrier conveyor 19 by means of a paper feed 25 and forcibly conveyed to an extruder 15. The food product capable of flowing, such as the candy or a dehydrated fruit-based material is then placed on each individual strip of paper 17. The paper feeder 25 used in the preferred embodiment is of the type well known to those skilled in the art. The paper feeder 25 can use several individual rolls of paper at the same time. Each roll of paper is supported independently of the others in a frame of pivotally moving roll arms (not shown). The paper strips 17 are fed through a series of guide rollers 27 »onto the carrier conveyor 19. The carrier conveyor 19 transports and cools the food product from the paper feeder» to an enhancer 21. Preferably the conveyor carrier includes a conveyor belt to which the paper is held by vacuum. A pre-cooked food product is pumped »in the form of a suspension» a flowable solid or a liquid »from an adjacent kitchen (not shown)» through a product feed line 13 to the extruder 15. The extruder is extruded. food product capable of flowing on the paper strips 17. by means of the extruder 15. The previously chilled food product is heated "to a temperature at which it remains able to flow" during the extrusion process. The extruder 15 used in connection with the present invention may be any of the various types well known to those skilled in the art. A typical extruder 15 will comprise a closed hopper (not shown) and a die (not shown) »so that the food product is pumped through the closed hopper and then forced through the die» onto the paper strips. Frequently, candies or other similar substances are provided with designs or motives that increase the possibility of sale and attraction to the consumer. In the processing line 22 of FIG. 1, after the food product is extruded onto the paper strips 17, the food product strips 38 are transported to an enhancer 21 which inks and designs a motif or other pattern on the softened solid substance. As it is transported from the extruder 15 to the booster 21 »the food product cools and solidifies. The 21 enhancer inks the designs on the strips of food product 38 »without removing the food product from the paper 17. An enhancer 21 will typically comprise a cylinder (not shown) having raised characters and letters» from the base circumference of the cylinder. Ink is pumped to the porous feed wheel (not shown). The porous feed wheel transfers the edible ink to an inking roller by transfer (not shown). The transfer ink roller is in contact with the embossing wheel and transfers ink to the embossed portion of the cylinder. As the food product strip 38 passes under the embossing wheel, the food product is inked and enhanced. The raised solid strips of food product 38 are then cut to predetermined lengths. Many types of cutting devices are known to those skilled in the art which can be used to cut the strips 38 of food product. However, in the processing line 22 of FIG. 1, a rotary knife 23 transversely cuts the strips to food products 38"substantially simultaneously and substantially at an angle perpendicular to the conveyor carrier 19" before the food strips 38 they are sent to a winding unit 24. After the food product strips are cut to a desired length, they are transferred to a time control feeder belt where the strips are accelerated towards the winding unit 24. As shown in FIG. figure 2 »the winding unit 24 comprises one or multiple winding assemblies 10» one for each processed strip of the food product. Each strip of food product is individually wrapped in one of the reel assemblies 10. A reel assembly 10 rolls up a strip of food product and just before its wrapping is completed »a label is applied (not shown). Subsequently the individually rolled food product falls towards the finished food conveyor 28 »which is shown in the figures. The rolled food product on the finished food conveyor 28 is then transported to a horizontal packing machine (not shown). As shown in Figures 3 »5» 6 and 7 »the roller assembly 10 of the present invention incorporates a" simple construction "product feed guide 14 which requires little maintenance. The product feed guide 14 receives a strip of food product 38 and guides the strip to the winding unit 12. In the preferred embodiment »the product feed guide 14 is located adjacent to a front support plate 34. The feed guide of product 14 resembles a sliding rule »that has a trough-like shape. The winding unit 12 comprises a winding device 30 »coupled to a motor 32 and rotatably propelled by it. The winder device 30 extends outwardly from the engine 32 and engages the front support plate 34 »through a disk 73. The winder device 30 may be coupled to the engine 32 by a pin bracket (not shown) or other device commonly known to those skilled in the art. The winding unit 12 moves back and forth between an extended position and a retracted position. In the extended position »the winding device 30 extends beyond the front supporting plate 34. When a strip of the food product 38 is fed to the winding unit 12» the food product strip 38 is clamped or hooked on the winding device 30 In the retracted position (not shown in Figures 3 to 7) »the winder device 30 retracts just past the front supporting plate 34» so as to allow the rolled strip of food product 38 to fall freely. The winding assembly O also includes a drive unit 16. In the preferred embodiment »the drive unit 16 comprises a pair of pneumatic cylinders 40 »designed to reciprocate within an envelope 43 in a tube-like slider (not shown). For the winding unit 12 to move between the extended and retracted positions, the cylinders 40 slide inside the casing 43. The casing 43 is preferably mounted on a lower supporting plate 36 which has legs 35. As shown in FIGS. Figures 3 »4» 6 and 7 »each cylinder 40 has an inner end 403 and an outer end 0b. The inner end 409 of each pneumatic cylinder 40 is attached to a mounting bracket 44. The motor 32 is connected to a mounting bracket 44. The winder device 30 is connected to the motor 32. The outer end 40b of each cylinder 40 has a cylinder limiter 46. In order to move the winding unit 12 to the extended position illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 7, pressurized air is applied to each cylinder 40 which slides the mounting bracket 44 adjacent to and in abutment with the front supporting plate. 34. The winding device 30"in such a manner" is forcibly carried forward and extends beyond the supporting plate 34. In the extended position »the mounting bracket 44 is in abutting contact with the supporting plate 34» when the limiter Cylinder 46 prevents cylinder 40 from reaching the proper distance needed. In order to synchronize the operation of the winding unit 12 with the actuator unit 16. the present invention includes a time controller 18. In the preferred mode, the time controlling controller IB comprises a product detector 48. for sensing the presence of a strip of food product 38 »and a counter mechanism 50 for counting the number of revolutions or rotations of the winder device 30. The product detector 48 can be of any type commonly known to those skilled in the art. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the product detector 48 is an electronic or photoelectric eye in front of the front plate support 34. Once the presence of a food product strip 38 is perceived, an electronic signal is sent from the eye 48 to a relay 54 or other type of switching device. This relay 54 * in turn »sends an electronic signal to the motor 32 to initiate the rotation of the winding device 30. As the winding device 30 rotates, the counter mechanism 50 counts a designated number of revolutions or rotations of the winding device 30. Once that the predetermined number of revolutions is reached »a signal is sent again to the relay 54 and the motor 32 is stopped. Preferably the motor is controlled so that it starts slowly the winding; then it accelerates at a winding speed greater than the speed of the conveyor. In the preferred embodiment »the counter mechanism 50 comprises a photoelectric eye or counter 52» opposite and horizontally disposed with respect to a speed flag 56. The speed flag 56 »which is clearly shown in figure 4» preferably has a reflector (not shown) that reflects the light of the eye 52 to count the number of turns or revolutions of the winding device 30. Once the winding device 30 has rolled a fixed amount of food product »as the winding device 30 is turning» it is wrapped an insulating tape around the rolled strip »in order to prevent it from unrolling. The securing tape is a pre-gummed label, previously cut »onto a continuous supporting tape» typically supplied in individual rolls »and contained with the insurance unit 20. The insurance unit 20 acts as a label dispenser and can be of a variety of constructions »Well known to those skilled in the art. As shown in FIG. 18, "the insuring unit 20 of the preferred embodiment comprises a mounting block 81" which holds a supply roll of securing tape 80 »a reverse power rewinder 82» a supply guide 84 »a plate of pressure 86. a winder motor 85 and a tensioning device 88. In the preferred embodiment »the securing belt 80 is in the form of pre-glued labels» placed on and supplied from »a continuous conveyor belt 83. The supply guide 84 threaded the labels previously gummed inside the securing unit 20 »up to the pressure plate 86. The pressure plate 86 keeps the roll» compact as it expands »by wrapping it in the furling device 12. After the food product is completely rolled up» the motor winder 85 drives the reverse power rewinder 82. The securing belt 80 is separated from the supporting continuous belt 83 »when it is pulled It is followed by a strong bend at the end of the guide plate 87. The exposed end of the label 80 is then caught by the rear end of the food product strip. This pulls an individual label (shown exaggerated in FIG. IB) of the supporting web 83 »around the outside of the rolled food product. The reverse power rewinder 82 then rewinds the supporting continuous tape "when the pre-gummed label is attached to the rolled food product. The pre-gummed label is kept against the food product which is rotating »by means of the pressure plate 86. Once the securing belt has been joined» the furling device stops rotating. Each pneumatic cylinder 40 is then relieved »and the winder device 30 is moved to the retracted position. As the winder 30 retracts, the rolled food strip 38 abuts the front support plate 34 and falls off the winder device 30. A signal is sent to the relay to cause the cylinders 03. 40b to move the winder device 30 in the opposite direction. to the extended position. Again the cylinder 40 moves the mounting bracket 44 coupled to the motor 32 »with the winder device 30 attached» back to the extended position »where the mounting bracket 44 abuts the front supporting plate 34. At that moment the winder device 30 is again in the extended position »extending through the supporting plate. The cylinder limiter 46 at the second end 40b of the cylinder 40 prevents the cylinder 40 from moving beyond the proper distance between the extended position and the retracted position.

A variety of winding devices 30 can be used in the present invention. A winding device well known in the art is the hairpin 130 which is shown in Figures 3 to 7. Other winding devices 30 can be used in place of the fork device. Examples of these devices are shown in Figures 8 to 17 and 19 to 23. Figures 8 and 9 illustrate a three-projection winding device 230 »having three legs 37» 39 and 41. A strip of food product 38 is trapped between two of the three legs and it is wound around the three legs 37. 39 and 41. forming a rolled product. Figures 10 and 11 show a C-shaped winding device 330 which is designed to trap the food product strip 38 at the center 45 of the C-shape and wind the strip 38 around the outer perimeter 47 of the C-shape. Similarly, Figures 12 and 13 show a U-shaped winding device 430 which is designed to trap the food product strip 38 at the center 49 of the U-shape and wind the strip 38 around the outer perimeter 51. of the U-shape. Figures 14 and 15 show yet another embodiment of an alternative winder device, the 530 winding device with four T-legs. A single arrow forms a central longitudinal axis 53. for connecting four T-shaped legs. 57. 59. 61 and 63. The shaft 53 extends outwardly of the motor 32. which rotates the four legs 57, 59, 61 and 63 simultaneously. A strip of food product 38 is trapped between two of the four T-shaped legs 57 »59» 61 and 63 »and wrapped around the outside of each leg 57» 59 »61 and 63 of the four-legged winder 530 T. Figures 16 and 17 illustrate yet another embodiment of the winding device »a vacuum winding device 630. This type of device is different from the previous devices because this winding device 630 operates under vacuum pressure. As shown in FIG. 16 »the vacuum winding device 630 comprises a vacuum air tube 64» a ball joint 64 »a rotary sleeve 71» an adapter with a hose end 66 »an air hose 67» a vacuum hose 68 »a vacuum air hose 69» and a three-way solenoid valve 70. Both the ball joint 65 and the rotary sleeve 71 contain a channel space 72 which connects to the hose end adapter 66 and allows the vacuum to be maintained on the vacuum air tube 64. In operation »the leading edge of the food product strip 38 passes over the vacuum air tube 64. The leading edge of the food product strip 38 fires the product detector 58 and initiates the rotation of the vacuum air tube 54. As the air tube rotates vacuum 64 »the ball joint 65 remains stationary while the rotary sleeve 71 rotates. A vacuum is maintained on the food product through the vacuum air tube 64 »by means of the vacuum air hoses 68» 69. Once the winding device 630 has rolled up a fixed amount of food product »when the device reel 630 is rotating »the securing tape is wound around the rolled strip» in order to prevent its unwinding. Air is then applied to the vacuum air tube 64 by means of the air hose 67 »to eliminate the vacuum and loosen the rolled food product from the vacuum air tube 64. Figures 19 and 20 show yet another embodiment of the roller device »A forced air winder 730. This device can be used with the first embodiment of the invention »as already described; but it is specifically adapted to be used in an improved embodiment in which no strip or label is applied to hold the closed roll »as explained in more detail below. The 730 forced-air winder is different from the other winder devices since it uses forced air. As shown in figure 19, it uses a motor 32 reciprocally mounted on a front supporting plate 34 and controlled by a product detector 48 as well as the product guide 14 as in the other devices. A winding air tube 90 protrudes through a product guide extractor 91. An air hose 92. connected to an air solenoid valve 93, brings compressed air from a source (not shown) to a stationary air housing 94 that surrounds the trailing end of the winding air tube 90. As best seen in Figures 21-23 »the air travels through a passageway 95 in the winding air tube 90» from its rear end outwards »to where the air can exit through holes 96 that look into the interior of the winding tube 90 »just behind the surface that makes contact with the product. When the food product strip enters the longitudinal groove between the surface 97 that contacts the product and the air holes 96, the product detector 48 operates the air solenoid valve 93 and air is forced out of the holes 96. The air blows the leading end of the food product strip upwards so that the product strip curves around the surface 97 which makes contact with the product. (See figure 26). Then »as the motor 32 rotates the winding air tube 90» the surface contacting the product pulls the front end of the product and begins to wind the product around the outer surface of the winding air pipe 90. As best seen in the exploded view of Figure 21, the winding air tube 90 has four air holes 96 spaced along the longitudinal groove into which the product passes. The winding air tube has a hole 98 at its rear end »which allows air from the stationary air housing 94 to enter the passage 95. The opposite end of the passage 95 is blocked by a plug 99» which seals the outer end of the air passage. passage 95. The stationary air housing 94 includes a threaded inlet 101 »in which the air hose 92 can be secured. The toroidal rings 102 and 103 fit into the notches 104 and 105 of the winding air tube 90 to seal the end of the winding air tube 90 inside the stationary air housing 94. A washer 106 and a friction ring 107 maintain the stationary air housing 94 and the winding air tube 90 together. In the preferred embodiment »the product enters the winding air tube 90 until the leading end comes up against the rear wall of the winding air tube 90. The motor 32 starts its rotation after a delay of 5 milliseconds from when the air is forced through the holes 96. When the winding air tube 90 begins to rotate, because the leading end of the product strip is forced towards the upper end of the winding air tube 90 »the Centrifugal force tends to force the front end of the product against the inner wall of the tube and keeps it in that position. Preferably the surface 97 that makes contact with the product has a sharp edge that penetrates the upper side of the food product »thus obtaining a good grip of the product in the tube» when the tube 90 starts to plow. An improved embodiment of the reel assembly does not use a strip or a label to keep the product roll closed. Rather, an edible adhesive is applied to the top of the food surface near the back end of the product. Then the adhesive adheres the back end of the food product to the next outermost la»as the roll is formed» and holds it in that position while the roll is packed. A preferred method for applying the edible adhesive is to use an air-operated nozzle 110 for each strip of product that is being produced. The preferred edible adhesive is corn syrup. Figure 24 shows a system for applying a drop of corn syrup simultaneously to each of the twelve adjacent strips of food material 38. In the currently preferred embodiment, the nozzles 110 are located along the production line of figure 1 »after the lighter 21» before the rotary knife 23. Thus the corn syrup is applied while the strips 38 are still continuous. The placement of the nozzles can be adjusted so that the corn syrup »that is hot when applied» can be cooled to a sticky state »as the product strip continues to move. The corn syrup will then be sticky by the time the back end of the product is rolled around the other layers. In this way »the rear end is maintained against the rest of the roll» keeping it in a rolled state. Maize syrup is preferably maintained in a temperature controlled (not shown) reservoir and is pumped through hoses 112 to three manifolds 114, each of which feeds four nozzles 110. The nozzles are driven by air. When they are fired »each drop of corn syrup is dispensed onto the food strip 38» that lies below the nozzle 110. The time control for the firing of the nozzles will depend on the linear speed »and preferably the firing is carried out by a controller that also drives the rotary blade 23. In this manner »the nozzles 110 can be synchronized so that the drop of corn syrup is placed at the correct point on the moving strip of food material 38. Currently »It is preferred to deposit the drop to about 1.25 cm from what will be the back end of the product. Figure 26 shows a partially rolled roll of food product 38 »with a drop of adhesive 125 near the trailing end. A presently preferred nozzle 110 is shown in Figure 25. The corn syrup enters through an inlet 116 »connected to the hose 112. The corn syrup remains in a reservoir 118. inside the manifold 114. until it is dispensed. Pressurized air is fed through the inlet 122 to the air reservoir 124. The nozzle 110 includes a ball valve 126 and a return spring 128. When it is actuated, the ball valve allows a drop of corn syrup to flow out of the spout. the nozzle 110 and fall on the product. The entire structure is secured by a mounting bracket 132. A preferred nozzle is supplied by Nordson Corporation »as model No. 237212» having an opening of 0.304 mm. Preferably the syrup is colored "to match the color of the food product that is being rolled. A preferred corn syrup has an ED (dextrose equivalent) of about 42. One of the advantages of the improved embodiment of the present invention is that the entire structure used to feed strips or labels is no longer needed. Also, the cost of using corn syrup is less than that of printed labels. * The foregoing detailed description has been given only by way of example, and those skilled in the art will understand that many modifications can be made to the structure of the preferred embodiment illustrated and described "without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention." as claimed in the following.

Claims (4)

1. NOVELTY PE INVENCIQN RBTVINPICACIONEg 1. - A food product characterized in that it comprises »in combination: a strip of support material having first and second opposite surfaces; front and rear ends and first and second side edges; the leading end being a cut end; the strip of support material having a width between the first and second edges and having a length between the back and front ends, the width being minimal with respect to the length of the support material; a strip of food supported on the first surface of the strip of support material "and having lateral edges spaced from the side edges of the strip of support material" and a length that does not extend beyond the front and rear ends of the material supporter the strip of supporting material and the food strip supported thereon being wound around the cut front end to a roll having multiple rotations; with the strip of supporting material located on the outside of the roll; and an edible adhesive that adheres to the food material at or near the trailing end of the strip "to the second surface of the support material; thus maintaining the rear end adjacent to the next winding more inwards.
2. 2. The food product according to claim 1 »further characterized in that the edible adhesive comprises corn syrup.
3. 3. The food product according to claim 1 »further characterized in that the edible adhesive is colored to approximately equal the food material.
4. 4. The food product according to claim 2 »further characterized in that the corn syrup has a dextrose equivalent of about 42. 5.- A roller assembly for winding a strip of food product» characterized in that it comprises: a) a winding unit for winding the food product strip to a rolled food product; said winding unit has a winding device and a motor coupled to the winding device for rotating the winding device; b) a product feeding guide for receiving the strip of food product and feeding the strip of food product to the winder device; c) the winding device having a passage and one or more holes that connect with the passage to supply compressed air to blow against a front end of the strip of food material. 6. A method for manufacturing a rolled food product "characterized in that it comprises the steps of: providing a strip of supporting material and food; the strip of supporting and feeding material having a leading end and a trailing end; the front end of the strip of supporting and feeding material extending towards a longitudinal slot in a roller tube; one side of the groove constituting a contact surface "and the other side of the groove comprises one or more air holes; force air out of said one or more holes; pushing the air to the front end of the strip of support material towards the contact surface; rotating the tube about an axis parallel to the length of the tube »until the strip of support and food material is wound on the tube» to a roll; and axially slide the tube with respect to the roll. 1. - A roller assembly for winding a strip of food product »characterized in that it comprises: a) a front supporting plate; b) a winding unit for winding the strip of food product to a rolled food product; the winding unit having a winding device; c) a product feeding guide for receiving the strip of food product and feeding the strip of food product towards the winder device; the product feed guide adjacent to the front support plate is located; d) an actuator unit for moving the winder device between an extended position and a retracted position; and e) a time controller controller for controlling the drive unit and the winding unit. 8. The winding assembly according to claim 7 »further characterized in that the motor has a first end and a second end; the winder engages slidably with the front support plate and extends outwardly from the first end of the engine. 9. The winding assembly according to claim 7 »further characterized in that the driving unit is mounted on a lower supporting plate. 10. The winding assembly according to claim 7 »further characterized in that the time controller regulator comprises a product detector to sense the presence of the strip of food product and a counter mechanism to count the rotations of the winding device. 11. The winding assembly according to claim 10 »further characterized in that the product detector is located on the front supporting plate. 12. The winding assembly according to claim 10 »further characterized in that the counter mechanism comprises a counter eye and a speed flag having a reflector; the speed flag being arranged on the second end of the motor; the counter eye being arranged horizontally opposite the speed flag. 13. The furling assembly according to claim 7 »further characterized in that the drive unit comprises at least one pneumatic cylinder contained within a shell; each cylinder has an inner end and an outer end extending axially from the shell; the inner end being connected to the mounting bracket; the outer end having a cylinder limiter. 14. The winding assembly according to claim 13 »further characterized in that the drive unit further comprises a mounting bracket; the motor being mounted on the bracket. 15. A winding assembly for winding a strip of food product "characterized in that it comprises: a) a winding unit having a winding device and a motor coupled with the winding device; the motor having a first end and a second end; the furling device being slidably coupled within a front supporting plate »and extending outward from the first end of the motor; b) a product feed guide for moving the winder device between an extended position and a retracted position; the motor being mounted on the drive unit »with a mounting bracket; and c) a time controlling regulator for synchronizing the winding unit and the driving unit; the time controller controller having a product detector for sensing the presence of the food product strip, and a counter mechanism for determining the amount of food product wound by the roller device. 16. The winding assembly according to claim 15 »further characterized in that the driving unit comprises two hydraulic cylinders arranged inside a shell; each of the cylinders has an inner end and an outer end extending axially from the shell; the inner end of each cylinder being connected to the mounting bracket; and the outer end having a cylinder limiter. 17. The roller assembly according to claim 15 »further characterized in that the product detector detects the strip of food product; the motor rotates the winder device; the counter mechanism totalizes the number of revolutions of the winding unit »to create a rolled strip of food product; and the winding unit retracts from the extended position to the retracted position. 18. The winding assembly according to claim 7 »further characterized in that the winding device comprises three legs» arranged in a spaced relationship »wherein the folded product strip is placed between two of the three legs» and wound around each one of the three legs to form a rolled food product. 19. The furling assembly according to claim 7 »further characterized in that the furling device comprises a C-shaped device having a center and an outer perimeter» in which the strip of food product is trapped within the center of the device C-shaped »and wound around the outer perimeter. 20. The winding assembly according to claim 7 »further characterized in that the winding device comprises a U-shaped device having a center and an outer perimeter; wherein the strip of food product is trapped within the center of the U-shaped device and wound around the outer perimeter. 21. The furling assembly according to claim 7 »further characterized in that the furling device comprises a four-legged T-shaped device having a single arrow forming a central longitudinal axis and four T-shaped legs» connected to the shaft. 22. The winding assembly according to claim 7 »further characterized in that the winding device comprises a vacuum winding device; operating the vacuum winder device under vacuum pressure and comprising a vacuum air tube; a rotating joint; a rotary sleeve connected to the rotating joint; a hose end adapter; and a vacuum air hose; the rotary joint and the rotary sleeve contain a channel space; connecting the channel space with the hose end adapter; connecting the hose and the adapter with the vacuum air hose and rotating the sleeve that connects the vacuum air tube.