| abstract |
The specific disclosure provides for forming center-filled chewing gum by extruding a hollow-centered rope of chewing gum through an orifice having a pair of concentric conduits extending therethrough. A center-fill is fed through the inner conduit to the hollow center of the rope downstream of the orifice, and air is vented from the hollow center upstream through a space between the inner and outer conduits. The center-filled rope of chewing gum is passed to a sizing unit having a plurality of pairs of rollers for progressively decreasing a cross-sectional dimension of the gum rope. The plurality of pairs of rollers includes at least one vertical pair of rollers having vertically aligned axes of rotation and overlapping lower flange portions. Ramp means are provided for guiding the gum rope above the roller flange portions upon entry of the gum rope between the vertical pair of rollers. |