An ice cream production apparatus comprises a control unit, a freezer, a freezer outlet pump and a piping system provided from the freezer to one or more ice cream outlet nozzles downstream the freezer, can assume at least two operational modes. The first operational mode is a production mode. The second operational mode is a pre-production mode comprising the steps of freezing the ice cream in the freezer such that the ice cream obtains a pre-production viscosity value being equal to or higher than a production viscosity value, and pumping the frozen ice cream into the piping system at a pre-production outlet flow being smaller than a production outlet flow. The pre-production mode is used for cooling the piping system and the ice cream outlet nozzles before operating the ice cream production apparatus in the production mode.

A machine for making liquid and/or semi-liquid products for the ice cream, pastry or catering trade, including: a processing container forming a processing chamber for making an ice cream product; a stirrer mounted inside the processing chamber; a thermal treatment system provided with at least one heat exchanger associated with the processing container, for exchanging heat with the container; a feed unit including a container containing a basic preparation for an ice cream, pastry or catering product, and a pressurized gaseous fluid injection device configured to inject the gaseous fluid into the container in such a way as to cause the basic preparation to be expelled from the container and transferred to the processing container; a diluting liquid injection device for delivering a diluting liquid.

A machine for making liquid and/or semi-liquid products for the ice cream, pastry or catering trade, including: a processing container forming a processing chamber for making an ice cream product; a stirrer mounted inside the processing chamber; a thermal treatment system provided with at least one heat exchanger associated with the processing container, for exchanging heat with the container; a feed unit including a container containing a basic preparation for an ice cream, pastry or catering product, and a pressurized gaseous fluid injection device configured to inject the gaseous fluid into the container in such a way as to cause the basic preparation to be expelled from the container and transferred to the processing container; a diluting liquid injection device for delivering a diluting liquid.

A filling head comprising: a housing having a lower nozzle exit, a first material inlet, a second material inlet and a reciprocatable piston movable within the housing; the piston having a) an outer wall and upper and lower ends; b) a first internal material flow channel connecting an entry in the outer wall to an exit in the lower end, c) a second internal material flow channel connecting an entry in the outer wall to an exit in the lower end, and; wherein the exit of the first channel is annular, surrounding the exit of the second material flow channel; the piston, housing and inlets being positioned and dimensioned such that the piston in relation to the housing has: (1) an upper position wherein material flows from both first and second inlets are blocked by the piston outer wall; (2) a mid position wherein the first material inlet is in communication with the first internal material flow channel entry but the second material inlet is blocked by the piston outer wall; (3) a lower position wherein the first material inlet is in communication with the first internal material flow channel entry and the second material inlet is in communication with the second internal material flow channel entry.

A system for processing liquid or semi-liquid food products includes a machine provided with: at least one containment vessel for containing the product to be processed; a stirrer arranged inside the containment vessel;
the system is characterized in that said stirrer includes, in combination, at least: a rotating body rotating about an axis of rotation, said rotating body including a plurality of propellers extending about said axis of rotation; a plurality of scraping elements, supported by said rotating body; a drive shaft, connectable to the rotating body, for the rotation of the rotating body about the axis of rotation; a curvilinear element extending around the axis of rotation and configured to be inserted inside the rotating body and rotatably coupled with the drive shaft.

A system for processing liquid or semi-liquid food products includes a machine provided with: at least one containment vessel for containing the product to be processed; a stirrer arranged inside the containment vessel;
the system is characterized in that said stirrer includes, in combination, at least: a rotating body rotating about an axis of rotation, said rotating body including a plurality of propellers extending about said axis of rotation; a plurality of scraping elements, supported by said rotating body; a drive shaft, connectable to the rotating body, for the rotation of the rotating body about the axis of rotation; a curvilinear element extending around the axis of rotation and configured to be inserted inside the rotating body and rotatably coupled with the drive shaft.

An ice-cream making machine (1) comprises a first production line (3) and a second production line (4) with an inlet pump (304), a mixing and chilling chamber (305), an outlet pump (311) connected in series, as well as a cooling circuit (316) in heat exchange connection with the mixing and chilling chamber (305), respectively.

wherein an auxiliary conduit (5) selectively connects and disconnects the outlet pump (311) of the first production line (3) to/from an inlet of the mixing and chilling chamber (405) of the second production line (4), so as to be able to process either two flows of confectionery mass mutually independently or a single flow of confectionery mass by means of both production lines (3, 4).

A cone dispensing apparatus a control system for monitoring and controlling the various components of the apparatus. The dispensing apparatus can include a first cam and a second cam, wherein the first cam and second cam are positioned parallel to each other in a housing. A first motor can be coupled to the first cam and a second motor can be coupled to the second cam, wherein the first and second motors are configured to rotate the cams around an axis. A first holdback plate and a second holdback plate can be coupled to a respective first linear motor and second linear motor. The hold back plates and cams can be synchronized to dispense a cone from the cone stack to the cams positioned below.

A cone dispensing apparatus a control system for monitoring and controlling the various components of the apparatus. The dispensing apparatus can include a first cam and a second cam, wherein the first cam and second cam are positioned parallel to each other in a housing. A first motor can be coupled to the first cam and a second motor can be coupled to the second cam, wherein the first and second motors are configured to rotate the cams around an axis. A first holdback plate and a second holdback plate can be coupled to a respective first linear motor and second linear motor. The hold back plates and cams can be synchronized to dispense a cone from the cone stack to the cams positioned below.

A filling head comprising: a housing having a lower nozzle exit, a first material inlet, a second material inlet and a reciprocatable piston movable within the housing; the piston having a) an outer wall and upper and lower ends; b) a first internal material flow channel connecting an entry in the outer wall to an exit in the lower end, c) a second internal material flow channel connecting an entry in the outer wall to an exit in the lower end, and; wherein the exit of the first channel is annular, surrounding the exit of the second material flow channel; the piston, housing and inlets being positioned and dimensioned such that the piston in relation to the housing has: (1) an upper position wherein material flows from both first and second inlets are blocked by the piston outer wall; (2) a mid position wherein the first material inlet is in communication with the first internal material flow channel entry but the second material inlet is blocked by the piston outer wall; (3) a lower position wherein the first material inlet is in communication with the first internal material flow channel entry and the second material inlet is in communication with the second internal material flow channel entry.