1. A method for making filled chewing gum pieces, comprising the steps of:
extruding a molten gum rope having a longitudinally extending first channel and a longitudinally extending second channel separate from the first channel;
filling the first channel with a liquid filling, and filling the second channel with a powder filling;
sizing the gum rope to reduce the cross-sectional size of the gum rope and to shape the gum rope to have a non-round cross-sectional shape with a greater dimension in a width direction along which the first and second channels are spaced than in a height direction;
cooling the sized and shaped gum rope; and
cutting the cooled gum rope into discrete gum pieces.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooling step comprises:
longitudinally advancing the sized and shaped gum rope along a serpentine path through a cooling tunnel, the serpentine path lying substantially in a vertical plane such that the gum rope is substantially prevented from bending in a side-to-side fashion.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the gum rope is caused to travel the serpentine path by a series of vertically spaced, horizontal belt conveyors each traveling in a horizontal direction opposite to that of the immediately prior belt conveyor.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting step comprises cutting the gum rope with a chain die cutter.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of cooling the gum pieces.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of coating the cooled gum pieces with a hard coating.
7. A method for making filled chewing gum pieces, comprising the steps of:
extruding a molten gum rope having a longitudinally extending channel;
filling the channel with a filling;
advancing the gum rope horizontally through a series of pairs of sizing and shaping rollers structured and arranged to reduce the cross-sectional size of the gum rope and to shape the gum rope to have a non-round cross-sectional shape with a greater dimension in a horizontal width direction than in a vertical height direction;
cooling the sized and shaped gum rope; and
cutting the cooled gum rope into discrete gum pieces,
wherein the cooling step comprises carrying the gum rope along a serpentine path that lies substantially in a vertical plane such that the gum rope is substantially prevented from bending in a horizontal side-to-side fashion, and blowing air across the gum rope as the gum rope traverses the serpentine path.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A system for correcting a spinal deformity of a spinal column, the system comprising:
a rod extending along a spine of a patient and adapted to change in length from a first length to a second length;
a first rod anchor fixed to a first vertebra of the spine, the first rod anchor receiving the rod such that the rod extends through the first rod anchor and is secured against substantial lateral translation relative to the first rod anchor and the rod is able to change at least two of pitch, yaw, and roll at the first rod anchor;
a second rod anchor fixed to a second vertebra, the second rod anchor receiving the rod such that the rod extends through the second rod anchor and is secured against substantial lateral translation relative to the second rod anchor and the rod is able to change in at least pitch and yaw at the second rod anchor;
a first stop feature adapted to limit axial sliding of the rod and located adjacent the first rod anchor; and
a second stop feature adapted to limit axial sliding of the rod and located adjacent the second rod anchor such that when the first and second rod anchors abut the first and second stop features the rod resists compressive load and the first and second rod anchors are configured to exert a distraction force on the spine.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the rod is secured along a first side of the spine and the distraction force is applied along the first side of the spine.
3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:
a vertebral anchor secured to a second side of the spine opposite the first side of the spine and at a position between the first and second rod anchors, the vertebral anchor extending across the spine to a terminal end positioned on the first side of the spine; and
a connector secured to the terminal end of the vertebral anchor and being coupled to the rod, the connector exerting a corrective force on the spine that is directed toward the rod.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein when the rod is adjustable to increase in effective length to place the rod under the compressive load.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein when the rod is placed under the compressive load the rod is free to slide axially in a first direction relative to the first rod anchor and is substantially prevented from sliding axially in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein when the rod is placed under the compressive load the rod is substantially prevented from sliding axially relative to the first anchor.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first stop feature is a collar secured to the rod.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first stop feature is a widened portion of the rod.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the rod defines a central portion extending between the first and second rod anchors and further wherein the central portion is substantially straight.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the rod defines a central portion extending between the first and second rod anchors and further wherein the central portion is substantially non-linear.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein the rod is substantially rigid.
12. A method of exerting a distraction force on a spine, the method comprising:
securing a first rod anchor on a first side of a spine to a first vertebra and a second rod anchor on the first side of the spine to a second vertebra;
receiving a first portion of a rod in the first rod anchor and a second portion of the rod in the second rod anchor such that the first portion is substantially constrained against lateral translation and the second portion is substantially constrained against lateral translation, the first and second portions being able to change in pitch and yaw at the first and second rod anchors, respectively, in response to movement of the spine;
locating a first stop feature along the rod at a first position adjacent the first rod anchor and a second stop feature along the rod at a second position adjacent the second rod anchor;
imposing a compressive force on the rod with the first second stops; and
distracting the first side of the spine.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising adjusting an effective length of the rod to cause the stops to contact the first and second rod anchors and impose the compressive force on the rod.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the rod substantially rigidly resists the compressive force.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein distracting the first side of the spine causes the spine to translate laterally in a medial direction.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein distracting the first side of the spine causes the spine to take on a more natural curvature.
17. An implant for correcting a spinal deformity, the implant comprising:
means for anchoring a first portion of a rod on a first side of a spine to a first vertebra such that the first portion of the rod is substantially constrained against lateral translation;
means for anchoring a second portion of the rod on the first side of the spine to a second vertebra such that the second portion of the rod is substantially constrained against lateral translation; and
means for imposing a distraction force on the first side of the spine with rod.
18. The implant of claim 17, wherein the means for imposing a distraction force on the first side of the spine with the rod includes means for increasing an effective length of the rod.
19. The implant of claim 17, wherein the means for imposing a distraction force on the first side of the spine with the rod includes a first stop feature positioned along the first portion of the rod and a second stop feature positioned along the second portion of the rod.
20. The implant of claim 17, wherein the means for anchoring a first portion of the rod includes means for allowing the first portion of the rod to change in pitch and yaw.
21. An implant for correcting a spinal deformity, the implant comprising:
means for anchoring a first portion of a rod on a first side of a spine to a first vertebra such that the first portion of the rod is substantially constrained against lateral translation;
means for anchoring a second portion of the rod on the first side of the spine to a second vertebra such that the second portion of the rod is substantially constrained against lateral translation; and
means for imposing a compressive force on the first side of the spine with rod.
22. The implant of claim 21, wherein the means for imposing a compressive force on the first side of the spine with the rod includes means for decreasing an effective length of the rod.
23. The implant of claim 21, wherein the means for imposing a compressive force on the first side of the spine with the rod includes a first stop feature positioned along the first portion of the rod and a second stop feature positioned along the second portion of the rod.
24. The implant of claim 21, wherein the means for anchoring a first portion of the rod includes means for allowing the first portion of the rod to change in pitch and yaw.