The Keller Machine, used to automate making candy canes, was first invented in 1952, with a key follow‑up version completed in 1957.

What the Keller Machine Is

  • The Keller Machine is a device that twists soft candy into spirals, cuts it into sticks, and forms the hooked shape of candy canes.
  • It was created to replace slow, hand-bending of candy canes in commercial production, especially for Bob’s Candies in Albany, Georgia.

When It Was Invented

  • In 1952, Father Gregory Harding Keller built the first machine that twisted the soft candy and cut it into stick form; this was the earliest iteration of what became known as the Keller Machine.
  • In 1957, he added a second crucial machine that bent the crook (hook) into the candy cane, completing the full automation of the process and cementing the Keller Machine’s reputation.

Who Invented It

  • The inventor was Father Gregory Harding Keller, a Catholic priest and brother‑in‑law of candy maker Bob McCormack, founder of Bob’s Candies.
  • His invention allowed Bob’s Candies to dramatically scale up production and helped push candy canes into truly mass‑market holiday status.

Why It Mattered

  • Before the Keller Machine, bending and shaping candy canes was a manual, skill‑dependent task that limited output and increased costs.
  • By automating twisting, cutting, and hooking, the Keller Machine transformed candy cane manufacturing and versions of the machine are still referenced or used in modern production lines.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.