US 4,808,424 AGrant
Process for Coating Foodstuffs With Particulate Material
Issue Date:1989-02-28
•9 Claims
•2 Drawing Sheets
Abstract
A foodstuff is coated with particulate material by transferring the particulate material from a first conveyor travelling in one direction onto the foodstuff being transported on a first belt of a second conveyor located below the first conveyor which travels in the direction opposite to the first conveyor. While the coated foodstuff is transferred to a second belt of the second conveyor, particulate material falls off the first belt through a gap between the first belt and the second belt onto an inclined portion of the second belt. The particulate material is conveyed to the horizontal upper run of the second belt which forms a layer on which the coated foodstuff lies for being coated on a bottom side after being transported to the second belt. The coated foodstuff is then transferred from the second belt to the third belt of the second conveyor, with further particulate material falling through the gap between the second and third belts onto the inside wall of a drum. The drum is rotated for transporting the further material to a position above the first conveyor upon which the material falls by gravity.
Metadata
Assignee
- Nestec S.A.
Inventor
- Lars G. A. Wadell
Application Information
Application Number:US 2167808
Filing Date:1988-07-08
Priority Date:1986-01-23
Art Unit:132
Classifications
IPC:
A23B 410
Field of Search:
426118289;292;295;64316;18;24;312
Patent Drawings (2 sheets)
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of the apparatus and FIG. 2 is a transverse section through the drum along the line A--A in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the upper end of a stationary plate positioned adjacent the inside wall of the drum.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings, the apparatus generally designated 10 comprises a horizontal conveyor for transporting a foodstuff, consisting of a solid belt 11, wire mesh belts 12 and 13 are solid belt 14 and 15. Beneath the upper runs of wire belts 12 and 13 are batter collectors 16 and 17 respectively. In between wire belts 12 and 13 is a spreading roller 18. The upper run of solid belt 14 has an inclined portion 19 and a horizontal portion 20. Positioned above the horizontal conveyor is a vibrator 21 having an entry opening 22 and an exit opening 23 above wire belt 12, and a pressure roller 24 positioned above the horizontal portion 20 of the upper run of solid belt 14.
Situated above the vibrator and pressure roller is a second horizontal solid endless conveyor belt 25 trained around rollers 26 and 27 and having a triangular roller 28 underneath the upper run positioned so that the angles contact the upper run as it rotates. The roller 26 is positioned directly over the entry opening 22 of the vibrator 21.
A rotating drum 29 driven by drive rollers 30, 31 is positioned so that the horizontal portion 20 of the upper run of belt 14 as well as part of belts 15 and 25 travel through it. Positioned adjacent the inside wall of the drum 29 is a stationary plate 32, the upper end of which 33 is designed to allow particulate material to be discharged evenly over the width of the belt 25. Other suitable designs of the upper end of the stationary plate will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.
Also illustrated in the drawings are battered frozen fish portions 34, potato cubes 35, battered frozen fish portions coated on top with potato cubes 36, battered frozen fish portions coated completely with potato cubes 37, means 38 whereby to the upper run of the belt 25 potato cubes are continuously added, and arrows 39 and 40 indicating the fall of potato cubes inside the drum.
In operation, the upper runs of wire mesh belts 11, 12 and 13, solid belts 14 and 15, the belt 25, the spreading roller 18 and the rotating drum 29 travel in the direction indicated by the arrows.
Battered frozen fish portions 34, each weighing 50 g are fed from a battering machine (not shown) on belt 11. Fresh potato cubes 35 having dimensions of 3 mm.times.3 mm.times.7 mm are fed continuously from a means 38 on to the conveyor belt 25 which vibrates by means of the rotation of the triangular roller 28. The potato cubes are transported to the end of the belt which is trained around roller 26 where they fall off and enter the vibrator 21 at the opening 22. The potato cubes leave the vibrator at the exit opening 23 and fall onto the fish portions which are lying on belt 12, to give frozen fish portions coated on top 36. Excess batter falls into the batter collectors 16 and 17 and excess potato cubes fall between belts 12 and 13 onto the inclined portion 19 of the upper run of belt 14 via the spreading roller 18. The excess potato cubes are transported on the inclined portion 19 of the upper run of solid belt 14 in the direction of the arrow to the horizontal portion 20 where the frozen fish portions coated on top travel from belt 13 to lie on the excess potato cubes so that they become completely coated fish portions 37, and pass under the pressure roller 24.
The completely coated fish portions 37 then pass through the rotating drum 29. Inside the drum excess potato cubes 35 fall between belts 14 and 15 indicated by the arrows 39 onto the lower part of the inside wall of the drum and travel upwards on the inside wall supported by the stationary plate 32, until they reach a position above the belt 25 where, indicated by the arrows 40, they fall onto the belt 25 and spread in an even manner owing to the design of the upper end 33 of the plate 32. There, they are transported, along with potato cubes fed by means 38, to be recirculated by falling off the end of the belt trained around roller 26 into the vibrator 21 and onto the battered fish portions 34.
After emerging from the inside of the rotating drum 29 on the wire belt 15, the completely coated fish portions are transported to a fryer (not shown) and then deep-frozen.
Claims
I claim:
1. A process for coating a foodstuff with particulate material comprising: transporting particulate material on a first horizontal conveyor; transporting a foodstuff on a second horizontal conveyor positioned below the first conveyor in a direction opposite that of the first conveyor, the second conveyor comprising at least first, second and third successive endless belts each having a horizontal upper run and a gap between each successive pair of belts, the second belt having an inclined portion extending to a position below the first belt; feeding the particulate material from the first conveyor onto the foodstuff on the first belt for coating the foodstuff on an upper side; transporting the coated foodstuff to the upper run of the second belt while excess particulate material falls off the first belt through the gap between the first and second belts onto the inclined portion of the second belt for being conveyed to the upper run of the second belt for forming a layer onto which the coated foodstuff is transported for being coated on a bottom side after being transported from the first belt to the upper run of the second belt; transporting the coated foodstuff to the third belt with further excess particulate material falling through the gap between the second and third belts onto an inside wall of a drum through which the first and second conveyors travel; and rotating the drum for transporting the further excess particulate material to a position above the first conveyor upon which the further excess particulate material falls by gravity.
2. A process according to claim 1 further comprising transporting the coated foodstuff from the first belt to an additional belt preceding the second belt then to the second belt with particulate material falling through a gap between the first and additional belts onto the inclined portion of the second belt.
3. A process according to claim 1 further comprising removing the coated foodstuff from the third belt onto a belt downstream from the third belt.
4. A process according to claim 1 further comprising vibrating the first conveyor.
5. A process according to claim 4 wherein the first conveyor is vibrated by means of a triangular roller situated beneath and in contact with an upper run of the first conveyor.
6. A process according to claim 1 further comprising feeding the particulate material from the first conveyor to a vibrator and then to be first belt.
7. A process according to claim 1 wherein the foodstuff is battered fish.
8. A process according to claim 1 wherein the particulate material is derived from fresh potato and has an individual particle volume of from 20 to 250 cubic millimeters.
9. A process according to claim 1 wherein the foodstuff is coated with from 20% to 50% by weight of particulate material based on the weight of the coated foodstuff.
Patent Citations (6)
| Patent | Date | Inventor | Cited By |
|---|---|---|---|
| US2865766 | 1958-12-01 | Christianson et al. | |
| US3036533 | 1962-05-01 | Burt et al. | |
| US3404659 | 1968-10-01 | Croston | |
| US3547075 | 1970-12-01 | Johnson | |
| US3870013 | 1975-03-01 | Wagner | |
| US3885519 | 1975-05-01 | Orlowski |