Abstract: In an improved food freezing tunnel, a freezing airflow apparatus, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,398, is further improved and rearranged in respect to the vertical in-line alignment of the freezing coils, the fans, and the food product porous conveyor, all of which are positioned in the upwardly flowing airflow. The air to be cooled enters at the bottom of the tunnel via an inlet air chamber, as before, and then is first drawn through the freezing coils of the freezing chamber before passing upwardly through the fan intakes into the fan chamber. Upon leaving the fans rotating about vertical axes, the freezing air flows radially and horizontally, as before. Then, vertical baffles spaced about each fan, modify this discharging airflow to prevent any excessive swirling or vortexing of the freezing airflow passing upwardly from the fan chamber through the moving food product porous conveyor.

Abstract: A continuous linear chain conveyor system operates throughout multiple tiers to transport a product which is being either cooled, frozen, warmed, heated, or dried and requires a retention time within a designated volume. The product is carried by multiple adjacent trays which are directly and pivotally attached on one end to opposite links of dual continuous moving sidechains, which are spaced apart, but otherwise follow identical direction paths. Moreover the chains and sprockets and most of their related components are all standard, available, components. In addition, all the components involved in critical areas of expansion and/or contraction during temperature changes, have similar coefficients of expansion and contraction. In the preferred embodiment, the conveyor trays are loaded with product outside the enclosure where the process is to take place.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing seafood, suitable for use in small ships, is disclosed. The apparatus includes a closed container having an opening and a fluid tight closure to cover the opening. Cooking water and cold brine are stored in separate reservoirs and are maintained at predetermined cooking and freezing temperatures. Seafood is placed into the closed container for processing. Cooking water is continuously circulating through the closed container from the cooking water reservoir to cook the seafood during a cooking cycle. Thereafter, cold brine is continuously circulated through the fluid tight container from the cold brine reservoir to freeze the seafood during a freezing cycle. A rinse cycle can also be employed wherein rinsing water is circulated through the container between the cooking and freezing cycles. Additionally, if just freezing of seafood is desired, the cooking steps of the method and the cooking apparatus may be eliminated.

Abstract: In an improved food freezing tunnel, an improved freezing air flow apparatus, more uniformly distributes upwardly flowing freezing air through a horizontally traveling porous food conveyor, thereby more effectively freezing the conveyed food pieces. The improved freezing air flow apparatus utilizes a centrifugal fan wheel, without a surrounding volute or housing, mounted with its rotational axis arranged vertically. It is dependingly mounted from a fan motor, in turn centrally supported, on horizontal frame, within the fan chamber located over an open bottom lower air souce chamber of the freezing tunnel. Returning air, after passing from the fan chamber up through the freezing coil chamber, and beyond up through the porous conveyor belts of the freezing chamber, is drawn down within the overall freezing tunnel building alongside each side of the freezing tunnel, to be again drawn upwardly through the open bottom air source chamber and then back up into the fan wheel and fan chamber for recirculation.

Abstract: Vibratory weir assemblies, in selected embodiments, are respectively installed in food freezing tunnels to cause at the outset of the freezing operations complete separation of pieces of foods, such as french fries, so they will be individually frozen during the remaining fluidization freezing travel through a food freezing tunnel. Previously prepared foods, such as precooked french fries, moving into a food freezing tunnel on a mesh conveyor, are confronted by a vibrating weir located just above the mesh conveyor. By the time the food pieces are vibrated up and over the vibrating weir each one is free of the other, so subsequently, as they progress on a mesh conveyor, the fluidizing and freezing air circulates completely about them. The vibrating weir is actuated principally up and down with some translatory movement, by using an overhead mechanism having an appearance of modified advancing and shaking mechanisms previously used under shaking tables and/or advancing and shaking conveyors.