Abstract: A device for carrying an endless conveyor belt (1) along a helical part of its path comprises a frame (9, 10) supporting an outer ball track and an inner ball track, each arranged under a lateral portion (22, 23) of the conveyor belt along at least a section of the helical part of the conveyor belt path. Each ball track is formed of a plurality of ball-bearing elements (11) disposed helically after one another and each having a plurality of balls (21) in an endless ball track with an upper circular-arc-shaped track section (19) and a lower track section (20) which connects with the upper track section to form the endless ball track. The lateral portions (22, 23) of the conveyor belt (1) rest on the balls (21) in the upper track sections (19) of the ball-bearing elements (11).

Abstract: A foodstuff air treatment device includes a housing (1) with an elongated trough (11) for receiving the foodstuffs to be treated. The trough extends through the housing and includes a foraminated bottom (15), a first side wall (17), and a second side wall (16). A heat exchanger (12) is disposed in the housing, and a fan assembly (13) is also disposed within the housing for producing an air flow that circulates through the heat exchanger, up through the trough, and back to the heat exchanger. One side wall (17) of the trough is adjustable, laterally to the length of the trough, for changing the width of the trough.

Abstract: An air treatment plant, e.g. a freezing plant for foodstuffs, comprises a housing (1), an elongate trough (12) provided therein for receiving the foodstuff to be treated, a heat exchanger (13), and a fan assembly (14) for producing an air flow circulating through the heat exchanger, up through the trough and back to the heat exchanger. The bottom of the trough comprises a foraminated conveyor belt (16). The conveyor belt (16) is driven by an electric motor having a control unit for at least periodically driving the conveyor belt in a direction opposite to the throughfeed direction of the foodstuff in the trough (12).

Abstract: A refrigeration system comprises an evaporator overfed with liquid refrigerant and discharging a mixture of vapor refrigerant and liquid refrigerant; a compressor for compressing vapor refrigerant discharged from the evaporator; a condenser receiving compressed vapor refrigerant from the compressor for transforming it into liquid refrigerant; and a receiver receiving the liquid refrigerant from the condenser and supplying it to the evaporator. A separator receiving the refrigerant discharged from the evaporator separates the-vapor refrigerant for the compressor from the liquid refrigerant for recirculation. A feeder stores the pressurized liquid refrigerant and overfeeds the evaporator therewith. An educer feeds liquid refrigerant from the separator to the feeder using liquid refrigerant from the receiver as pressurizing agent.

Abstract: An apparatus for gas treatment of products, especially food products, comprises a housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening. A conveyor belt transports the products through the housing along a path from the inlet opening to the outlet opening. A tunnel encloses the conveyor belt at least along a part of the path from the inlet opening to the outlet opening, and has a perforated top wall. Gas suction means communicates with the tunnel for creating a vacuum in the interior of the tunnel. Gas conditioning means conditions the gas circulated by the gas suction means from the interior of the tunnel to the exterior thereof and back to the interior of the tunnel through the perforated top wall thereof. In this manner, gas sucked through the perforated top wall of the tunnel from the exterior thereof forms gas jets impinging upon the conveyor belt.