Abstract: The disclosed sterilizing apparatus makes use of mobile cars containing a quantity of packages. The cars are continuously intermittently advanced to a package loading position, to an inlet lock where pressurizing and preheating of the car and its contents occur, to a sterilizing chamber for a sufficient period of time to effect sterilization, to a discharge lock that depressurizes and partially cools the car and its contents, to an atmospheric cooling station, to a water discharge station and then to a package unloading station.

Abstract: A sterilizer for food products in containers receives carts having two tiers of channel-like trays, with water being circulated along the trays in direct contact with the containers. The underside of the bottom wall of each tray is welded to a pair of longitudinal channels, the inner sidewalls of which confine the lids of containers in the tray below and the outer sidewalls serve as tray locating flanges. The upper side of each tray bottom wall is welded to a pair of longitudinal angles having upstanding flanges for supporting the bottoms of the containers above the imperforate bottom wall of the tray. This construction facilitates direct contact of heat exchange liquid flowing along the trays with the surfaces of containers in the trays.