Abstract: An apparatus for uniformly dispensing particulate food materials onto a moving article which comprises a hopper for holding a supply of the particulate and having a horizontally disposed orifice through which the particulate material can exit, a rotatable drum located below the orifice and having a plurality of spaced fins protruding radially therefrom and disposed on a zig-zag pattern and operable to counteract the tendency of the particulate material to fall off the drum, and a scraper adapted to engage the drum surface between the fins and operable to follow the zig-zag pattern of the fins to lift particulate material off the surface of the drum and guide it to a discharge precipice over which it falls onto the moving article.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for draining and expunging excess oil from delicate pizza crusts which have been fried in oil, adapted for association with discharge mechanism of a crust fryer, functioning in cooperation therewith to receive, drain, and manipulatively reposition the crusts for packing into shipping cartons. Crusts discharged from the fryer at the infeed end fall into slots formed by adjacent vertical flights provided at spaced intervals on an inclined drain conveyor. The delicate crusts are held against deformation in upright position by the flights during their traverse of the conveyor length thus allowing for dripping drainage of oil from their respective surfaces. The oil so drained is collected in a drain pan positioned beneath the conveyor and at an angle sloping towards the frying mechanism at the infeed end of the conveyor. Oil collected by the drain pan is thus directed into an associated catch tank for subsequent return to the fryer.

Abstract: The machine includes a horizontal base plate on which a plurality of vertical tubes are mounted, apertures in said plate being disposed beneath said tubes so food products are free to pass down through the tubes and the plate. Stop means below the plate limit the distance which food products can extend out of the tubes. A blade assembly is rotatable below the plate on a vertical axis between the tubes. A blade assembly includes a freely rotatable circular blade at its outer end which passes under the tubes in sequence and cuts corresponding food products into predetermined length chunks.