Abstract: A method and apparatus for coating edible food containers with flavored barrier coatings. The coating material is allowed to flow into the interior of the container to coat the same. The containers are then manipulated to remove the excess and dried. A coating is then flown onto the exterior of the container which is subsequently dried.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for covering foodstuff with granular and/or powdery material comprising a frame, a bunker supported by said frame receiving a supply of granular and/or powdery material and means for displacing the foodstuff along a path extending below an outlet port of the bunker, whereby below the outlet port a sieve plate having a plurality of apertures is arranged and the device comprises means for displacing the material flowing out of the bunker in a direction opposite the direction of displacement of the foodstuff during operation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for enrobing frozen novelty confectionaries, such as ice cream products. The products are passed beneath a waterfall of the enrobing material, with the conveying mechanism separating rows of confectionaries and aligning them with dams in the waterfall to avoid covering the stick portion of the novelty. Conveying apparatus for the novelties is also disclosed.

Abstract: Seasoning is applied uniformly to an edible snack product and excess seasoning is reapplied by directed streams of air. A rotary helical wire feeder in a tube having a variable width slotted outlet is provided with a chamber for directing an air flow along the outside of the tube on opposite sides of the outlet to control the distribution of a curtain of seasoning falling from the tube outlet. Seasoning which misses the snacks on an open conveyor is collected underneath the conveyor and reapplied to the bottom of the snacks by air flowing over the surface of collectors.

Abstract: In a typical breading machine for automatically coating the exterior surfaces of edible products such as for example seafoods, poultry, red meats and vegetables, a method and apparatus for distributing and sifting what is defined in the art as Japanese style bread crumbs which display a wide variation in crumb sizes. The typical breading machine provides for the conveyance of the product to be coated along a conveyance or coating path on a bed of breading placed on the conveyance means at a first location whereby the surfaces of said product which engage said bed are coated with breading. A separate quantity of breading is subsequently presented to the product being conveyed at a second location along the conveyance path whereby the remaining surfaces of the product are coated with breading.

Abstract: A corn buttering device for applying a coating of butter or butter substitute to an ear of corn comprising a pan for containing a heated liquid and a receptacle mounted in the pan for containing liquid butter. The pan is provided with a cover which has a recessed upper surface for receiving and supporting an ear of corn therein. The recess in the cover is provided with an elongate slot which communicates with the butter receptacle when the cover is moved downwardly to tilt the receptacle and cause butter to pour through the recess slot and contact an ear of corn. The recess slot is normally closed by a movable wall member which is displaced from the slot during downward movement of the cover on the pan. The cover containing an ear of corn therein is maintained in an upper position on the pan until manually displaced to a lowermost position for applying butter to the corn.

Abstract: A machine for automatically depositing whipped cream or other topping material on cakes, or small pastries, includes a pair of whipped cream depositing nozzles mounted on a framework so that they can be adjusted for height and for horizontal spacing between each other. A plate for holding a cake below the nozzles can be raised or lowered as well as revolved so that topping material can be deposited in a ring-shaped pattern. An endless conveyor can be put in place to bring small articles, such as cookies or pastries, into successive positions under the nozzles and the vertical spacing of the nozzles can also be controlled by photo detector means.

Abstract: A food product in the form of an elongated strip is provided with a coating of seeds by directing it upon the loading end of a conveyor belt, passing it through a wetting station and thereafter directing it from the discharge end of the conveyor belt onto a grooved drum. A quantity of seeds carried by a hopper is directed onto a surface of the drum in the area just prior to the contact point of the food product with the drum. The seed is received upon the bottom of the grooves in the drum and around the sides and top of the food product. A pressure roller in contact with the periphery of the drum urges the seeds into firmer contact with the food product. Excess seeds are recaptured and the seeded food product is directed from the apparatus.

Abstract: Apparatus and process for coating frozen portions of a foodstuff with a granulated product with a conveyor carrying plates for supporting the portions and adapted to advance stepwise and sequentially to:depositing the granulated product on the plates,positioning the portions on the plates,supplying heat to the surfaces of the portions,coating the portions with granulated product anddischarging the coated portions from the conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for applying condiment, say salt to pretzels, wherein the pretzels or other articles are conveyed beneath a condiment dispenser for receiving condiment therefrom on the upper side of the article while condiment passes beneath the article to a collector, and the article is transferred to the collector onto collected condiment for application of the condiment to the under side of the article. The apparatus is selectively operable to apply condiment to only a single side of an article by feeding the article to the collector before deposit of condiment on the collector.

Abstract: A pizza topping device to apply ingredients to a pastry shell including first apertured conveyer means to receive a pre-formed pastry shell and convey the shell in a selected direction, applicator spray means including nozzle means disposed at a selected location above the first conveyer means to spray a selected, fluid, sauce-like material onto the pastry shells traveling on the first conveyer where the sauce-like material which oversprays the pastry shell flows through the apertures of the conveyer to sauce accumulator means, hopper means disposed above the first conveyer means to receive selected particulate topping substances to be applied to the sauce carried on the pastry shell where the hopper means includes a second conveyer means which is imperforate and is disposed in the bottom of the hopper where the topping material is carried on the second conveyer means in the same direction of travel as the direction of travel of the first conveyer, topping retention and mixing means disposed in the hopper to

Abstract: A conveyor system including a wetting station having a container adapted for holding a wetting agent; a slack conveyor belt having at least its transfer path portion extending through the container and at least a part of that portion dipping below the level of the wetting agent; and a ballast roller, at least partially submerged in the wetting agent and bearing on the part of the transfer path portion of the conveyor belt which dips into the wetting agent, for compelling conveyed objects to pass submerged in the wetting agent between the ballast roller and the conveyor belt; and a rotating conveyor station including a hollow drum open at one end; means for rotating the drum about a generally horizontal longitudinal axis; and a plurality of pick-up elements extending generally radially inwardly from the inner surface of the drum for picking up items accumulated in the lower position in the drum and carrying them to the upper position in the drum for release onto an intermediate conveyor; and a self cleaning co

Abstract: To a breader conveyor there is added a plurality of restrained flow cascading tumbling conveyors positioned to produce roughness of the breading. Slip plates at the terminal portions of the conveyors act to restrain the free flow of the battered and flour breaded chicken until pushed off onto a following conveyor. The breaded chicken in excess flour tumbles from one conveyor to another to produce a rough, flaky breading texture. The breaded chicken is then separated from the excess flour by an output wire conveyor and is fried or cooked in the conventional manner.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying liquid to one side of a substantially flat article includes a power-driven, rotatably journaled drum having a perforate, cylindrical surface. Within the interior of the drum is disposed a roller. The roller includes a resilient, absorbent surface which engages the inside surface of the drum such that rotation of the drum imparts relative rotation to the roller. The roller is rotatable through a liquid reservoir and a pressure member is selectively operable to press or urge the perforate surface against the roller such that liquid picked up by the roller is squeezed through the perforations. An article contacting the drum surface will thereby have liquid applied to one side thereof.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for coating the under side of a food product with a batter material of intermediate viscosity so as to eliminate substantially all bare spots.

Abstract: A machine is presented which is specifically designed to accept a batch of mixed cut-up poultry parts, to coat the parts in a wet coating unit with a liquid mixture of water and egg or milk solids by tumbling them in a smaller volume of the liquid mixture, to transfer the parts with a short drip time by gravity to a dry coating unit, there to tumble them in a smaller weight of flour and coat them with the flour to an appearance equal to or better than hand coating, to continue tumbling them while excess dry material is removed from the tumbling volume and stored, to stop after a pre-set dry tumbling time and present the fully coated parts with a minimum of excess flour for hand removal, while properly cycling a sifting mechanism to entrap dough balls above a desired minimum size. Each successive batch may be liquid coated while the preceding batch is hand removed. The operator may determine the number of successive batches processed before changing the liquid mixture or removing the entrapped dough balls.

Abstract: A machine is presented which includes a liquid-coating or battering unit associated with a dry-coating or breading unit, the units being useful separately or when combined as described. The battering unit includes a batter reservoir in which an open mesh wire belt under tension travels beneath a submerger wheel so as to gently nip the product and drag it below the surface of the batter. In the breading application unit, the loose breading material is stored in a hopper above which is a flat slider plate over which passes an open mesh wire conveyor belt in its product-advancing run. This belt then passes downwardly after discharging the coated product, to a lower point in the hopper where the belt is inclined upwardly toward the opposite end of the unit at the inlet end of the slider plate. This portion of the conveyor belt is the breading material elevating run and it travels close to an inclined bottom wall of the hopper.