Abstract: A method and rotary blancher for processing food product using a heat transfer medium and directed flows of a fluid that can comprise a liquid, a gas, a vapor or a combination thereof. The directed flows can be discharged from orifices or banks of orifices that are distributed around the food products in the blancher. The flows are discharged at a high flow rate, a high pressure, or a combination of both. Where a liquid is discharged, it preferably is discharged at a flow rate of at least 20 gpm and at least 30 psi. Where a gas is discharged, it is discharged at a flow rate of at least 60 CFM at a pressure of at least 2 psi or at a flow rate of at least 10 CFM at a pressure of at least 80 psi. If desired, discharged fluid can be recirculated to save energy. To help increase agitation and help break up clumps of food products in the blancher, direct-contact mechanical agitation devices, such as baffles, can be used.

Abstract: A method and rotary blancher for processing food product using a heat transfer medium and directed flows of a fluid that can comprise a liquid, a gas, a vapor or a combination thereof. The directed flows can be discharged from orifices or banks of orifices that are distributed around the food products in the blancher. The flows are discharged at a high flow rate, a high pressure, or a combination of both. Where a liquid is discharged, it preferably is discharged at a flow rate of at least 20 gpm and at least 30 psi. Where a gas is discharged, it is discharged at a flow rate of at least 60 CFM at a pressure of at least 2 psi or at a flow rate of at least 10 CFM at a pressure of at least 80 psi. If desired, discharged fluid can be recirculated to save energy. To help increase agitation and help break up clumps of food products in the blancher, direct-contact mechanical agitation devices, such as baffles, can be used.

Abstract: A rotary blancher that is substantially sealed during operation to increase food product heating speed and efficiency. The blancher has a sealed housing, a novel substantially sealed food product inlet, and a novel substantially sealed food product outlet. A heat transfer medium, such as water or only steam, is introduced into the blancher to heat the food product inside the blancher. During operation, food products are substantially continuously introduced into the blancher through the food product inlet, processed by the blancher, and thereafter discharged from the blancher through the food product outlet. As a result, a greater amount of food products can be more quickly heated to a desired temperature using a blancher of this invention as compared to a blancher that is not sealed.

Abstract: A food processing apparatus is disclosed that has a tank with an inlet end and an outlet end. The apparatus has at least two rotary drums received within an interior chamber of the tank, each communicating with the inlet end for urging a food product from the inlet end simultaneously through the drums to the outlet end. A liquid is held at a desired level within the interior chamber. Each of the rotary drums is submerged in the liquid to a predetermined depth. The food processor of the present invention is particularly well suited for increasing the food product volume capacity for particular foods which can only be passed through the drums at a relatively low product level within each drum.

Abstract: A blancher or cooler has a drum made up of a plurality of stainless steel perforated panels. The drum is rotatably mounted within a water tank, and has an auger for progressing food products from an inlet to an outlet. The panels are bolted between C-channels which are welded to end plates to define the drum, and steel angle brackets clamp the panels in place. The angle brackets have slots with enlarged openings at one end. For periodic cleaning the nuts which clamp the brackets to the C-channels are loosened part way, the brackets are removed by passing the bolt heads through the enlarged openings, and the unclamped panels are allowed to hang freely on the C-channels. In this condition all regions of the panels are accessible to cleaning spray as the drum is rotated. The brackets are rapidly replaced and the nuts fully tightened to return the apparatus to service.

Abstract: A blancher having a tank and an elongate generally cylindrical and hollow perforate drum rotatably received in the tank with the drum including an inlet end plate with a food product inlet opening adjacent an end of a support core that is spaced from the inlet opening by at least two braces of non-straight construction to allow food product to enter the drum without being obstructed adjacent the inlet opening. The braces increase the structural rigidity of the drum enabling blanchers to be constructed having axial lengths greater than 24 feet and drum diameters greater than 72 inches while also being of open throat construction and having an inlet opening diameter greater than the outer diameter of the core.

Abstract: At least a representative fraction of the peeled vegetables which have passed through a steam peeler, and abrasive peeler, or both, is presented to a video camera for inspection. The camera output is analyzed by a computer controller to determine the amount of peel remaining on the vegetable and displayed in a visual format to the operator. The controller provides information to the operator on peel fraction remaining so that the operator may manually adjust speed of brush rotation and auger speed or other parameters of the peeling apparatus, or automatically adjusts these parameters to maintain level of peel with varying vegetable attributes. More representative peel fraction data is obtained by analyzing only the central half of the vegetable image captured by the vision system.

Abstract: An interior wedge wire drum screen is mounted wholly within an exterior drum screen of narrower wedge wire spacing, and both are mounted to a frame and caused to rotate about a common central axis. One end of the outer drum is open and the other is closed by a disc-shaped drum head. The inner drum has an open end which is spaced inward of the open end of the outer drum. The waste water is presented to the surface of the inner drum screen by a waste water infeed which employs a vertical column. The column extends upwardly of an inlet and has a gradually increasing cross-section for reducing the flow of velocity of the waste water. A horizontal trough extends along the axis defined by the drums and communicates between the top of the column and a tray. The edges of the tray terminate in weirs which are parallel to the sides of the inner drum. Water flows in a smooth sheet over a weir to impact the sides of the inner screen with low velocity.

Abstract: The water is removed from food product pouches which have passed through a water bath by advancing the pouches in a continuous stream on a first tray which is vibrated with respect to a frame. The pouches are advanced beneath an air manifold which discharges air onto the pouch to blow moisture downwardly. An air outlet is formed in the tray beneath the air manifold, and air is drawn therethrough. The reduced pressure produced by the partial vacuum restrains the pouch from upstream motion, and serves to draw away the water which has been detached from the pouch. A second vibrating tray is positioned to receive pouches discharged from the first tray. An inclined ramp flips the pouches as they travel between the trays to present the underside of the pouch for drying. Once flipped the pouches progress along the second tray beneath a second air manifold and vacuum air outlet to complete the water removal prior to discharging the pouch from the apparatus.

Abstract: An interior wedge wire drum screen is mounted wholly within an exterior drum screen of narrower wedge wire spacing, and both are mounted to a frame and caused to rotate about a common central axis. One end of the outer drum is open and the other is closed by a disc-shaped drum head. The inner drum has an open end which is spaced inward of the open end of the outer drum. The waste water is presented to the surface of the inner drum screen by a waste water infeed which employs a vertical column. The column extends upwardly of an inlet and has a gradually increasing cross-section for reducing the flow of velocity of the waste water. A horizontal trough extends along the axis defined by the drums and communicates between the top of the column and a tray. The edges of the tray terminate in weirs which are parallel to the sides of the inner drum. Water flows in a smooth sheet over a weir to impact the sides of the inner screen with low velocity.

Abstract: A water tank is divided into a first heated compartment and a second heated compartment by an insulated baffle. A perforated cylinder is mounted within the tank and has a first segment which extends within the first heated tank compartment and a second segment which extends within the second heated tank compartment. Portions of a helical auger extend within each cylinder segment. Heated water at a first temperature is supplied to the first heated compartment by a first heated water manifold, and heated water at a second, higher temperature is supplied to the second heated compartment by a second heated water manifold. Mixing of the two temperatures of water is prevented by the insulating baffle. Food product is caused to traverse the length of the first heated compartment by the auger, and is transferred over the baffle into the second heated compartment by a lifting flight which elevates food product from the water into a chute which discharges into the second heated compartment.

Abstract: A cylindrical drum is rotatably mounted within a covered blancher or cooler water tank. The loads of the drum are supported entirely on an exterior frame formed of an inlet end plate and a discharge end plate and a plurality of linear support members which extend between and are welded to the two end plates. A helical auger is welded to and supported by the support members and defines an axially aligned central cavity which is substantially unobstructed between the inlet opening and the discharge opening. A perforated cylinder of screen material surrounds the dram and retains food product therein.

Abstract: A discharge chute extends between an auger and the discharge end plate of a perforated cylinder which rotates within a water-filled tank in a food processing apparatus such as a blancher or a cooler. The chute is fixed to the cylinder to rotate with the cylinder and has an inlet within the cylinder and an outlet which communicates with the exterior of the apparatus. A lifting flight extends between the perforated side wall of the cylinder and the discharge chute and is fixed to the discharge chute, such that food product advanced to the discharge end of the tank by an auger fixed to the cylinder, is engaged by the lifting flight and elevated to discharge into the chute discharge opening and then along an inclined surface within the chute to be discharged from the apparatus. The discharge assembly thus avoids any pinching of food product between rotating and nonrotating parts of the apparatus. Food product contained in pouches is protected from rupture at the discharge.

Abstract: A grader drum has fixed grader bars which extend between two annular end plates. Rotatable grader bars extend between the end plates between each pair of fixed bars. A generally frustoconical cam is movable axially with respect to the drum. A cam follower with a roller which engages against the cam is connected to each rotatable grader bar. A looped elastic belt encircles the cam followers and engages with radially outwardly facing grooves on the cam follower arms to retain the cam followers in engagement with the cam as the cam is displaced axially to adjust the spacing between the fixed and rotatable grader bars.

Abstract: A water tank is divided into a heated compartment and a cooled compartment by an insulated baffle. A perforated cylinder is mounted within the tank and has a first segment which extends within the heated tank compartment and a second segment which extends within the cooled tank compartment. Portions of a helical auger extend within each cylinder segment. Heated water is supplied to the heated compartment by a heated water manifold, and cooled water is supplied to the cooled compartment by a cooled water manifold. Mixing of the heated and cooled water is prevented by the insulating baffle. Food product is caused to traverse the length of the heated compartment by the auger, and is transferred over the baffle into the cooled compartment by a lifting flight which elevates food product from the water into a chute which discharges into the cooled compartment. A single, self-contained apparatus thus blanches and cools food product in a continuous process.

Abstract: A food processing apparatus such as a cooler, blancher, or cooker, has a water tank with a perforated wall drum cylinder mounted to rotate within the tank. Loose or pouch-packaged food product is introduced into the rotating cylinder and is advanced by the generally helical auger to the discharge end of the tank. The auger has radially extending folds or depressions which project axially from the auger helical surface, such that food product conveyed by the rotating auger is engaged by the projecting portions and is thereby agitated in an axial direction as it is conveyed from the tank inlet to the tank outlet. In a preferred embodiment, the depressions are disposed at 90 degrees from one another along the entire length of the auger, alternately projecting toward the inlet and the outlet.

Abstract: A stainless steel tank has an inlet for food products such as pasta and a discharge end where the food product is discharged. A perforated cylinder is mounted to rotate within the tank and an auger is positioned within the cylinder to advance food product from the inlet to the discharge of the tank. The auger is fitted with a plurality of lifting baffles to extend radially inwardly from the cylinder between two adjacent flights of the auger to carry food products sidewardly and lift the food product out of water contained within the tank and allow the food product to tumble back into the water. Two manifolds extend into the tank beneath the perforated cylinder and have a plurality of apertures. A controller controls a supply of steam and a supply of pressurized air to selectively introduce steam and compressed air through the manifold apertures into the tank.

Abstract: A cluster cutter apparatus and a snipping apparatus are similarly formed to increase the snipping efficiency of a bean processing line. Each apparatus includes a rotating drum having a circumferential slotted surface in combination with an internally elongated inclined orienting plate unit for orienting of the beans onto the lower interior periphery of the rotating drum. The plate unit may be an inclined fixed plate or a rotating paddle wheel and includes a plurality of plates which is located in the lower leading quadrant of the drum. The paddle wheel is rotated at an appropriate speed relative to the drum and contributes to a highly cost effective high volume bean processing system. The plate(s) supports the beans and provides gradual and controlled vertical transfer to the drum slots. The cluster cutter includes separating disc units to separate the clusters.

Abstract: An improved water seal blancher which utilizes a substantially steam proof chamber to subject a particulate food product to a continuous, controlled temperature treatment in steam, and which utilizes a minimum of moving mechanical parts to transport the food product into and out of the steam chamber, includes a base which is adapted to contain a conveyor apparatus for conveying food product through the steam, a cover which effectively closes the tank to form a steam-tight chamber, a feed tank intake at the feed end for receiving the food product into entraining water, and a pump which pumps the water and entrained food product into the steam chamber to a dewaterer which both separates the food product from the water, and forms a water seal which prevents steam within the steam chamber from escaping through the dewaterer and pump.

Abstract: A chiller which subjects a food product flow to a continuous controlled cooling treatment with water includes a tank with an inlet end and a discharge end, an auger having flights mounted rotatably within the tank, a perforate cylinder mounted within the tank around the auger to substantially contain the auger and food product while allowing water within the tank to pass in and out of the cylinder, and a plurality of baffles which each extend substantially radially inwardly from the perforate cylinder between two adjacent flights of the auger. When the auger and cylinder rotate, the baffles agitate the water and food product by carrying the food product sidewardly and upwardly out of the water, and then allow the food product to tumble back into the water. Additionally, the chiller preferably include two air manifolds mounted within the tank below the intended water level 42 outside the cylinder along its entire length.