Abstract: A braiding extruder for making braided products from extrusible material. The braiding extruder includes a first rotatable member, a second rotatable member, a rotatable member driving system, and an orifice blocking arrangement. The rotatable members each include a pair of orifices for extruding a strands of extrusible material therethrough. The orifices are fluidly coupled to a source of pressurized extrusible material. The driving system rotates the first rotatable member clockwise about a first axis of rotation, and rotates the second rotatable member counter-clockwise about a second axis of rotation, parallel to the first axis of rotation. The orifice blocking arrangement selectively permits and prevents the extrusion of the extrusible material from the orifices. The orifices, the driving system, and the orifice blocking arrangement extrude and braid at least three strands of extrusible material.

Abstract: A thin, deformable film or web is placed tightly against the surface of a rotary die having molding cavities. Dough is applied onto the film against the surface of the rotary die. Pressure is applied to the dough, deforming the film and forcing the film and dough to conform to the shape of the molding cavities. The film thus forms a barrier between the molding cavities of the rotary die and the dough, but allows any design details of the molding cavities to be transferred to the dough. The molded dough is easily extracted from the die cavities by removing the film and molded dough from the rotary die, and the film is easily removed from the molded dough.

Abstract: A process for forming extruded multi-strand products. The process providing a braiding extruder which includes a first rotatable member, a second rotatable member, a rotatable member driving system, and an orifice blocking arrangement. The rotatable members each include a pair of orifices for extruding a strands of extrusible material therethrough. The orifices are fluidly coupled to a source of pressurized extrusible material. The process includes (i) blocking unblocked orifices, (ii) preventing the extrusion of extrusible material from each blocked orifice, (iii) unblocking blocked orifices, (iv) extruding a strand of extrusible material from each unblocked orifice, and (v) alternately rotating the adjacent rotatable members in opposite directions. The process automatically forms a visually attractive product which reaps the benefits of the "hand made" appeal normally associated with braiding.

Abstract: Food pieces, such as cubed apples, the exposed pulp of which tends to discolor upon exposure to air, are treated with an acidic aqueous solution which is effective in maintaining the natural color of the exposed pulp and which comprises citric acid, calcium chloride, and sodium chloride, with the treatment of such apples being preferably practiced by means of novel apparatus which uses a screw conveyor which receives the pieces of food at its inlet end and moves them from its inlet end to its outlet end automatically while the treating solution is continuously injected into the conveyor to coat the food pieces. Injection of the treating solution is controlled in response to control signals derived from a gamma ray weigh scale which weighs the food pieces continuously as they pass through the conveyor, so that the amount of treating solution injected is maintained in predetermined proportion to the rate at which the food pieces pass through the conveyor.

Abstract: Food pieces, such as cubed apples, the exposed pulp of which tends to discolor upon exposure to air, are treated with an acidic aqueous solution which is effective in maintaining the natural color of the exposed pulp and which comprises citric acid, calcium chloride, and sodium chloride, with the treatment of such apples being preferably practiced by means of novel apparatus which uses a screw conveyor which receives the pieces of food at its inlet end and moves them from its inlet end to its outlet end automatically while the treating solution is continuously injected into the conveyor to coat the food pieces. Injection of the treating solution is controlled in response to control signals derived from a gamma ray weigh scale which weighs the food pieces continuously as they pass through the conveyor, so that the amount of treating solution injected is maintained in predetermined proportion to the rate at which the food pieces pass through the conveyor.