Abstract: In spiral drum freezer apparatus having an insulated disclosure a spiral drum is mounted for rotation within the enclosure and includes a spiral belt to the spiral drum with the top of the spiral drum being supported by UHMW bearings and the bottom of the spiral drum being supported by a planetary wheel drive. A gear motor is connected to the planetary wheel drive for rotating the spiral drum at a specified speed. A take-up drive gear motor drives the spiral belt. A tachometer feedback speed control sense the speed of the drum gear motor and controls the speed thereof and the take-up drive gear motor in accordance with the preselectable speed.

Abstract: An apparatus for the air treating of articles such as comestibles carried on a spiral conveyor has air deflecting baffles, and the housing in which the conveyor is mounted has air reentrant chambers associated with the baffles so that the flow of air through the housing traverses the belt when impeded from flowing directly through the belt by large articles to be cooled or frozen lying thereon.

Abstract: A slush ice maker includes a fluid chiller having water circulation tubes in which water flowing therethrough is deeply cooled to about 32.degree. F., a water conduit system coupled with the chiller and including a high pressure pump for pumping water through the tubes at a pressure of about 2 to 4 atmospheres and at a velocity in excess of 9 ft. per second to effect the formation of ice crystals in the water so as to define the slush ice. The ice and water mixture is discharged into an ice accumulation tank maintained at atmospheric pressure so that the formation of ice crystals are enhanced when the pressure of the slush ice is reduced to atmospheric at the tank.

Abstract: Articles of food to be frozen are delivered to an article conditioning conveyor and are maintained in a fluidized state by refrigerated air flowing upwardly therethrough. The conveyor is driven forwardly but is interrupted by at least one downward stepping movement, causing a thinning of the product bed and a rapid increase in air velocity to thus cool and separate the food articles preventing them from freezing to one another. The food articles are thereafter subjected to deep bed mass fluidization by flowing freezing air therethrough in a fluidized state.

Abstract: Articles of food to be frozen are delivered to an article conditioning conveyor and are maintained in a fluidized state by refrigerated air flowing upwardly therethrough. The conveyor is driven forwardly but is interrupted by at least one downward stepping movement, causing a thinning of the product bed and a rapid increase in air velocity to thus cool and separate the food articles preventing them from freezing to one another. The food articles are thereafter subjected to deep bed mass fluidization by flowing freezing air therethrough in a fluidized state.