Abstract: An oven for cooking food products comprising a substantially closed enclosure except for an inlet and an outlet in the end walls of the oven. A heater means extends through the top wall of the enclosure into the cooking chamber for producing a gaseous cooking medium and suction fan means are provided on the enclosure top wall on either side of the heater means and in relatively closely spaced relation to the outlet of the heater means, and a source of moisture is disposed between the heater means outlet and the suction side of each of the fans for mixing moisture with the heated medium from the heater means. A conveyor is adapted to receive food products and move the products through the oven from the inlet to the outlet thereof, and duct fingers are provided both above and below the conveyor for directing and impinging the heated gaseous cooking medium onto the food products being moved by the conveyor through the oven.

Abstract: A breading machine for selectively dispensing flour breading or free flowing breading and wherein the machine has a frame and conveyor apparatus supported in the frame defining a conveyance path having a product inlet end and a product outlet end, and a hopper pivotally attached to the frame at the inlet end and movable between a breading dispensing position and a hopper cleaning position, frame support apparatus pivotally attached to the frame at the outlet end and selectively adjustable to provide for flour breading of a food product wherein the said product is flipped over at the outlet end of the conveyor apparatus or for free flowing breading to be applied to the food product wherein the said product exits from the conveyor apparatus in the same manner in which it is initially introduced to the conveyor apparatus, and wherein the frame support apparatus is also adjustable between a conveyor apparatus supporting position and a cleaning position above the conveyor apparatus, and breading pumping slot appar

Abstract: A two-stage filter apparatus for removing particles entrained in a liquid wherein the liquid is initially presented to the first filter stage having an endless filter belt for removal of a portion of the entrained particles to result in a liquid having a decreased density of particles. This resulting liquid of decreased density is then presented to a cyclone filter in the second filter stage and divided into two parts, one part which is substantially free of any particles which is then available for its intended use and a second part that is presented to another endless filter belt and returned serially to the first filter and then the second filter stages for subsequent filtering of particles.

Abstract: A sprinkle belt that is operable in a breading machine for coating food products with various kinds of flour type breading to insure that the top coating is evenly applied and relatively light rather than a heavy or clumpy coating as normally applied by present breading machines. As herein disclosed, the preferred embodiment of sprinkle belt comprises an endless wire mesh belt movably disposed in a breading machine of the type disclosed in the assignee's copending application entitled Breading Machine, Ser. No. 421,169 filed on Sept. 22, 1982 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,084, and which belt is operable to intercept the discharge of flour breading from the machine hopper as it falls toward food products passing therebelow to disperse said discharged breading into a cloud-like curtain that is substantially evenly and relatively lightly applied as a top coating to the food product.

Abstract: A breading machine for selectively dispensing flour breading or free flowing breading onto a food product, and wherein the machine has a frame and conveyor structure supported on the frame defining a conveyance path having a product inlet end and a product outlet end, and a breading hopper attached to the frame adjacent the inlet end for applying a coating of breading to the food product, and breading pumping slot structure attached to the frame for providing breading to the input end of the conveyor, with a fluffer mechanism mounted on the pumping slot structure for breaking up any caking or lumping of the breading on the conveyor prior to the point of introduction of the food product to the conveyor.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing convenience foods from food units coming from the grower in various sizes. The vegetable or fruit food units of various sizes, are cleaned and handled and frozen in a generally conventional manner, and then are compressed by a high capacity press into a standard predetermined size of frozen block of food product, after which the block is cut by sawing, into generally equal size units which can then be further processed, such as for instance batter coated and cooked, and then packaged by count, prior to shipment.

Abstract: A combined heat shield and steam distributor for a cooking oven, adapted to be located in the oven between a flame producing combustion unit in the oven and a movable food product conveyor, to aid in protecting food product on the conveyor from generally direct exposure to flame, with such shielding and distributor means also providing for distribution of steam into the cooking chamber for intermixing with the gaseous cooking medium of the oven.

Abstract: An oven and method for cooking food products. The oven comprises an elongated housing having an inlet for food products to be cooked in the oven and an outlet for emitting cooked food product from the oven, together with means for heating a gaseous cooking medium in the housing for cooking the food products therein, and a plurality of vertically tiered endless conveyors for passing the food product back and forth through the housing during the cooking process, whereby an oven taking less floor space for a predetermined flow path extent of cooking various food products, is provided.

Abstract: A batter mixer for mixing a dry powder batter mix with a predetermined quantity of liquid which comprises an upright open top housing having a mixing chamber therein, means connecting the mixing chamber to a source of fluid, fluid control means in circuit with the connecting means being responsive to the flow of fluid therethrough to accurately measure and control a selected quantity of fluid flowing into the chamber, said chamber having openable cover means for providing ready access to the interior thereof for deposition of dry powder batter mix therein, and mixing means in the chamber for thoroughly mixing said selected quantity of fluid and batter mix.