Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for smoking foods. An enclosure is presented which is characterized by an absence of any ventilating means. The enclosure is substantially air tight. Hickory or other exotic wood blocks or chips are used as the source of smoke and an electric heating element raises the temperature in the enclosure to approximately 200.degree.-300.degree. F. This activates the wood and produces the desired smoke. The increase in temperature also produces an increase in pressure within the enclosure which in turn causes a pressure differential between the inside and the outside of any food being processed. This forces smoke and wood resins to permeate the meat and enhance the food with the desired smoke flavor. The enclosure in which the food is smoked is also of unique design in that the back wall is presented in three planes so as to avoid forming any right angles with any other sidewalls.

Abstract: A curd-cutting tool is rotatable about an axis within an immobile curdling container, driving means being provided for rotating this tool in one direction around said axis to cut the cheese curd; and means are operatively connected to the driving means for causing interruptions in the rotation of the tool in said one direction during the cutting operation.

Abstract: An automatic machine for cutting and pitting fruit, especially peaches, iudes three fundamental parts or working zones, the first of which is a feeding device for feeding the fruit to the second zone which includes an automatic positioning device in the form of an endless conveyor carrying a plurality of cups or receptacles to receive the fruit from the feeding device. The third and final zone of the machine is an automatic cutting and pitting device having a fruit gripping assembly, a circular knife which divides the fruit into two parts, and a knife for pitting the fruit. The fruit feeding device includes a hopper to which, by any suitable system or means, the fruit is supplied, the hopper being mounted on the frame of the machine at an angle. The hopper is supported by a flexible damper and is subjected to the action of a conventional vibrator. The hopper has at the outlet thereof as many channels as there are cups or receptacles in a column of the automatic positioning device.

Abstract: Installation for the pasteurization or sterilization of container-packed commodities such as baby food in glass jars, a plurality of those containers being united in a carrier, a number of carriers being stepwise advanced in vertical direction in a treatment space, several treatment spaces being interconnected by means of a horizontal conveying system comprising a sluice.

Abstract: A lettuce and like dryer is adapted for use with a conventional blender apparatus or other appliances such as an electric juicer having a vertical drive shaft, the dryer including an outer basket having a top opening and a bottom having a generally annular reservoir and an axial opening, engaging means at the bottom axial opening adapted to engage the housing of said blender, an inner axial stub shaft connected to gear drive means mounted in said bottom opening and adapted to engage the blender drive shaft and perforate basket means removably engaging said stub shaft to be driven thereby.

Abstract: A blade assembly which, during a single cycle of reciprocation, both halves a pear or the like and cuts out the calyx or equivalent portion thereof. This assembly is shown employed in apparatus which automatically and sequentially functions to halve and remove the calyx from a plurality of pears or the like. Control means is also provided for synchronizing reciprocations of a blade assembly (or a gang of blade assemblies) relative to each of a successive plurality of continuously moving pears or the like.

Abstract: An improved apparatus is provided for depositing pepperoni slices which may have a relatively high fat content and grated cheese on a series of pizza pie shells made of pastry. The apparatus includes a main conveyor which is continuously operated to sequentially move pizze pie shells along a path extending through a food processing station. A carriage at the food processing station moves a stick of pepperoni relative to a rotating blade to slice pieces of pepperoni from the stick. A secondary conveyor receives the slices of pepperoni and positively moves the slices of pepperoni toward a pastry shell being moved by the main conveyor. The secondary conveyor includes surfaces which apply forces to opposite sides of the pepperoni slices to grip the slices and positively move them toward the main conveyor. At another food processing station, a body of cheese is sliced into elongated pieces by a grater. A second cutter severs the elongated pieces of cheese into relatively short lengths.

Abstract: A holder assembly for fruit or the like adapted for use in washing of the type employed for the commercial processing of harvested fruit, etc. Such assemblies are usually mounted in gangs upon flight straps which move through one or more processing zones. Each assembly employs a base, a cup, preferably forked pairs of grasping arms for each cup, and biasing means urging such arms against their associated such cup. The holder emphasizes simple, reliable construction and operation.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for sectioning oranges and other fruit which preferably has been previously cored and peeled. Fruit is positioned over a spindle and allowed to move preferably downwardly into a plurality of revolving, circular blades whose respective peripheries are in edge adjacent relationship to said spindle. The fruit in passing through these blades is sectioned. Blades can be offset from a radially extending relationship to said spindle if desired for obtaining oblique angles of sectionizing.

Abstract: A forced air food drier having a cabinet-like structure with a front door for access to the interior of said cabinet and drawer supports arranged along each side of said cabinet for receiving a plurality of drawers thereon. Each drawer is provided with a reflective bottom member and spaced a small distance thereabove a screen member for supporting the food to be dried thereupon. One end of each drawer is provided with an air passage slot and when the drawers are assembled within the cabinet, the air passage slots are alternated at the sides of the cabinet so that forced hot air from a blower structure and heating structure at the bottom of the cabinet is forced to pass alternately by the bottoms and tops of each respective drawer until exhausted out exhaust vents at the top of the cabinet. Appropriate fan and blower control timers together with heater control switches and timers are provided with the cabinet structure.

Abstract: An apparatus for proofing lumps of dough has an endless conveyor. A series of first cups are mounted on one side of the conveyor for transporting lumps of dough and series of second cups are mounted on the opposite side of the conveyor of transporting lumps of dough. The second cups are spaced from the first cups, and the first and second cups have the conveyor disposed therebetween. Also, the first and second cups are staggered relative to each other so that the distance between each first cup and an adjacent second cup is equal to the distance between that second cup and the next first cup along the conveyor. Lumps of dough are loaded into the first and second cups and, after having been transported, are discharged from the first and second cups. The endless conveyor and the first and second cups are contained in an enclosure in which a proofing environment for the lumps of dough is provided.

Abstract: A dough makeup line for the selective mechanized production of different kinds of bread such as long bread and flat bread, the makeup line including a dough divider, a dough piece rounder, a proofer, and, as part of the proofer, a switchable dough piece delivery device cooperating with two parallel longitudinal dough molding lines equipped with molding stations for different bread shapes, the longitudinal dough molding lines leading to a transverse dough molding line, from where the molded dough pieces are transferred onto baking palettes. Special transfer conveyors are employed in connection with the makeup of thin, large dough pieces.

Abstract: Apparatus to pit peaches consisting of a machine which receives a peach by partially cutting it and gripping the stone and while then rotating the peach through a circle engages the peach halves by resilient pneumatic grippers which adapt to the surface of the peach halves. After rotation through a predetermined angle in the cycle, the grippers rotate in opposite directions to separate the peach halves from the stone and, therefore, release the peach halves and the stone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recovering embryos from embryonated eggs wherein the egg is cracked open the shell discarded and the contents dropped onto a continuously vibrating screen which separates the embryo from the yolk sac and accompanying fluid. This associated material, which is less cohesive than the embryo, passes through the screen. The screen itself is tilted at a compound angle from the horizontal and its vibrating action causes the embryos to move along the upper surface of the screen toward a discharge chute located at the lower corner of the screen.

Abstract: An immobile container for the cheese curd is in the form of a body of revolution having a substantially horizontal axis; and a tool which is rotated by a drive shaft about the container axis is arranged to cut and stir curd situated above as well as below the container axis. The tool preferably has several side-by-side sections extending from the drive shaft to the surrounding wall of the container and forming an angle with each other, each section having spaced cutting members and also having swingable flaps movable to and from positions in which they cover at least parts of the interspaces between the spaced cutting members.

Abstract: A method and machine for processing pineapples by sequentially drilling a central hole, cutting off the upper end, transferring the pineapple to a peelng spindle, indexing the pineapple on the spindle through a series of peeling stations, cutting off the bottom end, rotating the spindle a single turn at each peeling station adjacent an array of rotating cutters to remove spaced bands from the outer surface of the pineapple while maintaining the original ovoid shape of the pineapple, pushing the peeled pineapple through a rotating circular knife to form the pineapple into a cylinder and an outer blanket, and removing the remaining fibrous core prior to discharge. The outer blanket, frequently termed the "crush blanket", is useful as such rather than as merely a source of juice.

Abstract: A truck trailer interior washing system with a washing head mounted on an extendable and retractable boom horizontally mounted for automated washing cycle extension into and back out of the trailer interior. A truck body or trailer is backed into exact position, centered and aligned with the boom, with the use of guide rails and a centering plate structure automatically moving trailer wheels laterally in a centering action as required. When the system is activated, a pump is started to deliver hot detergent solution to the nozzled cleaning head from wash fluid back-up tanks and heaters as the extension boom is moved into the trailer at a predetermined rate (50' per minute, for example). A feeler bar and microswitch system senses when the inside nose of the trailer is reached and acts to stop the boom in the extended position for a short interval of time during which the pump and feed mechanism clears itself of detergent solution with microswitch activated clear hot water flush to the nozzles.

Abstract: A citrus fruit squeezer having upstanding squeezer cones above a strainer and receptacle, the cones being symmetrically arranged for simultaneous use by a person with both hands.

Abstract: An inner portion of a conveyor comprising a plurality of pivotably joined crossbars having an open bottom receiving cup to hold a piece of drupaceous fruit is driven at a synchronized speed below a fruit feeder device. After the feeder device deposits a piece of fruit in each cup, the inner conveyor portion travels a short distance where it is joined by an outer portion of the conveyor comprising a like plurality of pivotably joined crossbars having an inverted covering cup with a perforated diaphragm top. The conveyor portions mate to partially enclose the piece of fruit within the cups. The fruit is conveyed through a pitting station where a star-shaped pitting tool is driven at high speed through the opening in the bottom of the receiving cup, into the piece of fruit to contact a pit of the fruit and push the pit upward through the perforation of the diaphragm in the covering cup. As the tool is withdrawn from the fruit, the fruit and its now separated pit are conveyed separately for further processing.

Abstract: A stuffing apparatus for a machine adapted to deliver objects having cavities to be stuffed successively to a stuffing station, the stuffing apparatus having a feeding head borne by the machine in juxtaposition to the stuffing station; a slicing assembly mounted on the feeding head; a conveyor assembly for feeding a ribbon of stuffing material to the slicing assembly for successive severing into segments of the material; an assembly disposed between the feeding head and stuffing station for successively dilating the cavities of objects in the stuffing station; and a plunger mechanism adapted to thrust successive segments from the slicing assembly and feeding head and into the cavities of objects in the stuffing station.