Abstract: A drying apparatus includes a rotary drum having a vertical axis and adapted for one-way revolution. A conveyor is spirally wound round the rotary drum and driven thereby. A casing covers the conveyor, with a chamber provided between the inner surface of the casing and the outer side of the conveyor, and the casing surrounding the whole or a part of the circumference of the conveyor. Hot blast is supplied to the chamber. Blast pipes connected to the chamber blow the hot blast upon the upper and lower surfaces of the conveyor.

Abstract: A method for refrigerating food. This method, preferably applicable to a food refrigerating apparatus of a corkscrew belt conveyor system, discloses the provision of an air cooler for said apparatus without a limit on where to dispose it but any suitable position in or out of said apparatus. Said air cooler sprays freezing air over the food placed on the moving belt conveyor until the completion of its predetermined distance of trip, the air along said belt conveyor being dehumidified through its gradual cooling in this process thereby enabling the prevention of accommodated constituents from developing frosting of freezing on their surfaces. Said air cooler functions on coolant gas supplied from a container subject to the control of a valve and a thermostat according to temperatures required for the food refrigeration.

Abstract: A food refrigerating apparatus comprising a spirally laid endless belt conveyor and an air cooler as the main constituents. The food is refrigerated on its belt-loaded vertically gyrating trip within a channel of cooled air as provided by said air cooler functioning on coolant gas passing therethrough, said coolant gas after attainment of its primary object spraying over said belt to add to the air-caused food refrigerating effect. A casing or casings cover the foregoing constituents for shutting them off from the atmosphere except for openings to place on and take out the food to be frozen from said belt conveyor. Characteristically, in this invention, the spiral and vertical extension of said belt conveyor aims at the elongation of the food conveying distance without a big horizontal space, further said air cooler enables dehumidified refrigeration so as to discard conventional frosting or freezing on the accommodated mechanism.