Abstract: A bread cooling machine comprising at least one carousel mounted for rotation about a central axis and having a number of stations about the periphery of the carousel. The stations are each arranged to support one or more loaves and cooling operations are carried out on the loaves during rotation of the carousel. The means for carrying out these cooling operations comprises hollow needles arranged to penetrate the interior of the loaves and to supply air under pressure thereto to cause a flow of cooling air from the interior of the loaves to the ambient atmospheric pressure exterior. There are conveyor means for delivering loaves to be cooled from an oven for example to the carousel stations and for receiving loaves after the cooling operations from the carousel for further processing stages such as slicing and wrapping of the loaves.

Abstract: A method of cooling a block of porous material comprising inserting said block into a chamber, subjecting the chamber to air pressure less than that of the ambient air and inserting means into the said block to induce a flow of cooling air through the interior of the block to the said chamber, whereby the lower pressure in the chamber causes the cooling air to flow inwardly through the means inserted in the block for cooling the block.

Abstract: Means to induce a flow of air from the interior to the exterior of a block of porous material; comprising a chamber adapted to house said block and to be maintained during an operative cycle at an air pressure less than ambient air pressure; means to locate and to grip the block within said chamber; an injector needle assembly including an injector needle adapted to penetrate the said block after it has been located by the said gripping means; and means to move the injector needle into said block to allow air to flow through the said needles into and through the said porous block.