Abstract: A method and apparatus for pressing tortilla dough into a tortilla product in a continuous operation including: an extruder for compressing tortilla dough through a nozzle; a knife for slicing the extruded dough into a series of dough pucks; a conveyor press assembly which sandwiches the dough puck between a pair of belts to carry the puck between a pairs of platens to gradually press the puck into its final tortilla form; and a conveyor oven which sandwiches the tortilla between a pair of belts to carry the tortilla between pairs of heated platens to cook the tortilla. The system is particularly well suited to automation and, in one embodiment, includes measuring equipment which provides feedback to produce tortillas of consistent size, shape, and quality.

Abstract: Rotatable refrigeration disc is of laminated construction comprising at least two layers bonded together, and has a plurality of relatively narrow internal channels therein arranged in a winding, labyrinth-like, sinuous, zigzag pattern. The channels are sized to accommodate the passage of an evaporative refrigerant, and extend substantially throughout all of the operative portion of the disc so that the liquid freezing surfaces are close to and are chilled by the refrigerant passing through the channels. Each channel has an inlet and outlet located at a central portion of the disc. The channels extend from the center towards the perimeter of the disc and then zigzag back towards the central portion. The layers of one form are complimentary mirror images and in another form are two planar outer layers encasing a layer with channels formed on each side. The channels are formed by etching, or computer controlled machining.