Abstract: A product transport system which is located predominantly within a chamber 10 (for example, an industrial oven chamber) and which comprises a pair of parallel, spaced apart conveyor chains 19. The conveyor chains are arranged to convey a plurality of transversely extending product support trays 15 through the chamber 10. Pairs of transversely spaced carriers 31 are provided to carry respective ones of the trays 15. Chain sprockets 20 are located within the chamber in alignment with the respective conveyor chains and the sprockets 20 are arranged to direct the respective conveyor chains through changes in direction (including through forward-and-return horizontal passes) within the chamber 10. Rotatable guide members 28 in the form of toothed wheels are positioned laterally adjacent to but out of alignment with respective ones of the chain sprockets 20, and a subsidiary chain drive is provided for driving each guide member 28 in synchronism with an adjacent one of the chain sprockets 20.

Abstract: A food processing system which includes a product baking stage (10), a product processing stage (11) and an endless conveyor (19) which is driven to carry product support trays (22) serially through the processing and baking stages. The endless conveyor (19) has a forward path (20) which extends through both the processing and the baking stages and a return path (21). The baking stage (10) comprises a baking chamber (26) through which the conveyor is guided to follow a path which includes a plurality of horizontal passes (27). The processing stage (11) comprises three interconnected compartments (29, 30 and 31) and in two of the compartments (29 and 30) the conveyor is guided to follow paths which include a plurality of horizontal passes (32). In the third processing compartment (31) both the forward path (20) and the return path (21) of the conveyor are guided to make a plurality of vertically extending passes.

Abstract: A biscuit making oven comprises a fabricated chamber externally insulated and having bottom entry and exit openings for an endless conveyor arranged partly inside and outside of the oven. Inside the oven the conveyor has horizontal runs which carry the biscuits to be baked progressively down through the oven so that they encounter three stages of heating to perform different stages in the baking process. These stages of heating are independently controllable despite the absence of baffles in the oven. The oven has the advantage that it does not require to be constructed at site but can be factory fabricated and simply used at site.