Abstract: A method for treating items as the items move along a trough, such as for freezing, drying, or baking food items, includes the steps of placing an item to be treated in an inlet end portion of a trough having sides, a top, and a perforated bottom, the perforations making up between about 0.5% and about 20% of the bottom of the trough. A treating gas is forced through the perforated bottom at a velocity through the perforations and a volume sufficient to elevate and float the item above the bottom of the trough. The item moves along the trough, such as by gravity in an inclined trough or by action of the treating gas against the item, as the treating gas flows against the bottom, around the sides, and over the top of the item to treat the item. The item is left in the trough for a period of time sufficient to complete the desired treatment.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating items such as for freezing, drying, or baking food items, includes an inclined track or trough with a perforated bottom through which pressurized treating gas flows to raise the item and hold it suspended above the bottom of the trough to allow the item to move by gravity down the trough as the treating gas, such as a cooling or refrigerating gas when the item is being cooled or frozen or a hot gas when the item is to be cooked, flows under, around, and over the item to be treated to thereby treat such item. It is preferred that the trough be a spiral trough surrounding a chamber containing pressurized treating fluid which flows from the chamber into a plenum under the perforated trough bottom, through the perforations and around the item and then out of the trough. The items can be stopped in the trough so that they remain for a predetermined treatment time.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating items such as for freezing, drying, or baking food items, includes an inclined track or trough with a perforated bottom through which pressurized treating gas flows to raise the item and hold it suspended above the bottom of the trough to allow the item to move by gravity down the trough as the treating gas, such as a cooling or refrigerating gas when the item is being cooled or frozen or a hot gas when the item is to be cooked, flows under, around, and over the item to be treated to thereby treat such item. It is preferred that the trough be a spiral trough surrounding a chamber containing pressurized treating fluid which flows from the chamber into a plenum under the perforated trough bottom, through the perforations and around the item and then out of the trough. The items can be stopped in the trough so that they remain for a predetermined treatment time.

Abstract: A method for treating items as the items move along a trough, such as for freezing, drying, or baking food items, includes the steps of placing an item to be treated in an inlet end portion of a trough having sides, a top, and a perforated bottom, the perforations making up between about 0.5% and about 20% of the bottom of the trough. A treating gas is forced through the perforated bottom at a velocity through the perforations and a volume sufficient to elevate and float the item above the bottom of the trough. The item moves along the trough, such as by gravity in an inclined trough or by action of the treating gas against the item, as the treating gas flows against the bottom, around the sides, and over the top of the item to treat the item. The item is left in the trough for a period of time sufficient to complete the desired treatment.

Abstract: A sandwich product is made by sealing the peripheral portions or edges of two slices or layers of bread together to form a substantially sealed pocket between the layers with filling material in the pocket. The sealing takes place without heat, and prevents cheese, sauce, or other filling ingredients from running out of the product upon heating of the product. Markings may be pressed into the product which form subpockets and restrict the flow of filling ingredients between subpockets. Score lines may also be formed to divide the product into multiple pockets which may be easily separated into separate pieces of the product.

Abstract: The process for producing a sliced meat product includes the steps of partially cooking chunks of meat so that outside portions of the chunks reach temperatures above the temperature at which the meat is considered fully cooked while inside portions remain not fully cooked. One embodiment of the process includes slicing the meat chunks and adding to the slices sauce which is at a temperature above the temperature at which the meat is considered fully cooked, allowing the temperature of the meat and sauce to equalize at least to the extent that all meat reaches the temperature at which it is considered fully cooked, and portioning and packaging the product.

Abstract: A meat product which can be easily handled and portioned when cool, but separates into individual slices of meat when warmed is produced by mixing a temperature sensitive binder when such binder is in warm, substantially liquid form with a plurality of slices of meat. The meat-binder mixture is placed into forming means and is cooled to solidify the mixture and form a solid, formed meat product in which, when in cooled condition, the individual slices are bound together in a solid, substantially inseparable meat product. Upon subsequent heating of the solid product, the binder liquefies releasing individual slices of meat.

Abstract: Slicing apparatus particularly adapted for slicing raw and cooked meat includes a feed tube through which chunks of raw or cooked meat are fed under pressure against an immediately adjacent cutter which includes at least one cutting edge and forms a stop for the material in the feed tube in substantially all positions of the cutter to prevent free flow of material from the tube.The process for producing a sliced meat product includes the steps of partially cooking chunks of meat so that outside portions of the chunks reach temperatures above the temperature at which the meat is considered fully cooked while inside portions remain not fully cooked, slicing the meat chunks and adding to the slices sauce which is at a temperature above the temperature at which the meat is considered fully cooked, allowing the temperature of the meat and sauce to equalize at least to the extent that all meat reaches the temperature at which it is considered fully cooked, and portioning and packaging the product.

Abstract: A gas compressor has at least one closed container with gas inlet means for filling the container with a gas to be compressed and gas outlet means through which compressed gas can leave the container. When the container has been filled with gas to be compressed, a fluid is forced into the container to compress the gas therein and force it out of the container. After the container has been filled with fluid and the gas forced therefrom, the fluid is drained while gas again enters and fills the container. The output of the container is generally connected to a gas storage tank and the cycle of filling the container with gas and then expelling it is repeated until a desired pressure of gas is obtained in the storage tank.The compressor is particularly suited to filling a storage tank, such as a natural gas storage tank in a vehicle, over an extended period of time of several hours.

Abstract: An energy and fuel efficient portable smoker for quickly imparting a smoked flavor to comistibles. The apparatus includes an airtight enclosure which prevents escape of smoke pyrolyzed from a small quantity of smolderable material contained in a low power electrically heated smoker unit housing removably attached to the smoker enclosure. A thermostat controls heating time to rapidly smoke comistibles with minimal temperature rise within the enclosure. The removable smoker unit may be used separately from the enclosure to smoke comistibles in any type of conventional cooking or dehydrating appliance or enclosure.

Abstract: A mixing and pelletizing chamber includes a semicylindrical flexible trough of rubber or other material in which a rotor assembly mixes and pelletizes material moved from an inlet end to an outlet end. Springs are attached to the trough to resist movement of the trough in the direction of the rotation of the rotor assembly. The rotor assembly includes an axial shaft having transversely extending arms with blades at their outer ends with every fourth arm and blade being in a common plane. The blades are symmetrical and have converging flat surface to control product retention time in the pelletizer and are adjustably connected to the arms for providing adjustment of the force of the conveying action to the material in the trough. Adjustment is provided by aligned slots on opposite sides of the tubular arms receiving bolts on which the blades are carried. Optionally, the blade may nest in a semicylindrical portion of the tubular arm for angular adjustment.

Abstract: Apparatus for selectively conserving water used in association with a commode flush tank is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a generally rectangular plate having ratchet means for wedging the plate between two opposed walls of the tank. The plate further includes a series of longitudinally disposed circular apertures for carrying an elongated stem member downwardly into the tank. The stem member, which slidably receives an elongated float, is carried by the plate so as to maintain the float disposed relative to the buoyant outlet valve of the flush tank. Whereby upon only partial emptying of the tank in response to operating the flush lever, the float contacts the buoyant valve to effect premature closure thereof. In another embodiment, the stem and float may be disposed to one side of the buoyant valve such that a transversely extending retainer clip carried by the float applies a vertical uniform pressure to the top of the buoyant valve in order to achieve premature closure.

Abstract: Limestone-expanding clay granules produced by charging a pulverizer and/or a mixer, with a raw material, which is high in calcium and/or magnesium, and an expanding clay binder, the expanding clay binder comprising from 1% and not more than 10% of the total charge. A portion of the material from the pulverizer is recycled back through the pulverizer, the amount recycled being determined by, among other things, the fineness of the raw material in the desired finished product. The remainder of the material from the pulverizer is caused to pass through a granulator, a dryer-cooler, and a finished product screen means. Fines from the finished product screen means are recycled directly to the pulverizer. Oversize material from the finished product screen is recycled to the pulverizer or to separate crusher and then back over the finished product screen means, where fines are removed and sent back to the pulverizer.