HYBRID APPARATUS FOR APPLYING COATING TO PRODUCTS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF

• US 20100021597A1
• Filed: 08/14/2009
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vibratory Solutions, Llc
• Original Assignee: Vibratory Solutions, Llc
• Inventors: Renkly, Travis, Karpinsky, James, Bakos, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,359,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/292
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 15/002 Apparatus for spreading granular material on, or sweeping or coating the surface of baked articles of pieces of dough A21C9/04; for confectionary A23G3/28
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 9/04 Apparatus for spreading granular material on, or sweeping or coating the surfaces of, pieces or sheets of dough coating baked articles A21C15/002

Abstract

A hybrid apparatus for applying coating to product is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the apparatus includes a first vibratory frame assembly in communication with a first pan assembly, wherein the first pan assembly receives a product and a coating and applies the coating to the products using vibratory motion. The apparatus further includes, a drum assembly that having a drum, wherein products and coating are received from the first pan assembly and the coating is further applied to the products using a rotational motion of the drum, and a second vibratory frame assembly in communication with a second pan assembly, the second pan assembly having at least one of a separator tray assembly and an alignment tray assembly, wherein the second pan assembly receives the products and coating from the rotating drum and at least one of separates and aligns the products using vibratory motion.

Claims

1. A hybrid apparatus for applying coating to products comprising:

a first vibratory frame assembly in communication with a first pan assembly, wherein the first pan assembly receives a product and a coating and applies the coating to the products using vibratory motion,

a drum assembly that includes a drum, wherein products and coating are received from the first pan assembly and the coating is further applied to the products using a rotational motion of the drum, and

a second vibratory frame assembly in communication with a second pan assembly, the second pan assembly having at least one of a separator tray assembly and an alignment tray assembly, wherein the second pan assembly receives the products and coating from the rotating drum and at least one of separates and aligns the products using vibratory motion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first vibratory frame assembly includes a first motor vibration assembly and the first vibratory frame assembly is in communication with the first pan assembly by spring assemblies that are capable of moving the first pan assembly with vibratory motion.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second vibratory frame assembly includes a second motor vibration assembly and the second vibratory frame assembly is in communication with the second pan assembly by spring assemblies that are capable of moving the second pan assembly with vibratory motion.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further including, a recycle conveyor for receiving coating from the second pan assembly and conveying the coating to the first pan assembly.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first pan assembly includes a collector portion for funneling coating and products into the drum assembly.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the collector portion includes a chute and at least one of a collector wall and a collector ridge, and the at least one of the collector wall and the collector ridge are situated such that the products and coating are biased towards the chute as they are conveyed along the first pan assembly.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the second pan assembly includes pan side portions and a pan bottom portion, wherein the at least one of the separator tray assembly and the alignment tray assembly are situated between the pan side portions and above the pan bottom portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the separator tray assembly includes one or more corrugations outwardly oriented towards the pan side portions, for separating apart and spacing the products along the width of the separating tray assembly as the products are vibrated along the separating tray assembly.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the alignment tray assembly includes one or more corrugations situated in substantially parallel rows with respect to the pan side portions, for aligning the coated products as they are vibrated across the alignment tray assembly.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the alignment tray assembly includes one or more tray holes for allowing coating to sift therethrough.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the sifted coating is collected by the pan bottom portion and deposited into a recycle conveyor and conveyed to the first pan assembly for application to products.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the second pan assembly includes a load spreader for spreading the products received from the drum assembly.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the load spreader includes a semi-conically shaped ramp that spreads the products outwardly towards the pan side portions.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the recycle conveyor includes a conveyor channel having a lower length, an upper length, an ascending portion, a descending portion, and a looped drag-chain belt having one or more flights situated at least partially in the channel for transporting coating from the lower length to the upper length via the ascending portion, with the lower length receiving coating from the second pan assembly, and the upper length releasing coating at the first pan assembly.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drum assembly includes a drum intake end positioned adjacent the first pan assembly and a drum discharge end positioned adjacent the second pan assembly, wherein products and coating enter the drum intake end and products and coating exit the drum discharge end.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a ferris wheel situated at the drum discharge end, the ferris wheel having a plurality of pockets for receiving the products and coating therein and transferring the coating and products to at least one of a slide and the second pan assembly.

17. A hybrid apparatus for applying coating to products comprising:

a first vibratory frame assembly having vibratory frame side members,

a first pan assembly mounted to the first vibratory frame side members,

one or more first springs adapted to mount the first pan assembly to the first vibratory side members, the first springs mounted at an angle θ

′

above horizontal,

a second vibratory frame assembly having second vibratory frame side members,

a second pan assembly mounted to the second vibratory frame side members,

one or more second springs adapted to mount the second pan assembly to the second vibratory side members, the second springs mounted at an angle θ

″

above horizontal,

a drum assembly, situated between the first and second pan assemblies,

at least one first motorized vibrator mounted and adapted to impart energy to the first vibratory frame side members at an angle β

′

below horizontal, and

at least one second motorized vibrator mounted and adapted to impart energy to the second vibratory frame side members at an angle β

″

below horizontal,

wherein the first and second pan assemblies are adapted to vibrate having longitudinal and vertical vector components at a predetermined amplitude and frequency, and wherein the first and second vibratory frame assemblies are adapted to operate in a tuned and excited mode.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each of the first and second springs are a leaf spring, and the first and second springs are configured in a plurality of first and second spring assemblies each comprising one or more leaf springs, and each of the first and second spring assemblies are in spaced-apart relation longitudinally, where the apparatus includes at least 4 first and second spring assemblies with each of the first and second spring assemblies situated in a parallelepiped orientation, and each of the first springs have a substantially equal spring constant and each of the second springs have a substantially equal spring constant.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the angles θ

′ and

θ

″

are each in the range of about 15 degrees to about 85 degrees, and the angle β

′

is in the range of about 90 degrees minus θ

′

, and angle β

″

is in the range of about 90 degrees minus θ

″

.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a recycle conveyor for receiving coating from the second pan assembly and conveying the coating to the first pan assembly.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the recycle conveyor includes a conveyor channel having a lower length, an upper length, an ascending portion and a descending portion, and a looped drag-chain belt having one or more flights situated at least partially in the channel for transporting coating from the lower length to the upper length via the ascending portion, with the lower length receiving coating from the second pan assembly, and the upper length releasing coating at the first pan assembly.

22. A method for applying coating to products comprising:

receiving products and coating at an inlet end of a first pan assembly,

applying coating to the products and conveying the products and coating from the inlet end of the first pan assembly to an outlet end of the first pan assembly using vibratory motion,

discharging the products and coating from the outlet end of the first pan assembly into a drum assembly, wherein the drum assembly includes a drum having a drum intake end and a drum discharge end,

applying coating to the products in the drum using rotational motion,

discharging the coating and products from the drum discharge end into a second pan assembly, and

conveying the coating and products along the second pan assembly, wherein the products are at least one of separated apart and aligned as they are conveyed along the second pan assembly.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising receiving the coating and products in at least one of a plurality of pockets situated at the discharge end of the drum assembly, wherein the coating and products are received in the pockets at a lower elevation and released from the pockets onto at least one of a slide and the second pan assembly as the pocket is rotated to a higher elevation.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising spreading the products and coating onto a pan bottom portion of the second pan assembly as they are discharged from the drum assembly.

25. The method of claim 24, after the discharging, further comprising at least partially separating the products from each other.

26. The method of claim 25, after the discharging, further comprising at least partially aligning the products with respect to each other.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising, sifting coating from at least a portion of the second pan assembly.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising conveying sifted coating from the second pan assembly to the inlet end of the first pan assembly.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising guiding the coating and products from the inlet end of the first pan assembly to a centrally located discharge chute at the outlet end of the first pan assembly.

30. A hybrid apparatus for applying coating to products comprising:

a first vibratory frame assembly in communication with a first pan assembly,

a second vibratory frame assembly in communication with a second pan assembly, and

a drum assembly, wherein the drum assembly is situated between the first and second pan assemblies.