Apparatus for dispensing a flavorable material

• US 5,316,195 A
• Filed: 09/30/1991
• Issued: 05/31/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schenck Process LLC (Schenck Process Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Accurate, Inc.
• Inventors: Tump, Ronald S., Pausch, Terrance J., Olson, Ronald D., Kocher, James M., Moksnes, Stephen L., Sharma, Jayant
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bomberg, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US07/768,804
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 62/344, 222/146.6, 222/181, 222/183, 222/272, 222/413
• US Class Current: 222/146.6
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 13/026 by mechanical conveying means, e.g. belt or vibratory conveyor

Abstract

A material feeder for dispensing batches of material which includes a refrigerated enclosure, a material feeder, a feeder drive arrangement, a scale and a controller. The feeder is housed within the refrigerated enclosure, and is removably coupled to the drive arrangement such that the complete feeder arrangement which is exposed to the material (e.g., foodstuffs such as shredded cheese) may be removed from the enclosure for cleaning at a location separate from the enclosure such as a dishwasher. The scale is connected to a container which catches the material dispensed by the feeder and produces a weight signal such is applied to the control unit. The control unit operates the drive unit which rotates a plurality of feed screws in the feeder at two speeds. In particular, the feed screws are driven at a first speed to dispense material at a high rate until a first weight of material is dispensed into the container, and a second speed is used to rotate the feed screws just prior to obtaining the desired weight in the container. This two speed arrangement prevents undesirably overshooting the desired weight for the material to be dispensed in the container. Upon reaching the set point weight, the drive unit is turned off by the control unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dispensing a flowable material, comprising:

a feeder including a hopper having two substantially parallel, substantial vertical sidewalls, a bottom extending between the sidewalls, first and second elongated and parallel feed screws extending from a third sidewall, and means for rotably supporting the feed screws at the third sidewall;

a feed screw drive mechanically coupled to the first and second feed screws and configured to move the material toward ducts in a fourth sidewall;

an enclosure including a plurality of walls defining an interior space, where the feeder is located within the interior space; and

a refrigeration unit disposed adjacent to the enclosure to maintain the interior space at a selected temperature.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a drive unit located at the exterior of the enclosure; and

means, extending from the exterior to the interior of the enclosure, for removably coupling the feed screw drive to the drive unit, where the feeder is removable from the enclosure and the drive unit imparts rotational motion to the feed screw drive.

3. An apparatus for dispensing a flowable material comprising:

a feeder having a first substantially vertical sidewall, a bottom fixed to the sidewall, first and second feed screws, and means for rotatably supporting the feed screws adjacent to the bottom;

a feed screw drive mechanically coupled to the feed screws;

an enclosure including a plurality of walls defining an interior space, where the feeder is supported within the interior space;

a refrigeration unit disposed adjacent to the enclosure to cool the interior space;

a drive unit located at the exterior of the enclosure;

means, extending from the exterior to the interior of the enclosure, for removably coupling the feed screw drive to the drive unit including a clutch for connecting and disconnecting the feed screw drive from the drive unit, where the drive unit imparts rotational motion to the feed screw drive; and

cooperating guide rails and channels for mounting the feeder on a bottom surface of the enclosure.

4. An apparatus for dispensing a flowable material comprising:

a feeder having a first substantially vertical sidewall, a bottom fixed to the sidewall, first and second feed screws, and means for rotatably supporting the feed screws adjacent to the bottom;

a feed screw drive mechanically coupled to the feed screws;

an enclosure including a plurality of walls defining an interior space, where the feeder is supported within the interior space;

a refrigeration unit disposed adjacent to the enclosure to cool the interior space;

a drive unit located at the exterior of the enclosure;

means, extending from the exterior to the interior of the enclosure, for removably coupling the feed screw drive to the drive unit including a clutch for connecting and disconnecting the feed screw drive from the drive unit, where the drive unit imparts rotational motion to the feed screw drive;

second, third and fourth substantially vertical sidewalls, where each sidewall is joined to the adjacent sidewalls at substantially right angles such that the first and second sidewalls are substantially parallel, the bottom extends between the sidewalls and the means for rotatably supporting supports the feed screws at the second sidewall;

first, second, third and fourth feed screw ducts extending from the first sidewall adjacent the bottom; and

third and fourth feed screws, where end portions of the first, second, third and fourth feed screws are located in the first, second third and fourth feed screw ducts, respectively, the feed screws are located adjacent the bottom, the first feed screw is located adjacent the third sidewall, the second feed screw is located adjacent the first feed screw, the fourth feed screw is located adjacent the fourth sidewall and the third feed screw is located adjacent the fourth feed screw;

the feed screw drive being coupled to the feed screws such that the first and second feed screws rotate in opposite directions and the third and fourth feed screws rotate in opposite directions.

5. An apparatus for dispensing a flowable material, comprising:

a feeder including a hopper for holding the flowable material and a feed screw positioned near the bottom of the hopper for feeding the material out through an outlet opening in the hopper;

a thermally insulated enclosure having an interior space containing the feeder, the enclosure comprising an access opening and a door over the access opening to permit access to the inner space of the enclosure;

a drive motor disposed outside of the insulated enclosure;

a feed screw drive mechanism for rotating the feed screw in response to actuation of the drive motor, including a coupling for connecting and disconnecting the feed screw from the feed screw drive mechanism; and

a refrigeration unit disposed adjacent to the enclosure to maintain the interior space of the enclosure at a selected temperature;

wherein the feeder and a bottom surface of the enclosure have cooperating guide rails and channels for mounting the feeder on the bottom of the enclosure.