Food breading apparatus
First Claim
1. A food breading apparatus comprising:
- a) a breading mixture recirculating conveyor having a first motor;
b) a rotatable breading drum having a food inlet for receiving food to be breaded and for receiving breading mixture from said recirculating conveyor, a side wall portion with perforations sized for discharging breading and not discharging food therethrough, a food outlet for discharging breaded food from said drum and a second rotary motor connected to rotate said drum;
c) a breading lump removal conveyor having a third motor for moving said conveyor, said conveyor positioned below said perforations of said breading drum side wall for receiving discharged breading therefrom, and having a plurality of openings of predetermined size for passing powdered breading therethrough and for preventing passage of lumps of breading so that said lumps are carried by said lump removal conveyor for collection and removal;
d) a surge hopper operatively positioned for receiving said powdered breading from said plurality of openings of said lump removal conveyor;
e) a return auger below said surge hopper having a fourth motor for moving said powdered breading to said breading mixture recirculating conveyor; and
f) separate controls for each of said first, second, third and fourth motors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A food breading apparatus for breading food components with a breading mixture includes a breading drum rotatable about its longitudinal axis wherein the longitudinal axis is inclined from horizontal. The drum includes an inlet opening located in an upper end, an outlet opening located in a lower end, and a plurality of openings located proximal to the lower end of a sidewall. The openings are sized to allow surplus breading mixture and lumps of breading mixture to pass therethrough but retain the breaded food product in the rotating breading drum. An inlet conveyor provides food components to be breaded to the inlet opening of the breading drum. A recirculating breading mixture conveyor provides the breading mixture to the inlet opening. A takeout conveyor moves the breaded food components from the outlet opening of the breading drum. A lump removal conveyor is positioned below the plurality of openings in the sidewall of the breading drum. The lump removal conveyor includes a plurality of openings sized to allow passage of surplus breading mixture therethrough but retain the lumps of breading mixture for transport to a catch pan. A surge hopper and conveyor positioned below the lump removal conveyor collects surplus breading mixture passing through the openings in the lump removal conveyor and transports surplus breading mixture to the recirculation conveyor wherein the cycle begins again.
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Citations
5 Claims
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1. A food breading apparatus comprising:
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a) a breading mixture recirculating conveyor having a first motor; b) a rotatable breading drum having a food inlet for receiving food to be breaded and for receiving breading mixture from said recirculating conveyor, a side wall portion with perforations sized for discharging breading and not discharging food therethrough, a food outlet for discharging breaded food from said drum and a second rotary motor connected to rotate said drum; c) a breading lump removal conveyor having a third motor for moving said conveyor, said conveyor positioned below said perforations of said breading drum side wall for receiving discharged breading therefrom, and having a plurality of openings of predetermined size for passing powdered breading therethrough and for preventing passage of lumps of breading so that said lumps are carried by said lump removal conveyor for collection and removal; d) a surge hopper operatively positioned for receiving said powdered breading from said plurality of openings of said lump removal conveyor; e) a return auger below said surge hopper having a fourth motor for moving said powdered breading to said breading mixture recirculating conveyor; and f) separate controls for each of said first, second, third and fourth motors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A food breading apparatus comprising a metering hopper positioned for providing fresh breading mixture to a recirculation conveyor and for delivery of said fresh breading mixture to said breading apparatus with recycled breading mixture, said metering hopper further comprising:
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a) a funnel having a top portion with a predetermined capacity for receiving fresh breading mixture and having an outlet opening; b) an adjustable gate attached to said funnel for selectively adjusting said outlet opening so that said fresh breading mixture may pass therethrough at an adjusted rate; c) a vibration device attached to said funnel for continuously shaking said funnel so that fresh breading mixture continuously flows at said adjusted rate through said outlet opening; and d) an inlet opening into said recirculating conveyor connected to said outlet opening of said metering hopper so that said fresh breading mixture is delivered with recycled breading mixture to said breading apparatus.
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Specification