Recot Inc.

Frito-lay North America, Inc.

The Texas A&m University System

Frito-lay, Inc.

Edward Leon Ouellette

Richard James Ruegg

Jorge C Morales-Alvarez

Kevin C Cogan

Lewis Conrad Keller

Steven Theodore Chandler

Daniel Eugene Orr

Terry Dale Klockenga

Barry F Wilson

Eugenio Bortone

Joseph H Gold

Alexa W Williams

Michael L Dickerson

Eric P Farabaugh

Brian Keith Bell

Carolyn E Broyles

Scott L Robinson

Andrew Cecil Harvey

Ponnattu Kurian Joseph

Lawrence Alan Graham

Vn Mohan Rao

Gary Allan Semjenow

Perry Hanson

Gary R Nightingale

Scott Alan Richey

Lezley A Griffith

Robert R Petter, Jr

Martin Morua

Peter H Gien

John Curtis McConn

Vanessa Suzanne Terry

Tony Cuellar

Samara Renee Perdue

Paul Hartman

Heinz Roel

Keith A Barber

Ronald N Bone, Jr

The improved apparatus includes an improved extruder die assembly comprising a forming section, an injection section, and a converging nozzle section having axially aligned ridgelines which gradually project into the bore of the nozzle as the nozzle converges to gradually disrupt the axial flow of an extrudate at specific peripheral points thereby altering the extrudate's velocity profile. By gradually disrupting the axial flow in close proximity to the projecting ridgelines prior to its extrusion, the dimensional quality of the resulting direct expanded food piece is greatly improved. Moreover, by carefully positioning the capillary channels of the injection section into that portion of the flowing extrudate not affected by the axially aligned ridgelines, a distinct colored and/or flavored pattern is imparted into the extrudable food mass during the extrusion process while improving the quality of dimensional design aspects of the resulting extruded, complexly shaped, direct expanded food products.

Apparatus for imprinting lines on direct-expanded food products having complex shapes with improved dimensional quality

Externally adjustable extrusion insert for a multiple-orifice extrusion manifold. Adjustments to an extrusion insert precisely controls the extrusion path leading to one or more extrusion orifices of the manifold. Each insert is adjusted to reduce or eliminate variations in extrudate exit velocity among orifices in the extrusion manifold. Precisely tuned inserts provide extruded products of uniform length. Choke plates controlling the flow of extrudate to each orifice. Choke plates are manipulated with an externally adjustable cam. Such adjustment compensates for variations in temperature, pressure, surface properties, geometric variations, and other conditions which may affect extrudate flow rates through the orifices and extrusion manifold.

Externally adjustable insert for extrusion manifold

An improved dough sheeting system and method which allow for improved selection of sheeter gap size and which provide a quick release mechanism to prevent damage to sheeter rollers. Hydraulic actuators, attached to a movable roller, hold the roller in a fixed position relative to an opposing roller. The actuators are engaged with a closing force in excess of the force exerted by the sheeted material against the rollers thereby ensuring that the rollers maintain a gap of fixed width. Thermal expansion blocks mounted to the frame or housing of the opposing roller provide a means for fine adjustments in the sheeter gap.

Sheeter gap adjustment and hydraulic operation

An improved end seal for a sheeting apparatus. A sealing material is formed into a more effective sealing element which locks out doughy material out of associated side sealing parts near the sheeting nip. Such an improved end seal provides improved wiping and sealing functions. Such a seal also reduces wear thus reducing the frequency of seal replacement. Such a seal reduces the amount of installation time and amount of error associated with manual adjustment ordinarily required to replace end seals.

Sheeting apparatus having non-contacting roller end

An extruder die assembly and method for using same is disclosed which is designed for adaptation to a wide variety of commercial-grade extrusion devices common in the food industry. The extruder die assembly is inserted into an appropriate compartment within an extrusion device such that a first extrudate is directed down a coaxially aligned passageway within the forming section and combined with a fluid additive in the injection section whereupon the resulting food mass is compressed through a converging nozzle bore in the nozzle section to produce an extruded food product. The forming section and injection section are fabricated as a matching set. A novel feature of the invention is an injection nozzle which supplies fluid additives from an exterior pressurized source to a supply port formed in the extruder die assembly. The subject injection nozzle exhibits superior sealing qualities in conjunction with simplicity and flexibility. The minimal affected space required to receive the subject injection nozzle allows a single extruder die assembly to have more than one supply port fashioned therein. Thus, multiple injection nozzles may be used to supply a single extruder die assembly with multiple colors and/or flavors. The injection nozzle of the present invention also exhibits a unique dual seal characteristic, which is particularly effective in conditions involving high temperature. The subject injection nozzle is also highly flexible in that one injection nozzle may be used interchangeably with another (i.e., each injection nozzle is not unique to a particular supply port).

Extruder die injection nozzle

An improved method of applying a controlled pressure to the flapper in a curly puff production apparatus. The present invention uses a pneumatic system to apply a pressure to a flapper. The invention utilizes a rotary actuator that applies a near constant pressure to the flapper. Alternatively, a pair of telescoping tubes connected to the flapper and an air pressure source can apply a near constant pressure to either the proximate end or the distal end of the flapper. Further in the alternative, a linear actuator can be used to provide a near constant pressure to the flapper. As a result of applying a constant pressure to the flapper, the pitch in the curls of the curly puff extrudate can be more predictably controlled.

Flapper assembly for producing a curly puff extrudate

The system and method for monolayer alignment snack chip transfer process a snack chip from a first to a second conveyor. By using a roll at the discharge of the toast oven conveyor that has a diameter that is substantially closer in size to the pickup roll of the second conveyor, mechanical devices for lifting the chips off of the toast oven conveyor can be avoided. Further, chip preforms' alignment in passing between the two conveyors is maintained.

System and method for monolayer alignment snack chip transfer

An extruder die assembly and method for using same is disclosed which is designed for adaptation to a wide variety of commercial-grade extrusion devices common in the food industry. The extruder die assembly is inserted into an appropriate compartment within an extrusion device such that a first extrudate is directed down a coaxially aligned passageway within the forming section and combined with a fluid additive in the injection section whereupon the resulting food mass is compressed through a converging nozzle bore in the nozzle section to produce an extruded food product. The forming section and injection section are fabricated as a matching set. The matched set, comprising the forming section and the injection section, when properly aligned and coupled form an internal peripheral reservoir manifold through which a fluid additive may be supplied to at least one and more preferably a plurality of capillary channels which in turn impart a distinct cross-sectional design into a flowing mass of a first extrudate.

Extruder die with additive reservoir

The process for making a shaped snack chip uses various components to form a chip having depth such as a bowl-shaped tortilla chip. The chips are formed by sheeting into an initial flat shape. The chips are then passed along for shaping by a mold and plunger conveyor. Once plunged to the mold shape, the chips are reduced in moisture content by baking and frying. After frying, oil is evacuated from the chips whereafter salt and flavoring is applied, if desired, prior to being packaged.

Process for making a shaped snack chip

The system and method for molding a shaped snack chip use various components to form chips having depth such as a bowl-shaped tortilla chip. Essentially flat chip preforms are fed to a series of molds disposed about a mold conveyor. The preforms are then passed along for shaping by a mold and plunger conveyor. A continuous conveyor with plungers extending outward is synchronized to operate in conjunction with the mold conveyor. At desired and determined intervals, a multiple of plungers extend downward and into the molds thereby molding the chip preforms into shaped chips. The shaped chips are evacuated from the molds and subjected to additional processing.

System and method for molding a snack chip

A sheeter device capable of producing a full-width continuous sheet of masa. A series of ultrasonic horns are placed in close proximity to a sheeter roller, thereby scraping the sheeted dough from the roller. The ultrasonic vibration precludes the buildup of dough on the horns. The invention eliminates the need for sheeter wires and their accompanying plastic bands while increasing the dough throughput of the sheeter.

Ultrasonic full-width sheeter

The present invention discloses a replaceable blade cartridge and a compatible assembly for holding the cartridge wherein an old blade cartridge is slidably removed from the holding assembly and a new blade is slidably inserted into the holding assembly. Specifically, a replaceable blade cartridge for use in a compatible cutting head assembly of a centrifugal type slicer is disclosed.

Replaceable blade cartridge for a centrifugal type food slicer

An apparatus for forming a sheet of material, e.g., dough or masa, from a supply of the material includes a pair of rotatable rollers that define therebetween a gap into which is input a dough mass and out of which is produced a dough sheet. Fluctuations in the size of the roller gap are sensed by detecting changes in the position of one of the rollers, which changes are input to a servo system that automatically corrects the position of the one roller so as to maintain the proper gap size. The one roller is movably mounted in scissor-like fashion and is easily driven by a servo motor. A cutter is provided which presses against one of the rollers to cut individual dough portions from the sheet. The ends of the cutter are subjected to a bending moment which induces a camber in the cutter. This prevents the central portion of the cutter from bowing away from the roller and ensures uniform pressure between the cutter and roller, even for applications with an extremely long cutter and rollers.

Process for forming sheets of material having a uniform thickness

An apparatus for forming a sheet of material from a supply of the material includes a pair of rotatable rolls that define a gap which forms the material into a sheet. The size of the roll gap is maintained constant during the sheeting operation despite forces exerted on the apparatus caused by inconsistencies in the material being sheeted. The apparatus has a force-applying mechanism which applies a selected amount of force against one of the rolls to bias the one roll toward the other roll, the amount of force being sufficient to overcome any force exerted on the apparatus by the material during sheeting, which forces would otherwise result in variations in the size of the roll gap and the thickness of the resulting product. The one roll is movably mounted in scissor-like fashion and is acted on by the force-applying mechanism in a direction which biases the one roll against the other roll.

Growing community of inventors

Denton, TX, United States of America

Edward Leon Ouellette