Gehl's Guernsey Farms, Inc.

Other

John P Gehl

Carol J Nikolaus

Arnold A Jahn

Tim Freeman

David A Borsheim

Jon L Ward

Charles A Rademacher

The present invention provides a valve configured to dispense a flowable product. The valve includes an inner valve portion having a chamber to allow an accumulation therein of the flowable product, an end wall surface, and an annular surface spaced from the end wall surface. The valve also includes an outer valve portion having a chamber receiving therein at least part of the inner valve portion. The outer valve portion further includes an end wall surface engageable with the end wall surface of the inner valve portion, and an annular surface spaced from the end wall surface and engageable with the annular surface of the inner valve portion. The respective end wall surfaces of the inner valve portion and the outer valve portion are engageable substantially simultaneously with engagement of the respective annular surfaces of the inner valve portion and the outer valve portion.

Valve for dispensing flowable product

A device for sanitary dispensing from a flexible package a heated flowable material, such as cheese sauce, to be maintained at or above a predetermined temperature level after the package is opened. The dispensing device includes a housing defining heated compartment, a heating unit for maintaining the compartment at or above the predetermined temperature level, a package support in the compartment arranged to promote gravity flow of the material and a valve for selectively controlling flow of the material from the package and having a dispensing portion disposed substantially entirely in the compartment or the package support. The valve is removably connected to a package outlet and a valve member mounted in a valve body is moved from a closed position to an open position by an operator to discharge cheese sauce through a discharge opening in the housing. A second package of cheese sauce preferably is placed on top of the dispensing package to serve as a weight for promoting gravity flow from the dispensing package and to precondition the second package. In one embodiment, the package support is divided into a dispensing compartment and a preheating compartment which is arranged to hold a package in a configuration which permits the cheese sauce to be heated to an elevated temperature required by ANSI/NSF standards. The package support preferably is a one piece hopper molded from a synthetic thermoplastic or thermosetting material and packages in the dispensing and preheating compartments are heated by electrical heating elements molded into the hopper walls.

Device for dispensing flowable material from a flexible package

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Hartland, WI, United States of America

John P Gehl