Dca Food Industries, Inc.

John P McCarthy

Harold B Kaufman, Jr

John H Moyer

Leonard G Fischer

Joseph T Chin

Arthur M Hochhauser

Howard Roth

Roscoe T Fowler

Kurt Wallenfels

Jerry Stockler

Peter R Baldry

Apparatus for producing novel three dimensional shaped frozen confection products on a stick. A molded slug of frozen confection having a generic shape is converted into a three dimensional frozen confection having any desired shape including shapes having variable cross-sections and undercut portions. The desired final shape is formed by the application of pressure to the slug, without significant melting of the slug, using a split mold which defines the final three dimensional shape by controlling the temperature of the slug and the relative size and shape of the slug and mold cavity.

Apparatus for reforming a frozen confection slug on a stick

A microwave oven is disclosed which is especially useful for rapidly reconstituting frozen food products. The oven includes a microwave cavity having a bottom hatch which is movable between an open position at which food to be heated or cooked can be loaded onto the hatch from outside the oven, and a closed position whereat the food is disposed within the cavity for heating or cooking by electromagnetic energy. The hatch can be manually closed and, after a preset cooking time, automatically opened by gravity. Also disclosed is a heat shield assembly mounted for movement relative to the bottom of the cavity, so that when the hatch is in its open position and electric (IR) heat is provided to supplement microwave heating in the cavity, the assembly covers the bottom of the cavity to prevent heat from radiating below the cavity when the food is supported on or removed from the movable hatch. Accordingly, each batch of the food undergoes a uniform energy exposure, regardless of the time it may be left unattended below the cavity after the hatch is returned to its open position. The oven can be cycled rapidly to provide an adequate supply of food products when used in a retail establishment.

Bottom entry oven

A forming device for providing a substantially cylindrical side wall on the exteriors of each one of successive food product mixtures or slurries discharged from a nozzle orifice in a food product apparatus. The device is mountable on the nozzle and enables a liquid substance to be uniformly directed against each of the formed slurries to envelop them and to aid their release from the nozzle.

Food product forming apparatus

A machine is provided for practicing the method of forming a comestible in one of a variety of shapes from a foodstuff slurry. The slurry includes a gel-forming material and is supplied in predetermined amounts to a cavity which has been washed with a combination release and gellation agent. Apparatus is provided for contacting the exposed surface of the slurry in the cavity with a gellation agent to gel the gel-forming material at the outer surface of the formed product. Further apparatus is provided for transporting the cavity filled with the foodstuff to a product removal station. Punch apparatus is aligned with the cavity at the product removal station and is actuated to extend into and extrude the product from the cavity onto a conveyor belt to be removed for further processing. Control means are provided for ensuring operation of the punch apparatus only when the cavity is aligned therewith and, further, the control apparatus ensures that the cavity is not transported back to the filling station until the punch has been fully retracted from the cavity.

Method for forming a shaped comestible

A system for improving the uniformity of distribution of microwave power in a microwave cavity, includes a magnetron, a wave guide extending between the magnetron and the interior of the microwave cavity for coupling microwave power into the microwave cavity and drive means operative coupled to the wave guide to vary the direction in which microwave power is introduced into the cavity.

Method and apparatus for improved distribution of microwave power in a

An apparatus for repeatably forming shaped dough bodies having a filling. A generally cylindrical filling forming mechanism, in communication with a pressurized source of filling material, is contained within and is surrounded by a generally cylindrical dough forming mechanism in communication with a pressurized source of dough. The filling forming mechanism includes an inner chamber which receives the filling material, means defining a filling material transporting channel extending around the circumference of the filling forming mechanism which channel can be selectively opened to permit the filling material to flow out of it, and a generally cylindrical shell member which is mounted to obstruct the filling material transporting channel and which includes a plurality of shaped filling forming orifices in its periphery. The dough forming mechanism has dough forming orifices in its periphery which are aligned with corresponding filling forming orifices in the shell member of the filling forming mechanism. Means are provided for opening and closing the filling material transporting channel and dough forming orifices in timed relationship to produce the shaped, filled bodies.

Apparatus for forming a variety of shaped bodies with an internal filling

An extruder for simultaneously forming a plurality of clam strip shapes from a single source of extrudable material including particles of clams therein. The extruder includes a nozzle body which terminates in a nozzle opening and a forming member in operative relation thereto for use in forming the extruder product. A divider member within the nozzle body divides the nozzle opening into a plurality of nozzle openings and also divides the forming member into a plurality of forming members.The divider member extends upstream within the nozzle body to an upstream end which is maintained free of clam particles by virtue of a deflecting member which is mounted on the upstream end thereof. The upstream end of the deflecting member presents a downstream convex surface to the extrudable material and thereby prevents accumulation of the clam particles on the upstream end of the divider.

Clam strip extruder apparatus

A machine is provided for practicing the method of forming a comestible in one of a variety of shapes from a foodstuff slurry. The slurry includes a gel-forming material and is supplied in predetermined amounts to a cavity which has been washed with a combination release and gellation agent. Apparatus is provided for contacting the exposed surface of the slurry in the cavity with a gellation agent to gel the gelforming material at the outer surface of the formed product. Further apparatus is provided for transporting the cavity filled with the foodstuff to a product removal station. Punch apparatus is aligned with the cavity at the product removal station and is actuated to extend into and extrude the product from the cavity onto a conveyor belt to be removed for further processing. Control means are provided for ensuring operation of the punch apparatus only when the cavity is aligned therewith and, further, the control apparatus ensures that the cavity is not transported back to the filling station until the punch has been fully retracted from the cavity.

Growing community of inventors

College Point, NY, United States of America

John P McCarthy