John Bean Technologies Corporation

Fmc Technologies, Inc.

Stein, Inc.

Fmc Corporation

Jbt Marel Corporation

Ramesh M Gunawardena

Owen Eugene Morey

Scott M Kane

John R Strong

Jon Almon Hocker

Robert M Stacy

Charles McVeagh

Richard Daniel Stockard

Ronald D Lemke

Norman A Rudy

Harold E Patterson

Zhijun Weng

Brian P Westcott

Bruce C Jara

Scott E Stang

James E Randall

Donald A Mather

John D Woodburn

Corneel Constant Wijts

Anthony Kootsouradis

Sten Påhlsson

Robert Phillip Bayus

David Alan Bailey

Michael Miller

John E Arnold

John E Gaydos

Peter Liljegren

Donald L Burge, Jr

Todd Gerold

Jeffrey L Schoewe

David D Rupp, Jr

James G Weit

Frank E Paschoalini

The conveyor belt () of an oven system and apparatus () is configured into ascending and descending spiral stacks () and () to define a central cylindrical channel (). A pair of upper and lower fans () and () are positioned within the central channel () to circulate thermal processing fluid in upper and lower circuits vertically through the spiral stacks and also laterally toward the inlet of the fans () and () to set up upper and lower thermal processing zones in the spiral stacks and circulation routes for the cooking medium through the spiral stacks.

Spiral conveyor thermal processing system

A commercial-scale sous-vide system () includes a conveyor () for carrying food products (FP) vacuum sealed in plastic food-grade pouch or container () through a chamber () heated with saturated steam. The conveyor is in the form of first and second spiral stacks () and (). A control system controls the steam supply and the movement of the conveyor.

Commercial scale sous-vide system and method

The continuous pasteurization system () that pasteurizes raw food products () while substantially maintaining the raw state of the raw food products includes a conveyor () on which the raw food products () are loaded for delivery to a pasteurization apparatus, wherein the raw food products are quickly heated so that the temperature of the outer surface of the raw food products is raised sufficiently to achieve a desired pathogen kill level. Thereafter, the raw food products () are immediately cooled in a cooling apparatus () to remove the heat applied to the raw food product and maintain the substantial raw state of the raw food product. A control system () is connected to a processor () as well as various measuring devices and instruments, including temperature measurement devices (T-T) to control the operation of the pasteurization system ().

Steam pasteurization system and method

An impingement oven () includes an upper housing structure () forming the exterior of the upper half of the impingement oven and a lower housing structure () to mate with the upper housing structure. An interior impingement housing () is positioned interior to the upper and lower housing structures () and (). A conveyor () extends through the interior impingement housing (). The inside surfaces of the upper and lower housing structures () and () cooperate with the interior impingement housing () to define upright supply chambers () and () on opposite sides of the impingement oven to direct cooking medium downwardly upon the work products being carried by the conveyor and also upwardly through the porous belt of the conveyor, thereby to thermally process the work products being carried on the conveyor.

Impingement oven

A thermal processing and control system () includes a thermal processing station () for receiving food products () being carried on a conveyor system (). A first scanning station () is located upstream from the thermal processing station () for scanning the food products being carried by the conveyor (). An actuator () automatically connects temperature measuring devices () with selected food products (). A diverter conveyor () diverts selected food products () from the conveyor () to a transverse conveyor () for either further processing or alternative processing, depending on how system () is configured. The temperature measuring devices () are automatically removed from the food products at station ().

Thermal measurement and process control

A thermal processing and control system () includes a thermal processing station () for receiving food products () being carried on a conveyor system (). A first scanning station () is located upstream from a similar processing station () for scanning the food products being carried by the conveyor (). A second scanning station () is located downstream of the thermal processing station (). A diverter conveyor () diverts selected food products () from the conveyor () to a transverse conveyor () which is capable of positioning the diverted food product onto a temperature measurement station (), whereat the temperature of the food product is measured, either manually or automatically.

Thermal process control

A method of cooking in a continuous cooking oven system generally includes transporting food products on a continuous, pervious conveyor through a helical path within a cooking chamber, directing a substantially vertical flow of a heated gaseous cooking medium into either a top end or a bottom end of the helical stack and through the plurality of superimposed tiers, and selectively reversing the substantially vertical flow of heated gaseous cooking medium on a user defined interval.

Methods of cooking in continuous cooking oven systems

An process for cooking bacon includes the steps of continuously feeding bacon strips in three or more rows to an inlet of a spiral cooking oven, moving the bacon strips along a spiral path inside the spiral oven, applying a cooking fluid into the spiral oven and through the spiral path, and cooking the bacon strips in the spiral oven to a yield percentage having a mean bandwidth variation not greater than 4.5%. A conveyor belt having variable weaving includes belt openings that are initially larger through an inner side of the belt than through an outer side of the belt, when the belt is straight. When the belt collapses into the spiral configuration, the openings adjust so that the areal size of the openings is similar on both lateral sides of the belt, resulting in more even distribution of cooking fluid and more uniform cooking.

Continuous process for cooking bacon with improved recovery

An apparatus for pasteurizing a dry food product comprises an impingement chamber, a conveyor for conveying the dry food product through the impingement chamber; a heater and water supply assembly for generating heated, moist air, and a fan for circulating the heated, moist air through the impingement chamber and onto the dry food product. In operation, the moisture in the heated, moist air condenses on the surface of the dry food product and produces a heat of condensation which heats the surface of the dry food product. Moreover, this heat of condensation is sufficient to kill a percentage of any pathogenic microorganisms which may be present on the surface of the dry food product.

Dry food pasteurization apparatus and method

A cooking apparatus includes a rapid activation module in communication with a continuous oven. The rapid activation module includes a steam chamber having an inlet and an outlet and a plurality of steam knives disposed at select position within the steam chamber. The steam knives may be selectably adjusted to achieve and maintain a desired level of steam condensation within the steam chamber by isolating a main body of the steam chamber from air and/or vapor infiltration from an associated oven and/or the outside environment.

Oven with improved stream chamber

The present invention relates to a method and a system for determining a set of process parameters of a treatment unit in which unit a product is subjected to a temperature treatment, the method comprising: subjecting a product to an electromagnetic signal before, during and/or after a temperature treatment, wherein said electromagnetic signal is adapted to interact with said product dependent upon the dielectric constant distribution of said product, receiving an electromagnetic signal which has interacted with said product, analysing the received electromagnetic signal in comparison with the transmitted electromagnetic signal and thereby determining a response being dependent upon the dielectric constant distribution of said product and based thereupon determine the temperature (distribution) or water content of the product, and analysing said temperature distribution or temperature of the product or products and based thereupon determining a set of process parameters for a temperature treatment in a treatment unit.

Method and system for determining process parameters

A drum breader and coating recirculation system that includes a spreader positioned at an end of the drum, the spreader having a plurality of angled surfaces to distribute coatings evenly; a screening platform positioned downstream of the spreader having a drive device for imparting straight-line angular displacement to the screening platform; and a drum feed conveyor positioned downstream of the screening platform, the drum feed conveyor having a belt extending at least partially along an upward angle.

Drum breader and coating redistribution system

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Solon, OH, United States of America

Ramesh M Gunawardena