Other

E. & J. Gallo Winery

Richard E Magoon

Steven J Anderson

Joseph M Rossi

Alan D Whitefoot

Allan D Whitefoot

Lester E Magoon

Karin Marie Bolland

Joseph Rossi

A multi-chamber dryer using adjustable conditioned air flow is disclosed. According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a drying belt configured to receive a product to be dried on a first surface of the drying belt and a heat medium in contact with a second surface of the drying belt. The heat medium is configured to heat the product and is maintained at a pre-determined temperature. The apparatus further includes a manifold that is positioned above the drying belt, where the manifold includes one or more orifices that inject conditioned air laterally across a width of the drying belt to remove evaporated water from the product

Multi-chamber dryer using adjustable conditioned air flow

A sanitary spray nozzle system. The nozzle may be fixed in position, or may be mounted on an oscillating or moveable carriage for application of material to a thin film dryer. A nozzle body includes a hollow mounting chamber with an inner surface, a product supply portion, and a discharge portion with a discharge orifice. A spray nozzle assembly is removably mounted to the hollow mounting chamber. The assembly has a propellant supply tube having an outer surface, a discharge end for discharge of propellant fluid, an outer seal sealable against the inner surface of the mounting chamber, and an inner seal slidably engageable with the outer surface of the propellant supply tube, in a fluid tight manner. An actuator urges the discharge end of the spray nozzle between an end stop position wherein the discharge end is adjacent the discharge orifice, and a wide open position wherein the discharge end is spaced apart from the discharge orifice.

Sanitary spray nozzle

A replaceable heat transfer module. The replaceable heat transfer module has an inlet floodbox with fluid distribution passageways, an outlet manifold with fluid collection passageways, and extending in a fluid tight relationship between the fluid distribution passageways and the fluid collection passageways, a thin, elongate evaporator envelope. The evaporator envelope has a lower flexible planar sheet and an upper flexible planar sheet, each having inner surfaces located in a back-to-back spaced apart relationship. The evaporator envelope has an upper end wherein the lower and upper flexible planar sheets are fluidly sealed to the inlet floodbox, and a lower end wherein the lower and upper planar sheets are fluidly sealed to said outlet manifold. Mylar brand polyester is used for construction of the evaporator envelope. A marginal area on each side extends lengthwise transversely beyond the inlet floodbox and the outlet manifold to provide sloping sidewalls for containment of a working product.

Method and apparatus for evaporating liquid from a product

The present invention provides a method and apparatus to transfer heat between a flowable product, such as a sludge, slurry, extract, juice or other like product, and a heated or chilled liquid, said heat transfer taking place through a thin, infrared transparent film fixed at an incline to permit gravity flow of both product and heated or chilled liquid. Especially even heat distribution within said product results from mixing as said product flows down the inclined plane of the infrared transparent film.

A method and apparatus for producing a dried material from a mixture of solid particles colloidally suspended in a liquid, for example, for the production of fruit leather from a pulp and fruit juice mass, include floating an infrared-transparent film on the surface of a body of heated water and placing the material to be dried, such as the pulp and juice mix, on top of the film to absorb heat from the water and thereby cause drying of the material. The apparatus for carrying out the method includes a reservoir of water, a film floated on the water, and a heater for maintaining the temperature of the water at a predetermined level. In a preferred embodiment, the reservoir is in the form of an elongated trough and the film comprises an endless strip of polyester material, such as Mylar, to form a conveyor belt that floats on the surface of the water in the trough and carries the material to be dried on it.

Method and apparatus for drying fruit pulp and the like

A floatable, fire-resistant spill containment boom that is easily deployable on the surface of a body of water is comprised of a series of fire-resistant planar main panels having flotation devices attached thereto to maintain the main panels in a substantially upright position when deployed. A portion of each panel is submerged and a portion is above the water to form a continuous barrier to contaminants spilled on the water surface. A first group of the main panels have flotation devices mounted directly on the faces of the panels, while a second group of panels has the flotation devices mounted thereon in outrigger fashion on arms pivotally attached to the main panel to carry the flotation devices between a deployed position spaced from the panel and a stowed position closely adjacent the panel. The main panels are connected by a semirigid coupling panel interposed between each pair of adjacent main panels and rigidly attached to said adjacent main panels. Preferably, the flotation devices are comprised of masses of closed-cell glass foam enclosed in a container of fireproof material, such as metal.

Segmented, floating fireproof oil-spill containment boom

A compactable, foldable, floatable, continuous, boom-fence is quickly and readily launched, often from the deck of a boat, via accordian-like folded sections, in turn quickly interconnected to like sections, to form an overall boom-fence projecting above the water surface, while also depending below the water surface, thereby creating a water boom to fence a large water surface area during the control of a contaminate unwantedly spreading over a surface of water. Each section of the boom-fence comprises planar rectangular fence panels flexibly secured together with flexible coupling panels and cable, and provided with both planar buoyant materials and planar retractable hinged dampening fins, tending to keep the planar rectangular fence panels upright during their deployment, when confronted with forces created by waves, wind, and tides or currents. In a preferred embodiment the planar rectangular fence panels are made of sheet metal having their tops folded over a continuous cable, having their bottoms equipped with foldable, hinged, oppositely positioned sheet metal dampening fins held in their active dampening positions by stiffleg springs, having planar rectangular foam floats attached to each side of the fence panels nearer their top than their bottom, and having each end of each fence panel secured to a flexible coupling made of coated fiberglass cloth and between sections composed of several panels, Velcro fasteners join the midsection of such a flexible coupling, where also cable connectors are utilized.

Growing community of inventors

Tacoma, WA, United States of America

Richard E Magoon