The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 05, 1981
Filed:
Jan. 31, 1979
Takuzo Tsuchiya, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Jin-Liou Fang, New Hope, MN (US);
Glen Rasmussen, Champlin, MN (US);
General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
An elongated treating chamber in the form of a cylindrical metallic barrel is rotatable about an inclined longitudinal axis. The food material to be processed is introduced into the inlet or higher end of the barrel through the agency of a rotary valve and is removed or discharged through a nozzle at the other or lower end. In one embodiment two solenoid-type induction coils encircle longitudinal portions of the barrel, being energized with alternating current power so as to inductively heat the barrel. The heat is induced throughout the thickness of the wall of the barrel and is then transmitted into the food material as the food material passes therethrough. The temperature of the barrel's outer surface is sensed at two longitudinally spaced locations as the barrel rotates and each of the two induction coils is individually controlled in accordance with the temperature that is desired. The coil nearer the discharge end can be energized with more current than the other coil, thereby permitting the discharge end of the barrel, where there is more food material, to be heated to a greater degree than the inlet end. In a second embodiment, only one solenoid coil is utilized, and the pitch of the coil turns constituting such coil are varied, the turns being closer together at the discharge end where a greater amount of heat is needed than at the inlet end.