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:
Sep. 10, 1996
Filed:
Jun. 21, 1994
John L Center, Dallas, TX (US);
Patrick J Bierschenk, Dallas, TX (US);
Recot, Inc., Plano, TX (US);
Abstract
A system and apparatus for producing seasoned food products where seasoning is performed at individual packaging lines. The product is conveyed from the preparation area to a packaging area in an unseasoned condition. Upon reaching the packaging lines, which are disposed in packaging departments in the packaging area, the product can be selectively seasoned independent of other packaging lines. After seasoning, the product is packaged and prepared for delivery. At each packaging line, a volumetric feeder includes a feed head that cooperates with a tumbler having helical flights to produce continuous controlled product portions. A seasoning dispenser is positionable within the tumbler and can be adjusted to dispense a given weight of seasoning at a given rate, based on the amount of product passing through the tumbler, to obtain consistent seasoning levels and coverage. The ability to produce separate product types at each packaging line yields superior plant scheduling flexibility due to more packaging possibilities than a system which delivers already seasoned product to the packaging lines.