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:
Jun. 17, 2003
Filed:
Dec. 03, 2001
Lawrence Graham, Corinth, TX (US);
Ponnattu Kurian Joseph, Irving, TX (US);
Todd Charles McNeel, Flower Mound, TX (US);
Kenneth R. Brocker, Plano, TX (US);
Stephen N. Forti, Stoneham, MA (US);
Edward J. Goldman, Foxborough, MA (US);
Malcolm E. Taylor, Pepperell, MA (US);
Edward L. Dickinson, Littleton, MA (US);
Patsy Anthony Coppola, Bedford, MA (US);
Richard F. Terrazzano, Salem, NH (US);
Andrew C. Harvey, Waltham, MA (US);
Recot, Inc., Pleasanton, CA (US);
Abstract
Apparatus and method for cooking snack food pieces features a drum-type fryer which transports individual, die-cut piece preforms through hot oil contained within a cooking tank defined between the periphery of the drum and a housing in which the drum is contained. Vacuum transfer and feed rollers transfer the individual piece preforms from a die-cutting roller assembly onto the drum for cooking, and a similar roller transfers the cooked snack food pieces from the drum to a take-away conveyor for subsequent, downstream processing. The pieces are retained by suction against molding surfaces of frying mold elements distributed over the periphery of the frying drum.