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. 18, 2013
Filed:
Sep. 28, 2007
James N. Weinstein, Maple Grove, MN (US);
James M. Olive, St. Paul, MN (US);
Peter A. Huberg, Shoreview, MN (US);
Laurie Burgess, Maple Grove, MN (US);
Thomas Leuhrs, Rogers, MN (US);
Jennifer M. Mcaab, Minneapolis, MN (US);
James N. Weinstein, Maple Grove, MN (US);
James M. Olive, St. Paul, MN (US);
Peter A. Huberg, Shoreview, MN (US);
Laurie Burgess, Maple Grove, MN (US);
Thomas Leuhrs, Rogers, MN (US);
Jennifer M. Mcaab, Minneapolis, MN (US);
General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for fabricating food items include extruding a first hot plastic food mass through multiple passages () and co-extruding a second hot plastic food mass through a feed stem () received in each of the multiple passages () and through nozzles (). Each nozzle () includes a first portion () in communication with the feed stem () but not the passage () and a second portion () in communication with the passage () but not the feed stem (). The nozzles () are rotatable in gearing relation with the drive gear () of a servomotor (). The co-extruded ropes are conveyed at a linear speed rate less than or equal to the discharge speed from the nozzles (), cooled, and cut into individual pieces in the form of peelably separable strands.