# US 11,304,437 B1 · Cooking extrusion horn > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,304,437 B1 - Document ID: US11304437B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/912,998 - Filed: 2020-06-26 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-12 - Applicants: Tyson Foods, Inc. - Inventors: Dejing Fu; Kent Bearson; James A. Ruff - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11304437B1 ## CPC - A23P 30/20: Extruding - A22C 7/00: Apparatus for pounding, forming, or pressing meat, sausage-meat, or meat products {(meat patty moulding devices for domestic use A47J43/20; ham boilers A47J27/20)} - A22C 11/0209: {Stuffing horn assembly} - B29C 48/06: Rod-shaped - B29C 48/30: Extrusion nozzles or dies (extrusion characterised by the shape or cross-section of the extruded article B29C48/03) - B29C 48/022: {characterised by the choice of material} - A23P: SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS - A22C: PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH (preserving A23B; obtaining protein compositions for foodstuffs A23J1/00; fish, meat or poultry preparations A23L; disintegrating, e.g. chopping meat, B02C18/00; preparation of proteins C07K1/00) - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) ## Abstract A method and apparatus for an extrusion horn including an inner compression chamber having an interior channel extending from an open infeed port to an open exit port, where a top inner surface of the interior channel progressively tapers down with an initial slope having an initial downward taper to a target thickness, then top inner surface abruptly steps to an increased thickness of the channel, and then progressively tapers down with a secondary slope where the secondary slope has a steeper downward taper than the slope of the initial downward taper. An apparatus and method for extruding extrudate through an extruding horn conducive for producing bacon bits and jerky. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An extrusion horn comprising: an upper cooking plate having an upper interior cooking surface and a lower cooking plate having a lower interior cooking surface, where the upper interior cooking surface and the lower interior cooking surface face each other, and where said upper interior cooking surface is proximately space apart from the lower interior cooking surface with a spacing, where the spacing is defined by a spacer extending lengthwise along the upper and lower cooking plates and said spacer positioned between the upper interior cooking surface and the lower interior cooking surface thereby forming a lengthwise interior extrusion channel having an entry opening and an exit opening; and a conveyor having an endless conveyor belt where one of an upper run of the endless conveyor belt and a lower run of the endless conveyor belt extends lengthwise through the interior extrusion channel and conveys through the lengthwise interior extrusion channel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The extrusion horn as recited in claim 1, where the conveyor is an upper conveyor and where the endless conveyor belt is an upper endless conveyor belt, and where a lower run of the upper endless conveyor belt extends lengthwise and conveys immediately adjacent the upper interior cooking surface and through the lengthwise interior extrusion channel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The extrusion horn as recited in claim 1, where the conveyor is a lower conveyor and where the endless conveyor belt is a lower endless conveyor belt, and where an upper run of the lower endless conveyor belt extends lengthwise and conveys immediately adjacent the lower interior cooking surface and through the lengthwise interior extrusion channel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The extrusion horn as recited in claim 3, comprising: an upper conveyor having an upper endless conveyor belt; a lower run of the upper endless conveyor belt extends lengthwise and conveys immediately adjacent the upper interior cooking surface and through the lengthwise interior extrusion channel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The extrusion horn as recited in claim 4, comprising: a power source coupled to the upper and lower cooking plates through an interface that provides energy that raises the temperature of the cooking plates and the upper and lower interior cooking surfaces. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The extrusion horn as recited in claim 5, where the interface comprises, an upper induction coil positioned proximate the upper cooking plate and on an opposing side of the upper cooking plate opposite the upper interior cooking surface, and a lower induction coil positioned proximate the lower cooking plate and on an opposing side of the lower cooking plate opposite the lower interior cooking surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The extrusion horn as recited in claim 5, comprising: an entry nozzle having a nozzle channel extending from a nozzle entry opening to a nozzle exit opening where said nozzle channel is in fluid communication with the lengthwise interior extrusion channel defined by the upper interior cooking surface, the lower interior cooking surface and a wedge shaped spacer extending between the upper and lower cooking plates. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The extrusion horn as recited in claim 7, where said lengthwise interior extrusion channel has a cross section that gradually gets smaller as said lengthwise interior extrusion channel extends from a proximate end of the lengthwise interior extrusion channel to a distal end of the lengthwise interior extrusion channel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The extrusion horn as recited in claim 8, where said lengthwise interior extrusion channel extends between a horn entry opening at the proximate end and a horn exit opening at the distal end. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The extrusion horn as recited in claim 9, where said horn exit opening is sufficient small to induce a product being extruded to separate into small pieces. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The extrusion horn as recited in claim 10, where the upper cooking plate and the lower cooking plate gradually gets wider as the upper and lower cooking plates extend from the proximate end to the distal end and thereby the lengthwise interior extrusion channel gradually gets wider as the lengthwise interior extrusion channel extends from the proximate end to the distal end. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The extrusion horn as recited in claim 11, where the interface comprises, an upper induction coil positioned proximate the upper cooking plate and on an opposing side of the upper cooking plate opposite the upper interior cooking surface, and a lower induction coil positioned proximate the lower cooking plate and on an opposing side of the lower cooking plate opposite the lower interior cooking surface. ### Claim 13 A method of extruding extrudate through an extrusion horn comprising: pumping a product through an interior channel of a cooking plate assembly where said interior channel is extending between an upper and lower interior cooking surface of an upper and lower cooking plate, which form the upper and lower interior side wall of the interior channel, where a spacer is extending lengthwise along the upper and lower cooking plates and said spacer positioned between the upper and lower interior cooking surfaces; and conveying a conveyor having an endless conveyor belt where one of an upper run of the endless conveyor belt and a lower run of the endless conveyor belt extends lengthwise and conveys through the lengthwise interior extrusion channel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of extruding as recited in claim 13, where the conveyor is an upper conveyor and where the endless conveyor belt is an upper endless conveyor belt, and where a lower run of the upper endless conveyor belt extends lengthwise and conveys immediately adjacent the upper interior cooking surface and through the lengthwise interior extrusion channel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of extruding as recited in claim 14, where the conveyor is a lower conveyor and where the endless conveyor belt is a lower endless conveyor belt, and where an upper run of the lower endless conveyor belt extends lengthwise and conveying immediately adjacent the lower interior cooking surface and through the lengthwise interior extrusion channel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of extruding as recited in claim 15, comprising: conveying an upper conveyor having an upper endless conveyor belt, where a lower run of the upper endless conveyor belt extends lengthwise and conveying immediately adjacent the upper interior cooking surface and through the lengthwise interior extrusion channel. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of extruding as recited in claim 16, comprising: providing energy to the upper and lower cooking plates thereby raising the temperature of the upper and lower interior cooking surfaces using a power source; and extruding the product through an exit portal of the interior channel, where a distance between the upper and lower cooking surfaces gradually gets smaller as the interior channel extends toward the exit portal having a cross section whose width is more than the cross section height. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of extruding as recited in claim 17, comprising: powering an upper and lower induction coil disposed proximate the upper and lower cooking plates respectively with a power source, thereby inducing eddy currents in the upper and lower cooking plates thereby causing a temperature of the upper and lower cooking surface to increase to a desired cooking temperature. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of extruding extrudate as recited in claim 17, comprising: pumping the product through an entry nozzle having a nozzle channel extending from a nozzle entry opening to a nozzle exit opening where said nozzle channel is in fluid communication with the interior channel defined by the upper interior cooking surface, the lower interior cooking surface and a wedge shaped spacer extends between the upper and lower cooking plates. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of extruding extrudate as recited in claim 19, comprising: pumping the product through the interior channel that gradually gets wider as the interior channel extends toward an exit portal.