US 4,062,202 AGranted

Vibratory weir assembly and method for separating foods being frozen during fluidization in a food freezing tunnel

AssigneeCloudy & Britton Inc.

InventorWestley Ray Cloudy

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Abstract

Vibratory weir assemblies, in selected embodiments, are respectively installed in food freezing tunnels to cause at the outset of the freezing operations complete separation of pieces of foods, such as french fries, so they will be individually frozen during the remaining fluidization freezing travel through a food freezing tunnel. Previously prepared foods, such as precooked french fries, moving into a food freezing tunnel on a mesh conveyor, are confronted by a vibrating weir located just above the mesh conveyor. By the time the food pieces are vibrated up and over the vibrating weir each one is free of the other, so subsequently, as they progress on a mesh conveyor, the fluidizing and freezing air circulates completely about them. The vibrating weir is actuated principally up and down with some translatory movement, by using an overhead mechanism having an appearance of modified advancing and shaking mechanisms previously used under shaking tables and/or advancing and shaking conveyors. The food vibrating weir mechanism, however, is equipped with counter weight and action components to isolate the vibrations from the other components of the food freezing tunnel. As necessary, the vibratory food weir assemblies include their own heating units to keep a food unit such as a french fry from sticking to the food weir assembly.

Claims5

Dependent claims

In combination with a food unit freezing tunnel having a non vibrating food unit conveyor operating throughout its length, a vibratory food weir assembly installed in the first portion of the food unit freezing tunnel, after freezing has commenced but well before the freezing has been completed, and operated while the food unit freezing tunnel is operated to cause the separation of all the food units from one another, if previously stuck together, before the food units are conveyed throughout the remainder of the freezing tunnel, the vibratory food weir assembly and food unit freezing tunnel comprising:

a. a food unit freezing tunnel having a non vibrating conveyor throughout its length,
b. a vibratory food weir assembly, comprising, in turn:
1. an elongated transverse food weir serving as a bar like deflector-separator, when arranged immediately above and across a food unit non vibrating conveyor in the path of travel of the food units, to cause the food units to be intercepted briefly by the food weir, to pass upwardly over the food weir, and fall by gravity from the food weir immediately back onto the non vibrating food unit conveyor, after only leaving the non vibratory food conveyor for the very short distance under the food weir,
2. means for vibrating the elongated transverse food weir to aid the separation of the food units, previously stuck together, as they are caused to pass upwardly over the food weir and immediately back down to the non vibrating food unit conveyor, and
3. means to mount the vibrating means and elongated transverse food weir as a vibratory food weir assembly and mount the vibratory food weir assembly to the food unit freezing tunnel having the non vibrating food unit conveyor operating throughout its length.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.