US 4,169,408 A · Continuous pressure cooker and cooler with controlled liquid flow

Abstract

Method and apparatus for continuously processing filled containers with liquid heat treatment mediums maintained under superatmospheric pressure by an overriding air pressure. A minimum of liquid is used during processing with the liquid level being maintained above the containers at all times. The liquid is controllably circulated through container filled tunnels defined within carts, from one end of the tunnel to the other, to assure equal heat treatment of all containers in the batch of containers in each tunnel. The carts may either be non-agitating or agitating carts. One embodiment of the continuous pressure cooker and cooler includes a pressure vessel having two pressure locks to provide a pressure cooking chamber with high pressure cooling being performed in a mini-cooler defined by the outlet pressure lock followed by additional atmospheric cooling. Another embodiment of the invention comprises three pressure lock means to positively divide the pressure vessel into cooking and cooling chambers; and a third embodiment substitutes a plurality of baffles for the intermediate pressure lock thereby effectively dividing the pressure vessel into a cooking chamber and cooling chamber.

Claims25

Dependent claims

In a continuous pressure cooker and cooler having a pressure vessel with an inlet and an outlet pressure lock, and liquid circulating means for directing a heat treatment liquid into said pressure vessel;

the improvement which comprises a processing vessel movable through said pressure vessel, a liquid-tight tub included in said processing vessel positioned to receive and be filled with a heat treatment liquid through an elevated inlet means thereon and having an overflow edge before the top of said inlet means over which the liquid flows during processing for collection in a shallow pool in the bottom of the pressure vessel externally of and below the level of said tub, container supporting means disposed within said tub defining a tunnel having an inlet end and an outlet end, means in said tunnel for supporting the containers in spaced parallel rows with all containers being below the liquid level in the tub as defined by said overflow edge, and flow control means associated with said container supporting means for causing relative motion of said processing liquid and said containers in a direction parallel to said rows of containers.

A continuous pressure cooker and cooler comprising:

means defining a pressure vessel having an inlet pressure lock, a cooking chamber and an outlet pressure lock;
means defining a plurality of processing vessels each including a liquid tight tub having an elevated inlet means and an overflow edge below the top of said inlet means and container supporting means in said tub below the level of said overflow edge;
said tub being filled with a heat treatment liquid and said container supporting means having all containers therein completely submerged in the liquid in said tub;
means for maintaining said cooking chamber under superatmospheric pressure at all times during processing and for maintaining said inlet lock and said outlet lock under superatmospheric pressure when said locks are closed to the atmosphere;
power means for opening and closing said locks and for sequentially moving said container and liquid filled processing vessels into and through said inlet lock, cooking chamber, and outlet lock while maintaining said cooking chamber at superatmospheric pressure;
liquid circulating means for controllably directing a heat treatment liquid into the tubs for movement at a controlled rate past the containers and out of the tubs over the overflow edges for collection in a shallow pool in the bottom of said pressure vessel externally of and below said tubs for subsequent recirculation;
and temperature controlling means for maintaining the temperature of the liquid entering the tubs when in the inlet lock, cooking chamber, and outlet lock at predetermined preheating, cooking, and precooling temperatures, respectively.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Continuous pressure cooker and cooler with controlled liquid flow

Life of this patent

Continuous pressure cooker and cooler with controlled liquid flow

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25