Method for kneading food pieces

A method of processing food or constituents for a food product in an inclined rotatable drum having a sidewall, a closed end to the drum, and an opened end, the opened end being opposite the closed end, the drum having flight means spiralling therein and mounted on the inside of the sidewall of the drum and extending over substantially the length between the opened end and the closed end of the drum, comprising:

• a. feeding the ingredients of the food product into the drum;
• b. closing the opened end of the drum with door means;
• c. rotating the drum in a first direction and a second direction, or retaining the drum stationary for desired time intervals, thereby to impart different actions to the food products;
• d. opening the door after a predetermined time interval, and then;
• e. rotating the drum in the second direction opposite to the first direction whereby the flight means discharges the food product.

A method of kneading a multiplicity of integral food pieces, comprising:

• a. feeding the integral feed pieces into a rotatable drum mounted at an inclined axis and having an interiorly located spiralling flight means extending over substantially the length of the drum, said drum having a closed end and an opened end, and said drum and said flight means providing a structural surface without sharpened features or edges, whereby the integral food pieces are not subject to substantial separation or other deleterious action during movement within the drum;
• b. rotating the drum in a first direction about the axis causing the integral food pieces to be continually forced to move within the drum towards the closed end and relative to the other integral food pieces by the movement of the spiralling flight means through the multiplicity of food pieces during rotation, whereby the integral food pieces are kneaded by contact with each other during said movement within the drum;
• and then
• c. reversing the direction of the rotation of the drum so that the integral food pieces are drawn generally to said opened end of the drum thereby to discharge said integral food pieces from the drum.

A method of kneading a multiplicity of integral food pieces comprising:

• a. feeding the integral food pieces into a rotatable drum mounted at an inclined axis and having an interiorly disposed spiralling flight means extending over substantially the length of the drum, said drum having a closed end and an open end, said spiralling flight means being imperforate and including a thickened cross-section thereby to minimize deleterious action of the spiralling flight means on the food pieces, said spiralling flight means also meeting the closed end of said drum at an angle for inhibiting a wedging of integral food pieces between the closed end and the spiralling flight means, and said drum and said spiralling flight means providing a structural surface without sharpened features or edges, whereby the integral food pieces are not subject to substantial separation, cutting or other deleterious action during movement within the drum;
• b. adding a treating liquid to the integral food pieces;
• c. closing the open end of the drum with door means prior to rotation;
• d. rotating the drum in a first direction about the axis causing the integral food pieces to be continually forced to move within the drum towards the closed end and relative to the other integral food pieces by the movement of the spiralling flight means through the multiplicity of food pieces during rotation, whereby the integral food pieces are kneaded by contact with each other during said movement within the drum;
• e. rotating the drum in a second direction opposite to the first direction whereby kneading of the food pieces is achieved as in step d;
• f. retaining the drum stationary for predetermined times;
• g. opening the drum;
• and then
• h. rotating the drum in a second direction so that the integral food pieces are drawn generally to the open end of the drum thereby to discharge the integral food pieces from the drum.

A method of blending food products, comprising:

• a. feeding the food products into a rotatable drum having a sidewall, a closed end, and an opened end, the opened end being opposite the closed end, the drum being mounted at an inclined axis and having spiralling flight means mounted on the inside of the sidewall of the drum and extending over substantially the length between the closed end and the open end of the drum;
• b. rotating the drum in a first direction about the axis causing the food products to be continually forced to move within the drum towards the closed end whereby the food products are blended;
• and then
• c. reversing the direction of the rotation of the drum so that the blended food products are drawn generally to an open end of said drum thereby to discharge the blended food products from the drum.