Irradiator and method of using irradiator to irradiate
OwnerLawrence G. Barrettinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An irradiator which can be incorporated within a packing house and a method of irradiating food in the packing house are disclosed. Food products are placed on spaced baskets and conveyed into an enclosure, through a irradiation chamber, and then outwardly from the enclosure. The food products are conveyed through tortuously arranged ductwork which serves to absorb radiation streaming upwardly. The radiation source is maintained underwater both during operation and shutdown, and no lifting of the radiation source is thus required. A portion of the conveyor is positioned within one or more casings and can be withdrawn, if necessary, to facilitate maintenance and repair.
Claims53
A packing house irradiator for irradiating products at desired radiation dosage levels, said irradiator comprising:
- (a) a substantially watertight enclosure, said enclosure comprising means for receiving water;
- (b) an irradiation chamber for providing predetermined radiation dosages to products moved through said chamber, said irradiation chamber being positioned completely underwater when said enclosure is filled with said water, both during operation and shut-down periods of said irradiator, said irradiation chamber comprising a central section and at least two additional chamber sections;
- (c) a conveyor for continuously guiding said products into said enclosure, through said chamber, and outwardly from said enclosure;
- and
- (d) a source of radiation, said radiation source being positionable within said irradiation chamber, said central section comprising means for housing said radiation source, a first one of said additional sections comprising a substantially enclosed vertical path for guiding said products on said conveyor downwardly within said chamber, and a second one of said additional sections comprising a substantially enclosed vertical path for guiding said products on said conveyor upwardly within said irradiation chamber, wherein each of said additional sections has a cross-section which is substantially less than the cross section of said chamber, wherein said conveyor and said additional sections comprise means for conducting said products past said radiation source, said sections being positioned on opposite sides of said radiation source and comprising means for isolating said products from contact with said radiation source and with any water located within said enclosure.
A device for holding a plurality of rods of radioactive source material, said device comprising at least two plaques movable with respect to each other, each of said plaques comprising a frame for holding a plurality of said rods in a generally vertical fashion, said device further comprising means for moving said plaques in opposite, substantially horizontal directions, each of said plaques further comprising a plurality of non-radioactive, low density spacer elements positioned within said frame, said plaques being movable between a first, fully overlapped position in which the source rods in each of said frames are offset from each other, and a second, full width position, in which the source rods in said frames are adjacent to each other.
A packing house irradiator for irradiating products at predetermined radiation dosage levels, said irradiator comprising a substantially watertight enclosure at least partially filled with water, an irradiation chamber positioned in said water, means for continuously conveying products to be irradiated along a predetermined path into said enclosure, through said radiation chamber, and outwardly from the enclosure, a radiation source in said chamber, means for preventing said products from contacting said water and said source when in said enclosure, said preventing means being positioned along opposite sides of said radiation source, and means for moving said radiation source from said chamber into said water and away from said products.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.