Coaxial cryogenic injection system
AssigneeBlentech Corporation
InventorRichard Peacock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vacuum tumble mixer is provided with a hollow drive shaft at one end thereof. The hollow drive shaft provides access by means of a probe to the cylindrical center section of the vacuum tumble mixer in order to inject the ingredients to be mixed, to introduce cooling material such as liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide, and finally to permit cleaning fluids to be circulated about the interior of the tumbler while the tumbler is rotating. The use of the hollow shaft greatly improves the efficiency and operation of the tumbler for vacuum massaging and tumble chilling of meat, poultry, seafood and other products that are mixed at the commercial level.
Claims14
A tumble mixer comprising:
- a sealable rotatable drum having a horizontal axis, a cylindrical mid-section and an entry and discharge end section affixed to said rotatable drum at one end thereof, said entry and discharge end section having an axial opening,
- said rotatable drum further having a service access end section affixed to said rotatable drum at the end opposite said entry and discharge end section, said service access end section aligned axially with said rotatable drum axis,
- drive means drivingly connected to said service access end for rotating said drum,
- material communication means for providing material to said rotatable drum,
- said service access end section defining axially-aligned sealable entry means for removably positioning said material communication means within said cylindrical mid-section, whereby material can be communicated to the interior of said rotatable drum while said drum is rotating,
- said material communication means comprising a removable elongated probe having a first and a second end and a nozzle means,
- a material source,
- said nozzle means affixed to said first end of said elongated probe for directing material communicated thereto from said material source to predetermined areas of the interior of said rotatable drum,
- a sanitary rotary joint for detachably connecting said material source to said second end of said elongated probe,
- a frame
- said rotatable drum mounted on said frame at its service access end, said drive means including an axle defining a bore therethrough, said bore communicating with the interior of said rotatable drum and having a first end interior of said rotatable drum and a second end exterior of said rotatable drum, whereby said material communication means can be removably inserted in said bore so that said nozzle means is within said drum and said second end of the removable elongated probe extends out the second end of said bore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.