Plant for the industrial production of long-life ready-to-eat, cooked foods
AssigneeRossi & Catelli S.p.A.
InventorsCamillo Cattelli, Roberto Notari
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plant is described which includes a continuous heat processing autoclave (1) for cooking and sterilizing food measured into tray-like containers (9). The open containers (9), loaded on to trays (12), are advanced through the autoclave (1) by a conveyor (40) operated stepwise. A cooling chamber (6) communicates at one end with the autoclave (1) through a pre-cooling and air-lock tunnel (7) and at the other with a sterile environment in which a sterile closure unit seals the containers (9) of cooked food.
Claims10
A plant for the industrial production of long-life, ready-to-eat cooked food, in open containers (9) comprising:
- a continuous autoclave (1) defining a processing chamber (2) for processing the food;
- said
- processing chamber (2) including a food inlet region (3) and an outlet region (4);
- said autoclave (1) further including
- means (39, 39a) for delivering and metering fluids for cooking or heat-sterilizing the food;
- first and second apertures ( 17, 53) formed in said inlet region (3) and said outlet region (4) respectively;
- a first air-lock chamber (15) in communication with said first aperture (17) and with said inlet region (3);
- a second air-lock chamber (7) in communication with said second aperture (53) and with said outlet region (4);
- said first and second apertures (17, 53) being fitted with first and second valve closure members (26, 52) respectively;
- a first transfer device (P.sub.2) disposed in said processing chamber (2) for transferring the open containers (9) from said first air-lock chamber (15) to said inlet region (3);
- a second transfer device (P.sub.3) in said processing chamber (2) for transferring the open containers (9) from said outlet region (4) to said second air-lock chamber (7);
- a sterile food-cooling chamber (6) having an inlet end (6a) and an outlet end (6b);
- a third aperture (55) formed in said sterile food-cooling chamber;
- said third aperture (55) being fitted with a third valve closure member (56);
- said sterile food-cooling chamber (6) communicating with said second air-lock chamber (7) through said third aperture (55);
- a sterile closure chamber (63) in communication with said sterile food-cooling chamber (6);
- closure means (69) for hermetically sealing cooked food disposed within said sterile closure chamber (63);
- and
- means (P.sub.4, 38) for transferring the containers (9) from said second air-lock chamber (7) to said cooling chamber (6) and subsequently to said closure means (69).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.