US 5,855,165 A · Food breading apparatus

Abstract

A food breading apparatus for breading food components with a breading mixture includes a breading drum rotatable about its longitudinal axis wherein the longitudinal axis is inclined from horizontal. The drum includes an inlet opening located in an upper end, an outlet opening located in a lower end, and a plurality of perforations located proximal to the lower end and through a sidewall of the drum. The perforations are sized to allow surplus breading mixture and lumps of breading mixture to pass therethrough but to retain the breaded food product in the rotating breading drum. An inlet conveyor provides food products to be breaded to the inlet opening of the breading drum. A recirculating breading mixture conveyor provides the breading mixture to the inlet opening. A takeout conveyor moves the breaded food products from the outlet opening of the breading drum. A lump removal conveyor is positioned below the plurality of perforations in the sidewall of the breading drum. The lump removal conveyor includes a plurality of openings sized to allow passage of surplus powdered breading mixture therethrough but to retain the lumps of breading mixture for transport to a catch pan. A shaker shoe mechanism raises a portion of the lump removal conveyor as it carries lumps and breading to facilitate moving powdered breading mixture through the openings of the lump removal conveyor and to facilitate recycling a maximum amount of the breading mixture. A surge hopper and conveyor positioned below the lump removal conveyor collects surplus breading mixture passing through the openings in the lump removal conveyor and transports surplus breading mixture to the recirculation conveyor wherein the cycle begins again.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A food breading apparatus comprising:

a) a support frame;
b) a breading mixture recirculating conveyor connected to said support frame;
c) a rotatable breading drum having a food inlet for receiving food to be breaded and for receiving breading mixture from said recirculating conveyor, a side wall portion with perforations sized for discharging breading and not discharging food therethrough, a food outlet for discharging breaded food from said drum, said rotatable breading drum operatively connected for rotation relative to said support frame;
d) a breading lump removal conveyor operatively connected to said support structure for movement along a substantially horizontal path, said conveyor positioned below said perforations of said breading drum side wall portion for receiving discharged breading from said perforations, and having a plurality of openings of predetermined size for passing powdered breading therethrough and for preventing passage of lumps of breading, said lump removal conveyor further comprising a shaker shoe assembly positioned at least partially in the path of said conveyor for raising a portion of said conveyor as it passes over said shaker shoe assembly so that loose lumps and breading are lifted and dropped to dislodge powdered breading and so that only tightly coagulated lumps are carried by said lump removal conveyor for collection and removal;
and
e) a surge hopper operatively positioned for receiving said powdered breading from said plurality of openings of said lump removal conveyor, and operatively connected for moving said powdered breading to said breading mixture recirculating conveyor so that said powdered breading is recirculated to said inlet opening of said rotatable breading drum.

3 more elements

An improved food breading apparatus of the type having an input end for receiving food to be breaded and for receiving breading mixture and having an outlet end for discharging breaded food and excess breading, the improvement comprising:

a) breading removal perforations formed adjacent said outlet end of said food breading apparatus and sized for separating excess breading powder and breading lumps from said discharged breaded food;
b) a continuous lump removal conveyor screen having an upper segment defining a top conveyor surface and a bottom conveyor surface, and having a lower return segment, said top surface of said upper segment positioned for receiving said excess breading powder and lumps from said breading removal perforations, said conveyor screen driven along a path between at least two conveyor rollers, said continuous lump removal conveyor screen having a plurality of openings therein sized smaller than said breading removal perforations for allowing powdered breading to pass therethrough and for preventing lumps of coagulated breading from passing therethrough, said conveyor screen positioned for carrying lumps of coagulated breading for collection;
c) a shaker shoe mounted along said path of said continuous lump removal conveyor screen for sliding contact with said bottom conveyor surface of said upper segment of said continuous lump removal conveyor screen to raise at least a portion of said conveyor screen as said conveyor screen moves along said path and as said conveyor screen slides over said shaker shoe so that lumps of coagulated breading are lifted and dropped to dislodge loose powdered breading and to shake said breading powder through said plurality of openings;
and
d) a recirculation conveyor operatively attached to said food breading apparatus for receiving powdered breading from said lump removal conveyor and for recirculating said powdered breading to said breading apparatus.

2 more elements

A shaker shoe assembly for attachment to a conveyor of the type having a frame with at least one lengthwise member, at least two rollers laterally spaced apart along said lengthwise member to support a continuous mesh belt for movement along at least one upper path between said rollers, said shaker shoe assembly comprising:

a) at least one cross bar attached to said lengthwise member of said frame extending under said at least one upper path of said mesh belt;
b) a bolt pivotably attached to said cross bar below and substantially perpendicular to said upper path of said mesh belt;
and
c) at least one shaker shoe comprising:
i) a base portion secured to said bolt for pivoting about an axis substantially perpendicular to said upper path of said mesh belt;
ii) a first lobe connected to said base at a first angled position about said axis;
iii) a second lobe connected to said base at a second angled position about said axis at an acute angle from said first angled position of said first lobe so that said first and second lobes are angularly spaced from each other and so that said first lobe is pivotable into a first raised position above said upper path of said mesh belt for contacting said mesh belt when said second lobe is pivoted into a first lowered position below said upper path of said mesh belt and not contacting said mesh belt and said second lobe is pivotable into a second raised position above said upper path of said mesh belt for contacting said mesh belt when said first lobe is pivoted into a second lowered position below said upper path of said mesh belt and not contacting said mesh belt;
iv) a first stop tab attached to said base portion at a third angled position about said axis for contacting said at least one cross bar and for preventing further rotation, in a forward direction of belt movement, when said first lobe is pivoted into said first raised position for contacting said continuous mesh belt, and
v) a second stop tab attached to said base at a fourth angled position for contacting said at least one cross bar and for preventing further rotation, in a reverse direction of belt movement opposite from said forward direction of belt movement, when said second lobe is pivoted into said second raised position for contacting said mesh belt.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Food breading apparatus

Life of this patent

Food breading apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19