Food product breading machine

A food product breading machine for coating food products with particulate breading material comprising:

• a. a breading unit comprising a breading material reservoir, a conveyor for moving food products and breading material along a travel path through the breading material reservoir, a breading application station defined along said travel path, and a breading material flow controlling system at said breading application station for accumulating breading material at said application station;
• b. said breading material flow controlling system comprising a product engaging breading flow restrictor unit establishing a standing wave of breading material at said application station when food products approach said station, said restrictor unit comprising a plurality of food product engaging elements defining respective surfaces movable toward and away from said conveyor that locally compress the breading material into contact with food product at the breading application station and enable breaded product to pass through the standing wave of breading material and the station while continuing to restrict the flow of breading material from said station.

A food product breading machine for coating food products with particulate breading material comprising:

• a. a breading unit comprising a breading material reservoir, a conveyor for moving food products and breading material along a travel path through the breading material reservoir, a breading application station defined along said travel path, and a breading material flow controlling system at said breading application station for accumulating breading material at said application station;
• b. said breading material flow controlling system comprising a product engaging breading flow restrictor unit at said application station and a breading diverter unit for deflecting breading material on the conveyor approaching the breading application station, said diverter unit comprising a breading plow projecting over the breading unit conveyor and into the breading material and connector structure for detachably securing the plow in adjusted positions relative to the breading unit conveyor, said plow effective to direct breading material laterally relative to the travel path and creating a furrow bounded by breading mounds that facilitate application of breading to food products at the application station, said connector structure adjusted to vary the size of the breading mounds.

A breading machine for breading battered food products comprising:

• a breading unit comprising a breading material reservoir, a first conveyor for moving food products along a travel path through the breading material reservoir, said breading conveyor constructed for moving through the particulate breading material to move said material along said travel path, a breading application station defined along said travel path, a breading material flow controlling system at said breading application station for restricting breading material movement at said application station to inundate food products approaching said station with breading material, and a second conveyor for delivering battered food products to said reservoir;
• said second conveyor comprising an endless conveyor member having a reach defining an end portion projecting over said reservoir said reach end portion comprising an upper belt section for supporting product being delivered to said reservoir and a lower, return section, a reach end support unit and a positioner member for adjustably fixing the position of said reach end supporting unit and reach end portion relative to said first conveyor, said second conveyor reach end positioned adjacent said first conveyor for delivering flaccid elongated products to said first conveyor.