# US 8,739,691 B2 · Rotary screw blancher > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,739,691 B2 - Document ID: US8739691B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/300,814 - Filed: 2011-11-21 - Published: 2012-03-15 - Granted: 2014-06-03 - Earliest claimed: 2005-08-31 - Assignees: Lyco Manufacturing, Inc. - Applicants: David R. Zittel; Daniel D. Maupin - Inventors: David R. Zittel; Daniel D. Maupin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8739691B2 ## CPC - A23N 12/04: for blanching - A21B 5/08: Apparatus for baking in baking fat or oil, e.g. for making doughnuts - A23B 7/06: Blanching (machines therefor A23N12/00) - A47J 27/04: for cooking food in steam; Devices for extracting fruit juice by means of steam {; Vacuum cooking vessels (steam-heated vessels for hotels, restaurants or canteens A47J27/16)} - A47J 37/1214: {the food being transported through an oil-bath} - B01D 29/356: {open-ended, the arrival of the mixture to be filtered and the discharge of the concentrated mixture are situated on both opposite sides of the filtering element} - B01D 29/58: arranged concentrically or coaxially - B01D 29/6476: {with a rotary movement with respect to the filtering element} - B07B 1/20: Stationary drums with moving interior agitators - B07B 1/55: with fluid jets - A23N: MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING HARVESTED FRUIT, VEGETABLES OR FLOWER BULBS IN BULK, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PEELING VEGETABLES OR FRUIT IN BULK; APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ANIMAL FEEDING- STUFFS (machines for cutting straw or fodder A01F29/00; disintegrating, e.g. shredding, B02C; severing, e.g. cutting, splitting, slicing B26B, B26D) - A21B: BAKERS' OVENS; MACHINES OR EQUIPMENT FOR BAKING (domestic baking equipment A47J37/00) - A23B: PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES - A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - B07B: SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL (wet separating processes, sorting by processes using fluent material in the same way as liquid B03; combinations of dry separating apparatus with wet separating apparatus B03B; using liquids B03B, B03D; sorting by magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges or vortex apparatus for carrying out physical processes B04; hand sorting, postal sorting, sorting by switching or other devices actuated in response to detection or measurement of some feature of articles or samples of material B07C) ## Abstract A food processing apparatus includes a tank defining an inner compartment having an inlet end for receiving food product and an outlet end for discharging food product, an open-top screen mounted within the compartment and positioned relative to the tank in a first position, and a rotatable auger mounted such that at least a portion of the auger is within the screen for advancing food product within the tank from the inlet end of the tank toward the outlet end. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A food processing apparatus comprising: a compartment having an inlet end for receiving food product and an outlet end for discharging food product; a screen mounted within the compartment, the screen including a screen wall having a length, a circumferential first end and an opposite, circumferential second end, the first end and the second end defining therebetween a circumferentially-extending open portion of the screen, the open portion extending along at least a portion of the length of the screen wall, the screen being oriented relative to the compartment, during a food processing operation, in a first orientation, in which the screen supports the food product and the open portion opens at least partially upwardly in a first direction, the screen being adjustable to a second orientation, in which the screen is oriented with an open portion opening in second direction different than the first direction; and an auger mounted such that at least a portion of the auger is within the screen, a portion of the auger being accessible through the open portion of the screen, the auger being rotatable about an axis and for advancing food product within the compartment from the inlet end toward the outlet end; and wherein the screen is rotatable at least 120 degrees about the axis defined by the auger. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The food processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the screen is rotatable at least 180 degrees about the axis defined by the auger. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The food processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the screen is rotatable at least 360 degrees about the axis defined by the auger. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The food processing apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising a screen drive interconnected with the screen, the screen drive including a brake motor operable to hold the screen in the first position, the brake motor, when released, allowing the screen to move toward the second orientation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The food processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the screen is formed of one piece. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The food processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the screen is formed of a first screen portion and a separate, second screen portion, the first screen portion and the second screen portion being relatively movable. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The food processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first screen portion provides the circumferential first end and has an opposite, circumferential third end, wherein the second screen portion provides the circumferential second end and has an opposite, circumferential fourth end, wherein, in the first orientation of the screen, the third end is positioned adjacent to the fourth end such that food product is supported in the screen. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The food processing apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising a support shaft supporting the auger for rotation, wherein the first screen portion and the second screen portion are supported on and rotatable about the support shaft to move toward the second orientation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The food processing apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising a support shaft supporting the auger for rotation, wherein the screen is supported on and rotatable about the support shaft to move toward the second orientation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The food processing apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising a pair of tracks located on a bottom portion of the compartment, the screen being supported by and riding along the tracks as the screen moves toward the second orientation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The food processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compartment has a compartment wall, and wherein the food processing apparatus further comprises a plurality of injectors disposed in the compartment between the compartment wall and the screen, the injectors being operable to discharge a fluid under pressure toward the screen. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The food processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the auger includes auger flights having a radial edge, a clearance gap being defined between the screen and the radial edge of the auger, the clearance gap being less than about 0.5 inches. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The food processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the clearance gap is less than about 0.1 inches. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The food processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the clearance gap is about 0.06 inches. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The food processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the screen includes a wedge wire screen. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The food processing apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising a tank at least partially defining the compartment. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The food processing apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising a lift assembly at least partially positioned within the compartment at the outlet end, the lift assembly being operable to lift food product from the screen and to deposit food product in a discharge chute. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The food processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the lift assembly includes at least one lifting bucket rotatable with the auger, the lifting bucket being operable to lift food product from the screen and to deposit food product into a discharge chute. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The food processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the lift assembly includes an outer wall and a door in the outer wall for accessing the at least one lifting bucket. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The food processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the food processing apparatus includes a rotary blancher apparatus.