Patent ID: 6776087
Filing Date: 2004-08-17
Classification: A23N

Abstract:
A machine for treating the surfaces of food products comprising:a) a support frame; b) a cylindrical product carrier shell mounted in said frame and having a plurality of openings formed therethrough; c) a waste collecting bell coaxially circumscribing said carrier shell and sized to provide a waste collecting space therebetween, said collecting bell being mounted for rotation in said frame and connected to said carrier shell; d) a product cleaning drum mounted in said frame for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, said product cleaning drum having opposed product input and outlet ends and being coaxially mounted within said carrier shell and sized to provide an annular product cleaning space therebetween; f) abrading means mounted on said cleaning drum for rotation therewith and having extending abrading members for applying surface pressure on products when they are in the cleaning space between said cleaning drum and said carrier shell; g) a first drive means coupled to rotate said cleaning drum and a second drive means coupled to rotate said carrier shell and said collecting bell, said first and second drive means being independently operable at speeds wherein centrifugal force urges products when they are in the cleaning space between said cleaning drum and said carrier shell into bearing engagement with the inner surface of said carrier shell and expels waste materials through the openings formed in said carrier shell into the waste collecting space between said carrier shell and said collecting bell; h) product feed means for supplying products to the cleaning space between said cleaning drum and said carrier shell; i) product discharge means for receiving treated products from the cleaning space between said cleaning drum and said carrier shell; and j) waste material disposal means for receiving waste material from the waste collecting space between said carrier shell and said collecting bell.