Patent ID: 8096259
Filing Date: 2012-01-17
Classification: A23G,A23L,A23P,B05C

Abstract:
1. Food-product coating apparatus for a food-product line; said apparatus comprising: an inflow conveyor extending from an intake end to a discharge end; a food-product tumbling or flipping device extending from an intake end to a discharge end; an outflow conveyor extending from an intake end to a discharge end; and a re-circulation system for re-circulating excess coating material recovered at the outflow conveyor back to the inflow conveyor; wherein said inflow conveyor is adapted to receive an inflow of a food-product stream from an up-line process in the food-product line as well as an inflow of re-circulated excess coating material from said re-circulation system and input both said streams into the intake end of the food-product tumbling or flipping device; said food-product tumbling or flipping device adapted to tumble or flip food-product and coating material between the intake and discharge ends thereof, and further adapted to discharge food-product covered in coating as well as excess coating material onto the outflow conveyor; said outflow conveyor adapted to discharge food-product covered in coating across the discharge end thereof, and is further adapted to discharge excess coating material to the re-circulation system; said recirculation system comprising at least first and second return conveyors which have respective coating-material motivating runs, and further comprising a first bottom wall for the motivating run of the first return conveyor to scrape over and thereby motivate a first stream of return coating material as well as a second bottom wall for the motivating run of the second return conveyor to scrape over and thereby motivate a second stream of return coating material; both the first and second return conveyors having two factors comprising respectively a first lateral width and first depth measure for the first return conveyor as well as a second lateral width and second depth measure for the second return conveyor wherein the factors are selected such that if the first and second return conveyors are driven at the same speed there are first and second material-flow rate capacities respectively for the first and second streams of return coating material whereby the first and second streams can be distributed to different end purposes; and wherein the first and second depth measures are different.