FOOD PROCESSING MACHINE AND PROCESS

Abstract: A food processing machine (10) for the formation of agglomerates of finely comminuted meat, which comprises a die (12), a duct (19) extending through the die and terminating in a face (27) thereof, a pump (11) to convey finely comminuted meat through the duct (19), and a wiper blade (25) actuated to periodically wiper across the die face to remove therefrom any meat that has been extruded from the duct. The agglomerate of finely comminuted meat wiped from the face (21) of the die (12) is transported by the blade (25) into a vessel (14) containing a cooking liquid.

Description: FOOD PROCESSING MACHINE AND PROCESS Technical Field The present invention relates to a food processing machine and to a process for food processing. More particularly the invention relates to a machine and a process for forming small agglomerates of fine meat particles. Disclosure of the Invention The present invention consists in a food processing machine comprising a die, a duct extending through the due and terminating in a face thereof, pump means to convey finely comminuted meat or another like material through the duct, and a wiper blade actuated to periodically wipe across the die face to remove therefrom an agglomeration of the meat or like material which has been extruded from the duct. In a second aspect the present invention consists in a process for the formation of agglomerates of finely comminuted meat or another like material, comprising the steps of conveying the finely comminuted meat or another like material through a duct in a die and wiping a blade across a face into which the duct opens to remove therefrom an agglomeration of the meat or like material which has been extruded form the duct. In preferred embodiments of the invention the blade is resiliently mounted such that the agglomerates of meat or like material contacted by the wiper blade will be flicked from the wiper blade after it has traversed the face of the die. Preferably the meat processing machine according to the present invention is mounted above a bath of a cooking liquid, such as hot oil, so that the agglomerated meat is flicked into the oil bath and is rapidly cooked therein. Most preferably the oil or other cooking liquid is caused to move along the bath such that individual agglomerates of meat are cooked individually without the possibility of them sticking together during the cooking operation. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the pump means to convey the finely comminuted meat or like material includes a metering pump the speed of which is controlled in relation to the frequency with which the wiper blades wipes across the die face such that the agglomerate of meat or like material which is wiped from the end of the die will be of a substantially constant size. In a preferred embodiment of the invention a plurality of wiper blades are pivotally mounted on a drum such that for each revolution of the drum each of the wiper blades wipes across the face of the die. Each of the wiper blades is spring mounted for the purpose indicated above. Preferably the edge of the wiper blade contacting the face is serrated such that the agglomerate has an irregular and jagged outer surface appearance. While the present invention is particularly applicable to the production of agglomerates of finely comminuted meat particles, preferably mixed with a batter made from flour, water and spices, it is recognised that the same process could be used for non-meat products including vegetable proteins, fish and the like. The preferred materials, however, comprise both red and white meats. The agglomerates preferably have minimum and maximum dimensions in the range of 1 to 5 centimetres, preferably in the range 2 to 4 centimetres. The agglomerates may be substantially spherical or cylindrical in shape or may be totally irregular. Brief Description of Drawings Hereinafter given by way of example only is a preferred embodiment of the present invention described with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a vertical sectional view through a meat processing machine - o according to the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out Invention The meat processing machine 10 comprises a meat pump 11, a die 12 and a rotating blade carrying drum 13 mounted above a heated oil container 14. The pump 11 is mounted below a stainless steel hopper 15 having a closely fitting lid (not shown) and means to apply air pressure into an upper portion of the hopper 15 such that comminuted meat or the like in the hopper 15 is urged towards the pump 11 by the air pressure. The pump 11 includes a housing 16 within which is mounted an eccentric impeller 17. The impeller 17 includes three spring loaded nylon vanes 18. As the impeller 17 is rotated finely comminuted meat or the like in the hopper is urged into the space between the pump housing 16 and the impeller 17 and is urged there around by the vanes 18. The pump 11 discharges into the die 12. The die 12 includes an elongate duct 19 which extends from the pump 11 into a face 21 of the die 12. The face 21 is arcuate having a radius of curvature off centre to the axis of rotation of the blade carrying drum 13. The blade carrying drum 13 is mounted to rotate about an axis at right angles to the duct 19. The drum includes a pair of circular end plates 22 joined by a central drive shaft 23 and a plurality of spacing rods 24. Three of these rods 24 are spaced equiangularly about the plates 22 and are spaced radially inwardly from the circumference thereof. Each of these spacing rods 24 pivotally carries a radially outwardly extending wiper blade 25. Each of these wiper blades is biassed against another spacer rod 24 by spring 26 which extends between yet another spacing rod 24 and the respective wiper blade 25. The blades 25 each have a serrated free edge. As the wiper drum is rotated each of the wiper blades 25 in turn makes contact with the face 21 of the die 12. The curvature on the face 21 is such that as the wiper drum 13 is rotated the free edges of each of the wiper blades 25 in turn contacts the face 21 and is caused to pivot rearwardly of the direction of rotation of the drum 13 tensioning the respective spring 26. On reaching the trailing edge of the face 21 of the die 12 the spring 26 rapidly pulls the attached blade 25 back against the one of the spacing rods 24 which forms a stop for that blade 25. The wiping drum 13 is disposed immediately above an oil bath 14 containing heated oil. The oil is caused to circulate within the oil bath by a pump (not shown). In operation a slurry of finely comminuted meat particles, flour, water and spices is introduced into the hopper 15 and an air pressure introduced above the contents of the hopper 15. This air pressure may be of the order of 10 psi or any other pressure found to be suitable depending upon the consistency of the material in the hopper. The pump 11 is caused to rotate in the direction of arrow A pumping the meat slurry into the duct 19 in the die 12. The meat is caused to be extruded from the end of the duct 19 where it enters the face 21 of the die 12. The wiper blade drum 13 is simultaneously caused to rotate in the direction of arrow B. As each wiper blade moves across the face 21 of the die 12 it picks up and carries forward the meat slurry that has been extruded from the end of the duct 19. This agglomerate of meat is flicked from the blade 25 as it passes the trailing end of the face 21. The agglomerate is flicked into the oil bath 14. Once in the oil bath the meat agglomerate is caused to start cooking and also to move along the oil bath in the direction of arrow C. The cooked, or partially cooked, meat agglomerates may be removed from the trailing end of the oil bath in a conventional manner.

Claims: CLAIMS : - 1. A food processing machine comprising a die, a duct extending through the due and terminating in a face thereof, pump means to convey finely comminuted meat or another like material through the duct, and a wiper blade actuated to periodically wipe across the die face to remove therefrom an agglomeration of the meat or like material which has been extruded from the duct. 2. A food processing machine as claimed in Claim 1 in which the blade is resiliently mounted to bear against the die face such that after wiping across the face of the die the agglomerates of meat or like material contacted by the wiper blade will be flicked therefrom. 3. A food processing machine as claimed in Claim 1 in which the machine includes a bath of a cooking liquid into which the agglomerates are flicked by the wiper blade. 4. A food processing machine as claimed in Claim 3 in which the bath of cooking liquid includes means to cause the cooking liquid to move along the bath such that agglomerates flicked into the bath are carried along it by movement of the cooking liquid. 5. A food processing machine as claimed in Claim 1 in which the pump means includes a metering pump the speed of which is controlled in relation to the frequency with which the wiper blade wipes across the die face. 6. A food processing machine as claimed in claim q in which a plurality of wiper blades are pivotally mounted in spaced apart array around a drum such that for each rotation of the drum each of the wiper blades wipes across the face of the die. 7. A food processing machine as claimed in Claim 1 in which the edge of the wiper blade contacting the face of the die is serrated. 8. A process for the formation of agglomerates of finely comminuted meat or another like material, comprising the steps of conveying the finely comminuted meat or another like material through a duct in a die and wiping a blade across a face into which the duct opens to remove therefrom an agglomeration of the meat or like material which has been extruded form the duct. 9. A process as claimed in Claim 8 in which the finely comminuted meat or like material is dispersed in a batter. 10. A process as claimed in Claim 8 in which the agglomerates are flicked by the wiper blade into a bath of a hot cooking liquid in which they are at least partly cooked.

Inventors: GIBSON ROYCE GORDON, SMITH GARY RONALD ELLIOT, GIBSON, ROYCE, GORDON, SMITH, GARY, RONALD, ELLIOT
Applicants: TENDAPAK TECH PTY LTD, TENDAPAK TECHNOLOGIES PTY. LTD.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: A23P1
IPC codes: A21C5, A21C11, A22C5, A22C7, A23L1, A23P1