Abstract:
A tumble breading system for applying a breading material to a food includes a housing designating an internal clean area, and an infeed belt for conveying the breading material and the food, arranged across the infeed belt in an infeed order, into the clean area. A rotary assembly with a plurality of vertically offset, rotating tumblers accepts and tumbles the food with the breading material as the tumblers rotate, to bread the food. An output belt accepts the breaded food from the tumblers and conveys the breaded foods from the clean area and the housing. The food arrives at the output belt in substantially the infeed order.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/861,758, filed Nov. 28, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to breading machines for applying a coating of breading substance to the outer surface of a food stuff. Breading machines attempt to replicate the quality of hand breading, which often entails a worker rolling food stuff in a bowl of breading material, or shaking the food stuff in custom baskets of breading material. Both drum/roller machines and linear/assembly breaders offer increased efficiency over hand breading, allowing few workers to bread many food stuffs in a shorter period of time. 
   When breading with a drum or roller machine, the food stuff to be breaded is placed within or fed into an inner chamber of the machine, such as a rotary drum. Breading material is added, and the food stuff and breading material are tumbled together within the rotary drum, to adhere the breading material to the outer surface of the food stuff. This often necessitates applying a liquid or batter to the outer surface of the food stuff prior to placing it in the rotary drum, to facilitate adhesion of the breading material. Rotary drums are also used to dislodge excess breading material, which may have been applied to the food stuff by different means. However, there are limits to the number of food products that can be tumbled together at any one time, and thus the efficiency of these machines is limited. Additionally, breaded food stuffs generally exit the rotary drum in a heap, requiring labor to separate the breaded product across a belt, where the product is to be packaged or cooked in an assembly line process. Disruption of the breaded food stuffs during separation may result in loss of the breading material. 
   Linear breaders attempt to increase efficiency over drum or roller machines, by using moving belts or grates to conduct food stuffs through a breading process. Typically, the food stuff to be breaded is placed on the belt or grate and breading material is poured or dumped onto the surface of the food stuff as it moves along the line. Early assembly or conveyor breaders generally included a single conveyor belt onto which breading material was placed, either by hand or by mechanical means, such as gravity spill or conveyance by auger. Once the breading material was on the surface of the conveyor, the food stuff to be breaded was placed on top of the breading material by a worker. Additional breading material would then be dumped on top of the food stuff as it moved along the conveyor line. A second worker would then remove the food stuff for packaging. 
   More recently assembly breaders with multiple conveyors have been introduced, in an effort to better coat food stuff and more closely replicate hand breading. Food stuff may be dropped from one conveyor to another, sometimes hitting bars or other assemblies meant to flip the food stuff so that, in theory, all sides of the food stuff are exposed to breading materials. One such machine is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,493 to Miller. Food stuffs processed by the Miller device are dropped from one conveyor belt onto another. The food stuff may flip in this process; however, dropping food stuff from one conveyor belt onto another increases the likelihood of damage to the food stuff. For example, as food stuff drops from one belt to another, it may breaks apart or be otherwise damaged. Further, as the product drops from one conveyor belt to the next conveyor belt, much of the breading material is actually dislodged from the surface of the food stuff. While multiple flipping conveyor belts aid in exposing all sides of the food stuff to the breading material, it is difficult to achieve a consistent uniform coating of thick breading, as desired for “home style” coating, with devices such as Miller&#39;s. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,216 to London seeks to remedy such drawbacks. The London patent recognizes the inherent benefit of tumbling a product in a volume of breading material rather than flipping the product along multiple conveyor lines. London utilizes a plurality of “tumble chambers” into which food stuffs are conveyed throughout a line process. As the food stuff is placed into a tumble chamber, it is allowed to tumble in a volume of breading material until all outer surface areas of the food stuff is coated. The London device, however, is relatively complex in that food stuffs are placed on a belt which periodically is allowed to slacken to form the tumble chambers. Once the tumbling process is completed, the conveyor belt is pulled taut by rollers which then allow the food stuff to move along the assembly line. The repetitive slackening and tightening of the conveyor belt subjects the system to rapid wear and continued maintenance, which may decrease overall efficiency. This problem is heightened by the fact that the breading material used in these machines can causes rapid wear of belts, rollers and gear assemblies. Moreover, conventional breading materials stick to virtually all parts of a breading machine which, due to health standards, must be continually cleaned. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Prior art breading machines have commonly been subject to a trade-off between efficiency and quality of coating. Machines such as rotary drums that can achieve homestyle breading quality (e.g., a thick, rough coating with breading forced into muscle, pores or cavities of the food) sacrifice efficiency. Breaded food products exit the rotary drum in a heap, which must then be separated. It is not uncommon, in commercial breading, to employ up to six people to simply spread breaded product across a belt after the product is discharged from a drum breader. This increases labor costs, and may further decrease efficiency since separation can cause breading material to be dislodged, either necessitating re-breading of foods if quality is to be maintained. Machines such as the line assembly, which move large volumes of food stuff or food products (referred to hereinafter as “food” or “foods”) in a short period of time, and generally maintaining order of the foods throughout breading, conventionally produce thinly or non-uniformly breaded foods. Prior art machines have not met both objectives of efficiency and homestyle quality of breading. The disclosed tumble breading system achieves both of these objectives, subjecting the surfaces of the food to a wave or curtain of breading material and then gently turning or tumbling the food in a “charge” or volume of breading material. 
   In one embodiment, a tumble breading system for applying a breading material to a food has an infeed belt for conveying the food and a quantity of breading material into a housing. A plurality of rotary tumblers within the housing accept the food and the breading material and tumble the food with the breading material, to bread the food. An output belt accepts the breaded food from the tumblers and conveys the breaded food from the housing. 
   In one embodiment, a tumble breading system for applying a breading material to a food includes a housing designating an internal clean area, and an infeed belt for conveying the breading material and the food, arranged across the infeed belt in an infeed order, into the clean area. A rotary assembly with a plurality of vertically offset rotating tumblers accepts and tumbles the food with the breading material as the tumblers rotate, to bread the food. An output belt accepts the breaded food from the tumblers and conveys the breaded foods from the clean area and the housing. The food arrives at the output belt in substantially the infeed order. 
   In one embodiment, a tumble breading system for applying a breading material to a food includes a rotary assembly for fitting with a breading machine, proximate an infeed to the machine. The rotary assembly has a first tumbler with a plurality of first longitudinal channels, for consecutively accepting the food from the infeed as the tumbler rotates to expose subsequent first longitudinal channels, and for rotating the food with breading material, within the first longitudinal channels; and at least a second tumbler offset beneath the first tumbler and having a plurality of second longitudinal channels for consecutively accepting the food and the breading material from the plurality of first channels, as the second tumbler rotates opposite the first tumbler. Rotation of the food with the breading material works the breading material into and onto the food. 
   In one embodiment, a tumble breading system for applying a breading material to a food includes a housing; means for distributing breading material from a breading material chamber within the housing to an infeed belt, across which the food is arranged; and means for passing the food beneath the breading material. A flip belt accepts the food and the breading material from the distribution means. A plurality of vertically offset, counter-rotational tumblers accept the food and the breading material from the flip belt and tumble the food with the breading material as the food and the breading material are passed between the tumblers. An output belt accepts breaded food from the tumblers and allows excess breading material to pass therethrough. A reclamation assembly disposed beneath the tumblers and the output belt sifts the excess breading material to separate reusable breading material from clumped breading material. Reusable breading material passes through the reclamation assembly to the breading chamber. 
   In one embodiment, a method of tumble-breading food includes distributing breading material across an input belt; distributing food linearly across the breading material, and conveying the food and the breading material to a rotary assembly housed within a tumble breading system. The food and the breading material are tumbled between rotary tumblers of the rotary assembly, to bread the food. The breaded food is transferred to an output belt, and excess breading material is dislodged from the food and the output belt. Dislodged breading material and loose breading material from the tumblers and the output belt are collected and sifted. The sifted breading material is delivered to the input belt. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a simplified perspective view of a tumble breading system with rotary assembly and belts, according to an embodiment. 
       FIG. 2  is a partial perspective view illustrating movement of food and breading material through a tumble breading system, according to an embodiment. 
       FIG. 3  is a front view of a finger assembly for use with the tumble breading systems of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic side view showing two finger assemblies of  FIG. 3  affecting flow of breading material. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view detailing the rotary assembly and belts of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view detailing maintenance of an input order of food by the rotary assembly and belts of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 7  is a side view showing movement of food and breading material through the tumble breading system of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 8  is another side view showing movement of food and breading material through a tumble breading system, according to an embodiment. 
       FIG. 9  is a flow chart of one method of tumble breading, according to an embodiment. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1  is a simplified perspective view of a tumble breading system  100 . System  100  has a housing  102 , for example constructed of a frame assembly encapsulated in sheets of stainless steel, or other suitable metal or material for separating an interior clean area  104  where food is breaded (not labeled) from exterior power assemblies that drive the system. Power assemblies are for example located along or configured with an exterior housing surface  106 . 
   An infeed conveyor belt  108  conducts food in the direction of arrow  110 , through an input  112  into the clean area  104  within housing  102 . Infeed belt  108  is driven by suitable rotational mechanisms, such as rollers  114 . For clarity of illustration, only one roller  114  is shown in  FIG. 1 , at a distal end  116  of infeed belt  108 . It will be appreciated that infeed belt  108  may likewise rotate around a second roller  114  at a proximal end  118  of infeed belt  108 . Alternately, gears or like rotational mechanisms may be used to guide infeed belt  108 . A removable hood  120  fits onto housing  102 , as indicated by directional arrows  122 , for safety reasons and/or to protect infeed belt  108  and input  112  from dust and other contaminants. 
   At proximal end  118 , food traveling along infeed belt  108  is transferred (e.g., passed or dropped) onto a second conveyor  124 , illustrated by a dashed line, within clean area  104 . Second belt  124  is referred to hereinafter as a “flip belt,” as food may flip partially or completely over during transfer from infeed belt  108 . In one embodiment, food passes beneath a breading material hopper  126 , illustrated by a dotted line, at or near proximal end  118  and/or flip belt  124 . Hopper  126  has bottom openings (not shown) through which breading material drops onto the food, for example when hopper  126  is shaken or vibrated, or when one or more covers blocking the bottom openings is displaced, e.g., by sliding or rotating. 
   Flip belt  124  conducts food from infeed belt  108  to a plurality of tumblers  128  of a rotary unit  130  (five tumblers are shown in  FIG. 1 ; for clarity, three tumblers  128  are labeled). Tumblers  128 , shown by dotted lines, are likewise within clean area  104 , whereas power and drive mechanisms of rotary unit  130  are configured with or disposed along exterior surface  106 . As described further below with respect to  FIG. 2 , Tumblers  128  may be offset rollers arranged vertically with respect to one another, each having a plurality of surface concavities or channels for holding breading material and food. In one embodiment, each tumbler is about 10 inches in diameter; however, it will be appreciated that tumbler size may vary as a function of food size, shape or consistency, and desired quality of breading. 
   Food is passed between tumblers  128  and from tumblers  128  to an output conveyor belt  132 . Output belt  132  is for example a mesh belt, a grate or a chain pan having a plurality of openings through which excess breading material may drop downward into a reclamation assembly  134 . Output belt  132  conducts breaded food out of housing  102 , as indicated by motion arrow  115 . System  100  is configured such that infeed belt  108  and output belt  132  are at a height that facilitates use of system  100  with other equipment typically used in the food processing industry. In one embodiment, height of infeed belt  108  and output belt  132  is adjustable. 
   Reclamation assembly  134  is for example a pan or sieve that empties onto a reclamation apparatus, such as a belt or auger system (see  FIGS. 2 and 5 , described below) that carries excess breading material back to hopper  126 , to infeed belt  108  and/or to tumblers  128 , where the material is released to coat additional food traveling along belts  108 ,  124  or passing through tumblers  128 . 
     FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective view showing movement of food and breading material through system  100 , in accordance with an embodiment. Clean area  104  is indicated by a dotted box. Movement of food through system  100  is indicated by hollow movement arrows  110 ,  111  and  113 . Output of breaded food from system  100 , via output belt  132 , is indicated by motion arrow  115 . Movement of breading material is indicated by dotted movement arrows  136 . 
   As indicated by motion arrow  110 , food enters clean area  104  via infeed belt  108 , and is transferred to flip belt  124  (see motion arrow  111 ). Food is for example dropped a short distance onto flip belt  124 , to flip the food. From flip belt  124 , food is transferred to rotary unit  130  ( FIG. 1 ).  FIG. 2  shows a rotary unit  130  having three tumblers  128 . Tumblers  128  have longitudinal depressions, cups or channels  138  (indicated by hatching) extending along their length, for holding food and breading material. For clarity, only one channel  138  is labeled in  FIG. 2 . It will be appreciated that more or less tumblers  128 , and/or tumblers having more or less channels  138  may be employed as a matter of design preference. Channel depth and width may likewise be customized. For example, when breading delicate foods such as shrimp or mushrooms, a lesser number of tumblers  128  decreases manipulation of the food by system  100  and may prevent the food from falling apart during breading. Where more robust foods, e.g., chicken, are breaded, more tumblers  128  may be added. Likewise, tumblers  128  may include fewer large channels  138  for breading larger foods, or more smaller channels  138  for breading smaller foods. In one embodiment, rotary unit  130  is provided as a self-contained, removable retro-fit assembly to allow customization of breading and to facilitate cleaning or repair. One system  130  having a set number of tumblers (e.g., 3) may for example be exchanged for another set having more or less tumblers (e.g., two or five), to customize food handling by system  100 . Likewise, a system  130  with tumblers  128  having five channels  138  per tumbler may be “swapped” for a system  130  with tumblers having fewer channels  138  per tumbler, as a function of the size and/or type of food being breaded. In one embodiment, rotary system  130  is provided as a retrofit assembly, for fitting the space occupied by a single large drum in a conventional drum breader. 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , food passes from flip belt  124  to tumbler  128 A. Tumbler  128 A rotates to transfer food to tumbler  128 B, which in turn rotates opposite the direction of rotation of tumbler  128 A, to transfer food to tumbler  128 C. See motion arrow  113 . Tumbler  128 C rotates counter to tumbler  128 C (e.g., in the direction of rotation of tumbler  128 A) to transfer food to output belt  132 , which conducts the breaded food out of clean area  104  and system  100 , as indicated by motion arrow  115 . 
   Breading material such as flour, cornmeal or the like may be added to system  100  at hopper  126 , described above with respect to  FIG. 1 . Optionally or additionally, a breading material chamber  140 , shown in  FIG. 2  as a dotted box, stores and releases breading material within clean area  104 . Chamber  140  for example has a door, chute or other breading port  141  opening into an interior container, or simply into a bottom portion of clean area  104 . Chamber  140  may also be a slidable drawer for holding breading material. In one embodiment, chamber  140  is combined with reclamation apparatus  134 , described above. 
   Breading material released from chamber  140  is conveyed to infeed belt  108  via an internal breading material conveyor  142 . Conveyor  142  is shown as a belt; however, an auger mechanism may likewise be used to deliver breading material to infeed belt  108 . Likewise, conveyor  142  and infeed belt  108  may be one and the same. Roller  114  may be a drive sprocket, around which breading material is dragged. Breading material is for example dragged from chamber  140  to form a layer on infeed belt  108 . The layer of breading material adheres to food placed thereon. 
   One or more rollers or finger assemblies  144  create a curtain or wave in the breading material. As food placed upon the breading material passes under finger assembly  144 , a top portion of the food is exposed to and may be coated by the wave of breading material. Food and breading material are transferred or, in the case of the food, flipped to flip belt  124 , which in turn transfers and/or flips the food and the breading material to tumblers  128 . 
   As the tumblers rotate, the breading material and food are gently turned or tumbled from a channel  138  of one tumbler  128  to a channel  138  on an adjacent tumbler  128 . This automated action efficiently replicates the gentle tumbling of a food from one container of breading material to a second container of breading material, as is characteristic of hand breading. For example, tumbler  128 A of  FIG. 2  rotates counterclockwise to accept additional food and breading material from flip belt  124  into a subsequent longitudinal channel  138 , and to transfer the breading material and food to the longitudinal channels  138  of tumbler  128 B. Tumbler  128 B in turn rotates to expose un-filled longitudinal channels  138  for filling from tumbler  128 B, and to transfer the food and breading material to longitudinal channels  138  of tumbler  128 C. Tumbling food in multiple quantities of breading material via tumblers  128  works the breading material into pores, muscle, hollows or cracks in the food to achieve a homestyle appearance. Contacting breading material with food at infeed belt  108 , finger assembly  144  and flip belt  124 , as described above, enhances this effect. 
   Longitudinal channels  138  span approximately the length of tumblers  128 . Hence, food may be transferred between tumblers  128  in the linear arrangement or order in which it lands on or is transferred to flip belt  124 . This arrangement for example reflects the arrangement in which food is placed upon infeed belt  108 . Breaded food is transferred from the final tumbler  128  in rotary assembly  130  (tumbler  128 C, in  FIG. 2 ) onto output belt  132  in substantially the same linear arrangement, facilitating subsequent processing or packaging and reducing or eliminating the need to spread out heaps of food that is common to prior art drum breaders. The gentle rotational action and food alignment provided by tumblers  128  may decrease damage to breaded food, as compared with rotary drum breaders, where food knocks together and against walls of one larger, non-segmented container with greater force. At the same time, tumblers  128  repeatedly expose all sides of the food to the breading material, results in uniform and consistent breading. In addition, alignment features provided by system  100  may reduce or eliminate the need for manual alignment of breaded food, as is needed when breading with conventional drum breaders. 
     FIG. 3  is a front view of finger assembly  144  of  FIG. 2 . Finger assembly  144  has a plurality of fingers  146  supported along a bar  148  that for example attaches to housing  102  of system  100 . Fingers  146  are for example plastic, rubber or another material that is flexible enough to permit food passing beneath (e.g., between fingers  146  and infeed belt  108 ), yet firm enough to encourage the aforementioned wave of breading material, under which the food passes. Optionally, finger assembly  144  rotates to allow food to pass therebeneath. Height of finger assembly  144  may be adjusted up or down, as indicated by arrows  150 , to accommodate a range of food sizes. 
     FIG. 4  is a side, plan view further illustrating wave action of finger assembly  144  and breading material, depicted as dotted line  152 , with infeed belt  108  or flip belt  124 . It will be appreciated that one or more finger assemblies may be positioned with either or both belts. Here, first and second finger assemblies  144  and  154  are positioned over infeed belt  108 / 124 . Breading material  152  builds against fingers  146  of assemblies  144  and  154 , creating first and second waves  156  and  158 . Food  160  passes beneath waves  156  and  158 , as indicated by motion arrow exposing upper food surface  162  to breading material  152 . Where the belt in  FIG. 4  is flip belt  124 , food  160  and breading material  152  leaving flip belt  124  are transferred to channels  138  of tumbler  128 , as the belt advances and tumbler  128  rotates to sequentially advance channels  138  to a receiving position. Food  160  and breading material  152  are gently tumbled as tumbler  128  rotates to pass the food and breading materials  160 ,  152  to a subsequent tumbler  128  of rotary unit  130 , e.g., as shown and described above with respect to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     FIG. 5  shows further detail of rotary assembly  130 , flip belt  124 , conveyor  142  and support structures of output belt  132 , within clean space  104  (represented by a dashed box). Rotary assembly  130  is for example a removable, independently powered assembly for removably fitting with system  100 . As shown, rotary assembly  130  is driven by a belt  164  that interacts with gears  166  of each tumbler  128 A-E. For clarity, only three of the five illustrated gears  166  are labeled in  FIG. 5 . 
   Rollers  168  and  170  may be used to encourage food  160  (see  FIG. 4 ) along its path from flip belt  124 , through rollers  128 A-E and onto output belt  132  (see also  FIG. 4 ), for example preventing food  160  from passing over tumbler  128 A as it passes from flip belt  124  to rotary assembly  130 , and directing food  160  from assembly  130  onto output belt  132 , proximate tumbler  128 E. 
   Output belt  132  is for example a mesh or slotted belt supported by tray  172  and rotary assembly  174 . Exemplary fasteners  176  (shown as a plate and bold/screw set, although other fasteners may be utilized) are shown securing rotary assembly  174  within housing  102 . Encouraged by roller  168 , food  160  and breading material  152  (see  FIG. 4 ) pass from infeed belt  108  to a channel  138  (see  FIG. 2 ) of tumbler  128 A, which rotates counterclockwise to transfer food  160  and breading material  152  to a channel  138  of tumbler  128 B. Tumbler  128 B rotates clockwise to transfer food  160  and breading material  152  to a channel  138  of tumbler  128 C, which rotates counterclockwise to transfer food  160  and breading material  152  to a channel  138  of tumbler  128 D. Finally, tumbler  128 D rotates clockwise to transfer food  160  and breading material  152  to a channel  138  of tumbler  128 E, which rotates counterclockwise to deposit food  160  and breading material  152  onto output belt  132 , supported by the tray and rotary assembly  172 ,  174  shown in  FIG. 5 . Roller  170  is for example a stationary or a counterclockwise-rotating cylinder for encouraging food  162  onto output belt  132 . Both rollers  168 ,  170  may be finished with or made from a smooth material, such as silicone, to prevent transfer of breading material  152  from food  160 . 
   Excess breading material  152  falls from rotary assembly  130  to reclamation assembly  134 /chamber  140 , indicated by a dashed line, where it is conducted to infeed belt  108  via conveyor  142  to bread additional food  160 , as described with respect to  FIG. 2 . Where conveyor  142  is a belt, it may be combined with infeed belt  108  such that system  100  has three independently driven belts  108 / 142 ,  124  and  132 . Reclamation assembly  134 /chamber  140  may be removed from assembly  100  for cleaning and for refilling with additional or alternate breading material  152 , as needed. 
     FIG. 6  is a simplified view of the rotary assembly and belts of  FIG. 5 , illustrating maintenance of an input order of food  160 . As shown, food  160  is arranged roughly in a line across flip belt  124 . Food  160  is transferred to tumbler  128 A in generally the same linear order, and is passed between tumblers  128 B- 128 E in generally the same linear order. Thus, food  160  is linearly deposited on output belt  132 , reducing clumping of breaded food  160 . 
     FIGS. 7 and 8  are simplified side views of assembly  100 , indicating flow of food  160  and breading material  152  and showing exemplary internal support for housing  102  (see  FIG. 1 ). As described above with respect to  FIG. 1 , housing  102  may be constructed with a frame assembly, shown here as internal frame  178 . Stainless steel or other suitable housing material is supported by internal frame  178  to form housing  102 . In one embodiment, shown in  FIG. 7 , infeed belt  108  and conveyor  142  form one continuous belt  108 / 142 , and flip belt  124  is omitted. As indicated by dotted arrows  136 , infeed belt  108 / 142  transfers breading material  152  from reclamation assembly  134 /chamber  140  to a food input area  180 , beneath optional hopper  126 , where additional breading material  152  may be added, to rotary assembly  130 . Rotary assembly  130  is independently driven, e.g., by belt  164 . Excess breading material  152  is collected at reclamation assembly  134 /chamber  140  and picked up by infeed belt  108 / 142 . 
   Food processed by system  100  follows the path of arrows  110 ,  111 ,  113  and  115 . For example, food  160  placed in input area  180  is carried by infeed belt  108 / 142  beneath optional hopper  126  to rotary assembly  130 . Food  160  is tumbled with breading material, via tumblers  128 , and passed to output belt  132  for subsequent processing, packaging or cooking. 
   In one embodiment, illustrated by  FIG. 8 , infeed belt  108  is an independently driven belt, and flip belt  124  forms a continuous belt with conveyor  142 . As indicated by motion arrows  136 , breading material  152  (see  FIG. 4 ) is carried from reclamation assembly  134 /chamber  140  to a transfer point  182 , where food is transferred from infeed belt  108  to continuous belt  124 / 142 . Breading material  152  is conveyed from point  182  along continuous belt  124 / 142  to rotary assembly  130  (shown here with three large tumblers). Output belt  132  is preferably mesh, slotted or otherwise porous, to allow breading material  152  not adhered to food  160  to pass through, into reclamation assembly  134 /chamber  140 . System  100  (as shown in any of the previously-described drawings) for example employs a fan or blower  184  to dislodge excess breading material  152  from food  160  and output belt  132 . Dislodged breading material  152  falls through mesh or slotted output belt  132  and collects at reclamation assembly  134 /chamber  140 , which is for example a sieve for allowing fine breading material  152  to pass through and pile at depression  186  of sloped floor  188  while catching clumped breading, which may then be removed from system  100 . In one embodiment, output belt  132  vibrates to dislodge excess breading material from food  160  and belt  132 , for collection by reclamation assembly  134 /chamber  140 . 
     FIG. 9  is a flow chart illustrating a tumble breading method  200 . Step  202  is a decision. If the hopper is not full, the hopper is filled, in step  204 . Steps  202 ,  204  are optional, as indicated by dotted box  203 . In embodiments where breading material is input into a lower chamber of a tumble breading systems, a hopper may be omitted or used optionally. In one example of steps  200 ,  202 , hopper  126  ( FIG. 1 ) is filled with breading material  152  if hopper  126  is not filled to a desired level. 
   If the hopper contains ample breading material, at optional step  202 , a decision  206  is made as to whether ample breading material is contained in a breading chamber, such as chamber  140 . If not, the chamber is filled with breading material, in step  208 . In one example of step  208 , chamber  140  and/or reclamation apparatus  134  is opened via a door or chute in housing  102  and filled with breading material  152 . In another example of step  208 , chamber  140  and/or reclamation apparatus  134  slides from housing  102 , e.g., as a drawer in the housing, for filling. 
   Once the chamber has ample breading material, the breading material is distributed on an input belt, and food is placed on the input belt, in steps  210 ,  212 . In one example of step  210 , breading material conveyor  142  delivers breading material from chamber  140 /reclamation apparatus  134  to infeed belt  108 . As noted above with respect to  FIG. 7 , conveyor  142  and infeed belt  108  may form one continuous belt. One or more finger assemblies  144 , described with respect to  FIGS. 2-4 , are for example employed to facilitate distribution of breading material  152  across infeed belt  108  and to create waves of breading material to aid in covering food  160 , when placed on infeed belt  108 . 
   In one example of step  212 , food  160  is linearly arranged across infeed belt  108 , atop breading material  152 . Breading material  152  adheres to the bottom of food  160  as it travels along infeed belt  108 . Top surface  162  of food  160  is coated with breading material  152  as food  160  passes beneath waves  158  of breading material  152 , created by finger assemblies  144  as described with respect to  FIG. 4 . 
   In step  214 , food and breading material are conducted into a tumble breading apparatus. In one example of step  214 , food  160  and breading material  152  are conveyed within clean area  104  and optionally, beneath breading sprinkled by hopper  126 , via infeed belt  108 . Food and breading material are transferred to a second, internal belt, in step  216 , and to a rotary system, in step  218 . In one example of steps  216 ,  218 , food  160  is flipped over as it drops from infeed belt  108  to flip belt  124 . Un-coated surfaces of food  160  may be exposed to breading material dropping from infeed belt  108  to flip belt  124  during flipping. Food  160  and breading material  152  are transferred from flip belt  124  to a rotary system, in step  218 . 
   Food and breading materials are tumbled, in step  220 , and transferred to an output belt for conveyance from the tumble breading system, in step  222 . In one example of steps  218 - 220 , food  160  is transferred from flip belt  124  to a channel  138  of first tumbler  128 A, in generally the same linear order in which food  160  is arranged across infeed belt  108 , in step  212 . Tumbler  128 A rotates to transfer (i.e., drop) food  160  to a channel  138  of a second tumbler, e.g., tumbler  128 B. The number of tumblers  128  used to tumble food  160  may be customized according to food type, size or breading preference, for example tumbling hardy food through more tumblers and delicate foods through fewer tumblers, and tumbling larger foods through larger tumblers and smaller foods through smaller tumblers. Likewise, more tumblers  128  may be used where it is desired to work breading  152  thoroughly into muscle, pores or cavities of food  160 . As noted above, rotary assemblies  130  may be swapped to customize tumble breading system  100  for handling of specific foods. 
   Food  160  is transferred from a final tumbler  128  of rotary assembly  130  (for example, from tumbler  128 E, in FIGS.  1  and  5 - 7 , or from tumbler  128 C, in  FIGS. 2 and 8 ) to output belt  132  in generally the linear order in which it was placed upon infeed belt  108  (Step  212 ), and conveyed from clean area  104  to the outside of tumble breading apparatus  100 . 
   Excess material is dislodged from the food, in step  224 . For example, excess breading  152  falls from food  160  during conveyance, as well as during transfer to output belt  132 ). Additional loose breading  152  may be removed using a fan or blower. In one example, blower  184  dislodges loose breading material  152  from food  160 , and blows the loose material over mesh output belt  132 . Loose breading material  152  falls through openings in the mesh, and is collected, in step  226 . In one example of step  226 , breading material  152  dislodged from food  160  (e.g., by blower  184  and/or by transferring to output belt  222 ), and breading material dropped from tumblers  128 , falls into reclamation apparatus  134  and/or chamber  140 . Reclamation apparatus  134  may be a removable sieve that allows fine breading material  152  to pass through and collect within chamber  140 , while catching clumps of breading material  152  and any bits of food  160  that may have escaped output belt  222 . Reclamation apparatus  134  may thus be easily removed for cleaning. Likewise, reclamation apparatus  134  may serve as a sifter for newly-input breading material  152 . New breading material  152  may be deposited directly into reclamation apparatus  134  and shaken or vibrated to sift the breading material into chamber  140 . Optionally, breading material  152  collects or is deposited directly into chamber  140 , which may be a removable drawer, pan or other enclosure, or which may be a bottom portion within housing  102 . 
   From chamber  140 , new or reclaimed breading material  152  is distributed from chamber  140  to infeed belt  108 , e.g., via a breading material conveyor  142  or an auger mechanism (step  210 ). 
   Having now described the preferred embodiment of the breading machine of the present invention, it will be realized that the same is susceptible to various modifications and arrangements of parts without departing from the inventive concept thereof as is defined in the appended claims.