Patent GB-1037239-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to continuous cooking apparatus
IPC: A23L21/12
Filed: 1964-07-24
Abstract: 1,037.239. Boiling preserves. W. BRIERLEY, COLLIER & HARTLEY, and P. GARRICK. July 24, 1964, No. 29742/64. Heading A2B. Apparatus for cooking a preserve, such as jam, jelly, or sugar confectionery, comprises an elongated tank 1, Fig. 1, divided into compartments A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H by transverse weirs 3 and baffles 4, whose lower edges are spaced from the bottom of the tank, so that the ingredients of the preserve flow through the tank in a vertically sinuous path and are heated and boiled, in compartments C, E and G, as by vertical, spaced, longitudinal steamchests 5. One or any two of three fruit pulps, contained in reservoirs 8a, 8b, 8c, is or are fed, through 3-way valves 10 and one or two pumps 9, into compartment A and mixed, by an agitator 11, with sugar syrup or glucose, supplied by a pump 13 from a reservoir 12. The resulting mixture flows, over the adjacent weir 3, into compartment B then, under the adjacent baffle 4, into heating compartment C, then, over the next weir, into compartment D, then, under the next baffle, into heating compartment E, then, over the next weir, into compartment F, and under the next baffle into heating compartment G and over the final weir into the final compartment H. The cooked mixture passes from this compartment through a pipe 17, a pump 16 and a pipe 25, and if necessary a cooler, to a station (not shown) where jars or cans are filled with the preserve, automatically or by hand. The mixture in the pipe 17 may be mixed with colouring and flavouring liquids, supplied from a reservoir 18, with aqueous citric acid or alkaline sodium citrate, supplied from reservoir 20 or 21 through an automatic selector 22 and an air-operated valve 23, and with cool syrup, supplied from the reservoir 12 through a pump 24. The pH value of the cooked mixture is controlled by three sensing probes 31 in the pipe 17. One of these compensates for temperature changes: the other two function as electrodes in a circuit containing another two electrodes immersed in a solution, e.g. aqueous sodium chloride, of known pH value. The electrical potential in this circuit controls a pH meter and a pen-recording controller so that, if the pH meter indicates a pH value below or above a desired value, pre-set at the controller, the selector 22 and valve 23 operate to shut off the supply of aqueous citric acid or alkaline sodium citrate. Each weir 3 of a heating compartment may be provided with notches 26, Fig. 2, aligned with the spaces between the steam-chests 5. Agitators may also be provided in compartments B, D and F. Pectin, from a resrvoir 14, may be fed into compartment F by a pump 15. Compartments B, D, F and H are provided with electronic sensing probes 27, 28, 29 and 30. Probe 29 responds to the temperature of the mixture in the compartment F and is associated with a pen-recording controller, which maintains the temperature of the finally cooked mixture at a desired pre-set value by automatically opening or closing an air-operated check valve in the steamchests in compartment G. The last-mentioned pen-recording controller may likewise regulate heating in compartments C and E in response to the electronic probes 27 and 28 in compartments B and D. The pair of probes 30 in compartment H control the outputs of the pumps 16, 19 and 24, so that the pump 24 stops if compartment H becomes empty. The pumps 9, 13, 15, 19 and 24 may be stopped automatically in response to sensing probes 32 in the ingredient reservoirs, an air-operated valve 33 in the first weir then being opened to allow direct flow from compartment A to compartment B. An air-operated valve 36 may be set and a pump 34 may then be started to transfer the mixture from compartments A, B and C into compartments D and E. When compartments A, B and C become empty, the probes 27 are exposed, the pump 34 is reversed and the valve 36 is re-set, so that the mixture in compartments D and E is pumped, through a pipe 37, into compartment F. When compartments D and E are empty, the probes 28 are exposed, the pump 34 is automatically stopped and an aid-operated valve 38 in the final weir is opened to allow the mixture to flow directly from compartment G, through compartment H, into the outlet pipe 17. By operating a valve 41 in the pipe 25, the mixture may be returned, through a pipe 42, to compartment F.