Patent ID: 8015917

Claim:
A food product transporter for a food processing apparatus having a food processing chamber for processing a food product, a serpentine conveyor for transporting said food product in a forward transport direction through said chamber from a loading station to an unloading station, said conveyer comprising first and second chains laterally spaced alone a lateral direction transverse to said forward transport direction, and a plurality of food product cradles on said conveyor for carrying said food product through said chamber from said loading station to said unloading station, each of said cradles comprising an opening receiving said food product at said loading station and discharging said food product at said unloading station, said opening having a width which varies during transversal of said conveyor from said loading station to said unloading station, wherein each of said cradles comprises two pieces comprising a leading food product carrier and a trailing food product carrier, each carrier of said carriers having a first segment and a second segment wherein said first and second segments meet at a junction, each of said cradles being formed by said second segment of said leading food product carrier and said first segment of said trailing food product carrier immediately therebehind, each of said cradles spanning laterally between and suspended between first and second sides replaceably mounted respectively to said first and second chains, wherein said conveyor has a plurality of upwardly traveling flights and a plurality of downwardly traveling flights, wherein each of said food product carriers is L-shaped and has a first leg providing said first segment, and a second leg providing said second segment, said first leg extending substantially horizontally during travel of said conveyor in one of said upwardly traveling flights, said second leg extending substantially vertically during travel of said conveyor in one of said upwardly traveling flights, said first and second legs meeting at said junction, wherein said first leg has a turned first lip at the end of said first leg opposite said junction, said first lip being turned to extend from said first leg in a direction opposite to said second leg such that said first lip extends upwardly during travel of said conveyor in one of said upwardly traveling flights, wherein said second leg has a turned second lip at the end of said second leg opposite said junction, said second lip being turned to extend from said second leg opposite to said first leg such that said second lip extends transversely during travel of said conveyor in one of said upwardly traveling flights.