Patent ID: 8800435

Claim:
A food processing apparatus comprising: a tank having an inlet end for receiving food product and an outlet end for discharging food product, the tank having an inner wall defining a compartment and including a solid, imperforate wall portion, fluid being contained in the compartment; a rotatable auger mounted in the compartment, the auger for advancing food product within the compartment from the inlet end toward the outlet end, the auger including flights having a flight wall with a radial edge, the flight wall separating a first auger section from a second auger section, a clearance space being defined between the radial edge of the flights and the solid, imperforate wall portion of the inner wall; wherein the clearance space inhibits the flow of fluid between the first auger section and the second auger section wherein one of the inner wall and the flight wall includes a perforated wall portion, and wherein flow of fluid between the first auger section and the second auger section is provided through the perforated wall portion; and further wherein the inner wall of the tank includes the perforated wall portion, the tank having a tank wall providing the solid, imperforate wall portion and, relative to the solid, imperforate wall portion, an outwardly-extending second wall portion, a passage being defined between the perforated wall portion and the second wall portion, the passage extending in a direction of the inlet end and the outlet end, the passage extending at least between the first auger section and the second auger section, and flow of fluid between the first auger section and the second auger section is provided through the perforated wall portion and into and along the passage; and further wherein the perforated wall portion is separate from and connected to the solid, imperforate wall portion; and further wherein the tank includes a support member connected between the second wall portion of the tank wall and the perforated wall portion of the inner wall.