Patent ID: 8132528

Claim:
A rotary pan comprising a central hollow cylindrical body with end portions shaped like truncated cones, and mixing/deflecting means attached to at least one inside surface of the pan; the pan being rotatable about a horizontal axis of rotation which runs through the center of the cylindrical body, the pan being adapted to and effective to apply a coating to a plurality of products being tumbled inside the pan when the pan is rotated about the horizontal axis of rotation, a peripheral inside cylindrical surface of the central hollow cylindrical body comprising an extended zone defined by a uniform distribution of through holes, said extended zone including at least one zone within the extended zone without holes in it and forming an area at which the mixing/deflecting means is attached or fixed to the peripheral inside cylindrical surface so that, when the pan is rotated, the mixing/deflecting means effectively deflects tumbling product away from the inside cylindrical surface and closer to the horizontal axis, and the mixing/deflecting means comprising at least two separate and distinct fins, each fin being rigidly fixed or connected along its full length and exactly covering a respective zone without holes, said two fins being discontinuous wherein discontinuous means not touching each other.