Patent ID: 7784397

Claim:
A method of heating or cooling including freezing foodstuffs, the method comprising: rotating a first spiral closed pipe serpent about an axis of rotation that extends between an entrance side through which foodstuffs enter the first closed pipe serpent and an opposite output side through which the foodstuffs exit the first closed pipe serpent and characterized in that the rotating first closed pipe serpent in a cross section of the axis of rotation has a non-circular, multi angled shape encircling the axis of rotation; supplying foodstuffs to the first closed pipe serpent at an entry point at the entrance side to be sucked into the first closed pipe serpent and conveyed in a spiral path about the axis of rotation to the opposite output side by the rotation of the first closed pipe serpent about the axis of rotation; and synchronizing the supply of foodstuffs to the first pipe serpent with at least one of the rotational speed and the angular position of the first pipe serpent by controlling the speed of loading the foodstuffs into the first pipe serpent.