Patent ID: 7475835

Claim:
In a method of transferring portioned food waste material, the improvements comprising transferring the waste material in a pipe system ( 7 ) from a feed station ( 1 ) to a collecting tank ( 9 ) with a pump device ( 8 ) arranged to the pipe system ( 7 ) between the feed station and the collecting tank ( 9 ) by passing the waste material through the pump device ( 8 ) operating in a forward direction, and transferring the waste material from the collecting tank ( 9 ) to an outlet pipe ( 11 ) by operating the pump device ( 8 ) in a reverse direction, closing a line valve ( 12 ) of the pipe system ( 7 ) and opening a line valve ( 13 ) of the outlet pipe ( 11 ) between the pump device ( 8 ) and the line valve ( 12 ) of the pipe system ( 7 ) for emptying the collecting tank ( 9 ), wherein the pump device ( 8 ) achieves at least partial vacuum on a suction side in at least one of operating in the forward and reverse directions.