Food product breading machine

Details Food product breading machine Food product breading machine

2000-04-05

2001-08-07

Simone, Timothy (Department: 1761)

Foods and beverages: apparatus

Means to treat food

By stuffing or applying particulate material

C099S352000, C099S407000, C099S516000, C118S013000, C118S018000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06269739

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to breading machines and more particularly to breading machines used in commercial food preparation establishments with various kinds of breading materials and food products, and where the equipment must be disassembled and cleaned at regular, frequent intervals.
BACKGROUND
Breading machines are used in commercial food preparation settings where breaded food products must be supplied for frying or other cooking processes in large quantities on short notice. Fast food restaurants specializing in fried chicken, fish, etc. are exemplary of such settings. Typically, a food product coated with a batter of some sort is placed in a breading machine and conveyed to a breading station. The breading machines are constructed with reservoirs sized to contain significant amounts of breading material. The breading material is particulate and, when conveyed through the breading machine, tends to flow like a fluid. Breading material is conveyed through the reservoir with the food product to the breading station. The battered food product is coated with breading material at the breading station. The breaded product is then discharged from the machine and breading material that does not adhere to the product is recycled through the breading machine reservoir.
After use for a time, recycled breading material becomes moistened by batter from the food products processed through the machine. This can change the way in which the breading material flows as it is conveyed through the reservoir. In some circumstances breading material can become packed as it is “pumped” through the reservoir toward the breading station. In such cases breading material sometimes wells up and spills out of the machine
Prior art machines were sometimes constructed with a one-piece tamper located at the breading station for spreading breading material over the food products. The prior art tampers were formed by relatively heavy gage, circularly curved, sheet metal members. The tamper radii of curvature were large so the tampers were gently curved. The convex side of the tamper rode on products passing through the breading station. When used for breading “flat” food products, like ground veal patties, these tampers were ineffective to fully bread the product because they did not sufficiently mound breading material at the breading station. Flat food products often had unbreaded, central “seams” along the upper sides.
Health regulations or restaurant policies dictate that food processing machines be thoroughly cleaned on a regular basis. Breading machines are constructed so that they may be disassembled-by hand-quickly and easily for cleaning. Such machines are often fabricated from stainless steel sheet metal parts, stainless steel shafts, conveyor belts, etc. that lend themselves to frequent cleaning, but are heavy.
In the past, restaurant workers lifted and carried the breading reservoir and associated components when cleaning the machine or changing the breading material. For example, changing the product being breaded sometimes requires changing the breading material being applied. The breading material reservoir must be emptied and refilled. When the machine must be cleaned, the reservoir, which may be full of recycled breading material that has been thoroughly moistened by batter, must be emptied. In each case, the machine components forming the reservoir and associated components, together with sodden breading material in the reservoir, can make the reservoir and associated parts quite heavy. Furthermore, the reservoirs, with their associated components, are unwieldy.
Prior art breading machines were so constructed and arranged that removing breading material from the breading reservoirs was time consuming. The simplest method for removing the breading material was to pick up the reservoir and associated components and tip the reservoir enough to dump the breading. This procedure often required partially disassembling the machine—e.g. removing the conveyor driving connections.
The present invention provides a new and improved breading machine and method of operating a breading machine wherein the breading material reservoir is emptied quickly and easily without lifting or otherwise moving the reservoir.
The invention further provides a new an improved breading machine having a one-piece tamper that is constructed and arranged for mounding breading material so that flat food products passing through the machine are fully breaded.
Still further, the invention provides a new and improved breading machine wherein packed breading material being conveyed to the breading station does not spill from the reservoir.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention a new and improved method of operating a food product breading machine is provided wherein food products and breading material are conveyed through a breading station after which the breaded food products are delivered from the machine while unused breading material is recycled through the machine. The method comprises depositing breading material in a breading reservoir; training a perforate conveyor belt through the breading reservoir, a food product loading location, the breading station, a breaded food product discharge location, and back to the reservoir; and, driving the conveyor belt to pass food products through the machine while recycling unused breading material. The conveyor belt delivers breading material from the reservoir to the food product loading location and conveys the breading material and food product along a surface extending from the food product loading location to the breading station. After passing through the breading station, the breading material is dropped through the conveyor belt into the reservoir via a reservoir intake opening while the breaded food products are conveyed from the breading station to the discharge location. The breading material reservoir is emptied by positioning a breading material support member below the conveyor belt between the breading station and the discharge location, diverting breading material from being recycled through the reservoir, and conveying breading material from the breading station to the discharge location.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention a food product breading machine is provided that comprises a breading material reservoir, a breading station, a food product loading location, a discharge location from which breaded food products are discharged from the machine, and a perforate conveyor belt extending through the reservoir, the loading location, the breading station, and the discharge location. A breading material support supports breading material at the breading station. Breading material exiting the breading station falls through the conveyor and a reservoir intake opening below the conveyor belt between the breading station and the discharge location. Breaded food products remain on the belt and are conveyed to the discharge location. A breading support member is movable to a position beneath the conveyor belt between the breading station and the discharge location for preventing breading material from falling from the conveyor through the reservoir intake opening while supporting breading material adjacent the belt so that the breading material is conveyed to the discharge location and the reservoir is emptied.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention a food product breading machine is provided that comprises a breading material reservoir, a breading station, a food product loading location, a discharge location from which breaded food products are discharged from the machine, and a conveyor system extending through the reservoir, the loading location, the breading station, and the discharge location. A breading material support supports breading material at the breading station. A one-piece breading flow restrictor located at the breading station rides over food products passing through the breading station. The flow restrictor is supported adjacent one end by the breading machine and is biased toward

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