AU712926B2 - An autoclave for the continuous cooking and sterilising of food products in general - Google Patents

Description

S F Ref: 321010

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Rossi Catelli S.P.A.

Via Traversetolo, 2/A 43100 Parma

ITALY

Camillo Catelli and Roberto Notari Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia An Autoclave for the Continuous Cooking and Sterilising of Food Products in General e 6oeo r eo ee The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5845 1 AN AUTOCLAVE FOR THE CONTINUOUS COOKING AND STERILISING OF FOOD PRODUCTS IN GENERAL The present invention relates, in its more general aspect, to an autoclave for the heat-processing of food products in general in order to cook and sterilise them, particularly to give these products a long shelf life once suitably packaged.

In particular, but not in any limitative sense, this invention relates to an autoclave for the continuous cooking and sterilisation of food products in general in respective open containers.

Later in this description, purely by way of example, *reference will be made to the production of so-called ready meals, it being understood that the heat processes which can be carried out in the autoclave, which is the subject of the present invention, may be used to produce 20 food products which are differently packaged and for a different purpose.

Thus, for example, the autoclave can process the ingredients selected for: all types of tomato sauce; all types of tomato and vegetable sauce; all types of meat and meat and vegetable casseroles; 2 meat stew with potatoes or with peas; roast meats; rabbit, hare, wild boar, and the like cooked "alla cacciatora" (with mushrooms); fish-based dishes; starters.

It is well known that, in the preparation of ready meals of the type considered it is necessary to satisfy a dual requirement: to ensure on the one hand that the product is non-toxic for a longer time than that of its declared "long-life" period and, on the other hand, to ensure that the physical and organoleptic properties of the product (ready meal) remain as close as possible to those of a freshly prepared dish.

To this end, the prior art provides numerous processes V which can be divided into two groups, each based on respective different techniques for administering the 20 heat required for the cooking and sterilisation, that is: S.1) processes which use electromagnetic energy (in particular microwaves or infrared radiation), and 2) processes which use steam and/or a cooking liquid (for example water, oil and the like).

A process of the second group is described, for example, in U.S. Patent N. 4 882 191 which describes a sequence of operations (sterilisation by steam, cooking in water, straining and cooling) carried out in a sterile environment on pasta measured into open containers, these containers finally being sealed, still in a sterile environment, after the possible addition of any condiment.

In other processes of the second group, aimed in particular at the preparation of ready meals based on meat, fish, vegetables and the like, in which no cooking liquid is used there is obviously no need for straining; in yet other processes the cooking liquid is also used to sterilise the product and the container into which it is measured.

Still with reference to processes of the second group, in order to carry out the above heating processes the prior art offers, on the other hand, conventional autoclaves ".and, on the other hand plants which are essentially tunnels, suitably closed at both ends.

o It is known that autoclaves give excellent results from the point of view of carrying out heat processing under pressure, in a sealed, sterile and easily controlled environment. However their use becomes difficult, if not impossible, when the product to be processed is measured into open containers (as in the case considered here) which must then be packaged under sterile conditions; and autoclaves are not even considered when the 4 production process needs to be continuous, as it usually does.

Processing tunnels are well suited to this type of process (on a continuous production line); indeed they enable continuous processing to be carried out on products measured into open containers; however they are not totally reliable from the point of view of sterility and hygiene and, in any case, are not as reliable as autoclaves.

Attempts to improve processing tunnels or to adapt autoclaves to the requirements of continuous processing have led to the development of equipment with such specialised structural and functional characteristics that it is not generally possible to use the same equipment for two different processes nor even to carry out the same process on two different products, even if these belong to the same product family.

US-A-4,196,225 discloses a pressure cooker and cooler, comprising a horizontally disposed pressure vessel having inlet and outlet pressure locks and a transporting system, to move the cart filled with containers to be processed one by one.

US-A-4,773,321 discloses a sterilising apparatus comprising an inlet lock, a sterilising chamber, an outlet lock, a conveyor, a loading and unloading station and means for the supply of processing fluids.

US-A-4,346,650 discloses a hot water sterilizer and cooker, comprising a preparatory chamber, a sterilizing tank, cooling tank, drive means and an off-loading tank.

DE-A-38 23 723 discloses an apparatus for the continuous sterilization of foods in containers, comprising a preparation chamber, a processing chamber including steam ooooo supplies and a cooling chamber, wherein the chambers are separated by doors, and the •'"containers are transported through the chambers on a conveyor.

It is well known that in order to obtain the best products both from an 25 organoleptic point of view as well as the product life, it is necessary to use different temperatures, processing times, pressures and volumes of cooking liquid not only for products of a different nature but also for similar products which differ only in their *o o °thickness, dimensions, weight and shape.

o a a a o• a. a [R:\LIBLL]08473.doc:MF It is thus understandable that the rigid application of prior art equipment constitutes a serious problem for any company involved in the production of ready meals spread over a wide range of basic products.

The problem forming the basis for the present invention is that of developing and providing a plant which enables food products in general to be cooked and sterilised, so that it is suitable for use in the continuous production of so-called ready meals, which differ by nature, weight, consistency, dimensions and shape, while simultaneously offering accurate automatic control of all operating steps.

This problem is solved according to the present invention by an autoclave of the type considered, the characteristics of which are described in the Claims V which follow.

The advantages and characteristics of a continuous autoclave of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of one embodiment thereof, given eo below with reference to the appended drawings, provided a.o.

purely by way of non-limitative example.

S *aa* In the drawings: Figure 1 is a schematic, sectioned, plan view of a continuous autoclave according to the present invention; t 6 Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of an accessory of the autoclave of the invention; Figures 3 to 7 are schematic side and plan views of means for transferring the food products to be processed into the autoclave of the invention; Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the transfer means of Figure Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a detail of the autoclave of Figure 1 viewed from the interior thereof; Figure 10 is a schematic perspective view of a detail of the conveyor used in the autoclave of the invention; and Figures 11 to 16 illustrate schematically the operation of the conveyor of Figure Seo An autoclave according to the invention essentially .c.O S. comprises a cylindrical body 1 with a horizontal axis A defining a processing chamber 2 in which all heat 20 processing can be carried out to sterilise and cook the food products which, for example, make up so-called ready meals.

The description which follows refers to the production of ready meals but is not limited thereto.

The processing chamber 2 is generally a pressurised steam chamber and is a chamber which is kept strictly sterile.

7 An inlet region therein for dishes to be processed and an outlet region for processed dishes are indicated 3 and 4 respectively.

A preparation station 8 is arranged close to the inlet region 3 where the dishes are prepared for processing and a plurality thereof are arranged on a single support.

In a preferred, though not exclusive embodiment, in which the dishes include a dished container or tray 9, of the type, for example, with two compartments 10, 11 of different capacities, with a flat, outwardly-projecting peripheral edge 9a, the supports are constituted by flat rectangular trays 12 with a number of windows 12a equal to the number of containers 9 to be arranged on the tray.

In the embodiment illustrated, the trays 12 are of a size to carry four containers 9 arranged in a line; naturally V it is possible, and in some cases advantageous, to use trays of a size to support a plurality of lines of containers 9; in other cases, which avoid the need for the dished containers, the food to be processed is measured into a single large tray, naturally without windows.

25 A reception chamber for the trays 12 with their containers 9 is schematically indicated 14. In particular, this chamber 14 is constructed of a size to receive one tray 12 at a time.

8 The tray-reception chamber 14 extends to the side of the body 1 of the autoclave, along an axis B perpendicular to the axis A thereof, and communicates with the inlet region 3 of the processing chamber 2 through an air lock chamber 15. The air-lock chamber 15 is also outside the body 1 of the autoclave and extends along the same axis B as the tray-reception chamber 14. Like the latter, the air-lock chamber 15 is of a size to receive one tray 12 at a time, arranged along the axis B.

With reference to Figure 1, the air-lock chamber communicates at one end with the tray-reception chamber 14 through a first circular aperture 16 formed as a valve seat and at the other end with the inlet region 3 of the processing chamber 2 through a second circular aperture 17, also formed as a valve seat.

teeoo* A first lead-screw assembly, comprising a screw 19 and a rotatable threaded sleeve element 20, is generally 20 indicated 18 and is supported along the axis B outside o 4o the tray-reception chamber 14 at the opposite end from that opening to the air-lock chamber At one end, the screw 19 has an obturator disc 22 of a o. 25 structure and size to cooperate with the valve seat o aperture 16 so as to seal the air-lock chamber hermetically when required.

9 A second lead screw assembly (24-25), identical to the first and generally indicated 23 is also supported along the axis B outside the body 1 of the autoclave at the end opposite that which communicates with the air-lock chamber The screw 24 of this lead-screw assembly extends through the cylindrical wall of the body 1, with the interposition of seal means, not shown; the end of the screw 24 inside the body 1 has an obturator disc 26 coaxially fixed to it which is structured and dimensioned to engage the valve seat aperture 17 so as to close the air-lock chamber 15 hermetically.

A pair of horizontal, parallel tines 13a, 13b, reinforced by a plurality of cross-members, is fixed to that face of the obturator 22 facing the aperture 16; these tines

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e «13a, 13b are intended to support the opposite longer :"sides of a tray 12. An abutment 13c is provided between the obturator 22 and the tines 13a, 13b for positioning and pushing the trays 12, as will be explained later in o. this description.

The tines 13a, 13b essentially form a sort of pusher arm 25 P1 driven by the screw 19 for supporting and moving the trays 12 along the axis B towards, and into, the air-lock chamber 15, as will become clearer in the description below.

It should be noted that, in accordance with a characteristic of this invention, the obturator means 22 which releasably engage the valve seat aperture 16 of the air-lock chamber 15 are driven by the pusher arm P1.

This ensures the required synchronisation between the opening-closing of the valve seat 16 and the insertionwithdrawal of the pusher arm into and out of the air-lock chamber In exactly the same way, the ends of a respective pair of horizontal, parallel tines 28, 29 are fixed to that face of the obturator 26 facing the aperture 17 of the airlock chamber 15, these tines being substantially the same length as the trays 12 and constituting a second pusher arm P2. In the embodiment illustrated, these tines 28, 29 are mutually spaced by a distance greater than the *0 *60 spacing between the tines 13a, 13b mentioned above with 6S 0*o° which they must cooperate. The pairs of tines 13a, 13b *ooo and 28, 29 are coplanar and are constituted by 20 rectangular, flat profiled members arranged on their o edges (like a knife). The tines 28, 29 are wider than the tines 13a, 13b so that their upper edges are slightly **age:S higher than those of the latter.

ieee goo* 25 Idle rollers 30, 31 are mounted at the free ends of the tines 28, 29 (Figure 8) for rotation about horizontal axes perpendicular to the tines themselves. The diameters of the rollers 30, 31 and their positions are 11 chosen so that the rollers project above the upper edges of the respective tines 28 and 29.

Near the obturator disc 26, the tines 28, 29 have respective identical teeth 32, 33, of saw-tooth profile, arranged with their inclined or dorsal edge 32a, 33a facing the free ends of the tines. These teeth 32, 33 are intended to engage corresponding slots 34, 35 in the shorter sides of the trays 12 (Figure 2) as will be explained later in this description.

Each tine 28, 29 also has two identical, substantially rectangular notches 36, 37, of a predetermined width, arranged with its longer side vertical and opening into the upper edge of the tine itself; these notches are mutually spaced by a predetermined distance. The notches 36 are aligned in a direction parallel to the axis A of the autoclave i, as are the notches 37.

A horizontal conveyor of the so-called stepping type, generally indicated 40, extends longitudinally through the processing chamber 2 in the autoclave body i, 9999 preferably in a diametral plane thereof, and is supported by conventional means, not shown.

.e o In a preferred embodiment, this conveyor includes a first pair of mutually-spaced, flat profiled members 41, 42 supported on their edges and extending from the inlet 12 region 3 to the outlet region 4 of the processing chamber 2, and a second pair of movable, flat, profiled members 43, 44 supported on their edges between the profiled members 41, 42. The fixed and movable profiled members have equal pluralities of rectangular recesses 45, 46 formed in their upper edges, these recesses having a length and depth equal to the width and depth respectively of the trays 12 so that they can engage them and hold them in transversely-extending positions as will be explained in the description below.

The movable profiled members 43, 44 are mutually spaced by a distance equal to the distance between the notches 36, 37 in the tines 28, 29 and are of such a thickness that they can slide in the notches 36, 37. In addition, the profiled members 43, 44 are interconnected by a plurality of cross-members 47 so as to form a rigid, movable frame.

20 This movable frame is connected by a drive transmission to equipment which can drive its movement in the rectangular path required to advance the conveyor eoe stepwise. In relation to the fixed profiled members 41, 42, and starting from an initial position in which the 25 movable profiled members are in a slightly lower position than the fixed profiled members and are aligned with the notches 36, 37 in the tines 28, 29 of the pusher arm P2, this rectangular movement includes: 13 a horizontal movement of the movable profiled members 43, 44 until they engage the said notches, passing under any tray 12 supported by the tines 28, 29; a vertical upward movement out of the notches 36, 37 so as to lift the tray 12 from the tines 28, 29; a horizontal movement away from the tines and, finally, a vertical, downward movement returning to the starting position, simultaneously delivering the tray 12 collected from the tines 28, 29 to the fixed profiled members 41, 42.

Since equipment of the said type and the transmission means connecting it to the movable frame are known per 15 se, they are neither described nor illustrated here in detail.

Purely by way of example, a shaft 38 extending along the axis A and driven by drive means 38a located outside the 20 body 1 and on its inlet side, is shown for driving the 0• S vertical movements of the movable frame; this shaft 38 S•has a plurality of cams 38b which engage appropriate abutments on the frame itself, for example the crossmembers 47 thereof. The shaft 38 may have an associated lead-screw assembly 38c arranged outside the body 1 on its outlet side for driving the horizontal movements of the movable frame.

14 Ducts 39, 39a extend longitudinally through the processing chamber 2 for delivering and metering the fluids required for the heat-processing of the food portions in the containers 9.

A lead-screw assembly 48-49 with a rotatable, threaded sleeve element is fixed to the outside of the outlet region 4 of the body 1 and is rotated by drive means schematically indicated 50. The screw 48 projects at one end 51 into the outlet region 4 of the processing chamber 2 and an obturator disc 52 is fixed coaxially to this end 51, its dimensions and structure being such that it can form a pressurised-fluid-tight seal with a valve seat aperture 53 which puts the outlet region 4 of the 15 processing chamber 2 into communication with a furtherair-lock and cooling chamber 7 which extends outside the autoclave body 1 along a horizontal axis C perpendicular to the axis A of the autoclave.

20 A straight pusher arm P3 is fixed to that face of the obturator disc 52 facing the valve seat 53, extends parallel to the axis C and of the same size and structure as the pusher arm P1 described above with reference to the inlet side of the processing chamber 2 so as to support a tray 12. Those components of the pusher arm P3 which are identical to those of the pusher arm P2 are indicated by the same reference numerals with the addition of the suffix The air-lock and cooling chamber 7 communicates with the outside through a valve seat aperture 55 with which an obturator disc 56 cooperates, this disc being fixed coaxially to the free end of a screw 57 actuated by a suitably driven threaded sleeve 58 extending along the axis C on the opposite side from the lead-screw assembly 48-49.

A pair of tines 59, 60 is fixed to the face of the obturator disc 56 facing the valve seat 55 so as to form a final pusher arm P4, the tines being mutually spaced so as to receive between them the arm P3 with which they must cooperate as described below.

The operation of the autoclave of the invention is as follows: In a starting condition, the pusher arm P1 and its associated obturator disc 22 are fully withdrawn inside the tray-reception chamber 14 while the arm P2 is fully inserted in air-lock chamber 15 and its obturator disc 26 hermetically seals the valve seat aperture 17.

The air-lock chamber 15 is thus open to the chamber 14 but hermetically sealed from the chamber 2.

The pusher arm P3 is fully inserted in the air-lock and cooling chamber 7 which is thus closed to the outlet region 4 of the processing chamber 2 while the pusher arm *••go o*o [R:\LIBLL]08473.doc:MFF 16 P4 is fully inserted in the chamber 7 which is hermetically sealed from the sterile chamber 61 or any other, possibly pressurised, chamber, by the engagement of the obturator 56 with the valve seat 55. The description which follows refers to a single tray 12 supporting four dished containers 9 with respective portions of food to be processed.

In the chamber 14, the tray 12 under consideration is arranged on the pusher arm P1 with its long sides resting on the tines 13a, 13b of this arm. Thus, the containers 9 project beneath the tray 12.

Under the action of the lead-screw assembly 18, the arm P1 and the tray 12 supported thereon are pushed towards and into the air-lock chamber e As soon as it enters the chamber, the front, shorter side of the tray 12 encounters the idle rollers 30 and 31 of the tines 28, 29. As the arm P1 continues to advance between the tines 28, 29 the tray 12 is gradually lifted e from the arm P1 and deposited on the tines 28, 29 of the arm P2. Subsequently, as it draws near the obturator disc 26, the front, shorter side of the tray 12 encounters the teeth 32 and 33 which immediately engage the slots 34 and 35 respectively in the tray 12. This engagement completes the transfer of the tray 12 from the arm P1 to the tines 28, 29 of the arm P2 while, at the same time, the obturator disc 22 sealably engages the corresponding aperture/valve seat 16, hermetically sealing the air-lock chamber 15 from the tray-reception chamber.

The lead-screw assembly 18 is stopped while the leadscrew assembly 23 is actuated and moves the arm P2 and its obturator disc 26 away from the air-lock chamber and from the valve seat 17 respectively.

This movement continues until the tines 28, 29 of the arm P2 and the tray supported thereon are fully inside the inlet region 3 of the processing chamber 2.

At this point, the stepping conveyor 40 is started and first moves the movable profiled members 43, 44 horizontally towards the tray 12. With this movement, the profiled members 43, 44 engage the notches 36, 37 in the tines 28, 29, being inserted under the tray 12. Next (second step) the movable profiled members 43, 44 are raised and carry the tray 12 away from the tines 28, 29.

.ooo.i With the subsequent horizontal movement (in the opposite direction from the previous one) and downward movement, the cyclic movement of the stepping conveyor 40 in its rectangular path is completed and, at the same time, the tray is deposited on the fixed profiled members 41, 42.

18 At this point, the arm P2 and its obturator 26 are returned to theair-lock chamber 15 with the hermetic sealing of the valve seat 17. Once this is closed, the arm P1 may be returned to the chamber 14 to collect another tray 12 with its containers.

The stepping conveyor 40 continues to operate, advancing the tray 12 stepwise towards the outlet region 4 of the chamber 2.

During this passage, the food in the various containers 9 is pasteurised and/or sterilised and/or cooked by the processing fluids dispensed by the ducts 39 and 39a.

In order to leave the autoclave 1, the tray 12 which has completed its passage through the processing chamber 2 must be transferred from the final position reached on the conveyor 40 to the pusher arm P3.

20 In accordance with a further characteristic of the

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present invention, a transfer trolley 62 (Figure 10) is used for this purpose, the trolley being positioned between the movable profiled members 43, 44 of the conveyor 40 with which it is associated as described o hereafter.

In a preferred but not limitative embodiment, the trolley 62 comprises a pair of flat profiled members 63, 64 19 arranged on edge and reinforced by cross-members Identical rectangular notches 66, 67 are formed opposite each other in the upper edges of the profiled members 63, 64 for supporting and retaining a tray 12.

The profiled members 63, 64 are of such a thickness that they can releasably engage the notches 36a, 37a in the pusher arm P3.

The transfer trolley 62 is guided for movement along the profiled members 43, 44 but is securely fixed for vertical movements therewith.

To advantage, separate drive means (for example a leadscrew assembly) from those used to move the profiled members 43, 44 are used to drive the horizontal movements of the trolley 62 e e When desired and/or requested, the trolley 62 may be secured to the movable profiled members 43, 44, for example by means of the appropriate actuation of the S• respective drive means.

With reference to Figures 11-16, a time t. in the operation of the conveyor 40 is considered in which (Figure 11) the trolley 62 is withdrawn between the movable profiled members 43, 44 and a tray 12 with its containers of cooked food is arranged transversely on it (as on the movable profiled members and on the fixed profiled members of the conveyor 40). The pusher arm P3 is free while the arm P2 supports a tray 12 with its containers of food to be cooked.

The conveyor 40 now begins its rectangular movement; in particular (Figure 12), the movable profiled members 43, 44 are moved horizontally so as to engage the pusher arm P2 beneath the tray 12 supported thereon while the trolley 62 is held in its initial position described above. In effect, the trolley 62 is "slipped" off the movable profiled members 43, 44, the profiled sections essentially being extended telescopically. During this movement, the tray 12, which remains in the notches 46 of the fixed profiled members 41, 42 is located over the trolley 62, the notches 66, 67 thereof being aligned with the notches 45, 46 of the fixed profiled members. It should be noted in this context that the upper edges of the end portions of the profiled members 43, 44 are smooth.

Once the above horizontal movement is completed, the trolley 62 is also secured to the profiled members 43, 44 against relative horizontal movement.

At this point (Figure 13) the profiled members 43, 44 and the trolley 62 are raised so that the tray 12 is lifted from the arm P2 and from the fixed profiled members 41, 42. After this (Figures 14 and 15), the movable profiled members 43, 44 are moved horizontally away from the pusher arm P2 and lowered once again to their initial level. In these movements, the trolley 62 with the tray 12 is first moved over the pusher arm P3 and then lowered to engage the notches 36a, 37a therein. With this engagement, the trolley 62 has delivered the tray 12 to the pusher arm P3.

Finally (Figure 16), the trolley 62 is withdrawn between the movable profiled members 43, 44, resuming the initial position it occupied at the time to, that is beneath a new tray 12 resting on the fixed profiled members The lead-screw assembly 48, 49 is now activated and the pusher arm P2 and the tray 12 supported thereon are transferred into the chamber 7. At the end of this movement, the arm P3 is fully inside the air-lock and cooling chamber 7 while the obturator disc 52 carried by 20 the arm has sealably engaged the corresponding valve seat aperture 53. On entering the air-lock and cooling *o*chamber 7, the front, shorter side of the tray 12 0 encounters the idle rollers of the tines 59 and 60 which gradually raise the tray 12, transferring it from the arm P3 to the arm P4.

Once this transfer is complete, the pusher arm P4 and its obturator disc 56 are moved outside the chamber 7 by the 22 lead-screw assembly 57-58 into an environment 61 where, for example, the processed foods may be fully cooled ready to be packaged under sterile conditions.

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Claims (19)

1. An autoclave for the continuous heat-processing by cooking and sterilising of foods in general measured into respective open containers, including: an autoclave body, a processing chamber for processing the foods within the body and including, in succession, a) an inlet region for the foods b) a region for the heat-processing of the food measured into open containers, means being provided in this region for the supply of processing fluids, c) an outlet region for the processed foods, first and second air-lock chambers arranged externally to the side of the autoclave body and communicating with the inlet region and the outlet region respectively of the processing chamber through corresponding apertures fitted with valve closure members, a conveyor inside the processing chamber for transferring the open containers full of food from the inlet region to the outlet region through the heat- processing region, first and second transfer means respectively for transferring the open containers full of food from the first air-lock chamber to the inlet region of the processing chamber and from the outlet region thereof to the second air-lock chamber, third and fourth means respectively for introducing the open containers into the first air-lock chamber and for withdrawing the containers full of processed food from the second air-lock and cooling chamber, wherein S each of said open containers includes a flat elongate tray, 25 each of said first and second transfer means includes a pusher arm 9o** having a width and length substantially equal to those of the tray and means for releasably retaining the tray on the pusher arm, and each of the pusher arms supports an associated valve closure member engageable with a corresponding one of the apertures. 30

2. An autoclave according to claim 1, wherein the first air-lock chamber communicates with the external environment through at least one further aperture provided with valve closure members and wherein the air-lock chamber communicates with a sterile environment through a respective aperture provided with valve closure members. [R:\LIBLL]08473.doc:MFF

3. An autoclave according to claim 2, wherein the apertures are constructed as valve seats, releasably engageable by respective obturators.

4. An autoclave according to claim 3, wherein each of said third and fourth container-transfer means include a pusher arm having a width and length substantially equal to those of the tray and means for releasably retaining the tray on the pusher arm, and wherein each of said pusher arms supports an associated obturator disc engageable with a corresponding one of the valve seat apertures.

An autoclave according to claim 4, wherein the pusher arm comprises a pair of parallel rod-like tines mutually spaced by a distance no greater than the width of the trays and interconnected at one end where they have saw-tooth projections for releasably engaging respective slots in the edges of the trays.

6. An autoclave according to claim 5, wherein the pusher arms are arranged in the inlet region of the processing chamber, in the outlet region thereof and in the air-lock chambers on the axes of respective valve seat apertures which put the said regions into communication with the respective air-lock chambers, the pusher arm being arranged in pairs in opposition to each other.

7. An autoclave according to claim 6, wherein the pusher arms are guided for respective movements from the inlet region into the first air-lock chamber and vice versa and, from the outlet region into the second air-lock and cooling chamber and vice versa, and drive means are provided for driving the reciprocating linear movements of the pusher arms.

8. An autoclave according to claim 7, wherein the drive means for driving reciprocating linear movements of the pusher arms are constituted by lead-screw assemblies in which the threaded sleeve element is rotatable and in which the screw is 25 fixed and extends in alignment with a respective pusher arm. "i

9. An autoclave according to claim 7, wherein the pusher arms for transferring the trays from the first air-lock chamber to the inlet region and from the outlet region to the second air-lock chamber have tines spaced by a distance enabling their opposite pusher arm to be accommodated between them. 30

10. An autoclave according to claim 7, wherein the pusher-arms each have respective means for collecting a tray from their opposite pusher-arm and transferring it to themselves.

11. An autoclave according to claim 10 wherein the collection means comprise two idle rollers mounted on the free ends of the tines of the pusher-arms for 7 r(1 [R:\LIBLL]08473 .doc:MFF rotation about axes perpendicular to the direction of movement of the arms themselves, these idle rollers projecting above the upper edges of their respective tines.

12. An autoclave according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor is of a type that advances stepwise.

13. An autoclave according to claim 12, wherein the conveyor comprises a first pair of fixed flat profiled members supported in the processing chamber and extending parallel to its axis from the inlet region to the outlet region thereof and a second pair of flat profiled members supported for movement between the fixed profiled members, means being provided for moving the movable profiled members in a rectangular path of movement relative to the fixed profiled members.

14. An autoclave according to claim 13, wherein the fixed and movable profiled members of the stepping conveyor are arranged on their edges and each movable profiled member has an end portion releasably engageable with corresponding notches formed in the tines of the pusher-arm for transferring the trays to the inlet region of the processing chamber.

An autoclave according to claim 13, wherein the conveyor includes a trolley for transferring the trays from the fixed profiled sections to the pusher arm for removing the trays from the processing chamber.

16. An autoclave according to claim 14, wherein the fixed and movable profiled members have respective pluralities of identical recesses in their upper edges of such a size that they can receive the trays therein.

An autoclave according to claim 14, wherein the movable profiled C °members are mutually reinforced by a plurality of cross-members so as to form a movable frame. 25

18. An autoclave according to claim 16, wherein the means for moving the movable frame to effect the said rectangular movement are located outside the autoclave body.

19. An autoclave for the continuous heat-processing by cooking and sterilising of foods, substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the 30 embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings. 4 Dated 17 September, 1999 4 Rossi Catelli S.P.A. Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON [R:\LIBLL]08473.doC:MFF