GB1096717A - Bulk cooking of tinned foodstuffs - Google Patents

Abstract

1,096,717. Heating and cooling food in cans. H. M. HAYWARD. May 5, 1965, No. 18858/65. Heading A2D. [Also in Division B8] In an apparatus for the bulk cooking of tinned fodstuff, the tins are passed in a single pass through a heating zone whilst being rotated alternately in one direction or the reverse direction and are then cooled whilst being continuously rotated. Tins 8 are fed down a shoot 62 into individual cages formed by transverse rods 7 of a roller link conveyer 4, 5 and supported from below by two pairs of parallel spaced rightangled support members 14, 15 at either end of the conveyer 4, 5. The centre section of the conveyer 4, 5 passes through a heating zone comprising four separately fed rectangular gas-fired heating chambers (Figs. 4, 5 not shown) each having a perforated spreader plate and horizontally disposed above this a nozzle plate having longitudinal slot-like nozzles for burning a gas-air mixture. A rectangular hood 42 covers the heating zone. Immediately below the conveyer 4, 5 in the heating zone and between the support members 14, 15 and slidable under the inner end parts thereof, are two further parallel spaced tin support members 16 connected to a crank mechanism (Fig. 3, not shown) to effect reciprocation of these members 16 just below and parallel to the line of movement of the top pass of the conveyer 4, 5. The speed of the reciprocation movement of the members 16 is greater than the linear speed of the conveyer and causes the tins 8 to rotate alternately in reverse directions throughout the time they are passing through the heating zone. On leaving the conveyer 4, 5, the tins 8 roll down a ramp 52 and on to a cooling conveyer 43 that embodies, as tin supports, two V belts which are driven in the reverse direction to and at a higher rate of travel than the conveyer 43 to produce continuous rotation of the tins 8 thereon. Cooling water is sprayed on to the tins 8 by jets 57 over a section of the conveyer 43 partly enclosed by a shield 59 and the used water is collected in a trough 60.