GB1329013A - Food processing method and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1329013 Snack products NATIONAL BISCUIT CO 25 Aug 1970 40914/70 Heading A2B [Also in Divisions A4 and B5] Chip-type snacks are made by extruding strands of pre-cooked potato puree, or corn cereal mixture, through upper and lower groups of die orifices 13, each group being semi-annularly disposed and spaced from the other at opposite location 16, the strands 25, 35 from each group being separately maintained in spaced parallel alignment by respective passage, between and against upper guide pins 27 and in separate grooves 30 of a driven polytetrafluoroethylene roller 29, and between similar lower guide pins 37 and in grooves of similar rollers 32, 33, and then being combined in spaced parallel arrangement on a canvas endless travelling belt 20, by passage beneath a roller 38 through guide pins 39, and over another similarly grooved roller 34, and each strand then being discharged from the belt 20, between spaced guides 45, to be cut by rotary knives 64 against a hardened steel roller 59 from which the pieces 79, 80 of each strand fall or are stripped to fall by an adjustable doctor blade 81, between guides 78 and into the nip of flaking rollers 68, 69 which are cooled by internally circulated refrigerant and which effect a random flattening of, and combination P, of the cut pieces which then fall onto a further conveyor for passage through a drier oven. The knives 64 are mounted with resilient lost motion in a radial direction around collars 61 fixed, at keys 62, in spaced apart arrangement on a shaft 50 which is adjustably mounted with respect to the roller 59, the collars 61 being arranged to circumferentially stagger the knives 64. The die orifices may comprise a tapered inlet for compacting the extruded material.