GB1345380A - Smoking machine - Google Patents

Abstract

1345380 Smoking apparatus BEATRICE FOODS CO 10 Nov 1971 52160/71 Heading A2D A smoking apparatus comprises conveyor means for moving a stream of products along a predetermined path, first and second operating stations located for loading products onto and removing them from the conveyor means, a smoking chamber arranged between said stations to receive the conveyor means and enclose temporarily a portion of the product stream, means to direct liquid smoke into said chamber, means to nebulize the liquid smoke to form a smoke cloud and circulate the cloud in said chamber, means to prevent the escape of a substantial portion of said cloud from the smoking chamber, means to remove accumulated liquid smoke condensate from the chamber and conveyor means, means to control the conveyor speed, and means to regulate the density of the smoke cloud. A suitable apparatus is shown in Figs. 2 and 2A and comprises a product loading station 20, smoke station 40 and product discharge station 30. A continuous conveyor 60 fitted with vertical flights 61 carries cheeses 50 into station 40. This station includes a housing 41 and inlet and outlet tunnels 47 and 48 which preferably have cross sections slightly larger than those of the flights 61 and the treated product so that communication between the atmosphere and the interior of the housing 41 is minimized. This arrangement also prevents the escape of substantial amounts of smoke cloud from the interior of the housing. The station 40 is also provided with an exhaust system 70 connected to the tunnels 47 and 48 by ducts 71 and 72 for the removal of smoking medium and infiltration air. The apparatus includes a liquid smoke supply system comprising a liquid smoke reservoir 80, which supplies liquid smoke via flexible hose 82A to atomizing nozzles 90 mounted in the housing 41. These nozzles are positioned in a staggered relationship about the line of the conveyor (Figs. 1, 1A not shown) so as to create a moving cloud of nebulized liquid smoke. Air is supplied to the nozzles 90 via pneumatic supply line 92. The apparatus is also provided with a water supply System to cleanse the apparatus particularly the liquid smoke lines 89 and the conveyor 60.