US2639656A

US2639656A - Potato chip bleaching equipment

Info

Publication number: US2639656A
Application number: US230760A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry D Furniss
Original assignee: GORDON FOODS Inc
Current assignee: GORDON FOODS Inc
Priority date: 1951-06-09
Filing date: 1951-06-09
Publication date: 1953-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 1970-05-26

Description

May 26, 1953 H. D. FURNISS 2,639,656

POTATO CHIP BLEACHING EQUIPMENT Filed June 9, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. HENRY D. FURNISS ATTORNEY May 26, 1953 H. D. FURNISS 2,639,656

POTATO CHIP BLEACHING EQUIPMENT Filed June 9, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IFIG.6

INVENTOR. HENRY D. FURNISS ATTORNEY Patented May 26, 1953 2,639,656 POTATO CHIP BLEACHING EQUIPMENT Henry D. Furniss, Atlanta, Ga.., assignor to Gordon Foods, Inc., Atlanta, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Application June 9, 1951, Serial No. 230,760

known that occasionally some of the finished chips will appear dark in color, as if burned, and will have an unpalatable taste which renders them unsuitable for marketing. In an efiort to overcome this difficulty, inspection and experim ntation was first given to the cooking oils. As another precautionary step the frequenc of cleaning the various machines and tanks through which the potatoes passed was increased. None of this, however, provided a permanent cure for this occasional disturbance, inasmuch as the trouble lay within the potatoes. Food chemists employed in this problem have suggested bleaching in a solution of sodium bisulphate, or other suitable agent, for approximately one minute at substantially 180 F; but, up to the time of the present application, no one has successfullysolved the problem of providing automatic machinery of such construction that the continuous features of the existing machinery would not be interferred with, and making provision for quick and easy change from the usual meth- 0d of cooking to the bleach method, and vice versa.

It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide a tumbling tank used with prior art machinery for the preparation of 190-.

tato chips, which tumbling tank is arranged and constructed so as to by-pa-ss the potato slices from their normal steps of processing to give them an extra, and heretofore commercially unused processing bath.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such mechanism which also includes thermostatically controlled heating coils for maintaining the liquid bath at an even temperature.

Another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor belt arranged to carry the potato slices over the length of the tumbling tank in order to subject the moving slices to the steam before the tumbling process begins.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an automatic dispenser for a chemical which is placed into the bath, which chemical tends to produce uniformity of color in the slices at their final cooking.

Another highly important object of the invention is the provision of inclined conveyors so attached to the tumbling tank itself as to permit the entire mechanism to be positioned adpacent to, and used in connection with, any prior art tank, without a definite connection by means of bolts or screws, and with provision for putting the added equipment selectively into and out of use quickly and easily, at will, with a minimum of movement and without alteration or change in existing equipment.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description when taken in connection with the drawing in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional View taken through an embodiment of my invention in an auxiliary tumbling mechanism for potato slices.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a left end view of the device illustrated in Fig. 1 with a portion of the end wall broken away.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View of one end of a tumbling barrel used in connection with the invention.

Fig. 5 is a partially broken isometric view of the dispenser mechanism for injecting a chemical into the bath of the tank.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatical plan view illustrating the path of travel of the potato slices from certain steps in a prior art process through the present invention.

In the drawing, numeral ll! designates generally a bleaching tank which is made rectangular in shape and provided with suitable legs I I. The tank may be made of stainless steel, or may be treated in any manner to prevent corrosion. At one end of the tank, and anchored to the side walls thereof, is a cross member 12 which, in the present instance, is simply a length of steel channel welded at its ends to the side walls of the tank and serving as a support for a bearing l3. In alignment with this bearing [3 is another bearing 14 positioned in the left end wall of the tank as viewed in Fig. 1. Rotatably journaled in these two bearings is the shaft l5 of a tumbling barrel which is designated generally by the numeral IS. The barrel is made of a screen wire mesh formed into the shape of a cylinder, the ends thereof being finally affixed to a pair of end rims ll. As seen in Fig. 4, the rim is simply a metal band or wheel provided with spokes [8 extending from a operation of the device.

the barrel 6.

3 hub IS. The hub is is, of course, bored for the shaft |5 which is rotatably mounted in the previously mentioned bearings i3 and I4.

As illustrated in Fig. l, the shaft I5 extends through and beyond the left end wall of the tank |fi and is provided with a sprocket 2|. Means for rotating this sprocket includes a conventional gear reducer 22, an electric motor 23, with a connecting chain 24. Thus, upon supplying current to the motor 22, the tumbling barrel I6 is made to revolve. One of the spokes it at the righthand end of the barrel I6 is provided with aim or vane 28 more clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. The vane 26 is turned angularly with respect to the direction of rotation of the barrel so as to pull the solution inwardly through the barrel and force it out the opposite end. This operation will be more clearly pointed out in the description of 7 Moreover, inside the barrel l3 is another vane 2E1 placed slightly angularly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the barrel, so that when the barrel I6 is rotated, the bath will not only be agitated but actually made to move through the barrel as described above. While I have shown a single such vane, it is understood that several could be used according to the agitation desired. Short lengths of these vanes could be placed in overlapping relationship as spirals along the inner i'vall surface of the barrel l6.

At each end of the tumbling barrel I8, I have provided balfle plates or

partition walls

25 and 26 having holes bored therein of a diameter sufficient to slidably receive the end rim portion H of the tumbling barrel it. By such construction the potato slices are made to enter the barrel at the right-hand end 01' the bleaching tank as viewedin Fig. 1 due to the churning action of the vane 2E), and are floated to the opposite end of the barrel in the aqueous bath. By placing the two partition walls 25 and 28 at the ends or the barrel, thepotato slices are prevented from. 001- lecting at the sides of the barrel where they might be lost in the process. To further assist the potato slices in entering the tumbling barrel |6, I have provided a screen baffle 2| fixed. to both the side walls of the tank Ill and positioned angularly therein so as to direct the potato slices into Should a portion of the potato slices be extra heavy and have a tendency to sink, they will be caught by this screen and directed into the tumbling barrel without being allowed to settle in the bottom of the tank. The screen bafile 2| also allows the agitated bath to move freely through the barrel with the minimum amount of restriction.

In Fig. I it will also be noted that the bleaching bath is kept ata level 27 slightly above the axial center line of the barrel it which almost reaches the topmost diametrical point of the end rims II. By keeping the bath at this level, the potato slices are certain he be submerged in the solution when the barrel and vane begin the tumbling action.

Positioned immediately above the barrel IS in the tank ill is a conveyor belt 28 passed over the two rollers 2e and 3|). These rollers are provided with shafts 3| and 32 which have their ends rotatably mounted in brackets 33 depending from two identical plates 34 welded or otherwise aflixed to the top edge of the two side plates of the tank I d. Across the divided. platform thus formed I have placed an electric motor 35 which drives a speed reducing unit 35. The speed'reducing unit, turn, is made to rotate the shaft 32 him earls of suitable sprockets and a connecting "chain 36".

Numeral 3'1 designates steam coils which I have placed inside tank |0 along each of the longer sides for the purpose of heating the bleaching bath. As seen in Fig. 2, the steam coils enter the tank from a pressure controlling unit 38 which may be any type as disclosed by the prior art. This unit also includes a thermostat Iiiil used for automatically admitting steam to maintain a given temperatur in the bath. A visible thermometer it is conveniently positioned on the tank ii] so that an operator may readily observe any variations of the settings of the steam unit. A mentioned above, the bath should be kept at a temperature near 180 Fahrenheit.

By further experimentation I have noted a marked improvement in the final chips when the potato slices were subjected to the steam rising from the bath as they are moved along the conveyor 28 for their tumbling and bleaching process. In order to conserve a greater portion of this steam, I have provided a removable hood 4| covering a greater portion of the bleaching tank as illustrated in Fig. 1.

At one end or the tank In is a mixing tank 42 having an inlet water supply line 43 with a valve and float mechanism 44 attached thereto. The tank 42 also supports a container 45, for sodium bisulphate or other suitable bleaching agent. The container 45 has its own dispensing valve mechanism 46. The tank 42 is supplied with an outlet line' 41 leading into the tumbling tank It, and the line is provided with a control valve 48. From the illustration in Fig. 5, it can be seen that by setting the chemical valve 48 it may be made to dispense a small amount of bleaching chemical into a fresh supply of water held at a given volume by means of the water valve and float mechanism 4% which also controls the water level 21 in the tank 10. This solution is then dispensed at any rate and volume into the tumbling tank by means of the valve 48 through the outlet line 41. The tank i0 is provided with an overflow pipe for the solution as well as return lines for the steam coils. While neither of these are shown in the drawing, they conform to general practice in similar constructions.

In order to bring the sliced potatoes into the tank for their bleaching process, I have provided a conveyor designated generally in the drawing by the numeral 49. This conveyor consists of a fixed rack of spaced

bars

50, 50, welded or otherwise aflixed to one of the side walls of the tank l0. These spaced bars, as shown in Fig. 3, are made to decline downwardly from the top of the tank It toward a prior art washing tank 5|. The conveyor frame 52 is arranged to slide longitudinally upon the spaced slide bars 50 so that the entire conveyor may be moved from a downward, operative position to an upper, inoperative position, as shown by the dotted lines of the drawing. Such construction permits the conveyor to be lowered over theedge of the prior art tank iii to receive the potato slices in order to by-pass them through the processing of the present invention. Instead of having to lift the conveyor over the edge of the tank 5| for its removal, the conveyor is simply slid upwardly along its inclined path as describedabove. l' he conveyor frame 52 supports a roller 53 at the lower end and a similar roller 54 at the upper end, with suitable wire mesh chain belt 55 passed over bothr'ollers. The upper" '54s provided with a sprocket 56 on an outer end of its shaft, which sprocket is used to move the chain belt 55 by of the conveyor belt 65.

means of an electric motor 51, a speed reducer 58 and a connecting chain 59. In Fig. 1, it will be noted that the upper end ofthis conveyor is positioned at the left-hand end of the tank II at the end of the steam hood 4| and in such position as to deposit the sliced potatoes it carries onto the conveyor belt 28 within the tank In.

At the extreme left-hand end of the tank Hi, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I have provided another conveyor designated generally by the numeral 69. This conveyor is inclined upwardly out of the tank l and is made to lie in a special trough -5l forming part of the general tank [9. It will be noted that this trough SI is made to such height as to coincide with the height of the prior art washing tank 5| with which it is adapted for use. This conveyor is made similar to those previously mentioned, having a main frame 62 carrying an upper roller 63 and a lower roller 64 with a connecting wire mesh chain belt 95. I have found that, for some unknown reason, slices of potatoes which are warm have a greater tendency to slide than those which are cold, even at the same degree of inclination. It is neces sary, therefore, that the conveyor belt 65 be provided with cleats 65' to prevent the slices of potatoes from slipping back into the tank ID. The belt 65 is rotated upon the rollers 63 and E4 by means of an electric motor '66, and a speed reducing unit Bl, which, in turn, rotates the upper driving roll 63 by a conventional chain and sprocket. It will be noted that the lower end of this conveyor 69 is placed well beneath the liquid level 21 in the tank l9 so as to be able to receive the potato slices as they are tumbled out the end of the tumbling barrel I6. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the compartment defined by the partition wall 25 and the end of the tank It] is slightly greater in width than the width Actually, the working clearance for the belt 65 is made small enough so as to substantially close the compartment so that the potato slices will not be able to accumulate behind theconveyor. In Fig. 3 it will be noted that I have positioned another wire screen baffle 22 at the delivery end of the barrel l6 and angularly disposed above the lower end of the conveyor 6!} so as to prevent any slices of potatoes from falling to the tank bottom and thus not picked up by the conveyor.

Having described in detail the construction of my invention, its use and advantages will now be more particularly pointed out. In Fig. 6 of the drawing, I have illustrated diagrammatically the connection of the present invention with machines of the prior art for the processing of potato slices. In this illustration, numeral 68 designates a slicing machine which cuts the potatoes into slices of the proper thickness for cooking. Leaving the slicing machine, the slices of potatoes pass in the direction of the arrows into their first washing and tumbling tank 69. This prior art tank is also provided with a tumbling barrel made similar to that of the present invention, and the potato slices are drawn, by agitation of the water in the barrel, toward the opposite or outlet end of the tank. This bath is employed to remove the starches from the potatoes. At the end of this tank 69 is a prior art conveyor belt 19 having one end dipped into the end of the tank 69 and arranged to receive the potato slices to lift them from the bath of the tank and convey them upwardly in order to dump them into a rinsing tank 5|. The rinsin tank 5| contains a bath of cold water by which the slices are rinsed of the remaining traces of starches before being finally carried upwardly on the wide conveyor belt II for depositing into the vat of cooking oil.

Referring again to the drawing, it is noted that my invention may be placed adjacent to, and used with, the prior art machinery without necessitating any definite connections by means of tools or other equipment. By positioning the tank II as shown, the conveyor 49 is extended over the side edge of the prior art rinsing tank ill and under the depositing end of the prior art conveyor belt 10. Thus my conveyor 49 is able to receive and by-pass all of the potato slices which would normally go into the rinsing tank 5|. The slices pass upwardly on the conveyor 49 and are deposited on the end of the conveyor belt 28 which is positioned in my tumbling tank [9. As the slices move in the direction of the arrows, they pass beneath the hood H and are subjected to the action of the steam which has risen from the hot bath in the tank. Finally they are cast into the bath in the rear compartment defined by the right-hand partition wall 29 and the end of the tank. As before described, the rotation of the tumbling barrel l6, together with the action of the vane 20, agitates the bath, pulling the slices through the barrel and causing them to pass into the other end compartment defined by the other partition wall 2 5 and the opposite end of the tank ll. During this agitation, the slices are completely submerged several times by the agitation of the bleaching bath and are thus thoroughly soaked in the chemical solution which enhances their appearance and edibility upon final cooking. Reference to Fig. 3 will show how the potato slices are finally removed from my tank It. In this figure, the final conveyor 60 has the lower end of its belt 65 lowered into the inclined trough ill of the tank and, by being made to revolve in the direction of the arrows of Fig. 6, the chips are carried upwardly over the edge of the prior art rinsing tank 5| where they are deposited into the cold rinsing bath. Thus I have added a step to the former method of preparing potato slices and by this step have eliminated the occasional discoloration of th former process.

It will again be remembered that my invention is not permanently attached to the various machines of the prior art, but it is merely positioned adjacent thereto for use; and, since the conveyor 49 is arranged to slide upon a prepared track 50, it may be moved into an upper, inoperative position as shown in Fig. 3, or its lower end may be readily slid into operative position over the side edge of the prior art rinsing tank 5| without moving any other part of my bleaching equipment and Without disturbing or otherwise altering continuous operating features of the prior art apparatus with which it is used.

While I have shown the conveyor as being slidably mounted upon the rack 50, it could as easily be fastened to the tank ID by hinges so that the same may be put easily into position.

While I have described my invention in detail showing a specific construction, it is to be remembered that this has been by way of example only, and that changes in the actual construction might be made without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with continuous-process potato chip processing equipment having a rinse tank and delivery conveyor means for delivering potato slices to said rinse tank, a bleaching tank for bleaching fluid, means for heating fluid in said bleaching tank, longitudinal conveyor means mounted on said bleaching tank and positioned longitudinally thereof, said longitudinal conveyor means being arranged to deliver potato slices to said bleaching tank, means for driving said longitudinal conveyor means, input conveyor meam for delivering potato slicesto said longitudinal conveyor means, means for driving said input conveyor means, said input conveyor means being movably mounted on. said bleaching tank so as. to be selectively movable either into operative position to receive potato slices from said delivery conveyor means or into inoperative position away from said delivery conveyor means, output conveyor means mounted on said bleachtank and positioned to take potato slices from bleaching tank, said output conveyor means being arranged to overhang said rinse tank, and

for driving said output conveyor means.

2. In combination with continuous-process potato chip processing, equipment having a rinse tank and a delivery conveyor means for delivering potato slices to said rinse tank, a bleaching tank for bleaching fluid, means for heating fluid in said bleaching tank, a tumbling barrel rotatably mounted in said bleaching tank, longitudinal conveyor means mounted on said bleaching tank and positioned longitudinally over said. barrel, said longitudinal conveyor means being. arranged to deliver potato slices to said bleaching tank, means for rotating said. barrel to move potato slices. therethrough, means for driving said longitudinal conveyor means, input conveyor means for delivering potato slices tosaid lon gitudinal conveyor means, means for driving said input conveyor means, said input. conveyor means being movably' mounted on said bleaching, tank so as to be selectively movable either into operatime position to receive potato slices from said delivery conveyor means or into inoperative position' away from said delivery conveyor means, output conveyor means mounted on said: bleaching, tank and. positioned to receive potato slices iromsaid: barrel, said output conveyor means being arranged to'overhang said. rinse tank, and means for driving said output conveyor means.

8., Incombination with continuous-process potatochi-pprocessing, equipment having a. rinse tank and delivery conveyor means for delivering potato slices. to. said rinse tank, a bleaching tank for bleaching fluid, means for heating; fluid in. said bleaching. tank, a tumbling barrel rotatabl-y mounted in said bleaching tank, longitudinal conveyor means mounted on said bleaching tank and positioned longitudinally over said barrel, said longitudinal conveyor means. being arranged. to deliver potato slices to said bleaching tank, means for-rotating said bar-rel to move potato slices therethrough, means for driving said longitudinal conveyor means, upwardly inclined input conveyor means for delivering potato slices to said longitudinal conveyor means, means for driving said input conveyor means, said input conveyor means being movably mounted on said bleaching tank so as to be selectively movable either into operative position to receive potato slices from said delivery conveyor means or into inoperative position away from said delivery conveyor means, output conveyor means mounted on said bleaching tank and positioned to receive potato slices from said barrel, said output conveyor means being inclined oppositely to said input conveyor means and being arranged to overhang said rinse tank, and means for driving said output conveyor means.

4. In combination with continuous-process potato chipprocessing equipment having a rinse tank and delivery conveyor means for delivering potato slices to said rinse tank, a bleaching tank for bleaching fluid, means for heating fluid in said bleaching tank, a tumbling barrel rotatably mounted in said bleaching tank, longitudinal conveyor means mounted on said bleaching tank and positioned longitudinally over said barrel, said longitudinal conveyor means being arranged to deliver potato chipstosaid bleaching tank, means for rotating said barrel to move potato slices therethrough, means for driving said longitudinal conveyor means, a hood over said bleaching tank and said longitudinal conveyor means, upwardly inclined input conveyor means for delivering potato slices to said longitudinal conveyor means, means for driving said input conveyor means, said input conveyor means being. slidabl'y mounted on said bleaching tank so as to be selectively movable either into operative position to receive potato slices from' said delivery conveyor means or into. inoperative. position away from said delivery conveyor means, output conveyor means mounted. on said bleachingtank and positionedto receive potato slices from. said. barrel, said output conveyor means being. inclined oppositely to said input conveyor means and beingv arranged to overhang said rinse tank, and means for driving said output conveyor means.

HENRY D. FURNISSL References Cited in' the file of this patent