Abstract:
The present invention is directed to an excited apparatus for coating food product with a coating. The apparatus includes an elongate pan having proximal and distal portions; a screen located in the distal portion and adapted to screen coating; an elongate frame; a motorized vibrator adapted to impart energy to the elongate frame at an angle β below horizontal; a plurality of springs mounting the elongate pan to the elongate frame, the springs being mounted at an angle θ above horizontal; another elongate frame; a plurality of dampeners mounting the two elongate frames; another elongate pan having proximal and distal portions, the elongate pan mounted to the other elongate pan and adapted to feed coating to the other elongate pan; a soft roller rotationally actuated by a ratchet assembly, the ratchet assembly engaged by the elongate pan; and, a recycle assembly for transferring screened coating to the elongate pans, wherein the elongate pan's vibrations have longitudinal and vertical vector components at a predetermined amplitude and frequency. The excited apparatus further includes a waterfall distributor member mounted to the elongate pan, the waterfall distributor including one or more transverse rows of a plurality of angular slots.
Abstract:
Apparatuses and methods for coating, topping, and conveying foods. The apparatus includes a first frame, spring assemblies, a vibrating assembly including an upper pan, a middle pan, a lower pan, and a second frame mounted to the lower pan with the spring assemblies. The second frame is an excited frame and the upper pan, the middle pan, the lower pan are vibrationally connected. The apparatus also includes a vibratory drive unit mounted and adapted to impart energy to the second frame. In addition, the apparatus has a wire conveyor belt assembly including a wire conveyor belt, and a housing that receives the wire conveyor belt. The wire conveyor belt assembly is suspended inside of the vibratory assembly by the first frame such that the wire conveyor belt assembly is isolated from the vibratory assembly.