Charles L Schoonmaker

US Patent:

41955595, Apr 1, 1980

Filed:

Jun 9, 1978

Appl. No.:

5/914046

Inventors:

Robert F. Bardsley - Harrington Park NJ
Jonas Bortkevicius - Woodhaven NY
Charles D. Schoonmaker - Boonton NJ

Assignee:

General Foods Corporation - White Plains NY

International Classification:

A47J 3712

US Classification:

99353

Abstract:

An apparatus and method for the automatic, rapid and continuous preparation of generally friable or fragile ready-to-eat food product bacon analog strips of predetermined configuration, simulating natural, cooked bacon, wherein a slab or bulk material of the food product is sliced by a cutting device into individual strips basically having the dimensions of sliced natural bacon strips, and conducted by means of a first endless conveyor arrangement from the cutting device towards a cooking installation. Ahead of the cooking installation, a second endless conveyor mounts a series of strip-engaging members adapted to sequentially contact the sliced strips and to conduct the strips from the first endless conveyor arrangement onto and along guide rod members which extend into and through the cooking installation. The strips are fried or cooked at a controlled temperature to a finished degree, determined by the speed of movement through the tank, and are thereafter guided into position on forming die members which are arranged about the periphery of a rotatable forming die wheel. Complementary-shaped die members arranged on each of the strip-engaging members are brought into closely spaced cooperation with the forming dies on the rotatable forming die wheel through the action of a camming arrangement encompassing a portion of the periphery of the forming wheel so as to shape the interposed bacon analog strips into their predetermined configurations.

US Patent:

43548156, Oct 19, 1982

Filed:

Sep 12, 1979

Appl. No.:

6/074730

Inventors:

Robert F. Bardsley - Harrington Park NJ
Jonas Bortkevicius - Woodhaven NY
Charles D. Schoonmaker - Boonton NJ

Assignee:

General Foods Corporation - White Plains NY

International Classification:

B29J 100

US Classification:

425236

Abstract:

An apparatus and method for the automatic, rapid and continuous preparation of generally friable or fragile ready-to-eat food product bacon analog strips of predetermined configuration, simulating natural, cooked bacon, wherein a slab or bulk material of the food product is sliced by a cutting device into individual strips basically having the dimensions of sliced natural bacon strips, and conducted by means of a first endless conveyor arrangement from the cutting device towards a cooking installation. Ahead of the cooking installation, a second endless conveyor mounts a series of strip-engaging members adapted to sequentially contact the sliced strips and to conduct the strips from the first endless conveyor arrangement onto and along guide rod members which extend into and through the cooking installation. The strips are fried or cooked at a controlled temperature to a finished degree, determined by the speed of movement through the tank, and are thereafter guided into position on forming die members which are arranged about the periphery of a rotatable forming die wheel. Complementary-shaped die members arranged on each of the strip-engaging members are brought into closely spaced cooperation with the forming dies on the rotatable forming die wheel through the action of a camming arrangement encompassing a portion of the periphery of the forming wheel so as to shape the interposed bacon analog strips into their predetermined configurations.