U.S. patent application number 09/998652 was filed with the patent office on 2002-03-21 for apparatus and method for form-frying snack food product.
This patent application is currently assigned to Recot, Inc.. Invention is credited to Brocker, Kenneth R., Coppola, Patsy Anthony, Dickinson, Edward L., Forti, Stephen N., Goldman, Edward J., Graham, Lawrence, Harvey, Andrew C., Joseph, Ponnattu Kurian, McNeel, Todd Charles, Taylor, Malcolm E., Terrazzano, Richard F..
Application Number | 20020033102 09/998652 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24222463 |
Filed Date | 2002-03-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020033102 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Graham, Lawrence ; et
al. |
March 21, 2002 |
Apparatus and method for form-frying snack food product
Abstract
Apparatus and method for cooking snack food pieces features a
drum-type fryer which transports individual, die-cut piece preforms
through hot oil contained within a cooking tank defined between the
periphery of the drum and a housing in which the drum is contained.
Vacuum transfer and feed rollers transfer the individual piece
preforms from a die-cutting roller assembly onto the drum for
cooking, and a similar roller transfers the cooked snack food
pieces from the drum to a take-away conveyor for subsequent,
downstream processing. The pieces are retained by suction against
molding surfaces of frying mold elements distributed over the
periphery of the frying drum.
Inventors: |
Graham, Lawrence; (Corinth,
TX) ; Joseph, Ponnattu Kurian; (Irving, TX) ;
McNeel, Todd Charles; (Flower Mound, TX) ; Brocker,
Kenneth R.; (Plano, TX) ; Forti, Stephen N.;
(Stoneham, MA) ; Goldman, Edward J.; (Foxborough,
MA) ; Taylor, Malcolm E.; (Pepperell, MA) ;
Dickinson, Edward L.; (Littleton, MA) ; Coppola,
Patsy Anthony; (Bedford, MA) ; Terrazzano, Richard
F.; (Salem, NH) ; Harvey, Andrew C.; (Waltham,
MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROTHWELL, FIGG, ERNST & MANBECK, P.C.
555 13TH STREET, N.W.
SUITE 701, EAST TOWER
WASHINGTON
DC
20004
US
|
Assignee: |
Recot, Inc.
5000 Hopyard Road, Suite 460
Pleasanton
CA
94588
|
Family ID: |
24222463 |
Appl. No.: |
09/998652 |
Filed: |
December 3, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09998652 |
Dec 3, 2001 |
|
|
|
09556695 |
Apr 24, 2000 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
99/404 ; 99/330;
99/403; 99/407 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47J 37/1214 20130101;
Y10S 425/812 20130101; A23L 7/13 20160801; A23L 5/11 20160801; A21B
5/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
99/404 ; 99/403;
99/407; 99/330 |
International
Class: |
A47J 037/12; A23L
001/00 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A method of cooking snack food piece preforms to produce cooked
snack food pieces, said method comprising: placing the snack food
piece preforms against open mold surfaces and retaining the snack
food piece preforms thereagainst by means of suction acting through
the mold surfaces; transporting the snack food piece preforms
through a cooking medium that is at a temperature sufficient to
cook the snack food piece preforms while retaining the snack food
piece preforms against the mold surfaces by means of suction; and
removing the cooked snack food pieces from the mold surfaces.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said open mold surfaces are
distributed around the periphery of a suction drum disposed within
a tank containing said cooking medium and wherein said snack food
piece preforms are transported through said cooking medium via
rotation of said mold surfaces.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising controlling suction
forces acting against said snack food piece preforms such that a
substantially constant pressure differential is maintained as said
mold surfaces rotate and transport said snack food piece preforms
through said cooking medium.
4. A method of making cooked snack food pieces from snack food
piece preforms, said method comprising: forming a sheet of dough;
cutting said sheet of dough to make said snack food piece preforms;
disposing said snack food piece preforms against open mold surfaces
and retaining the snack food piece preforms against the mold
surfaces by means of suction; transporting the snack food piece
preforms through a cooking medium that is at a temperature
sufficient to cook the snack food piece preforms while retaining
the snack food piece preforms against the mold surfaces by means of
suction; and removing the cooked snack food pieces from the mold
surfaces.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein said dough is formed into a sheet
using a sheeter roller assembly.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said dough is cut to make said
snack food piece preforms using a die-cutting roller.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein said dough is formed into a sheet
and cut to make said snack food piece preforms using a die-cutting
sheeter roller assembly.
8. The method of claim 6, further comprising transferring said
snack food piece preforms from said die-cutting roller to a
transfer roller; transferring said snack food piece preforms from
said transfer roller to a feed roller; and placing said snack food
piece preforms against said open mold cavities by means of said
feed roller.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said snack food piece preforms
are retained on said transfer roller by means of suction.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein said snack food piece preforms
are retained on said feed roller by means of suction.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein said snack food piece preforms
are reshaped gradually by said transfer roller and said feed roller
from essentially flattened to a shape which conforms essentially to
said open mold surfaces.
12. The method of claim 4, wherein said open mold surfaces are
distributed around the periphery of a suction drum and wherein said
snack food piece preforms are transported through said cooking
medium via rotation.
13. The method of claim 4, wherein the cooked snack food pieces are
removed from the mold surfaces using a take-away roller.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the cooked snack food pieces
are supported on the take-away roller by means of a plurality of
pickup and transfer members disposed around the periphery thereof
and wherein the cooked snack food pieces are removed from the
take-away roller by means of finger conveyors which fit between the
pickup and transfer members.
15. The method of claim 4, wherein the cooked snack food pieces are
removed from the mold surfaces by means of suction.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] In general, the invention relates to an apparatus and method
for making fabricated snack food products such as potato crisps or
tortilla chips. More particularly, the invention relates to an
apparatus and method for form-frying such products.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In general, snack food chips which are made from potato,
corn, or other farinaceous dough and which are formed or fabricated
such that the chips all have the same shape and/or configuration
are known in the art. Packaging fabricated snack food chips in a
stacked arrangement in cylindrical canisters is also known in the
art and has been found to be popular for a number of reasons. Such
canisters provide some degree of protection against breakage of the
snack food chips, and they provide greater transportability of the
snack food product, both in terms of bulk transport (i.e., large
cartons of the canisters being shipped, e.g., from the manufacturer
to the retailer) and in terms of the individual consumer being able
to transport a single package of chips (e.g., in a purse or in a
picnic basket). Additionally, the extended shelf life of a sealed
canister of snack food chips as compared to a bag (commonly
pillow-shaped and sometimes filled with a generally inert gas to
prevent product degradation), as well as the ability to seal a
canister with a snap-fit-type lid once the canister has been
opened, makes a canister a particularly attractive packaging
option.
[0003] In order to manufacture and package form-fried snack food
chips efficiently, it is necessary to maintain control over the
product configuration and arrangement throughout the fabrication
process. In the past, this requirement has been met by using
enclosed molds to shape or form the snack chips and to restrain
them as they are transported through a cooking medium such as hot
oil. However, not only is such an apparatus complex and therefore
relatively prone to mechanical failure, but the complexity limits
how close together the chips can be arranged in the production line
and therefore limits the productivity of the apparatus.
Additionally, the volume of oil or other cooking medium used with
such apparatus also tends to be relatively large. Accordingly, the
cost of operating the system is generally higher than would be
desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The invention provides an apparatus and method for making
fabricated snack food chips which are uniformly shaped and
configured. The apparatus is compact and elegantly simple in design
and overcomes the above-noted shortcomings extant in the prior art
apparatus and methodologies.
[0005] In particular, the invention features a drum-type frying
apparatus which transports snack food chip preforms through a
relatively small volume of hot oil that is contained within a space
formed between the drum and the surrounding wall of a housing in
which the drum is supported. The drum has perforated mold elements
disposed around its periphery, and the chip preforms are supported
on the mold elements by drawing suction through the
perforations.
[0006] A series of vacuum rollers transfer the uncooked chip
preforms from a cutter roller assembly onto the mold elements using
perforated pick-up and transfer members arranged around the
perimeters of the vacuum rollers. Similarly, a take-off roller uses
perforated pick-up and transfer members disposed around its
perimeter to remove the cooked chips from the fryer drum. The
cooked snack food chips are then removed from the take-off roller
and transported downstream for subsequent processing (e.g., light
re-oiling and seasoning) and packaging (e.g., in canisters, which
may preferably conform to the contour or perimeter of the cooked
chips).
[0007] The inventive apparatus and method allow one to produce
form-fried snack food chips which are uniform in shape and
configuration quickly and conveniently and with enhanced process
control. Additionally, the amount of oil used in the process is
minimized. Because relatively less oil is present in the apparatus
at any given time as compared to prior art apparatus, the oil is
used and replenished or "turned over" more frequently, and
therefore the oil quality remains high.
[0008] Furthermore, and quite significantly, the configuration of
the apparatus minimizes exposure of the oil to the ambient
atmosphere. This is because whereas the two-piece prior art
enclosed mold cavities presented multiple surfaces over which the
oil could spread in the form of a film, thus creating a large oil
surface area which could oxidize when exposed to the ambient air,
the present invention utilizes just a single mold surface to shape
the snack food product, thereby minimizing the amount of oil (in
the form of an oil film spread over the metal surfaces) that is
exposed to the atmosphere and that is susceptible to degrading
oxidation. Additionally, the apparatus of the invention preferably
includes means for controlling the nature of the atmosphere to
which the oil is exposed. In particular, the portion of the
apparatus where the snack food chips enter the fryer and are
removed from the fryer preferably is shrouded, and an gas such as
carbon dioxide or nitrogen is injected into the shrouded area to
minimize exposure of the oil to oxygen. These features of the
invention significantly improve the quality of the snack food chips
produced by the system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The invention will now be described in greater detail in
connection with the drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic, side elevation view showing the fryer
apparatus of the invention;
[0011] FIGS. 2A-2D are schematic side elevation, end, and
perspective views showing the fryer mold elements used in
connection with the apparatus of the invention;
[0012] FIG. 2E is a schematic perspective view showing an alternate
configuration of the fryer mold elements used in connection with
the apparatus of the invention;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a bottom view taken along the lines 3-3 in FIG.
2A;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the system for
creating suction within the fryer drum of the invention;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a schematic, side elevation view showing the
cutter, feed, and take-off roller system located at the top of the
apparatus in FIG. 1 in greater detail;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a schematic, side elevation view showing the
transfer roller and feed roller shown in FIG. 5 in greater
detail;
[0017] FIG. 7 is a section view of a pick-up and transfer member
used on the rollers shown in FIG. 6 taken along the lines 7-7
therein;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a schematic depiction of a preferred cutting
pattern used to make form-fried potato crisps according to the
invention;
[0019] FIG. 9 is a section view, similar to the section view of
FIG. 7, illustrating the pick-up and transfer members used on the
take-off roller; and
[0020] FIGS. 10-12 are two schematic perspective views and a
schematic, side-elevation view illustrating removal of cooked snack
food chips from the frying apparatus of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] A preferred embodiment of a drum-type fryer apparatus 10
according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1. The "heart" of the
apparatus is the drum 12, which is rotationally supported in a
substantially enclosed cylindrical tank or chamber 14 defined
between the drum 12 and the interior wall of a housing 16. A steam
jacket 15 surrounds the tank and is used to keep oil in the tank 14
hot. End walls (not shown) are secured to the housing over the ends
of the drum 12 so as to enclose substantially the tank or chamber
14, leaving it open only over the arcuate segment 20 along the
upper portion thereof. Shrouding S is provided over the tank
entrance/exit portion of the fryer, and inert gas such as nitrogen
or carbon dioxide is injected through injection ports (not shown)
into the shroud-enclosed regions of the apparatus to reduce
exposure of the oil to the oil-degrading oxygen in the ambient
atmosphere.
[0022] The drum has an outer ring 22 to which a large multiplicity
(i.e., on the order of six thousand for commercial scale
production) of frying mold elements are secured. As shown in FIGS.
2A-2D, each frying mold element 26 has an upper, mold portion 28
and a supporting stem portion 30 to which the mold portion 28 is
joined by press fit engagement or means such as laser welding. Both
portions of the frying mold elements 26 are fabricated from
material such as stainless steel, aluminum, or other metals which
can withstand the high temperature of the cooking oil (i.e., on the
order of 340-400 EF). A high efficiency of thermal conductivity of
the frying mold elements is important for cooking the chips
thoroughly. In certain cases, the mold elements may utilize an ion
conversion coating to facilitate release of the cooked chips
therefrom.
[0023] Each mold portion 28 is fabricated such that its upper,
molding surface 32 has a desired contour which will impart to the
finished snack food chip the same contour. In the exemplary
embodiment shown in the figures, the molding surface 32 is
saddle-shaped with convex curvature about a first axis oriented in
one direction and concave curvature about a second axis oriented
perpendicular to the first axis. Alternatively, the molding
surfaces 32 might be curved about just a single axis of
curvature.
[0024] The stem portions 30 of the frying mold elements are each
formed as a hollow cylinder which fits into an aperture 34 in the
outer ring 22. Preferably, the frying mold elements 26 are
configured to "snap" into position in the apertures 34 and to be
held securely therein by means of retention fingers 36 and
retention lugs 38 at the ends of the retention fingers. As the stem
portions 30 of the frying mold elements are inserted into the
apertures 34, the chamfered cam surfaces 40 of the retention lugs
38 will contact the edges 42 of the apertures 34 and force the
retention fingers 36 inwardly. When the frying mold elements are
properly seated, the retention fingers 36 will snap back into their
original positions and engage shoulders 44 formed in the surfaces
of the apertures, near the interior ends of the apertures to secure
the frying mold element in place.
[0025] Preferably, the frying mold elements have break-away
positioning tabs 46 which fit within slots (not shown) in the walls
of the apertures 34 or, alternatively, in holes (not shown) in the
surface 48 of the outer ring 22. This feature orients the frying
mold elements properly within the apertures 34.
[0026] The apertures 34 also have beveled or cammed slide-out ramps
50 formed on their inner surfaces, with a slide-out ramp 50
provided for each retention finger/retention lug. (See FIGS. 2A and
3.) The frying mold elements can be removed from the outer ring 22,
e.g., to be replaced or when it is desired to change to a different
product configuration, by twisting them within the apertures with
sufficient force to break off the positioning tabs 46. The cam
surfaces 40 of the retention lugs will then slide against the cam
surfaces 52 of the slide-out ramps 50 and the retention fingers 36
will be depressed inwardly. The retention lugs 38 thus will be
moved out of engagement with the shoulder surfaces 44, and the
frying mold elements can be removed from the apertures 34.
[0027] As further shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, each of the mold surfaces
32 is perforated, as indicated by stippling. By creating suction
within the hollow interiors of the frying mold elements 26 via
vacuum manifold system 19 as addressed below, the snack food chip
preforms are pulled against the mold surfaces 32 by suction forces
and transported through hot oil in the tank 14. The perforations
should be small enough to prevent dough from accumulating in them,
but large enough to draw a sufficiently strong vacuum through them
to retain the chips.
[0028] The mold surfaces 32 also have a series of channels or
grooves 60 formed therein. Thus, the mold surfaces 32 will have a
desired texture; that texture is imparted to the snack food chips
by virtue of the chip preforms being pulled against the mold
surfaces 32 by the suction forces, and that texture enhances the
"mouth feel" of the chips and adds strength to the chips.
Significantly, the grooves or channels 60 also facilitate the
circulation of oil around the chips--particularly across the
surfaces of the chips that are adjacent to the mold surfaces
32--thereby providing more uniform cooking of the chips. Moreover,
as the oil circulates through the grooves 60, steam (formed from
moisture released by the snack food product as it is fried) which
has mixed with the oil is drawn off by the suction forces used to
hold the chips against the mold surfaces. This helps to reduce the
necessary total cooking time, since the relative amount of oil
(which is hotter than the steam) to which the chips are exposed is
increased, and thus the rate of product throughput can be
increased.
[0029] Furthermore, the surface texture can be specifically
tailored to facilitate release and removal of the cooked chips from
the mold surfaces 32 by, for example, providing grooves or channels
which all extend in the same direction and/or by controlling the
depth and spacing of the grooves or channels. (This concept can be
extended to making the channels deep enough and wide enough to
produce a ridged or sinusoidally "wavy" chip.) The mold elements
may be changed simply to change the texture of the final product,
if so desired.
[0030] An alternate configuration of a frying mold element 26' is
shown in FIG. 2E. In this configuration, the frying mold element
includes an upper, mold portion 28' and a lower, base portion 28"
to which the mold portion 28' is connected. The base portion 28"
has a number of spring release fingers 31--preferably two on either
side of the element 26'--extending upward from it. Each of the
spring release fingers 31 has a circular locking tab 33 at its end.
The upper, mold portion 28' is generally hollow and fits down over
the spring release fingers, with the spring release fingers located
in the interior of the mold portion as indicated by the dashed line
depiction of the spring release fingers. The locking tabs 33 engage
apertures 35 formed in the sidewalls of the mold portion 28' to
secure the mold portion 28' to the base portion 28". The mold
portion 28' can be changed quite easily by pressing in on the
locking tabs to release the mold portion and simply lifting the
mold portion off of the base portion.
[0031] With this configuration, the supporting stem portion 30' can
be simpler than in the preceding configuration. For example, it may
be formed with a slight amount of taper and secured to the outer
ring 22 of the drum 12 by being press-fit into the cylindrical
apertures 34. (See FIG. 2A.)
[0032] Referring back to FIG. 1, the outer ring 22 is supported on
the perimeter of the drum 12, and the apparatus is configured such
that the main body of the drum remains stationary and the outer
ring 22 rotates around it with the frying mold elements 26 secured
thereto. The interior of the drum includes a manifold system 19.
The manifold system is used to maintain a relatively constant level
of force against the chips as they rotate through the tank 14,
regardless of their rotational position within the tank. In
particular, it will be appreciated that the hydraulic pressure of
the oil (which is injected into the tank 14 via inlet weir 64 and
drawn out of the tank via outlet weir/filter 66) will be higher at
the bottom of the tank, in the region of oil sump 68, than near the
top of the tank. In a commercial-scale installation, for example,
in which the drum will be on the order of fourteen feet in diameter
and six feet wide (depending on desired product throughput), the
oil pressure at the bottom of the tank (e.g., in the sump 68) will
be on the order of five or six psi.
[0033] It is preferable for the pressure differential across the
chip to remain relatively constant through the frying process
(preferably on the order of a pressure head equivalent to ten
inches of water (0.36 psi)) so as to prevent the pressure from
pushing the soft chip preforms into the perforations and grooves in
the mold surfaces 32. Therefore, the manifold system consists of a
number of smaller suction cells or chambers 70 which extend from
one end of the drum 12 to the opposite end. A system of valves or
pressure reducers (not shown) is used to control the level of
suction being drawn through each of the individual cells 70 such
that the net pressure differential across the chip remains
relatively constant at the desired value, i.e., ten inches of
water. Thus, more suction will be drawn in the cells 70 near the
upper portion of the apparatus than in the cells 70 near the lower
portion of the apparatus because, near the bottom of the apparatus,
the weight-induced pressure of the oil itself will help to keep the
snack food chip preforms secured against the molding surfaces
32.
[0034] As illustrated in FIG. 4, suction is created within the
manifold system 19 by means of a blower 74. As air is drawn out of
the vacuum plenum by means of the blower, oil which has been pulled
through the perforations in the mold surfaces 32 (either by
circulating around the snack food chips or by being pulled through
the pores of the snack food chips, which enhances cooking) will be
pulled out of the vacuum plenum as well. Additionally, steam
produced from moisture released by the snack food chips during the
frying process will also be drawn out of the plenum. Accordingly, a
separator 76 is provided to remove oil and steam from the air being
drawn out of the plenum 18; the oil is collected, filtered, and
then recycled.
[0035] The frying apparatus 10 further includes a system 82 of
cutter, transfer, feed, and take-off rollers. As shown in FIG. 5,
the system 82 includes sheeter rollers 84, 86 and cutter roller 88,
which may be relatively conventional in construction. For making
stackable, fabricated potato chips, the cutter roller preferably
produces a cutting pattern as shown in FIG. 8. Notably, because the
drum-type fryer assembly of the invention is so simple in
construction and does not rely on complex two-piece molds to
restrain the snack food chips as they are transported through the
oil, the chips can be cut from the sheet of dough in the relatively
tightly packed or "nested" configuration shown in FIG. 8. (Other
shaped snack food products may also be made using the apparatus and
method of the invention, and the configuration of the cutter roller
will vary accordingly.)
[0036] The system of rollers 82 further includes an intermediate
transfer roller 100 and a feed roller 102. As shown in greater
detail in FIGS. 6 and 7, each of these rollers is constructed with
an outer ring 104, 106, respectively, with a large multiplicity of
pick-up and transfer members 105, 107, respectively, disposed
thereon. The outer rings 104, 106 rotate in the directions
indicated by the arcuate arrows (FIG. 5) around
vacuum/over-pressure drums 108, 110, respectively. The drums 108
and 110 are constructed with blowers and manifold systems (not
shown) configured to create suction in the sectors indicated by
stippling and over-pressure in the sectors indicated by
cross-hatching.
[0037] As shown in greater detail in FIG. 7, each of the pick-up
and transfer members 105, 107 consists of a generally
mushroom-shaped element which is secured by means of a press fit in
an aperture 112 in the outer ring 104 or 106. Each of the members
105 or 107 is fabricated from a hollow support stem 120 and a
silicone rubber picker pad 122. The picker pad 122 fits over the
open upper end 124 of the stem 120 and is retained thereon by means
of a lip 126 at the upper end of the stem, which lip mates with a
groove 128 formed on the inside surface of the picker pad 122. The
picker pad preferably is sized for a stretch fit over the open end
of the stem 120. Furthermore, as indicated in FIG. 7, it is
preferable for the portion of the picker pad which fits over the
end of the stem to be harder than the upper or distal-most portion
of the picker pad. For example, the portion 130 preferably has a
hardness value of 70-80 durometer, whereas the upper portion 132
preferably has a hardness value on the order of 15 durometer. This
configuration provides the strength necessary to keep the picker
pads secured to the stems 120 while permitting the picker pads to
flex slightly as they transfer the snack food chips from one roller
to another, as described in greater detail below.
[0038] As further indicated in FIG. 7, the upper portions 132 of
the picker pads have perforations 136 extending through them. The
perforations are provided such that the vacuum created within the
stippled sectors of the rollers 100, 102 and the over-pressure
created within the cross-hatched sectors will be transmitted
through the picker pads to cause the snack food chip preforms to
adhere to the pick-up members or be blown off of the pick-up
members at the appropriate times, as described in greater detail
below in connection with operation of the apparatus.
[0039] Finally, with respect to the pick-up and transfer members of
the transfer roller 100 and the feed roller 102, it will be
appreciated that the snack food chip preforms will be almost
completely flat (i.e., with just a slight amount of curvature due
to the curvature of the cutter roller 88) at the nip 140 where the
transfer roller 100 picks the preforms off of the cutter roller 88,
whereas the mold surfaces 32 of the frying mold elements 26 are far
more curved. Accordingly, the pick-up and transfer members 105, 107
are configured to stretch the chip preforms gradually and
progressively to have the desired shape at the time they are
deposited onto the frying mold elements 26. This gives better shape
to the chips and prevents the dough from being torn, which would be
more likely if the dough were stretched into the final product
shape all in one step. The picker pads on the rollers 100, 102 are
of complimentary or mating configuration and fit together to
provide for secure, positive transfer from one roller to the next;
the picker pads of the feed roller 102 are similarly
complimentarily configured to mate with the mold surfaces 32 to
provide positive transfer from the feed roller onto the fryer
drum.
[0040] The system 82 further includes a pick-off roller 150 which
is used to remove cooked snack food chips from the fryer drum, and
a transfer conveyor assembly 160 (FIGS. 10-12) which features
finger conveyors to remove the cooked snack food chips from the
pick-off roller 150 and transfer them downstream for subsequent
processing.
[0041] The pick-off roller 150 is constructed generally similarly
to the transfer roller 100 and feed roller 102 in that it includes
an outer ring 151 which rotates relative to a vacuum drum 153, and
pick-up and transfer members 152 secured thereto. The pick-up and
transfer members 152 are constructed generally similarly to the
pick-up members 105, 107 on the transfer roller and feed roller
102, respectively, in that they are generally hollow and have
apertures formed through picker pads disposed on their upper ends
to transmit suction forces to the cooked snack food chips which
have been retrieved from the fryer drum by the roller 150. As shown
in FIG. 9, however, the pick-up and transfer members 152 are
narrower than the pick-up and transfer members on the transfer and
feed rollers 100, 102. This allows the fingers 162 of the transfer
conveyor assembly 160 to fit between the pick-up and transfer
members 152, as illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 12. Additionally, the
drum of the pick-off roller 150 has a sector, indicated by
stippling, which extends from the bottom portion of the roller to
slightly past the top portion of the roller. This configuration
permits the pick-off roller 150 to pick the cooked snack food chips
off of the fryer drum located below it and transfer them to the
fingers 162 of the take-away conveyor apparatus.
[0042] Finally, with respect to the roller system 82, the various
rollers are mounted on arms 180 and 182 which pivot around pivot
points 184 and 186, respectively. Cam followers 188, 190 are
attached at the free ends of the arms 180, 182 and follow the
perimeter of the fryer drum to ensure proper positioning of the
various rollers.
[0043] The apparatus of the invention operates as follows. Dough
(e.g., a farinaceous dough such as potato dough or corn dough) is
fed to the sheeter rollers 84, 86 through slot 90 in the housing
92. The sheeter rollers form the dough into a sheet which adheres
to the lower portion of the roller 86 as it rotates. The dough
sheet is then cut into appropriately shaped snack food chip
preforms by the cutter roller 88.
[0044] The die-cut sheet of dough is carried over the top of the
cutter roller 88, and the die-cut chip preforms are picked off of
the cutter roller 88 by the pick-up and transfer members 105 of the
transfer roller 100. Suction created within the portion of the drum
108 indicated by stippling (FIGS. 5 and 6) acts through the
perforations in the picker pads and causes the chip preforms to
adhere thereto. Excess or "lace" dough is removed from the cutter
roller 88 and may be recycled if so desired.
[0045] The chip preforms are carried around the lower portion of
the transfer roller 100 to the nip 181 formed between the transfer
roller 100 and the feed roller 102. At that point, overpressure
created within the cross-hatched portion of the transfer roller
drum 108 facilitates transfer of the chip preforms from the pick-up
and transfer members 105 of the transfer roller 100 to the pick-up
and transfer members 107 of the feed roller 102. The chip preforms
are then carried by the members 107 around the upper portion of the
feed roller 102 and down to the point 183 where the feed roller and
drum fryer 12 converge. At this point, overpressure in the
cross-hatched portion of the feed roller drum 110 (FIGS. 5 and 6)
positively transfers the chip preforms onto the frying mold
elements 26 of the fryer drum 12. The chip preforms are then cooked
by being transported through hot oil in the tank 14--specifically,
hot oil contained within the space between the outer ring 22 of the
drum 12 and the inside surface 17 of the housing (see FIG. 2A),
which preferably is on the order of just one inch wide.
[0046] The temperature of the oil and the dwell time of the chips
within the oil (determined by the size of the drum 12 and its rate
of rotation) are controlled for the specific dough being used so
that the chips are properly cooked (e.g., have a desired moisture
content) by the time they have been carried around the drum to the
nip 185 formed between the outer ring 22 of the fryer drum and the
take-off roller 150. At that point, the pick-up and transfer
members 152 of the take-off roller 150 lift the now-cooked snack
food chips off of the mold surfaces of the frying mold elements 26
(by virtue of suction within the take-off roller drum), and the
take-off roller transports the now-cooked snack food chips from the
bottom portion of the roller to the top portion of the roller.
[0047] As shown in detail in FIG. 10, the pick-up and transfer
elements 152 of the take-off roller 150 pass between the fingers
162 of the take-away conveyor assembly 160, with the edges of the
snack food chips overlying the edges of the finger conveyors 162.
As the pick-up and transfer members 152 rotate down and away from
the snack food chips, the chips will be supported by the finger
conveyors 162 and are transported downstream, away from the fryer
apparatus, for subsequent processing such as seasoning and
packaging.
[0048] Although the invention has been described in some detail, it
will be apparent to those having skill in the art that numerous
modifications and revisions to the embodiments disclosed herein may
be made. For example, other types of snack food chips such as
tortilla chips may be made using the invention, and snack food
chips made according to the invention do not necessarily have to be
oval and/or saddle-shaped. For example, it is contemplated that
round snack food chips, rectangular snack food chips, or triangular
snack food chips (such as tortilla chips) can be made using the
apparatus and methodology of the invention, and it is also
contemplated that the specific curvature of chips made using the
invention can be varied. For example, single-curve chips can be
made, or chips can be made which are multiply curved about axes
that are parallel to each other. These and other such modifications
are deemed to be within the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *