Inventors:
Westley R. Cloudy - Edmonds WA
Robert E. Britton - Edmonds WA
Anthony D. Snodgrass - Everett WA
Assignee:
Cloudy & Britton, Inc. - Mountlake Terrace WA
International Classification:
F25D 2504
Abstract:
In an improved food freezing tunnel, a freezing airflow apparatus, as disclosed in U. S. Pat. No. 4,078,398, is further improved and rearranged in respect to the vertical in-line alignment of the freezing coils, the fans, and the food product porous conveyor, all of which are positioned in the upwardly flowing airflow. The air to be cooled enters at the bottom of the tunnel via an inlet air chamber, as before, and then is first drawn through the freezing coils of the freezing chamber before passing upwardly through the fan intakes into the fan chamber. Upon leaving the fans rotating about vertical axes, the freezing air flows radially and horizontally, as before. Then, vertical baffles spaced about each fan, modify this discharging airflow to prevent any excessive swirling or vortexing of the freezing airflow passing upwardly from the fan chamber through the moving food product porous conveyor. During freezing operations, the bottom entering return air in passing through the freezing coils, is dried sufficiently, so no frost or ice forms on the fans, which would otherwise cause unbalancing of the fans, in turn resulting in a shut down period to defrost the fans. There are easily removed pullout perforated plates, horizontally positioned just below the moving cold porous conveyor, which is carrying the food product being frozen.
