Apparatus for coating fragile foods

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR APPLYING COMMINUTED DRY MATERIAL TO A GENERALLY FLAT FRAGILE ARTICLE HAVING AN ADHESIVE SURFACE WHICH COMPRISES LAYING SAID ARTICLE ON AN INCLINED SURFACE HAVING A LAYER OF SAID DRY MATERIAL THEREON WITH ONE FACE IN CONTACT WITH SAID LAYER, VIBRATING SAID SURFACE WITH A RELATIVELY HIGH-FREQUENCY LOW-AMPLITUDE MOVEMENT TO ADVANCE THE ARTICLE ALONG THE SURFACE WITH ITS OPPOSITE FACE EXPOSED, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY SHAKING ADDITIONAL COMMINUTED DRY MATERIAL ON SAID EXPOSED FACE TO COMPLETELY COAT SAID ARTICLE.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR APPLYING COMMINUTED DRY MATERIAL TO A GENERALLY FLAT FRAGILE ARTICLE HAVING AN ADHESIVE SURFACE WHICH COMPRISES LAYING SAID ARTICLE ON AN INCLINED SURFACE HAVING A LAYER OF SAID DRY MATERIAL THEREON WITH ONE FACE IN CONTACT WITH SAID LAYER, VIBRATING SAID SURFACE WITH A RELATIVELY HIGH-FREQUENCY LOW-AMPLITUDE MOVEMENT TO ADVANCE THE ARTICLE ALONG THE SURFACE WITH ITS OPPOSITE FACE EXPOSED, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY SHAKING ADDITIONAL COMMINUTED DRY MATERIAL ON SAID EXPOSED FACE TO COMPLETELY COAT SAID ARTICLE.

Claim 3

AN APPARATUS FOR COATING GENERALLY FLAT FRAGILE ARTICLES WITH A LIQUID ADHESIVE AND AN EXTERNAL LAYER OF DRY COMMINUTED MATERIAL COMPRISING A FIRST ARTICLE SUPPORT HAVING AN INCLINED SURFACE, MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING A STREAM OF SAID LIQUID ADHESIVE DOWN SAID SURFACE TO ADVANCE THE ARTICLES THEREON AND COAT THE UNDERSIDE THEREOF WITH THE LIQUID, A RESERVOIR MOUNTED ABOVE SAID SURFACE FOR SUPPLYING LIQUID TO COAT THE TOP SIDE OF ARTICLES PASSING THEREBENEATH, A SECOND ARTICLE SUPPORT HAVING AN INCLINED SURFACE MOUNTED FOR VIBRATION, MEANS FOR APPLYING A LAYER OF SAID DRY MATERIAL ON THE SURFACE OF SAID SECOND ARTICLE SUPPORT, MEANS FOR VIBRATING SAID SECOND ARTICLE SUPORT, A HOPPER MOUNTED ON AND ABOVE SAID SECOND ARTICLE SUPPORT FOR SUPPLY DRY MATERIAL TO COAT THE TOP SIDE OF THE ARTICLES AND CONVEYOR MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING SAID LIQUID-COATED ARTICLES FROM SAID FIRST ARTICLE SUPPORT TO SAID SECOND ARTICLE SUPPORT.

Claim 4

AN APPARATUS FOR COATING GENERALLY FLAT FRAGILE ARTICLES WITH A LIQUID ADHESIVE AND AN EXTERNAL LAYER OF DRY COMMINUTED MATERIAL COMPRISING A FIRST ARTICLE SUPPORT HAVING AN INCLINED SURFACE, MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING A STREAM OF SAID LIQUID ADHESIVE DOWN SAID SURFACE TO ADVANCE THE ARTICLES THEREON AND COAT THE UNDERSIDE THEREOF WITH THE LIQUID, A RESERVOIR MOUNTED ABOVE SAID SURFACE FOR SUPPLYING LIQUID TO COAT THE TOP SIDE OF ARTICLES PASSING THEREBENEATH, A SECOND ARTICLE SUPPORT HAVING AN INCLINED SURFACE MOUNTED FOR VIBRATION, MEANS FOR APPLYING A LAYER OF SAID DRY MATERIAL ON THE SURFACE OF SAID SECOND ARTICLE SUPPORT, MEANS FOR VIBRATING SAID SECOND ARTICLE SUPORT, A HOPPER MOUNTED ON AND ABOVE SAID SECOND ARTICLE SUPPORT FOR SUPPLY DRY MATERIAL TO COAT THE TOP SIDE OF THE ARTICLES AND CONVEYOR MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING SAID LIQUID-COATED ARTICLES FROM SAID FIRST ARTICLE SUPPORT TO SAID SECOND ARTICLE SUPPORT.