Canning

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED SYSTEM FOR STERILIZING AND SUBSEQUENTLY CANNING FOOD PRODUCT AT HIGH TEMPERATURES AND SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING: SUPPLY MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A QUANTITY OF FLOWABLE FOOD MATERIAL FORMULA; CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPLY MEANS; PUMPING MEANS TO FLOW SAID FORMULA UNDER PRESSURE FROM SAID SUPPLY MEANS INTO SAID CONDUIT MEANS FOR HEATING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CONDUIT MEANS FOR INCREASING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID FORMULA TO A STERILIZING LEVEL JUST BELOW THE BOILING POINT OF SAID FORMULA AT THE PRESSURE WITHIN SAID CONDUIT MEANS, SAID CONDUIT MEANS BEING OF SUFFICIENT DIMENSION TO CONTAIN SAID FORMULA AT ABOUT SAID STERILIZING LEVEL FOR A PERIOD SUFFICIENT TO INSURE ADEQUATE STERILIZATION THEREOF; LIQUID INJECTING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CONDUIT MEANS BEYOND SAID HEATING MEANS TO ADD LIQUID TO SAID FORMULA IN AN AMOUNT TO COMPLETE AT LEAST THE TOTAL LIQUID REQUIREMENT OF THE FINAL PRODUCT AND TO ADJUST THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FLOWING FOOD MATERIAL; A PRESSURIZED DEAERATOR MEANS IN SAID CONDUIT MEANS DOWNSTREAM OF SAID HEATING MEANS TO CONTINUOUSLY REMOVE VOLATILE MATERIAL FROM THE HEATED FLOWING PRODUCT AND TO CONTROLLABLY REDUCE THE TEMPERATURE THEREOF; AND FILLING MEANS CONNECTED TO RECEIVE HEATED AND DILUTED PRODUCT FROM SAID CONDUIT AND PLACE SAID PRODUCT INTO CONTAINERS, SAID FILLING MEANS BEING ENCLOSED IN A CHAMBER AT SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE.