Meat analog apparatus

Claim 2

A meat analog apparatus comprising: a hopper having an outlet, said hopper adapted to hold and dispense a quantity of distensible, coherent, heat-coagulable, amorphous dough; converging conveying means defining a convergent space extending intermediate a feed plane and an end-squeeze plane, said conveying means comprising a pair of converging endless belt conveyors forming said convergent space therebetween, and drive and synchronization means whereby facing portions of said endless belts move at constant, substantially equal velocities towards the narrower end of said convergent space, said convergent space communicating with the outlet of said hopper, said conveying means acting to continuously forward dough from said hopper into said convergent space forming a coherent web of said dough in said convergent space which web is then forwarded by said endless belt conveyors through said convergent space at a velocity substantially equal to the velocity of said endless belt conveyors squeezing said web as it is conveyed through said convergent space causing the thickness of said web to be gradually decreased therein, said squeezing inducing width-increasing transverse distension of said web, said convergent space being wide enough relative to the area of said outlet of said hopper and to the height of said convergent space to accommodate said transverse distension without compacting said web; and controlled temperature heating means adapted to raise the temperature of said web as it is conveyed through said convergent space to a temperature that will induce coagulation of said heat-coagulable dough whereby said web is transformed into a continuous meat-like slab of substantially parallel, bonded fibers extending transverse said conveying means.

Claim 3

A meat analog apparatus comprising: a hopper having an outlet, said hopper adapted to hold and dispense a quantity of distensible, coherent, heat-coagulable, amorphous dough; converging conveying means defining a convergent space extending intermediate a feed plane and an end-squeeze plane, said conveying means comprising a pair of converging endless belt conveyors forming said convergent space therebetween, and drive and synchronization means whereby facing portions of said endless belts move at constant, substantially equal velocities towards the narrower end of said convergent space, said convergent space communicating with the outlet of said hopper, said conveying means being adapted to continuously forward dough from said hopper into and through said convergent space and to squeeze the dough as it is conveyed through said convergent space, whereby the thickness of said dough is gradually decreased therein, said conveying means being further adapted to simultaneously accommodate width-increasing distension of said dough that is induced by said squeezing, said conveyor means further comprising two spacers intermediate said convergent conveyor belts, said spacers forming sides of said convergent space, said spacers being contoured and disposed to accommodate apparatus induced transverse distension of dough conveyed therethrough but to substantially preclude gravity induced transverse fluid flow of said dough; and controlled temperature heating means adapted to raise the temperature of said dough as it is conveyed through said convergent space to a temperature that will induce coagulation of said heat-coagulable dough whereby said dough will be transformed into a meat-like slab of substantially parallel, bonded fibers extending transverse said conveying means, and whereby said apparatus will continuously issue said slab of meat-like product having uniform cross-sectional size and shape.

Claim 4

A meat analog apparatus comprising: a hopper having an outlet, said hopper adapted to hold and dispense a quantity of distensible, coherent, heat-coagulable, amorphous dough; converging conveying means defining a convergent space extending intermediate a feed plane and an end-squeeze plane, said conveying means comprising a pair of converging endless belt conveyors forming said convergent space therebetween, and drive and synchronization means whereby facing portions of said endless belts move at constant, substantially equal velocities towards the narrower end of said convergent space, said convergent space communicating with the outlet of said hopper, said conveying means being adapted to continuously forward dough from said hopper into and through said convergent space and to squeeze the dough as it is conveyed through said convergent space, whereby the thickness of said dough is gradually decreased therein, said conveying means being further adapted to simultaneously accommodate width-increasing distension of said dough that is induced by said squeezing, said conveyor means further comprising two spacers intermediate said convergent conveyor belts, said spacers forming sides of said convergent space, said spacers being contoured and disposed to accommodate apparatus induced transverse distension of dough conveyed therethrough but to substantially preclude gravity induced transverse fluid flow of said dough; and controlled temperature heating means adapted to raise the temperature of said dough as it is conveyed through said convergent space to a temperature that will induce coagulation of said heat-coagulable dough whereby said dough will be transformed into a meat-like slab of substantially parallel, bonded fibers extending transverse said conveying means, and whereby said apparatus will continuously issue said slab of meat-like product having uniform cross-sectional size and shape.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the portions of said endless belts which define said convergent space are substantially planar.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said planar porTion of a first endless belt is substantially horizontal and subjacent the planar portion of the second endless belt.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said hopper is so configured that dough within said hopper communicates with substantial areas of upwardly facing surfaces of both said endless belts appurtenant to the thicker end of said convergent space whereby both endless belts will act to convey dough from within said hopper to said convergent space.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5 having: said conveying means so configured that the opposed end-less belts define a generally rectangular parallelepipedal space which is a tandem extension of said convergent space extending from the thinner end of said convergent space; additional heating means adapted to heat dough conveyed through said parallelepipedal space to a temperature within the range required to cook said dough; and said parallelepipedal space being of sufficient length that will provide sufficient residence time so that said dough will be suitably cooked therein at said cooking-temperature before it issues from said apparatus.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 2 having a convergence ratio in the range from about one to one to about three to one and wherein the length of said convergent space is about equal to or greater than fifteen times the height of said convergent space in said end-squeeze plane.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the outwardly facing portions of said endless belts which define said convergent space are substantially planar.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8 having: said conveying means so configured that the opposed endless belts also define a generally rectangular parallelepipedal space which is a tandem extension of said convergent space extending from the thinner end of said convergent space; additional heating means adapted to heat dough conveyed through said parallelepipedal space to a cooking temperature within the range required to cook said dough; and said parallelepipedal space being of sufficient length that will provide sufficient residence time so that said dough will be suitably cooked therein at said cooking-temperature before it issues from said apparatus.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 7 having a convergence ratio of about two to one.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said outwardly facing planar portion of the first endless belt is substantially horizontal and is subjacent the downwardly facing planar portion of the second endless belt.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said spacers are so contoured and disposed that the cross-sectional area of said convergent space is substantially constant throughout its length.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said hopper is so configured that dough within said hopper communicates with substantial, upwardly facing surfaces of both said endless belts appurtenant to the thicker end of said convergent space whereby both endless belts will act to continuously convey dough from within said hopper into and through said convergent space.

Claim 16

A meat analog apparatus comprising: a hopper having a dispensing outlet, said hopper being adapted to hold and continuously dispense a stream of distensible, coherent, heat-coagulable, amorphous dough across the full area of said outlet; conveying means consisting of two endless belts which have portions which face each other but are spaced apart forming a convergent space in tandem with a rectangular parallelepipedal space; said convergent space communicating with the outlet of said hopper, said conveying means causing the dough to be dispensed from said hopper and being adapted to squeeze said forwarded dough whereby the thickness of said dough is decreased as it is conveyed through said convergent space, said conveying means being further adapted to simultaneously accommodate width increasing distension of said dough induced by said squeezing; said rectangular parallelepipedal space extending from the thinner end of said conVergent space, said parallelepipedal space having a length that is sufficient to provide suitable residence time of said dough therein; controlled temperature heating means adapted to sufficiently raise the temperature of said dough being conveyed through said rectangular parallelepipedal space to induce coagulation of said dough therein whereby said dough will be transformed into a meat-like slab of substantially parallel, bonded fibers extending transverse said conveying means; and drive means to synchronously move said endless belts at substantially constant speed that will, in combination with the heating means and the length of the apparatus, provide sufficient residence time for dough being conveyed therethrough to be coagulated therein.

Claim 17

A meat analog apparatus comprising: a hopper having a dispensing outlet, said hopper being adapted to hold and continuously dispense a stream of distensible, coherent, heat-coagulable, amorphous dough across the full area of said outlet; conveying means consisting of two endless belts which have portions which face each other but are spaced apart forming a convergent space in tandem with a rectangular parallelepipedal space; said convergent space communicating with the outlet of said hopper, said conveying means causing the dough to be dispensed from said hopper and being adapted to squeeze said forwarded dough whereby the thickness of said dough is decreased as it is conveyed through said convergent space, said conveying means being further adapted to simultaneously accommodate width increasing distension of said dough induced by said squeezing; said rectangular parallelepipedal space extending from the thinner end of said conVergent space, said parallelepipedal space having a length that is sufficient to provide suitable residence time of said dough therein; controlled temperature heating means adapted to sufficiently raise the temperature of said dough being conveyed through said rectangular parallelepipedal space to induce coagulation of said dough therein whereby said dough will be transformed into a meat-like slab of substantially parallel, bonded fibers extending transverse said conveying means; and drive means to synchronously move said endless belts at substantially constant speed that will, in combination with the heating means and the length of the apparatus, provide sufficient residence time for dough being conveyed therethrough to be coagulated therein.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 14 having a convergence ratio in the range of from about one to one to about three to one and wherein the length of said convergent space is at least fifteen times the height of said convergent space in said end-squeeze plane.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 14 having a convergence ratio of about two to one.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 14 having two spacers intermediate said conveyors, said spacers forming sides of said convergent space and said rectangular parallelepipedal space, said spacers being contoured and disposed to accommodate apparatus induced transverse distension of dough conveyed therethrough and to substantially preclude gravity induced transverse fluid flow of said dough whereby said apparatus will continuously issue a slab of meat-like product having substantially uniform cross-sectional size and shape.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said hopper is so configured that it communicates with substantial areas of upwardly facing surfaces of both said endless belts appurtenant to the thicker end of said convergent space whereby both endless belts will act on said dough within said hopper to forward dough from within said hopper to and through said convergent space.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the portions of said endless belts which define said convergent space and said parallelopipedal space are substantially planar.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said planar portions of the first endless belt are substantially horizontal and subjacent the planar portions of the second endless belt.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said spacers are so contoured that the cross-sectional area of said convergent space is substantially constant throughout its length.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the outwardly facing opposed portions of said endless belts which define said convergent spaces are substantially planar and horizontal.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said hopper is so configured that it communicates with substantial areas of the upwardly facing surfaces of both said endless belts appurtenant to the thicker end of said convergent space whereby both endless belts will act to convey dough within said hopper into said convergent space.

Claim 27

A meat analog apparatus comprising: a hopper having an inlet and an outlet, said hopper adapted to hold a quantity of distensible, coherent, coagulable, amorphous dough, said hopper further adapted to continuously dispense dough through its outlet and to have additions of dough made independently through said inlet; a pair of converging, endless conveyor belts defining a convergent space between opposed, outwardly facing portions of said belts extending from the outlet of said hopper, said conveyor belts being adapted to forward dough from said hopper through said convergent space and to squeeze dough conveyed therethrough, due to their convergence, whereby the thickness of said dough is gradually decreased therein, said belts being further adapted to accommodate width-increasing distension of said dough induced by said squeezing; drive and synchronization means whereby opposed portions of said belts move at substantially constant and equal velocities, said velocities being adjustable to provide a residence time for dough passing through said apparatus to be coagulated therein; and controlled temperature heating means being adapted to heat said dough being conveyed through said convergent space to a temperature that will induce coagulation of said heat-coagulable dough within said convergent space but will not heat-coagulate a cooler-portion of said dough within said convergent space that is adjacent said outlet of said hopper.

Claim 28

A meat analog apparatus comprising: a hopper having an inlet and an outlet, said hopper adapted to hold a quantity of distensible, coherent, coagulable, amorphous dough, said hopper further adapted to continuously dispense dough through its outlet and to have additions of dough made independently through said inlet; a pair of converging, endless conveyor belts defining a convergent space between opposed, outwardly facing portions of said belts extending from the outlet of said hopper, said conveyor belts being adapted to forward dough from said hopper through said convergent space and to squeeze dough conveyed therethrough, due to their convergence, whereby the thickness of said dough is gradually decreased therein, said belts being further adapted to accommodate width-increasing distension of said dough induced by said squeezing; drive and synchronization means whereby opposed portions of said belts move at substantially constant and equal velocities, said velocities being adjustable to provide a residence time for dough passing through said apparatus to be coagulated therein; and controlled temperature heating means being adapted to heat said dough being conveyed through said convergent space to a temperature that will induce coagulation of said heat-coagulable dough within said convergent space but will not heat-coagulate a cooler-portion of said dough within said convergent space that is adjacent said outlet of said hopper.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising two spacers intermediate said convergent endless belts, said spacers forming sides of said convergent space, said spacers being contoured and disposed to accommodate apparatus induced transverse distension of dough conveyed therethrough but to substantially preclude gravity induced transverse fluid flow of said dough whereby said apparatus will continuously issue a slab of meat-like product having uniform cross-sectional size and shape.

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said spacers are so contoured and disposed that the cross-sectional area of said convergent space is substantially constant throughout the length of said convergent space.