Coextrusion apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for coextruding meat and a protein material for encasing said meat, said apparatus comprising: a coextrusion die including body means defining an extrusion passageway; first tubular mandrel means disposed within said passageway in space relationship with said body means thereby defining a casing extrusion passageway between said body means and said first mandrel means; second tubular mandrel means at least partially disposed within said first tubular mandrel means in space relationship with said first mandrel means thereby defining a gas passageway between said first mandrel means and said second mandrel means; means for extruding meat material through said second tubular mandrel means; means for extruding a hot plastic mass of casing material through said casing extrusion passageway thereby applying a thin film of said hot plastic mass around said extruding meat; means for applying a partial vacuum to said gas passageway thereby removing gaseous products formed between the extruding meat and the extruding casing thereby providing close adherence between said meat and casing, said moving gaseous products providing a heat insulating barrier between said first mandrel means and said second mandrel means.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said body means further includes heating means for maintaining said protein material in a plastic condition during extrusion.

Claim 4

In apparatus for coextruding a heat sensitive material and a hot plastic mass for encasing said heat sensitive material, said apparatus including die means, means for supplying the heat sensitive material to said die meanS at extrusion pressures and means for supplying the hot plastic casing material to said die means at extrusion pressures, the improvement comprising a coextrusion die including: means defining a central passageway through which the heat sensitive material may be extruded; means defining a tubular passageway through which the casing material may be extruded, said tubular passageway co-axially surrounding said central passageway; and heat insulating means, said heat insulating means providing a heat barrier between the central passageway and the tubular passageway, said heat insulating means including fluid carrying passageway communicating with the interface between said heat sensitive material and said hot plastic mass, said heat insulating means including means for moving a gaseous fluid.

Claim 5

In apparatus for coextruding a heat sensitive material and a hot plastic mass for encasing said heat sensitive material, said apparatus including die means, means for supplying the heat sensitive material to said die means at extrusion pressures and means for supplying the hot plastic casing material to said die means at extrusion pressures, the improvement comprising a coextrusion die including: means defining a central passageway through which the heat sensitive material may be extruded; means defining a tubular passageway through which the casing material may be extruded, said tubular passageway co-axially surrounding said central passageway; and heat insulating means, said heat insulating means providing a heat barrier between the central passageway and the tubular passageway, said heat insulating means including fluid carrying passageway communicating with the interface between said heat sensitive material and said hot plastic mass, said heat insulating means including means for moving a fluid through said fluid carrying passageway.

Claim 6

In the apparatus of claim 6 wherein said fluid moving means comprise means for moving a fluid away from the interface between said heat sensitive material and said casing material.

Claim 7

In the apparatus of claim 7 wherein said fluid moving means comprise vacuum producing means.

Claim 8

Apparatus for coextruding a heat sensitive material and a hot plastic mass, said apparatus including die means, means for supplying the heat sensitive material to said die means at extrusion pressures and means for supplying the hot plastic mass to said die means at extrusion pressures, said die means including body means defining an elongated chamber, tubular mandrel means disposed within said chamber in spaced relationship with said body means thereby providing a first extrusion passageway therebetween for said hot plastic mass, tubular means at least partially disposed within said mandrel means in spaced relationship with said mandrel means thereby defining a heat insulating gas chamber therebetween, the interior of said tubular means providing a second extrusion passageway for said heat sensitive material, and means for placing said gas chamber under a partial vacuum.