Machine for producing aerated products

Claim 2

A machine for producing whipped cream and other stiff flowable aerated emulsion food products, the machine comprising a housing, a motor-driven pump in the housing and having an inlet and an outlet, an air intake operatively connected to the pump inlet, an unpressurized liquid product container, a suction tube leading from the container and operatively connected to the pump inlet, whereby in use liquid product and air are simultaneously drawn into the pump, apparatus connected to the pump outlet and defining a flow path along which the mixture of liquid product and air is pumped to a product discharge outlet, and the flow path including a static homogenizer for emulsifying the mixture; the improvement comprising wall means defining a chamber operatively connected to the air intake; valve means at the chamber and including a needle valve assembly at the air intake and including a plug which is adjustable to control the flow of air into the chamber; the plug having a head portion for adjusting the plug; the adjustable plug having a cylindrical peripheral wall which is received in a cylindrical part of the chamber and an annular groove in the peripheral wall; an O-ring mounted in the annular groove and sealing against the chamber; and the valve means also including a member which has a resiliently-urged closed position and which is opened by pump suction to allow air to be sucked in.

Claim 3

A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the adjustable plug has a needle part at its innermost end, and an air passage from atmosphere is formed through the plug to an outlet port inwardly of the O-ring and laterally of the needle.

Claim 4

A machine as set forth in claim 2 in which the adjustable plug is formed in two pieces including an outer piece which carries the head portion and an inner piece which carries the needle, a filter disc is located between the two pieces, means for holding the two pieces with the filter disc trapped between them, the outer piece having an air inlet from atmosphere to one side of the filter disc, and the inner piece having said air passage therein leading from the other side of the filter disc to the needle.

Claim 5

A machine as set forth in claim 3 in which one of the pieces is arranged to snap over the peripheral edge of the other piece to hold the two pieces of the adjustable plug together.

Claim 6

A machine as set forth in claim 4 in which the outer piece is a plastic molding and caRries a scale for setting the adjustment of the plug, and has a depending skirt which has an internal groove for said snap fit; and the inner piece is formed of stainless steel.

Claim 7

A machine as set forth in claim 2 in which the chamber has a wall portion with an aperture spaced from the needle; and in which the member of the valve means which has a resiliently urged closed position and which is opened by pump suction to allow air to be sucked in includes a stem extending through the aperture in the chamber wall portion, a disc carried by the stem, and a spring surrounding the stem and which resiliently urges the disc into engagement with the wall to close the aperture downstream of the needle when the pump is not operating.

Claim 8

A machine as set forth in claim 6 wherein the suction tube is operatively connected to the chamber upstream of said chamber wall portion whereby the liquid product supply meets and mixes with the air supply immediately upstream of the aperture.

Claim 9

A machine as set forth in claim 7 in which the member also includes a portion carried by the stem and which closes off the air supply upstream of the point where the suction tube is connected to the chamber to prevent back-flow of liquid product into the air supply line when the pump is not operating.

Claim 10

A machine as set forth in claim 8 in which the chamber has a laterally-extending wall portion adjacent the needle and having an opening which cooperates with the needle to adjust the air flow as the plug is adjusted, and in which the portion carried by the stem includes a second disc which closes said opening from the side opposite the needle.

Claim 11

A machine for producing whipped cream and other stiff flowable aerated emulsion food products, the machine comprising a housing, a motor-driven pump in the housing and having an inlet and an outlet, an air intake operatively connected to the pump inlet, an unpressurized liquid product container, a suction tube leading from the container and operatively connected to the pump inlet, whereby in use liquid product and air are simultaneously drawn into the pump, apparatus connected to the pump outlet and defining a flow path along which the mixture of liquid product and air is pumped to a product discharge outlet, and the flow path including a static homogenizer for emulsifying the mixture; the improvement comprising wall means defining a chamber operatively connected to the air intake; valve means at the chamber and including a needle valve assembly at the air intake and including a plug which is adjustable to control the flow of air into the chamber; the plug being formed of two pieces including an outer piece and an inner piece; a filter disc positioned between the two pieces, fastening means for holding the two pieces of the plug together with the filter disc trapped between them; the outer piece having an air inlet from atmosphere to one side of the filter disc; the inner piece having an air passage from the other side of the filter disc to the chamber; the outer piece having a head portion disposed so that it is readily accessible for adjusting the plug; and the valve means also including a member which has a resiliently-urged closed position and which is opened by pump suction to allow air to be sucked in.

Claim 12

A machine for producing whipped cream and other stiff flowable aerated emulsion food products, the machine comprising a housing, a motor-driven pump in the housing and having an inlet and an outlet, an air intake operatively connected to the pump inlet, an unpressurized liquid product container, a suction tube leading from the container and operatively connected to the pump inlet, whereby in use liquid product and air are simultaneously drawn into the pump, apparatus connected to the pump outlet and defining a flow path along which the mixture of liquid product and air is pumped to a product discharge outlet, and the flow path including a static homogenizer for emulsifying the mixture; the improvement comprising wall means defining a chamber operatively connected to the air intake; valve means at the chamber and including a needle valve assembly at the air intake and including a plug which is adjustable to control the flow of air into the chamber; the plug being formed of two pieces including an outer piece and an inner piece; a filter disc positioned between the two pieces, fastening means for holding the two pieces of the plug together with the filter disc trapped between them; the outer piece having an air inlet from atmosphere to one side of the filter disc; the inner piece having an air passage from the other side of the filter disc to the chamber; the outer piece having a head portion disposed so that it is readily accessible for adjusting the plug; and the valve means also including a member which has a resiliently-urged closed position and which is opened by pump suction to allow air to be sucked in.

Claim 13

A machine as set forth in claim 10 wherein one of the pieces is arranged to snap over the peripheral edge of the other piece to provide said fastening means.

Claim 14

A machine as set forth in claim 11 wherein the outer piece is a plastic molding and has a depending skirt which has an internal groove for said snap fit; and the inner piece is formed of stainless steel.

Claim 15

A machine as set forth in claim 12 in which the outer piece carries a scale for setting the adjustment of the plug.