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Claims  |
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What is claimed is:
1. In an industrial process system having means for preparing a batch of
ingredients for a foodstuff, said batch comprising a large number of
servings of said foodstuff, the improvement comprising a hopper, said
hopper having a discharge, means for feeding a measured amount of each of
a plurality of liquid ingredients into said hopper, and means for flushing
substantially all of said pre-fed liquid ingredients out of said hopper
discharge with a liquid ingredient.
2. The device of claim 1 further comprising means for preventing the
overfilling of said hopper.
3. The device of claim 2 further comprising a delivery tube connected to
said hopper discharge for carrying said flushed liquid ingredients to a
mixer, said flushing means including means for flushing all of said liquid
ingredients through said delivery tube and into said mixer to
substantially eliminate the deposition of any residue in said delivery
tube.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein said flushing means comprises at least one
spray opening situated in said hopper to spray said flushing liquid into
said hopper.
5. The device of claim 4 wherein said liquid ingredient for flushing said
hopper is a different ingredient than any of said plurality of liquid
ingredients.
6. The device of claim 5 wherein said feeding means further comprises means
for measuring each of said plurality of liquid ingredients by weight.
7. The device of claim 6 wherein said measuring means comprises means for
monitoring the weight of said hopper.
8. The device of claim 7 further comprising a support for said hopper, and
wherein said weight monitoring means comprises at least one load cell
connected between said support and said hopper.
9. The device of claim 8 wherein at least some of said plurality of liquid
ingredients have a viscosity substantially greater than the viscosity of
said flushing liquid ingredient.
10. The device of claim 9 wherein said flushing liquid ingredient is water.
11. The device of claim 10 wherein said plurality of liquid ingredients is
taken from a group comprising oil, malt, and yeast.
12. The device of claim 4 wherein two spray openings are situated in the
top of said hopper, said spray openings being positioned to spray said
flushing liquid ingredient across a substantial part of said hopper
interior.
13. The device of claim 12 further comprising a spray nozzle situated at
each spray opening through which said flushing liquid ingredient flows.
14. The device of claim 6 wherein said flushing liquid ingredient is
measured by a flow meter, the amount of said flushing liquid ingredient
being substantially greater than all of said plurality of liquid
ingredients.
15. The device of claim 14 wherein said flushing liquid ingredient is
water.
16. The device of claim 15 wherein said plurality of liquid ingredients is
taken from a group comprising oil, malt, and yeast.
17. The device of claim 15 wherein said plurality of liquid ingredients is
taken from a group comprising liquid sugar, honey, refiner's syrup,
vinegar, malt, lecithin, and yeast.
18. The device of claim 10 wherein said plurality of liquid ingredients is
taken from a group comprising liquid sugar, honey, refiner's syrup,
vinegar, malt, lecithin, and yeast.
19. An industrial process system for preparing a batch of food ingredients,
said process system including a hopper for pre-mixing a batch of liquid
ingredients, a mixer into which said liquid batch is dumped, a delivery
tube extending between and communicating with both said hopper and said
mixer, and means for flushing substantially the entirety of said liquid
batch out of said hopper through said delivery tube, and into said mixer
with a liquid ingredient.
20. The device of claim 19 wherein said flushing means comprises at least
one spray opening positioned at the top of said hopper, said spray opening
having means for spraying said flushing liquid ingredient onto the top of
said liquid batch as it resides in said hopper.
21. The device of claim 20 wherein said flushing means comprises at least
two spray openings positioned to spray said flushing liquid ingredient on
opposite sides of said hopper.
22. The device of claim 21 wherein said spray openings include relatively
high flow rate spray nozzles and said flushing liquid ingredient has a
viscosity substantially low enough so that a substantially large quantity
thereof may rapidly flow into said hopper.
23. The device of claim 19 wherein said flushing liquid ingredient is
water.
24. The device of claim 23 further comprising means for weighting each of
said ingredients comprising said liquid batch as it is fed into said
hopper.
25. The device of claim 24 wherein said weighing means comprises a support
for said hopper, and at least one load cell connected between said support
and said hopper so that as each of said liquid ingredients is fed,
individually and separately, into said hopper, the increase in weight
thereof corresponds to the weight of the added liquid ingredient.
26. The device of claim 25 further comprising a valve situated at a bottom
opening of the hopper and wherein the composition of said liquid batch is
such that as said valve is opened said liquid batch fails to freely flow
therethrough so that as said water is sprayed into said hopper, said
hopper fills with water, and further comprising means for preventing
overfilling of said hopper with said water.
27. The device of claim 26 wherein said overfilling preventing means
comprises means responsive to said weighing means to thereby monitor and
control the maximum amount of weight of liquid ingredients contained in
said hopper.
28. In an industrial process system for preparing a liquid batch comprising
a large number of servings of a foodstuff, said system including a hopper,
means for feeding a measured amount of each of a plurality of liquid
ingredients into said hopper to thereby prepare said liquid batch, and a
delivery tube communicating between said hopper and a mixer, the
improvement comprising means for automatically flushing substantially all
of said liquid batch out of said hopper and through said delivery tube
into said mixer.
29. The system of claim 28 wherein said flushing means includes means for
filling said hopper with a liquid ingredient to thereby create a pressure
head for forcing said liquid batch out of said hopper.
30. The system of claim 29 wherein said filling means includes means for
spraying the interior of said hopper with said liquid ingredient, said
liquid ingredient being a different ingredient from any which comprise the
liquid batch.
31. The system of claim 30 further comprising means for preventing the
overfilling of said hopper.
32. A process system for preparing a foodstuff, said system including a
hopper, a discharge valve in said hopper, means for feeding a measured
amount of each of a plurality of liquid ingredients into said hopper to
prepare a liquid batch, at least one of said ingredients being water, said
ingredient water being fed so that it creates a pressure head tending to
force the other of said liquid ingredients out of said hopper prior to the
ingredient water so that said hopper is flushed substantially clean by
said ingredient water as said discharge valve is opened.
33. The device of claim 32 wherein said hopper is large enough to hold all
of said liquid batch including said ingredient water.
34. The device of claim 33 further comprising a discharge tube connecting
said hopper to a mixer, said liquid ingredients passing through said
discharge tube, and said discharge tube being flushed substantially clean
by said ingredient water.
35. The device of claim 34 further comprising means for preventing the
overfilling of said hopper.
36. In an industrial process system for preparing a liquid batch comprising
a foodstuff, said system including a mixer for mixing a plurality of
ingredients comprising said foodstuff, the improvement comprising a hopper
connected to said mixer for pre-mixing a plurality of liquid ingredients
into said liquid batch, said hopper having means for self-flushing to
thereby flush substantially all of said liquid ingredients through said
connection into said mixer.
37. In an industrial process system having means for preparing a batch of
ingredients for a foodstuff, said batch comprising a large number of
serving of said foodstuff, the improvement comprising a hopper for holding
a pre-mix of a plurality of ingredients at least some of which are liquid
ingredients, said hopper having a discharge, means for feeding a measured
amount of each of said ingredients into said hopper, and means for
flushing on demand substantially all of said ingredients out of said
hopper through said hopper discharge with a liquid ingredient.
38. The device of claim 37 further comprising a delivery tube connected to
said hopper discharge for carrying said flushed liquid ingredients to a
mixer, said flushing means including means for flushing all of said liquid
ingredients through said delivery tube and into said mixer to
substantially eliminate the deposition of any residue in said delivery
tube.
39. The device of claim 38 wherein said flushing means comprises at least
one spray opening situated in said hopper to spray said flushing liquid
into said hopper.
40. The device of claim 39 wherein two spray openings are situated in the
tope of said hopper, said spray openings being positioned to spray said
flushing liquid ingredient across a substantial part of said hopper
interior. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
For many years, large commercial bakeries have manually prepared batches of
ingredients for mixing into large "doughs". These batches which are
pre-mixed typically include liquid batches of several ingredients. These
ingredients include soy oil, di-malt, yeast, fructose, honey, refiner's
syrup, vinegar, and lecithin. These ingredients, along with the dry
ingredients of mainly flour, are mixed in large mixers before being
further processed into smaller loaves for the baking of bread and other
similar bakery products. As an example, for bread, a first set of liquids
comprising soy oil, di-malt, water and yeast are added to a "sponge dough"
as the materials are first mixed. This sponge dough is then permitted to
rise in a dough room before being further processed in a second mixer with
a second batch of liquid ingredients comprising liquid sugar (fructose),
honey, refiner's syrup (molasses), vinegar, di-malt, lecithin, yeast, and
water. In the prior art, these liquid ingredients comprising these two
batches (except for water) were hand measured into a bucket which would
then be manually dumped into the mixer at each of the two above-described
stages of the baking process.
This hand preparation and mixing of liquid ingredients at these two stages
of the baking process was very inexact. The amount of each ingredient
actually added to the bucket depended entirely upon the measurement made
by the operator. Additionally, even if the operator were to make very
exacting measurements, a not insubstantial amount of residue remained in
the bucket after it was dumped into the mixer. Furthermore, the
composition of this residue was inexact and varied from mix to mix such
that it could not be adequately accounted for. It should also be noted
that the water component of these liquid additions was not actually put in
the bucket due to the fact that substantially more water is added at each
of these two liquid additions than could be conveniently handled in the
bucket. For example, in a typical baking process for bread or the like,
50-60 lbs. of liquid ingredients other than water could be required while
the water component might be as much as 400 lbs. Therefore, in the prior
art manual process, considerable inaccuracy existed in the addition of
liquid ingredients which produced a variation in the product produced by
the baking process.
This problem became even more acute as the inventors herein participated in
an effort to automate the baking process. As can be appreciated, the
liquid ingredients which comprise the liquid batch range from being quite
viscous to oil based and even water soluble in nature. With this
composition, pre-mixing of a batch of liquid ingredients in a scale hopper
or the like might be readily anticipated to be a correct approach to
solving this problem. However, getting this liquid batch to dump into the
mixer at the appropriate point in time in a full and complete manner and
in a reasonably short period of time proved to be quite a challenge. Not
only did the sticky liquid batch tend to resist ready flow into the mixer,
it also had a tendency to clog any reasonably sized opening in the bottom
of the liquid scale and/or the delivery tube connecting the hopper to the
mixer. Some of the ingredients, such as molasses, even left residue inside
the delivery tube, thereby giving a visual indication that not all of the
ingredients were making it to the mixer. Additionally, it was anticipated
that the liquid scale and delivery tube must be flushed with hot water
between batches in order to clean it and prevent its contaminating
successive batches of liquid ingredients. However, this would require
additional plumbing, the provision of hot water, the wasted use of an
excessive amount of water, and interruption of the continuous baking
process should there be any malfunction.
In order to solve these and other problems in the prior art, the inventors
herein have succeeded in designing and developing a liquid weigh scale
hopper and water flush arrangement which permits a batch of liquid
ingredients to be prepared and then flushed completely into a mixer while
leaving virtually no residue in the hopper or delivery tube. This is
achieved by spraying the chilled water liquid ingredient into the hopper
such that it fills it without overflowing to gravitationally help push the
liquid batch out of the hopper and flush it while doing so. The liquid
hopper is typically sized to hold approximately 180 lbs. of liquid
ingredients. As mentioned above, the liquid ingredients comprising a
typical batch would range from 50-60 lbs. This permits the liquid scale to
be loaded to its maximum with an additional 120-130 lbs. of water whose
weight helps force the liquid ingredients out through a valve located at
the bottom of the hopper. Additionally, the water dilutes the top portion
of the liquid ingredient batch which helps eliminate any residue which
might form into a ring around the inside of the liquid scale at its fill
line, as well as facilitating the flushing of the last portion of the
liquid batch out of the hopper and through the delivery tube. Even after
the scale is maximally loaded with water, in a typical mix of 400 lbs. of
water, another 250 lbs. or more of water is then sprayed against the
inside of the hopper and ensures a substantially clean flush of the inside
thereof.
As can be appreciated, it is perhaps more difficult to achieve a complete
flush and clean of the delivery tube extending between the scale hopper
and the mixer than it is to flush and clean the scale hopper itself. In
the scale hopper, in a typical flush, there is quite a turbulence of water
and liquid ingredients which is created when water is first sprayed into
the hopper. Secondly, as the liquid ingredients and water drain from the
hopper, the water spray directly contacts the sidewalls and bottom of the
hopper to further scour and cleanse the hopper. By way of contrast, there
is no spray action which contacts the inside of the delivery tube.
Furthermore, the liquid ingredients are squeezed into the delivery tube
such that there is a significant contact surface therebetween which
increases the tendency for the ingredients to leave a residue. Lastly, the
velocity of the flushing water through the delivery tube begins at a
rather slow rate but then accelerates. Therefore, there was significant
doubt that the present invention would achieve a clean and complete flush
of liquid ingredients not only through the scale hopper, but perhaps more
importantly through the delivery tube connecting the scale hopper to the
mixer itself.
With this approach, the chilled water which is typically added at
40.degree. F. will achieve the desired dump and flush of the liquid scale
hopper and delivery tube whereas as in the prior art it was anticipated
that hot water would be required to adequately flush and clean them.
Therefore, using the liquid ingredient water eliminates the requirement
for separate plumbing and the provision of hot water to clean out the
inside of the liquid hopper and its delivery tube between batches. This
unique arrangement and method represents a dramatic improvement over the
manual methods utilized in the prior art and also facilitates the
automation of this batching process.
While the principal advantages and features of the present invention have
been mentioned above, a greater understanding may be attained by referring
to the drawings and description of the preferred embodiment which follow.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the liquid scale hopper flush and clean
system of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the liquid scale hopper as supported from a
framework by a plurality of load cells; and
FIG. 3 is an overhead view taken along the plane of line 3--3 of FIG. 2 of
the liquid scale hopper and supporting framework.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in FIG. 1, the liquids system 20 of the present invention has at
its heart a liquid scale hopper 22 which receives any one or more of
liquid ingredients 24-32 as the ingredients are pumped by pumps 34-42
through on/off solenoid valves 44-52. The ingredients 24-32 are identified
in FIG. 1 as ingredients A-E and they may be any combination or recipe as
required for the particular baking process being performed. For example,
in making bread, there will typically be a first liquid system 20 at a
sponge dough mixer which adds in soy oil (or canola oil), di-malt and
liquid yeast. At a second station, after the sponge dough has been
prepared and permitted to rise before being placed in a second mixer, the
liquid ingredients would typically include liquid sugar (fructose), honey,
refiner's syrup (molasses), vinegar, di-malt, lecithin, and liquid yeast.
Of course, these particular ingredients are merely exemplary of other
liquid ingredients which could be conveniently utilized using the present
invention. Furthermore, as this liquids system 20 is centrally controlled
by a main computer 54 or other programmed logic controller, the liquid
ingredients 24-32 may be conveniently changed from batch to batch in
accordance with the particular recipe for the product being made.
At either side of the top of the liquid scale hopper 22 there is shown
chilled water inlets 56, 58 which are supplied from a common water line
60. This common water line 60 carries chilled water produced by a chilled
water system 62. The chilled water system 62 includes a cold water source
64, a hot water source 66, and a tap water or city water source 68 which
supplies water through an on/off solenoid valve 70-74, with the hot water
source 66 and tap water source 68 being further controlled by modulating
valves 76-78. Water from each of these water sources 64-68 is collected
into a common water line 80, the flow through which is monitored by a flow
valve 82 and the temperature of which is sensed by an electronic
temperature sensor 84. As shown in FIG. 1, a second computer 85 senses and
controls the various electronic components including valves 70-74,
modulating valves 76-78, and temperature sensor 84. The first computer 54
controls the flow of liquid ingredients into the hopper 22 and then calls
for chilled water over a data link 87, as required for the dump and flush
operation. Flow of chilled water is monitored by first computer 54 by
sensing the output of flow meter 82 so as to know when enough chilled
water has been delivered.
Computer 85 is programmed to sense the output temperature of the chilled
water by electronic temperature sensor 84 which will yield a temperature
either above or below the desired water temperature. Cold water from cold
water source 64 is generally colder than the desired temperature of the
chilled water such that there is no requirement for a modulating valve in
its line. Thus, cold water from cold water source 64 is normally either on
or off as the chilled water system 62 is either on or off. In order to
raise the temperature of the cold water to approach the desired
temperature of the chilled water, the modulating valve 78 is throttled
open to add city tap water from any potable water source available at the
particular installation. The modulating valve 78 is opened up to as much
as approximately 80% in an effort to achieve the desired chilled water
temperature. If the chilled water temperature is still below desired
temperature, then hot water is added from hot water source 66 by
throttling open modulating valve 76. For most installations, it has been
found that in the summertime the chilled water temperature of a nominal
40.degree. F. may be achieved by using the cold water source and the city
tap water source. However, in wintertime, it has been found that hot water
from hot water source 66 is also required in order to achieve a 40.degree.
F. chilled water temperature.
It should be noted that for the particular baking process being described
as the preferred embodiment, the chilled water system is designated as
such because water at 40.degree. F. is being supplied for the baking
process. However, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in
the art that different baking processes require water at different
temperatures. For example, in some baking processes water at 90.degree. is
required. In those instances, the "chilled" water system disclosed herein
could very simply be converted to provide water at the desired temperature
by simply rearranging the water sources. For example, one such simplistic
arrangement would include swapping the hot water source with the cold
water source such that hot water would enter the system at full pressure
and flow, tap water would be throttled in as necessary to modulate hot
water temperature, and then cold water used to the extent that tap water
would not adequately modulate the temperature to the desired value, much
as in the manner disclosed herein. Such variations on the present
"chilled" water system are within the scope of the disclosure of the
present system. Undue emphasis should not be placed on the designation of
the water system as "chilled".
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the liquid scale hopper 22 is secured to a
collar 86, collar 86 being suspended by a plurality of support rods 88
attached to load cells 90 which are themselves supported by rods 92 from a
supporting framework 94. Load cells 90 provide a continuous indication of
the weight of the liquid scale hopper 22 and its contents. A plurality of
feed lines 96-104 are individually connected to the top 106 of liquid
scale hopper 22 for individually feeding liquid ingredients thereinto, as
has been previously explained. Solenoid valves 44-52 control the flow of
liquid ingredient through each of the fill lines 96-104. A chilled water
supply line 60 feeds chilled water inlets 56, 58 at the opposite sides of
top 106 with high flow rate spray nozzles 108, 110. High flow spray
nozzles 108, 110 may be Bete Model TF40XW316 and TF40FC316 to accommodate
a high flow spray of chilled water against the inside of the liquid scale
hopper and across substantially the entire surface of any liquids
contained therein. Alternately, high speed spray nozzles 108, 110 may not
be required as a great deal of turbulence is created in the hopper when
the water is supplied at a high flow rate. Instead, the water inlets 56,
58 may merely be flanged into the top 106 and the end openings be simple
pipe ends. As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom of liquid scale hopper 22
funnels into a discharge valve 112 which may be a nominal two inches in
diameter to control the dumping of liquid ingredients from liquid scale
hopper 22 through delivery tube 114 into a receiver/mixer (not shown) or
the like. Each of load cells 90 and the discharge valve 112 is connected
to computer 54.
In operation, liquid ingredients as are desired are individually fed into
the liquid scale hopper. As each liquid ingredient is fed in, the
incremental increase in weight as measured by the load cells help the main
computer to determine and control the amount of each ingredient in order
to satisfy the desired recipe therefor. Thus, with this arrangement, the
individual liquid ingredients may be added by weight to the batch. The
order that the liquid ingredients are fed into the liquid scale hopper may
also be controlled to aid in flushing the liquid batch. Generally, the
inventors have found that it is easier to flush the liquid batch if the
more slippery and less viscous ingredients are first fed into the liquid
scale hopper, while the other, stickier, more viscous ingredients are fed
last. After the liquid batch has been prepared with the various liquid
ingredients, it is held in place for dumping as called for by the main
computer logic controller. At that time, the discharge valve is opened and
the chilled water supply is turned on to spray chilled water into the
liquid scale hopper from opposite sides thereof and across the top of the
liquid batch.
The inventors have found that there is a time delay before there is any
flow of liquids from the liquid scale hopper during which the chilled
water has a tendency to fill the liquid scale hopper. In a typical
application, 50-60 lbs. of liquid ingredients are loaded into the liquid
scale hopper, and the liquid scale hopper may have a capacity of 180 lbs.
which permits approximately 125 lbs. of chilled water to be sprayed into
the liquid scale hopper. This spraying action creates quite a lot of
turbulence in the hopper which scours out the hopper as it is filled. When
the liquid scale hopper reaches its maximum weight as measured by the load
cells, the chilled water supply is turned off in order to avoid
overfilling. This approximately 125 lbs. of chilled water creates a
pressure head through gravitational forces which helps to push the liquid
batch through the discharge valve and delivery tube, and into the receiver
or mixer. As flow commences through the discharge valve, the inventors
have observed that the discharge rate exceeds the chilled water spray rate
so that the hopper slowly empties as more chilled water is added which
again scours out the hopper and dilutes the portion of the liquid batch
near its top surface. As can be appreciated, this also facilitates the
ready flow of the last portion of the liquid batch and helps eliminate any
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