An aerated mixture of unflavored ice cream, yogurt or other food base mix is applied to one end of the interior of an elongated freezing chamber and is advanced along the chamber by a rotating screw or auger. As the mix is advanced within the chamber, it is cooled and worked to form a semi-solid product. Prior to discharge from the remote end of the chamber, flavor is injected and mixed into the product. The free volume in the system from chamber inlet to the discharge point is carefully limited to a minimum amount so that most of the product is cleared from the system during each individual serving. The result is the availability of individual servings of a fresh, high-quality frozen food product.
An efficient manufacturing and distribution system for food products that are normally served at temperatures well below ambient uses a two stage manufacturing process. In the first stage, a neutral base product is prepared in bulk and is shipped to point of sale at ambient temperatures by common carrier, private trucking, parcel express, mail, etc. At the point of sale, a user selected quantity of it is finished to the specification of the user by aerating it, adding flavorings, mix-ins, etc. as desired, chilling it, and delivering it to the consumer.
Apparatus for dispensing a frozen or partially frozen food product has a freezing surface with a central axis and periphery, a motor for rotating the freezing surface about that axis, a turret spaced above the freezing surface for depositing a selected amount of liquid product mix on the freezing surface while it is rotating so that the liquid mix spreads out on the freezing surface and cools to form a flat, at least partially frozen product body and a product delivery assembly disposed between the turret and the freezing surface. That assembly includes a scraper supported above the freezing surface and having a working edge engaging the freezing surface while it is rotating to scrape the frozen product body into a ridge row of scraped product. A vertical forming cylinder positioned adjacent to the periphery of the freezing surface has a side window and a bottom opening. A scraper blade may push the row of product into the forming cylinder through the window thereby compacting the scrapings into a shaped solid body. An ejector in the cylinder pushes the shaped solid body out of the bottom opening into a container such as a cup or cone. A dispensing method is also disclosed.
