Auger Chiller with Sloped Unloader

Abstract

An auger chiller ( 10 ) includes a carcass delivery end ( 18 ) that is sloped upwardly with a reduced radius. The auger ( 32 ) includes a progressively reduced radius auger segment ( 38 ) that matches the configuration of the angled section of the chiller tank, with the pitch of the auger blade being greater in this section of the tank for advancing the birds more reliably in a first-in first-out delivery to a sloped bird unloader ( 46 ). An arcuate basin ( 50 ) is formed at the lower arc of the peripheral rim wall ( 48 ) of the bird unloader, assuring that the heavier birds tend to sink into the basin, tending not to return to the chiller tank.

1 . An auger chiller for reducing the temperature of previously eviscerated bird carcasses or the like, comprising:
 an elongated tank for receiving carcasses and chilled water for reducing the temperature of the carcasses,   said tank including a main segment with a substantially constant radius semi-cylindrical bottom wall, and an exit portion having a progressively reduced radius semi-conical bottom wall tapered to a breadth smaller than said constant radius of said main segment bottom wall,   an auger assembly extending along said bottom wall of said tank, said auger including main segment auger blades of substantially constant radius in said main segment bottom wall, and an exit portion having a progressively reduced radius tapered auger blade in said a progressively reduced radius semi-conical bottom wall,   an unloader at said a progressively reduced radius semi-conical bottom wall of said tank, said unloader including a sloped back wall extending upwardly and away from said progressively reduced radius semi-conical bottom wall, and a paddle assembly positioned at said sloped back wall for moving carcasses up the slope of said sloped back wall and unloading the carcasses from said auger chiller.   
     
     
         2 . The auger chiller of  claim 1 , wherein
 said unloader includes a peripheral rim wall extending from said sloped back wall of said unloader toward said progressively reduced radius semi-conical bottom wall of said tank and forming an arcuate basin through which said paddle assembly passes to move carcasses along the peripheral rim wall.   
     
     
         3 . The auger chiller of  claim 1 , wherein said auger has helical blades and the helical blades of the portion of the auger in said progressively reduced radius semi-conical bottom wall of said tank are of greater pitch than the pitch of the helical blades in said main segment of said tank. 
     
     
         4 . The auger chiller of  claim 1 , and further including a cold water supply system for withdrawing water from one end of said chiller tank and supplying water to the other end of said chiller tank. 
     
     
         5 . An auger chiller for reducing the temperature of previously eviscerated bird carcasses, said auger chiller comprising:
 an elongated tank for receiving cold water and carcasses, said tank including a bottom wall, an entrance end for receiving carcasses in the water and delivery end for delivering the carcasses out of the water after the carcasses have been chilled,   said delivery end of said tank including an upwardly angled segment that converges to a breadth smaller breadth than the rest of said tank,   an auger in said tank for advancing the carcasses through the water from said entrance end to said delivery end of said tank, said auger including auger blades that advance the carcasses along said bottom wall and along said upwardly angled segment of the bottom wall,   an unloader at said delivery end of said tank, said unloader including a sloped back wall and a rotary paddle assembly juxtaposed said sloped back wall for engaging and lifting the carcasses from said tank.   
     
     
         6 . The auger chiller of  claim 5  wherein
 said sloped back wall of said unloader is sloped up and away from said upwardly angled segment of said bottom wall of said tank, and   further including a peripheral rim wall extending from said upwardly angled segment of said bottom wall downwardly to said sloped back wall of said unloader and forming with said back wall an arcuate basin for receiving the carcasses from said semi-cylindrical bottom wall of said tank, such that the rotary paddle assembly can engage and move the birds from the arcuate basin along the peripheral connector wall.   
     
     
         7 . The auger chiller of  claim 6 , wherein
 said peripheral rim wall is joined to said back wall and partially surrounds said paddle assembly, and   a peripheral connector wall connected between said peripheral rim wall and said semi-cylindrical bottom wall of said tank.   
     
     
         8 . The auger chiller of  claim 6 , wherein
 said upwardly angled segment of said chiller tank is semi-conical in shape.   
     
     
         9 . An auger chiller for reducing the temperature of recently harvested carcasses, said auger chiller comprising:
 an elongated chiller tank for receiving cold water and carcasses,   said chiller tank including an entrance end for receiving carcasses in the water,   said chiller tank further including and a delivery end including an upwardly sloped section,   an unloader at the delivery end of said chiller tank, said unloader including a back wall sloped upwardly and away with respect to said upwardly sloped section of said chiller tank, and a peripheral rim wall extending from said back wall from a position lower than said upwardly extending section of said chiller tank and forming a basin for receiving the carcasses, and   a paddle assembly positioned at said sloped back wall for moving through the basin and moving carcasses from the basin up the slope of said sloped back wall and unloading the carcasses from said auger chiller.   
     
     
         10 . The auger chiller of  claim 9 , wherein
 said upwardly extending section of said chiller tank is semi-conical, and   the portion of said auger in said semi-conical section of said tank is of greater pitch than the pitch of the auger in said main segment of said chiller tank.   
     
     
         11 . The auger chiller of  claim 9 , and further including a cold water supply system for withdrawing water from one end of said chiller tank and supplying water to the other end of said chiller tank.