Work-saving improvements for food-process lines

Abstract

Work-saving improvements for food-process lines include (1) mounting alternate machines of a food process line on pivot hardware to speed up washing and maintenance operations, (2) mounting the machines on rolling riding gear in order to speed up the activities of building and re-building food process lines of a different series of machines, or (3) isolate the food process line in its own tunnel and hence its own climate-controlled atmosphere to reduce conflicts with running two food process lines side by side where one food process line is a source of air borne allergens.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A food process line, comprising:
 at least one coating machine comprising at least one endless conveyor belt having an upper, food-product carrying run and a lower, return run, the upper, food-product carrying run extending providing said at least one coating machine with a conveyor belt intake end and a conveyor belt discharge end;   at least one food process line machine disposed relative the at least one coating machine to discharge food product onto the conveyor belt intake end of the coating machine;   at least one other food process line machine disposed relative to the at least one coating machine to receive food product from the conveyor belt discharge end of the coating machine;   one or more product weight sensors at one or more positions along the food process line;   one or more regulators of coating material dispensing associated with a respective coating machine along the food process line; and   a feedback control system receiving inputs of product weight at the one or more positions along the food process line and outputting control signals to the one or more regulators of coating material dispensing associated with the respective coating machine thereof along the food process line.   
     
     
         2 . A food process line, comprising:
 at least one transfer conveyor comprising an endless conveyor belt having an upper, food-product carrying run and a lower, return run, the upper, food-product carrying run extending between an intake end and a discharge end;   at least one food process line machine disposed relative the at least one transfer conveyor to discharge food product onto the intake end of the belt of the transfer conveyor;   at least one other food process line machine disposed relative to the at least one transfer conveyor to receive food product from the discharge end of the belt of the transfer conveyor;   said food process line further comprising a food-product coating machine either in the position of the at least one food process line machine or in a position upline thereof;   one or more product weight sensors at one or more positions along the food process line;   one or more regulators of coating material dispensing associated with a respective coating machine along the food process line; and   a feedback control system receiving inputs of product weight at the one or more positions along the food process line and outputting control signals to the one or more regulators of coating material dispensing associated with the respective coating machine thereof along the food process line.