Vacuum impregnating apparatus

Claim 1

VACUUM IMPREGNATION APPARATUS OPERABLE ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS FOR EVACUATING GASES FROM THE INTERIOR OF FOOD PRODUCTS AND SUBSTITUTING A LIQUID IN PLACE OF THE EVACUATED GAS, COMPRISING A PRODUCT INPUT HOPPER HAVING AN OUTLET OPENING, A RECEIVING TANK, SAID HOPPER AND TANK ADAPTED TO CONTAIN SAID LIQUID TO SELECTED LIQUID LEVELS THEREIN, A TABULAR CONDUIT SYSTEM COMMUNICATING WITH SAID HOPPER AND SAID TANK BELOW SAID LIQUID LEVELS FOR FLUID CURRENT CONVEYANCE OF THE FOOD PRODUCTS FROM SAID HOPPER TO SAID TANK, SAID CONDUIT SYSTEM INCLUDING A VERTICAL ASCENDING CONDUIT LEG, A VERTICAL DESCENDING CONDUIT LEG, A TRANSFER CHAMBER INTERCONNECTING THE UPERMOST ENDS OF SAID LEGS AT A SUBSTANTIAL HEIGHT ABOVE THE LEVES OF SAID HOPPER TANK, CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING LOWER END PORTIONS OF SAID ASCENDING AND DESCENDING LEGS TO SAID OUTLET OPENING AND SAID TANK, RESPECTIVELY, MEANS FOR APPLYING VACUUM CONDITIONS TO SAID TRANSFER CHAMBER TO DRAW SAID LIQUID FROM SAID TANK AND HOPPER INTO SAID TRANSFER CHAMBER PROVIDING A SUBMERGED PRODUCT TRANSFER PATH OF MARKED SUB-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER BETWEEN SAID VERTICAL LEGS, SAID INPUT HOPPER BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY UPWARDLY OPENING FUNNEL-SHAPED CONFIGURATION WITH SAID OUTLET OPENING AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING THE LIQUID TO SAID HOPPER IN A MANNER ESTABLISHING A FORCED VORTEX THEREIN FOR LOWERING THE OPER ATING SURFACE OF THE LIQUID NEAR THE VERTICAL CENTER AXIS OF THE HOPPER TO A LEVEL SUFFICIENTLY NEAR THE OUTLET OPENING TO INSURE FLUID CURRENT ENTRAINMENT OF THE PRODUCT INTO SAID CONDUIT SYSTEM FOR PASSAGE THROUGH SAID VERTICAL LEGS AND INTO SAID TANK, SAID INPUT HOPPER INCLUDING ADJUSTABLE BAFFLE MEANS THEREIN TO BE DISPOSED AT SELECTED POSITIONS IN SAID HOPPER FOR SELECTIVELY BREAKING UP THE VORTEX ESTABLISHED THEREIN TO THE APPROPRIATE EXTENT TO LOCATE THE CORE OF THE LIQUID SURFACE AT THE VERTICAL CENTER AXIS OF THE HOPPER A DESIRED DISTANCE FROM SAID OUTLET OPENING, AND MEANS FOR RETURNING THE LIQUID AT A SELECTED RATE DIRECTLY FROM THE TANK TO SAID HOPPER.