The present invention relates generally to agricultural growing apparatuses and methods. More specifically the present invention relates to a dynamic, modular, rotating apparatus, and methods related to the apparatus' use and/or function.

Portioning devices and methods for portioning and conveying elongate casings stuffed with a mass. Circulating conveyor belts are arranged adjacent to each other for conveying the stuffed casings. Each conveyor belt has a conveying area which in operation is moved in a conveying direction, and a return area, wherein the stuffed casing is introduced between the conveying areas of the two conveyor belts and can then be conveyed in the conveying direction. At least one divider is arranged on each conveyor belt and projects laterally from the conveyor belt. The dividers of the adjacent conveyor belts cooperate in the conveying areas in such a way that the stuffed casing is constricted. The divider has a constriction portion for engaging with the stuffed casing and which extends, in operation, substantially at a slant relative to a plane defined as perpendicular to the conveying direction.

A grain spreading device for evenly distribute grain as it is poured into a storage bin. The grain spreading device generally includes a flow-control ring (e.g., an evenflow ring) adapted to be positioned below a grain bin opening, the flow-control ring comprising an upper opening and a bottom, and a cone movably suspended below the flow-control ring by a plurality of springs to create a variable opening between the cone and the bottom of the flow-control ring, the plurality of springs creating a restoring force, wherein the variable opening increases in size when a weight of grain on the cone moves the cone away from the bottom of the flow-control ring against the restoring force of the plurality of springs.

A food-product loader has a conveyor passing through its cabinet, and the cabinet is formed with a bulk hopper. The loader is loaded with elongate pieces of food-product by way of dumping a heaping mass of the food-product pieces into the bulk hopper all at one time. The loader ultimately handles the heap of food-product pieces such that, the loader loads the pieces onto the conveyor in neat lanes, with individual pieces slightly spaced apart from one another. To do this, the loader is constructed with a series or array of soft-sided dispensing sleeves or funnels which are mechanically massaged to tease out one piece at a time, and only one piece at a time.

A method of applying thin layers of a molten chocolate onto a frozen food product, in some instances fruit, that is at temperatures below 0° C. in such a way that prevents discoloration and brittleness of the applied chocolate.

Food process-line coating apparatus for coating a stream of food product in a food process line are provided with the improvement of a permanently-installed internal cleaning-fluid circuit and a plurality cleaning-fluid distribution devices. The cleaning-fluid distribution devices are any of a rotary spray head, a spherical spray nozzle, a rotary frame or a tubular (cylindrical) rotary manifold. The rotary spray head optionally has a multitude of flat spray nozzles mounted along the arms. The spherical spray nozzle might be mounted on a columnar base, and a plurality of those might stand like pickets and aimed a laterally-extending target, like a conveyor belt's nose roller. The rotary frame might have a spaced pair of parallel manifold tubes that rotate about a common axis. The tubular (cylindrical) rotary manifold preferably has a multitude of ports or nozzles distributed at spaced locations on its outer sidewall.

In-feed device (1) for feeding objects onto a grading apparatus (13) for grading sensitive products. The in-feed device (1) comprises a new type of sliding plates (4, 5) and vibrating motors (7) to arrange the objects and to rinse small particles from the objects to be graded.

The temporary store has circulating continuous chains on both sides of the product conveyor section, said continuous chains running through vertical chain loops via upper and lower deflections. Product carrier gondolas with product carriers are suspended on the chains, said product carriers being used to receive incoming products and convey the products to a product outlet. Each chain runs through an inlet-side and an outlet-side vertical loop. The upper deflections of the chain loops can be moved vertically in opposite directions.

A modular roller conveyor comprising a plurality of conveyor modules interconnected by a plurality of links. Each conveyor module comprises an entry end and an exit end, opposing side rails, and a conveying surface coupled to the opposing side rails. The links are operable to rotate the conveyor modules between a stacked configuration and a coplanar configuration. In alternative embodiments, a plurality of modular roller conveyors may be pivotally connected by hinges disposed along the perimeter of the bottom conveyor module. Each conveyor module may include separators at its entry and exit ends and wheels on the bottom conveyor module. Additionally, a system is disclosed that includes a stacking tool operable to transition the modular roller conveyor between the stacked and coplanar configurations.

A food product-carrying unit (10) for transferring food product from an in-feed section to an out-feed section of a small-scale, variable retention time (VRT) food storage system comprises a pair of opposing side portions (11, 12) joined by a pair of opposing end portions (13, 14) to form an open rectangular frame section (15). The side portions (11, 12) have formations (16, 17; 18, 19), respectively, thereon, which formations (16, 17; 18, 19) are adapted to reversibly link the food product-carrying unit (10) to corresponding formations on neighbouring food product-carrying units in the food storage system. A wheel (20, 21) is mounted at ends (22, 23), respectively, of end portion (13). Corresponding wheels (24) (only one wheel shown) are mounted at ends (25, 26), respectively, of end portion (14). The and each wheel (20, 21, 24) has an axle with a plastics wear part, and the wheels (20, 21, 24) are aligned such that, in use, the food product-carrying unit (10) is movable forwards and backwards on the wheels (20, 21, 24) in a straight line through the food storage system. The food product-carrying unit (10) also has a wear pad (27, 28; and 29) mounted on the and each end portion (13, 14), respectively, to the outside (31) of the frame section (15).