A drum-type coating apparatus for applying breading material to food product is configured to eliminate, in most circumstances, a hard cylindrical drum, to be replaced by a U-hanging belt, the belly of which provides all the operative utility of a cylindrical hard drum, but better than that, provides more clearance for cleaning operations, since the upper hemi-cylinder of a hard cylindrical drum provides no utility for tumbling purposes and only, to make matters worse, obstructs cleaning operations. Also, the overall coating apparatus for supporting the U-hanging belt, flexible drum is provided with provisions for the exchangeable substitution or elimination of accessories of the tumbling and/or flipping nature, including the U-hanging belt, flexible drum itself. In the elimination configuration, food product is not routed through any tumbling and/or flipping accessory but is instead run through a flat bed configuration. That way, delicate food product is protected from disintegration.

An apparatus to apply seasoning to a foodstuff comprising a plurality of individual food portions comprises a rotatable drum supportable in a generally horizontal position and having an inlet at a first end, an outlet at a second end and a bore extending through the drum from the inlet to the outlet, with a substantial portion of the bore having a generally frustoconical interior with a larger diameter end of the frustoconical interior disposed proximal to the inlet and a smaller diameter end of the frustoconical interior portion disposed proximal to the outlet. In one embodiment, the frustoconical interior portion extends substantially from the inlet to the outlet and converges in that direction. In another embodiment, the generally frustoconical portion extends from a generally cylindrical interior portion, that is intermediate the inlet and the frustoconical interior portion, to the outlet and converges in that direction.

A cleaning arrangement (200) for a coating apparatus (100). The coating apparatus has a base (123) for carrying loose material. The base is rotatable to coat the loose material. The cleaning arrangement includes a base-scraping arrangement (127) and further includes a mounting arrangement (131) by which the base-scraping arrangement is mounted to be reversibly lowered, from a coating position, to a scraping position at which the base-scraping arrangement is positioned to scrape buildup from the base.

A cleaning arrangement (200) for a coating apparatus (100). The coating apparatus has a base (123) for carrying loose material. The base is rotatable to coat the loose material. The cleaning arrangement includes a base-scraping arrangement (127) and further includes a mounting arrangement (131) by which the base-scraping arrangement is mounted to be reversibly lowered, from a coating position, to a scraping position at which the base-scraping arrangement is positioned to scrape buildup from the base.

A centrifuge basket includes a support basket with a support base and a support wall circumferentially extending around a basket axis of the centrifuge basket. The support base and the support wall have a plurality of through openings with passage areas of at most 500 square millimeters, and a filter fabric which is arranged in the support basket and covers the support base and the support wall on the inside. The filter fabric includes, viewed in a cross-section through the centrifuge basket, a plurality of regions distributed over a circumference which are formed radially inwards with respect to a circular basic shape of the filter fabric.

A method and a system for coating products are provided. The method includes the steps of applying a coating liquid to a product and removing excess coating liquid from the product. It is desirable to provide a method and system for efficiently and reliably coating delicate or easily deformable products, such as products molded from a pulp fiber slurry. The method includes fixing the product to a receiving portion of a product carrier that is configured in the same shape as the product, such that an exterior surface of the product abuts the interior concave surface of the receiving portion of the device. A coating liquid is applied to the product in the product carrier. The product carrier is affixed to a centrifuging device and the coating liquid is dispersed over the surface of the product using centripetal force.

A method and a system for coating products are provided. The method includes the steps of applying a coating liquid to a product and removing excess coating liquid from the product. It is desirable to provide a method and system for efficiently and reliably coating delicate or easily deformable products, such as products molded from a pulp fiber slurry. The method includes fixing the product to a receiving portion of a product carrier that is configured in the same shape as the product, such that an exterior surface of the product abuts the interior concave surface of the receiving portion of the device. A coating liquid is applied to the product in the product carrier. The product carrier is affixed to a centrifuging device and the coating liquid is dispersed over the surface of the product using centripetal force.

An apparatus including an air blower; a rotary airlock; a receptacle having an inner chamber supplied with a plurality of colorant particles; a water supply; and a mixing chamber. The air blower blows air into a bottom section of the rotary airlock, and the rotary airlock receives colorant particles from an output of the receptacle. A rotor shaft of the rotary airlock rotates to cause colorant particles to be transported to the bottom section of the rotary airlock. Air blown into the bottom section of the rotary airlock mixes with colorant particles transported into the bottom section of the rotary airlock to form an air and colorant particles mixture, which is blown out of a first output of the rotary airlock and combined with water to form a water, air, and colorant particles mixture, which is mixed with material in a mixing chamber. The material may be natural mulch.

Automated cell staining systems and methods are disclosed herein. In particular, the staining systems disclosed herein provide low-volume, automated bench top staining systems for staining biological samples contained on a cytological slide.

Automated cell staining systems and methods are disclosed herein. In particular, the staining systems disclosed herein provide low-volume, automated bench top staining systems for staining biological samples contained on a cytological slide.