A system for agitating products in a retort includes a clamping assembly configured to selectively impose a first clamping force on a first end of at least one product carrier and a second opposing clamping force on a second end of the at least one product carrier, and a reciprocating assembly configured to apply linear forces on the product carriers for reciprocal movement of the product carriers along the retort. A method of processing products in a retort includes arranging products in at least one product carrier for movement along a retort and reciprocating the at least one product carrier along the retort in a non-sinusoidal pattern of movement.

A system for agitating products in a retort includes a clamping assembly configured to selectively impose a first clamping force on a first end of at least one product carrier and a second opposing clamping force on a second end of the at least one product carrier, and a reciprocating assembly configured to apply linear forces on the product carriers for reciprocal movement of the product carriers along the retort. A method of processing products in a retort includes arranging products in at least one product carrier for movement along a retort and reciprocating the at least one product carrier along the retort in a non-sinusoidal pattern of movement.

A sterilization module according to the present invention comprises: a sterilization housing that has an inner space capable of accommodating a cart; a sterilization heat treatment machine for heat-treating the cart accommodated in the inner space of the sterilization; a connection part that is provided in the inner space of the sterilization housing and moves the cart forward; and a rotation part that rotates the cart with respect to a cart rotary shaft, which is a predetermined rotary shaft, while gripping the cart.

A method of processing products in a retort having a length includes arranging products in at least one product carrier for movement along at least a portion of the length of the retort and reciprocating the at least one product carrier along at least a portion of the length of retort in a non-sinusoidal pattern of movement.

A method of processing products in a retort having a length includes arranging products in at least one product carrier for movement along at least a portion of the length of the retort and reciprocating the at least one product carrier along at least a portion of the length of retort in a non-sinusoidal pattern of movement.

A system for agitating products in a retort includes a clamping assembly configured to selectively impose a first clamping force on a first end of at least one product carrier and a second opposing clamping force on a second end of the at least one product carrier, and a reciprocating assembly configured to apply linear forces on the product carriers for reciprocal movement of the product carriers along the retort.

A method of processing products in a retort includes arranging products in at least one product carrier for movement along a retort and reciprocating the at least one product carrier along the retort in a non-sinusoidal pattern of movement.

A system for agitating products in a retort includes a clamping assembly configured to selectively impose a first clamping force on a first end of at least one product carrier and a second opposing clamping force on a second end of the at least one product carrier, and a reciprocating assembly configured to apply linear forces on the product carriers for reciprocal movement of the product carriers along the retort.

A method of processing products in a retort includes arranging products in at least one product carrier for movement along a retort and reciprocating the at least one product carrier along the retort in a non-sinusoidal pattern of movement.

A method of processing products in a retort having a length includes arranging products in at least one product carrier for movement along at least a portion of the length of the retort and reciprocating the at least one product carrier along at least a portion of the length of retort in a non-sinusoidal pattern of movement.

A retort rice meal producing system includes a pressurized steamer mechanism performing a steam heating process on raw rice under pressurizing, a steamed-rice single granulation mechanism removing surface-layer moisture from the steamed rice processed for single granulation as being conveyed by a conveyer, a quantitative filling mechanism of measuring the steamed rice subjected to single granulation for each pack and filling a container with the steamed rice, a packing mechanism further filling the steamed-rice-filled container filled with the steamed rice with at least an amount of a liquid such as a rice-cooking liquid required for soaking and moisture absorption and air for allocating a head space, and sealing the container, a soaking/moisture-absorbing mechanism reversing a package of the sealed container a plurality of times and causing the rice-cooking liquid to be absorbed into the steamed rice, and a retort sterilizing apparatus.

A retort agitation system (100) for thermal processing of products includes product carriers 102a and 102b mounted on a low friction support system 104 for reciprocal movement of the carriers along the interior of a retort. The product carriers are driven in reciprocating motion by a drive actuator system 106 that can be positioned between the carriers 102a and 102b or endwise of the two carriers 102a and 102b. A drive actuator system 106 is linked to the carriers to cause the carriers to move along opposite reciprocating paths lengthwise of the retort. Reaction actuators 108 act on the carriers in opposition to the drive actuator system 106 to apply forces on the carriers for accelerating the carriers along the reciprocating paths of travel when such carriers reach the distal and proximal ends of the reciprocating travel paths.