Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.

Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.

A loader bucket has material spreaders on opposing sides of the loader bucket to spread material from within the loader bucket received through discharge openings in the rear wall of the bucket from an auger located in the bottom of the bucket. Each material spreader includes a spinner formed with blades to spread the material received through the discharge openings. The material spreaders are positioned below the apex of the V-shaped bucket and operable within a path of distribution that includes an interior boundary member oriented with a forward end closer to the center of the bucket than the rearward end to provide a distribution forwardly and laterally of the bucket. A low baffle mounted at the bottom periphery of the spinner blades forces material upwardly into a fluffy pattern. A high baffle provides a second boundary limit for the distribution of material.

Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.

A frozen product machine that solves problems associated with conventional home ice cream and frozen product machines by prevents loss of product in the chamber and decreases freezing time for a liquid product. A cooling chamber is cooled by a cooling element that provides variable cooling temperatures throughout the cooling chamber. A temperature gradient, progressing from lower temperatures at the bottom of the chamber, or the outlet, to higher at the top of the chamber, or inlet, create a more efficient means of cooling a frozen product. An auger, that may be shaped to match the shape of the cooling chamber may include slots that allow for controlled flow of frozen product through the chamber to promote efficient cooling. Hinged fins may rotate from open to closed within the slot to further enhance flow of frozen product through the frozen product machine.

Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.

Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.

A device, which serves to separate particles of a bulk material, which is deliverable at an input location and is removable processed in different or at least approximately unitary particle sizes at an output location, includes at least one separating element, which has a metal separating plate with through-openings provided therein, which separating element can be provided with ultrasonic energy and for this purpose is connected to an ultrasonic transducer and which is held by a holding device. The holding device is a mounting shaft, which is held at one end or at both ends fixedly or movably, in particular rotatably and/or axially displaceable, and which at one end or at both ends is connected to an ultrasonic transducer, by means of which ultrasonic energy is couplable via the mounting shaft into the separating element, which is designed to be dimensionally stable.

A frozen product machine that solves problems associated with conventional home ice cream and frozen product machines by prevents loss of product in the chamber and decreases freezing time for a liquid product. A cooling chamber is cooled by a cooling element that provides variable cooling temperatures throughout the cooling chamber. A temperature gradient, progressing from lower temperatures at the bottom of the chamber, or the outlet, to higher at the top of the chamber, or inlet, create a more efficient means of cooling a frozen product. An auger, that may be shaped to match the shape of the cooling chamber may include slots that allow for controlled flow of frozen product through the chamber to promote efficient cooling. Hinged fins may rotate from open to closed within the slot to further enhance flow of frozen product through the frozen product machine.

A device, which serves to separate particles of a bulk material, which is deliverable at an input location and is removable processed in different or at least approximately unitary particle sizes at an output location, includes at least one separating element, which has a metal separating plate with through-openings provided therein, which separating element can be provided with ultrasonic energy and for this purpose is connected to an ultrasonic transducer and which is held by a holding device. The holding device is a mounting shaft, which is held at one end or at both ends fixedly or movably, in particular rotatably and/or axially displaceable, and which at one end or at both ends is connected to an ultrasonic transducer, by means of which ultrasonic energy is couplable via the mounting shaft into the separating element, which is designed to be dimensionally stable.