Multi-piping spiral-pump for treating food items
The present invention relates to a method and a device for treating and/or transporting food items. The apparatus and method are designed to facilitate treating animals or food items in liquid. The device of the present invention is designed as a spiral pump with two or more channels wound around a horizontal axis. The apparatus of the present invention and the use thereof provides a method to treat living or slaughtered animals or food items in a spiral pump.
1 . An apparatus for transferring and/or treating food items in liquid media, the apparatus comprising:
two or more channels 1 , each channel further comprising an in-feed end 2 and an out-feed end 3 , wherein each channel is formed into a spiral shaped channel having three or more windings 8 and wherein the two or more channels are wound together in parallel,
a loading structure 4 connected to the in-feed ends of all of the two or more spiral shaped channels 1 for loading each first winding 8 of the two or more spiral shaped channels 1 with the food items in liquid media, wherein the in-feed ends of the two or more spiral shaped channels 1 connect to the loading structure 4 in different locations on the loading structure 4 , and
means for rotating the spiral shaped channels 1 , characterised in that the loading structure 4 is adapted to sequentially and repeatedly feed food items in liquid media into the two or more spiral shaped channels 1 without pulsing, wherein the loading structure 4 is rotatable with the two or more spiral shaped channels 1 and in-feeding only occurs when the loading structure is in a certain position or range in a 360° rotation of the two or more spiral shaped channels 1 .
2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the loading structure 4 further comprises guiding means for guiding the food items in liquid media into infeed end of each of the two or more spiral shaped channels 1 .
3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises an out-feed collecting structure 5 for collecting the food items in liquid media from each of the two or more spiral shaped channels 1 .
4 . The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the outfeed collecting structure further comprises separate outlets configured to separate the food items in liquid media and an air/gas phase being fed out of the two or more spiral shaped channels 1 .
5 . The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the apparatus further comprises an air/gas-duct 6 for re-directing the air/gas phase back to the loading structure 4 .
6 . The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the air/gas-duct 6 further comprises a computer controlled valve configured to regulate a concentration of gas within the air/gas-duct 6 .
7 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the means for rotating the spiral shaped channels 1 is a motor.
8 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein two or more spiral shaped channels 1 are made from hose or pipe like flexible material.
9 . The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the three or more windings 8 of the two or more spiral shaped channels 1 are wound around or in a horizontally rotating frame/support structure 7 .
10 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the three or more windings 8 of the two or more spiral shaped channels 1 are made from metal, wherein the metal is steel.
11 . The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the metal spiral shaped channels 1 are a load bearing structure being rotated for transferring and/or treating food items in liquid media.