Breading machine

1. A machine for coating food products with a particulate breading material comprising:

a) a battering unit for applying a fluent batter to a food product comprising a batter reservoir and a battering unit conveyor system for moving food products through the batter reservoir and then discharge food product from the battering unit;

b) a breading unit for applying particulate breading to the food product after the food product moves through the battering unit comprising a breading material reservoir, a breading station at which breading is applied to the product and a breading unit conveyor for delivering food products received from said battering unit to said breading station; and

c) a conveyor drive system comprising a machine housing and

i) a drive unit rotatably supported by the machine housing that provides motive power to said breading unit conveyor, the drive unit including: a) a coupling; and b) a drive shaft supported by the machine housing, a first end of the coupling overlapping a surface of a first end of the drive shaft; and

ii) a breading unit drive including a driven shaft coupled to the breading unit conveyor that is rotated by the drive unit to move said breading unit conveyor;

d) wherein a second end of the coupling is connected to a first end of the driven shaft to rotate the driven shaft and further wherein one of the second end of the coupling and the first end of the driven shaft defines a non-cylindrical bore and the other of the second end of the coupling and the first end of the driven shaft defines a non-cylindrical outer surface sized to fit into the bore; and

e) a latch pivotally coupled to the conveyor drive system drive unit and, in latched position, engaging a projection extending from a side wall of the breading unit to maintain alignment of the driven shaft of the breading unit drive and the coupling of the drive unit.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein the non-cylindrical bore has four or less sides and the non-cylindrical outer surface has the same number of sides as the non-cylindrical bore.

3. The machine of claim 1 wherein both the non-cylindrical bore and the non-cylindrical outer surface have four sides.

4. The machine of claim 3 wherein both the non-cylindrical bore and the non-cylindrical outer surface are substantially square in cross section.

5. The machine of claim 1 wherein the bore includes a chamfered entrance to facilitate insertion of the first end of the driven shaft and the first end of the driven shaft includes a chamfer.

6. A machine for coating food products with a particulate breading material comprising:

a) a battering unit for applying a fluent batter to a food product comprising a batter reservoir and a battering unit conveyor system for moving food products through the batter reservoir and then discharge food product from the battering unit;

b) a breading unit for applying particulate breading to the food product after the food product moves through the battering unit comprising a breading material reservoir, a breading station at which breading is applied to the product and a breading unit conveyor for delivering food products received from said battering unit to said breading station; and

c) a conveyor drive system comprising a machine housing and i) a drive unit rotatably supported by the machine housing that provides motive power to said breading unit conveyor, the drive unit including: a) a coupling; and b) a drive shaft supported by the machine housing, a first end of the coupling overlapping a surface of a first end of the drive shaft; and ii) a breading unit drive including a driven shaft coupled to the breading unit conveyor that is rotated by the drive unit to move said breading unit conveyor;

d) wherein a second end of the coupling is connected to a first end of the driven shaft to rotate the driven shaft and further wherein one of the second end of the coupling and the first end of the driven shaft defines a non-cylindrical bore and the other of the second end of the coupling and the first end of the driven shaft defines a non-cylindrical outer surface sized to fit into the bore and further wherein a number of sides of the bore is four or less.

7. The machine of claim 6 further including a latch pivotally coupled to the conveyor drive system drive unit and, in latched position, engaging a projection extending from a side wall of the breading unit to maintain alignment of the driven shaft of the breading unit drive and the coupling of the drive unit.

8. The machine of claim 6 wherein a number of sides of the non-cylindrical outer surface is four or less and is the same as the number of sides of the non-cylindrical bore.

9. The machine of claim 8 wherein the number of sides of the non-cylindrical bore and the non-cylindrical outer surface is four.

10. The machine of claim 9 wherein both the non-cylindrical bore and the non-cylindrical outer surface are substantially square in cross section.

11. The machine of claim 6 wherein the bore includes a chamfered entrance to facilitate insertion of the first end of the driven shaft and the first end of the driven shaft includes a chamfer.

12. A machine for coating food products with a particulate breading material comprising:

a) first and second battering units for applying a fluent batter to a food product, each of the first and second battering units comprising a batter reservoir and a battering unit conveyor system for moving food products through the batter reservoir and then discharge food product from the battering unit;

b) first and second breading units for applying particulate breading to the food product after the food product moves through the battering unit, each of the first and second breading units comprising a breading material reservoir, a breading station at which breading is applied to the product and a breading unit conveyor for delivering food products received from said battering unit to said breading station; and

c) a conveyor drive system comprising a machine housing and

i) a drive unit rotatably supported by the machine housing that provides motive power to first and second breading unit conveyors of the first and second breading units ; and

ii) a breading unit drive coupled to the first and second breading unit conveyors, the breading unit drive is rotated by the drive unit to move said first and second breading unit conveyors; and

d) wherein one of said drive unit and breading unit drive defines a bore and another of said drive unit and breading unit drive defines a conforming outer surface sized to fit into said bore; and

said first and second breading and first and second battering units positioned on opposite sides of the machine housing.

13. The machine of claim 12 wherein said breading unit drive comprises first and second breading unit drives coupled respectively to said first and second breading unit conveyors.

14. The machine of claim 12 wherein the drive unit comprises

a) a drive shaft supported by the machine housing and

b) first and second couplings that overlap conforming surfaces of the drive shaft and extend beyond outer surfaces of the machine housing for engagement with said first second breading unit drives.

15. The machine of claim 12 wherein the drive unit comprises a drive shaft and a bearing system that supports the drive shaft comprising first and second bearings spaced apart along a drive shaft axis of rotation that engage the machine housing.

16. The machine of claim 15 additionally comprising a sprocket mounted to the drive shaft that is rotated by a chain wrapped over the sprocket.

17. The machine of claim 15 additionally comprising first and second latches for securing the first and second breading units to either side of the machine housing.

18. The machine of claim 15 wherein the drive shaft is a generally solid metal shaft having lubrication fittings at opposite ends for delivering lubricant to a vicinity of the first and second bearings.

19. The machine of claim 15 additionally comprising first and second thrust bearings to allow side to side movement of the drive shaft as either said first or second breading unit is brought into engagement with as associated coupling.

20. The machine of claim 6 wherein the coupling is detachable from the drive shaft.