Recirculating spreader-feeder evenly distributes powder and bulk
coatings onto food products as they pass between the unit''s
longitudinal discharge hopper and its lower collection hopper. The
fully-mobile unit is positioned so that a wire conveyor belt with items
to be coated passes immediately above the unit''s lower collection
hopper as a uniform curtain of the coating material descends from the
upper discharge hopper. A center-less auger along the bottom of the
longitudinal collection hopper feeds material into the intake adapter
of a side-mounted flexible screw conveyor that moves the material at a
75-degree incline into a horizontally-oriented conveyor positioned
above a longitudinal discharge hopper. The horizontal conveyor has
multiple discharge ports to apportion material across the length of the
discharge hopper, and automatically starts and stops to maintain a
preset fill level in the hopper. A small-diameter rotating agitator
along the bottom of the hopper promotes uniform discharge through an
adjustable screen that spans a gap along the hopper bottom. The
conveyors employed are reportedly able to move both free- and
non-free-flowing materials, including products that pack, cake, smear
or degrade, with no separation of blended products such as seed mixes
and spice blends, regardless of disparities in bulk density or particle
size. Suitable for food and other sanitary applications, the system
features all-stainless construction including motors and vibrators, and
quick-disconnect fittings for thorough, rapid wash down.
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