Patent Number: 6023855
Docket Number: 26293
Serial Number: 8758026
Date Patented: 02/15/2000

Technology Description: ARS scientists have developed an air-assisted wiping device that continuously wipes heavy, sticky powder from processing equipment. Standard air brooms use only air to remove powder from the walls of the dryer. While using standard equipment to process high fat content powders (35-80 percent fat content), like evaporated milk, the fat sticks to the sides of the processing equipment, accumulating on the walls of the continuous spray dryer (a device used for drying food slurries into powders; e.g., milk). Bristle brooms lack the stiffness necessary to remove sticky powders. Rigid brooms cannot conform to spray dryer wall irregularities. This improved wiping broom has reinforced flexible wiping blades that possess a unique combination of stiffness and flexibility necessary to remove high fat powders from the continuous spray drier walls. This results in improved quality powder because it is promptly removed from the dryer, and is not subjected to prolonged heating. The improvement is due to less denaturing of proteins, higher solubility, less scorching, and less loss of flavor. The device can be mounted as an attachment to an existing air broom. It has potential for use with other sticky products such as high carbohydrate and/or fat acid powders, like acid cheese whey, acid casein (a milk protein), caseinates, and potato waste water. Reference: Please refer to USPN 6,023,855, "Air Assisted Wiping Broom," which issued February 15, 2000. Inventors: Neil M. Goldberg Eastern Regional Research Center Wyndmoor, PA 19118 (215) 233-6590 / Fax: (215) 233-6795 ngoldberg@arserrc.gov  Charles I. Onwulata (Same as first inventor) (215) 233-6497 / Fax: (215) 233-6795 conwulata@arserrc.gov Philip W. Smith (Same as first inventor) Gregory Tomes (Same as first inventor)