Smoke generator for smoking food products

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS The smoke generator of this invention can best be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG.
1 shows the smoke generator housing 40 and smokehouse 50 in front elevation.
Duct 15 carries the smoke generated by the smoke generator of this invention into the smokehouse 50.
FIG.
2 is a side cross-sectional view of the smoke generator of this invention, taken substantially along line 2--2 of FIG.
1.
Housing 40, preferably made of stainless steel, houses a chamber 1 for holding sawdust and a chamber 6 wherein smoke is generated, together with the required accessory equipment.
Sawdust or wood choppings or the like is fed into the sawdust holding chamber 1 through screen 16.
Screen 16 is preferably of stainless steel and has approximately 0.
625 to 0.
940 cm (0.
25 to 0.
375 in.
) openings.
The sawdust within the holding chamber is designated 2.
Barrier 17 separates the sawdust holding chamber 1 from the smoke generating chamber 6.
Rotatable, cylindrical disc 4 having at least one opening 26 therethrough is located in the circular cylindrical cavity in barrier 17 as shown, immediately above opening 5, which extends through the barrier 17 and into the smoke generating chamber 6.
Means for rotating disc 4 are provided.
The disc rotation is driven by motor 20 through universal assembly 22 connecting the motor drive 20 to the disc 4.
Rod 24 acts as an agitating device to prevent excessive compaction of the sawdust.
Switch 3 is turned on and disc 4 rotates at a desired speed, switch 3 being connected electrically through relays and other circuitry (not shown) to power motor 20.
As disc 4 rotates, the hole or holes 26 in the disc 4 align with opening 5 into the smoke generating chamber 6 at one point during the rotation.
When hole or holes 26 pass over opening 5, a portion of the sawdust 2 passes through these openings into the smoke generating chamber 6 and is deposited onto ash box cover 30 directly below opening 5.
To produce more or less sawdust feed, and thus more or less smoke generation, the speed of rotation of disc 4 is either increased or decreased, respectively