In particular, the invention relates to a device for adjusting the viscosity and the consistency of the final product.

Description of the prior art As known, a variety of types exist of rotating machines (milling and finishing machines) for extracting juice and puree mainly from vegetable food, fruit and vegetables, but also from animal food, meat and fish.

Normally, the rotating machines of prior art have essentially a fixed structure that comprises a perforated sheet of cylindrical or conic shape, also called screen, and a bladed rotor that rotates inside. The rotor is fitted on a shaft which rotates quickly driven by a motor.

The product to treat, previously chopped more or less finely and put into the machine through an inlet, is pushed radially by a centrifugal force continuously against the screen. This way the screen passes through the product causing the mostly liquid part to pass for being then subject to further treatments. The solid parts that do not pass through the screen, instead, are pushed axially opposite to the inlet and are automatically conveyed to an unloading section.

In this extraction process the viscosity and consistency of the extracted product increases progressively

as the chopped mass moves along the screen from the inlet towards the unloading section.

If the machine has a single outlet for the juice or of the puree, the viscosity and consistency are averaged between solid and liquid parts according to the parameters of the process.

In many cases, however, an optimal process requires values of viscosity and consistency of the final product comprised narrow ranges. For example, in the case of tomato a low consistency is preferable for"cold break" concentration, whereas a higher consistency is preferable for"hot break"concentration. Similar situations occur for other fruit and vegetables, or animal food. This needs that the extracted product is further concentrated or diluted.

In order to separate the product according to two different consistencies a machine can be provided with two outlets and a body that gathers the juice in a split hopper, having two parts leading to two different outlets, as described in US 4643085.

However, in this case the results obtained do not allow changing the features of the two fractions of product at the moment of the separation. As the ratio of liquid in the product of origin changes, for example fruit or vegetables with more or less water percent, the consistency of the final product changes correspondingly and must be corrected.

Summary of the invention.

It is therefore a feature of the present invention to provide a method for extracting juice or puree from animal or vegetable food for changing the consistency and the viscosity of the final product, directly after the extraction.

It is another feature of the present invention to provide a distributing device can be arranged in a machine that carries out this method.

These and other objects are accomplished by the method for extracting juice and puree from vegetable or animal food, according to the invention, comprising the steps of: - feeding a product to treat from at least one inlet into a hollow body having a hopper with at least a first and a second outlet; - filtering said product by a bladed rotor that pushes radially the product same against a screen having a plurality of holes and located in the hollow body, so that a fraction of the product passes through and falls in said hollow body and then in said hopper; - moving away through an outlet a rejected fraction not passed through the screen; whose main feature is to provide furthermore, the further step of: - distributing the passed product in at least two chambers of variable volume in said hopper, connected respectively to said at least two outlets, so that the juice/puree collected at each outlet has a predetermined solid/liquid ratio.

According to another aspect of the invention a rotating machine for extracting juice and puree from animal or vegetable food comprises: - at least one inlet for a product to treat ; - a hollow body having a hopper with at least a first and a second outlet ; - a screen having a plurality of holes and located in the hollow body; - a bladed rotor in the screen which, rotating, pushes radially the product to treat against the

screen so that a fraction of the product passes through and falls in said hollow body and then in said hopper; - a outlet for a rejected fraction not passed through the screen; whose characteristic is that it comprises, furthermore: - a distributing device located in said hopper and movable towards/away from said first and said second outlet suitable for dividing the hopper into at least two chambers of adjustable volume, distributing thus the passed product between said chambers respectively connected to said at least two outlets whereby the juice/puree collected at each outlet has a predetermined solid/liquid ratio.

Advantageously, said distributing device is operated from outside by means of actuating means.

In a first exemplary embodiment, said distributing device slides between the first and the second outlet, along a direction co-axial to the body of the machine.

Alternatively, the distributing device is a baffle rotatable by an actuator about a hinge that allows its bending towards the first or second outlet responsive to a desired consistency.

In particular, in the rotating machines used for extracting juice and puree from fruit, vegetables, meat or fish, the consistency and the viscosity of the filtered product increase depending on the time in which the product remains in the machine. Since the product translates axially towards the outlet opposite to the inlet, it is therefore possible to control the features of the final product by positioning the distributing device, according to the invention, in order to direct more or less filtered product selectively towards the first or towards the second outlet.

In particular, at a desired measured position of the distributing device in the hopper a first and a second chamber are formed respectively upstream and downstream of it. In this situation corresponds in any case a more liquid juice/puree at the first outlet, located upstream and a juice/puree more consistent at the second outlet located downstream.

As the ratio of liquid changes in the product of origin, or as the requested consistency of the final product changes, it can be kept fixed or corrected directly in the machine in the following way: - displacing the distributing device so that the first chamber decreases and the second chamber increases, obtaining less liquid product and with lower consistency at the first outlet and more consistent product and with lower consistency at the second outlet; - displacing the distributing device so that the first chamber increases and the second chamber decreases, obtaining more liquid product and with higher consistency at the first outlet and less product consistent and with higher consistency at the second outlet.

In case a product is demanded with liquid fraction prevailing with respect to the solid fraction the distributing device is located in a way suitable for conveying a higher amount of product towards the outlet nearer to the inlet of the machine, i. e. the first outlet.

This way, the fraction with lower consistency and viscosity is that quantitatively prevailing.

Alternatively, if as main product a juice/puree is desired with high consistency the device is located in order to convey most of the filtered product towards the outlet farthest from the. inlet, i. e. towards the second outlet.

Brief description of the drawings The invention will now shown with the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, exemplifying but not limitative, with reference to the attached drawings wherein: - figure 1 shows a longitudinal cross section of a rotating machine for extracting juice and puree from animal or vegetable food on which a distributing device is mounted according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention ; - figure 2 shows a cross sectional view of the machine of figure 1, according to arrows II-II.

- figure 3 shows a longitudinal cross section of a rotating machine for extracting juice and puree from animal or vegetable food on which a distributing device is mounted according to an exemplary embodiment alternative to that of figure 1 ; - figure 4 shows a cross sectional view of the machine of figure 3, according to arrows IV-IV.

Description of the preferred exemplary embodiment With reference to figures 1 and 2, a rotating machine for extracting juice and puree from animal or vegetable food 1 comprises essentially a screen 3 having a plurality of holes 18 and a bladed rotor 4, inside, fitted on a shaft 5 and brought into quick rotation by an motor not shown.

The product to treat, previously chopped more or less finely, is put into the machine 1 through an inlet 2 and, then, is pushed by the rotor 4 radially by centrifugal force against the screen 3. This way, the product is filtered through the holes 18 and the mostly liquid fraction passes through and is conveyed in a hopper 9 for being then subject to further treatments. The solid parts which, instead, have not passed through the screen 3 are carried axially opposite

to the inlet 2 and are automatically conveyed to an outlet a rejected fraction 6.

As above described, viscosity and consistency of the extracted product increase progressively as the chopped moves along the screen 3 from the inlet 2 of the product to treat towards the outlet of a rejected fraction 6.

According to the invention, the hopper 9 has two outlets 7 and 8, to obtain respectively a product more or less consistent, and is has a distributing movable baffle 10 located in the hopper 9 suitable for dividing the hopper into at least two chambers 12 and 13 of adjustable volume.

In particular, baffle 10 is movable towards/away from the first or second outlet 7,8, and this way the passed product moves into chambers 12 and 13 with a respective predetermined solid/liquid ratio. The distributing device 10 is operated from outside by a rod 11 connected to an actuator not shown.

By displacing the distributing device 10 towards the left of figure 1, indicated with a dotted line, the first chamber 12 decreases and the second chamber 13 increases.

This way, with respect to the situation indicated with a continuous line, less liquid product and with lower average consistency is obtained at the first outlet 7 and more consistent product and with lower average consistency is obtained at the second outlet 8.

By displacing instead the distributing device 10 towards the right of figure 1, indicated as B and dotted line, the first chamber 12 increases and the second chamber 13 decreases, obtaining more liquid product and with higher average consistency at the first outlet 7 and less product consistent and with higher average consistency at the second outlet 8.

According to an alternative exemplary embodiment of figures 3 and 4, a distributing movable baffle 16 is

provided located in the hopper 9 suitable for dividing the hopper into two chambers 12 and 13 of adjustable volume. In particular, the movable baffle 16 is rotatable towards/away from the first or second outlet 7,8, and this way the passed product in the chambers 12 and 13 has a respective predetermined solid/liquid ratio. The distributing device 16 is operated from outside by a rod 17 connected to an actuator not shown and rotatable about an axis 15.

In a way similar to the previous case, by displacing the distributing device 16 towards the left of figure 3, indicated as the arrow A and dotted line, the first chamber 12 decreases and the second chamber 13 increases. Displacing instead the distributing device 16 towards the right of figure 3, indicated as arrow B and dotted line, the first chamber 12 increases and the second chamber 13 decreases.

In both cases, as the ratio of liquid varies in the product of origin, or as the requested consistency varies of the final product, the features of the final product exiting from the two outlets can be kept fixed or adjusted directly in the machine.

The foregoing description of a specific embodiment will so fully reveal the invention according to the conceptual point of view, so that others, by applying current knowledge, will be able to modify and/or adapt for various applications such an embodiment without further research and without parting from the invention, and it is therefore to be understood that such adaptations and modifications will have to be considered as equivalent to the specific embodiment. The means and the materials to realise the different functions described herein could have a different nature without, for this reason, departing from the field of the invention. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.