Brent Anthony Ledet
Engineering at Lait Ram Ln, New Orleans, LA

6274188, Aug 14, 2001

Apr 26, 2000

9/558607

Brent A. Ledet - Jefferson LA
W. Steven Otwell - Gainesville FL
Murat O. Balaban - Gainesville FL

The Laitram Corporation - Harahan LA

A22C 2900

426510

A method for steam-cooking shrimp at reduced temperatures below 100. degree. C. to decrease the loss of shrimp by weight during the cooking process. An exemplary apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention includes a steam cooker with a conveyor belt for continuously transporting shrimp product into and through a cooking chamber open to the atmosphere. Thermostatic controls allow the temperature of the cooking chamber to be adjusted for the proper cooking time depending on the size of the shrimp and their loaded density. The cooking chamber contains a substantially homogeneous gaseous environment of a steam mixture for even cooking. Adjusting the speed of the conveyor belt can control the dwell time of the shrimp in the cooking chamber. Results of testing have shown that, to heat shrimp to an internal temperature of 62. 8. degree. C. (a temperature sufficient to kill substantially all bacteria), lower cooking temperatures and longer cooking times than conventionally practiced decrease the loss of weight in cooked shrimp product.

2014003, Jan 30, 2014

Jul 16, 2013

13/943471

Brent A. Ledet - River Ridge LA, US
Christopher G. Greve - Covington LA, US

A47J 27/04

426233, 99409

A rigid, foraminous, ball-shaped container for housing products treated in a product-tumbling apparatus. The container allows selected products to be segregated from a mass flow of products and can protect a sensor mounted in the container from damage that can be caused by the tumbling action.

2011023, Sep 29, 2011

Mar 26, 2010

12/732380

Brent A. Ledet - River Ridge LA, US

LAITRAM, L.L.C. - Harahan LA

A22C 29/02

452 5

Roller-type peeling apparatus and crowned rollers in the peeling channels of the peeling apparatus. Each peeling channel includes small-diameter insert rollers frictionally counterrotated by simultaneous contact with two large-diameter, rotating powered rollers separated across a gap. Holddowns at spaced locations along the length of the insert rollers hold the insert roller against the two powered rollers and into the mouth of the gap. The insert roller or the powered rollers are crowned between consecutive holddowns to compensate for the tendency of the insert roller to deflect and to provide uniform contact pressure between the insert roller and the powered rollers along the insert roller's length.

2010015, Jun 24, 2010

Dec 22, 2008

12/341755

Byron M. Falgout - River Ridge LA, US
Brent A. Ledet - River Ridge LA, US

LAITRAM, L.L.C. - Harahan LA

A23L 1/33, A23L 1/01, A47J 27/04

426510, 99443 C, 99330, 99335

Method and apparatus for steam-cooking food products to improve their appearance and decrease yield loss. A steam cooker includes a low-temperature, forced-convection cooking region in series with a high-temperature, steam-impingement cooking region. The food product is conveyed through both regions atop a foraminous conveyor belt. The temperature in the high-temperature cooking region is greater than the temperature in the low-temperature cooking region and less than or equal to 100° C.

6248010, Jun 19, 2001

Feb 15, 2000

9/504680

Scott J. Sirgo - Covington LA
Christopher G. Greve - Covington LA
Ben Rosow - New Orleans LA
Brent A. Ledet - Jefferson LA

The Laitram Corporation - Harahan LA

A22C 2900

452 5

Apparatus for peeling shrimp including powered roller assemblies each made up of a peeling roller and a drive member attached by a releasable connection. Roller connection structure at a first end of each roller assembly mates with reciprocal drive connection structure in the drive member. An adjustable element extending through the drive member allows the connection to be released and the roller assembly separated into a roller segment and a drive member segment. In other versions the roller segment can be composed of a series of segments having the same or different peeling surface characteristics in which the individual roller segments are similarly releasably connected.

8616940, Dec 31, 2013

Sep 10, 2008

12/207575

Lars Vedsted - Vadum, DK
Søren Vedsted - Vadum, DK
Brent A. Ledet - River Ridge LA, US

Laitram, L.L.C. - Harahan LA

A22C 29/02

452 5, 452 9

Methods and apparatus for cleaning the peeling section of a roller-type peeling machine. The apparatus includes an x-y robot disposed above the peeling section of the peeling machine. The robot has a cleaning tool, such as a liquid spray nozzle, as an end effector. A controller commands the robot to control the movement of the cleaning tool along a predetermined cleaning path to clean the peeling section. One such cleaning path follows each of the insert rollers in the peeling section of a peeling machine.

7069841, Jul 4, 2006

Feb 17, 2003

10/248776

Brent A. Ledet - Jefferson LA, US
Kyle C. Bailey - River Ridge LA, US
Christopher L. Manger - Metairie LA, US
Darren P. McDonough - Metairie LA, US
Kevin L. Gremillion - River Ridge LA, US
Daniel W. Grisbaum - Westwego LA, US

Laitram, L.L.C. - Harahan LA

A47J 37/08

99386, 99404, 99407, 99443 C, 99477

A steam cooker for cooking foodstuffs, especially shellfish such as shrimp, in a continuous cooking process in a pure saturated-steam environment at 100° C. and atmospheric pressure. The cooker comprises a cooking chamber covered by an enclosure movable between a raised position admitting access to the cooking chamber and a lowered cooking position. A conveyor transports shrimp from a feed tank, through an entrance opening, and into an upper cooking region of the cooking chamber where the shrimp are cooked. The conveyor deposits cooked shrimp into a discharge race through an exit for downstream processing. Hydrostatic seals formed at the entrance and exit and between the bottom rim of the enclosure and a water-filled trough bounding the cooking chamber prevent steam from escaping at those places. One or more ports through the floor of the cooking chamber are open to the atmosphere at vertical positions at or below the vertical positions of the hydrostatic seals and are of sufficient cross section to maintain atmospheric pressure within the cooking chamber. A feed mechanism including a paddle for controllably depositing shrimp in the feed tank onto the conveyor is mounted to the enclosure.