Loading apparatus and related method for loading edible items into trays
US7752828B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 19, 2008 |
| Grant date | Jul 13, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 2, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65G47/57
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus that loads horizontally oriented slugs of edible, edge-standing items into trays includes a tray delivery mechanism having a tray infeed for receiving trays, a tray outfeed from which filled trays can be removed from the apparatus and a tray conveyor that moves the trays from the tray infeed to the tray outfeed. An over head transfer mechanism is disposed above the tray conveyor. The over head transfer mechanism includes a pusher flight and a retainer flight. The pusher flight and retainer flight are configured to cooperate to transfer a pre-selected number of edge-standing items forming the slug from a counting conveyor to a tray loading area. The overhead transfer mechanism includes a flight adjustment system that adjusts a distance between the retainer flight and the pusher flight to change the pre-selected number of edge-standing items transferred by the over head transfer mechanism from the counting conveyor to the tray loading area.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.