Food product conveyor and handling systems
US8002513B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 9, 2007 |
| Grant date | Aug 23, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 31, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB65B5/108
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A conveyor system for assembling and stacking sliced food products is provided. The conveyor system includes an assembly area, wherein groups of a predetermined quantity of sliced food products travel from a slicer on a conveyor and are deposited on discrete carrier sheets on a downstream conveyor. The assembly area is configured to delay advancement of the carrier sheets on the downstream conveyor until a group of the predetermined quantity is formed. The slicer is configured to calculate the number of slices in each group and determine whether a group is complete. A stacking area of the conveyor system includes a nose conveyor that extends and retracts to deposit each carrier sheet onto a pair of initial supports. The initial supports reciprocate away from each other in opposing directions to drop the carrier sheet onto a subsequent level, with the initial supports reciprocating each time a carrier sheet is deposited thereon.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.