Abstract: A food product packaging apparatus for a conveyor environment, and having a vacuum chamber operatively associated with the conveyor, which vacuum chamber is selectively moved into and out of a position in sealing engagement relative to the conveyor. A manifold, a vacuum source and conduit structure are included, the conduit structure connecting the manifold structure to the vacuum source and the vacuum chamber so that the vacuum source is selectively operable to draw a vacuum in the vacuum chamber through the manifold structure. A shuttle includes frame structure and drive structure for the frame structure so that the frame structure is movable in the direction of conveyor movement and, after a predetermined increment of movement, the frame structure shuttles opposite the direction of conveyor movement to a position to repeat movement in the direction of conveyor movement for a subsequent movement for the predetermined increment.

Abstract: An apparatus for transferring individual slices of material which are sliced from a material supply to a support web includes a rotating hollow drum disposed on and rotating around a stationary inner drum. The rotating outer drum is disposed proximate to a slicing station and material supply. The rotating drum and the stationary drum have hollow inner cores to which negative and positive air pressure is alternately applied to cause individual material slices to alternately adhere to the outer shell of the drum and to leave the outer shell of the drum.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for processing batter materials, such as food batter, including sausage batter for wieners and the like, without incorporating the use of any casing for the batter. The apparatus forms a blank having a proteinaceous skin made of congealing surface batter materials. Each thus formed blank is ejected onto a conveyor that includes a device for completing the formation of congealed skin on the blank. The thus shaped items can then be packaged and cooked within the package in order to provide an aseptic product. If desired, the items can be cooked and then packaged in order to provide a product having an acceptable shelf-life.

Abstract: An auto-tamping funnel system for tamping a product in a container includes a downwardly converging funnel having a bottom outlet disposed adjacent an open top of the tray and a side recess or cutout near the bottom outlet. A door is sized to fit closely in the bottom outlet and in the side recess and a mounting mechanism mounts the door for movement such as rotation between a tamping position where the bottom outlet is closed by the door and a receiving position where the side recess is substantially closed by the door and the bottom outlet is unobstructed. A moving mechanism moves the door between the tamping and the receiving positions. Preferably, the mounting mechanism includes a pivot axis for the door which is adjacent the bottom outlet and the bottom outlet and the recess of the funnel are rectangularly shaped. A pressure distributing mechanism also provides a maximum tamping pressure against the product, when the door is in the tamping position, at a location which is spaced from the pivot axis.

Abstract: A one-piece merchandising container made of synthetic plastic sheet is provided. The merchandising container is suitable for storing food products such as sandwich type products within warming ovens useful in self-serve food store operations. The merchandising container includes an overlocking sealing peripheral lip structure, an especially flexible hinge portion, and a locking assembly that ensures closure of the merchandising container until the locking assembly is precisely manipulated through an unlocking procedure initiated by depressing a portion of the container below the locking assembly.

Abstract: This invention pretains to a reclosable package having a body member, a base, a hermetic seal between the body member and base and snap locking projections in the side walls of the body member and base.

Abstract: A merchandiser assembly is provided for storing and displaying products in a shelf-like manner. The merchandiser assembly greatly facilitates stock rotation, is self-facing, and automatically maintains an organized and properly positioned stock of products. A product tray is slidably mounted with respect to a support member, and a product follower that is slidably mounted with respect to the product is limited in the extent of its forward movement in order to provide free space for the refilling of the merchandiser assembly with fresh products which the merchandiser assembly is in a fill mode.

Abstract: A food package having a rigid base tray formed of resilient material and having a plurality of recessed compartments, at least some of said recessed compartments containing food products and being air-tightly sealed with a flexible film. The rigid base tray is enclosed within a sleeve which includes front and back panels connected together by upper side and lower side panels. The sleeve may include a feature permitting the package to be displayed upright. The sleeve would include a structure for easily breaking the sleeve so that the consumer can easily reach the contents of the rigid base tray.

Abstract: A package of the type having a tray with recessed compartments for receiving food products or the like, the tray being covered by a thin flexible and preferably transparent film which seals the products in their respective compartments. The outer enclosure is formed by a stiff collar which completely encircles the tray with the sides of the collar turned downwardly and inwardly to provide frictional and resilient engagement of the collar with the sides of the tray. The collar also includes a stiff support flap which enables it to stand on end.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for the slicing of bacon bellies or the like in a manner such that each draft of bacon is of the same weight, irrespective of the topography and density of the belly from which the draft is sliced. A dimensioner assembly has a plurality of pivotally mounted fingers having one end which engages the belly and another end which is a cam surface for transmitting movement of the fingers to a receptor such as an electromicrometer. The finges engage the top, bottom and both longitudinal sides of the belly, and the data thus collected are then transformed into a topography schematic which is particular for each specific belly passing through the dimensioner assembly. These topography data and data concerning the make-up of the particular belly are used for controlling movement of feed into a bacon slicer. Included is a feed assembly which positively and precisely feeds the belly into the slicer.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for processing batter materials, such as food batter, including sausage batter for wieners and the like, without incorporating the use of any casing for the batter. An elongated ribbon or flow of proteinaceous batter material is extruded or otherwise formed and treated to have a proteinaceous skin made by congealing surface batter materials with a treating arrangement. This flow is then severed into a plurality of blanks, followed by forming unfinished ends of the blanks into shaped links. The shaped links are then cooked and typically packaged as desired to provide a finished sausage product.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for processing batter materials, such as food batter, including sausage batter for wieners and the like, without incorporating the use of any casing for the batter. The apparatus forms a blank having a proteinaceous skin made by congealing surface batter materials. Each thus formed blank is ejected onto a conveyor that includes a device for completing the formation of congealed skin on the blank. The thus shaped items can then be packaged and cooked within the package in order to provide an aseptic product. If desired, the items can be cooked and then packaged in order to provide a product having an acceptable shelf-life.

Abstract: A reclosable package comprising interlocking closure strips positioned outside of a hermetic seal or seal area and the method for producing and filling same. The hermetic seal is of the easy-open or peelaway type so as to not destroy the integrity of the package or closure strips upon opening of the package.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for forming casingless food products such as casingless sausages and the like is provided. The apparatus includes a denaturing solution into which a flowable batter material is extruded in a generally cylindrical configuration. The denaturing solution includes ingredients which act on the batter to form a skin. In a first embodiment, the extrusion apparatus extrudes batter directly into the denaturing solution and the extrusion orifice is adjustable reclosable to form domed ends of the batter material during the extrusion of the material into the solution. In a second embodiment, a shaping and cutting apparatus is provided to receive a continuous ribbon of batter from the extrusion apparatus. The cutting and shaping device cuts the ribbon into links and simultaneously forms domed ends thereon. The formed links are removed from the solution and, after an optional washing step, can be further processed into a cooked and packaged product.

Abstract: A rigid two-piece plastic merchandising container is provided. The merchandising container is suitable for storing food products such as sandwich type products within warming ovens useful in self-serve food store operations. The merchandising container includes a sealing peripheral lip structure, an interlocking hinge assembly portion, and a locking assembly which cooperates with the hinge assembly to ensure constant closure of the merchandising container until the locking assembly is precisely manipulated through an unlocking procedure.

Abstract: A rigid one-piece merchandizing container made of synthetic plastic sheet is provided. The merchandizing container is suitable for storing food products such as sandwich type products within warming ovens useful in self-serve food store operations. The merchandizing container includes a sealing peripheral lip structure, an especially flexible hinge portion, and a locking assembly that ensures closure of the merchandizing container until the locking assembly is precisely manipulated through an unlocking procedure.