Abstract: A tube valve and manifold arrangement for switching food product pumps is incorporated into a molding machine. The tube valve includes either a central outlet or two selectable sets of progressively sized outlet openings, with the smallest outlet opening closest to the active plunger, and the largest opening furthest from the active plunger. The tube valve includes grooves or depressions formed on its outside surface. The depressions are oriented to be at least partially open to the pump cavity that is not actively filling. Grooves and bores are in fluid communication with the depressions to allow air trapped in the off line pump cavity to be expelled to the hopper. The tube valve mounting assembly includes inboard and outboard bushings located externally on opposite lateral sides of the valve manifold that are removably fastened to the outside of the valve manifold.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for loading stacked food product into packages. Open top containers are arranged in rows and movable into a loading station. A shuttle conveyor has a retractable and extendable conveying surface, the conveying surface having an end region extendable to a position arranged above the containers of a row of the containers. A guiding and pushing apparatus is arranged above the row and includes guides that are lowered to capture a row of stacked food products on the conveying surface, and plungers within the guides that lower and press a top of the stacks. When the conveying surface is retracted from beneath the guides and the row of containers, the guides are lowered further, adjacent to the containers, and the plungers are lowered with respect to the guides to push the stacks into the containers.

Abstract: A loaf end trimming station for a high speed food loaf slicing machine, includes a frame, a first knife and a second knife spaced apart along the frame and oriented in positions corresponding to a lead end trimming location and a trailing end trimming location of a food loaf. The trimming station includes a loaf cutting support for receiving the loaf, and a motive mechanism to move the loaf cutting support toward the knives to trim ends off of the loaf. The trimming station includes a loaf staging support, wherein the loaf cutting support deposits the loaves on the loaf staging support after being trimmed by the knives. The loaf staging support is tiltable between a staging position to collect trimmed loaves and a loading position to deliver trimmed loaves to the high speed food loaf slicing machine.

Abstract: A mechanism and method is provided for controllably loading multiple food loaves into the slicing station of a continuous slicing machine. The parallel loaves that are engaged by a common loaf feed drive or side-by-side, independent loaf feed drives are engaged by the loaf feed drive or drives simultaneously such that the interface or seam between a preceding loaf and a trailing loaf in different loaf feed paths are located substantially at the same location during slicing of two side-by-side loaf streams. A clamp device is provided that clamps multiple food loaves when loaded to move along the parallel food loaf paths together, wherein the clamp device can be released once the multiple food loaves are simultaneously engaged by the loaf feed drive.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for filling food product drafts into packages. A supply of open top containers are arranged in rows and carried by an elongated web of film and are movable by the web into a fill station. A shuttle conveyor has a retractable and extendable conveying surface, the conveying surface arranged above the fill station and having an end region extendable to a position arranged to deposit food product drafts into the containers of the first row by circulation of the conveying surface. The conveying surface is retractable, or extendable, to reposition the end to a position arranged to deposit food product drafts carried on the conveying surface into the containers of the second row and each subsequent row. A tamping apparatus is carried by the conveyor to retract or extend with the conveying surface end.

Abstract: A method for optimizing yield from a slicing apparatus, includes scanning and weighing a carcass, slab or loaf upstream of a slicing head of the slicing apparatus. The carcass, slab or loaf weight is divided by a desired pre-selected portion weight to determine the number of slices to be made. A remainder portion is allocated to an intermediate position along the carcass, slab or loaf to be sliced from the carcass, slab or loaf before a butt end portion, gripped by a gripper of the slicing apparatus, reaches the slicing head. The butt end portion is pre-arranged to be the desired pre-selected portion weight or at least an acceptable pre-selected portion weight. The butt end portion can then be released by the gripper as a desired or acceptable weight portion.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for loading stacked food product into packages. Open top containers are arranged in rows and movable into a loading station. A shuttle conveyor has a retractable and extendable conveying surface, the conveying surface having an end region extendable to a position arranged above the containers of a row of the containers. A guiding and pushing apparatus is arranged above the row and includes guides that are lowered to capture a row of stacked food products on the conveying surface, and plungers within the guides that lower and press a top of the stacks. When the conveying surface is retracted from beneath the guides and the row of containers, the guides are lowered further, adjacent to the containers, and the plungers are lowered with respect to the guides to push the stacks into the containers.

Abstract: A system, suitable for high-speed operation, by which raw product (45), such as a slab of meat, can be accurately processed, such as by slicing into segments of desired weight, comprises a product profiling apparatus (15). The product profiling apparatus (15) measures the profile of the physical process. The product profiling apparatus (15) includes line lasers (75, 85) for directing a line of light across the upper and lower surfaces of the product (45) and visual image cameras (80, 90) directed toward the profile surface to capture, at fixed increments, the product profile. The product may also be weighed and the product density determined from the overall profile measurements. A controller (150) receives this data, and instructs the physical process accordingly.

Abstract: The invention provides a slicing and conveying system that includes a slicing blade that cuts slices from a loaf, and an output conveyor located below the slicing blade for receiving the slices in a draft. A control system automatically adjusts a lateral movement of the output conveyor to form a laterally shingled draft of a consistent width in response to a sensed lateral dimension of the loaf being sliced. The control system includes a displacement sensor carried by a laterally adjustable guide assembly adjacent to the slicing blade. The displacement sensor is signal-connected to a control. The control is signal-connected to the output conveyor to control the lateral movement of the output conveyor according to the lateral dimension of the loaf sensed by the displacement sensor. As an additional aspect, the slices can be shingled in the longitudinal direction to form a two dimensional footprint.

Abstract: A drive system reciprocates a mold plate between a cavity fill position and a patty discharge position, and can also reciprocate knock out plungers to discharge molded food patties from cavities in the mold plate at the patty discharge position. This drive system includes a first electric motor; a first rotary-to-linear motion converting apparatus operatively connected to the first electric motor; at least one drive member operatively connected between the first rotary-to-linear motion converting apparatus and the mold plate to reciprocate the mold plate. The drive system can also include a second electric motor; a second rotary-to-linear motion converting apparatus operatively connected to the second electric motor; and at least one knock out member operatively connected between the second rotary-to-linear motion converting apparatus and the knock out plungers, to reciprocate the knock out plungers.

Abstract: A cooling air system is provided for a patty-forming apparatus having a machine base that includes an enclosing wall and contains equipment within the machine base that generates heat, such as electric motors, electrical and control equipment. The machine base includes an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening through the enclosing wall. At least one air fan is arranged to move outside air from the air inlet opening to the air outlet opening. A first air damper is arranged to close the air inlet opening. A second air damper is arranged to close the air outlet opening. The first and second air dampers are configured to automatically close if power is interrupted to the apparatus. The dampers each includes a cover or plate and at least one inlet pneumatic cylinder that elevates the cover above the inlet or outlet opening when energized, allowing outside air to pass through the machine base.

Abstract: A system, suitable for high-speed operation, by which raw product (45), such as a slab of meat, can be accurately processed, such as by slicing into segments of desired weight, comprises a product profiling apparatus (15). The product profiling apparats (15) meassures the profile of the physical process. The product profiling apparatus (15) includes line lasers (75, 85) for directing a line of light across the upper and lower surfaces of the product (45) and visual image cameras (80, 90) directed toward the profile surface to capture, at fixed increments, the product profile. The product may also be weighed and the product density determined from the overall profile measurements. A controller (150) receives this data, and instructs the physical process accordingly.

Abstract: A frame structure is provided for a reciprocating mold plate type food product forming apparatus. The frame structure includes an angular strut configuration for resisting horizontal reciprocating forces caused by the reciprocating mold plate and associated drive, and a tie rod arrangement for resisting separation-reaction forces caused by food product compression by a plunger in a pump cylinder of a food product pump. A base plate supports the frame structure. A first angular strut extends from a rear location forwardly and upwardly to an elevated central location and is fixed to the frame portion. A second angular strut extends from a forward location rearward and upwardly to the elevated central location and is fixed to said frame portion. The first and second struts transfer the horizontal component of the reciprocating forces into the base plate. A plurality of tie rods span between a backing plate that mounts a hydraulic cylinder that drives the plunger, and the pump cylinder.

Abstract: A tube valve and manifold arrangement for switching food product pumps is incorporated into a molding machine. The tube valve includes either a central outlet or two selectable sets of progressively sized outlet openings, with the smallest outlet opening closest to the active plunger, and the largest opening furthest from the active plunger. The tube valve includes grooves or depressions formed on its outside surface. The depressions are oriented to be at least partially open to the pump cavity that is not actively filling. Grooves and bores are in fluid communication with the depressions to allow air trapped in the off line pump cavity to be expelled to the hopper. The tube valve mounting assembly includes inboard and outboard bushings located externally on opposite lateral sides of the valve manifold that are removably fastened to the outside of the valve manifold.

Abstract: An improved orifice plate assembly for a loaf slicing machine, the orifice plate assembly located adjacent to a moving slicing blade includes a frame defining an opening and a first orifice-defining member and a second orifice-defining member slidably mounted together slidably on the frame. The first orifice-defining member and the second orifice-defining member, together define an orifice. An adjustment mechanism is operatively connected to the frame and to each of the first and second orifice-defining members, the adjustment mechanism when adjusted changes the orifice dimension between the first and second orifice-defining members without substantially changing a centerline location of the orifice. The adjustment mechanism includes a stud fixed to the first orifice-defining member, and two links pivotally mounted to the frame and engaged to two rods fixed to the second orifice-defining member.

Abstract: A slicing and conveying system forms a three or more flavor-combined draft. A first slicing machine slices a succession of first and third slices in first and third shingled drafts. A second slicing machine slices a succession of second slices in second shingled drafts. A pass-through conveyor transfers the first draft to an output conveyor of the second slicing machine, wherein the second draft is added to the first draft to form a first combined draft. An overlap conveyor receives the first combined draft and merges the first combined draft with the third draft on the overlap conveyor to form an elongated combined draft. Optical sensors determine lengths of the first draft, the second draft, the third draft, and/or the elongated combined draft.

Abstract: A method for optimizing yield from a slicing apparatus, includes scanning and weighing a carcass, slab or loaf upstream of a slicing head of the slicing apparatus. The carcass, slab or loaf weight is divided by a desired pre-selected portion weight to determine the number of slices to be made. A remainder portion is allocated to an intermediate position along the carcass, slab or loaf to be sliced from the carcass, slab or loaf before a butt end portion, gripped by a gripper of the slicing apparatus, reaches the slicing head. The butt end portion is pre-arranged to be the desired pre-selected portion weight or at least an acceptable pre-selected portion weight. The butt end portion can then be released by the gripper as a desired or acceptable weight portion.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for filling food product drafts into packages. A supply of open top containers are arranged in rows and carried by an elongated web of film and are movable by the web into a fill station. A shuttle conveyor has a retractable and extendable conveying surface, the conveying surface arranged above the fill station and having an end region extendable to a position arranged to deposit food product drafts into the containers of the first row by circulation of the conveying surface. The conveying surface is retractable, or extendable, to reposition the end to a position arranged to deposit food product drafts carried on the conveying surface into the containers of the second row and each subsequent row. A tamping apparatus is carried by the conveyor to retract or extend with the conveying surface end.

Abstract: A patty-forming apparatus includes a mold plate having patty-forming cavities and a breather plate arranged over the mold plate. A fill slot is arranged below or above the mold cavities to fill food product into the mold cavity when the mold plate is in a fill position. The breather plate, arranged on a side of the mold plate opposite the fill slot, includes a fill recess open toward the mold plate and arranged to be in registry with the cavities when the mold plate is in the fill position to increase a transverse food product flow area along the longitudinal direction to assist filling of the cavity with food product.

Abstract: The invention provides a slicing and conveying system that includes a slicing blade that cuts slices from a loaf, and an output conveyor located below the slicing blade for receiving the slices in a draft. A control system automatically adjusts a lateral movement of the output conveyor to form a laterally shingled draft of a consistent width in response to a sensed lateral dimension of the loaf being sliced. The control system includes a displacement sensor carried by a laterally adjustable guide assembly adjacent to the slicing blade. The displacement sensor is signal-connected to a control. The control is signal-connected to the output conveyor to control the lateral movement of the output conveyor according to the lateral dimension of the loaf sensed by the displacement sensor. As an additional aspect, the slices can be shingled in the longitudinal direction to form a two dimensional footprint.