Abstract: Packaging machines are disclosed including a web transport conveyor transporting a web of flexible packaging material from upstream to downstream locations through a series of stations. Packaging apparatuses are disclosed including a forming station and a closing station, each having movable die members that are counterbalanced. Methods of operating the packaging apparatus are disclosed.

Abstract: Packaging machines are disclosed including a web transport conveyor transporting a web of flexible packaging material from upstream to downstream locations through a series of stations. Packaging apparatuses are disclosed including a forming station and a closing station, each having movable die members that are counterbalanced. Methods of operating the packaging apparatus are disclosed.

Abstract: A web packaging system provides easy access and changing of forming plug tooling.

Abstract: A web packaging system provides easy access and changing of forming plug tooling.

Abstract: A method for processing a food product involves transporting the food product through a plurality of stations including a loading station, a pasteurization station, and a closing station. The surface of the food product is pasteurized by convectively transferring heat from the pasteurizing medium to the surface of the food product at a rate such that the surface heat transfer coefficient becomes sufficiently higher than the food product conductance coefficient that the surface temperature of the food product is substantially instantaneously elevated above temperatures which are instantly lethal to microbes which may be present. Preferably, steam is condensed on the food product surface in dropwise condensation, and the onset of film condensation is retarded by removing condensate film from such surface.

Abstract: A bacon comb hangs a bacon belly in a vertical position for processing and has laterally extending hooks engaging and supporting both the primary lean muscle and the secondary lean CT muscle at the top end of the bacon belly to prevent drop-away of the secondary lean CT muscle from the primary lean muscle, to increase the number of bacon slices per bacon belly meeting #1 grade criteria.

Abstract: A web packaging system provides easy access and changing of tooling, to change a product receiving cavity pocket in a lower web.

Abstract: A form-fill-seal web packaging system includes a pressure monitor at the sealing station monitoring sealing pressure. A bladderless actuator effects relative movement of dies and applies sealing pressure.

Abstract: A food processing system includes a food processing chamber for processing a food product, such as meat products such as hot dogs, sausages, poultry, fish, and other food items. A high speed serial to parallel loading station delivery system is provided. The food product is loaded onto a conveyor in the processing chamber having a plurality of two-piece food product cradles having openings receiving the food product at the loading station and discharging the food product at the unloading station and having gaps between food product carriers distally oppositely spaced from the openings and defining food product cavities therebetween, the width of the openings varying during traversal of the conveyor through the chamber from the loading to the unloading stations.

Abstract: In a web packaging machine (10) and method packaging a food product (P) between upper and lower webs (14 and 25), wherein the lower web (14) is transported through a series of stations which form the lower web (14) into a component of a package at a forming station (18), and receive the food product (P) at a loading station (20), and close the package with the upper web (25) at a closing station (26), a pasteurization station (300) is provided between the loading station (20) and the closing station (26) and pasteurizing the food product (P).

Abstract: A high capacity food processing system, including for an elongated strand of food product such as hot dogs, sausage links, etc., has first and second loading stations with serial accumulators enabling intermittent stopping of the loading operation, which is a necessary and normal part of use, without disrupting a downstream thermal process, and enabling differential conveyor velocities through the loading stations, including a loading velocity for loading food product on the conveyor, a bypass velocity during intermittent non-loaded conveyor segments, and a transport velocity through the processing station, wherein the transport velocity is less than the bypass velocity and greater than the loading velocity, and where the transport velocity remains constant and the same during both of the loading and bypass velocities of the conveyor at the loading stations and also remains constant and the same during stopped movement of the conveyor at the loading stations.

Abstract: A web packaging system provides easy access and changing of tooling, to change a product receiving cavity pocket in a lower web.

Abstract: A web packaging system provides easy access and changing of tooling, to change a product receiving cavity pocket in a lower web.

Abstract: A food processing system includes a food processing chamber for processing a food product, such as meat products such as hot dogs, sausages, poultry, fish, and other food items. A high speed serial to parallel loading station delivery system is provided. The food product is loaded onto a conveyor in the processing chamber having a plurality of two-piece food product cradles having openings receiving the food product at the loading station and discharging the food product at the unloading station and having gaps between food product carriers distally oppositely spaced from the openings and defining food product cavities therebetween, the width of the openings varying during traversal of the conveyor through the chamber from the loading to the unloading stations.

Abstract: A food processing system for an elongated strand of food product, such as hot dogs or sausage links, provides aligned orientation of conveyor hooks and identical arrival time spacing between adjacent hooks at a reference loading point at a strand producing machine discharge station.

Abstract: A loading system is provided for loading an elongated strand of food product of given diameter on a moving transport conveyor. First and second loading conveyors are separated by a gap of dimension less than or equal to the diameter of the food product strand and convey the strand to a transfer ramp by an indexed drive.

Abstract: A method for processing a food product involves transporting the food product through a plurality of stations including a loading station, a pasteurization station, and a closing station. The surface of the food product is pasteurized by convectively transferring heat from the pasteurizing medium to the surface of the food product at a rate such that the surface heat transfer coefficient becomes sufficiently higher than the food product conductance coefficient that the surface temperature of the food product is substantially instantaneously elevated above temperatures which are instantly lethal to microbes which may be present. Preferably, steam is condensed on the food product surface in dropwise condensation, and the onset of film condensation is retarded by removing condensate film from such surface.

Abstract: In a web packaging machine (10) and method packaging a food product (P) between upper and lower webs (14 and 25), wherein the lower web (14) is transported through a series of stations which form the lower web (14) into a component of a package at a forming station (18), and receive the food product (P) at a loading station (20), and close the package with the upper web (25) at a closing station (26), a pasteurization station (300) is provided between the loading station (20) and the closing station (26) and pasteurizing the food product (P).