Abstract: A series of narrow and tall above-ground stainless steel tanks define independent brining cells into which cheese blocks are conveyed by common inlet and outlet flumes. Each cell has a removable conveyor assembly having a looped plastic link belt driven around a frame by an electric motor. Projecting plastic flights on the belt engage infed cheese blocks, and submerge a series of rows of blocks. An infeed flume delivers a stream of cheese blocks to a cell. Once a level below a flight is filled, the conveyor is actuated to submerge that level, and the next level is then filled until the tank is filled. After brining, the conveyor is incremented to discharge the cheeses flight by flight into an outlet flume.

Abstract: A plurality of reinforced urethane belts define a conveyor path which changes direction for causing conveyed articles to turn a corner. Two sets of corner pulleys are mounted as part of a conveyor assembly which is cantilevered out over a rigid frame. Return pulleys are mounted to the frame beneath the corner pulleys. Continuous looped belts which have been preformed to a desired length, different for each set of corner pulleys, are installed on the corner turn by being passed over the projecting cantilevered conveyor assembly and fitted to the corner pulleys and a return pulley. The return pulleys move radially in slots and are tightened in place to achieve the desired belt tension.

Abstract: The invention is an egg carton pickup head utilized in a robotic system for packing egg cartons into tight fitting containers. The automated pickup head includes a pair of wings which move linearly, toward or away from each other, three guide wheels affixed to each wing for guiding the movement of a pair of arcuate shaped carton engaging arms. The head further includes a first pair of actuating cylinders for moving the wings toward or away from each other and a second pair of actuating cylinders to actuate and retract the arms in an arcuate path similar to the radius and curvature of the arcuate pickup arms.