Patents Assigned to FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
  • Patent number: 6357140
    Abstract: Apparatus for drying substantially ellipsoid products, such as, for instance, eggs, which are conveyed over a conveying path by a conveyor. The apparatus includes a number of nozzles which are connected to a compressor. The nozzles are designed and arranged relative to the conveying path, such that the drying air blown out by these nozzles has a main flow direction which is both directed substantially perpendicularly to the surface of a passing product and blows directly onto at least the areas adjacent the points of a passing product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
    Inventors: Jan Heyer, Ad van Pinxteren
  • Patent number: 6000526
    Abstract: A dosing apparatus for eggs or like substantially round or ellipsoid articles, comprising at least one endless conveyor having a conveying face above which guiding elements are disposed intended for ordering an unordered flow of articles into a number of ordered flows each having the width of one article, wherein a main surface of each of the guiding elements includes, with the conveying face part extending between the opposite guiding elements, an angle greater than 90.degree., enabling the articles to be gradually pushed upwards along the guiding elements, wherein at the inlet of the dosing apparatus, said dosing apparatus comprises one conveying channel and wherein, viewed in the conveying direction, the number of conveying channels doubles each time, so that at a discharge end of the dosing apparatus the width of the conveying channels at that location is such that, viewed in conveying direction, the articles can only travel therein in file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
    Inventors: Willem van Veldhuisen, Gerrit van de Pol
  • Patent number: 5918726
    Abstract: An apparatus for transferring separate products, such as eggs and fruit, from a feed conveyor to a packaging apparatus includes a feed conveyor provided with at least one row of product holders, a receiving conveyor provided with brushes for receiving the products discharged from the feed conveyor and a feed-through conveyor connecting to the receiving conveyor for further conveying the products to a packaging apparatus. The apparatus is provided with electrically operable discharge members disposed above the feed conveyor. The fall trajectory of the articles discharged from the feed conveyor is such that the articles end up at substantially the same landing location on the receiving conveyor, independently of the speed of travel of the feed conveyor at the moment of discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
    Inventor: Leonardus Johannes Temmink
  • Patent number: 5884750
    Abstract: An apparatus for transferring substantially round, fragile articles, such as for instance eggs, from a first conveyor to a second conveyor or vice versa, characterized in that the transfer takes place by means of a swivel lever according to a flowing path of movement, wherein in the starting point or end point respectively of the path of movement, the velocity and direction of movement of the article to be transferred correspond to the velocity and direction of movement of the first conveyor and wherein the velocity and direction of movement of the article in a transfer track correspond to those of the second conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
    Inventor: Willem van Veldhuisen
  • Patent number: 5807055
    Abstract: Apparatus for loading and/or unloading a container with stacks of packages, such as for instance egg boxes or egg trays, which container comprises a number of shelves which are arranged one above the other. The apparatus includes a collecting table, a sliding device for sliding the stacks of packages on the container shelf, and a transfer device for the transfer of the stacks of packages between the collecting table and one end of a further conveyor. The collecting table includes an endless collecting table conveyor and the transfer device includes an endless conveyor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
    Inventor: Brand van de Hazel
  • Patent number: 5749453
    Abstract: An apparatus for transferring eggs from a first roller conveyor (1) to a second conveyor (2), with an orienting operation taking place during the transfer, so that the eggs on the second conveyor (2) are all oriented with their points to one side, the rollers (3) of the first roller conveyor being substantially hourglass-shaped and comprising a roller center part (3a) which is substantially cylindrical, the apparatus comprising pre-orienting devices (4) for bringing the eggs on the first roller conveyor (1) into a pre-oriented position (A), the apparatus being provided with a transfer conveyor (5) having grippers (6) which are each adapted to pick up an egg from the pre-oriented position (A), the grippers (6) being adapted to bring the eggs into an aligned position (C) and to transfer the eggs from the aligned position (C) to the second conveyor (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
    Inventors: Martin Doornekamp, Willem Van Veldhuisen, Willem Marius De Greef
  • Patent number: 5728939
    Abstract: A probe for an egg-testing device includes a probe tube with an annular magnet disposed at a bottom end thereof. In the probe tube, a spherical excitation member is magnetically retained by the annular magnet. The probe is axially movable in a metal tube around which a bobbin is wound. In a rest position, the probe is retained by the magnetic attractive force between the metal tube and the annular magnet. The probe is brought into an operating position by an excitation pulse supplied to the bobbin, which pulse is provided by a control unit, taking into account the diameter of an egg to be tested and the conveying speed of a conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
    Inventor: Hossein Moayeri
  • Patent number: 5660264
    Abstract: The invention relates to an endless conveyor following a convex contour for use in cooperation with a discharge/feed conveyor. The endless conveyor comprises a number of article holders, such as grippers, for receiving therein discrete articles, such as fruit or eggs. The endless conveyor includes a first conveyor part, which moves continuously in operation, and a second conveyor part, which moves intermittently in operation. The first conveyor part, at a first conveyor part end thereof, is bounded by a return wheel having a stationary rotary shaft. The return wheel is also rotatably drivable for driving the endless conveyor. The first conveyor is positioned to move substantially tangential to the direction of movement of the discharge conveyor, which is also continuously movable, such that the difference in speed between the discharge/feed conveyor and the first conveyor part is substantially zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
    Inventor: Jelle van der Schoot
  • Patent number: 5646722
    Abstract: An apparatus for candling eggs travelling along a path for the presence of blood, comprising a lightproof drum which is drivable for rotation around a fixed shaft and wherein detection means are accommodated, the drum having a number of light transmission openings which each have a bellows, the drum in operation having a rotational speed so that the ends of the bellows remote from the drum have a speed corresponding to the speed of travel of the eggs, the drum with the bellows being positioned relative to the path of travel so that in operation, each time during a part of the path of travel of the eggs, the bellows connect to an egg to be inspected, while the detection means are positioned in the drum so that they only receive light that falls into the drum via the egg which is to be inspected and to which the bellows connects, and via the light transmission opening associated with that bellows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
    Inventor: Jelle van der Schoot
  • Patent number: 5613429
    Abstract: An automatic egg shelling machine has a plurality of operative lines that are arranged to be side-by-side and driven by a common drive motor. Each of the operative lines extends in a substantially vertical plane. The operative lines receive eggs from an egg feeding station, and are moved in conveyor fashion along a closed loop. A number of hinged compact groups are distributed along each one of the lines for receiving the eggs from the egg feeding station and breaking the shells of the eggs. The compact groups collect the yolk and the albumen thereof separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems, B.V.
    Inventor: Gianluigi Pettazzi
  • Patent number: 5325768
    Abstract: An apparatus for breaking and opening eggs and for removing and catching the yolks and whites thereof. A first conveyor is adapted to travel in a first direction of travel. Supply belts supply eggs to the first conveyor. Egg carriers are operably connected to the first conveyor for carrying eggs supplied from the supply belts. Egg receiving members are operably connected to each egg carrier for receiving eggs carried by each carrier. An egg opening element is operably associated with each egg carrier for breaking and opening eggs received by the egg receiving members. A second conveyor is adapted to travel underneath and in alignment with at least a portion of travel of the first conveyor. Egg holders are operably connected to the second conveyor. Cup members are operably connected to each egg holder for catching the yolk and white of the eggs openable by the opening element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1994
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
    Inventor: Brand van den Hazel
  • Patent number: 5240100
    Abstract: An apparatus for receiving or transferring, vertically transporting and delivering articles such as eggs. The apparatus provides a feed conveyor (2) for presenting successive articles (5) in oriented position and an endless, continuously movable and substantially vertically arranged carrier conveyor (9) for receiving the articles successively presented by the feed conveyor. The carrier conveyor (9) is equipped for retaining and supporting the articles (5) during the vertical transport by way of a fixed guideway (11), extending in the direction of transport, over which the article (5) can move in sliding fashion and which supports the article on one side, as well as a support member (10) pivotally mounted on the carrier conveyor (9), which member supports the article (5) on the opposite side and keeps it pressed against the guideway (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1993
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
    Inventors: Hendrik Elferink, Johan H. Hesselink, Leonardus J. Temming
  • Patent number: 5232080
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring discrete articles at a receiving and packing station from a randomly supplied conveyor having articles with a plurality of characteristics to a take away conveyor having articles with only certain selected characteristics out of the plurality of characteristics. At each receiving and packing station, the articles having the selected characteristics are transferred from the supply conveyor to a collecting device to form therein a completed row of a certain number of articles. An endless transfer conveyor has a plurality of rows of article holders, each of which, at one point in its travel, is positioned to receive a completed row of articles from the collecting device. The collecting device will deliver a complete row of articles only into an empty row of holders in the transfer conveyor. The transfer conveyor then transfers a completed row of articles to containers on a take away conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
    Inventors: Henk van Essen, Barend van Ravenhorst
  • Patent number: 5176243
    Abstract: An egg orienting apparatus for orienting the smaller ends of eggs in a predetermined position. The eggs are supplied to the apparatus on rotating rollers of a roller conveyor. At one of the reversing wheels of the conveyor, lifting members are arranged which enable an egg to be lifted relative to one of a pair of egg carrying rollers. According to the invention, at one of the reversing wheels are arranged consisting of pushing members which can be moved faster than the conveyor. The pushing members are arranged approximately at the level of the reversing wheel. Further, lifting members are arranged which release the egg from one of a pair of rollers, so that the egg is enabled to rotate while being supported by the other carrying roller and the lifting members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1993
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems, B.V.
    Inventors: Leonardus J. Temming, Willem C. M. Arends, Johan H. Hessewlink
  • Patent number: 5168977
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for releasing articles from holders mounted on a conveyor travelling at varying speeds, the varying ballistic trajectory of the released articles being automatically compensated for, depending on the speed of the conveyor, by shifting the discharge locations of the article holders. One or more adjacent ones of the releasing members for each delivery station, arranged side by side in the direction of travel of the conveyor, are fixed against movement in the direction of movement of the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1992
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
    Inventors: Henk van Essen, Telle van der Schoot
  • Patent number: 5167317
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring discrete articles such as eggs or fruit from a conveyor having at least one row of article holders to a receiver having a resilient upwardly facing portion which then carries the articles generally horizontally to a receiving station. The upwardly facing portion has a resilient structure including for example brush bristles or an air bellows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1992
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
    Inventors: Jelle van der Schoot, Willem C. M. Arends
  • Patent number: 4997339
    Abstract: A device for stacking egg-trays comprising a feed conveyor (2) advancing the trays one after the other, a second conveyor (3) for discharging the trays stacked on each other, a transport mechanism (15) operating between the feed and the discharge conveyor having carrying forks for transporting one tray at a time onto a support platform (30) which collects the trays and periodically oscillates through a 90.degree. arc so as to stack the subsequent trays in a staggered relationship. The platform is also capable of a vertical movement from a high position to a low positioin and vice versa for depositing a stack of trays upon the discharge conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1991
    Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems B.V.
    Inventor: Matheus E. Antonis