Abstract: An apparatus for transferring an object from a first conveyor to a second conveyor, the apparatus having a drive roller; a guide having a first end and a length, the first end being positioned adjacent the drive roller; a guide roller, the guide roller being magnetic and positioned adjacent to the guide along the length of the guide; and a conveyor positioned around the drive roller, the guide, and the guide roller; wherein the conveyor has a ferrous component causing the conveyor to be moveably coupled to the guide roller.

Abstract: A counter-stacker includes an infeed conveyor having a plurality of lanes for containing planar food articles. A vacuum conveyor system is located adjacent to the infeed conveyor and includes a plurality of vacuum conveyors. Each vacuum conveyor includes a frame, a pair of pulleys rotationally mounted to the frame, a drive shaft coupled to one of the pair of pulleys, a vacuum generator for generating vacuum conditions within the frame, and a vacuum belt mounted to the pair of pulleys. Each vacuum conveyor is pivotable about one of the pair of pulleys. An oscillating catch cup frame containing a plurality of catch cups is used to stack the planar food articles.

Abstract: A pizza die includes an outer die ring and a plate ring. The outer die ring and an inner die plate are spring-biased away from the die mount plate. The outer die ring includes a plurality of axial ridges located on a portion of the inner circumferential surface of the outer die ring. The inner die plate includes a step on which a flexible seal is seated. A spring-biased plate ring compresses the flexible seal on the seat. The flexible seal includes axial grooves on its outer circumference. The axial grooves engage with the corresponding axial ridges on the outer die ring. The axial grooves act as passageways to vent trapped air within the pizza die. The axial ridges provide a self-cleaning mechanism to remove pizza dough lodged in the axial grooves.

Abstract: A food product sheeter includes first, second, third and fourth rollers rotatably supported on a frame. The fourth roller is positioned above the first and second rollers, and is separated from the first roller by gap which serves as the entrance for dough into the sheeter. The fourth roller acts as a pressurizing roller and drives the food product into a slot between the first and second rollers. The third roller engages against the first roller to cut out food product shapes. The first and second rollers can have smooth non-stick surfaces to facilitate release of the cut-out food product shapes, without gaps or voids forming in them. In a second embodiment, the first roller has a pattern of non-stick surfaces, for example, in the shape of circles. The non-stick surfaces facilitate release of the cut food product shapes off the first roller. The pattern of the non-stick surface on the front roller is indexed to the cutting surfaces on the third roller, to maintain them in registration.

Abstract: A dough ball loader includes a conveyor belt supported on a frame. A frame plate is fixed in position over the conveyor belt. Loading tubes on the frame plate are aligned over a loading opening in the frame plate. Pairs of flatteners are pivotably attached to the frame plate adjacent to the loading opening. The flatteners preferably have a flat bottom surface. An actuator is linked to the flatteners and pivots the flatteners from an open position for loading dough balls onto the conveyor belt, to a closed position, for flattening the dough balls and fixing them into position on the belt.

Abstract: A machine for pressing and forming food products has a die including an inner die plate surrounded by an outer die ring. The inner die plate is axially movable relative the outer die ring, between an extended state and a compressed state. A circumferential flexible seal connects the inner die to the outer die ring. During operation, when the inner die moves from the extended state to the compressed state, the seal creates a groove for the formation of a ridge, or crust of pizza dough. The die is more easily manufactured, has a longer useful life, improves the reliability of the machine, and allows for making rising crust pizzas.

Abstract: A system for making tortillas includes a sheeter, a roller/heater, and an oven. Tortillas are die cut into an oblong shape in the sheeter. The roller/heater rolls the tortillas into a round shape and conductively heats the tortillas simultaneously on the top and bottom surfaces, gelatinizing the food product and sealing in moisture. The tortillas are then baked in an oven. Slot marks on the tortillas are avoided as the roller/heater has upper and lower belts have continuous surfaces.

Abstract: A wire separator apparatus for a food sheeter includes motor driven feed spools of separator wire, the separator wire being suspended from wire pulleys across the face of a roller. Motor driven take-up spools collect separator wire dispensed from the feed spools as the separator wire is automatically moved across the face of a roller. A fresh section of separator wire is continuously drawn across the roller, substantially eliminating wire breakage.

Abstract: A platen cover feed system includes a frame supporting a pair of spools. A belt is connected at each end to the spools and can be fed from one spool to the other or vice versa. The spools can be mounted on supports located at the four top corners of the frame, and the rear supports can be adjusted to various heights. The system may include clamps associated with the spools. The clamps can be tightened or loosened manually in order to either fix the belt in place or feed it forward or backward. Thus, the belt can be fed a varying distance in either direction. The belt is generally made of, or coated with, Teflon or a similar non-sticking material.

Abstract: A reciprocating accumulation conveyor temporarily accumulates pressed tortillas delivered periodically from a press and delivers them onto an oven belt in a substantially continuous supply, thereby providing more uniform baking. The reciprocating accumulation conveyor has an accumulation belt which accelerates to match the speed of the press belt in the press, when the press belt moves periodically between pressing cycles, to accumulate the pressed batch of tortillas. The accumulation belt simultaneously extends partially over the prior batch moving onto the oven belt, and drops down behind the lasts row of the prior batch on the oven belt. The accumulation conveyor belt then advances at a delivery speed to transfer the tortillas onto the oven belt.

Abstract: An improvement in a dough ball pressing apparatus in which the continuous conveyor belt is provided with metal strips at predetermined spaced locations along each edge of the conveyor belt and a pair of proximity switches are positioned on the apparatus adjacent the edges of the conveyor belt for detecting the metal strips. The proximity switches cause the belt driving mechanism to stop upon detecting a metal strip for precisely locating the belt and controlling the distance of travel in each cycle. The conveyor belt is provided as a flat length with ends that are realeasably connected by a pin for allowing easy installation of the belt without disassembling the belt drive mechanism.

Abstract: A conveyor belt discharge apparatus located between a first and a second conveyor belt, which removes flattened dough balls adhering to the first conveyor belt and transports the dough balls to the second conveyor belt by a rotational movement of the apparatus in which a plurality of resilient sheets of the apparatus make periodic conforming contact with the discharge end of the first conveyor belt.

Abstract: A doughball processing apparatus having cooperating press plates includes workpiece sensing means for determining the presence or absence of a workpiece on a conveyor belt for delivery to the processing position between the press plates. A control system is provided to manipulate the various components of the apparatus to insure the movable press plate does not contact the conveyor belt in the absence of a workpiece, while at the same time, insuring that belt indexing during the operation cycle is unaltered.

Abstract: A dough ball conveyor loader apparatus includes a flat conveyor belt supported horizontally and a loading unit positioned above the belt. The loading unit positions each of a series of dough balls on the belt. The loading unit also forms a flat on each of the dough balls against the flat belt to prevent movement of the dough balls upon movement of the belt.

Abstract: A dough ball conveyor loader apparatus includes a flat conveyor belt supported horizontally and a loading unit positioned above the belt. The loading unit positions each of a series of dough balls on the belt. The loading unit also forms a flat on each of the dough balls against the flat belt to prevent movement of the dough balls upon movement of the belt.