Abstract: A hydraulic roll bending machine and method includes loading a plate between top and bottom rollers, receiving a user input indicative of a desired plate radius, calculating a pre-bend radius for the plate based on the desired plate radius and information from the material database, providing a bending signal to the actuator to position the at least one bending roller relative to the top and bottom rollers based on the pre-bend radius, providing a feed signal to advance a leading portion of the plate against the at least one bending roller, determining an actual pre-bend radius of the leading portion of the plate, and calculating an adjustment to the material database based on a difference between the pre-bend radius and the actual pre-bend radius.

Abstract: A hydraulic roll bending machine includes a frame and a hydraulic cylinder supporting a bending roll such that extension or retraction of the rod changes a height of the bending roll relative to the frame. A hydraulic system includes a valve disposed to provide pressurized hydraulic fluid on at least one side of the hydraulic cylinder, and a controller operates to provide a command signal to a valve channeling hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic system to the cylinder. A sensor is integrated with the hydraulic cylinder, within the bore of the housing, and is disposed to sense a distance of the plunger relative to one end of the housing and provide a signal indicative of the distance to the controller.

Abstract: A hydraulic roll bending machine includes a frame, a plate roller rotatably connected to the frame, a hydraulic power unit associated with the frame, and a network of conduits fluidly connected to a main feed of hydraulic fluid and a main return of hydraulic fluid of the hydraulic power unit. At least one hydraulic actuator having a housing is associated with the plate roller. The housing forms one or more fluid passages therein that are fluidly connected with activation chambers of the at least one hydraulic actuator. A valve system is connected onto the housing and is in selective fluid communication fluid passages and also with the network of conduits. The valve system is arranged to selectively fluidly interconnect the one or more passages with the network of conduits to operate the at least one hydraulic actuator.

Abstract: A hydraulic roll bending machine and method includes loading a plate between top and bottom rollers, receiving a user input indicative of a desired plate radius, calculating a pre-bend radius for the plate based on the desired plate radius and information from the material database, providing a bending signal to the actuator to position the at least one bending roller relative to the top and bottom rollers based on the pre-bend radius, providing a feed signal to advance a leading portion of the plate against the at least one bending roller, determining an actual pre-bend radius of the leading portion of the plate, and calculating an adjustment to the material database based on a difference between the pre-bend radius and the actual pre-bend radius.

Abstract: A meat press is provided which includes an actuating dolly and a press tree having first and second frames. The actuating dolly includes a subframe that is vertically extendable and carries cylinders that engage portions of the overlying tree when brought into registry therewith. The cylinders engage a linkage which is connected to a second frame and can cause movement thereof in a manner which exerts a compression force on a meat product loaded on the tree. The linkage is constructed and the cylinders are mounted in a manner that allows the cylinders to exert a horizontally directed pulling force on the linkage which then causes vertical movement of the second frame.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for initially freezing a first exterior surface of a product such as a food product. The product is then supported on a perforated conveyor belt with the frozen first exterior surface in contact with the conveyor belt. The product is then further frozen and processed. Because the frozen surface of the product is hard, it does not conform to the surface contours of the belt and the unmarred visual appearance of the product is maintained. In addition, the frozen surface of the product is more easily removed from the belt after complete freezing and damage to the product is less likely to occur during removal of the belt.