Abstract: A temperature measurement and control apparatus (7) and a packaging film loading apparatus (9) for use in a horizontal packaging machine (5). The packaging machine includes a pair of counter-rotating sealing and crimping head assemblies (22, 23), each of which includes a plurality of sealing and crimping heads (32, 36), respectively, which are rotated past a first infrared sensor assembly (57) or a second infrared sensor assembly (61), respectively, for measuring the temperature thereof Each sealing and crimping head includes a generally arcuate sensing arc (80) mounted at the first end (77) thereof, the sensing arcs being rotated past either an upper infrared sensor (59) or a lower infrared sensor (63).

Abstract: A cookie tray loading machine (5) constructed and arranged to divert a single file lane of cookies (12) moved along an infeed conveyor belt (9) into a plurality of separate and generally parallel lanes (34) of cookies, which are formed as rows (44) of cookies on a plurality of alignment belt assemblies (36) and spaced apart from each preceding row of cookies, each row of cookies being placed onto a tray loading conveyor belt (46) and moved toward a tray loading station (60) for placement directly into a packaging tray (62), is disclosed. The loading machine includes a sweep arm diverter assembly (20) having a sweep arm diverter (21) directly driven by a sweep arm servomotor (23), a first lane alignment arm assembly (26) and a second and opposed lane alignment arm assembly (30) for aligning the cookies into the separate lanes of cookies, and an alignment belt assembly (36) for each lane of cookies.

Abstract: A temperature measurement and control apparatus (7) and a packaging film loading apparatus (9) for use in a packaging machine (5). The packaging machine includes a pair of counter-rotating sealing and crimping head assemblies (22, 23), each of which includes a plurality of sealing and crimping heads (32, 36), respectively, which are rotated past a first infrared sensor assembly (57) or a second infrared sensor assembly (61), respectively, for measuring the temperature thereof. Each sealing and crimping head includes a generally arcuate sensing arc (80) mounted at the first end (77) thereof, the sensing arcs being rotated past either an upper infrared sensor (59) or a lower infrared sensor (63).

Abstract: A metering device is provided that is able to engage and release food stuff items that are being conveyed on a conveyor belt such that the relative positions of the multiple food stuff items on the conveyor belt are spaced at a predetermined interval. In addition, in a preferred embodiment, the metering device is used in combination with a sensing device that is located upstream of the metering device. The sensing device is able to detect the presence of a food stuff item upstream of the metering device such that the sensing device is able to control the engagement and release of the downstream food stuff items.

Abstract: Cookies (30) of uniform but irregularly shaped perimeter are received from the cookie oven in a horizontal as-baked attitude onto a first surface conveyor (19). As the cookies are passed to successive surface conveyors 920) and (21) operating at successively decreased velocities, the cookies are raised to an edge standing attitude abutting one another. Laser detecting means (24-26) are positioned above the conveyors (19-21), and measure the height of the edge stacked cookies and adjust this height by varying the speed of the successive conveyors (19, 20 and 21). A counting means (28) at the discharge end of conveyor (21) counts out a predetermined number of cookies to be placed upon the loader (16) for loading into a cookie tray (104), and a pair of separator blades (42, 43) separates these cookies on the loader from the cookies remaining on surface conveyor (21). A cookie tray (104) is positioned under the loader (16) by a cookie tray conveyor (18).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for diverting lines (19) of cookies (11) being carried on an automated processing line (12) to a standby cookies processing station (18) when the primary processing station (14, 16 or 17) for the cookies (11) has become inoperable. When a primary processing station (14, 16 or 17) breaks down, the vertical diverter conveyors (33, 34 and 36) over which the lines (19) of cookies (11) are moving toward the inoperative primary processing station (14, 16 or 17) are tilted downwardly to divert the cookies (11) from their normal path of movement. A plurality of lateral diverter conveyor system (46) is moved into alignment with the downwardly tilted vertical diverter conveyors (33, 34 and 36). The lateral diverter conveyor system (46) receive the cookies (11) from the downwardly tilted vertical diverter conveyors (33, 34 and 36) and route the cookies (11) toward a standby processing station (18 ).

Abstract: Cookies (15) are carried in random spaced series on a surface belt conveyor (11) toward the delivery end of the conveyor. The cookies are diverted by diverter (18) to one side of the conveyor until a predetermined number of the cookies has been counted, whereupon the diverter diverts the cookies to the opposite side of the conveyor. The group of cookies on one side of the surface conveyor moves downwardly about the delivery end of the conveyor belt, between the overhead conveyor belts (25) and (26), so as to change the cookies from a horizontal attitude to an edge standing attitude, and the groups of cookies are received in edge standing attitude in the receptacles (58) or (59). The receptacles progressively move outwardly beneath the delivery end of the surface conveyor as the cookies are counted by photocells (28) or (29), and air nozzles (65) or (66) direct a stream of air toward the last received cookie to hold the cookie in an edge standing attitude.

Abstract: Cookies 20 having irregularly shaped upper surfaces are received in an as-baked, horizontal attitude from the cookie oven first on a slick top belt conveyor 10, then on an edge abutment belt conveyor 11, where the cookies are delivered in edge abutment relationship to a timing belt 12. The timing belt delivers the cookies to cookie loading wheel 14 which reorients each cookie in series from the as-baked, horizontal attitude to an edge standing attitude and aligns each cookie with the preceeding cookie in the cell 56 or 57 of a turret 15. Once the cookies have been properly aligned in an edge standing attitude, the cookies are urged by the loading wheel into the cell, and after a predetermined number of cookies have been properly loaded, the turret is inverted so as to drop the cookies into an awaiting cookie tray 65.