Abstract: The present invention provides a product collator for unscrambling scrambled products received at an input point, such as a hopper, and for delivering the unscrambled products to an output point, such as a transfer conveyor. The collator includes an endless conveyor belt made up of a plurality of laterally extending flights. The conveyor belt includes a first, generally upwardly and forwardly extending path and a second, generally rearwardly extending path positioned below the upwardly and forwardly extending path.

Abstract: The present invention provides a product collator for unscrambling scrambled products received at an input point, such as a hopper, and for delivering the unscrambled products to an output point, such as a transfer conveyor. The collator includes an endless conveyor belt made up of a plurality of laterally extending flights. The conveyor belt includes a first, generally upwardly and forwardly extending path and a second, generally rearwardly extending path positioned below the upwardly and forwardly extending path.

Abstract: The present invention provides a product collator for unscrambling scrambled products received at an input point, such as a hopper, and for delivering the unscrambled products to an output point, such as a transfer conveyor. The collator includes an endless conveyor belt made up of a plurality of laterally extending flights. The conveyor belt includes a first, generally upwardly and forwardly extending path and a second, generally rearwardly extending path positioned below the upwardly and forwardly extending path.

Abstract: A product aligning system specially adapted for receiving and aligning product items in bulk quantity, includes a hopper for receiving masses of product items in bulk and including a hopper conveyor extending across the bottom of the hopper, a hopper nose conveyor for receiving product items conveyed by the hopper conveyor and extending outwardly from the hopper, and a scale conveyor for receiving items from the hopper nose conveyor. The hopper nose conveyor and scale conveyor each include powered rakes positioned above the item supporting surfaces of those conveyors such that substantially only a single layer of items passes therebeneath. The hopper nose and scale conveyors each include load sensing apparatus which detects an accumulation of product items on those conveyors and signals a computer control which slows the speeds of the hopper and hopper nose conveyors sufficiently to allow the accumulation of products to reduce.

Abstract: A filling head for loading food articles such as franks into individual packaging trays is adapted for quick connect to a power system and a loader parent machine. The filling head comprises an open frame, at least two spring loaded flapper doors hingeably attached to the frame, and a pusher bar unloading system capable of operable connection to the power system of the parent machine to intermittently discharge food articles from the filling head to the individual packaging trays positioned below the flapper doors. The pusher bar unloading system includes a drive rod which can be connected to the periphery of a flywheel by quick connect means to run in an smooth continuous reciprocating motion to deliver an up and down motion to a horizontal shaft slideably mounted on the frame and an associated set of pusher bars and elongated pusher members.

Abstract: An apparatus for the assembly of biscuit and meat sandwiches comprises a feeder station for receiving whole biscuits, a slicer station for slicing the biscuits in half, a separator station for separating the two halves of the biscuit and sending them along separate pathways, and an assembly station having a hold station where precooked meat patties are held and where the biscuit halves and the meat patties are assembled into a sandwich ready for packaging. A series of conveyors transport the food components between the stations.

Abstract: An article processing machine is provided and comprises a conveyor device for moving articles and a stacking device for stacking the articles in pairs during movement through the machine and wherein the stacking device comprises a pivoted ramp assembly adapted to be pivoted to scoop thereon articles from the moving device and a pivoting mechanism for pivoting the ramp assembly to engage and scoop thereon in a serial manner alternate articles from the moving device and elevate same thereabove and a structure carried by the moving device for sliding each elevated article from the ramp assembly onto an associated alternate article carried by the moving device to define a stacked pair of articles.

Abstract: A filling head for loading food articles such as franks into individual packaging trays is adapted for quick connect to a power system and a loader parent machine. The filling head comprises an open frame, at least two spring loaded flapper doors hingeably attached to the frame, and a pusher bar unloading system capable of operable connection to the power system of the parent machine to intermittently discharge food articles from the filling head to the individual packaging trays positioned below the flapper doors. The pusher bar unloading system includes a drive rod which can be connected to the periphery of a flywheel by quick connect means to run in an smooth continuous reciprocating motion to deliver an up and down motion to a horizontal shaft slideably mounted on the frame and an associated set of pusher bars and elongated pusher members.