Patents by Inventor Orville C. Fager

Orville C. Fager has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5723158
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing shredded food products, such as cheese, is disclosed. The method and apparatus permits the production of cheese shreds to be accomplished in a unified operation wherein a sheet of cheese is produced and that sheet of cheese is cut to desired dimensions directly from the casting line. An arrangement of the invention may comprise a sheet former, a casting line, and a shredding assembly, all of which function as a single unit. The shredding assembly, itself a unique arrangement, first slices the incoming sheet of cheese into ribbons, and then cuts each of these ribbons to length. The sheet of cheese may be sliced into ribbons by passing the cheese through a pair of rollers having grooves or slots machined into their surfaces, the width of the slots corresponding to the desired width of the cheese ribbons. The cheese ribbons are presented to a plurality of transversely mounted elongate blades, each of which revolves about a common axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Assignee: Schreiber Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Orville C. Fager, Scott G. Andrews, Dennis R. Ferdon, David James Garnett, Matthew Taylor Stenzel
  • Patent number: 5601855
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing shredded food products, such as cheese, is disclosed. The method and apparatus permits the production of cheese shreds to be accomplished in a unified operation wherein a sheet of cheese is produced and that sheet of cheese is cut to desired dimensions directly from the casting line. An arrangement of the invention may comprise a sheet former, a casting line, and a shredding assembly, all of which function as a single unit. The shredding assembly, itself a unique arrangement, first slices the incoming sheet of cheese into ribbons, and then cuts each of these ribbons to length. The sheet of cheese may be sliced into ribbons by passing the cheese through a pair of rollers having grooves or slots machined into their surfaces, the width of the slots corresponding to the desired width of the cheese ribbons. The cheese ribbons are presented to a plurality of transversely mounted elongate blades, each of which revolves about a common axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Schreiber Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Orville C. Fager, Scott G. Andrews, Dennis R. Ferdon, David J. Garnett, Matthew T. Stenzel
  • Patent number: 5573805
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing shredded food products, such as cheese, is disclosed. The method and apparatus permits the production of cheese shreds to be accomplished in a unified operation wherein a sheet of cheese is produced and that sheet of cheese is cut to desired dimensions directly from the casting line. An arrangement of the invention may comprise a sheet former, a casting line, and a shredding assembly, all of which function as a single unit. The shredding assembly, itself a unique arrangement, first slices the incoming sheet of cheese into ribbons, and then cuts each of these ribbons to length. The sheet of cheese may be sliced into ribbons by passing the cheese through a pair of rollers having grooves or slots machined into their surfaces, the width of the slots corresponding to the desired width of the cheese ribbons. The cheese ribbons are presented to a plurality of transversely mounted elongate blades, each of which revolves about a common axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1996
    Assignee: Schreiber Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Orville C. Fager, Scott G. Andrews, Dennis R. Ferdon, David J. Garnett, Matthew T. Stenzel
  • Patent number: 5527551
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a continuous sheet of molten, moldable or plasticized material, especially a food product such as cheese. The invention may also be used to form a continuous sheet of other food products, such as noodles, peanut butter, jellies and the like. The apparatus comprises at least two sets of opposed rollers and a pair of endless belts. At least one of the first set of rollers, defined as forming rollers for purposes of distinction, has a concave surface. Each of another set of rollers, defined as discharge rollers for purposes of distinction, is disposed downstream from the first set of rollers and has a substantially flat surface. Each endless belt circulates about a group of rollers comprised of a forming roller and a discharge roller. In the region between opposed roller sets, the endless belts cooperate with each other and with the rollers to form a pocket that receives and maintains the cheese.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: Schreiber Foods, Inc.
    Inventors: Orville C. Fager, Matthew T. Stenzel
  • Patent number: 4328743
    Abstract: A compressor for separating honey from honeycomb cappings in which two side-by-side endless conveyors converge and form a trough through which cappings are progressively compressed from inlet and to discharge end along the fixed bottom of the trough by means of said conveyors and a short length of auger mounted in the inlet end of the trough. The trough is pivoted about its midpoint to produce an imbalance which stops the compressor when empty. Honey is extruded through louvered openings impressed in the conveyors. The louvers are inwardly directed to drag the cappings along the trough during compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1982
    Inventor: Orville C. Fager