Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for automatically forming raw tuna loins into homogenized, formed packets and packing those packets into bags for freezing and shipping to distant canning plants. A conveyed stream of raw tuna loins is tamped and compacted into a homogenized tuna stream of a predetermined height and width with dimensions compatible with processing equipment at the canning plant. A predetermined length of the homogenized tuna stream is measured and cut into packets and automatically packed into bags of predetermined size. In one embodiment, a servo controlled, intermittent advance conveyor is provided which is adapted to periodically advance said stream of raw tuna loins a distance which corresponds to the length of the bags into which the tuna is being packed. The apparatus for homogenizing the raw tuna loins is either a ski-shaped tamper driven by rotating cranks or a top belt including a pressure cylinder for urging the top belt into contact with the stream of raw tuna loins.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for automatically packaging fish at high speeds into horizontally oriented cans. Speeds of approximately 600 cans per minute may be obtained with the preferred configuration of the present invention, wherein two incoming streams of fish are split into eight lanes, to achieve canning speeds of approximately twice the speed of prior art machines. Each incoming stream of fish is split into four separate processing streams or channels, primarily to reduce the operational speeds of the equipment components. Each incoming stream of fish is split by a first dividing knife into two forming chambers carried by an intermittently moving turning wheel. The fish is split again by knives located at second and third work stations of the rotating turning wheel. Four fish cakes are formed simultaneously at the second and third work stations and simultaneously discharged downwardly into horizontally oriented cans.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for automatically packaging fish at high speeds into horizontally oriented cans. Speeds of approximately 600 cans per minute may be obtained with the preferred configuration of the present invention, wherein two incoming streams of fish are split into eight lanes, to achieve canning speeds of approximately twice the speed of prior art machines. Each incoming stream of fish is split into four separate processing streams or channels, primarily to reduce the operational speeds of the equipment components. Each incoming stream of fish is split by a first dividing knife into two forming chambers carried by an intermittently moving turning wheel. The fish is split again by knives located at second and third work stations of the rotating turning wheel. Four fish cakes are formed simultaneously at the second and third work stations and simultaneously discharged downwardly into horizontally oriented cans.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for automatically packaging non-flowing products into pouches. The non-flowing products are products such as tuna fish, chicken, bacon and other products which neither flow easily nor behave like fluids. The non-flowing product is compressively formed into a product cake in a forming chamber wherein one surface of the forming chamber is the end wall of a movable metering shoe. The formed product cake is thereafter ejected from the forming chamber causing the movable metering shoe to drive the formed product cake downwardly into a suspended and unsealed pouch. In one embodiment of the invention, a multi-position turret is utilized to accomplish higher packaging rates. Two or more work stations are positioned around the rotating turret, one work station feeding product into forming chambers carried by the turret and a second work station ejecting the formed cakes into suspended pouches.

Abstract: A charge is formed of beverage concentrate and water, and is introduced into a filling line having residual water present from cleaning or purging. The charge is removed from the filling line and transported into a recoupment tank which communicates with the line. The charge, which is only a small percentage of the total batch of beverage to be processed and filled, is slowly introduced into the filling line, combining minute proportions of the charge into the production run of blended beverage. The resulting blended beverage is within the required tolerances for a standard blend ratio, and no expensive concentrate is wasted on start up of the line.

Abstract: As the bottles go through the bottle washing machines the inside of each bottle is sprayed at various locations at each of which the bottle conveyor travels an arcuate path, the center of which is generally coincident with the center of the rotary spray pipe. The rotary spray pipe is provided with rows of aligned spray nozzles each of which lines up with the neck of a bottle in the conveyor as it passes over the spray area. A header surrounds the pipe at each nozzle location with a segment of the header removed to allow the nozzles to spray the adjacent bottles as the nozzles pass the cutout section. For the remainder of a revolution the nozzle is blanked off by the header. The bottles are always synchronized with the nozzles since the conveyor sprocket rotates with the spray pipe. A backflush pipe is fixed below and communicates with the header so water can be flushed through the nozzles in reverse direction for cleaning.

Abstract: Labels are removed from the bottles as they stand generally upright in the conveyor pockets at the bottom of the curved guide where they pass under the high volume nozzles fed by a supply manifold approximately at the center of the curvature of the solid guides. At the time of label removal the bottles are under the liquid level of the caustic bath in the bottle washing machine. The open slot on the bottom of the solid curved guide leads to a suction channel which pulls the labels from the caustic solution as fast as they are flushed off the bottles. The suction channel is tapered to obtain substantially equal suction across the slot. Since the bottles are moving on a curved path as they pass under the jet, there is an effective dwell during the flushing and a single nozzle can accomplish more flushing action than in prior designs.