ACCUMULATOR AND TRANSFER SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DELIVERING FOOD PRODUCT TO A BAG

Abstract

A transfer system is provided for a food product, comprising an accumulation cage to buffer product being delivered from a loader system; and a transfer mechanism to deliver a predetermined number of food product from the accumulation cage to a chute which itself delivers the predetermined number of food products to a receptacle. The loader system may run continuously to deliver product to the accumulator cage while the transfer mechanism delivers the predetermined number of food product to the chute.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of tubular food handling machinery, such as sausages and hot dogs. Specifically, this invention relates to the field of hopper equipped product launchers wherein tubular food products are fed to a product bagger through an accumulation cage, transfer bucket and transfer chute to increase packing speed for product being delivered to a polyester heat sealed bag or similar packaging.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Packing machines for all types of foods are very common and have been widely used for many years. Typically, processed food articles have a uniform shape which renders them conducive to high speed automated packaging machines. The processed food articles move along a conveyor to a filling head and into trays, boxes or some other form of packaging container. Often, the containers also are on a high speed conveyor which moves the containers with the loaded food articles to a wrapping station or another processing station used in the ultimate distribution of the food to the consumer.

Speed of packaging the food articles is important. Any packaging machine must keep up with the supply of food articles being processed. It is particularly important for sanitation reasons to minimize the exposure of many processed food articles to the ambient temperatures in a packaging plant. Machines are known which can load processed food articles such as franks into packaging trays. Most have a filling head into which the food articles are loaded, and then unloaded into containers. The filling head can be configured to load one or more containers at a time. The containers themselves can be one of many different sizes to hold any desired number of food articles. Ideally, any filling head on a loader will be versatile enough to accommodate the varied food article packaging sizes and arrangements.

In accord with a need for fast and efficient food article packaging, there has been developed food article filling heads for loader parent machines. The filling heads have quick connect features to allow a head with desired capacity and food article arrangement to be selected and installed on the parent machine. A limited number of interchangeable filling heads for a loader parent machine lends a great deal of versatility to the type of package containers, both in capacity and physical food article arrangement that can be loaded. Importantly, the filling head is able to operate at an increased speed and in a very efficient manner.

As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, prior art systems for launching tubular food products toward a package loader typically include a hopper 8 equipped with launcher/unscrambler 10 aligned with one or more intermediate bucketed belt(s) 12. The launcher 10 floods the intermediate belt with excess product (105-120%) most of which ends up properly aligned in buckets 14 positioned along the bucketed belt 12. Excess and misaligned product is removed by lateral rake 16. The rake 16 urges the removed excess product toward a return hopper 21 feeding a return belt 20 that directs product back to the hopper 8.

In the foregoing known system, the fill rate of the intermediate belt 12 buckets 14 beyond the rake 16 is upwards of 95%. However, for a 100% fill rate to be obtained prior to the loader 24, a human product inspector 22 is positioned along the intermediate belt between the rake 16 and the loading head 24. The inspector 22 removes defective product (i.e., still casing covered, misshapen, cut/broken, etc.), placing it into the reject chute 28, replaces the defects, and fills remaining blanks among the passing buckets 14 with product selected from the replacement tray 26. Owing to the rapid and continuous action of the inspector 22, the fill rate then becomes 100% as the intermediate belt heads toward the loading head 24. The inspector 22, or a fellow co-worker inspector, can from time-to-time feed excess product to the inspector 22 location by manually raising/lifting/pivoting the rake 16 away from the intermediate belt 12, using manual lift handle 17, to allow a temporary product surge past the rake 16 to the inspection location.

Excess product is removed by the inspector 22 into the replacement tray 26 and the inspector 22 can continue replacing defects and filling empty buckets 14 from the re-stocked tray 26.

The filler or loading head 24 typically delivers the product to a packaging system. FIG. 3 shows one example of a filler or loading head that may be used in accordance with the bagger of the present invention as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,385, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. That patent discloses a food article filling head having an input conveyor for delivering individual food items, an index pusher for receiving the food items from the input conveyor and accumulating the items into groups, a staging area for receiving an array of groups of food items, and a ram assembly for displacing the array of groups of food items downwardly through trap doors in the staging area into a receptacle. Of course, there are numerous filler/loading heads that may be used in conjunction with the present invention.

In some regions of the world, frankfurters are sold in polyester heat sealed bags rather than the vacuum packed retail packages typically used in the United States. Frankfurter loaders have been introduced for this market where customers are transitioning to typical retail packages. What was discovered is these customers still need to supply their traditional market served by the polyester bags during this transitional period. These customers need a solution to load polyester bags and a horizontal form fill and seal packaging machine with a conventional loader.

There is need therefore to provide a packaging system to accommodate frankfurters or other food products sold in polyester heat sealed bags rather than vacuum packed products. One challenge of this design was to transition the product loading height from one appropriate for a horizontal form fill and seal packaging machine, to a height of approximately 34″ to be ergonomically suitable for a human being. Time is required to transition the product and insert it into the bag. For optimum loading efficiency, the loader must run continuously and continue to load rather than wait for the product to be transferred and inserted into the bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To address the above needs, the present inventors have adapted an intermediate holding area known as an accumulation cage to buffer product so that a transfer cage may deliver the product to a bag while a subsequent group of product is received in the accumulation cage.

By adapting an accumulation cage, the invention allows the frankfurter loader to run continuously while simultaneously loading product into a polyester bag. The amount of product that will be inserted into the bag or increments of what will be inserted into the bag is dropped from the frankfurter loader into an accumulation cage one layer of product at a time. For example, if 50 frankfurters are to be loaded into the bag, 5 layers of 10 individual frankfurters would be dropped into the accumulation cage. The cage then drops the completed grouping into a transfer bucket. The transfer bucket or buckets moves horizontally then vertically into position. Finally a horizontal pusher moves the product through a funneling chute into the polyester bag. While this transfer is occurring, the accumulation cage is accepting the next bagful of product. The transfer bucket returns to its load position under the accumulation cage and accepts the next bagful.

These and other advantages of the aforementioned invention will occur to those of ordinary skill in the field as the following description and drawings are read and understood by those of skill in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top schematic view of a prior art tubular product launcher system.

FIG. 2 is a schematic profile view of the prior art launcher in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary schematic side elevation of a filler or loading head that may be used with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bagger according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front and left side perspective view of the bagger of FIG. 4 with the internal component exposed.

FIG. 6 is a front and right side perspective view of the bagger of FIG. 4 with the internal component exposed.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the bagger of FIG. 4 with the internal component exposed.

FIG. 8 is a left side view of the bagger of FIG. 4 with the internal component exposed.

FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of the primary components of the bagger of FIG. 4.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the primary components of the bagger of FIG. 4.

FIGS. 11a and 11b illustrate the preferred embodiment of the accumulator cages 120, 130 of the present invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example of the slide rail along which the transfer bucket translates.

FIG. 13 illustrates the slide rail in conjunction with the elevator system in relation to the transfer bucket, the pusher, and the chute.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments and methods of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the drawings. It should be noted, however, that the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, representative devices and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described in connection with the exemplary embodiments and methods.

This description of exemplary embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description, relative terms such as “horizontal,” “vertical,” “front,” “rear,” “upper”, “lower”, “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing figure under discussion and to the orientation relative to a vehicle body. These relative terms are for convenience of description and normally are not intended to require a particular orientation. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected” and “interconnected,” refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. The term “operatively connected” is such an attachment, coupling or connection that allows the pertinent structures to operate as intended by virtue of that relationship. Additionally, the word “a” as used in the claims means “at least one”.

The bag loading device according to the present invention as illustrated in FIG. 4 is designed to mate to existing tubular food product autoloaders. The autoloader may be a dual (side-by-side) conveyor as shown in FIG. 1 or may be a single conveyor system. Additionally, the autoloader may have dual conveyors wherein the system uses a mixer upstream of the bag loading device 100 of FIG. 4. The bag loading device 100 easily moves under the loading head of the existing autoloader such as shown in FIG. 3 by way of wheels 102 where it receives exact product counts into at least one accumulation cage 120, 130. The exact counts are transported by transfer bucket(s) to the single station loading area where the loading piston fills the bag preloaded into a dispenser or chute 110 designed for your bag size.

Once both cages are filled with proper count and both transfer bucket(s) are back in the home position, below accumulation cage, the bag loading process is then triggered. Both accumulation cages are mechanically coupled, therefore both open simultaneously. The bagger has the ability to run using only one accumulation cage and one chute but the second cage will still open.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the bagger of the present invention includes first and second accumulation cages 120, 130 sized and designed to be located beneath the filler/loader head 40 described above with respect to FIG. 3. The filler/loader dispenses the food product in a controlled manner into the accumulation cages 120, 130 in a manner that is known in the art.

The amount of product that will be inserted into the bag or increments of what will be inserted into the bag is dropped from the frankfurter loader head 40 into the accumulation cage(s) 120, 130 one layer of product at a time. For example, if 50 frankfurters are to be loaded into the bag, 5 layers of 10 individual frankfurters would be dropped into the accumulation cage(s) 120, 130. The accumulator cage 120, 130 then drops the completed grouping into a transfer bucket(s) 140, 150. It will be understood that FIG. 6 shows only one transfer bucket 140 for simplicity of the illustration. The transfer buckets 140, 150 (which are mechanically coupled to vertically oriented linear slide pneumatic air cylinder) move horizontally along the pneumatic linear side cylinders 142, 152. Then, the transfer buckets 140, 150 are raised vertically (with assistance of linear slide vertically orientated pneumatic air cylinder) into position that is aligned with the chutes 110, 112. FIG. 7 shows three different positions (A, B, C) for the first transfer bucket 140, and three different positions (A′, B′, C′) for the second transfer bucket 150. Positions A, B, C run essentially parallel to positions A′, B′, C′ First, the food product is delivered to the first transfer bucket 140 from the first accumulator cage 120 (position A), then the first transfer bucket 140 moves along rail 142 to position B. By way of a controlled piston operated elevator system 145 (which also moves along the rails 142), the first transfer bucket 140 is raised from position B to position C that is aligned with the first chute 110. The second transfer bucket 150 operates in a similar manner but finishes at a position C′ that is located in an offset position with respect to position C. The location of position C′ is aligned in the horizontal direction with the controlled piston operated elevator system 155 which operates to deliver second transfer bucket 150 from the accumulator cage 130 to the second chute 120. FIGS. 6 and 8 show the transfer bucket 150 in position C′. The elevator systems 145, 155 preferably include vertical rails 145a, 155a and a pneumatic pistons 145b, 155b that drives the transfer bucket(s) 140, 150 in a vertical direction toward the chutes 110, 120. The elevators systems 145, 155 are disposed to ride along the rails 142, 152 with the transfer buckets 140, 150 and the elevator systems 145, 155 are actuated to elevate the transfer buckets 140, 150 at positions B, B′.

In the preferred embodiment, horizontal movement of the transfer buckets 140, 150 is controlled by respective pneumatic linear slide cylinders 142, 152 having power and signals delivered through cable carriers 147, 157 which drive movement of the transfer buckets 140, 150 along the pneumatic linear slide cylinders 142, 152. Cable carriers 147, 157 are used to protect proximity sensor cables as well as pneumatic tubing required to operate elevators systems 155, 145. Cable carriers 147, 157 are also known as cable tracks function as umbilical cords of electric machines because they minimize downtime, while protecting, supporting and extending the service life of cables and hoses.

FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of the major components of the bagger 100 of the present invention and illustrates the different travel positions for the first and second transfer buckets 140, 150. Likewise, FIG. 10 provides a schematic perspective view of the major components of the bagger 100 of the present invention.

Finally, horizontal pushers 160, 170 move the product through a respective and oppositely facing funneling chute 110, 120 (see FIG. 8) into the polyester bag (not shown). Specifically, the pusher 160 pushes the product contained in transfer bucket 140 through the chute 110 and into a bag (not shown). Likewise, the pusher 170 pushes the product contained in transfer bucket 150 through the chute 120 and into a bag (not shown). The pushers 160, 170 are individually operated by a piston system. While this transfer is occurring for at least one of the transfer buckets 140, 150, the accumulation cages 120, 130 are accepting the next bagful of product. The transfer buckets 140, 150 return to a respective load position under the respective accumulation cage 120, 130 and accept the next bagful.

Push stop buttons 180, 190 allow operator to stop the bagger in an emergency situation.

FIGS. 11a and 11b illustrate the preferred embodiment of the accumulator cages 120, 130 of the present invention. The structure and function of the accumulator cage(s) of the present invention are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,757,462, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In FIG. 11a, the accumulator cage is shown in a close position whereby the food product is collected in the cage. Brackets 122 are provided for mounting the cage 120 to the bag loader, and adjustable side walls 124 are provided for containment of the product. Adjustable backing plates 126 are provided for different product size and configuration. Linkage 127 connects the right and left accumulator cages 140, 150, and a pneumatic air cylinder 128 actuates cage doors 129. FIG. 11b illustrates the accumulator cage in the open position whereby the food product is dropped into the respective transfer bucket 140, 150 when the cage doors 129 are moved from a horizontal position to a vertical position.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example of the slide rail 142, 152 along which the transfer bucket 140, 150 translates. As shown in FIG. 12, sensors 142a are disposed in the rodless cylinder channel to detect the position of the transfer bucket along the rail 142, 152. Similarly, sensors 142b are disposed at the top and bottom in the cylinder of the elevator system 145, 155 to detect the vertical position of the transfer bucket 140. 150. Only the bottom sensor 142b is shown in FIG. 12.

In an effort to further elaborate on the structure and function of the horizontal pushers 160, 170, FIG. 13 illustrates the slide rail 142 in conjunction with the elevator system 145 in relation to the transfer bucket 140, the pusher 160, and the chute 110. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the pusher 160 includes a pneumatic linear slide 162 slidingly disposed on rails 164. Mounted to the linear slide 162 is a plastic pusher lug 166, which is moved in the direction of arrow A when the cylinder is actuated to move the linear slide 162, the plastic pusher lug 166 pushes the food product from the transfer bucket 140 out through the chute 110.

As described above, a transfer system for a food product, includes an accumulation cage (e.g., accumulator cages 120, 130) to buffer product being delivered from a conveyor or loader system, a transfer mechanism (e.g., transfer buckets 140, 150 on rails 142, 152 with cables carriers 147, 157) to deliver a predetermined number of food product from the accumulation cage to a chute for delivering the predetermined number of food products to a receptacle at chutes 110, 120. The loader system may run continuously to deliver product to the accumulator cages 120, 130 while the transfer mechanism delivers a predetermined number of food product to the chutes 110, 120. The transfer mechanism comprises at least one transfer bucket 140, 150 with the predetermined number of food product being dropped from the accumulation cages 120, 130 into the transfer buckets 140, 150. According to the preferred embodiment, the transfer buckets 140, 150 move horizontally and then vertically, via elevators systems 145, 155 into a position adjacent the chutes 110, 120. The transfer system further includes at least one horizontal pusher 160, 170 which moves the predetermined number of food product from the transfer bucket 140, 150 through the chutes 110, 120 for delivery into, for example, a polyester bag. With the transfer system according to the invention, the food product is delivered into the accumulation cage(s) while the transfer bucket(s) is transferring the food product to the chute(s). Thereafter, the transfer bucket(s) returns to its load position under the accumulation cage and accepts the next bagful. The transfer system according to the invention is adapted to be disposed beneath an exit of a conventional loader system to align said the of the loader system with the accumulator cage for delivery of food product to the accumulator cage.

With the preferred embodiment of the invention, two delivery systems are running parallel to one another to deliver products to oppositely disposed chutes 110, 120 that are offset from one another.

Quantity of product into accumulation cage(s) is controlled by frankfurter loader. The loader is keeping count of how many pieces go into accumulation cage per requirements of bag.

Once correct quantities are placed into accumulation cage, a programmable logic controller (PLC) (not shown) awaits signal notification that both buckets are correctly positioned below accumulation cage (position “A”) before pneumatically actuating the drop of correct counts into prospective buckets below. When the product is in the buckets, the linear pneumatic slides or rails 142, 152 move to the end of their physical stroke (position “B”). Proximity sensors detect location of each cylinder to determine their location before the next movement takes place. Once position “B” is detected, cylinders 145, 155 are actuated upwards placing buckets into position “C”. From there the linear slides with pusher blocks 160, 170 are actuated opposing another moving product from the buckets 142, 152 through the chutes 110, 120 into the bags. Position “C” also provides a lid for the buckets so that product does not come out through the top during push. When the buckets are emptied, they return back to the home position (“A”) following a reverse sequence (C, B, A).

The bagger follows this sequence; with buckets in position A, accumulation cage(s) dump the food products. Buckets then move to position B. The buckets then move to position C, where the pusher pushes product to bags through the respective chute 110, 120. The pusher(s) then retract and the buckets move to position B and next back to position A. This process is continuously repeated. Meanwhile, the loader is continually filling the accumulation cage(s) so product is ready to dump each time the bucket arrives at position A. Each cylinder is moving to its physical retracted and extracted limit to provide position stops. At the end of each cylinder there are proximity switches detecting whether cylinder is fully retracted or extracted. When the appropriate switches are made per a PLC command, the system allows the bagger to proceed to the next command/position.

The operator responsible for bag placement and replacement onto chute has no control over bagger cycle. This is completely controlled by the speed in which loader can fill the accumulation cage. In some smaller bag configurations the loader can fill the accumulation cage faster than a bagger cycle. Therefore, this will force the loader to slow. The loader cannot continue to fill accumulation cage if count requirement have been met.

While the foregoing invention has been shown and described with reference to a specific embodiment, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that various changes may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the exact transfer mechanism, the control, and the path for the transfer buckets to and from positions A, B and C may be changed with departing from this scope of this invention. Likewise the number of transfer buckets and chutes may be changed.

Claims

1. A transfer system for a food product, comprising:

an accumulation cage to buffer product being delivered from a loader system;

a transfer mechanism to deliver a predetermined number of food product from said accumulation cage to a chute where the predetermined number of food products are deposited in a receptacle.

2. The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said loader system may run continuously to deliver product to said accumulator cage while said transfer mechanism delivers said predetermined number of food product to said chute.

3. The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said transfer mechanism comprises at least one transfer bucket, said predetermined number of food product being dropped from said accumulation cage into said transfer bucket.

4. The transfer system according to claim 3, wherein said transfer bucket moves horizontally then vertically into a position adjacent said chute.

5. The transfer system according to claim 3, further comprising at least one horizontal pusher which moves the predetermined number of food product from said transfer bucket through said chute for delivery into said receptacle.

6. The transfer system according to claim 3, wherein said food product is delivered into said accumulation cage while said transfer bucket is transferring said food product to said chute.

7. The transfer system according to claim 3, wherein said transfer bucket returns to its load position under the accumulation cage and accepts the next bagful.

8. The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said transfer system is adapted to be disposed beneath an exit of said loader system to align said exit with said accumulator cage for delivery of food product to said accumulator cage.

9. The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said transfer system includes a transfer bucket disposed on a rail, said transfer bucket being moved by a pneumatic rail system that translates said transfer bucket along said rail.

10. The transfer system according to claim 9, further comprising an elevator system to elevate said transfer bucket above said rail toward said chute.

11. The transfer system according to claim 1, further comprising a second accumulation cage to buffer product being delivered from a loader system; and a second transfer mechanism to deliver a second predetermined number of food product from said second accumulation cage to a second chute where the predetermined number of food products are deposited in a second receptacle, wherein said transfer mechanism and said second transfer mechanism run parallel to one another.

12. A transfer system for a food product, comprising:

first and second accumulation areas to buffer product being delivered from a loader system;

first and second transfer mechanisms to deliver a first and second predetermined number of food products from said accumulation areas to first and second dispensers where the first and second predetermined number of food products respectively are dispensed into a receptacle,

wherein aid first and second transfer mechanisms deliver said food products along parallel paths to said first and second dispensers.

13. The transfer system according to claim 12, wherein said loader system may run continuously to deliver product to said accumulator areas while said transfer mechanisms deliver said first and second predetermined number of food products to said dispensers.

14. The transfer system according to claim 12, wherein each of said first and second transfer mechanisms comprise a transfer bucket, and wherein said first and second predetermined number of food products are deposited respectively from said accumulation areas into a respective transfer bucket.

15. The transfer system according to claim 14, wherein said transfer bucket for each of said first and second transfer mechanisms moves horizontally then vertically into a position adjacent one of said first and second dispensers.

16. The transfer system according to claim 14, further comprising at least one horizontal pusher which moves the predetermined number of food product from said transfer bucket through said dispenser for delivery into said receptacle.

17. The transfer system according to claim 14, wherein said food product is delivered into said accumulation areas while said transfer bucket is transferring said food product to said dispenser.

18. The transfer system according to claim 12, wherein each of said first and second transfer systems include a transfer bucket disposed on a rail, said transfer bucket being moved by a pneumatic rail system that translates said transfer bucket along said rail.

19. The transfer system according to claim 18, further comprising an elevator system to elevate said transfer bucket above said rail toward said dispensers.

20. A method of transferring a food product from a loader to a receptacle, comprising the steps of:

delivering food product from a loader system to an accumulation cage to buffer product being delivered from said loader system,

transferring said food product from said accumulation cage to a transfer bucket,

delivering said food product from said accumulation cage to a dispenser, while said loader delivers additional food product to said accumulation cage.