An apparatus and method, configured for transferring articles of the fish and meat processing industry in a predetermined end position, including a continuous conveying device with a plurality of transport sections for individually receiving the articles and movable in the conveying direction, which transport sections comprise in the conveying position a transport element pair forming two article support surfaces. Each transport element is configured to be controllably pivotable about axles, running in the edge region of the respective transport section, so that the articles (10) are transferred to the predetermined end position, under the effect of gravity, in a plane lying below the conveying plane by controlled pivoting of both transport elements while retaining the article orientation or by controlled pivoting of one of the respective transport elements of one of the respective transport element pairs while changing the article orientation.

A food-product loader has a conveyor passing through its cabinet, and the cabinet is formed with a bulk hopper. The loader is loaded with elongate pieces of food-product by way of dumping a heaping mass of the food-product pieces into the bulk hopper all at one time. The loader ultimately handles the heap of food-product pieces such that, the loader loads the pieces onto the conveyor in neat lanes, with individual pieces slightly spaced apart from one another. To do this, the loader is constructed with a series or array of soft-sided dispensing sleeves or funnels which are mechanically massaged to tease out one piece at a time, and only one piece at a time.

A system has rendering tanks, a polishing tank, and a conveyor associated with the rendering tanks and the polishing tank. A batch rendering method for producing pork rinds with the system includes: (a) loading a first batch of pork skins into the rendering tanks; (b) cooking the first batch of pork skins inside the rendering tanks; (c) unloading the first batch of pork skins from each of the rendering tanks into the conveyor; (d) transporting the first batch of pork skins to the polishing tank; (e) loading the first batch of pork skins into the polishing tank; (f) tumbling the first batch of pork skins within the polishing tank; (g) loading a second batch of pork skins into the rendering tanks; and (h) cooking the second batch of pork skins inside the rendering tanks. Steps (f) and (h) occur at the same time.

Disclosed is a conveyor system including a first conveyor leading to an inspection point, the first conveyor including a diversion mechanism configured to divert an object based on failing to meet an inspection parameter. The system includes a second conveyor configured to transport a container configured to receive the object from the diversion mechanism. A control module is configured to co-register an image of the object captured at the inspection point with container ID data of the container.

A system (100) for cutting work product (104) into portions (P) and unloading the portions includes a conveyance system (102) for carrying the workpieces and portions, as well as a scanner (110) for scanning the work products. A cutter system (120) composed of cutter assemblies (122) carried by carrier systems (124) may be arranged in an array or series along the conveyance system for cutting, trimming, and portioning the work products (104) into end pieces (P) of desired sizes or other physical parameters. An unloading system (130) composed of one or more unloading assemblies/units/apparatus (132) are carried by the same carrier systems (124) used to carry the cutter assemblies (122) to pick up the portioned pieces (P) and either move them to a different location or replace the portioned workpieces back onto the conveyance system after the trim of the workpiece has been removed.

A cutting apparatus for cutting a food object where inlet and outlet conveyors are arranged in an end-to-end arrangement. A moving mechanism is provided for adjusting the relative position between the ends of the inlet and outlet conveyors, a cutting device is provided having a cutting plane extending between the inlet and outlet conveyors, a detection mechanism is provided for detecting at least one characteristics related to the food object, and a control device is provided for controlling the moving mechanism and the cutting device. Controlling the moving mechanism includes utilizing the at least one detected characteristics in determining a target width of an opening between the ends of the inlet and outlet conveyors, and controlling the cutting device includes subsequently cutting the food object into smaller food pieces. The target width of the opening is selected such that it allows smaller food pieces to fall through the opening.

A gripper device is configured to pick up a pliable food product having a tail-like part from a pick-up area and releasing it at a releasing area, where a support is provided. A pair of jaws is mounted to the support for movement of distal ends thereof towards each other defining a closing position of the pair of jaws and away from each other defining an open position of the pair of jaws. A tail bender device is attached to the support and adjacent to one end of the pair of jaws. The tail bender device is moveable in relation to the pair of jaws and is configured to bend the tail-like part while transferring the food product from the pick-up area until releasing it at the releasing area.

The invention relates to a device for moving portions each comprising at least one slice separated from a food product, in particular by a slicing device, in particular by a high-speed slicer, having a plurality of individually movable transport movers for transporting portions, having a track system for the transport movers, in which the transport movers can be moved along at least one specified track in a transport direction and having a control device for controlling the movements of the transport movers in the track system, wherein the transport movers each comprise at least one runner cooperating with the track system and at least one portion carrier mounted on the runner, wherein for at least one sub-section of the track, in particular a section at risk of contamination, a discharge device is provided which is designed to at least intermittently discharge next to the section, contamination and/or incorrect portions originating from the foods, in particular occurring when cutting the food products and/or during handling of the portions.

A food product gathering and dispensing system is disclosed. The food product is generally a flat disc shaped article dispensed onto a consumable strip of food product conveyer material. The food product is fed to single, or series related, spools that wind up the consumable conveyer material and food product into a removable roll or stack. The roll or stack is placed into a dispenser pack, optionally subject to further environmental treatment, and refrigeration. The pack is then installed within a refrigerated dispenser system where the food product and consumable material are collectively unwound and/or separated, as the food product is fed into a processing system, i.e., a cooking device. The consumable conveyer material is collected and separately discarded.

A processing system for bone-in limb meats according to an embodiment includes: a right-limb incision-forming portion for forming incision on a right bone-in limb meat; a left-limb incision-forming portion for forming incision on a left bone-in limb meat; a processing line including a plurality of processing stations to separate a bone part and a meat part of each bone-in limb meat on which incision is formed at the right-limb incision-forming portion or the left-limb incision-forming portion; and a loading portion arranged at an uppermost stream part of the processing line to receive the right bone-in limb meat with incision formed at the right-limb incision-forming portion and the left bone-in limb meat with incision formed at the left-limb incision-forming portion.