An automated sandwich wrapping system is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, an automated sandwich wrapping system includes a folding subassembly having a plurality of folding plates to inwardly fold side portions of sandwich wrapping paper extending past ends of a sandwich, a roller subassembly having at least one roller to rotate the sandwich to wrap the sandwich, and a controller preprogrammed to control and coordinate operation of the folding subassembly and the roller subassembly. The folding plates move between an idle position and an active position.

A flipping station including a moving surface upon which an upside-down food item is placed and a ramp spaced from the moving surface so that a gap is defined between the moving surface and the ramp. The moving surface is moving at a sufficient speed so that the upside-down food item has sufficient momentum to travel past the gap and land on the ramp. A contact surface that is positioned past the gap at a contact position and is positioned above the ramp so that the upside-down food item is deflected backwards by the contact surface into the gap and the upside-down food item rotates 180 so as to land right-side up on a landing surface located below the ramp.

A flipping station including a moving surface upon which an upside-down food item is placed and a ramp spaced from the moving surface so that a gap is defined between the moving surface and the ramp. The moving surface is moving at a sufficient speed so that the upside-down food item has sufficient momentum to travel past the gap and land on the ramp. A contact surface that is positioned past the gap at a contact position and is positioned above the ramp so that the upside-down food item is deflected backwards by the contact surface into the gap and the upside-down food item rotates 180 so as to land right-side up on a landing surface located below the ramp.

A flipping station including a moving surface upon which an upside-down food item is placed and a ramp spaced from the moving surface so that a gap is defined between the moving surface and the ramp. The moving surface is moving at a sufficient speed so that the upside-down food item has sufficient momentum to travel past the gap and land on the ramp. A contact surface that is positioned past the gap at a contact position and is positioned above the ramp so that the upside-down food item is deflected backwards by the contact surface into the gap and the upside-down food item rotates 180 so as to land right-side up on a landing surface located below the ramp.

A flipping station including a moving surface upon which an upside-down food item is placed and a ramp spaced from the moving surface so that a gap is defined between the moving surface and the ramp. The moving surface is moving at a sufficient speed so that the upside-down food item has sufficient momentum to travel past the gap and land on the ramp. A contact surface that is positioned past the gap at a contact position and is positioned above the ramp so that the upside-down food item is deflected backwards by the contact surface into the gap and the upside-down food item rotates 180 so as to land right-side up on a landing surface located below the ramp.

The present disclosure relates to a gripper for forming slugs of flat baked products, comprising a longitudinal retainer arranged for individually loading the flat baked products and comprising elongated wall elements extending along a longitudinal direction of the gripper for enclosing the retainer forming a retainer space for retaining the flat baked products a loading element, arranged for displacement of at least a contact surface thereof which is located adjacent a segment of the circumference of a loaded flat baked product near a free end of the retaining space; and wherein the gripper is arranged for displacement of the contact surface of the loading element enabling individually loading the flat baked products for forming the slug in the retainer space, and wherein the gripper is further arranged for rotating the longitudinal retainer over a rotation-axis in a plane parallel to a supporting surface of the conveyor means at the input for bringing the slug from a horizontal vertical orientation into a vertical horizontal orientation, and wherein at least one of the elongated wall elements is arranged for displacement thereof for unloading the vertical horizontally oriented slug into the conveyor means of the packing device.

The present disclosure relates to a gripper for forming slugs of flat baked products, comprising a longitudinal retainer arranged for individually loading the flat baked products and comprising elongated wall elements extending along a longitudinal direction of the gripper for enclosing the retainer forming a retainer space for retaining the flat baked products a loading element, arranged for displacement of at least a contact surface thereof which is located adjacent a segment of the circumference of a loaded flat baked product near a free end of the retaining space; and wherein the gripper is arranged for displacement of the contact surface of the loading element enabling individually loading the flat baked products for forming the slug in the retainer space, and wherein the gripper is further arranged for rotating the longitudinal retainer over a rotation-axis in a plane parallel to a supporting surface of the conveyor means at the input for bringing the slug from a horizontal vertical orientation into a vertical horizontal orientation, and wherein at least one of the elongated wall elements is arranged for displacement thereof for unloading the vertical horizontally oriented slug into the conveyor means of the packing device.

A handling system, gripper device and a gripper for forming and handling slugs of flat baked products such as biscuits and cookies, said gripper being arranged for a mechanical type gripper as end-effector and being arranged to load a group of staggered products, form a slug from said group, and unload said slug into said outfeed transport device, said gripper comprising a longitudinal retainer comprising elongated wall elements extending along a longitudinal direction of said gripper and configured for an open position for loading said group of staggered products, and a closed position for unloading said slug into a tray transported by a transport device, a holding element for open and closed positions for loading and unloading said group of staggered products; and a pushing element for displacement of said pushing element in longitudinal direction into said retainer for compacting said group of staggered products into a slug.

A handling system, gripper device and a gripper for forming and handling slugs of flat baked products such as biscuits and cookies, said gripper being arranged for a mechanical type gripper as end-effector and being arranged to load a group of staggered products, form a slug from said group, and unload said slug into said outfeed transport device, said gripper comprising a longitudinal retainer comprising elongated wall elements extending along a longitudinal direction of said gripper and configured for an open position for loading said group of staggered products, and a closed position for unloading said slug into a tray transported by a transport device, a holding element for open and closed positions for loading and unloading said group of staggered products; and a pushing element for displacement of said pushing element in longitudinal direction into said retainer for compacting said group of staggered products into a slug.

The disclosure relates to an apparatus comprising at least one vacuum cooling station comprising a plurality of vacuum cooling chambers, each of which, while being moved along a cooling path together with at least one product received therein, is controllable for vacuum cooling the at least one product received therein. Each vacuum cooling chamber has its own control circuit device configured for dynamic vacuum pressure generation. The disclosure further relates to a method for vacuum cooling products.