A slicing apparatus for slicing food products into slices comprises a feeding unit configured to feed products along a feeding direction into a cutting region in which a blade for slicing the products into slices is arranged, wherein the feeding unit comprises a moving device that is configured to move the products into the cutting region, and wherein the moving device comprises a transporting member that is configured to apply a pressure onto an upper product side while the product is fed into the cutting region.

A vertical packaging machine that includes a forming tube having an inner passage section and retaining means associated with the forming tube. The retaining means includes a retaining device configured to be displaced between a blocking position (P1) in which it at least partially blocks the inner passage section of the forming tube, and a release position (P2) in which it does not block said inner passage section of the forming tube. While in the blocking position (P1), the retaining device is arranged at a fixed specific height and is configured to prevent a product from passing through the inner passage section of the forming tube. Upon transitioning to the release position (P2), the retaining device is withdrawn from the path to be followed by the product.

A vertical coin roll conveyor includes a number of coin roll carriers attached to a conveyor belt that moves the carriers along an endless path that includes a vertical ascending or descending portion. Each coin roll carrier is configured to convey a coin roll and includes a support leg that supports the coin roll on the coin roll carrier and a barrier that impedes the coin roll from rolling or sliding off the coin roll conveyor during conveyance of the coin roll along the vertical portion of the conveyor path.

A vertical coin roll conveyor includes a number of coin roll carriers attached to a conveyor belt that moves the carriers along an endless path that includes a vertical ascending or descending portion. Each coin roll carrier is configured to convey a coin roll and includes a support leg that supports the coin roll on the coin roll carrier and a barrier that impedes the coin roll from rolling or sliding off the coin roll conveyor during conveyance of the coin roll along the vertical portion of the conveyor path.

A vehicle-based, automated pizza-making system including a two-piece pizza pan conveyed between pizza-making components on a series of pan drive rails. The two-piece pizza pan can include a base and a removable ring for containing the unfinished pizza and toppings. The rails can include timing belts for conveying the two-piece pizza pan through the system with improved positional control and accuracy.

A conveyor system that utilizes a curved, closed-loop pathway defined by a profiled track and a plurality of wheel cars movably contained within and guided by the profiled track. The wheel cars have an attachment side facing towards an open side of the profiled track, and the track is arranged such that its open side faces into a substantially horizontal direction and such that the attachment side of the cars is oriented substantially vertically in any position along the pathway. One or more carriers, each having a carrier rack adapted to support a food product to be transported, are mounted to the attachment side of a respective one of the wheel cars. The carriers can pivot about an axis perpendicular to the attachment side of the corresponding car so as to maintain the carrier rack in a horizontal position as the carrier travels along the pathway.

The invention relates to an improved system, device and method for optimized, high volume cleaning of pans, related brush modules, and methods of operating and processing same A pan cleaning system having one or more modular swing arms for cleaning a flow of pans is provided. The system having a frame with a mounting point for each of the modular swing arms and the swing arm pivots about a pivoting element freely motivated by a swing arm actuator and controlled with a swing arm limiter coupled to one or more controllers. The modular swing arm is positioned by the one or more controllers by activating the swing arm actuator to position and to engage a dirty pan from the flow of pans at a pressure range exerted by the actuator and limited by the swing arm limiter such that the pan is cleaned. On one of the modular swing arms, a cleaning module mounting a staggered set of two or more brush heads is provided in offset rows provides overlap during cleaning to overcome compression issues in the brush heads during movement of the pan. Each of the brush heads also having bristles specifically spaced and angled so that they provide consistent contact without laying over one another when compression does occur. Each of the brush heads also rotating so that the rotational moments of each of the brush heads in the two or more brush heads is offset by the equal or paired rotating brush heads. Finally, the controller is provided so that it can sense numerous conditions in the cleaning process, including things like pan height, pan type, the amount of contaminants on the pan, the size of the pan, how much agitation or pressure to apply to the pan, when the pan is passing the cleaning module, whether a jam may be occurring under the module, and similar variables during the cleaning process.

The invention relates to an improved system, device and method for optimized, high volume cleaning of pans, related brush modules, and methods of operating and processing same A pan cleaning system having one or more modular swing arms for cleaning a flow of pans is provided. The system having a frame with a mounting point for each of the modular swing arms and the swing arm pivots about a pivoting element freely motivated by a swing arm actuator and controlled with a swing arm limiter coupled to one or more controllers. The modular swing arm is positioned by the one or more controllers by activating the swing arm actuator to position and to engage a dirty pan from the flow of pans at a pressure range exerted by the actuator and limited by the swing arm limiter such that the pan is cleaned. On one of the modular swing arms, a cleaning module mounting a staggered set of two or more brush heads is provided in offset rows provides overlap during cleaning to overcome compression issues in the brush heads during movement of the pan. Each of the brush heads also having bristles specifically spaced and angled so that they provide consistent contact without laying over one another when compression does occur. Each of the brush heads also rotating so that the rotational moments of each of the brush heads in the two or more brush heads is offset by the equal or paired rotating brush heads. Finally, the controller is provided so that it can sense numerous conditions in the cleaning process, including things like pan height, pan type, the amount of contaminants on the pan, the size of the pan, how much agitation or pressure to apply to the pan, when the pan is passing the cleaning module, whether a jam may be occurring under the module, and similar variables during the cleaning process.

A footwear manufacturing conveyor system includes a rail system. A first rail and guideways positioned within the boundary of the first rail provide at least one path of travel along the rail system. A propulsion system with a plurality of electrical coils is configured to provide magnetic propulsion. A vehicle has a magnet is configured to interact with the propulsion system. A receiving part is adapted to receive a footwear last. A load bearing element has a primary surface which is configured to engage with the first rail and an opposite secondary surface. The rail system further includes a second rail, positioned at an opposite side of the load bearing element.

A footwear manufacturing conveyor system includes a rail system. A first rail and guideways positioned within the boundary of the first rail provide at least one path of travel along the rail system. A propulsion system with a plurality of electrical coils is configured to provide magnetic propulsion. A vehicle has a magnet is configured to interact with the propulsion system. A receiving part is adapted to receive a footwear last. A load bearing element has a primary surface which is configured to engage with the first rail and an opposite secondary surface. The rail system further includes a second rail, positioned at an opposite side of the load bearing element.