A method of using a conveyor device is provided for conveying food products in stacks or interleaved units made of a plurality of slices of cheese or meat products. The method formats the food products in a specific product format on a plurality of parallel conveyor tracks, and fills a product gap on one of the plurality of parallel conveyor tracks incoming on the input side with a food product so that on the output side all parallel conveyor tracks are supplied with the food products.

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 folding-diverter assembly is provided to: selectively divert a substrate-product combination advancing from a first direction in a predetermined path based upon the substrate-product combination weighing a predetermined weight; advance the substrate-product combination in a second direction, opposite from the first direction; and fold a flap of the substrate-product combination partially over a top surface of the substrate-product combination. A semi-circular conveyor assembly is configured to advance the substrate-product combination in the second direction at a first portion of the semi-circular conveyor assembly, and along a semi-circular advancing path such that the substrate-product combination is advanced in the first direction at a second portion of the semi-circular conveyor assembly.

Conveyor device (1) including an endless conveyor belt (4), a first drive (3) for driving the endless conveyor belt (4), a main frame (2) and an auxiliary frame (19) supported in the main frame (2), a second drive (15) for moving the auxiliary frame (19) back and forth relative to the main frame (2) in the manner of a shuttle-conveyor, such that a supply track (4a) of endless conveyor belt (4) supported by the auxiliary frame (19) can feed products (P) on a discharge track (4b) of endless conveyor belt (4) supported by the main frame (2).

A method for formatting food products on a conveyor device includes a) receiving the food products in a plurality of parallel conveyor tracks, some of which include product gaps; b) outputting the food products into the parallel conveyor tracks in a specific product format; c) detecting the product supply in the conveyor tracks incoming on the input side individually for each of the conveyor tracks; and d) filling the product gaps in the conveyor tracks with food products, so that on the output side all of the parallel conveyor tracks are supplied with the food products. The product gaps are also filled with food products from a product buffer in that at least one of the food products is transferred from the product buffer to the conveyor track only when an odd number of product gaps exist in one of the conveyor tracks.

A system and method for displaying items such as food allowing for an unobstructed view of the food item is disclosed. The system includes a backer card and a transparent film. The food item is stored in the transparent film allowing an unobstructed view of the food item. An upper portion of the transparent film is secured to the backer card leaving a portion of the transparent film below the point of attachment unsecured allowing the food item to move away from the backer card. Information pertaining to the food item is printed on the backer card leaving the view of the food item unobstructed.

A food product handling device is provided. The food product handling device can include a movable loading head having a plurality of rails and a vacuum system operatively associated with the head. In addition, a plurality of suction devices carried by the head and configured to pick up and transport a food product as the head is moved can be provided. A plurality of mounting blocks can be slidably coupled to the rails where at least one suction device is coupled to each mounting block. An actuating device can be operatively associated with the mounting blocks such that each mounting block is configured to slide between a first position and a second position.

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 conveyor device for conveying food products on a plurality of parallel conveyor tracks and for formatting the food products in a specific product format, especially for conveying and formatting stacks or interleaved units made of a plurality of slices of cheese or meat products is provided. The conveyor device fills a product gap on one of the conveyor tracks incoming on the input side with a food product so that on the output side all parallel conveyor tracks are supplied with the food products when a product gap is sensed. A corresponding method is also provided.

Conveyor device (1) including an endless conveyor belt (4), a first drive (3) for driving the endless conveyor belt (4), a main frame (2) and an auxiliary frame (19) supported in the main frame (2), a second drive (15) for moving the auxiliary frame (19) back and forth relative to the main frame (2) in the manner of a shuttle-conveyor, such that a supply track (4a) of endless conveyor belt (4) supported by the auxiliary frame (19) can feed products (P) on a discharge track (4b) of endless conveyor belt (4) supported by the main frame (2).