Abstract
A transfer conveyor for food process lines has an endless conveyor belt characterized by an upper, food-product carrying run and a lower, return run. The upper, food-product carrying run defines a transit plane. The upper, food-product carrying run also extends between an intake end and a discharge end. The upper, food-product carrying run furthermore has a first pleat below the transit plane proximate the intake end and a second spaced-away pleat below the transit plane proximate the discharge end. These spaced-away pleats partitioning the upper, food-product carrying run into an intake-end span and a discharge-end span cooperatively flanking a mid-span. Wherein the transfer conveyor additionally includes one scale servicing the intake-end span of the upper, food-product carrying run and another scale servicing the discharge-end span.
Claims
1. Flow-rate measurement apparatus for food process lines, comprising: at least one transfer conveyor comprising an endless conveyor belt having an upper, food-product carrying run and a lower, return run; wherein the upper, food-product carrying run defines a transit plane; the upper, food-product carrying run extends between an intake end and a discharge end; and the upper, food-product carrying run has a first pleat below the transit plane proximate the intake end and a second spaced-away pleat below the transit plane proximate the discharge end; said spaced-away pleats partitioning the upper, food-product carrying run into an intake-end span and a discharge-end span cooperatively flanking a mid-span; at least one food process line machine disposed relative the at least one transfer conveyor to discharge food product onto the intake end of the belt of the transfer conveyor; at least one other food process line machine disposed relative to the at least one transfer conveyor to receive food product from the discharge end of the belt of the transfer conveyor; wherein the at least one transfer conveyor further comprises one scale servicing the intake-end span and another scale servicing the discharge-end span.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0031] There are shown in the drawings certain exemplary embodiments of the invention as presently preferred. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed as examples, and is capable of variation within the scope of the skills of a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. In the drawings,
[0032] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of mechanized food-process line equipment arranged in such a working food process line and furnished with production flow-rate measurement options in accordance with the invention;
[0033] FIG. 2 is an enlarged scale perspective view of detail II-II in FIG. 1;
[0034] FIG. 3 is an enlarged scale perspective view of not only detail III-III in FIG. 1 but also detail III-III in FIG. 2 showing a first embodiment of a weighing transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention provisioned with scales at each nose end;
[0035] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of FIG. 3, again showing the first embodiment of a weighing transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention, and as provisioned with scales at each nose end;
[0036] FIG. 5 is a side elevational view comparable to FIG. 4 except showing an alternate embodiment of a weighing transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention;
[0037] FIG. 6 is top plan block diagram view of a given food process line in accordance with the invention and showing a weighing transfer conveyor as exemplified by FIG. 3 indicated in the diagram as a block identified as PRODUCT WEIGHT;
[0038] FIG. 7 is a top plan block diagram view comparable to FIG. 6 except showing a different assemblage of machines composing this FIG. 7 food process line;
[0039] FIG. 8 is a top plan block diagram view comparable to FIGS. 6 and 7 except showing still another different assemblage of machines composing this FIG. 8 food process line;
[0040] FIG. 9 is a top plan block diagram view comparable to FIGS. 6-8 except showing yet another different assemblage of machines composing this FIG. 9 food process line;
[0041] FIG. 10 is an elevational representation of a refrigerated storage locker in accordance with the prior art, situated inside a food processing factory (not shown) also in which resides a food process line in accordance with the invention, including any of the four non-limiting examples shown by FIGS. 6-9;
[0042] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an exemplary series of processes and operations that move batch-stored food product in the mass storage containers shown in FIG. 10 onto a loading zone of a food process line in accordance with the invention, including any of the four non-limiting examples shown by FIGS. 6-9;
[0043] FIG. 12 is a perspective view functionally representing detail XII/XIII-XII/XIII in FIG. 11, showing one version of operations where a food product loader in accordance with the prior art is loading food product (which food product is not in view) onto a landing conveyor in accordance the prior art, which landing conveyor affords implementation of some form of product spreading technology whether it be manual or otherwise, and which landing conveyor discharges to a weighing transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention;
[0044] FIG. 13 is a side elevational view comparable to FIG. 4 and providing an alternate functional representation of detail XII/XIII-XII/XIII in FIG. 11, showing another version of operations where the loading of raw food product is directly onto a weighing transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention, it likewise having a mid-span which affords implementation of some form of product spreading technology whether it be manual or otherwise;
[0045] FIG. 14 is a schematic side elevation view of a further embodiment of a weighing transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention, shown in an expanded position;
[0046] FIG. 15 is a schematic side elevation view comparable to FIG. 14 except showing the further embodiment of a weighing transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention in a contracted position;
[0047] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of this further embodiment of a weighing transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention, showing that it further allows pivoting about a vertical axis in addition to being reversibly expanding-contracting;
[0048] FIG. 17 is a top plan view, partly in section, taken in the direction of arrows XVII-XVII in FIG. 16; and
[0049] FIG. 18 is a perspective view comparable to FIG. 16 except showing the transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention situated between two machines which do not pivot and showing the transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention pivoted obliquely away from the main axis of the food process line.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0050] FIGS. 1 through 4 show a first embodiment of mechanized food-process line equipment arranged in a working food process line and furnished with production flow-rate measurement options in accordance with the invention. FIG. 5 is comparable to FIG. 4 except showing an alternate embodiment of a production flow-rate measurement option in accordance with the invention.
[0051] To turn to FIG. 1, it shows a series of food process line machines configured in a non-limiting example of a working food process line.
[0052] In series, from right to left, the machines comprise: [0053] a food-product load station; [0054] a food-product spreading station; [0055] a weighing transfer conveyor; [0056] a pre-dust coating machine; [0057] a weighing transfer conveyor; [0058] a batter station; [0059] a weighing transfer conveyor; [0060] a seasoning-applying coating machine; [0061] a weighing transfer conveyor; [0062] a Panko-crumb coating machine; [0063] a weighing transfer conveyor; [0064] a fryer;
and so on. The fryer might be set/limited to fry for a 20-30 second dwell time, which corresponds to a par-fry.
[0065] FIGS. 6-9 provide several non-limiting examples of food process line configurations in accordance with the invention and show a like the series of stations/machines as outlined above.
[0066] It is an object of the invention to provide the supervisory attendant (superintendent) of weight-flow (mass-flow) of product across any weighing transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention for real-time feedback of weight-flow values.
[0067] FIG. 4 shows a weighing transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention. The weighing transfer conveyor has scales at both the intake end (eg., to the right in the view) and outflow end (to the left in the view). For example, the intake scale might indicate that past one or another coating machine, there was a 5% pick-up of coating material. However, the outflow scale might indicate that some coating material shook off across the transit of the weighing transfer conveyor, showing that there was only a 4.8% pick-up of coating material remaining.
[0068] Preferably, several such weighing transfer conveyors are used to space the various process machines apart.
[0069] FIG. 5 is a side view comparable to FIG. 4 except showing an option with flip or agitation sections so this could possibly remove some coating material and then, when the proper weight pick-up is reached as specified in the production instruction, the food product conveyance is returned to a flat transit mode.
[0070] Hence the weighing conveyor not only provides weight-flowrate measurements at both the intake and outflow nose end, the weighing conveyor might be equipped with various provisions to increase or decrease the pick-up percent.
[0071] The following techniques can be employed to adjust the pick-up percent. For dry particulate coatings, techniques which would increase pick-up percent include: [0072] add more breading material into the coating machine; [0073] add finer breading material into the coating machine; [0074] use a compression roller at the outflow; [0075] increase the pressure of the compression roller; [0076] turn down the flowrate of air knives at the outflow; [0077] add moisture to the food product at the inflow; [0078] reduce/eliminate shaking/thumping/agitation of the outflow; and so on.
[0079] For dry particulate coatings, techniques which would decrease pick-up percent include: [0080] eliminate addition of moisture to the food product at the inflow; [0081] decrease the pressure of the compression roller; [0082] increase shaking/thumping/agitation of the outflow to knock-off excess; [0083] increase the blast from the air knifes to blow-off excess; and so on.
[0084] For batter, a further technique for adjusting increase or decrease of pick-up percent includes thickening or thinning the batter. The batter is readily made thicker by adding more powder. In the other direction, the batter is readily made thinner by adding more water.
[0085] FIG. 11 shows an exemplary series of processes and operations that move batch-stored food product in the vats shown in FIG. 10 onto a loading zone of a food process line. Ice is preferably scooped/shoveled off the surface of the slurry in the vats. The meltwater is left behind with the chicken tenders. The vat is poured/emptied likely into a holding tank of some sorts at the start. The contents of the holding tank are pumped into a marinade tumbler. The meltwater is put to good use to dissolve the powdered marinade. The outflow of the marinade tank is pumped/poured onto a landing conveyor of some sort. The conveyor will be of an open construction like a chain link belt, or drag link belt and so on. The excess water at this point is allowed to flow through the belt and into an underlying drain. Food product has hence landed onto the initial inflow end of the food process line.
[0086] FIG. 12 shows one version of what can functionally transpire in detail XII/XIII-XII/XIII in FIG. 11. A food product loader in accordance with the prior art is loading food product (which food product is not visible in the view) onto a landing conveyor also in accordance the prior art. The landing conveyor affords a longitudinal run of conveyor transit which allows some implementation of some form of product spreading technology. This can be manual. Typically two to three workers would stand on each side of the conveyor and more product apart so that single pieces are not touching each other. There are other options to accomplish this which are not manual.
[0087] Here in FIG. 12, the landing conveyor discharges to a weighing transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention, and the weight-flowrate measured here is the inflow flowrate of raw chicken tenders. The flowrate can be adjusted practically immediately at start-up to the max flowrate of the bottleneck of the food process line. This was mentioned above to be nearly always the maximum throughput flowrate through the fryer.
[0088] FIG. 13 shows an alternate option to FIG. 12. FIG. 13 is a side elevational view comparable to FIG. 4 and providing an alternate functional representation of detail XII/XIII-XII/XIII in FIG. 11.
[0089] Here in FIG. 13, the loading of raw food product is poured/pumped directly onto a weighing transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention. Wherein the weighing transfer conveyor likewise has a mid-span which affords implementation of some form of product spreading technology, whether it be manual or otherwise.
[0090] For weighing conveyors situated before or after coating apparatus, the mid-span can accommodate the mounting of some technology like thumpers/shakers/agitators for knocking off excess, or knives for blowing off excess, or else compression rollers for driving in the particulate to increase retention, misters to moisten the product and so on.
[0091] FIGS. 14 and 15 are schematic side elevation views of a further embodiment of a weighing transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention. FIG. 14 shows it in an expanded position. FIG. 15 shows this further embodiment of a weighing transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention in a contracted position.
[0092] FIG. 16 shows that this further embodiment of a weighing transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention, showing that it further allows pivoting about a vertical axis in addition to being reversibly expanding-contracting.
[0093] FIG. 17 is a top plan view, partly in section, taken in the direction of arrows XVII-XVII in FIG. 16, showing aspect of the pivot hardware/turntable.
[0094] FIG. 18 is a perspective view comparable to FIG. 16 except showing the transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention situated between two machines which do not pivot and showing the transfer conveyor in accordance with the invention pivoted obliquely away from the main axis of the food process line.
[0095] The role for pivoting is not during production run time, but during down time. The advantages of pivoting enable cleaning and/or maintenance operations without breaking apart the food process line as a whole.
[0096] The invention having been disclosed in connection with the foregoing variations and examples, additional variations will now be apparent to persons skilled in the art. The invention is not intended to be limited to the variations specifically mentioned, and accordingly reference should be made to the appended claims rather than the foregoing discussion of preferred examples, to assess the scope of the invention in which exclusive rights are claimed.
