Meatball rolling machine

Abstract

A food product rolling machine which comprises a combination of lower, upper and reciprocating functions with a vertical adjustment between upper and lower conveyers for the manufacture of a more precise food product.

Claims

1. A product conveyer system which moves patties, meatballs, or other shaped meat products from a forming machine or other processing machine comprising: an upper conveyor that drives a belt longitudinally using a drive unit while said upper conveyor reciprocates laterally; a lower conveyor; a transverse drive which moves said upper conveyer at a right angle to direction of travel; said upper conveyor moving at a higher longitudinal speed than said lower conveyor; said upper conveyer forms said meat products into spherical shapes, wherein said upper conveyer is smaller laterally than said lower conveyer and said upper conveyer reciprocates laterally which force is dampened by a counter weight system, thereby imparting a multi-direction motion on said respective meat product which creates a spherical shape while dispersing said respective meat product laterally on said lower conveyer.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a hydraulic adjusting mechanism.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising said counter weight which minimizes vibration imparted by lateral motion.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein motions of said upper conveyor and said lower conveyer disburse said meat product laterally before going into a cooking, frying, baking, freezing or dehydration process.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said upper conveyer is smaller laterally than said lower conveyer and said upper conveyer reciprocates laterally which force is dampened by the counter weight system, by a mechanical, hydraulic, electrical or pneumatic power.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a vertical adjustment between said upper conveyor and said lower conveyer.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein lateral dispersion of product on said lower conveyer is caused by a multi-directional rolling action.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein lateral dispersion is controlled by conveyer settings.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said pulley or sprocket has an opening in center so a drive shaft moves laterally within said pulley or sprocket while imparting forward motion on said belt.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising two rollers to contact interior of said sprocket or pulley to drive unit to impart two directions of motion, longitudinally to said belt while accommodating lateral motion to said upper conveyer.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said lower conveyer is driven by a power source independent of other conveyer functions which controls longitudinal speed of belt on said lower conveyer.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising an apparatus which controls distance between said upper conveyor and said lower conveyer.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said upper conveyer has an independent power source which controls longitudinal speed.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said upper conveyer is laterally narrower than said lower conveyer.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said upper conveyer reciprocates laterally at a speed which is independently controlled from other functions of said conveyer.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said upper conveyer moves laterally while driving belt longitudinally by a system of pulleys, sprockets, rollers and a reciprocating shaft.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein between said upper conveyor and said lower conveyor, said respective meat product is rolled to a shape and weight and laterally dispersed on said lower conveyor.

18. A system for conveying various meat shapes comprising: a lower conveyer; an upper conveyor that drives a belt longitudinally while said upper conveyor reciprocates laterally; said lower conveyor holding product having various shapes deposited on said lower conveyor; said lower conveyor controlled by independent speed controls; said upper conveyor is independently controlled to move at a faster longitudinal speed than said lower conveyor, wherein said upper conveyor is smaller laterally than said lower conveyer and said upper conveyor reciprocates laterally which force is dampened by a counter weight system, thereby imparting a multi-direction motion on meat product which creates a spherical shape while dispersing said meat product laterally on said lower conveyer.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein distance between said upper conveyor and said lower conveyor is controlled by mechanical, hydraulically or electrical forces, while conveying product forward.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein said upper conveyer moves laterally at a speed controlled independently from other functions on said upper conveyor.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein lateral motion is controlled by the counter weight.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein said upper conveyor is driven by a drive system comprising pulleys or sprockets, with a roller causing lateral motion of a drive shaft while causing a belt to move forward.

23. A system for conveying meat product comprising: an upper conveyor having a first motor and a first drive that drives a belt longitudinally while said upper conveyor reciprocates laterally; a lower conveyer having an input end, an output end, a second motor, and drive; said first motor and said second motor adjusting said upper conveyer and said lower conveyer separately; a counterweight that minimizes vibration imparted by lateral motion; a vertical adjustment system; said upper conveyor moving at a higher longitudinal speed than said lower conveyer, wherein said upper conveyor is smaller laterally than said lower conveyer and said upper conveyor reciprocates laterally which force is dampened by the counter weight system.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein said upper conveyor comprises a drive system comprising rollers, a pulley or sprocket, and a belt.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein said lower conveyer system further comprises adjusting units.

26. The system of claim 23 further comprising reciprocating linkages.

27. The system of claim 23 further comprising a lateral motion drive.

28. The system of claim 23 further comprising a hydraulic adjustment.

29. The system of claim 23 further comprising a transverse motion cam and arm, a transverse motion motor, and a transverse motion counterweight.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a top view of the meatball conveyer of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a side view of the meatball conveyer of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is a side view of the pulley/sprocket system of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is a side view of the meatball conveyer of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 5 is a top view of the meatball conveyer of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows a top view of the meatball conveyer 10. The meatball conveyer has an input end 12 and an output end 14. FIG. 1 shows the upper conveyer 16 with an upper conveyer motor and drive 18. The lower conveyer motor and drive is found below the arrow 20 and is not viewable from this angle. The meatball conveyer 10 further comprises a transverse motion cam and arm 22 a transverse motion motor 24 and a transverse motion counterweight 26. The conveyer further comprises a hydraulic fine adjustment 28.

(7) FIG. 2 shows a side view of the meatball conveyer 10 having an upper conveyor drive 18, a lower conveyer drive 30, and counterweight 26. The conveyer 10 further comprises vertical adjustment system 32 and 34.

(8) FIG. 3 shows the upper conveyor drive system 18 comprising rollers 40, a pulley or sprocket 42, and a belt 44. FIG. 3 further shows lower conveyer precision adjusting units 46 and 48.

(9) FIG. 4 shows a side view of an upper conveyer 50, a lower conveyer 52, counter weight system 54 and lateral motion drive 56.

(10) FIG. 5 shows a top view of the conveyer system having upper conveyer 70, lower conveyer 72, counterweight 74 and reciprocating linkages 76 and 78.