APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STACKING FOOD PORTIONS, IN PARTICULAR PATTIES

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for stacking portions made of food mass, in particular patties, comprising a feeder conveyor belt for feeding the portions in a conveying direction and for dispensing the portions at one end of the feeder conveyor belt, a vertical conveyor arranged downstream from the feeder conveyor belt, for conveying the portions in a substantially vertical direction and having at least one substantially vertically movable platform for receiving portions downstream from the feeder conveyor belt. The vertical conveyor is so designed that at least one portion and in particular a plurality of stacked portions can be dispensed from the platform for further transport. The feeder conveyor belt is also mounted and drivable in such a way that the end of the conveyor belt facing the vertical conveyor can be moved vertically up or down in a continuous or intermittent manner while the portions are being conveyed.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. An apparatus for stacking portions of food mass, the apparatus comprising a feeder conveyor belt configured to feed the portions in a conveying direction and configured to dispense the portions at an end of the feeder conveyor belt; and a vertical conveyor arranged downstream from the feeder conveyor belt, the vertical conveyor configured to convey the portions in a substantially vertical direction, and the vertical conveyor having a platform that is moveable in the substantially vertical direction for receiving the portions downstream from the feeder conveyor belt, wherein the vertical conveyor is configured such that designed that a stack including the portions can be dispensed from the platform for further transport, and the feeder conveyor belt is mounted and drivable such that the end of the feeder conveyor belt facing the vertical conveyor can be moved vertically up or down in a continuous or intermittent manner while the portions are being conveyed.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising: a controller configured to synchronously drive the feeder conveyor belt, the vertical conveyor, and the end of the feeder conveyor belt.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the feeder conveyor belt, the vertical conveyor, and the end of the feeder conveyor belt are synchronously driven by the controller in a continuous or substantially continuous movement.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising: a first drive means coupled to the feeder conveyor belt; a second drive means coupled to the vertical conveyor; a third drive means configured to move the end of the feeder conveyor belt; and a fourth drive means coupled to the vertical conveyor, wherein the controller is configured to control the first drive means, the second drive means, the third drive means, and the fourth drive means in a coordinated manner.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising: a fifth drive means coupled to the feeder conveyor belt, wherein the controller is configured to control the fifth drive means in the coordinated manner.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising: an outfeed conveyor belt arranged adjacent the vertical conveyor, the outfeed conveyor belt configured to receive the portions from the vertical conveyor, wherein that the platform of the vertical conveyor is arranged relative to the outfeed conveyor belt such that the portions can be dispensed directly from the platform onto the outfeed conveyor belt.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the platform has a first platform section and a second platform section between which a gap is formed at least temporarily, and the outfeed conveyor belt has a conveyor belt section that is dimensioned to be arranged at least partially inside the gap for receiving portions from the vertical conveyor.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising: a circulating drive member coupled to the first platform section and the second platform section, wherein the circulating drive member is configured to synchronously drive the first platform section and the second platform section to form the platform and to transport the portions vertically downwards for transfer to the outfeed conveyor belt.

24. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the feeder conveyor belt is configured to feed a substrate such that that the substrate can be arranged underneath each portion lying on the feeder conveyor belt.

25. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the feeder conveyor belt has a central conveyor belt section and a pair of conveyor belt sections arranged lateral to the central conveyor belt section, and the pair of conveyor belt sections are arranged parallel to each other and can be driven synchronously in the conveying direction.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the central conveyor belt section is longer than the pair of conveyor belt sections, the central conveyor belt section protrudes into a gap in the platform, and wherein in operation, when the platform is moving downwards, the stack including the portions is initially placed on the central conveyor belt section and is then subsequently conveyed additionally in the conveying direction by the pair of conveyor belt sections.

27. A method for stacking portions of food mass, the method comprising: feeding the portions in a conveying direction by means of a feeder conveyor belt; dispensing the portions at an end of the feeder conveyor belt of a vertical conveyor; and serially placing a plurality of portions from the feeder conveyor belt onto a platform of the vertical conveyor that is movable in a substantially vertical direction, wherein the feeder conveyor belt is mounted and driven in such a way that, during conveying, the end of the feeder conveyor belt is moved vertically downwards while portions are placed successively on the platform of the vertical conveyor to form a stack.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the feeder conveyor belt, the vertical conveyor, and the end of the feeder conveyor belt are synchronously driven by a controller.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the feeder conveyor belt, the vertical conveyor, and the end of the feeder conveyor belt are synchronously driven by the controller in a continuous or substantially continuous movement.

30. The method of claim 27 further comprising: dispensing the portions from the vertical conveyor onto an outfeed conveyor belt, wherein the platform of the vertical conveyor is arranged relative to the outfeed conveyor belt such that the stack including the portions is dispensed directly from the platform onto the outfeed conveyor belt.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein, while the portions are being conveyed in the conveying direction of the feeder conveyor belt, the end of the feeder conveyor belt follows the vertical conveyor vertically downwards in its vertically downward movement, in one phase, to form the stack including the portions, and in another phase the end of the feeder conveyor belt is then moved upwards in an opposite direction to the downward movement of the vertical conveyor and is then moved further downwards, in yet another phase, to form a successive stack of the portions.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the platform has at least two separate platform sections between which a gap is formed at least temporarily, the outfeed conveyor belt has a central conveyor belt section that is dimensioned to be arranged at least partially inside the gap so as to be able to receive the portions from the vertical conveyor, the stack including the portions is placed directly from the platform onto at least one conveyor belt section of the outfeed belt, and the stack is subsequently conveyed further by the feeder conveyor belt in an outfeed conveying direction.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the stack is initially placed on the central conveyor belt section and is then conveyed additionally and further by a pair of conveyor belt sections in the outfeed conveying direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The invention shall now be described with reference to embodiments of the apparatus and the method, and with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the infeed side of an apparatus and method for stacking portions.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the outfeed side of the apparatus and the method.

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a lateral cross-sectional view of the apparatus.

[0029] FIG. 4 shows a lateral view of the apparatus in different operating states of the feeder conveyor belt.

[0030] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

[0031] FIG. 6 shows a top view of the apparatus.

[0032] FIG. 7 shows a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6.

[0033] FIG. 8 shows an end view of the vertical conveyor and of the outfeed conveyor belt as seen from the end, outfeed side.

[0034] FIG. 9 shows a controller and schematically a plurality of drive means for different components of the apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Apparatus 1, and the method which can be carried out therewith for stacking S portions P made of food mass, in particular patties, are described as follows.

[0036] As illustrated by FIGS. 1-8, apparatus 1 has a feeder conveyor belt 2 for feeding portions P in a conveying direction 7 and for dispensing portions P at one end of feeder conveyor belt 2, and a vertical conveyor 4 arranged downstream from feeder conveyor belt 2, for conveying the portions in a substantially vertical direction, and an outfeed conveyor belt 10 arranged adjacent vertical conveyor 4, onto which portions P can be dispensed from vertical conveyor 4.

[0037] The main components of apparatus 1 are mounted on a typical machine frame, not shown here in more detail, or on several such frames. In a variant of an embodiment known per se from the prior art, feeder conveyor belt 2 is part of a paper interleaver, and is mounted on the machine frame thereof, for example of the PI355 paper interleaver made by Vemag Maschinenbau GmbH. In an alternative embodiment, feeder conveyor belt 2 is mounted on the same machine frame on which vertical conveyor 4 is also mounted.

[0038] Feeder conveyor belt 2 is a circulating belt of the kind known per se from the prior art and according to the invention is mounted and drivable in such a way that the end 3 of conveyor belt 2 facing vertical conveyor 4 can be moved vertically up or down in a continuous or intermittent manner while portions P are being conveyed. To achieve that purpose, conveyor belt 2 is pivotably mounted to a rotary joint 9 in such a way, as shown schematically in FIG. 4, that end 3 is moved or is movable up or down into different positions, as illustrated by FIGS. 4 and 5 in particular. To achieve that purpose, a drive means 32, which can be controlled by means of a controller 8see FIG. 9 and the description below, is provided for moving the end 3 of feeder conveyor belt 2 and which produces the pivoting movement for moving end 3 substantially vertically. Drive means 32 can be a servomotor which is coupled by means of a gear transmission to conveyor belt 2, or alternatively it can also be a pneumatic cylinder.

[0039] In this embodiment, feeder conveyor belt 2 is preferably provided as a paper interleaver, in the form of the PI355 machine made by VEMAG Maschinenbau GmbH, with a device for feeding paper, and is designed in such a way that a piece of paper, a film or some other substrate 5 or even a container for receiving portions P can be arranged under a portion P lying on feeder conveyor belt 2.

[0040] As FIGS. 2 to 7 well illustrate, vertical conveyor 4 has a plurality of platforms 6 designed to receive, downstream from feeder conveyor belt 2, a plurality of portions P forming a stack S. The platforms 6 of the vertical conveyor, that in normal downward operation receive a stack S, and outfeed conveyor belt 10 are arranged relative to each other on the outfeed side in such a way that portions P can be dispensed directly from platform 6 onto outfeed conveyor belt 10.

[0041] Referring now also to FIG. 9, feeder conveyor belt 2 and vertical conveyor 4 are driven in operation by at least controller 8 in such a way that conveyor belt 2 for conveying in conveying direction 7 and vertical conveyor 4 and the end of the feeder conveyor belt 2 are driven in synchrony, particularly preferably in a continuous or substantially continuous movement.

[0042] As FIGS. 1 to 8 show, the platform 6 for receiving portions is effectively formed by at least two separate cooperating platform sections 12, 14. In the embodiment shown, a total of six pairs of platform sections 12,14 cooperate. The number can vary and depends on the number of portions P that form a stack S. Platform sections 12, 14 are spaced equidistantly apart on a circulating drive member 22, 24, which is provided in the form of a belt, a strap, a chain or the like. Circulating drive members 22, 24 and hence also platform sections 12, 14 can be driven synchronously by means of a drive means 34 (see FIG. 9), in order to form, for each stack S, a platform 6 for receiving portions and for conveying the portions and stack S vertically downwards for transfer to outfeed conveyor belt 10.

[0043] As illustrated by FIGS. 1, 2 and FIGS. 6 and 8, in particular, a gap 16 is formed at least temporarily between platform sections 12, 14 that is dimensioned in relation to the dimensions of portions P such that the latter and stack S being formed do not fall through gap 16, but are supported by the platform 6 that is formed.

[0044] As illustrated by FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 8 in particular, outfeed conveyor belt 10 is provided with a conveyor belt section 18 which is dimensioned such that it is arranged at least partially inside gap 16 so as to be able to receive portions P and in particular a formed stack S from vertical conveyor 4. This happens when stack S has been moved so far vertically downwards by vertical conveyor 4 that the underside of the lower portion P of stack S comes into contact with the upper side of conveyor belt section 18 and that the latter bears the load of stack S, while the two platform sections 12, 14 are moved vertically further downwards and are no longer needed to support stack S and are then circulated further with the aid of circulating drive members 22, 24 until they jointly form a new platform 6 at the top by being arranged opposite one another. In the embodiment of apparatus 1, outfeed conveyor belt 10 has a central conveyor belt section 12 and two conveyor belt sections 20, 21 arranged laterally thereto, which are arranged parallel to each other and can be driven synchronously in a conveying direction 26 so as to be able to convey stack S further in conveying direction 26.

[0045] As FIGS. 1 to 8 show, the central conveyor belt section 18 is longer than the conveyor belt sections 20, 21 arranged lateral thereto, such that the central conveyor belt section 18 protrudes into the gap 16 between platform sections 12, 14 of platform 6. In operation, when platform 6 is moving downwards, a stack S comprising a plurality of portions P is initially placed on the central conveyor belt section 18 and can then be subsequently conveyed additionally in the conveying direction 26 by the laterally arranged conveyor belt sections 20, 21.

[0046] The standard electronic machine controller 8 shown schematically in FIG. 9 is configured with memories, processors and interfaces for operating and for signal transmission in such a way that a drive means 30 for the feeder conveyor belt, a drive means 32 of vertical conveyor 4, a further drive means 34 for moving the end 3 of feeder conveyor belt 2, and a drive means 34 of vertical conveyor 4 and drive means 36 of outfeed conveyor belt 10, can be controlled in a coordinated manner. The lines shown in FIG. 9 for the components symbolize respective lines for transmitting signals, in particular control signals, that are preferably emitted by controller 8. Signals, for example signals representing the position of a drive means, can also be transmitted in the opposite direction to controller 8.

[0047] As can be seen well in FIGS. 1, 3, 6 and 8, a product stop member 38 is arranged in the region of the vertical conveyor in such a way that portions P dispensed from feeder conveyor belt 2 onto a platform 6 for the stack S to be formed can come to rest there at stop member 3 on a platform 6. Product stop member 38 has the advantageous effect that the movement of the dispensed portions P in the conveying direction 7 of feeder conveyor belt 2 is interrupted, in other words that the ejected portion P is positioned reliably on the platform or on top of the stack. Product stop member 38 is preferably arranged on a frame section of the vertical conveyor and is preferably in a fixed position. Product stop member 38 is preferably adapted to the shape of the portions; as can be seen particularly well in FIG. 6, the surface of product stop member 38 facing the portions may be concave in shape, for example, and may also have a partly semicircular shape so as to be adapted to a substantially round shape of a patty. However, the stop member can also take other forms. Product stop member 38 is preferably also mounted adjustably, i.e., in different vertical positions, or also in different positions in the horizontal direction, on a frame section of the vertical conveyor. The material that product stop member 38 is made of may be elastically deformable or soft, in order to perform a certain damping function in that respect, or to slow the movement of the portions against the product stop member a little more gently. Product stop member 38 may preferably also be designed as an interchangeable part.

[0048] Further details of apparatus 1 and the method shall now be described.

[0049] When using the apparatus and carrying out the method, care is taken to ensure that feeder conveyor belt 2 is mounted and driven in such a way that, during conveying, the end 3 of conveyor belt 2 is moved vertically downwards while portions P are placed successively on a platform 6 of vertical conveyor 4 to form a stack S. Feeder conveyor belt 2 and vertical conveyor 4 are driven by means of controller 8 in such a way that the conveyor belt 2 for conveying in conveying direction 7 and vertical conveyor 4 and end of feeder conveyor belt 2 are driven in synchrony, particularly preferably in a continuous or substantially continuous movement. Platform 6 of the vertical conveyor for receiving a stack S, which is temporarily formed by cooperating platform sections 12, 14, and outfeed conveyor belt 10 are arranged in such a way, and drive means 30, 32, 34, 36 are controlled in such a way, that a stack S of portions P is successively dispensed directly from platform 6 onto outfeed conveyor belt 10, thus forming a plurality of stacks S.

[0050] In operation, what is achieved with the aid of controller 8 is that, while portions P are being conveyed in the conveying direction 7 of feeder conveyor belt 2, the end 3 of feeder conveyor belt 3 follows vertical conveyor 4 vertically downwards in its vertically downward movement, to form a stack S on a platform 6, and in another phase is then moved upwards in the opposite direction to the downward movement of vertical conveyor 4, and is then moved further downwards, in yet another phase, to form a successive stack S in the manner described above. A formed stack S of portions P is dispensed directly from the platform onto conveyor belt section 18 of outfeed belt 10, and stack S thus dispensed is then conveyed further by outfeed conveyor belt 10 in outfeed conveying direction 26, also with the aid of further conveyor belt sections 20, 21.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0051] 1 Apparatus [0052] 2 Feeder conveyor belt [0053] P Portions [0054] S Stack [0055] 3 End of the feeder conveyor belt [0056] 4 Vertical conveyor [0057] 5 Substrate [0058] 6 Platform [0059] 7 Conveying direction of the feeder conveyor belt [0060] 8 Controller [0061] 9 Rotary joint [0062] 10 Outfeed conveyor belt [0063] 12 Platform section [0064] 14 Platform section [0065] 16 Gap [0066] 18 Central conveyor belt section [0067] 20 Lateral conveyor belt section [0068] 21 Lateral conveyor belt section [0069] 22 Drive member of the vertical conveyor [0070] 24 Drive member of the vertical conveyor [0071] 26 Conveying direction of the outfeed conveyor belt [0072] 30 Drive means for the feeder conveyor belt [0073] 32 Drive means for moving the end of the feeder conveyor belt [0074] 34 Drive means for the vertical conveyor [0075] 36 Drive means for the outfeed conveyor belt [0076] 38 Product stop member