Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc.

Kraft Foods Global Brands LLC

Kraft Canada Inc.

Christian Laplace

Bruno Omann

Apparatus and methods for inserting food products into packages are disclosed, and in particular apparatus and methods for inserting generally thin or planar food products from a stack of such food products into a package. A stacker assembly includes a pusher mechanism for advancing a bottommost food product or products from the stack toward an opening or edge disposed above a package so that the food product or products can fall into the package.

Apparatus and methods for inserting food products into packages

A forming apparatus is provided for forming a film into a sleeve around a filling tube. The forming apparatus has contact surface geometry that is contacted by the film as it travels thereacross configured to ensure smooth forming of the film into the sleeve. Smooth forming of the film into the sleeve is achieved, in part, by reducing longitudinal tensile forces in the film, by selecting the contact surface geometry to minimize transverse variations in tensile forces in the film, and by having contact edges of the contact surfaces shaped to reduce unnecessary stresses in the film.

Apparatus and method for automated forming of sleeves for sliced products

A method and apparatus for stacking slices of food products such as wrapped cheese slices and the like at high speeds. The apparatus comprises a vacuum conveyor for supporting slices from above, and at least one transfer bridge for mechanically peeling the slices sequentially from the conveyor and directing them downward into one or more stacking locations. The transfer bridge preferably comprises a plurality of downwardly sloping surfaces disposed beside the belts. To assist the transfer bridge in separating the slices from the belts, and to control slice position after separation, fluid pressure is applied to the slices during and after separation from the belts.

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Dollard des Ormeaux, Canada

Christian Laplace