Kraft Foods, Inc.

Oscar Mayer Foods Corporation

Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc.

David F Kuethe

Vernon Donald Karman

Norman C Abler

William J Mezera

Methods for controlling contamination of a food product are provided which utilize a combined treatment comprising thermal surface treatment and introduction of an antimicrobial solution to a food package prior to vacuum sealing the package.

Method for controlling microbial contamination of a vacuum-sealed food product

A wrap-around band is provided for ganging together a plurality of individually complete packages. The resulting combination is a unitary product for purchase as a single item. The individually complete packages around which the band wraps have a protruding compartment within which the saleable goods are packaged. Each protruding compartment is not covered by the wrap-around band and is thus fully visible to the potential purchaser prior to purchase. At least two of the individually complete packages can have profiles which are different from each other and still be accommodated by the wrap-around band.

Multiple package ganging band and blank therefor

An improved method is disclosed for the fusing, joining or seaming of cellulosic materials. The method utilizes a hydroxide solution of selected organometallic compounds or metal oxides to rapidly crosslink opposing, overlapping cellulosic surfaces to provide secure seams. In particular, the invention is directed to the production, either on-line or off-line, of tubular cellulosic casings for the manufacture of sausages and sausage-like products. The seams according to this invention have such high shear strength that extremely narrow bond widths are possible. The narrowness of the bond site eliminates or minimizes striping or discoloration of the finished product.

Cellulosic casings which are organometallic solvent seamed

Seamed cellulosic materials using organometallic solvents

A food product packaging apparatus for a conveyor environment, and having a vacuum chamber operatively associated with the conveyor, which vacuum chamber is selectively moved into and out of a position in sealing engagement relative to the conveyor. A manifold, a vacuum source and conduit structure are included, the conduit structure connecting the manifold structure to the vacuum source and the vacuum chamber so that the vacuum source is selectively operable to draw a vacuum in the vacuum chamber through the manifold structure. A shuttle includes frame structure and drive structure for the frame structure so that the frame structure is movable in the direction of conveyor movement and, after a predetermined increment of movement, the frame structure shuttles opposite the direction of conveyor movement to a position to repeat movement in the direction of conveyor movement for a subsequent movement for the predetermined increment. The manifold structure is connected to, and movable with, the shuttle frame structure.

Heat seal vacuum system

An auto-tamping funnel system for tamping a product in a container includes a downwardly converging funnel having a bottom outlet disposed adjacent an open top of the tray and a side recess or cutout near the bottom outlet. A door is sized to fit closely in the bottom outlet and in the side recess and a mounting mechanism mounts the door for movement such as rotation between a tamping position where the bottom outlet is closed by the door and a receiving position where the side recess is substantially closed by the door and the bottom outlet is unobstructed. A moving mechanism moves the door between the tamping and the receiving positions. Preferably, the mounting mechanism includes a pivot axis for the door which is adjacent the bottom outlet and the bottom outlet and the recess of the funnel are rectangularly shaped. A pressure distributing mechanism also provides a maximum tamping pressure against the product, when the door is in the tamping position, at a location which is spaced from the pivot axis. Advantageously, a second funnel with an associated second door, a second mounting mechanism and a second moving mechanism is located adjacent the first-mentioned funnel.

Auto-tamping funnel system

A continuous and automatic system and method for packing a container with a utensil applied thereto in a carton forms a finished package. Initially, the containers travel along an infeed conveyor and are transferred by a transferring device to flighted belt. The transferring device includes a first sensor for sensing the presence of a backlog of the containers at the transferring device and for enabling the transferring device when the backlog is sensed. After being placed on the flighted belt, the containers have a respective wrapped utensil applied thereto. The applying device includes a second sensor which senses a presence of each successive container. A feedback device is also used for matching a selected line speed of the containers on the flighted belt with a transferring speed of the transferring device. Finally, each container with the utensil applied thereto is placed in a carton by a suitable cartoning device. The cartoning device also closes the carton about the container to form the finished package.

Growing community of inventors

Madison, WI, United States of America

David F Kuethe