Hormel Foods Corporation

Oscar Mayer Foods Corporation

Gary A Handel

Jeffrey J Morrison

Timothy G Mally

John A Jonovic

James A Rattmann

Larry E Daane

Frank D Fryer

Dean F Schwarz

Nilang Patel

Steven J Bartley

Otto L Krueger

Larry G McManis, Jr

One aspect of the invention includes an automated method of removing a stockinette from meat having an end, sides, and a length. The stockinette enveloped meat is conveyed in a first direction as the stockinette is cut proximate the end of the meat with a first knife. The stockinette enveloped meat is then conveyed in a second direction as the stockinette is cut proximate the sides of the meat with a second knife and a third knife. The cuts made by the second knife and the third knife intersect with the cut made by the first knife. The cuts in the stockinette create a flap in the stockinette between the cuts. The flap is engaged and peeled away from the meat, and the meat is removed from the stockinette.

Apparatus for removing a stockinette

A tamale loading apparatus () includes a converging mechanism () and diverter wheels () to position tamales () on a belt (). The belt is run at a speed to fly the tamales () into a can () wherein the tamales are automatically loaded and it is no longer necessary to load the tamales () by hand into the cans ().

Method and apparatus for packaging tamales

A tamale loading apparatus ( ) includes a converging mechanism ( ) and diverter wheels ( ) to position tamales ( ) on a belt ( ). The belt is run at a speed to fly the tamales ( ) into a can ( ) wherein the tamales are automatically loaded and it is no longer necessary to load the tamales ( ) by hand into the cans ( ).

A bacon board dispenser (,) deposits predetermined quantities of sliced bacon in a shingled condition on bacon boards. The dispenser (,) includes a frame having a support side (,) and an operating side (,). The output conveyor (,), bacon board dispenser mechanism (,), and feeding mechanism (,) are cantilevered from the support side of the frame to provide for an open operating side for ease of bacon board loading, cleaning and maintenance. The dispenser (,) includes a multi-positioned bacon board magazine (,). The dispenser mechanism utilizes two sets of vacuum cups (,) to provide for an easy changeover between different size boards.

Bacon board dispenser

A two-direction reject and make-up conveyor system includes a supply conveyor system (,) and a first inspection conveyor (,) and a second inspection conveyor (,). The conveyors (,and,) are moveable in both a forward and reverse direction allowing items to be inspected to be rejected in both directions. The supply conveyor system (,) allows for the make-up of any rejected items onto the inspection conveyors (,and,).

Two-directional reject and make-up conveyor system

A bacon slicing system (,) includes a conveying system (,). The conveying system (,) is mounted for sliding between a first and second lateral position. The conveyor belt (,) of the conveying system (,) is rotatable in a longitudinal direction which is generally perpendicular to the lateral movement of the conveying system (,).

Bacon slicer system

The present invention relates generally to a system for pressing meat products. The system includes a press rack having platens that are movable between a loading position in which meat products can be loaded between the platens, and a pressing position in which the platens are adapted to press the meat products. A hydraulic locking and release mechanism is used to selectively retain the platens in the pressing position. The system also includes a floor mounted closing unit that provides the power for moving the press rack from the loading position to the pressing position.

Method for pressing meat products

Apparatus and method for pressing meat products

A food loaf shaping and texturizing rack is provided which transforms a generally cylindrical large food loaf, stick or chub into a shape which approximates that of a natural food product, such as whole muscle meat when sliced. The rack also includes a lattice network which forms irregularities in the surface of the finished product.

Food loaf shaping and texturizing rack

An apparatus and method for the automated and large scale preparation of layered stacks of one or more food items such as sandwich meats, hors d'oeuvre servings and the like ('set-ups'). The apparatus conveys a continuous web of paper through a plurality of slicer stations, each slicer station providing one or more slices of one or more food items to sequentially form set-ups of two or more stacked layers of horizontally spaced food slices. The apparatus is synchronized so that each sliced layer is conveyed to a subsequent slicer station before the next layer of food slices is deposited directly on top of that previous layer. The set-up is formed with two or more stacked layers of food slices before being conveyed to a cutter/wrapping station where the paper web is cut to separate the finished set-ups which are then wrapped by folding a portion of the cut paper over the finished set-up. The wrapper separates the set-ups when they are subsequently stacked and packaged and also allows for the sanitary handling of the set-ups when they are unpackaged and used to make sandwiches or the like. The apparatus can include a second paper supply device to interpose a second web of paper between two layers of food to thereby prevent the exchange of flavor and color components between the layers.

Automated line and method for preparing premade food set-ups

An apparatus and method are provided for processing batter materials, such as food batter, including sausage batter for wieners and the like, without incorporating the use of any casing for the batter. An elongated ribbon or flow of proteinaceous batter material is extruded or otherwise formed and treated to have a proteinaceous skin made by congealing surface batter materials with a treating arrangement. This flow is then severed into a plurality of blanks, followed by forming unfinished ends of the blanks into shaped links. The shaped links are then cooked and typically packaged as desired to provide a finished sausage product.

Casingless sausage line

An apparatus and a method for forming casingless food products such as casingless sausages and the like is provided. The apparatus includes a denaturing solution into which a flowable batter material is extruded in a generally cylindrical configuration. The denaturing solution includes ingredients which act on the batter to form a skin. In a first embodiment, the extrusion apparatus extrudes batter directly into the denaturing solution and the extrusion orifice is adjustable reclosable to form domed ends of the batter material during the extrusion of the material into the solution. In a second embodiment, a shaping and cutting apparatus is provided to receive a continuous ribbon of batter from the extrusion apparatus. The cutting and shaping device cuts the ribbon into links and simultaneously forms domed ends thereon. The formed links are removed from the solution and, after an optional washing step, can be further processed into a cooked and packaged product.

Apparatus and method for forming casingless sausages and the like

An apparatus and method are provided for injecting bacon bellies or the like with a brine solution or other treatment fluid. A parameter of the belly or the like to be injected is determined at a location upstream of the injection site. This parameter is used to vary the amount of brine or the like which is injected into the belly or the like. By this approach, the quantity of fluid injected is tailored to the particular belly being injected, which achieves an improvement in the extent that bellies being processed deviate from a target fluid pickup value.

System for injecting brine and the like into meat items

An apparatus and method are provided for combing bacon bellies or similar generally compressible items in order to transform a conveyed flow of those items into a stream of those items, each of which is suspended from a comb which impales the item. The thus combed items are then suitable for transport along track means to subject the item to treatment conditions such as transporting them into smoking and flavoring environments. The apparatus and method are particularly well suited for combing pork bellies and as a component of a commercial line in which pork bellies are processed into sliced and packaged bacon products.

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Austin, MN, United States of America

Gary A Handel