Oscar Mayer Foods Corporation

Kraft Foods, Inc.

John A Jonovic

Timothy G Mally

Gary A Handel

Alvin Borsuk

Cindie M Wells

James A Rattmann

Larry E Daane

Scott A Halverson

Kenneth M Detert

Bruce W Stengel

Richard H Reese

Otto L Krueger

Matthew D Wilfong

An apparatus and method are providing for shredding and loading pre-portioned quantities of products, typically food products such as cheeses. The food product or the like is shredded at an on-line location which is a component of a filling and sealing line by which a plurality of pockets of packaging components are filled and then sealed under vacuum or gas-flushed conditions. The resulting pre-portioned shredded or grated product is moved into one of the pockets of the packaging component prior to the sealing operation. This movement is coordinated and in timed sequence with a conveyor assembly which properly positions the pocket under the fixture through which the grated product flows. Tamping equipment can be provided by which the grated product is leveled off while it is within the pocket and prior to sealing. Multiple pocket filling is also addressed.

On-line shredder and loader

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

A new and improved hot oven countertop display station is provided in a hot oven countertop display unit having a reclosable front door panel opening and an integral upper sign and menu board structure. A dispenser display rack is provided in the oven compartment for supporting flanged food packages in gravity feed arrays of columns and rows terminating at the front door opening. The rack has been designed to reduce or eliminate the presence of any heated rack surfaces at the front opening of the oven. An optional refrigerated condiment dispensing display may be located adjacent the hot oven display to complete the self-service food station. The hot oven countertop food station provides a clean and safe arrangement for displaying and storing pre-cooked preheated ready-to-eat foods for extended periods of up to four hours until purchased by the self-service customer.

Hot countertop self-service food station

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 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.

A new and improved hot oven countertop display station is provided in a hot oven countertop display unit having a reclosable front door panel opening and an integral upper sign and menu board structure. A dispenser display rack is provided in the oven compartment for supporting flanged food packages in gravity feed arrays of columns and rows terminating at the front door opening. The rack has been designed to reduce or eliminate the presence of any heated rack surfaces at the front opening of the oven. An optional refrigerated condiment dispensing display may be located adjacent the hot oven display to complete the self-service food station. The hot oven countertop food station provides a clean and safe arrangement for displaying and storing pre-cooked pre-heated ready-to-eat foods for extended periods of up to four hours until purchased by the self-service customer.

Apparatus for applying adhesive to a seal area of an article, particularly a package component, or simultaneously to a seal area of each of a plurality of package components. The apparatus may consist of a single unit or a gang of units. Each unit incorporates a receptacle for holding a body of adhesive which may be heated and which may be connected to a source of supply. An adhesive pick-up and applicator element has a lip which has a surface for picking up adhesive when it is raised out of a body of adhesive in which it has been immersed. The adhesive pick-up and applicator element can be in the form of a sleeve or cylinder with the rim serving as the adhesive pick-up lip. An actuator is connected with each adhesive pick-up and applicator element so as to reciprocate it between a lowered position in which the lip is immersed in adhesive and a raised position in which the lip engages and applies or deposits adhesive on the seal area of a package component or other article.

Adhesive applicator

A line is provided for assembling a product including proteinaceous patties having a filling therebetween. All components of the line are mechanically synchronized to maintain a consistent pitch throughout the assembling procedure. Included is a patty forming means that deposits proteinaceous patties such as ground meat patties onto a moving conveyor assembly to thereby define the desired pitch. Edible filling materials such as sauces, condiments and/or cheeses are deposited onto this patty at the given pitch. Another patty is deposited thereover while the product being formed continues to flow on the generally straight-line conveyor assembly. Thereafter, a knitting station impresses projections or pins through the outer periphery of the upper patty and into the lower patty such that, after removal of the pins by the device, the patties are knitted together, and the filling is encapsulated therewithin.

Method for assembling stuffed proteinaceous patties

Line for assembling stuffed proteinaceous patties

A rotary volumetric piston dispenser is provided which receives material from a manifold assembly, portions that material while it traverses a path to a dispensing location, and dispenses the portioned material at the dispensing location. The rotary volumetric piston dispenser is suitable for timed communication with a movable belt or the like in order to deposit the portioned material according to a predetermined sequence. A camming assembly is also provided which is suitable for use within the rotary volumetric piston dispenser, the camming assembly including a cam track assembly having an adjustable camming pathway in order to vary the radial position of a radially movable element such as a piston while the element moves in a pattern that generally corresponds to the cam track assembly. The rotary volumetric piston dispenser is especially suitable for use in dispensing condiments, whether they be wet or dry, onto a moving surface, such as a plurality of proteinaceous patties spaced along a conveyor belt. One portion of the cam track assembly extends the radially moveable element outward beyond a cylinder of the dispenser to permit a cleaning fluid to be directed outwardly through the cylinder.

Growing community of inventors

Fitchburg, WI, United States of America

John A Jonovic