Solbern Inc.

John C Walz

Bernard C Eisenberg

Gilbert M Foulon, Jr

Exemplary embodiments are directed to a multi-stage rotary food product folder apparatus for forming a folded food product, generally including a drive system, a cam system and a platform system. The drive system includes at least one motor and a shaft. Rotation of at least one cam of the cam system can be driven by the shaft of the drive system. The platform assembly can be secured to a platform. The platform can be rotatably driven by the drive system. The cam system engages the platform assembly to fold the folded food product.

Multi-stage rotary food product folder

A container filling device is provided for filling a container with desired headspace. The container filling device includes a siphon and a funnel having a bottom region configured to engage a container. The siphon extends through an opening in the bottom region and a sidewall such that a first end of the siphon has a first elevation and a second end of the siphon has a lower elevation than the first elevation. The bottom region is provided with an opening for the outflow of liquid from the receiving area into the container. Excess liquid flowing into the container beyond a desired headspace escapes from the container through the siphon. A liquid filler system can be provided with a frame, a plumbing system, and an alignment system for engaging and disengaging the container filling device with the container.

Liquid filler system and container filling device

The apparatus of the present invention includes an indexing feeder for feeding the elongated food articles, a first slicing station and a second slicing station disposed along the indexing feeder for slicing the food articles into slabs, and a container conveyor system for delivering containers to receive the slabs. The articles are placed individually into winged troughs ('flights') carried by the indexing feeder and the feeder is advanced by two flight spacings in each slicing cycle. The second slicing station is displaced from the first slicing station by an odd number of flights. Each slicing station further includes an indexing turret with a number of self-centering chucks disposed around the periphery of the turret. The turret is rotated in such a way so as to allow a food article to be inserted into each chuck as the chuck rotates past the indexing feeder. Each slicing station also includes a slicing head, a slicing ram for thrusting the food article through the slicing head after the chuck is rotated into alignment with the slicing head at the slicing position. In addition, a splitter wedge extends from the slicing head of the first slicing station. Such splitter wedge is V-shaped at the end distal to the slicing head and tapering to a knife edge proximal to the slicing head at the center line of the slicing head, whereby slabs emerging from the first slicing station are separated into two portions as they are inserted into the container. The angle at which the container is held and the velocity of insertion are selected such that the slices come to rest lying against opposite sides of the container, exposing the cucumber 'meat' to consumer view. At the second slicing station, the slices remain together and are inserted between the two portions in order to fill the containers.

Method and apparatus for slicing elongated food articles into slabs and

Apparatus and method for diverting articles being moved by a conveyor in a line extending along a predetermined path to at least one additional conveyor moving along at least one additional path extending from a diverting station located adjacent to the first path. A different diverting signal corresponding to each additional path can be generated, causing a diverter to switch a given article to a selected additional path. The diverters includes a plurality of engaging devices supported in spaced relation and driven in a closed path that is adjacent to the conveyor at the diverting station. The engaging devices are programmed in response to corresponding diverting signals to divert specific articles on the conveyor by enabling assemblies at an enabling station located along the closed path ahead of the diverting station. The diverting signals may be generated as each article passes a sensing station located along the predetermined path ahead of the diverting station. The engaging devices are driven in synchronism with the conveyor so that each enabled engaging device arrives at the diverting station coincidentally with the arrival of the corresponding article.

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South Dennis, MA, United States of America

John C Walz