Transfresh Corporation

Other

Kevin J Bolejack

Frederick Forgnone

Christopher McCoy

Richard F J Macleod

An apparatus is disclosed for sealing pallets of fresh produce inside plastic bags and furnishing the interiors of the sealed bags with a modified gaseous atmosphere. Conventional pallets loaded with cooled fresh produce are moved one at a time to an in-line squeeze station. The produce load of a pallet positioned at the squeeze station is squeezed between opposed vertical walls to suspend it above the pallet base as a downwardly movable floorplate descends to allow the deposition of a plastic sheet lining on the pallet. The floorplate is raised to its former level to bear the weight of the loaded pallet as the produce load is unsqueezed and the loaded pallet is moved by conveyor to a bagging station.

Apparatus for bagging product units

A method and apparatus are disclosed for sealing pallets of fresh product inside plastic bags and finishing the interiors of the sealed bags with a modified gaseous atmosphere. Conventional pallets loaded with cooled fresh produce are moved by an input conveyor automatically one at a time to an in-line squeeze station. A plastic bag at a convenient height is initially draped over an arm radiating from a novel bagger frame. A plurality of such arms extend from a rotatable hub so that bags can be moved into position above successive loaded pallets as they are needed. This apparatus permits the bagging of nearly twice as many pallets in a given time period.

Method and apparatus for bagging product units

A method and apparatus are disclosed for sealing pallets of fresh produce inside plastic bags and furnishing the interiors of the sealed bags with a modified gaseous atmosphere. Conventional pallets loaded with cooled fresh produce are moved by an input conveyor automatically one at a time to an in-line squeeze station. The produce load of a pallet positioned at the squeeze station is squeezed between opposed vertical walls to suspend it above the pallet base as a downwardly movable floorplate descends to allow the base to the removed and replaced with a pallet having a plastic sheet lining attached thereto. The floorplate is raised to its former level to bear the weight of the loaded pallet as the pallet is unsqueezed and the loaded pallet is moved by conveyor to a bagging station. A plastic bag at a convenient height is initially draped over an arm radiating from a novel bagger frame. A plurality of such arms extend from a rotatable hub so that bags can be moved into position above successive loaded pallets as they are needed. This apparatus permits the bagging of nearly twice as many pallets in a given time period. Following the bagging step the bagged pallet is moved to a turntable and sealed by rotation against spring-loaded overlapping strips of tape. After being moved automatically to a gassing station, the sealed bag is first evacuated and then filled with a suitably modified gaseous atmosphere using a Tectrol Atmosphere Injection Unit. The gassed pallet is reoriented through 90.degree. by a repositioning turntable and sent down an inclined roller-surfaced table to a pallet exit area. In addition to allowing the processing of more units in less time than is possible with present systems, the method and apparatus of the invention require fewer workers to effect the improved results.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for sealing pallets of fresh produce inside plastic bags and furnishing the interiors of the sealed bags with a modified gaseous atmosphere.

Produce packages are stacked onto a pallet having an underlying gasproof plastic sheeting. The loaded pallet is placed on a rotatable table and a plastic bag is lowered over the produce which has its lower edges located partway down over the upturned portions of the plastic sheeting and onto the rim of the pallet. Two rolls of tape mounted at different heights on vertical spindles closely adjacent the table provide two tape strips with an edge portion overlapping. An idler roller joins the two strips of tape together in a single composite tape strip. The composite tape strip is applied by a pressure roller along the lower edge of the plastic bag and the pallet. After a full revolution of the table is completed, the tape is cut and the bag is completely sealed to the pallet. A lever arm on the pressure roller is spring-loaded to maintain the tape compressingly contacting the plastic bag and pallet throughout the full range of table rotation. Artificial gaseous environment is then provided to sealed container.

Growing community of inventors

Salinas, CA, United States of America

Kevin J Bolejack