Robot Aided Manufacturing Center, Inc.

Ram Center, Inc.

Kirby Juhl Kuhlemeier

Karl J Fritze

Bruce Hamilton Koerner

Ferdinand Joseph Herpers

Scott Mitchell Harrison

Donald James Hammer

Ferdinand J Herpers, Jr

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for dispensing articles into a container or basket and for controlling the dispensing mechanism to more accurately, efficiently, and intelligently dispense the desired articles with less damages to the articles. The dispenser includes a primary storage location which can take the form of a bulk storage hopper, an accumulator storage location into which the dispensed articles are transferred during the dispensing of the articles. A reversing drum and a flexible, resilient diverter are configured and arranged to reduce article breakage and/or to transfer different types of articles. The diverter apparatus is detachably mounted on an inside wall of the hopper body. The drum is also designed to provide a self-alignment between the drum and a motor shaft when the drum is mounted onto the drum motor shaft. A load/weight sensing/measuring assembly accurately and intelligently weighs the articles in the accumulator by an adaptive weighing method. The load/weight sensing/measuring assembly includes a spring to convert force to displacement and a solid-state sensor/magnet mechanism to replace the expensive load cell assembly.

Dispenser for frangible frozen food articles

The present invention provides an electric version of a dispenser unit and method of monitoring a request signal for filling empty baskets, movement of the empty baskets on a loading ramp via a stop gate, and movement of the filled basket between a loading station and a staging station via a basket lift. The stop gate is driven by an electric motor, and the basket lift is driven by another electric motor. Sensors are mounted in the stop gate and the basket lift to indicate positions of the stop gate and the basket lift, respectively.

Electric version fry dispenser

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for dispensing articles into a container or basket and for controlling the dispensing mechanism to more accurately, efficiently, and intelligently dispense the desired articles with less damages to the articles. The dispenser includes a primary storage location which can take the form of a bulk storage hopper, an accumulator storage location into which the dispensed articles are transferred during the dispensing of the articles. A reversing drum and a flexible, resilient diverter are configured and arranged to reduce article breakage and/or to transfer different types of articles. The drum is also designed to provide a self-alignment between the drum and a motor shaft when the drum is mounted onto the drum motor shaft. A load/weight sensing/measuring assembly accurately and intelligently weighs the articles in the accumulator by an adaptive weighing method. The load/weight sensing/measuring assembly includes a spring to convert force to displacement and a solid-state sensor/magnet mechanism to replace the expensive load cell assembly.

A method and apparatus are provided for dispensing articles into a manually placed receiving basket and for controlling the dispensing mechanism to more accurately dispense the desired articles. The dispenser 20 includes a main storage area 39 which can take the form of a bulk storage hopper, an accumulator area 36 into which the dispensed articles are transferred during the 'gravimetric' dispensing of the articles. The accumulator area 36 may be formed from the same externally formed walls of the primary storage area 39 and hopper 21. An assembly for controllably transferring articles from the primary area 39 to the accumulator area 36 is also provided. This controllable transfer assembly may include a drum 51 having a plurality (or series) of elevated areas 52 about the circumference 53 of the drum 51, a diverter shape 54 located in the primary storage area 39, and an incline slope shape 37 leading down to the drum 51. A drive assembly 159 is provided to rotate the drum 51 when transferring articles. The articles in the accumulator area 36 are retained in that area by doors 32 of a gate assembly. The gate assembly are selectively operated between open and closed positions. A load cell 165 comprising a weight sensing assembly is arranged and configured to weigh the articles retained by the gate assembly. A controller 152 monitors the load cell 165 and operates the drive assembly 159 to control the articles dispensed into the accumulator area 136 to a predetermined level. By monitoring the movement of the drum 51 and the weight of the transferred articles, the controller 152 can determine the manner in which the drum 51 might be moved in a future dispensing cycle to increase the accuracy of the dispensed articles.

Single stage area bulk food dispenser method and apparatus

A electric version of a dispenser unit and method of monitoring a request signal for filling empty baskets, movement of the empty baskets on a loading ramp via a stop gate, and movement of the filled basket between a loading station and a staging station via a basket lift. The stop gate is driven by an electric motor, and the basket lift is driven by another electric motor. Sensors are mounted in the stop gate and the basket lift to indicate positions of the stop gate and the basket lift, respectively.

Growing community of inventors

Cottage Grove, MN, United States of America

Kirby Juhl Kuhlemeier