Other

Sara Lee Corporation

Bryan Foods, Inc.

Bryan Food, Inc.

Roger S Williams

Jeffrey A Williams

Frank C Mello

Lee Kramer

Dale V Miller

Michael T Beatty

A process for packaging selected traditional cuts of pork loin by cutting the whole pork loin at successive saw stations to form a predetermined number of traditional cuts and moving the formed traditional cuts to corresponding traditional cut locations. After a first traditional cut is formed at the first saw station, the remainder of the whole loin is positioned at another saw station where a differing traditional cut is formed. The process is continued at additional saw stations so that the entire loin is formed into traditional cuts, the cuts are collected at collecting locations, and an array of cuts are placed in a package tray. The package is then sealed and can be gas flushed and thereafter accumulated in bulk or cases for removal to a remote location where they can be refrigerated or frozen.

Method of cutting and packaging formed loin cuts

An apparatus for organizing elongated meat product from a scrambled accumulation including a conveyor collecting and moving the scrambled meat products to a flighted incline conveyor which in turn lifts the received products to another higher location. A channelizing conveyor receives the products the flighted incline conveyor and arranges them in a substantially parallel and end-to-end relationship. They are thereafter positioned in a canted flighted conveyor having a plurality of product receiving receptacles which continuously moved the collected products to a remote location for subsequent treatment. The canted flighted conveyor has a downward incline to enable surplus products to flow over to the collecting and conveying conveyor once the receptacles are filled.

Apparatus for organizing and delivering cylindrical and elongate

An apparatus and process for handling strands of meat product links, the apparatus utilizing a strand flow forward end movement control apparatus in combination with a sausage stuffing machine which halts forward strand flow and allows the balance of the strand to collect in a nearby receptacle. Strands are continuously connected to each other and moved to a loop forming apparatus having a rotatable wheel formed from a pair of side plates to configure a link strand receiving channel. Catch rods are positioned on the side plates and are operable selectively in combination with a camming device to actuate the catch rods and release the strand for engagement with the hangers. As the strands are released for hanger engagement, they are looped over each individual hanger in loops of controllable size.

Apparatus and process for handling strands of meat product links

A meat product package for storing and displaying a plurality of tubular meat products preferably in an arcuate configuration, the package having a meat product forming section with plural arcuate recesses utilizing overformed recess edges to hold the tubular meat products in a curved position under tension within the recesses for storage and display. An alternative embodiment includes a method of arcuately shaping straight sticks of meat products cooked or smoked in a casing and placing them in a formed film pocket made on a form-fill-seal rollstock packaging machine.

Meat product package and method of forming same

A meat product package for storing and displaying a plurality of tubular meat products, preferably in an arcuate configuration, having a meat product forming station with plural arcuate recesses utilizing overformed recess edges to hold the tubular meat products in a curved position within the recesses for storage and display.

A method, and product formed thereby, for cooking meat products to produce an aesthetic surface and retain the natural juices wherein a heat shrinkable packaging material having a simulated net retaining surface appearance is formed around the meat product, and the package and meat product are cooked in a hot water bath to heat shrink the packaging material and create a three dimensional net surface design on the cooked meat product. The heat shrinkable material is thereafter removed, the meat product surface retains the netted surface design, and the meat product retains natural meat product juices.

Cooked meat products having a simulated net surface

Process for cooking meat products to produce a simulated net surface

A label feeder for use with an automated packaging machine wherein open-top containers are moved along a conveyor line. The label feeder comprises an open frame with a substantially horizontally extending supporting arm extending therefrom and a motor mounted thereon. The supporting arm has at least one label hold bin for holding the labels mounted on it as well as an endless conveyor for moving the label from the label hold bin to a position directly over the open-top container. A loading ram system and an unloading ram system, each with vacuum means, are mounted on the supporting arm to pick a label from the hold bin and deposit a label into the containers, respectively. The label feeder is portable and is used as needed in association with the packaging machine to place the individual label into the open-top container either before or after the articles have been added and before the container is sealed close.

Label feeder for open-top containers

Package for food products

Reclosable packages for food products and methods for making the packages, each package having a semi-rigid base including a recess for containing the food and a thin film flexible lid. The base has an upper peripheral flange extending from an edge of the recess to an outer edge, an elongated groove being formed in all but a minor portion of the flange. A rib is positioned within the groove. The lid and rib are formed from a first thermoplastic material while the base is formed from a second thermoplastic material having a fusion seal inhibitor relative to the first material. During the process of forming the package the rib is fusion bonded to the lid and peelably sealed within the groove, the lid also being peelably sealable to the flange. Spaced apart recesses extending across the groove are formed in the flange to provide rigidity to the flange. The sealed package may be opened about the minor portion acting as a hinge by peeling the lid together with the rib from the base, and may be reclosed by reinserting the rib into the groove after only a portion of the food product has been used. The method includes either extruding rib forming material into the groove or directing a rod of preformed rib material into the groove and forcing the rod into the groove, in either case the material being in the groove prior to sealing the package.

Method for making reclosable package

A package for food products which includes, in combination, a clear container having recloseable means for retaining the food product until it is consumed, and a unitary blank folded to envelope the container which is configured to have first and second ends, securing means to attach the first and second ends to each other thereby resulting in the blank enveloping the clear product carrying container, separating means enabling the opening of the unitary blank, a detachable label secured to the clear container which tears away from the unitary blank when it is opened by the actuation of the separating means, and a window positioned to permitt viewing by the consumer of the recloseable means of the clear container.

A method and apparatus for packaging food products provides evacuation of air and application of purging gas in two stages. The first stage evacuates air and applies an initial gas flush to a first group of packages while the second stage provides an evacuation of a portion of the gas initially applied and applies a second gas flush to the group and then seals the packages. The packages include food containing bases which enter the first stage station of the apparatus where lidding material is laid over a small leading portion of the group, and as this group is transported to the second stage station the lidding material is fed onto the remainder of the bases of the group. Each station includes an evacuation chamber having a base receiving cavity, the second station including base receiving dies acting in conjunction with a heater for bonding the lidding material to the bases. The cavity is closed after two groups of bases have been indexed into the cavity. After the evacuation and gas flush the dies are moved upwardly to force the group in the second station against the heater to bond the lidding material to the base. The cavity is thereafter opened so that the group of bases in the second stage may be removed and the group in the first stage may be indexed to the second stage while a third group is indexed into the first stage.

Apparatus for packaging food products

Reclosable package and a base portion of the package

Method for packaging food products

A resealable hermetically sealed package for food products has the product contained between two sheets of thermoplastic material which are sealed together by a permanent heat fused seal about the product except for one edge along which the sheets are adhesively glued together by an easily peeled resealable seal. The process for manufacturing the product forms the adhesive seal prior to the permanent seals in an area remote from that in which evacuation and the final seal occurs. Thus, the final sealing and evacuation of the package is performed in the absence of adhesive so that no adhesive can be drawn into evacuation slots so as to economically produce the product.

Growing community of inventors

New Richmond, OH, United States of America

Roger S Williams