The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 28, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 17, 1998
Applicant:
Inventors:
Kasper Komdeur, Jenison, MI (US);
Richard C Smith, Rockford, MI (US);
Assignee:
Butterballs Farms, Inc., Grand Rapids, MI (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B29C / ; A23C / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
425313 ; 425311 ; 425332 ; 4253 / ; 426516 ; 426518 ; 83 16 ; 83169 ;
Abstract
An apparatus for making balls of butter includes a conveyor and a dispensing head mounted above the conveyor for delivering pieces of butter to the conveyor. Two roller bar assemblies are mounted above the conveyor, and crank arms rotate each of the roller bar assemblies in a plane which extends generally parallel to the conveyor. As the butter pieces are moved by the conveyor past the roller bar assemblies, the roller bars roll the butter on the conveyor and form the butter into balls. The balls of butter may be delivered to a freeze tunnel for freezing before packaging.