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. 26, 2002
Filed:
Sep. 29, 2000
Robert L. Williamson, Hartford, MI (US);
Other;
Abstract
A dispensing mechanism for metering produce into “clam shell” type containers carried past the dispensing mechanism by a conveyer, as part of an automated conveyer driven packaging system. The dispensing mechanism includes a side mounted hopper, a guide shoot, and a pair of elongated produce stops. The interior of the hopper is divided by internal partitions into a large bin and a dispensing queue. The body of the hopper has an inclined floor, and converging side and end walls that funnel produce toward two vertically oriented metering gates. One gate meters produce from the large bin into the queue and the second gate meters produce from the hopper into the containers. The guide shoot is pivotally connected to the hopper beneath the second gate. The guide shoot directs the produce from the hopper into the moving containers as they are carried along the conveyer. The produce stops are located in front of the shoot and run directly over and substantially parallel to the conveyer track to prevent the loss of produce and direct the produce into the center of the container base.