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:
May. 19, 2009
Filed:
Jun. 26, 2006
Scott A. Lindee, Mokena, IL (US);
Glenn Sandberg, New Lenox, IL (US);
James E. Pasek, Tinley Park, IL (US);
Scott A. Lindee, Mokena, IL (US);
Glenn Sandberg, New Lenox, IL (US);
James E. Pasek, Tinley Park, IL (US);
Formax, Inc., Mokena, IL (US);
Abstract
An apparatus is provided for filling food product drafts into packages. A supply of open top containers are arranged in rows and carried by an elongated web of film and are movable by the web into a fill station. A shuttle conveyor has a retractable and extendable conveying surface, the conveying surface arranged above the fill station and having an end region extendable to a position arranged to deposit food product drafts into the containers of the first row by circulation of the conveying surface. The conveying surface is retractable, or extendable, to reposition the end to a position arranged to deposit food product drafts carried on the conveying surface into the containers of the second row and each subsequent row. A tamping apparatus is carried by the conveyor to retract or extend with the conveying surface end. The tamping apparatus has vertically reciprocal tamping elements arranged above the respective row being filled with food product drafts, the tamping elements actuated to press the food product drafts into the containers.