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:
Feb. 08, 2011
Filed:
Aug. 06, 2009
Elliot Augst, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Elliot Augst, Minneapolis, MN (US);
General Mills IP Holdings II, LLC, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for separating multiple food pieces and removing clumps from food pieces in order to process individual pieces for subsequent packaging includes a vibrating conveyor bed which receives a substantially continuous supply of a dried product, such as RTE cereal or another snack product, and delivers the dried product to a screen unit including a plurality of spaced slots through which only individual food pieces can pass for further processing. Prior to the screen unit, the bed can be provided with an upstanding deflector member which diverts the traveling food product away from a discharge chute and onto the screen unit. In any case, the screen unit includes an upwardly angling portion, extending away from the discharge chute, for retaining product which needs to be further processed, while the discharge chute also has an associated, raised lip for product retention purposes.