DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING ELONGATE FOOD PRODUCTS

• US 20100133065A1
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FR Drake Company (Middleby Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Stork Townsend Incorporated
• Inventors: Manders, Wilhelmus Josephus Maria, Maas, Patricius Petrus Marinus Johannes, Ottow, Marcellinus Franciscus
• Granted Patent: US 8,220,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 198/453
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/1471 Movement in one direction, substantially outwards

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for transporting elongate food products, comprising: a plurality of elongate product carriers, coupling means for parallel coupling of the product carriers and drive means for displacing the coupled product carriers over a transport path. The invention also relates to a method for displacing elongate food products over a transport path using elongate transport carriers.

Claims

1. Device for transporting elongate food products, comprising:

a plurality of elongate product carriers,

coupling means for parallel coupling of the product carriers, and

drive means for displacing the coupled product carriers over a transport path, wherein the device is also provided with a stationary product guide and the product carriers are provided with a passage for allowing passage of the stationary product guide into the product carriers, such that the effective volume of the product carriers over at least a part of the transport path is limited by a part of the stationary guide entering the product carriers.

2. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the position of the product guide is adjustable relative to the product carriers.

3. Device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the product guide is exchangeable.

4. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the coupling means connect the product carriers into an endless chain.

5. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the passages of the product carriers are formed by slotted recesses lying perpendicularly of the length of the product carriers.

6. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the individual product carriers are provided with a plurality of mutually parallel passages.

7. Device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the device is provided with a plurality of mutually parallel stationary guides.

8. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the stationary guide is assembled with a frame, which frame also supports the drive means, and a conveyor belt for guiding the coupled product carriers.

9. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the cross-section through a product carrier is provided with a feed opening having two first wall parts situated on opposite sides of the feed opening and running substantially parallel to each other, to which first wall parts connect two second wall parts on the sides remote from the feed opening, these second wall parts lying at an angle relative to the first wall parts such that they are directed toward each other.

10. Device as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that a first wall part transposes with a curve into a second wall part.

11. Device as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the second wall parts connect to each other on the side remote from the first wall parts.

12. Device as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the second wall parts connect to each other via a curve.

13. Device as claimed in any of the claims 9-12, characterized in that at least the second wall parts are provided with a passage to allow passage of the stationary product guide.

14. Method for displacing elongate food products over a transport path using elongate product carriers, wherein the effective volume of the product carriers is adjusted by positioning a stationary product guide relative to the transport path, which stationary product guide enters the product carriers by means of passages arranged for this purpose in the transport carriers.

15. Method as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the adjustment of the stationary guide is realized by means of fixing the stationary guide in a desired position.

16. Method as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the adjustment of the stationary guide is realized by means of exchanging the stationary guide for a specifically formed stationary guide.