APPARATUS FOR COMPLETING A FORMAT SET OF PRODUCTS

• US 20140299447A1
• Filed: 04/04/2014
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Weber Food Technology GmbH
• Original Assignee: Weber Maschinenbau GmbH Breidenbach (Weber Food Technology GmbH)
• Inventors: BAUER, Sigfrid
• Granted Patent: US 9,221,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 198/418
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 2210/02 for cutting food products, e.g. food slicers
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/0625 by endless conveyors, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/32 for conveying or stacking cut product means for removing cut-out material or waste B26D7/18
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/06 Packaging slices or specially-shaped pieces of meat, cheese, or other plastic or tacky products
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 37/005 comprising two or more co-operating conveying elements with parallel longitudinal axes the conveying elements being endless surfaces B65G15/10
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/084 grouping articles in a predetermined 2-dimensional pattern
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/52 Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices loading or unloading by means not incorporated in, or not operatively associated with, conveyors B65G65/00; transfer of workpieces during metal rolling B21B41/00

Abstract

An apparatus for completing a format set of products which are conveyed line-wise on a plurality of conveyor tracks along a conveying direction comprises a first stop conveyor and a second stop conveyor which are arranged after one another in the conveying direction and which are configured to convey products along the conveying direction on all conveyor tracks, with the first stop conveyor and the second stop conveyor furthermore being able to stop a conveyed product as required on at least one conveyor track, while a product is conveyed onward on at least one other conveyor track. A distributor conveyor is arranged between the first stop conveyor and the second stop conveyor and is configured to convey at least one product along the conveying direction, with the distributor conveyor being displaceable transversely to the conveying direction.

Claims

1. An apparatus (25) for completing a format set (19) of products (45), which are conveyed line-wise on a plurality of conveyor tracks (41) along a conveying direction (F), the apparatus (25) comprising:

a first and a second stop conveyor (33, 37) which are arranged behind one another, viewed in the conveying direction (F), and are configured to convey products (45) on all conveyor tracks (41) along the conveying direction (F), wherein the first and second stop conveyors (33, 37) are furthermore able, as required, to stop a conveyed product (45) on at least one conveyor track (41) while a product (45) is conveyed onward on at least one other conveyor track (41); and

a distributor conveyor (35) which is arranged, viewed in the conveying direction (F), between the first stop conveyor (33) and the second stop conveyor (37) and which is configured to convey at least one product (45) along the conveying direction (F), wherein the distributor conveyor (35) is displaceable transversely to the conveying direction (F).

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the products are food products.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the first stop conveyor (33), the second stop conveyor (37) and the distributor conveyor (35) is configured as undivided transversely to the conveying direction (F).

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the first stop conveyor (33), the second stop conveyor (37) and the distributor conveyor (35) can only be driven in the conveying direction (F).

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the distributor conveyor (35) has a smaller number of conveyor tracks (41) than at least one of the first stop conveyor (33) and the second stop conveyor (37).

6. The apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein the distributor conveyor (35) has a width which corresponds to one or two conveyor tracks (41).

7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the distributor conveyor (35) has a length in relation to the conveying direction (F) which is just sufficient to receive a product (45) and/or which is smaller than the length of the first and/or second stop conveyor (33, 37).

8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first stop conveyor (33), the distributor conveyor (35) and the second stop conveyor (37) directly adjoin one another.

9. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first stop conveyor (33) and the second stop conveyor (37) are configured as strip conveyors which have stoppers (40) with product lifting apparatus engaging between the strips for the stopping as required of products (45) on individual conveyor tracks (41).

10. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein a product detection device is provided to detect at least one of the number and the position of the products (45) supplied to the first stop conveyor (33).

11. The apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein the product detection device comprises at least one of a camera and scales.

12. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first stop conveyor (33) and/or the second stop conveyor (37) are configured to stop a product (45) located at any desired transverse position in order to take account of a track offset and/or different widths.

13. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the distributor conveyor (35) is displaceable to any desired transverse position.

14. An system for conveying products (45)

having at least one main conveyor path (13) on which the products (45) are conveyed line-wise along a conveying direction (F);

at least one secondary conveyor path (21) for completing incomplete product lines (19) as required; and

at least one expulsion device for expelling incomplete product lines (19) from the main conveyor track (13) onto the secondary conveyor track (21),

wherein at least one apparatus (25 is integrated into the secondary conveyor path (21), the apparatus (25) comprising;

a first and a second stop conveyor (33, 37) which are arranged behind one another, viewed in the conveying direction (F), and are configured to convey products (45) on all conveyor tracks (41) along the conveying direction (F), wherein the first and second stop conveyors (33, 37) are furthermore able, as required, to stop a conveyed product (45) on at least one conveyor track (41) while a product (45) is conveyed onward on at least one other conveyor track (41); and

a distributor conveyor (35) which is arranged, viewed in the conveying direction (F), between the first stop conveyor (33) and the second stop conveyor (37) and which is configured to convey at least one product (45) along the conveying direction (F), wherein the distributor conveyor (35) is displaceable transversely to the conveying direction (F).

15. A method for completing a format set (19) of products (45) which are conveyed line-wise on a plurality of conveyor tracks (41) along a conveying direction (F), comprising the steps:

conveying at least one first product (45) of an incomplete product line (19) on a first conveyor track (41) from a first stop conveyor (33) onto a distributor conveyor (35) while stopping at least one product (45) of the incomplete product line (19) on the first stop conveyor (33) on another conveyor track (41);

displacing the distributor conveyor (35) transversely to the conveying direction (F);

conveying the first product (45) from the displaced distributor conveyor (35) onto a second stop conveyor (37); and

conveying at least one further product (45) of the incomplete product line (19) or of a subsequent product line (19) onto the second stop conveyor (37) via the distributor conveyor (35) while the first product (45) is stopped on the second stop conveyor (37).

16. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the products (45) are conveyed line-wise by means of an apparatus, the apparatus (25) comprising:

a first and a second stop conveyor (33, 37) which are arranged behind one another, viewed in the conveying direction (F), and are configured to convey products (45) on all conveyor tracks (41) along the conveying direction (F), wherein the first and second stop conveyors (33, 37) are furthermore able, as required, to stop a conveyed product (45) on at least one conveyor track (41) while a product (45) is conveyed onward on at least one other conveyor track (41); and

a distributor conveyor (35) which is arranged, viewed in the conveying direction (F), between the first stop conveyor (33) and the second stop conveyor (37) and which is configured to convey at least one product (45) along the conveying direction (F), wherein the distributor conveyor (35) is displaceable transversely to the conveying direction (F).

17. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the distributor conveyor (35) is again displaced transversely to the conveying direction (F) before the conveying of the further product (45) onto the second stop conveyor (37).

18. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein at least one product (45) of a first product line (17, 19) is conveyed from the first stop conveyor (33), from the distributor conveyor (35) or from the second stop conveyor (37) onto a subsequent conveyor (35, 37, 39) while at least one product (45) is simultaneously conveyed by a preceding conveyor (31, 33, 35) from the first product line (17, 19) or from a second subsequent product line (19) onto the first stop conveyor (33), onto the distributor conveyor (35) or onto the second stop conveyor (37).