Sausage link handling and packaging machine
First Claim
1. A sausage link handling and packaging machine, said machine comprising a feed conveyor for receiving individual sausage links from a link forming machine and transferring same onto a main conveyor, guide means associated with said transfer conveyor to orient said sausage links on an ejecting path, alignment means at a receiving end of said main conveyor for orienting said sausage links in a side-by-side transverse aligned relationship on said main conveyor, said alignment means being comprised of a side deflector plate positioned in said ejecting path and having a sloped deflecting surface sloping toward the direction of travel of a conveyor belt of said main conveyor, and a stopper plate positioned adjacent said deflector plate at a predetermined angle to cause said sausage links to align themselves in said side-by-side relationship, tranfer means at a transfer station of said main conveyor for transferring a predetermined number of said transversely aligned sausage links off said main conveyor and onto package support means, and means to further convey said package support means with said sausages downstream of said transfer station.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A sausage link handling and packaging machine which comprises a feed conveyor for receiving individual sausage links from a link forming machine and for transferring them onto a main conveyor. These sausage links are transferred in a guided manner whereby to orient them on a predetermined ejecting path. When the sausage links arrive at the receiving end of the main conveyor, they are oriented in a side-by-side transverse alignment relationship. A transfer device is provided at a transfer station along the main conveyor to transfer a predetermined number of the transversely aligned sausage links off the conveyor and onto a package support element. The package support element with the predetermined number of sausage links thereon are then conveyed downstream of the transfer station for further handling.
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Citations
11 Claims
- 1. A sausage link handling and packaging machine, said machine comprising a feed conveyor for receiving individual sausage links from a link forming machine and transferring same onto a main conveyor, guide means associated with said transfer conveyor to orient said sausage links on an ejecting path, alignment means at a receiving end of said main conveyor for orienting said sausage links in a side-by-side transverse aligned relationship on said main conveyor, said alignment means being comprised of a side deflector plate positioned in said ejecting path and having a sloped deflecting surface sloping toward the direction of travel of a conveyor belt of said main conveyor, and a stopper plate positioned adjacent said deflector plate at a predetermined angle to cause said sausage links to align themselves in said side-by-side relationship, tranfer means at a transfer station of said main conveyor for transferring a predetermined number of said transversely aligned sausage links off said main conveyor and onto package support means, and means to further convey said package support means with said sausages downstream of said transfer station.
Specification