Paper interleaver
First Claim
1. A paper feed system suitable for use with a portion control machine to provide paper sheets for separating portions, said paper feed system comprising:
- a paper hopper mountable to a portion control machine and adapted to receive and temporarily retain a stack of paper sheets, said paper hopper having an open end defining a ready position where a paper sheet lies in a first plane to be dispensed, said open end having a front edge spaced opposite from a back edge; and
a paper support having a length to width ratio of 10;
1 or greater and mounted adjacent the open end blocking the free exit of paper sheets therefrom, said support extending from a central location on the back edge partially to a central location on the front edge, with an upper surface of the support being substantially parallel with the first plane and adjacent the first plane for retention of a paper sheet in the ready position.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A paper feed system suitable for use with a portion control machine to provide paper sheets for separating portions, including a paper hopper mountable to a portion control machine and adapted to receive and temporarily retain a stack of paper sheets. The paper hopper has an open end having a front edge spaced opposite from a back edge and defining a ready position where a paper sheet lies in a first plane to be dispensed. The paper feed system further includes a paper support having a length to width ratio of 10 to 1 or greater. The paper support is mounted adjacent the open end of the paper hopper blocking the free exit of paper sheets therefrom, with the support extending from a central location on the back edge partially to a central location on the front edge. An upper surface of the support is substantially parallel with the first plane and is adjacent the first plane for retention of a paper sheet in the ready position. The paper feed system further includes a pair of paper support tabs mounted adjacent the central location on the front edge but spaced laterally from the paper support. The paper support tabs extend partially into the open end blocking the free exit of paper sheets therefrom and have an upper surface substantially parallel with the first plane and adjacent the first plane for retention of a central portion of a leading edge of a paper sheet in the ready position.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A paper feed system suitable for use with a portion control machine to provide paper sheets for separating portions, said paper feed system comprising:
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a paper hopper mountable to a portion control machine and adapted to receive and temporarily retain a stack of paper sheets, said paper hopper having an open end defining a ready position where a paper sheet lies in a first plane to be dispensed, said open end having a front edge spaced opposite from a back edge; and a paper support having a length to width ratio of 10;
1 or greater and mounted adjacent the open end blocking the free exit of paper sheets therefrom, said support extending from a central location on the back edge partially to a central location on the front edge, with an upper surface of the support being substantially parallel with the first plane and adjacent the first plane for retention of a paper sheet in the ready position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A paper feed system suitable for use with a portion control machine to provide paper sheets for separating portions, said paper feed system comprising:
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a paper hopper mountable to a portion control machine and being adapted to receive and temporarily retain a stack of paper sheets, said paper hopper having an open end defining a ready position where a paper sheet lies in a first plane to be dispensed, said open end having a front edge spaced opposite from a back edge; and an elongated paper support rod mounted adjacent the open end blocking the free exit of paper sheets therefrom, said support rod extending from a central location on the back edge 1/3 to 2/3 of the way to a central location on the front edge, with a curved upper surface of the support rod being substantially parallel with the first plane and adjacent the first plane for retention of a paper sheet in the ready position. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A paper feed system suitable for use with a portion control machine to provide paper sheets for separating food portions, said paper feed system comprising:
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a paper hopper mountable to a portion control machine and adapted to receive and temporarily retain a stack of paper sheets with a paper sheet of the stack retained in a ready position where a surface of the paper sheet faces outward from the paper hopper; a carriage mountable to a portion control machine for movement relative to the paper hopper between a paper dispensing position adjacent a food portion and a paper loading position adjacent the ready position; a paper securing bar adapted for selectively securing to a paper sheet, said paper securing bar being mounted on the carriage for translating movement relative to the carriage along an axis substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by a paper sheet in the ready position, said paper securing bar including at least four vacuum cups connectable to a vacuum source, the cups located on the paper securing bar for selectively attaching a perimeter of a paper sheet to the paper securing bar; and a first actuator mounted on the carriage for translating the paper securing bar along said axis when the carriage is in the paper loading position, said first actuator being adapted to translate the paper securing bar between a first position where the paper securing bar will contact and secure to a paper sheet retained in the ready position and a second position, spaced from the ready position, where the paper securing bar will at least partially remove a paper sheet from the ready position. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A paper feed system suitable for use with a portion control machine to provide paper sheets for separating food portions, said paper feed system comprising:
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a paper hopper mountable to a portion control machine and adapted to receive and temporarily retain a stack of paper sheets, said paper hopper having an open end defining a ready position where a paper sheet lies in a first plane to be dispensed, said open end having a front edge spaced opposite from a back edge; a paper support having a length to width ratio of 10;
1 or greater and mounted adjacent the open end blocking the free exit of paper sheets therefrom, said support extending from a central location on the back edge partially to a central location on the front edge, with an upper surface of the support being substantially parallel with the first plane and adjacent the first plane for retention of a paper sheet in the ready position;a carriage mountable to a portion control machine for movement relative to the paper hopper between a paper dispensing position adjacent a portion and a paper loading position adjacent the first plane; a paper securing bar adapted for selectively securing to a paper sheet, said paper securing bar being mounted on the carriage for translating movement relative to the carriage along an axis substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by a paper sheet in the ready position; and a first actuator mounted on the carriage for translating the paper securing bar along said axis when the carriage is in the paper loading position, said first actuator being adapted to translate the paper securing bar between a first position where the paper securing bar will contact and secure to a paper sheet retained in the ready position and a second position spaced from the ready position, where the paper securing bar will at least partially remove a paper sheet from the ready position. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification