Electric version fry dispenser

• US 6,367,777 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2000
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Automated Equipment LLC
• Original Assignee: Robot Aided Manufacturing Center, Inc.
• Inventors: Herpers, Ferdinand Joseph, Fritze, Karl Jon, Kuhlemeier, Kirby Juhl, Koerner, Bruce Hamilton
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, III, Joseph J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON, LEE D
• Application Number:
  US09/501,635
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 254/98, 254/122, 254/102, 254/93.H, 254/1, 141/1
• US Class Current: 254/98
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/42 Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up state; Feeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins, capsules, glass tubes, glasses, to the packaging position; Locating containers or receptacles at the filling position by means of filling-nozzles B65B39/00; Supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation by filling-nozzles B65B39/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/28 for discharging completed packages from machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0078 Food articles which need to be processed for dispensing in a hot or cooked condition, e.g. popcorn, nuts
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0085 Food articles which for processing need cooking in a liquid, e.g. oil, water

Abstract

The present invention provides an electric version of a dispenser unit and method of monitoring a request signal for filling empty baskets, movement of the empty baskets on a loading ramp via a stop gate, and movement of the filled basket between a loading station and a staging station via a basket lift. The stop gate is driven by an electric motor, and the basket lift is driven by another electric motor. Sensors are mounted in the stop gate and the basket lift to indicate positions of the stop gate and the basket lift, respectively.

Claims

1. An electrically driven lift apparatus, comprising:

a) an electric motor having a motor shaft;

b) a coupling mounted on the motor shaft and rotatable by the electric motor; and

c) an extendable/retractable tube assembly connected to the coupling, wherein when the electric motor turns the coupling in one direction, the tube assembly is extended, and when the electric motor turns the coupling in an opposite direction, the tube assembly is retracted.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensor sensing a position of the tube assembly.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electric motor is a servo motor which maintains motion/resting positions of the tube assembly.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tube assembly comprises:

an outer tube;

an inner tube, which has an internally threaded member fastened at one end of the inner tube;

an externally threaded rod corresponding with the internally threaded member and being disposed at a center of the tube assembly; and

wherein the internally threaded member is arranged and configured such that the outer tube prevents rotation of the inner tube, when the externally threaded rod is rotated, the internally threaded member raises or lowers, depending on the direction of rotation of the externally threaded rod, and the inner tube is extendable/retractable from/into the outer tube.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the externally threaded rod has one end extended out of the tube assembly and connected to the coupling, such that upon rotation of the coupling by the electric motor, the externally threaded rod drives the inner tube to extend from the outer tube, and upon rotation of the coupling by the electric motor in the opposite direction, the externally threaded rod drives the inner tube to retract into the outer tube.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coupling comprises:

a motor coupling block having a bore to retain a shaft of the electric motor;

a pin transversely disposed across the walls of the bore of the motor coupling block, the pin being received by an end of the tube assembly; and

a plate coupled to the motor coupling block such that the plate rotates with the motor coupling block, the plate having an indicator indicating rotating positions of the motor coupling block such that extending/retracting of the inner tube along the outer tube is controlled.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the motor coupling block and the motor shaft each has a flattened portion which allows wobbling between the coupling and the motor shaft.

8. A method of extending/retracting a lift apparatus upon a request signal, comprising:

a) receiving the request signal;

b) retracting the lift apparatus driven by an electric motor in one direction, the electric motor being a servo motor which maintains motion/resting positions of the lift apparatus; and

c) extending the lift apparatus driven by the electric motor in an opposite direction,

d) wherein the activation of the electric motor is controlled by a controller reading sensors indicating the position of the lift apparatus,

e) wherein sensors also monitor the distance and direction of the longitudinal movement of the lift apparatus by reading the position of registry slots on a plate member of the apparatus.

9. A lift coupling in an electrically driven lift apparatus, of the type connecting a lift assembly rod and a motor shaft, comprising:

a) a motor coupling block having a first end and a second end, the first end of the motor coupling block being cooperatively connected to the motor shaft and the second end having a bore formed therein, the bore having apertures formed therein;

b) a u-shaped member cooperatively connected to the rod, the u-shaped member being sized so as to be inserted within the bore;

c) a pin transversely disposed through the apertures and across the bore, wherein the pin is engaged by the u-shaped member when the u-shaped member is inserted; and

d) wherein the engagement between the pin and the u-shaped member provides longitudinal and transversal clearance to reduce binding due to eccentricity and misalignment between the lift assembly rod and the motor shaft.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a plate coupled to the motor coupling block such that the plate rotates with the motor coupling block, the plate having an indicator indicating rotating positions of the lift coupling such that extending/retracting of the lift assembly rod is controlled.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the bore is generally circular and the u-shaped member is generally circular so as to be inserted within the bore.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the motor coupling block has a flattened portion to align with a flattened portion of the motor shaft on which it is mounted.

13. A lift coupling in an electrically driven lift apparatus connecting a lift assembly and a motor shaft, comprising:

a) a motor coupling block having a first end and a second end, the motor coupling block having a receiving means on both its first and second ends;

b) wherein the receiving means of the first end of the motor coupling block receives a motor shaft;

c) wherein the receiving means of the second end of the motor block coupling receives an end of a rod of the lift assembly;

d) a stabilizing means for securing the end of the rod to the motor coupling block; and

e) wherein the motor coupling block is secured to the lift assembly so as to reduce binding due to eccentricity and/or misalignment between the lift assembly and the motor shaft.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the receiving means further comprises a bore in the motor block coupling.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the stabilizing means further comprises the end of the rod having a u-shape member and a fastening means for securing the u-shape member to the motor block coupling.