Method and apparatus for forming and hermetically sealing slices of food items
DCFirst Claim
1. A process for producing individually wrapped slices of processed cheese, comprising the steps of:
- continuously advancing a web comprised of a polypropylene thermoplastic material having a sealant layer;
forming the polypropylene web into a tubular web;
applying heat to the polypropylene thermoplastic material to form a longitudinal hermetic seal along the length of the tubular web;
inserting the processed cheese in a hot molten condition into the tubular web;
forming the cheese-filled tubular web into a generally slice-shaped cheese-filled web;
applying pressure at spaced intervals to opposite sides of the slice-shaped cheese-filled web to form a plurality of cross-sealing zones having substantially all of the cheese removed therefrom;
heating the cross-sealing zones to a temperature and for a time sufficient to form hermetic cross-seals;
whereby a plurality of hermetically sealed individually wrapped slices of cheese are produced, and the longitudinal seal and the cross-seals are peelable without delamination.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method are provided for forming a hermetically sealed package for a slice of a food item. A web of thermoplastic material is first formed into a tubular arrangement with a hermetic longitudinal seal. To form the tubular arrangement, means are provided for folding a continuous web of thermoplastic material into V-folded condition and for continuously forming a hermetic seal along the open longitudinal edge of the V-folded web. The hermetic seal is formed between the inner surfaces of the front and rear faces of the web to define a tubular web member. The food item which has been formed into a soft mass, is then inserted into the tubular member and the tubular member is flattened to form a thin film tube. Means are provided for forming a hermetically sealed cross-seal which are disposed substantially transverse to the longitudinal forward moving direction of the web.
112 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A process for producing individually wrapped slices of processed cheese, comprising the steps of:
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continuously advancing a web comprised of a polypropylene thermoplastic material having a sealant layer; forming the polypropylene web into a tubular web; applying heat to the polypropylene thermoplastic material to form a longitudinal hermetic seal along the length of the tubular web; inserting the processed cheese in a hot molten condition into the tubular web; forming the cheese-filled tubular web into a generally slice-shaped cheese-filled web; applying pressure at spaced intervals to opposite sides of the slice-shaped cheese-filled web to form a plurality of cross-sealing zones having substantially all of the cheese removed therefrom; heating the cross-sealing zones to a temperature and for a time sufficient to form hermetic cross-seals; whereby a plurality of hermetically sealed individually wrapped slices of cheese are produced, and the longitudinal seal and the cross-seals are peelable without delamination. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, 18)
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9. A process for producing individually wrapped slices of processed cheese, comprising the steps of:
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continuously advancing a web comprising a thermoplastic material; forming the thermoplastic web into a tubular web; applying heat to the thermoplastic material to form a longitudinal hermetic seal along the length of the tubular web; inserting the processed cheese in a hot molten condition into the tubular web; forming the cheese-filled tubular web between opposed moving surfaces to convert the cheese-filled tubular web into a generally slice-shaped cheese-filled web; applying pressure at spaced intervals to opposite sides of the slice-shaped cheese-filled web to form a plurality of cross-sealing zones having substantially all of the cheese removed therefrom; heating the cross-sealing zones to a temperature sufficient to form hermetic cross-seals; whereby a plurality of hermetically sealed individual packages entirely enclosing individual slices of cheese are produced, and the longitudinal seal and the cross-seals are peelable. - View Dependent Claims (10, 15, 16)
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11. A machine for producing individually wrapped slices of processed cheese, comprising:
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a film station for providing a continuously advancing web of polypropylene material; a device for forming the advancing polypropylene web into a tubular web; a heating station for applying heat to the polypropylene web to form a longitudinal hermetic seal along the length of the tubular web; a filling device for inserting hot molten cheese into the tubular web; an apparatus in which the cheese-filled polypropylene web is conveyed through opposed surfaces to form the cheese-filled tubular web into a generally slice-shaped cheese-filled web; and cross-seating apparatus for applying pressure at predetermined intervals to opposite sides of the slice-shaped cheese-filled web to form a plurality of cross-sealing zones having substantially all of the cheese removed therefrom, and for heating the cross-sealing zones to raise the temperature of the polypropylene web at the cross-sealing zones to a level and for a time sufficient to form hermetic cross-seals; whereby a plurality of hermetically sealed individually packages entirely enclosing individual slices of cheese are produced, and the longitudinal seal and the cross seals are peelable. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 19)
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20. A process for producing individually wrapped slices of a food item, comprising the steps of:
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continuously advancing a web comprising a polypropylene thermoplastic material with a sealant layer; forming the polypropylene thermoplastic web into a tubular web and continuously advancing the tubular web in a generally vertical orientation; applying heat to the polypropylene thermoplastic material to form a longitudinal hermetic seal along the length of the tubular web; inserting the food item in a molten condition into the tubular web; forming the food item-filled web into a slice-shaped food product; applying pressure at spaced intervals to opposite sides of the slice-shaped food item-filled web to form a plurality of cross-sealing zones having substantially all of the food item removed therefrom; heating the cross-sealing zones of the thermoplastic web to a temperature and for a time sufficient to form hermetic cross-seals; whereby a plurality of hermetically sealed individually wrapped slices of the food item are produced, and the longitudinal seal and the cross-seals are peelable without delamination.
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21. A machine for producing individually wrapped slices of processed cheese, comprising:
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a film station for providing a continuously advancing web comprised of a polypropylene thermoplastic material with at least one sealant layer; a device for forming the advancing polypropylene web into a tubular shape; a heating station for applying heat to the polypropylene web to form a longitudinal hermetic seal along the length of the tubular web; a filling device for inserting hot molten cheese into the tubular web; an apparatus oriented generally vertically in which the polypropylene web is conveyed through opposed surfaces to form the tubular web into a slice-shaped cheese-filled web; and cross-sealing apparatus for applying pressure at predetermined intervals to opposite sides of the slice-shaped cheese-filled web to form a plurality of cross-sealing zones having substantially all of the cheese removed therefrom, and for heating the cross-sealing zones to raise the temperature of the polypropylene web at the cross-sealing zones to a level and for a time sufficient to form hermetic cross-seals; whereby a plurality of hermetically sealed individually packages entirely enclosing individual slices of cheese are produced, and the longitudinal seal and the cross seals are peelable.
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22. A process for producing individually wrapped slices of processed cheese, comprising the steps of:
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continuously advancing a web comprised of polypropylene with a sealant layer; forming the polypropylene web into a tubular shape and continuously advancing the tubular web in a generally vertical orientation; applying heat to the polypropylene thermoplastic material to form a longitudinal hermetic seal along the length of the tubular web; inserting the processed cheese in a hot molten condition into the tubular web; forming the tubular web into a slice-shaped cheese product; forming a plurality of cross-sealing zones at spaced intervals to opposite sides of the slice-shaped cheese-filled web, the cross-sealing zones having substantially all of the cheese removed therefrom; and heating the cross-sealing zones to a temperature and for a time sufficient to thereby activate the sealant layer and form hermetic cross-seals; whereby a plurality of hermetically sealed individually wrapped slices of cheese are produced, and the longitudinal seal and the cross-seals are peelable without delamination of the polypropylene from the sealant layer.
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Specification