Patent ID: 6520734
Filing Date: 2003-02-18
Classification: A21C,B65G,Y10S

Abstract:
A tortilla stacker (10), comprising:A) a plurality of interchangeable canister assemblies (12), each of the canister assemblies having a unique combination of number and size of canister openings (12A), with the canister assemblies (12) adapted and arranged to be interchangeably installed in the stacker (10) at a canister assembly location (14) adjacent an upper conveyor (20); B) a plurality of stackers (16), each stacker (16) comprising at least one of a plurality of stacker subassemblies (16A) positioned adjacent to the canister assembly location (14), each stacker subassembly comprising a stacker cylinder (16AA) having a movable stacker cylinder head (16AAA) attached to a rear distal end of a horizontal stacker plate (16B) which inserts and retracts beneath the canister assembly location (14); C) a plurality of lifts (18), each lift (18) comprising at least one of a plurality of lift subassemblies (18A) positioned directly below the canister assembly location (14), each lift subassembly (18A) comprising a lift cylinder (18AA) having a movable lift cylinder head (18AAA) attached to a lower distal end of a horizontal lift plate (18B) which raises and lowers beneath the canister assembly location (14); D) an upper conveyor (20) horizontally positioned in alignment with the canister assembly location (12A), the upper conveyor (20) comprising a rotatable upper conveyor belt (20A) upon which incoming tortillas are placed; E) a lower conveyor (22) positioned between the lift subassemblies (18) and the canister assembly location (14), the lower conveyor (22) comprising at least one lower conveyor (22A), the lower conveyor (22) adapted and arranged to permit the horizontal lift plate (18B) to deposit a tortilla stack on the lower conveyor (22); and F) a configuration sensor (24) controlling the stacker subassemblies (16A) and lift subassemblies (18A), the configuration sensor (24) adapted to program simultaneous operation of certain ones of the stacker subassemblies (16A) and lift subassemblies (18A) in order to configure the stackers (16) and lifts (18) to a configuration of a canister assembly (12) installed in the canister assembly location (14).