Abstract:
A high capacity food processing system, including for an elongated strand of food product such as hot dogs, sausage links, etc., has first and second loading stations with serial accumulators enabling intermittent stopping of the loading operation, which is a necessary and normal part of use, without disrupting a downstream thermal process, and enabling differential conveyor velocities through the loading stations, including a loading velocity for loading food product on the conveyor, a bypass velocity during intermittent non-loaded conveyor segments, and a transport velocity through the processing station, wherein the transport velocity is less than the bypass velocity and greater than the loading velocity, and where the transport velocity remains constant and the same during both of the loading and bypass velocities of the conveyor at the loading stations and also remains constant and the same during stopped movement of the conveyor at the loading stations.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates to food processing systems for processing a food product including an elongated strand of food product in a casing having tubular segments serially joined by pinched connection segments, e.g. hot dogs, sausage links, etc.  
         [0002]     The invention arose during continuing development efforts directed toward subject matter such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,056,636, 6,086,469, and 6,523,462, all incorporated herein by reference. In such systems, strands of sausage are made on high speed machines by extruding meat emulsion into an elongated casing. The meat-filled casing is then twisted to create sausage links. The link strand is then discharged from the sausage making machine. Loops of sausage comprising a plurality of links are deposited on moving hooks of a conveyor chain. The ultimate length of a given strand is determined by the length of the casing being filled. When a casing has been filled, the sausage making machine is stopped; the casing is tied off or closed to prevent any meat emulsion from exiting the rearmost end of the casing; a new casing is then placed in position to be filled; the machine is re-started and the cycle repeats itself. The linked and looped sausage strand or strands are periodically removed from the conveyor chain or otherwise transported to a food processing station which cooks, smokes, chills and/or otherwise treats the sausage strand before packaging for final delivery to the consumer. Any inefficiency in the process translates into increased cost of production which is reflected in the price of the products to the consumer.  
         [0003]     The present invention is directed to improvements in the above noted system including providing higher capacity and other manufacturing efficiencies.  
         [0004]     The above noted system is accomplished with a single sausage casing stuffing and linking machine and loading station for the conveyor. A first significant function of the loading apparatus is to properly present the sequence of conveyor chain hooks to the stuffing/linking machine so as to produce a stuffed and linked casing of finite length which is consistently and uniformly draped over the series of hooks, for example, as set forth in noted incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,462. A second significant function of the loading apparatus is to allow for constant velocity movement of the conveyor chain from the loading apparatus through the thermal processing portion of the system while permitting intermittent stopping of the conveyor chain at the stuffing/linking device at the loading station, for example as set forth in incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,469.  
         [0005]     In one aspect of the present invention, both of the above noted functions of the loading apparatus are preserved, while incorporating a second sausage stuffing/linking machine and a second loading station. The addition of a second stuffing/lining machine increases the conveyor processing system production capacity. The conveyor travels at a higher speed proportional to the increased production rate. The present system allows for non-synchronized intermittent and differential conveyor chain velocity at the two stuffing/linking devices.  
         [0006]     In one embodiment, the system provides first and second loading stations, and first and second buffers receiving the outputs of the first and second loading stations, respectively. The first buffer includes first and second, input and output, conveyor chain accumulators, and the second buffer includes third and fourth, input and output, conveyor chain accumulators. The exit of the third accumulator from the second buffer is not routed to the second loading station, but rather to the first accumulator of the first buffer. The conveyor chain travels serially from the thermal processing station to the third accumulator of the second buffer then to the first accumulator of the first buffer then to the first loading station then to the second accumulator of the first buffer then to the second loading station then to the fourth accumulator of the second buffer then returns to the thermal processing station. A first segment of the chain is loaded with food product at the first loading station, and then a second trailing segment of the chain is indexed past the first loading station at a high rate of speed without product loading. The second loading station loads the empty segments of the conveyor chain not loaded by the first loading station, and then advances the chain at a higher velocity past the segments already containing food product loaded from the first station. The accumulators allow for independent starting, stopping and differential chain velocities at the loading stations, while maintaining constant and uninterrupted chain velocity through the thermal processing station. Periodically stopping the stuffing/linking device at the loading station is a necessary and normal part of its use. Increased food product capacity per conveyor chain length is achieved because two stuffer/linker machines are simultaneously loading on a single conveyor chain. To enable higher speed indexing and advancement of the chain, the loading stations are equipped with retractable lift cams which lift the hooks to an upwardly pivoted position for food product loading, and which retract to allow the hooks to remain in a downwardly depending non-cammed position to facilitate faster movement through the loading station during high speed indexing of the chain.  
         [0007]     In another embodiment, the accumulators of the first buffer are synchronized with the accumulators of the second buffer to allow loading from only one of the loading stations, where less capacity is needed, or where a single stuffing/linking machine can keep up the production rate for the particular product in the current run, or where one of the stuffing/linking machines is shut down for maintenance or the like. In the preferred embodiment, with both stuffing/linking machines operating, the production rate is greater than that of a single loader system. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a schematic plan view of a processing system in accordance with the invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a loading station showing a conveyor chain hook in a cammed upwardly pivoted loading position.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the loading station of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a loading station showing a conveyor chain hook in a non-cammed non-loading position.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a side view like  FIG. 3  but shows the conveyor chain hook in the downwardly depending non-cammed non-loading position.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view from below showing the lift cam in an extended position for camming the conveyor chain hooks to an upwardly pivoted loading position as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is like  FIG. 6  but shows the cam in the retracted position to allow the conveyor chain hooks to remain in the downwardly depending non-cammed non-loading position of  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a high capacity processing system  10  for processing a food product, and includes first and second loading stations  12  and  14 , each of which is like that shown in incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,469, including a sausage making machine provided by a stuffer/linker  16 ,  18 , respectively, each producing an elongated strand of food product in a casing having tubular segments serially joined by pinched connection segments, for example as shown in  FIG. 1  of incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,462, and  FIG. 11  of incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,469. First and second strand loading exits  12  and  14  are adjacent respective first and second discharge exits  20  and  22  of respective first and second strand producing machines  16  and  18 . The loading stations may be monitored by operators such as shown at  24 ,  26 . A conveyor  28  provided by the chain shown in the noted incorporated &#39;462 and &#39;469 patents traverses around first and second sprockets  30  and  32  at respective first and second strand loading stations  12  and  14 . A plurality of J-shaped hooks, schematically shown at  34  in  FIG. 1  and shown in  FIGS. 2-7  herein, and shown in the noted incorporated &#39;462 and &#39;469 patents, are mounted to chain  28  for receiving the strand of food product at a respective stranding loading station, all as set forth in the incorporated &#39;462 and &#39;469 patents. The chain traverses serially through the first and second strand loading stations  30  and  32 .  
         [0016]     A first buffer  36  has first and second accumulators  38  and  40 , and is like that set forth in the incorporated &#39;469 patent as shown in  FIG. 3  therein. A second buffer  42  has third and fourth accumulators  44  and  46  and is also like that shown in the incorporated &#39;469 patent. First and second buffers  36  and  42  are arranged such that chain  28  traverses serially through third accumulator  44  then through first accumulator  38  then around first sprocket  30  through first strand loading station  12  then through second accumulator  40  then around second sprocket  32  through second strand loading station  14  then through fourth accumulator  46 . Each of the accumulators has an inlet and an outlet and enables differential chain velocity at its respective inlet and outlet, as is known.  
         [0017]     First accumulator  38  has a first set of fixed sprockets  48 , and a second set of moveable sprockets  50  moveable toward and away from the first set of fixed sprockets  48 . In the orientation of  FIG. 1 , moveable sprockets  50  are moveable left and right, toward and away, respectively, from fixed sprockets  48 . For further reference, attention is directed to chain take-up assembly  20  in  FIGS. 1-3  of the incorporated &#39;469 patent. Second accumulator  40  includes a second set of fixed sprockets  52 , and a second set of moveable sprockets  54  moveable toward and away from the second set of fixed sprockets  52 . In the orientation of  FIG. 1 , moveable sprockets  54  move rightwardly toward fixed sprockets  52 , and leftwardly away from fixed sprockets  52 . Third accumulator  44  includes a third set of fixed sprockets  56 , and a third set of moveable sprockets  58  moveable toward and away from the third set of fixed sprockets  56 . In the orientation of  FIG. 1 , moveable sprockets  58  move leftwardly toward fixed sprockets  56 , and move rightwardly away from fixed sprockets  56 . Fourth accumulator  46  includes a fourth set of fixed sprockets  60 , and a fourth set of moveable sprockets  62  moveable toward and away from the fourth set of fixed sprockets  60 . In the orientation of  FIG. 1 , moveable sprockets  62  move rightwardly toward fixed sprockets  60 , and move leftwardly away from fixed sprockets  60 . The first and second sets of moveable sprockets  50  and  54  are linked by a common rigid subframe member  64 , as in the incorporated &#39;469 patent, and move in unison such that the first set of moveable sprockets  50  move rightwardly away from the first set of fixed sprockets  48  when the second set of moveable sprockets,  54  move rightwardly toward the second set of fixed sprockets  52 . Likewise, the first set of moveable sprockets  50  move leftwardly toward the first set of fixed sprockets  48  when the second set of moveable sprockets  54  move leftwardly away from the second set of fixed sprockets  52 . The third and fourth sets of moveable sprockets  58  and  62  are linked by a common rigid subframe member  66  and move in unison such that the third set of moveable sprockets  58  move rightwardly away from the third set of fixed sprockets  56  when the fourth set of moveable sprockets  62  move rightwardly toward the fourth set of fixed sprockets  60 , and likewise the third set of moveable sprockets  58  move leftwardly toward the third set of fixed sprockets  56  when the fourth set of moveable sprockets  62  move leftwardly away from the fourth set of fixed sprockets  60 .  
         [0018]     First buffer  36  has first and second buffer modes. First and second accumulators  38  and  40  move in unison in the first buffer mode, with the first set of moveable sprockets  50  moving rightwardly away from the first set of fixed sprockets  48  and taking-up chain, and the second set of moveable sprockets  54  moving rightwardly toward the second set of fixed sprockets  52  and paying-out chain, as in the incorporated &#39;469 patent. First and second accumulators  38  and  40  move in unison in the noted second buffer mode, with the first set of moveable sprockets  50  moving leftwardly toward the first set of fixed sprockets  48  and paying-out chain, and the second set of moveable sprockets  54  moving leftwardly away from the second set of fixed sprockets  52  and taking-up chain, as in the incorporated &#39;469 patent. Second buffer  42  has third and fourth buffer modes. Third and fourth accumulators  44  and  46  move in unison in the third buffer mode, with the third set of moveable sprockets  58  moving rightwardly away from the third set of fixed sprockets  56  and taking-up chain, and the fourth set of moveable sprockets  62  moving rightwardly toward the fourth set of fixed sprockets  60  and paying-out chain. Third and fourth accumulators  44  and  46  move in unison in the noted fourth buffer mode, with the third set of moveable sprockets  58  moving leftwardly toward the third set of fixed sprockets  56  and paying-out chain, and the fourth set of moveable sprockets  62  moving leftwardly away from the fourth set of fixed sprockets  60  and taking-up chain.  
         [0019]     A thermal processing station or system  68  has an inlet  70  receiving chain  28  from outlet  72  of fourth accumulator  46 , and has an outlet  74  returning the chain to inlet  76  of third accumulator  44 . Processing station  68  may include one or more processing functions or stations such as cooking, smoking, chilling, etc., as in the incorporated &#39;469 patent, and includes an unloading station as at  18  in the incorporated &#39;469 patent for returning unloaded chain to inlet  76  of accumulator  44 . System  10  has a loading-down-time accumulation mode wherein at least one of the first and third accumulators  38  and  44  take-up chain and at least one of second and fourth accumulators  40  and  46  pays-out chain such that chain movement to inlet  70  of processing station  68  and from outlet  74  of processing station  76  continues, while chain movement at at least one of the loading stations  12  and  14  is stopped.  
         [0020]     The noted first through fourth accumulators, including the noted second accumulator  40  in series between first and second strand loading stations  12  and  14 , enable first and second chain velocities through each of the first and second strand loading stations. The first chain velocity provides a loading chain velocity during which food product is loaded on the chain. The second chain velocity provides a bypass chain velocity during which food product is not loaded on the chain. The bypass velocity is greater than the loading velocity. System  10  has a first mode wherein food product is loaded on the chain at the first strand loading station  12  while the chain is moving at the noted loading chain velocity, to provide a first segment of chain  28  loaded with food product, and when the first segment reaches the second strand loading station  14 , the chain is advanced through second loading station  14  at the noted bypass chain velocity without food product loading by second loading station  14 . System  10  has a second mode wherein the chain is advanced through first loading station  12  at the noted bypass chain velocity without food product loading by first loading station  12 , to provide a second empty segment of chain unloaded with food product and in series with the noted first segment of chain. When the noted second segment of chain reaches second loading station  14  the chain is advanced through second loading station  14  at the noted loading chain velocity with food product loading by second loading station  14 . As chain  28  leaves first loading station  12 , it has a plurality of intermittent segments comprising a first set of segments comprising the noted first segments loaded with food product and a second set of empty segments comprising the noted second segments unloaded with food product. The second segments are spaced by respective first segments therebetween. As the chain leaves second strand loading station  14 , it has the noted second segments loaded with food product, in addition to the noted first segments loaded with food product. The chain has a transport chain velocity at outlet  72  of fourth accumulator  46  and at inlet  70  of processing station  68  and at outlet  74  of processing station  68  and at inlet  76  of third accumulator  44 . The noted transport chain velocity remains constant and the same during each of the noted first and second modes of system  10 , including the noted loading and bypass chain velocities, and also remains constant and the same during the noted stopped chain movement at either or both of the loading stations  12  and  14 . The transport chain velocity is less than the bypass chain velocity and greater than the loading chain velocity.  
         [0021]     Chain  28  traverses in a horizontal plane around each respective sprocket  30  and  32  at each respective loading station  12  and  14 . The noted plurality of hooks  34  are pivotally mounted to chain  28  by respective studs  78 ,  FIG. 2 , as in the incorporated &#39;462 patent at hooks  72  pivotally mounted to chain  42  at studs  64  and traversing around sprocket  44 . Each hook has a first orientation  34   a  depending downwardly from the chain, and a second upwardly pivoted orientation  34   b  for loading food product thereon from rotating discharge loop or horn  80  of the stuffer/linker strand producing machine, as in the incorporated &#39;462 patent. System  10  has a loading mode at the loading station loading food product onto hooks  34 . The system has a bypass mode leaving hooks  34  empty at the loading station without loading food product thereon. Chain  28  moves at the noted loading chain velocity during the loading mode, and at the noted bypass chain velocity during the bypass mode. As previously noted, the bypass chain velocity is greater than the loading chain velocity. A retractable cam  82  is provided at each loading station and is extendable and retractable between an extended loading position as shown in  FIGS. 2, 3 ,  6 , and a retracted bypass position as shown in  FIGS. 4, 5 ,  7 . Retractable cam  82  is like cam  80  in the incorporated &#39;462 patent, except that cam  82  is extendable and retractable between the noted extended loading position and the retracted bypass position, respectively. Cam  82  in the noted extended loading position cams hooks  34 ,  FIGS. 2, 3  from the noted first orientation  34   a  to the noted second orientation  34   b , comparably to the camming of hooks  72  in the incorporated &#39;462 patent. Cam  82  in the retracted bypass position,  FIGS. 4,5 , leaves hooks  34  in the noted first orientation  34   a , i.e. depending downwardly and non-cammed, to allow the hooks to move through the loading station around the respective sprocket  30 ,  32  without being cammed to the noted second orientation  34   b  (upwardly pivoted), to permit the hooks to move through the loading station in the noted first orientation  34   a  at the noted bypass chain velocity. Cam  82  is horizontally moveable along a track  84 ,  FIGS. 6, 7 , beneath the respective sprocket  30 ,  32 . In one embodiment, cam  82  is mounted to an extensible and retractable plunger  86  of a cylinder or solenoid  88  to move between the noted extended position,  FIG. 6 , and the noted retracted position,  FIG. 7 .  
         [0022]     As noted above, conveyor chain  28  traverses serially through first and second loading stations  12  and  14 . In one loading-down-time accumulation mode, accumulator  38  takes-up the conveyor, and accumulator  40  pays-out the conveyor, and conveyor movement is stopped at first loading station  12  and at outlet  90  of accumulator  38  and at inlet  92  of accumulator  40 . In another loading-down-time accumulation mode, accumulator  44  takes-up the conveyor, and accumulator  48  pays-out the conveyor, and conveyor movement is stopped at at least second loading station  14  and at outlet  94  of accumulator  40  and at inlet  96  of accumulator  46 . In a further loading-down-time accumulation mode, accumulator  44  takes-up the conveyor, accumulator  46  pays-out the conveyor, and conveyor movement is stopped at loading station  14  and at outlet  94  of accumulator  40  and at inlet  96  of accumulator  46  and at loading station  12  and at outlet  90  of accumulator  38  and at inlet  92  of accumulator  40 . The noted first through fourth accumulators, including the noted second accumulator  40  in series between first and second loading stations  12  and  14 , enable first and second conveyor velocities through each of the first and second loading stations, the first conveyor velocity providing the noted loading velocity during which food product is loaded on the conveyor, the second conveyor velocity providing the noted bypass velocity during which food product is not loaded on the conveyor. System  10  has the noted first mode wherein food product is loaded on the conveyor at first loading station  12  while the conveyor is moving at the noted loading velocity to provide the noted first segment of the conveyor loaded with food product, and when the first segment reaches second loading station  14  the conveyor is advanced through second loading station  14  at the noted higher bypass velocity without food product loading by second loading station  14 . System  10  has the noted second mode wherein the conveyor is advanced through first loading station  12  at the noted bypass velocity without food product loading by first loading station  12 , to provide a second empty segment of conveyor unloaded with food product and in series with the noted first segment, and when the second segment reaches second loading station  14  the conveyor is advanced through second loading station  14  at the noted loading velocity with food product loading by second loading station  14 . The conveyor as it leaves first loading station  12  has a plurality of intermittent segments comprising the first set of segments comprising the noted first segments loaded with food product, and the noted second set of empty segments comprising the second segments unloaded with food product. The second segments are spaced by respective first segments therebetween. The conveyor as it leaves second loading station  14  has the noted second segments loaded with food product, in addition to the noted first segments loaded with food product. System  10  has a third mode wherein conveyor movement at first loading station  12  is stopped, while conveyor movement continues to inlet  70  of processing station  68  and from outlet  74  of processing station  68 . System  10  has a fourth mode wherein conveyor movement at second loading station  14  is stopped, while conveyor movement continues to inlet  70  of processing station  68  and from outlet  74  of processing station  68 . Conveyor  28  has the noted transport velocity at outlet  72  of accumulator  46  and at inlet  70  of processing station  68  and at outlet  74  of processing station  68  and at inlet  76  of accumulator  44 . The transport velocity remains constant and the same during each of the noted four modes of system  10 . The transport velocity remains constant and the same during both of the noted loading and bypass velocities of the conveyor at the loading stations  12 ,  14 , and also remains constant and the same during the noted stopped movement of the conveyor at the loading stations  12 ,  14 . As above noted, the transport velocity is less than the bypass velocity and greater than the loading velocity. The loading/bypass/accumulation section is subject to the demands of the conveyor in the thermal processing station  68 , which can override the loading/bypass/accumulation in order to maintain constant and uniform conveyor speed through thermal processing station  68 . First and second loading stations  12  and  14  can simultaneously load food production a single conveyor  28 .  
         [0023]     It is recognized that various equivalents, alternatives, and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.