Abstract:
A foodstuff collating apparatus having a plurality of discrete channels within which foodstuffs are collated. The apparatus is elevated at one end to provide a slide for the foodstuff with the channels converging from one end of the apparatus to the other. As the foodstuff slides down a channel, the former is oriented from a random position to an ordered vertical disposition.

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Ser. No. 08/990,840 filed Dec. 15, 1997. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to collating apparatus for collating loose articles and more particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for arranging and/or collating articles into a neat orderly array and a method of employing the apparatus. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many different forms of collating arrangements are known in the art and one of the chief drawbacks of those existing arrangements is realized with the degree of labour intensity. Generally speaking, several personnel are involved in handling the articles to eventually be packaged and this often leads to difficulties in terms of damaged goods as well as complications with respect to health standards. Further limitations revolve around the fact that the additional personnel add labour costs to the overall process. 
     One of the references which is representative of the arrangements in this art is U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,398, issued Apr. 13, 1993 to Clugston for an apparatus designed for unscrambling sealed containers. In the apparatus, the Clugston device incorporates a water tank filled with water and containers to be unscrambled are passed in a scrambled manner into the water container and eventually lowered into the intake of the vessel. It is indicated in the specification that the containers are passed from the conveyor and distribution and movement of the containers occurs on an unscrambler bed. Distribution and movement is facilitated by pressurized fluid supplied by nozzles  44 . The pressurized gas or fluid urges the containers onto slide plates  14 , which are downwardly inclined relative to the discharge point of the unscrambler bed. The articles are then slidably transported to a further stage referred to as a lane transition section. The Clugston reference, although teaching a useful apparatus, incorporates fairly involved procedure for transporting the articles. It is submitted that this arrangement is useful only in situations where the articles are hermetically sealed. This would have little use, if any, to collate foodstuffs which are assembled into an array and packaged at a downstream operation. 
     A further example of generally related art in this field is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,271, issued Sep. 28, 1971, to Pilat. The arrangement taught in this patent is directed to a coin wrapping machine, which incorporates a ramp for transportation of the coins. The Pilat reference, although having the ramp transportation system, would not be an effective arrangement to transport foodstuffs in view of the fact that it has been specifically designed for transportation of small articles, in this case, coins. 
     Other references of general relevance to the subject matter set forth herein, include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,186,652, 2,250,427, 4,105,108, and 5,123,516. 
     It would be desirable if there were a method for collating loose articles into an orderly array which is significantly less labour intensive and which reduces the contact between the product and the personnel packaging the product. 
     The present invention is directed to solving the difficulties as set forth herein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for collating loose articles into an orderly array. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of collating loose articles from a relatively disordered state, comprising the steps of: 
     providing a plurality of channels having a width dimension, the channels for slidably transporting the articles, the channels having a receiving end for receiving the articles and a discharge end for discharging the articles, each channel having a width dimension, diagonal wall, opposed wall and top edge, each channel having a generally sawtooth configuration adjacent the receiving end with the width dimension progressively decreasing from the receiving end to the discharge end, the receiving end being elevated relative to the discharge end; 
     introducing the articles at the receiving end at any orientation relative to the channels; 
     sliding the articles down a respective channel to progressively orient the articles; and 
     discharging the articles in an ordered array. 
     Any number of channels may be employed in the arrangement and this will depend upon the volume of article to be packaged among other factors. The channel may be formed of any suitable material having a low coefficient of friction in order to ensure quick transportation of the product from the receiving end of the apparatus to a discharge end. To this end, the receiving end will be elevated relative to the discharge end in order to provide a “ramp effect” and thus facilitate sliding of the article down the channel. Suitable materials for construction of the channels include aluminum, Teflon TM suitable plastics or other suitable metals acceptable to the food industry and also providing the necessary degree of friction. As a further feature, the temperature of the channels may be controlled (heated, cooled) depending upon the type of product to be collated. 
     The channels may include pegs, cams or some additional element on the top edges in order to reposition, for example, a potato patty from a generally horizontal position relative to the channel to a position where the patty is vertically oriented within the channel. This may also be achieved by providing a texture on the top edge of the channels or simply having different material on adjacent top edges to provide a different coefficient of friction. This will ensure that any randomness in the orientation of the product is eliminated by the edging to reposition the article. In this manner, the channels provide a self-aligning feature for the articles contacting them. 
     A further object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a method of collating loose unpackaged food articles from a relatively disordered state, comprising the steps of: 
     providing a plurality of channels having a width dimension, the channels for slidably transporting the articles, the channels having a receiving end for receiving the articles and a discharge end for discharging the articles, each channel having a width dimension, diagonal wall, opposed wall and top edge, each channel having a generally sawtooth configuration adjacent the receiving end with the width dimension progressively decreasing from the receiving end to the discharge end, the receiving end being elevated relative to the discharge end; 
     introducing the articles at the receiving end at any orientation relative to the channels; 
     sliding the articles by gravity along edges of the channels while simultaneously repositioning the articles into the channels; 
     orienting the articles within a respective channel during the sliding from a non-vertical altitude to a substantially vertical altitude; and 
     discharging the articles in an ordered array for packaging. 
     Having thus described the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an overall schematic illustration depicting a sorting, collecting and packaging procedure; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus according to one embodiment; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is a section along line  4 — 4  of FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     Similar numerals in the Figures denote similar elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 broadly illustrates a sorting, collecting and packaging system in schematic form. 
     The articles, in this example, patties, may be ovular or rectangular, are typically discharged into a freeze tunnel conveyor from previous processing operations (not shown). The articles are unpackaged in the example. The freeze tunnel is broadly denoted by numeral  10 . From the freeze tunnel  10 , the articles are passed on to a dispensing conveyor  12  which orients the patties from travelling widthwise to a lengthwise arrangement. Inspectors  14 , in the conveyor line  12 , typically examine the patties for quality assurance purposes and remove any broken or otherwise inferior patties. The patties are then passed on to the collating apparatus, broadly denoted by numeral  16  to be discussed hereinafter in much greater detail. From the collating apparatus  16 , the patties are then conveyed via conveyor  18  to a packaging machine  20 , which receives trays  22  in timed sequence in order to charge a tray  22  with patties. The charged trays  24  are then passed on to, for example, a shrink wrap machine  26 . Having thus generally described the overall process sequence, reference will now be made in greater detail to the collating apparatus  16  shown best in FIGS. 2,  3  and  4 . 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a top plan view of the collating apparatus  16  with parts removed for clarity. As is illustrated, the collating apparatus includes a receiving end  30  and a discharge end opposed therefrom and denoted by numeral  32 . The collating apparatus  16  includes a plurality of discrete channels  34  regularly spaced from one another and extending from the receiving end  30  to the discharge end  32 . Channels  34  each have a width dimension broadly denoted by numeral  36  in FIG. 2, which width dimension progressively decreases from the receiving end  30  to the discharge end  32  such that the overall apparatus  16  converges from the receiving end to the discharge end. In this convergent pattern, the width dimension within any channel remains constant relative to an adjacent channel. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a section along line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2 which depicts the channels  34  in a generally sawtooth formation. As is illustrated, each channel includes a first substantially vertical wall  38  and a diagonally oriented wall  40 , the orientation being relative to the vertical wall  38 . Diagonal wall  40  terminates in a substantially horizontal base wall segment  42  and further includes a second vertical wall  44 , which is at approximately 90° relative to partial wall  42  and in a parallel and spaced relationship with wall  38 . In this manner, at least at the receiving end and somewhat spaced therefrom, the channels start with a straight wall  38 / 44  and an inclined wall  40 . The spacing between the channels  34  is less than the length of the patty P, but greater than the width of the patty P. 
     Generally proximate end  32 , the inclined wall  40  in each channel  34  is substantially vertical. This is illustrated in FIG.  4 . The transition from an angular wall  40  to its substantially vertical orientation is progressive along the length of channel  16  as is illustrated in FIG.  2 . In this manner, the patty P moves along the collating apparatus  16 , it is moved from a generally inclined form to a vertically oriented disposition. This facilitates arranging the patty P into an orderly array at end  32  for subsequent charging into a tray  22  as broadly illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     In order to achieve this, the collating apparatus  16  and more particularly, the end  30 , is elevated somewhat relative to end  32 . The elevation may be from about 20° to about 40° or greater relative to the horizontal. By providing the elevation, this facilitates sliding of the patties P down the channels from end  30  to  32 . 
     In operation, the patties P generally enter the receiving end of the apparatus  16  at the various orientations relative to one another. This is typically random and is illustrated in FIG. 2 where one patty is between channels  34  whereas the other is disposed in a cross channel form. By providing the arrangement of the channels  34  as illustrated in FIG. 3, this random disposition is solved simply by having the patty P fall into the channel  34 . It is then automatically turned on its side by virtue of the configuration of the channel  34  as it travels down the inclined apparatus  16  by gravity. In order to ensure that the cross channel patties positively are oriented on a side such as that shown in FIG. 3, small pegs  46  may be employed at the crest or the juncture of walls  38  and  40 . By providing pegs  46 , if the article is cross channel or riding the crests, the pegs ensure reorientation or repositioning to the form shown in FIG. 3, i.e. the patty is on an edge within the channel  34 . This occurs simultaneously as the patty is advanced by sliding. 
     It is clearly envisioned in the absence of pegs  46 , the top edges of channels  34  may be composed of materials having different coefficients in order to induce the proper disposition of the patty P into the channel  34 . Other forms of locating may be employed such as means for vibrating the channels  34 , cammed internal surfaces inter alia. 
     FIG. 3 shows in chain line, the gradual change in attitude of the patty P as the same travels the course of the channel  34 . 
     The present invention thus alleviates the need superfluous personnel in the packaging procedure and further avoids excessive handling by personnel of the product to be packaged. 
     It will be appreciated by those skilled that although potato patties have been indicated to be the article, the apparatus and methodology are amenable to any article that may be packaged. 
     Although embodiments of the invention have been described above, it is not limited thereto and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications form part of the present invention insofar as they do not depart from the spirit, nature and scope of the claimed and described invention.