Patent Publication Number: US-2013247512-A1

Title: Automated loader with cone horn

Description:
PRIORITY 
     This application claims priority from U.S. Patent Application No. 61/619,733, filed on Apr. 3, 2012, from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/624,720, filed Apr. 16, 2012, and from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/615,412, filed Mar. 26, 2012, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a device for loading material on an automated loader. The invention relates more specifically to a device for moving material into a bag, casing, or net, especially if there is a high coefficient of friction between the material to be loaded and the material of the bag, casing, or netting. 
     Many types of automated loaders are used to encase material in a bag. For example, the automated poultry loader described in United States Published Patent Application No. 2008/0022636 A1, Two-in-One Bagger, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, can be used to encase a whole dressed bird such as a chicken, turkey, or duck. A stack of bags are placed on a bag carriage and presented at the distal end of a pair of horns. A typical plastic bag  20 , as shown in elevation view in  FIG. 1 , has a bottom panel  22  and a top panel  24 , joined at three edges by heat, ultrasonic welding, or other means. Bottom panel  22  extends slightly farther than top sheet  24  due to extended portion  26 . A perforation line  28  defines the border between bottom panel  22  and extended portion  26 . Plastic bag  20  is typically made of polyethylene film and may have three to ten percent ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) as a stretch agent. 
     Two apertures  30  are punched in extended portion  26 . For automated loading operations, a stack  32  of bags  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , etc., is connected by a wicket  34 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . In use, material such as a dressed chicken is loaded into top bag  20   a  and perforation line  28  separates, leaving the dressed chicken encased in bottom panel  22  and top panel  24 . Extended portion  26  remains with stack  32  and is disposed of when stack  32  is depleted. Extended portion  26  is therefore waste. 
     In a conventional poultry loader as known in the prior art, an air nozzle initially opens the top bag  20   a . Top bag  20   a  is pulled over the pair of horns, or the horns are inserted into top bag  20   a . The horns are separated such as by rotation in a plane, to stretch top bag  20   a  open, or the horns are separated by axial rotation to stretch top bag  20   a  open. In either case, top bag  20   a  has to be opened enough to be pulled over the horns or to receive the horns. 
     A ram then pushes poultry, such as a whole dressed chicken, into stretched-open top bag  20   a . The ram continues to push the chicken through the horns, in some cases using a hooker pusher like the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,178,310, Poly-stretch Bagger System with Hocking Pusher, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. As the chicken is pushed through the horns, it pushes against the bottom of top bag  20   a , causing it to come off the horns as well and collapse around the chicken. 
     When the chicken is pushed into top bag  20   a  by the ram, however, the chicken encounters plastic on the bottom and top and steel on two sides. There is a fairly high coefficient of friction between the skin of a dry, dressed Chicken (or other poultry) and a plastic bag made of polyethylene or similar plastic. Accordingly, there is a tendency for the chicken to tear the bag as the ram pushes it into the bag, which slows production considerably. Chicken baggers could ameliorate the situation by bagging wet chicken, but consumers would not appreciate it. Consumers prefer to purchase dry chicken, so chicken baggers have a marketing incentive to bag the chickens in a dry state. Similar concerns apply to other material that is bagged in a similar manner. 
     The present invention addresses these and other deficiencies of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An improved automated loader has a cone horn to prevent or minimize contact between the chicken and the bag. The loader has a loading tube and the tube has a cone horn comprising a plurality of plates configured to form a cone, each one of the plurality of plates attached to the proximal end of the loading tube by a spring-loaded hinge, each hinge biased radially inward. 
    
    
     
       A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The organization and manner of the structure and operation of the invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying non-scale drawings, wherein like reference numerals identify like elements in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an elevation view of a plastic bag used in automated loading operations. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a stack of the plastic bags of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side perspective view of the loader of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is another side perspective view of the loader of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  a view of a dimpled steel as used in an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 6 and 7  are views of other dimpled steel as used in an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the loading tube of the loader of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 9  is a diagrammatic view of dual cylinder system of an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a diagrammatic front view of the dual cylinder system of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 11  is a diagrammatic side view of a ram carriage and a portion of the loader tube as used in an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS 
     While the invention may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and herein will be described in detail, specific embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to that as illustrated and described herein. The embodiments of the present invention will be described as part of a bag opener to be incorporated in an automated poultry loader. The present invention, however, can also be used on loaders for bagging and/or netting whole poultry, cut-up poultry, or whole muscle meat products, on other applications in which a material is enclosed in a casing, bag, or netting, such as sealants, adhesives, and explosives, or for any other application in which a bag must be opened in order to insert material to be bagged. 
     The preferred embodiment of the automated loader of the present invention is shown in elevation schematic view in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Loader  40  comprises in pertinent part a frame  42 , a loading tube  44 , a dual cylinder ram system  46 , a bag carriage assembly  48 , and a cone horn  50 , 
     Loading tube  44  is a hollow cylinder mounted to frame  42  and configured to receive a whole dressed chicken  60 . Preferably, loading tube  44  is about 480 mm in diameter, in order to accommodate large birds such as turkeys. Loading tube  44  has a cutout  62  at its distal end  64 , in order to receive poultry from the side, as by conveyor belt, roller tray, or other conveyance, or by manual placement. 
     Proximal end  66  of loading tube  44  is connected to cone horn  50 . Cone horn  50  comprises a plurality of plates  70  forming a cone pointing away from loading tube  44 . Preferably, there are three or more plates  70 , but two can be used as well. 
     Plates  70  are connected to loading tube  44  by spring-loaded hinges  72  which are biased radially inward. When pushed from inside loading tube  44 , plates  70  spring outward; when pressure is released, plates  70  return to their inward position. Plates  70  are preferably formed so that, when in the biased position, they generally form the shape of a cone. Accordingly, plates  70  are somewhat curved but can be flat as well. 
     Tube  44 , plates  70 , and hinges  72 , are preferably made of stainless steel. Plates  70  are more preferably made of highly polished stainless steel, even more preferably dimpled, highly polished stainless steel, with the dimples or textures on the inner surface of plates  70 . Preferably, the dimpled or textured stainless steel is diamond-shaped textured stainless steel, such as HS Item Number R813000041, available from McNichols Co., Tampa, Fla., or type 4.WL, available from Mechanical Metals, Newtown, Pa. A representative diamond-shaped texture is shown schematically in  FIG. 5 . Other textures can be used as well, such as the ones shown, by way of example and not by way of limitation, in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . Preferably, all plates  70  have dimpled inner surfaces, but a cone horn  50  could have dimpled steel on fewer than all plates  70 . 
     In another aspect of the invention, plates  70  are coated on the inner surface with a slippery synthetic substance. Most preferably, the substance is a thermoplastic polymer, preferably polytetrafluoroethylene, most preferably one of the materials sold under the brand name Teflon® by E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates. Any other slippery substance can be used as well. The use of a slippery synthetic substance will permit bagging of dry poultry. Nevertheless, the apparatus can also be used with wet poultry and therefore will be more useful to users than an apparatus that can only be used with one or the other. Preferably, all plates  70  have coated inner surfaces, but a cone horn  50  could have coated inner surfaces on fewer than all plates  70 . 
     In yet another aspect of the invention, plates  70  are made of steel dimpled on the inner surface and the inner surface is also coated with a slippery synthetic substance as described above. 
     In yet another aspect of the invention, tube  44  is formed of dimpled steel, with the dimples or textures on the inner surface of tube  44 . Additionally, tube  44  can have its inner surface coated with the slippery substance described above. Moreover, tube  44  can be formed of dimpled steel, with the dimples or textures on the inner surface and the inner surface also being coated with a slipper synthetic substance as described above. 
     Dual cylinder ram system  46  is preferably a pair of dual-action air-operated cylinders, a first ramming cylinder  76  and a second hocking cylinder  78  mounted on frame  42 . A conventional ram, using a single air-actuated cylinder, could be used but for faster operation, a pair of air cylinders  76 ,  78  is preferred in order to have hocking capability. More preferably, dual cylinder ram system  46  comprises ramming cylinder  76  and second hocking cylinder  78  mounted on a ram carriage  80 , which is mounted on an electrically-powered conveyor belt  82 , which is mounted on frame  42 . A compressed air supply  84 , either directly from an air compressor or from a plant compressed air supply, operate either the single cylinder or dual cylinders  76 ,  78 . Belt  82  preferably is powered by electrical motor  83 . 
     Bag carriage assembly  48  is preferably as described in the &#39;310 patent or the &#39;636 publication. A stack  32  of bags  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , etc., is mounted to bag carriage assembly  48  and secured thereon by wicket  34 . Bag carriage assembly  48  is located as the proximal end  84  of frame  42 . Bag carriage  48  raises to present top bag  20   a  adjacent cone horn  50 . An air nozzle  86  directs a stream of compressed air at the lip  88  formed where top panel  24  to top bag  20   a  terminates, slightly opening lip  88 . Bag carriage assembly  48  then moves inside frame  42 , pulling top bag  20   a  over cone horn  50 . 
     When a chicken is placed in cutout  62 , bag carriage assembly  48  operates to pull top bag  20   a  over cone horn  50 . Ram system  46  begins to actuate, prompted either manually or by an electronic or analog controller, shown in  FIG. 3  as a wireless electronic controller. Cylinder  76  strokes forward, so that ram head  90  on first ramming cylinder  76  encounters chicken  60  and begins to push chicken  60  through tube  44 . When chicken  60  arrives at proximal end  66 , chicken  60  begins to push plates  70  outward, further stretching top bag  20   a.    
     At this point, second hocking cylinder  78  actuates and strokes forward. The hocking head  92  on second hocking cylinder  78  encounters the legs  94  of chicken  60  and hocks them. As second hocking cylinder  78  continues to actuate, chicken  60  is pushed against the bottom of top bag  20   a  and through cone hone  50 . As chicken  60  clears cone horn  50 , top bag  20   a  collapses about chicken  60 . Now-bagged chicken  60  is taken away, manually or by a conveyor belt, roller tray, or similar conveyance, for further processing, such as weighing and clipping. 
     Both air cylinders  76 ,  78  retract and plates  70  return to their biased positions, re-forming the cone shape of cone horn  50 . Loading tube  44  is now ready to receive another chicken. 
     In another aspect of the invention, dual cylinder system  46  further comprises a ram carriage  80  mounted on an electrically-powered conveyor belt  82 , as shown in  FIG. 11 . Conveyor belt  82  is powered by motor  83 . Dual cylinder system  46  as described above is mounted on ram carriage  80 . 
     When a chicken is placed in cutout  62 , bag carriage assembly  48  operates to pull top bag  20   a  over cone horn  50 . Belt conveyor  82  rotates to move ram carriage  80  moves from a first position, remote from loading tube  44 , to a second position adjacent loading tube  44 . This movement begins to push chicken  60  through loading tube  44  as ram head  90  on first ramming cylinder  76  encounters chicken  60 . When ram carriage  80  arrives at its second position, first ramming cylinder  76  actuates, continuing to push chicken  60  through loading tube  44  and into cone horn  50 . As chicken  60  moves into cone horn  50 , plates  70  are pushed outward, further stretching top bag  20   a.    
     At this point, second hocking cylinder  78  actuates. The hocking head  92  on second hocking cylinder  78  encounters the legs  94  of chicken  60  and hocks them. As second hocking cylinder  78  continues to actuate, chicken  60  is pushed against the bottom of top bag  20   a  and through cone hone  50 . As chicken  60  clears cone horn  50 , top bag  20   a  collapses about chicken  60 . Now-bagged chicken  60  is taken away, manually or by a conveyor belt, roller tray, or similar conveyance, for further processing, such as weighing and clipping. 
     Bag carriage assembly  48  returns to its first position, both air cylinders  76 , 78  retract, and ram carriage assembly  80  returns to its first position. Plates  70  return to their biased positions, re-forming the cone shape of cone horn  50 . Loading tube  44  is now ready to receive another chicken. 
     While preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown and described, it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.