Patent ID: 7390246

Claim:
An automated food handling system, comprising: (a) a plurality of elongated support members having a length and sized and configured to hold multiple loops, bights of an elongated food product thereon and/or multiple discrete lengths of draped elongated product thereon; (b) an automated winder configured to be cooperatively positioned and aligned with the discharge port of an extrusion and/or stuffer device configured to discharge-elongated food product therefrom, the automated winder comprising; an elongated arm having an associated length that is about equal to or greater than the length of the elongated support member, said elongated arm having opposing first and second end portions, wherein, in position, said first end portion is adapted to receive the elongated product thereon from the extrusion and/or stuffer device, wherein said second end portion is configured to release the elongated product therefrom after the product travels greater than a major portion of the length of the arm in a direction that is away from the extrusion and/or stuffer device; and a winding mechanism attached to said elongated arm, said winding mechanism being configured to cause said elongated arm to travel repetitively in a desired motion so that, in operation, the winding mechanism causes the elongated product to individually travel about one of the support members as it is released from the second end portion of the arm; (c) an automated positioning and advancing system for substantially continuously presenting and positioning in serial order a respective one of the plurality of elongated support members to the winding arm so that the winding arm is positioned in spaced apart cooperating alignment with the elongated support member and is able to load the support members with a plurality of loops or discrete lengths of the elongated food product; and (d) a packing mechanism for arranging suspended elongated product on the support member, the packing mechanism cooperably arranged and positioned with the automated positioning and advancing system, comprising: an elongated packing arm having an associated length and opposing first and second end portions, said first end portion being attached to a fork member, wherein, in operation, the fork member is adapted to periodically contact a portion of a suspended elongated product held on the support member; and a drive mechanism attached to the second end portion of the packing arm and configured to repeatedly move the packing arm in a predetermined motion so that the fork member serially moves in a cycle that includes moving in a first longitudinal direction, descending a desired vertical distance sufficient to cause the fork member to engage with the support member, moving in a second longitudinal direction opposite the first longitudinal direction with the fork member substantially horizontal and parallel to the orientation of the support member, then rising a distance to reside above the support member.