Patent ID: 8651261

Claim:
A method of launching tubular food product toward a loading head for said tubular product, comprising the steps of: supplying product from a dual hopper equipped product supply at a selected feed rate from a product supply contained in a first hopper of said product supply; accepting and carrying product, on an intermediate product belt, supplied from said first hopper of said dual hoppers in said product supply and carrying said product through an excess product rake; removing excess and misaligned product from said intermediate belt; returning said removed product to a second of said dual hoppers in said dual hopper equipped product supply; supplying product from said second of said dual hoppers in said product supply; receiving product from said second hopper in said product supply onto a pick belt running alongside said intermediate belt, said pick belt feed rate being separately controlled from the feed rate of said intermediate belt; and, removing and replacing defective product on said intermediate belt post rake at an inspection station positioned along said respective belts, said inspection station replacing product on said intermediate belt with product selected from said pick belt.