# US 11,027,868 B2 · Method for handling food portions with a rotation device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,868 B2 - Document ID: US11027868B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/230,141 - Filed: 2018-12-21 - Published: 2019-06-27 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-22 - Assignees: Weber Maschinenbau GmbH Breidenbach - Applicants: Weber Maschinenbau GmbH Breidenbach - Inventors: Joerg Schmeiser; Christoph Kuhmichel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027868B2 ## CPC - B65B 35/56: Orientating, i.e. changing the attitude of, articles, e.g. of non-uniform cross-section - B26D 7/32: for conveying or stacking cut product (means for removing cut-out material or waste B26D7/18) - B65B 25/06: Packaging slices or specially-shaped pieces of meat, cheese, or other plastic or tacky products - B65B 35/24: by endless belts or chains {(B65B35/205 takes precedence)} - B65B 35/30: Arranging and feeding articles in groups - B65B 35/44: by endless belts or chains {(B65B35/405 takes precedence)} - B65B 35/46: by rotary conveyors - B65B 35/50: Stacking one article, or group of articles, upon another before packaging - B65B 35/58: Turning articles by positively-acting means, e.g. to present labelled portions in uppermost position - B65G 47/244: by turning them about an axis substantially perpendicular to the conveying plane - B26D 2210/02: for cutting food products, e.g. food slicers - B65G 2201/0202: Agricultural and processed food products - B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00) - B26D: CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING (for growing crops or plants A01D, A01G; for fodder or straw A01F; for bulk butter A01J; for dough A21C; slaughtering A22B; for tobacco, cigars or cigarettes A24; marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; manufacturing footwear A43D; brushmaking A46D; surgery A61B; disintegrating, mincing or shredding in general B02C; cutting wire, making pins or nails B21F, B21G; of the kind used formetal B23; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; hand-held cutting tools B26B; perforating, cutting-out, stamping-out or punching, or severing by means other than cutting B26F; for wood B27; for stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices B65H35/00; for leather or upholstery B68, C14B; for glass C03B; making matches C06F; for peat C10F; for sugar C13B45/00; for textile materials D06H; civil engineering, building, mining, see Section E; for light guides G02B6/25; cutting processed photographic material G03D15/04) - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## Abstract The disclosure relates to an apparatus for handling food portions which comprises a first conveying device, a rotation device with a second conveying device forming a depositing surface which can be turned about a vertical axis, a third conveying device, and a control unit. The first conveying device is configured such that it can at least in regions be arranged above the rotation device. The control unit is adapted to control the first conveying device such that food portions are deposited in a format arrangement by the first conveying device from above onto the depositing surface of the rotation device, to control the rotation device to rotate the depositing surface with the food portions about the vertical axis, and to control the second conveying device to convey the turned food portions onward onto the third conveying device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for producing packaged food portions by way of a production line, the method comprising: slicing a food product to produce food portions; conveying the food portions along a conveying direction of the production line; arranging the food portions in a format arrangement; rotating the food portions arranged in the format arrangement using a rotation device that is integrated into the production line; and packaging the food portions; wherein slicing a food product to produce food portions comprises slicing a plurality of food products to produce food portions arranged in a plurality of lanes, and wherein at least two respective food portions from different lanes of the plurality of lanes are arranged in a single lane due to their rotation and then packaged together. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein arranging the food portions in the format arrangement comprises aligning the food portions relative to each other in a predetermined relative arrangement, this relative arrangement being maintained during rotation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising depositing the food portions arranged in the format arrangement onto a conveying device of the rotation device, wherein the conveying device has a conveying direction that is at an angle relative to the conveying direction of the production line while the food portions arranged in the format arrangement are deposited onto the conveying device, wherein the conveying device of the rotation device is then oriented such that the conveying direction of the conveying device points in the conveying direction of the production line, and wherein the food portions are then conveyed away from the rotation device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the food portions arranged in the format arrangement are conveyed onto the rotation device by way of a retraction belt, wherein a movable retraction roller of the retraction belt is moved at a relative speed in a conveying direction of the retraction belt to above the rotation device, and wherein the retraction belt is operated at a conveying speed which is adapted to the relative speed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the rotation device is adjusted in height before, during, and/or after the rotation to enable rotating and/or conveying the food portions arranged in the format arrangement. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the rotation device is movable in the conveying direction of the production line before, during, and/or after the rotation to enable rotating and/or conveying the food portions arranged in the format arrangement. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the rotation device is moved only within the production line. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein at least two respective food portions are grouped after slicing, and the grouped food portions are arranged in the format arrangement. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the food portions arranged in the format arrangement are rotated by the rotation device by 90°. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of food products include at least two different kinds of food products. ### Claim 11 A method for producing packaged food portions by way of a production line, the method comprising: slicing a food product to produce food portions; conveying the food portions along a conveying direction of the production line; arranging the food portions in a format arrangement; depositing the food portions arranged in the format arrangement onto a conveying device of a rotation device that is integrated into the production line, wherein the conveying device has a conveying direction that is at an angle relative to the conveying direction of the production line while the food portions arranged in the format arrangement are deposited onto the conveying device; rotating the food portions arranged in the format arrangement using the rotation device such that the conveying direction of the conveying device points in the conveying direction of the production line; conveying the food portions away from the rotation device; and packaging the food portions.