# US 11,304,423 B2 · Apparatus, system, and method for high speed production of food product > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,304,423 B2 - Document ID: US11304423B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/968,549 - Filed: 2018-05-01 - Published: 2019-11-07 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-01 - Assignees: Risco USA Corporation - Applicants: Risco USA Corporation - Inventors: Alan G. Miller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11304423B2 ## CPC - A22C 17/0006: {Cutting or shaping meat} - A22C 17/0093: {Handling, transporting or packaging pieces of meat} - A23P 30/00: Shaping or working of foodstuffs characterised by the process or apparatus (A23P10/00, A23P20/00 take precedence) - B65B 25/08: between layers or strips of sheet or web material, e.g. in webs folded to zig-zag form - A22C: PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH (preserving A23B; obtaining protein compositions for foodstuffs A23J1/00; fish, meat or poultry preparations A23L; disintegrating, e.g. chopping meat, B02C18/00; preparation of proteins C07K1/00) - A23P: SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS - 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) ## Abstract The present disclosure provides a mechanical system for providing a food product on a sheet of paper. The disclosed mechanical system includes an adjustable conveyor belt system that is configured to enable a puck of food product to land up-right. The angle (e.g., slope) of the adjustable conveyor belt system can be adjusted to account for variations in the size and shape of the puck. The disclosed mechanical system also includes a flattener that is configured to provide memory to the pressed pucks. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: an adjustable conveyor configured to carry a paper backing and receive, on the paper backing, a puck of product from a portioner positioned above the adjustable conveyor, wherein a slope of the adjustable conveyor relative to the portioner can be adjusted to allow the puck of product to be properly received from the portioner onto the paper backing; a first conveyor belt including a proximal end substantially adjacent to the adjustable conveyor, the first conveyor belt being configured to receive the paper backing and the puck of product from the adjustable conveyor; a second conveyor belt that is substantially co-planar with the first conveyor belt and including a proximal end that is near a distal end of the first conveyor belt; and a knife assembly mounted at least in part between the first and second conveyor belts, wherein the knife assembly comprises a die slot between the first and second conveyor belts, and a blade that is movable in a first direction perpendicular to the first plane from an upper position spaced in the first direction from the first and second conveyor belts to a lower position, wherein the knife assembly is configured to cut only the paper backing into a sheet of paper while the paper backing is transferred from the first conveyor belt to the second conveyor belt, thereby providing the puck of product on the sheet of paper. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the slope of the adjustable conveyor can be adjusted to accommodate changes to a speed of the portioner and/or a shape of the puck of product provided from the portioner. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the slope is within a range of 45 degrees and 90 degrees. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portioner comprises a knife system configured to drop the puck onto the paper backing carried by the adjustable conveyor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the knife system comprises a rotary knife. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the rotary knife comprises: a wall defining a slot; a rotary plate; and a knife including a first end, an intermediate portion, and a second end, the second end including a cutting blade, and the intermediate portion disposed between the first end and the second end; wherein the first end cooperates with the slot, and the intermediate portion is coupled to the rotary plate; and wherein the rotary plate is configured to move the intermediate portion along a circular pathway and is configured to reciprocatingly move the first end along the slot when the rotary plate is rotated. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a flattener including a powered press belt, wherein the powered press belt comprises a first roller, a second roller, and a third roller, wherein the first roller is positioned at a first vertical height, the second roller is positioned at a second vertical height, and the third roller is positioned at a third vertical height. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first roller is displaced horizontally from the second roller by a first distance, and the third roller is displaced horizontally from the second roller by a second distance. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the knife assembly is triggered to cut in-between a first puck and a second puck to provide the first puck and the second puck on a first sheet of paper and a second sheet of paper, respectively. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the knife assembly is triggered not to cut in-between the second puck and a third puck to provide the second puck and the third puck on the second sheet of paper. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a paper roller that is configured to provide the paper backing to the adjustable conveyor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the adjustable conveyor is configured to pull the paper backing from the paper roller. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second conveyor belts are mounted about respective first and second sets of rollers for alternately providing and taking up slack as the knife assembly, the distal end of the first conveyor belt, and the proximal end of the second conveyor belt move together laterally in a reciprocating manner.