Food product handling device, system, and related methods
AssigneeF.R. Drake Company
InventorsAndré G. Richards, Thomas Ivy, Keith W. Hopkins, George E. Reed
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A food product handling device is provided. The food product handling device can include a movable loading head having a plurality of rails and a vacuum system operatively associated with the head. In addition, a plurality of suction devices carried by the head and configured to pick up and transport a food product as the head is moved can be provided. A plurality of mounting blocks can be slidably coupled to the rails where at least one suction device is coupled to each mounting block. An actuating device can be operatively associated with the mounting blocks such that each mounting block is configured to slide between a first position and a second position.
Claims19
A food product system, comprising:
- a product supply device configured to receive a food product;
- a conveyor system configured to receive the food product from said product supply device;
- and
- a food product handling device configured to pick up and transport a plurality of food products from said product supply device to a food product receiving device, said food product handling device comprising
- a movable loading head having a plurality of rails,
- a vacuum system operatively associated with said movable loading head,
- a plurality of suction devices carried by said movable loading head and configured to pick up and transport the plurality of food products as said movable loading head is moved, wherein each of said suction devices is coupled to said vacuum system,
- a plurality of mounting blocks, each of the mounting blocks slidably coupled to said rails, wherein at least one of said suction devices is coupled to each of said mounting blocks, and wherein each of said rails engages an outer surface of each of said mounting blocks, and
- an actuating device operatively associated with said mounting blocks such that each of said mounting blocks is configured to slide between a first position associated with said conveyor system and a second position associated with said food product receiving device,
- said actuating device comprising a rotatable actuating pivot disposed on said movable loading head, an actuation pivot connector non-rotatably connected to said actuating pivot, and at least one actuating arm coupled to said actuation pivot connector and to at least two of said plurality of mounting blocks to provide actuation between the first position and the second position when a force is applied to said actuating pivot.
A food product system, comprising:
- a product supply device configured to receive a food product;
- a conveyor system configured to receive the food product from said product supply device;
- and
- a food product handling device configured to pick up and transport a plurality of food products from said product supply device to a food product receiving device, said food product handling device comprising
- a movable loading head,
- a vacuum system operatively associated with said head,
- a plurality of suction devices carried by said head and configured to pick up and transport the plurality of food products as said head is moved, wherein each suction device is coupled to said vacuum system, and
- a plurality of slidable mounting blocks, wherein at least one of said suction devices is coupled to each of said mounting blocks, and
- an actuating device operatively associated with said loading head, said loading head movable between a first position associated with said conveyor system and a second position associated with said food product receiving device;
- said actuating device comprising an actuating pivot disposed on said movable loading head and at least one actuating arm coupled to said actuating pivot, wherein said at least one actuating arm is coupled to at least two of said plurality of said mounting blocks to provide actuation between the first position and the second position when a force is applied to said actuating pivot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.