Methods, devices, and systems for securing or removing leading edge portions of moving food products

A method of moving food items to be cooked or cured through a food processor having an oven and a plurality of side by side travel lanes, comprising:

• concurrently transporting a plurality of strands of elongated food such that the elongated food strands travel over separate ones of side-by-side selectable predetermined travel lanes in a predetermined travel path in a food processor, the elongated food strands each starting with a leading edge portion that extends beyond the primary body portion of the food, and wherein the travel lanes each have a floor food support surface, the food strand in each lane residing on the respective floor support surface;
• blowing the leading edge portion of the food strands in a direction away from the floor support surface while the food strands are moving forward, each in its respective travel lane;
• and then
• deflecting the leading edge portion of the food strands so that they overlie and contact a portion of the primary body of the food item while the food strands are moving forward.

A device for manipulating leading edges of moving food, comprising:

• a food support floor having a portion that is configured to selectively permit the passage of forced gas therefrom;
• a pressurized gas source in fluid communication with the floor;
• and
• a deflecting member positioned downstream of the start of the portion of the floor that emits forced gas, said deflecting member disposed above said floor a predetermined distance, the distance corresponding to the height of a food item that, in operation, travels on the floor under said deflecting member, and wherein, in operation, the food continuously travels through the device causing the leading edge portion of the food item to be forced rearward of the primary direction of travel of the food and attached to the back of the food as the food moves through the device.

An apparatus for shaping or forming the leading edge portion of an elongated food product, comprising:

• means for advancing an elongated food item forward over a travel lane in a predetermined travel path in a food processing system, the elongated food item having a leading edge portion that extends beyond the primary body portion of the food, the travel lane having a floor food support surface, the food item residing on the floor support surface;
• means for blowing the leading edge portion of the food item in a direction away from the direction of travel while the food item is moving forward in the travel lane;
• and then
• means for deflecting the leading edge portion of the food item so that it overlies and contacts a portion of the primary body of the food item while the food item is moving forward.

An apparatus for processing elongated food product having a primary body portion and a leading edge portion, comprising:

• a food travel path comprising a plurality of side-by-side travel lanes, the travel lanes each comprising at least one moving floor configured to move an elongated food product in a predetermined travel path, wherein the food product is configured to travel over at least two of said travel lanes;
• a plurality of pick-up guides, a respective one for each of the travel lanes, positioned in cooperative communication with the moving floor, the pick-up guides having upwardly extending opposing sidewall portions and opposing food ingress and egress portions with a ramped portion extending therebetween;
• and
• a cutter disposed upstream of the pick-up guides above at least one of said travel lanes to controllably extend down a distance sufficient to remove the leading edge portion of the elongated food product before the product moves into the respective pick-up guide.