Automatic rack loader

Abstract

An apparatus and system for loading items onto a rack is described. The rack loading apparatus is includes a stuffer/clipper for making sausages, a belt conveyor for receiving a sausage from the stuffer/clipper and conveying the sausage to a rotary conveyor, the rotary conveyor comprising a plurality of stages and having a loading side for receiving a sausage and an unloading side for discharging a sausage, a rack comprising a frame supporting a plurality of trays, a positioner to align the rack with the unloading side, a controller to cause the rotary conveyor to align a one of the plurality of stages on the loading side with the belt conveyor to receive a sausage from the stuffer/clipper and to rotate the rotary conveyor to align the one of the plurality of stages on the unloading side with a one of the plurality of trays, and a load pusher to discharge the sausage off the one of the plurality of stages and onto the one of the plurality of trays, the pusher comprising a plurality of tabs extending on a rotatable arm. In another embodiment, a rack loading apparatus for loading other manufactured items is described.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.