Self-Clearing Dough Ball Loader
AssigneeLawrence Equipment, Inc.
InventorEric Clay Lawrence
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A comestible processing machine including a loader plate comprising a plurality of spaced apart openings passing through the loader plate, a first flattener and a second flattener pivotably attached to the loader plate at each of the openings, a sensor configured to detect a comestible disposed within one or more of the plurality of openings, and an actuator coupled to the loader plate and configured to assist in removal of the comestible from the one or more of the plurality of openings.
Claims20
A comestible processing machine, comprising:
- a loader plate comprising a plurality of spaced apart openings passing through the loader plate;
- a first flattener and a second flattener pivotably attached to the loader plate at each of the openings;
- a sensor configured to detect a comestible disposed within one or more of the plurality of openings;
- and
- an actuator coupled to the loader plate and configured to assist in removal of the comestible from the one or more of the plurality of openings.
A comestible processing machine, comprising:
- a frame;
- a conveyor belt supported on the frame;
- a loader plate movably coupled to the frame and movable relative to the conveyor belt;
- a loading tube aligned over an opening in the loader plate;
- a flattener pivotably attached to the loader plate adjacent to the opening;
- a sensor for detecting a comestible disposed within the opening;
- and
- an actuator coupled to the loader plate and configured to assist in removal of the comestible from within the opening.
A method for sensing and removing a comestible from a comestible processing machine, comprising the steps of:
- pivoting a pair of opposing flatteners into a closed position;
- transporting the comestible through a tube, onto upper surfaces of the opposing pair of flatteners, with the opposing flatteners in the closed position;
- pivoting the opposing flatteners in mutually opposite directions into an open position, with the comestible supported on the upper surfaces, and thereby creating an opening between the opposing flatteners through which the comestible may pass;
- pivoting the opposing flatteners to return them to the closed position;
- sensing whether a comestible is present in the opening and pivoting the opposing flatteners in mutually opposite directions into the open position;
- and
- removing the comestible from the opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.