Meat slice stacking apparatus
OwnerWalter Edward Lotzinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The meat slice stacking apparatus includes a carrier on which meat slices are piled in discrete stacks and means for dropping successive meat slices onto the stacks; said dropping means including a trap which is alternately movable between a closed position in which it takes delivery of a meat slice from a transport and an open position in which it drops the meat slice onto the stack; the movements of the trap being governed by a sensor which senses meat slices on the transport as it carried them past a sensing station located to sense successive meat slices following the leading meat slices on the transport whereby to procure closing of the trap before said leading meat slices are respectively delivered to and seated on the trap.
Claims13
In meat slice stacking apparatus:
- a transport for conveying successive meat slices from a source to a delivery station;
- means at said source for loading successive meat slices on said transport in generally regularly spaced sequence;
- a trap at said delivery station alternately movable between a closed position for taking delivery of successive meat slices from said transport and an open position for releasing them sequentially to a stacking facility, said transport being operable at speeds and said meat slices being spaced on said transport to permit re-closing the trap following release of a meat slice as aforesaid before a succeeding meat slice is delivered thereto by said transport;
- a sensor located for sensing a meat slice being conveyed by said transport past a sensing location after a preceding meat slice has come to rest on said trap;
- mechanism operable by said sensor upon sensing a said meat slice to procure and maintain opening of the trap for the release of the said preceding meat slice to the stacking facility;
- and
- means for procuring re-closing of said trap after the release of said preceding meat slice and before delivery of another meat slice thereto.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.