Poultry weighing and packing method
OwnerWilliam F. Altenpohl, Paul J. Altenpohlinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Poultry dropped from a conveyor line at a weighing station is automatically packed into containers by a container filling machine positioned below the weighing station. The birds guidingly received in the machine from the weighing station are rammed into an accumulator counted and dropped into a container that is supported and periodically reorientated on a turntable. When fully loaded with a measured number of birds, the container is displaced from the turntable by an empty container to begin another operational cycle. Signal feedback sensors and control logic synchronize automatic operation of the machine with movement of the conveyor line.
Claims9
In combination with a sorting mechanism having a conveyor from which objects are suspended by a plurality of carriers and means for releasing sorted objects from the carriers at a sorting station, a container filling machine, including inlet means operatively positioned relative to the sorting station for receiving sorted objects released from the carriers, accumulator means connected to the inlet means for storing said objects, ram means for displacing each of the sorted objects received in the inlet means into the accumulator means to compact the same, and guide means connected to the inlet means for positioning each of the objects in a predetermined orientation relative to the ram means prior to said displacement into the accumulator means, said carriers being spaced from each other by a predetermined distance along a path of travel of the conveyor, and means responsive to unloading of the sorted objects from the carriers at said sorting station for delaying operation of the ram means until the unloaded carrier is advanced by the conveyor a predetermined distance from the sorting station to synchronize operation of the machine with movement of the conveyor.
In combination with a sorting apparatus having means for conveying spaced carriers along a path of travel and means for unloading objects suspended by said carriers at a predetermined station, accumulator means for receiving the objects unloaded at the station, and means for delaying entry of each object into the accumulator means until the carrier from which the object is unloaded has been advanced a predetermined distance along said path of travel from the station.
In combination with a packing machine having a storage zone, means for continuously conveying commodities adapted to be packed by said machine past a predetermined station along a path of travel;
- means for sorting said commodities at said station;
- means for diverting the sorted commodities at said station from said path of travel to enable entry into said storage zone;
- said conveying means including carriers conveyed along said path of travel in spaced relation to each other from which the sorted commodities are unloaded and diverted toward the storage zone;
- and means for delaying entry of each of said diverted commodities into the storage zone until the carrier from which the commodity is unloaded is advanced a predetermined distance downstream from the station along said path of travel to synchronize operation of the machine with movement of said conveying means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.