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US 4,532,751 AGranted
Automatic sheet product line
AssigneeOscar Mayer Foods Corporation
InventorsTimothy G. Mally, James A. Rattmann, Alvin Borsuk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A product line is provided for forming a sheet product composed of products such as bacon slices resting on a pre-cut thin substrate such as a sheet of paper. The substrate sheets are pre-cut to a predetermined length, and a flow of individual products and a flow of pre-cut sheets are coordinated such that the products deposit onto the pre-cut sheets in a predetermined pattern. The line may also include an assembly for reducing the flow rate of the thus formed sheet products, after which the reduced flow is conveyed to a stacking assembly for forming stacks of sheet products of a preselected size.
Claims28
An apparatus for automatically forming and stacking sheet products, comprising:
- means for feeding a substrate web to a cutter assembly;
- means for providing a conveyed flow of products having a preselected spacing pattern including a gap between a grouping of said products;
- means for monitoring said conveyed flow of products and for signaling said cutter assembly to sever the substrate web to a pre-cut substrate length defined by severance gaps and to provide the pre-cut substrate length to a substrate supply assembly in timed sequence with said conveyed product flow means;
- an intersection at which said substrate supply assembly operatively intersects with said conveyed product flow means, and said timed sequence being such that said grouping of products from the conveyed product flow means is deposited onto said pre-cut substrate length and such that said gap of the preselected spacing pattern generally coincides with one of said severance gaps, thereby forming a sheet product;
- means for conveying a flow of said sheet products from said intersection of the substrate supply assembly and the conveyed product flow means;
- means for reducing the rate of said flow of sheet products;
- and
- means for stacking the reduced rate flow of sheet products into a stack of a plurality of sheet products.
5 more elements
An apparatus for automatically forming sheet products, comprising:
- means for feeding a substrate web to a cutter assembly;
- means for providing a conveyed flow of products having a preselected spacing pattern including a gap between a grouping of said products;
- means for monitoring said conveyed flow of products and for signaling said cutter assembly to sever the substrate web to a pre-cut substrate length defined by severance gaps and to provide the pre-cut substrate length to a substrate supply assembly in timed sequence with said conveyed product flow means;
- means for operatively intersecting said substrate supply assembly and said conveyed product flow means, said timed sequence being such that said grouping of products from the conveyed product flow means is deposited onto said pre-cut substrate length and such that said gap of the preselected spacing pattern generally coincides with one of said severance gaps, thereby forming a sheet product.
1 more element
An apparatus for automatically forming and stacking sheet products, comprising:
- means for feeding a substrate web to a cutter assembly;
- means for providing a conveyed flow of products having a preselected spacing patern including a gap between a grouping of said products;
- means for monitoring said conveyed flow of products and for signaling said cutter assembly to sever the substrate web to a pre-cut substrate length defined by severance gaps and to provide the pre-cut substrate length to a substrate supply assembly in timed sequence with said conveyed product flow means;
- an intersection at which said substrate supply assembly operatively intersects with said conveyed product flow means, and said timed sequence being such that said grouping of products from the conveyed product flow means is deposited onto said pre-cut substrate length and such that said gap of the preselected spacing pattern generally coincides with one of said severance gaps, thereby forming a flow of sheet products;
- and
- means for stacking the flow of sheet product into a stack of a plurality of sheet products.
3 more elements
A method for automatically forming and stacking sheet products, comprising:
- feeding a substrate web to a web cutting location;
- providing a conveyed flow of products having a preselected spacing pattern including a gap between a grouping of said products;
- monitoring said conveyed flow of products and signaling severance of the substrate web to a pre-cut substrate length defined by severance gaps;
- providing the pre-cut substrate length to a substrate supply assembly in timed sequence with the conveyed flow of products;
- operatively intersecting the pre-cut substrate with the conveyed flow of products, said timed sequence being such that said grouping of products is deposited onto the pre-cut substrate length and such that the gap between the grouping of products generally coincides with one of the severance gaps, thereby forming a sheet product;
- conveying a flow of said sheet products for reducing the rate of flow thereof;
- and
- stacking the reduced rate flow of sheet products into a stack of a plurality of sheet products.
5 more elements
A method for automatically forming sheet products, comprising:
- feeding a substrate web to a web cutting location;
- providing a conveyed flow of products having a preselected spacing pattern including a gap between a grouping of said products;
- monitoring said conveyed flow of products and signaling severance of the substrate web to a pre-cut substrate length defined by severance gaps;
- providing the pre-cut substrate length to a substrate supply assembly in timed sequence with the conveyed flow of products;
- and
- operatively intersecting the pre-cut substrate with the conveyed flow of products, said timed sequence being such that said grouping of products is deposited onto the pre-cut substrate length and such that the gap between the grouping of products generally coincides with one of the severance gaps, thereby forming a sheet product.
3 more elements
A method for automatically forming and stacking sheet products, comprising:
- feeding a substrate web to a web cutting location;
- providing a conveyed flow of products having a preselected spacing pattern including a gap between a grouping of said products;
- monitoring said conveyed flow of products and signaling severance of the substrate web to a pre-cut substrate length defined by severance gaps;
- providing the pre-cut substrate length to a substrate supply assembly in timed sequence with the conveyed flow of products;
- operatively intersecting the pre-cut substrate with the conveyed flow of products, said timed sequence being such that said grouping of products is deposited onto the pre-cut substrate length and such that the gap between the grouping of products generally conicides with one of the severance gaps, thereby forming a flow of sheet products;
- and
- stacking the flow of sheet products into a stack of a plurality of sheet products.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.