Food handling system
AssigneePatentsmith Corporation
InventorsDonald P. Smith, Michael J. Dobie, Alden B. Sparman, Sr., John R. Norris, Donald P. Lohr, Gerald Easterling, R. W. Taylor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for vending a hot food product wherein a sealed container is moved from a protective sleeve and deposited in an oven where heat is transferred to the container for initially melting a protective sealing film and then heating the food product. After the food product has been heated, the container is removed from the oven and reinserted into the protective sleeve prior to dispensing the heated food product.
Claims25
Package handling apparatus for movign a package from a refrigerated compartment comprising:
- package support means;
- a plurality of horizontally movable conveyors, each of said horizontally movable conveyors being adapted to carry a plurality of inactive stacks of packages;
- a plurality of elevators for supporting a plurality of active stacks of packages each of said elevators being positioned adjacent an end of one of said horizontally movable conveyors, the horizontally movable conveyors moving the inactive stacks of packages onto said elevators where they become active stacks of packages;
- means associated with each elevator for removing a package from an active stack of packages on one of said elevators and to deposit the removed package on said package support means.
Package handling apparatus according to claim 10, said elevator means comprising:
- a platform adapted to support a stack of packages;
- and means moving said platform vertically.
Package handling apparatus according to claim 11, said means for moving the platform vertically comprising:
- a pair of vertically extending rods;
- and means for securing one of said vertically extending rods to each side of said platform whereby movement of said rods imparts vertical movement to said platform.
An apparatus for moving stacks of packages in a storage compartment so that the stacks of packages are removed from the storage compartment in a same sequence in which the stacks of packages were loaded into the storage compartment, the apparatus comprising:
- a storage compartment having a side door for loading stacks of packages into the compartment and having a top door movable to permit removable of a package from the top of a stack of packages within said storage compartment;
- elevator means for indexing a stack of packages toward the top of said storage compartment so that the topmost package of the stack on said elevator means is removed through said top door of said storage compartment;
- and shuttle means fo indexing the stacks of packages loaded through said side door into said storage compartment toward said elevator means after the last package of the stack on said elevator means has been removed through the top door of said storage compartment, whereby the stacks of packages are moved to said elevator means in the same sequence in which the stacks of packages were loaded into said storage compartment.
The apparatus according to calim 14, wherein said picker means comprises:
- a gripper arm;
- gripper paddles;
- means for opening and closing said gripper paddles so that said gripper paddles grip and release a package;
- means for raising and lowering said gripper arm so that said gripper paddles reach through said top door of said storage compartment;
- and means for opening said top door of said storage compartment when said gripper paddles reach into said storage compartment.
The method of moving stacks of packages in a storage compartment so that the stacks of packages are removed from the storage compartment in a same sequence in which the stacks of packages were loaded into the storage compartment, the method comprising the steps of:
- positioning inside a storage compartment at least one elevator means for indexing a stack of packages so that the topmost package of the stack is removed through a first door of the storage compartment;
- for each elevator means, positioning inside the storage compartmetn a shuttle means for indexing stacks of packages onto the elevator means;
- loading stacks of packages onto the shuttle means inside the storage compartment through a second door in the storage compartment;
- indexing the stacks of packages onto the elevator means in the same sequence in which the stacks of packages were loaded into the storage compartment;
- removing the topmost package from the stack of packages on the elevator means through the first door of the storage compartment;
- indexing the stack of packages on the elevator means as the packages on the elevator means are successively removed;
- and
- indexing the stacks of packages onto the elevator means in the same sequence in which the stacks of packages were loaded into the storage compartment as the stacks of packages are successively removed.
Package handling apparatus for moving a package from within a storage compartment ot a staging position, said apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of elevators, for vertically moving stacks of packages;
- a destacker assembly for movign a package form one of the stacks of packages on said elevators to a staging assembly, said staging assembly for moving said package to a staging position;
- and a plurality of conveyors, each of said conveyors being positioned adjacent to one of said elevators and being adpated to carry at least one stack of packages to said elevator, the conveyors successively moving stacks of packages to said elevators as said destacker assembly depletes the stacks of packages on said elevators.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.