Apparatus and method for transferring multiple food product slices

An apparatus for preparation of food slice assemblies wherein each of the food slice assemblies includes a substrate and a plurality of distinct layers of multiple food product slices deposited on the substrate in a variety of predesignated patterns, the apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a conveyor assembly having an input end and an output end, the conveyor assembly including means for endlessly interconnecting said input end and output end by way of an endless belt;
• first and second slicing stations positioned sequentially along said conveyor assembly, each of said slicing stations including means for slicing multiple food product slices from a food product supply source,
• means for supplying a substrate to said conveyor assembly and to said first and second slicing stations in sequential order,
• said first station slicing means depositing a first layer of multiple food product slices in a predetermined pattern onto said substrate wherein said multiple food product slices of said first layer are arranged with respect to each other, said second station slicing means depositing a second layer of multiple food product slices in a second predetermined pattern onto said substrate to define two separate layers of multiple food product slices on said substrate in two predetermined patterns,
• at least one of said slicing means including means for transferring said slices from said slicing means to said substrate without substantially altering the predetermined pattern of said slices during transfer, said transfer means including a rotating member, said rotating member including pneumatic means for supplying negative air pressure to an outer surface of said rotating member to thereby adheres said slices in said respective predetermined pattern after slicing to said rotating member outer surface, said apparatus further including means for urging said predetermined pattern off of said rotating member outer surface and onto said substrate without substantially altering said predetermined pattern.

A method of transferring an array of food product slices consisting of multiple food product slices arranged in a preselected pattern onto a moving substrate without substantially altering the pattern, comprising the steps of:

• providing a food supply source having a plurality of food product supply members arranged within said supply source in said preselected pattern;
• providing a rotating member having a generally arcuate outer transfer surface proximate to the food supply source, the rotating member having means communicating a source of negative air pressure to a portion of said transfer surface;
• applying negative air pressure to said transfer surface portion to adhere an array of food product slices cut from said plurality of food product supply members in said preselected pattern;
• rotating said rotating member while adhering said array of food product slices until said array of slices is disposed opposite a substrate;
• and,
• urging said array of food product slices off of said rotating member transfer surface to deposit said array onto said substrate without substantially altering positions of said multiple food product slices within said array.

A method of transferring multiple food product slices arranged in a prearranged pattern from a slicing station where the multiple slices are sliced in the pattern from a supply source containing multiple food supply members of a dry, food product to a support member, without substantially altering said pattern, comprising the steps of:

• providing a food product supply source wherein multiple food product supply members are held in said pattern such that each food product supply member is arranged relative to all of said food product supply members;
• supplying said pattern of said food product slices to a food slice pattern pickup location by contacting said supply source with a slicing means;
• providing a rotating transfer member having a curved outer transfer surface adjacent the food slice pattern pickup location;
• engaging said pattern of food product slices on said transfer surface by having a vacuum at one area of said transfer member to adhere said food product slice pattern cut from said supply source onto said transfer surface;
• rotating said transfer member to transfer said food product slice pattern from said food slice pattern pickup location to a food slice pattern transfer location;
• and,
• urging said pattern of food slices off of said transfer member onto said support member within a predesignated target area defined thereon without substantially altering said pattern of food product slices.

A method for the production of food setups wherein the setups comprise several distinct layers of food product slices arranged vertically within a predesignated target area on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a food product supply source containing a set of food product supply members arranged within said source in a rearranged pattern;
• slicing a array of multiple food product slices from said food product supply source in said prearranged pattern;
• providing a rotatable transfer member proximate to said food product supply source, said transfer member having means to generate a vacuum on an outer surface thereof to adhere multiple food product slices thereon;
• adhering said prearranged pattern of slices to said rotatable transfer member outer surface and transferring said prearranged pattern of slices to a location opposite a conveyor means;
• depositing said prearranged pattern of slices onto said conveyor means without substantially altering said prearranged pattern;
• conveying said prearranged pattern of slices to subsequent locations disposed along said conveyor means, and;
• depositing at each of said subsequent locations, subsequent prearranged patterns of food product slices sliced from subsequent food product supply sources onto said prearranged pattern to form a set-up having multiple arrays of vertically disposed food product slices arranged in said prearranged patterns.

An apparatus for transferring a plurality of food product slices arranged in a prearranged pattern, the plurality of slices being cut by a slicing means from a multiple food product supply containing multiple food product supply members and transferring the slices to a predesignated deposit location without substantially altering positions of said multiple food product slices relative to each other, comprising:

• means for holding said multiple food product supply members in a arranged pattern;
• means for slicing said multiple food product supply members into discrete, multiple food product slices;
• means for transferring said multiple slices after slicing onto a substrate without substantially altering said prearranged pattern,
• wherein said transfer means includes a rotating member having an exterior transfer surface rotating around an inner core, said inner core including means for supplying negative air pressure to the rotating member core, said rotating member having a plurality of apertures disposed in the exterior transfer surface thereof which communicate said negative air pressure supply means with said exterior transfer surface to create a zone of adhesion on said exterior transfer surface sufficiently large enough to receive said multiple food product slices in said prearranged pattern.