Versatile enhanced production line for preparing and packaging food products

A method of manufacturing liquid, viscous, semisolid, solid or frozen food products which comprises;

• providing a conveyor that includes a plurality of spaced tray retainer bars thereon;
• providing a plurality of trays each comprising a polygonal member that includes a top surface for receiving the liquid, viscous, semisolid, solid or frozen food product, and a plurality of sidewalls wherein at least one sidewall includes a registration recess that is configured and dimensioned to receive at least a portion of a retaining bar of the endless conveyor;
• introducing the trays onto the endless conveyor by engaging the registration recess of a rear sidewall of the tray with a retaining bar that engages the recess;
• and
• moving the bar to move the tray to one or more product forming stations for forming the product on the trays;
• wherein the conveyor includes an endless chain and one or more tray support rails and the retainer bar includes a circumference that is configured and dimensioned to be received within the registration recess, and the method further comprises mounting the retainer bars on the conveyor so that the bars follow the chain to move into position into engagement with the tray for advancing the tray past the product forming station(s) and then moving below the tray to allow the tray to exit the conveyor.

A method of manufacturing liquid, viscous, semisolid, solid or frozen food products which comprises;

• providing a conveyor that includes a plurality of spaced tray retainer bars thereon;
• providing a plurality of trays each comprising a polygonal member that includes a top surface for receiving the liquid, viscous, semisolid, solid or frozen food product, and a plurality of sidewalls wherein at least one sidewall includes a registration recess that is configured and dimensioned to receive at least a portion of a retaining bar of the endless conveyor;
• introducing the trays onto the endless conveyor by engaging the registration recess of a rear sidewall of the tray with a retaining bar that engages the recess;
• and
• moving the bar to move the tray to one or more product forming stations for forming the product on the trays;
• wherein at least one sidewall of each tray includes the registration recess positioned to meet the at least one retaining bar of the conveyor irrespective of whether the tray is right-side up or is inverted.

A conveyor for advancing trays for manufacturing liquid, viscous semisolid, solid or frozen food products, which comprises:

• a conveyor that includes a plurality of spaced tray retainer bars thereon;
• and
• a plurality of trays each comprising a polygonal member that includes a top surface for receiving the viscous or semisolid food product, and a plurality of sides wherein at least one side includes a registration recess that is configured and dimensioned to receive at least a portion of a retaining bar of the conveyor;
• wherein the trays are introduced onto the endless conveyor by engaging the registration recess of a rear sidewall of the tray with a retaining bar that engages the recess;
• the conveyor and retaining bar move to move the tray to one or more product forming stations for forming the product on the trays;
• and
• the conveyor includes an endless chain and one or more tray support rails, with the retainer bar including a circumference that is configured and dimensioned to be received within the registration recess and being mounted on the conveyor so that the bars follow the chain to move into position into engagement with the tray for advancing or withdrawing the tray past the product forming station(s) and then disengage from the tray to allow the tray to exit the conveyor.

A conveyor for advancing trays for manufacturing liquid, viscous semisolid, solid or frozen food products, which comprises:

• a conveyor that includes a plurality of spaced tray retainer bars thereon;
• and
• a plurality of trays each comprising a polygonal member that includes a top surface for receiving the viscous or semisolid food product, and a plurality of sides wherein at least one side includes a registration recess that is configured and dimensioned to receive at least a portion of a retaining bar of the conveyor;
• wherein the trays are introduced onto the endless conveyor by engaging the registration recess of a rear sidewall of the tray with a retaining bar that engages the recess;
• and
• the conveyor and retaining bar move to move the tray,
• wherein the trays include the top surface of the polygonal member having a plurality of recesses or apertures for receiving a receptacle for holding the product and a bottom surface having recesses configured and dimensioned to receive different sized receptacles when the tray is inverted and is placed on the conveyor, wherein the recesses of the bottom surface are optionally aligned with the apertures of the top surface.