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US 8,910,776 B2Granted
Automated packaging systems with electric motor driven actuators for compression chambers
AssigneeTipper Tie, Inc.
InventorsDennis J. May, William M. Poteat, Samuel D. Griggs, Kim L. Poling, Derek L. Brown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods, systems, apparatus, devices and computer program products automatically package an object, such as, for example, whole muscle meat pieces, in a covering material. The devices include an automated compression assembly with an electric drive motor and a pusher assembly with an electric motor, preferably each electric motor is a servo motor. The systems/apparatus devices can include a programmably adjustable index and/or speed profile for the compression and/or pusher assembly.
Claims18
A packaging system, comprising:
- a frame supported by a floor;
- a product chute attached to the frame;
- a lower breech chute member residing upstream of the product chute attached to the frame, the lower breech chute member having an elongate axially extending arcuate cavity;
- an electric motor attached to the frame and residing above the lower breech chute member;
- an upper breech chute member with an elongate axially extending arcuate cavity in communication with the electric motor, wherein the upper breech chute is a breech press configured to controllably travel from a lockable home position above the lower breech chute member to one or more lower operative positions to engage the lower breech chute member and define a substantially cylindrical enclosed chamber of a substantially fixed diameter;
- and
- a pusher assembly aligned with the enclosed chamber and the product chute, the pusher assembly comprising:
- a pusher head;
- a shaft attached to the pusher head;
- a linear drive assembly in communication with the shaft;
- and
- an electric motor having an output rotor that is attached to the linear drive assembly to drive the linear drive assembly to reciprocate the pusher head between extended and retracted positions.
9 more elements
A method of packaging target product, comprising:
- directing an electric drive motor to move an upper breech chute member vertically straight downward from a detached position above and spaced apart from a cooperating lower breech chute member to engage the lower breech chute member;
- then
- compressing target product in the enclosed cavity using the upper breech chute member controlled by the electric drive motor and form a substantially cylindrical enclosed cavity between the upper and lower breech members;
- then
- automatically moving a pusher shaft with a pusher head along a pair of spaced apart horizontally extending guide rails, powered by an electric motor;
- advancing the pusher head through the enclosed cavity and in and/or through an aligned product chute in response to the advancing step;
- and
- discharging product from the product chute in response to the advancing step.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.