US 9,630,786 B1Granted

Conveyor method and system for conveying and managing a food inventory

AssigneeKaren Sue Svejkovsky

InventorsP. Blake Svejkovsky, Kenneth C. Petri

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Abstract

A distribution conveyor having a proximal and a distal ends, a first and a second sides and one or more adjustable side-discharging flow control valves between the proximal and distal ends, and a recirculation conveyor having a proximal end, proximal to the distal end of the distribution conveyor, and a distal end proximal a redeposit section of the distribution conveyor, wherein the valves can discharge a portion of a source stream of product from the distribution conveyor to a receiving structure underneath each valve, wherein the distal end of the recirculation conveyor is positioned to recirculate a tail stream from the distal end of the distribution conveyor to a redeposit section of the recirculating conveyor, and wherein the distal end of the recirculation conveyor is positioned to return the tail stream to the distribution conveyor laterally offset to a centerline of the distribution conveyor for preferential discharge in the valve(s).

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of managing an inventory of a large plurality of individual portions of a perishable food product, comprising:

providing an distribution conveyor having a first side, a second side, a centerline therebetween, a proximal end to receive a source stream of a perishable product, a distal end to discharge a tail stream of the perishable product from the distribution conveyor, and one or more adjustable side-discharging flow control valves intermediate the proximal end and the distal end of the distribution conveyor, each of the one or more adjustable side-discharging flow control valves being adjustable to discharge, from the first side of the distribution conveyor, a controllable portion of the source stream of product to a corresponding receiving structure that is disposed below each of the one or more adjustable side-discharging flow control valves;
providing a recirculation conveyor having a proximal end, disposed proximal to the distal end of the distribution conveyor to receive the tail stream that is discharged from the distal end of the distribution conveyor, and a distal end positioned to discharge the tail stream of product from the recirculation conveyor onto a redeposit section of the distribution conveyor, the redeposit section of the distribution conveyor being intermediate the proximal end of the distribution conveyor and a nearest of the one or more adjustable side-discharging flow control valves and laterally offset from the centerline of the redistribution conveyor towards the first side of the distribution conveyor;
activating the distribution conveyor to move at least a portion of the source stream of the perishable product that is received at the proximal end of the distribution conveyor through the one or more adjustable side-discharging flow control valves and to the distal end of the distribution conveyor for discharge to the proximal end of the recirculation conveyor;
activating the recirculation conveyor to move the tail stream received at the proximal end of the recirculation conveyor to the distal end for discharge to the redeposit section of the distribution conveyor;
conveying the tail stream along the distribution conveyor to the one or more adjustable side-discharging flow control valves;
and
discharging the tail stream to the one or more receiving structures for being conveyed to a weighing and bagging machine.

4 more elements

An apparatus for use in managing an inventory consisting of a large plurality of individual perishable food portions, comprising:

a distribution conveyor having a proximal end, a distal end, a first side, a second side, a centerline intermediate the first side and the second side and at least one adjustable side-discharging flow control valve, along which a source stream of the individual perishable food portions is conveyable from the proximal end to the at least one adjustable side-discharging flow control valve;
and
a recirculation conveyor having a proximal end, positioned to receive a tail stream of the individual perishable food portions discharged from the distal end of the distribution conveyor, a distal end positioned to discharge the tail stream of the individual perishable food portions from the recirculation conveyor onto a redeposit section of the distribution conveyor that is intermediate the centerline and the first side of the distribution conveyor and intermediate the proximal end and the at least one adjustable side-discharging flow control valve.

A method of conveying a tail stream consisting of a large plurality of a perishable food product, comprising:

providing a distribution conveyor having a proximal end, a distal end, one or more adjustable side-discharging flow control valves therebetween, a first side, a second side and a centerline therebetween;
providing a recirculation conveyor having a proximal end, proximal to the distal end of the distribution conveyor, and a distal end;
activating the distribution conveyor;
activating the recirculation conveyor;
receiving a source stream consisting of a large plurality of perishable individual food portions on the proximal end of the distribution conveyor and conveying the source stream along the distribution conveyor to the one or more adjustable flow control valves;
discharging one or more portions of the source stream from the distribution conveyor to a receiving structure disposed proximal to each of the one or more adjustable flow control valves;
discharging a tail stream remaining on the distribution conveyor from the distal end of the distribution conveyor to the proximal end of the recirculation conveyor;
conveying the tail stream to the distal end of the recirculation conveyor;
and
discharging the tail stream from the distal end of the recirculation conveyor to a redeposit section of the distribution conveyor intermediate the proximal end and the one or more adjustable side-discharging flow control valves and offset from the centerline of the distribution conveyor in the direction of the first side of the distribution conveyor.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.