A feeder for feeding a food product to a packaging machine, including a forming station for forming a food product into a pat of a desired configuration. An upper conveyor overlapping a lower conveyor for receiving a food product there between to conform the food product into a desired thickness and move the food product into the forming station. An elongated knife is disposed transversely to the discharge ends of the upper and lower conveyor belts for cutting the food product into a pat of a desired width and forming a first longitudinal side wall of the forming station. A movable wall located opposite to the knife to form a second longitudinal side wall of the forming station. A support conveyor forms the base of the forming station to support the food product while being formed into a pat and then advancing the formed pat to a takeaway apparatus.
An apparatus for the continuous ohmic thermal treatment of a fluid product includes a conduit defining a longitudinal flow path for the product to be treated extending between an inlet and an outlet. The conduit includes a first and a second heating chamber that are disposed longitudinally along an axis and arranged in sequence, with each heating chamber including a first electrode and a second electrode, separated by an electrical insulating member. The first electrode is located near the inlet or the outlet of the conduit, and the second electrode is located in an intermediate zone of the conduit. A first and a second rotor extend into the first chamber and the second chamber, respectively, and are rotatable about the longitudinal axis. A support system is configured to support in the radial direction the first and second rotors at the intermediate zone of the conduit.
An infeed chamber or channel 12 receives fish fillets 17 from a conveyor belt 13 of an infeed system 14. A plunger 16 pushes the fish 17 upwardly from the infeed channel 12 into an upper compression chamber 18 which includes one or more cavities or lobes 20 into which the fish is pushed by the plunger 16 thereby to fill the lobes 20. Pistons 28 are advanced into the lobes to eject the formed fish cakes 24 out of the lobes and into container cans 30. The end position of the plunger 16 is monitored and measured, and the control system utilizes this information to operate the feed system wherein the fish fillets 17 are loaded into the infeed chamber. In this manner, the volume of fish 17 loaded into the infeed chamber can be controlled so that at the end of the plunger stroke, only a minimum amount of fish 17 remains within the compression chamber 18, thereby avoiding the residual fish 17 to be compressed more than twice.
B65B 1/24 - Reducing volume of filled material by mechanical compression
B65B 25/06 - Packaging slices or specially-shaped pieces of meat, cheese, or other plastic or tacky products
B65B 3/12 - Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles by application of pressure to material mechanically, e.g. by pistons or pumps
B65B 57/02 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages
B65B 57/00 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices
An aseptic filler apparatus (30) includes an actuatable fitment plug assembly (500) that may be placed against the bottom of a fitment collar, which is in communication with a flexible bag to be filled with flowable food products, thereby to prevent steam or other gasses or liquids from entering the fill bag when undesirable to do so. The plug assembly (500) includes a plug (502) mounted on a distal end portion of a pivot arm (504). The opposite end of the pivot arm is rotatably axled on a cross pin. A linear actuator (518) is connected to the distal end of a lug (512) projecting transversely from the pivot arm. The opposite end of the linear actuator (518) is pinned to a stationary location, enabling the actuator to pivot the plug (502) from an engaged position against the fitment collar and a retracted position away from the fitment collar.
B65B 55/02 - Sterilising, e.g. of complete packages
B65B 3/04 - Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles
B65B 7/02 - Closing containers or receptacles deformed by, or taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. bags, sacks
B65B 31/02 - Filling, closing, or filling and closing, containers in chambers maintained under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure or containing a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas
B65B 39/00 - Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers
B65B 39/10 - Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers adapted to support containers or wrappers by means of clamps operating automatically
B65B 39/12 - Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers movable towards, or away from, container or wrapper during filling or depositing
B65B 55/10 - Sterilising wrappers or receptacles prior to, or during, packaging by liquids or gases
B65B 57/00 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices
An aseptic filler apparatus (30) includes an actuatable fitment plug assembly (500) that may be placed against the bottom of a fitment collar, which is in communication with a flexible bag to be filled with flowable food products, thereby to prevent steam or other gasses or liquids from entering the fill bag when undesirable to do so. The plug assembly (500) includes a plug (502) mounted on a distal end portion of a pivot arm (504). The opposite end of the pivot arm is rotatably axled on a cross pin. A linear actuator (518) is connected to the distal end of a lug (512) projecting transversely from the pivot arm. The opposite end of the linear actuator (518) is pinned to a stationary location, enabling the actuator to pivot the plug (502) from an engaged position against the fitment collar and a retracted position away from the fitment collar.
B65B 55/02 - Sterilising, e.g. of complete packages
B65B 7/02 - Closing containers or receptacles deformed by, or taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. bags, sacks
B65B 3/04 - Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles
B65B 31/02 - Filling, closing, or filling and closing, containers in chambers maintained under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure or containing a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas
B65B 39/00 - Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers
B65B 39/10 - Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers adapted to support containers or wrappers by means of clamps operating automatically
B65B 39/12 - Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers movable towards, or away from, container or wrapper during filling or depositing
B65B 55/10 - Sterilising wrappers or receptacles prior to, or during, packaging by liquids or gases
B65B 57/00 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices
An aseptic filler apparatus (30) includes an actuatable fitment plug assembly (500) that may be placed against the bottom of a fitment collar, which is in communication with a flexible bag to be filled with flowable food products, thereby to prevent steam or other gasses or liquids from entering the fill bag when undesirable to do so. The plug assembly (500) includes a plug (502) mounted on a distal end portion of a pivot arm (504). The opposite end of the pivot arm is rotatably axled on a cross pin. A linear actuator (518) is connected to the distal end of a lug (512) projecting transversely from the pivot arm. The opposite end of the linear actuator (518) is pinned to a stationary location, enabling the actuator to pivot the plug (502) from an engaged position against the fitment collar and a retracted position away from the fitment collar.
B65B 55/02 - Sterilising, e.g. of complete packages
B65B 55/10 - Sterilising wrappers or receptacles prior to, or during, packaging by liquids or gases
B65B 31/02 - Filling, closing, or filling and closing, containers in chambers maintained under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure or containing a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas
B65B 3/04 - Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles
B65B 7/02 - Closing containers or receptacles deformed by, or taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. bags, sacks
B65B 39/12 - Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers movable towards, or away from, container or wrapper during filling or depositing
B65B 39/10 - Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers adapted to support containers or wrappers by means of clamps operating automatically
B65B 39/00 - Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers
B65B 57/00 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices
7.
Feeder for machine for canning tuna and the like and related operating cycle
A feeder for a machine for canning tuna and similar food products includes a feeding device with conveyor belts. The feeding device is suitable to feed tuna loins towards the conveyor belt of the canning machine and to shape the loins into loins having a set thickness. An outlet mouth is located at the end of the belts, together with a knife adjacent to the mouth and suitable to separate the portion of loin projecting through the latter. A mobile wall located opposite the outlet mouth is also provided, as well as a mobile shovel suitable to move the newly formed tuna pat perpendicularly in the direction of motion of the conveyor belt of the canning machine.
A feeder for a machine for canning tuna and similar food products includes a feeding device with conveyor belts (1, 2), said feeding device being suitable to feed tuna loins (T) towards the conveyor belt (B) of the canning machine and to shape the loins (T) into loins (T') having a preset thickness, an outlet mouth (6) located at the end of the belts (1, 2) and through which the loins (T') having a preset thickness are fed, a knife (5) adjacent to the mouth (6) and suitable to separate the portion of loin (T') projecting through the latter so as to obtain a tuna pat having preset thickness and width, a mobile wall (7) located opposite the outlet mouth (6) and having a width at least equal thereto, the distance from the mouth (6) to the mobile wall (7) corresponding to the maximum width of the tuna pat to be formed, as well as a mobile shovel (8) suitable to move the newly-formed tuna pat perpendicularly in the direction of motion of the conveyor belt (B) of the canning machine, until it reaches a preset distance from the last previously-formed tuna pat (P) arranged on the conveyor belt (B). Such a feeder allows the canning machine to obtain tuna cakes with premium quality appearance and constant weight, thanks to the fact that the tuna is not damaged by rough manual treatments and is fed in a continuous way with substantially constant characteristics.
A machine for canning tuna and similar food products comprises a conveyor belt feeder (3), a plurality of dosing chambers aligned with the feeder (3) and formed in a rotor (1) rotatable in a plane perpendicular to the feed direction, a forming mouth (4) connecting the feeder (3) to the dosing chambers, a blade (5) to separate the product introduced in the dosing chambers from the bulk of fed product (T) so as to obtain product cakes, shaping means suitable to shape the cakes into the desired shape and transferring means arranged at a second station reachable through a partial rotation of the rotor (1) to transfer the shaped cakes into the cans carried by a second rotor (2). The connecting mouth (4) has a cross-section of substantially constant shape and the shaping is performed in the dosing chambers by shapers radially mobile along the arms of the rotor (1) when the dosing chambers are still aligned with the feeder (3).
B65B 25/06 - Packaging slices or specially-shaped pieces of meat, cheese, or other plastic or tacky products
B65B 63/02 - Auxiliary devices, not otherwise provided for, for operating on articles or materials to be packaged for compressing or compacting articles or materials prior to wrapping or insertion in containers or receptacles
A machine for canning tuna and similar food products comprises a conveyor belt feeder, a plurality of dosing chambers aligned with the feeder and formed in a rotor rotatable in a plane perpendicular to the feed direction, a mouth connecting the feeder to the dosing chambers, a blade to separate the product introduced in the dosing chambers from the bulk of fed product so as to obtain product cakes, shaping means suitable to shape the cakes into the desired shape and transferring means arranged at a second station reachable through a partial rotation of the rotor to transfer the shaped cakes into the cans carried by another rotor. The connecting mouth has a cross-section of substantially constant shape and the shaping is performed in the dosing chambers by shapers radially mobile along the arms of the rotor when the dosing chambers are still aligned with the feeder.
patents
