US3648624A

US3648624A - Patty making machine

Info

Publication number: US3648624A
Application number: US62044A
Authority: US
Inventors: Albert F Verhoeven
Original assignee: Werner Lehara Inc
Current assignee: APV Baker Inc
Priority date: 1970-08-07
Filing date: 1970-08-07
Publication date: 1972-03-14
Anticipated expiration: 1989-03-14
Also published as: CA955460A

Abstract

An improved patty making apparatus wherein the shred-engaging mechanism also serves to compact the shreds into patties. Specifically, a slat conveyor is provided with pins reciprocatingly mounted so as to project from the slats as the latter move through the hopper to a compacting roller, and so as to withdraw to a position under the slats at the point where the slats contact the roller. The slat conveyor is wound around a sprocket, thereby causing adjacent slats to separate from each other, and cleaning fluid is sprayed from inside the conveyor at the separated slats so as to wash trapped shreds therefrom by means of the separations.

Description

United States Patent Verhoeven 1 Mar. M, 1972 54] PATTY MAKING MACHINE 2,595,865 5/1952 Lunsford 107/8 2,904,829 9/1959 Hecht ..18/9 [72] Inventor. Albert F. Verhoeven, Grand Rapids, Mich. 3,205,838 9/1965 Frobeen et 1 8/9 [73] Assignee: Werner Lehara, lnc., Grand Rapids, Mich. 3,347,183 10/1967 Einstein 107/69 [22] Filed: 1970 Primary ExaminerRichard J. Scanlan, Jr. [21] Appl. No.: 62,044 Attorney-Price, Heneveld, Huizenga 81. Cooper Related U.S. Application Data 57 ABSTRACT [63] continuation'in'pan of 833565 June 161 An improved patty making apparatus wherein the shred-en- 1969, gaging mechanism also serves to compact the shreds into patties. Specifically, a slat conveyor is provided with pins [52] US. e31. "MS/2112511254373 reciprocatingly mounted so as to project from the slats as the 2: d 7 latter move through the hopper to a compacting roller, and so 1 0 8 6 ,1 as to withdraw to a position under the slats at the point where the slats contact the roller. The slat conveyor is wound around a sprocket, thereby causing adjacent slats to separate from [56] Reierences Cited each other, and cleaning fluid is sprayed from inside the con- UNITED STATES PATENTS veyor at the separated slats so as to wash trapped shreds therefrom by means of the separations, 29,295 7/1860 Marsh ..107/69 598,745 2/1898 Perky ..107/2 25 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures Patented Mar ch 14, 1972 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ALBE F. MEEHaEI/eA/ ATTORNEY$ Patentgd March 14, 1972 4 Sheets-Sheet 7:

INVENTOR AABEET F. VZZHOEVE/V flu,

BY W W ATTORNEY! FI G.3.

Patented March 14, 1972 3,648,624

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR 4465/27 E VEE /dEVE/ y, Pa M ATTORNEY5 PATTY MAKING MACHINE RELATION TO COPENDING APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part application of US. Pat. application Ser. No. 833,565, filed June 16, I969 and now Pat. No. 3,589,308, the last-named application being assigned to the same assignee as the instant application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In US. Pat. No. 3,589,308, an apparatus and method are disclosed for making patties from food shreds. A particular feature of that disclosure is the use of a pin wheel to aid in feeding the shreds to the compacting region, the compacting being done by means of two counterrotating rollers and belts passed between the nip of the rollers.

Although the apparatus in the aforesaid application has been found to provide a satisfactory solution to the problems discussed in that application, some instances require exceptional cleanliness. The arrangement of the apparatus in the aforesaid application prior to the invention of the instant improvement was not considered conducive to such exceptional cleanliness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has been discovered that the apparatus in the aforedescribed application could be improved so as to provide greater cleanliness while at the same time reducing the number of components in the apparatus. Specifically, by expanding the pin wheel of the aforesaid disclosure into a pin conveyor, it has been found that the conveyor can provide both the feeding functions and the compacting functions. The use of a slat conveyor to accomplish the preceding is conducive to the use of a cleaning fluid sprayed between the slats.

Specifically, the improvement is provided in an apparatus for preparing food product patties, the apparatus including a hopper, at least one endless belt positioned to pass generally underneath the hopper, a compacting roller, and recirculating means for feeding and compacting shreds of a food product from the hopper onto the belt. The improvement features the feeding and compacting means including means thereon for engaging the shreds and for pulling the same from the hopper towards the roller. The pulling and engaging means include reciprocable pins and the compacting means include a conveyor with a shred compacting surface, the conveyor having the pins reciprocally mounted therein for outward projection from the compacting surface, the pins being especially adapted to engage the shreds. Cleaning means are then mounted below the compacting area of the conveyor for cleaning the compacting surfaces.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus for preparing food product patties wherein the feeding means and compacting means are combined into a single device.

It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus of the above character wherein the device is especially conducive to cleaning while in operation.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reference to the following drawings and detailed discussion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in section, illustrating apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the slat conveyor as seen generally along the line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view in section of an end portion of the slat conveyor shown in FIG. 1, taken generally along the line III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view in sec tion of the slat conveyor;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of a side portion of the slat conveyor of FIG. 1 at the end opposite to the end shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the slat conveyor similar to the view shown in FIG. 4, but illustrating the relationship of the chain to the slats;

FIG. 7 is a plan view ofa slat link utilized in the conveyor;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view, partially broken away, taken along the lines VIII--VIII of FIGS;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of the slat conveyor taken along the line IX-IX of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a schematic side elevational view of the operating linkage for the knife blade;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary plan view with portions broken away illustrating the compacting roller and belt utilized therewith, taken generally along the line Xl-XI of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line XII-XII of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The disclosure concerns the automatic production of food products such as potato patties from potato shreds and specifically an improvement of apparatus so utilized.

As disclosed in the aforementioned US. Pat. No. 3,589,308, food products such as potatoes are shredded into short strips which are fed into a hopper 20, the hopper being positioned above a rotating compacting roller 22. The direction of rotation of the roller 22 is as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1, the rotation serving to draw the shreds into a nip 25 (FIG. 12) wherein they are compacted into ribbons R. The roller 22 is driven by conventional means such as the series of pulleys and chains designated by the numeral 26, the whole series being driven by a drive shaft 28. After the ribbons are formed in the nip 25 by the compacting rollers 22, and form scraper bar 22A. They pass over a reciprocating knife blade 30, which is conventionally reciprocated by a shaft 32 and a toggle arrangement 34 (FIG. 10). The endless belt 48 and the pressure created by the slat conveyor make a ribbon come over the cutter blade 30 which in turn will cut the ribbon in patties while still in nip 25 in any desired length. The belt 48 carries the potato patties formed by the blade 30 from the ribbon horizontally away. The belt 48 passes under the point where the potato ribbon first starts to separate from the vicinity of the roller 22. The belt 48 is driven by a conventional pulley 52 which in turn is driven by the belt 26 operating from the drive shaft 18. To adjust the slack in the belt 48, conventional takeup pulleys 26 are utilized.

In contrast with the disclosure of the aforesaid U.S. application, and in accordance with one aspect of the instant invention, the compacting roller 22 features a plurality of compacting belts 60 (FIGS. I, Ill and 12), which pass into the nip 25. As is readily apparent from FIG. 1, the belts 60 pass underneath the hopper 20 and comprise one compacting surface against which the shreds of the food product are pressed. Each of the belts 60 is spaced from the adjacent belts in a direction transverse to the motion of the belts. The belts 60 are confined to rotation about a particular portion of the roller 22 by ridges 64 extending around the circumference of the roller (FIG. lll). The spacing of each of the belts 60 from each other is also maintained by the use of a plurality of spaced pulleys 68 on an idler shaft 70 which is conventionally mounted for adjustment to allow the slack of the belts 60 to be altered.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the feeding and compacting means which draws the shreds from the hopper 20 into contact with the belts 60 comprise a slat conveyor 80. The conveyor 80 rotates endlessly as shown in FIG. I in a counterclockwise direction upon the two pairs of

sprockets

82 and 84 mounted on

axles

83 and 85, respectively. Specifically, referring to FIGS. 2 through 8 and 12, the conveyor 80 is formed from slat sections 86 each of which is bolted, riveted, or otherwise attached (:numeral 88, FIG. 2) at each end thereof to a slat link 90 having support ears 9], which link is one of two links in chains 92 and 94 (FIGS. 2, 6 and 7). The other of the two links comprising the

chains

92 and 94 is a conventional connecting link 96. Each of the sections 86 is formed from an angle bar (FIGS. 4 and 6) having two 90-angled

portions

97 and 100. The portion 97 has an exterior shred9compacting surface 98 and an interior or bottom surface 99 paralleling surface 98. Portion 100 is a housing portion to which is mounted a supporting lip 101. The lips support the bottom surface 99 of the next adjacent portion 97 to maintain the slats in a single plane while moving through the hopper towards the roller 12. A Z-bar 102 is welded to the housing portion 100 and the bottom surface 99 of the section 86 to form a pin housing 104. (FIGS. 3, 4 and 12.) Contained within the housing 104 for each section 86 is a cam follower bar 110 upon which are mounted a plurality of spaced apart pins 112. Inasmuch as the housing 104 confines the movement of the bar 110 to reciprocating movement which is approximately perpendicular to the surface 98, the pins 112 also are confined to approximate perpendicular movement. As shown in FIG. 4, when the bars 110 are forced to the portion of the housing 104 so as to be at the point closest to the surface 99, the pins 112 project outward from the surface 98.

The movement of the follower bar 110 is controlled by

cam tracks

120, 122 and a cam wheel 130. The cam tracks 120 and 122 are located at opposite sides of the conveyor sections 86 (FIG. 2) and each comprises two portions 124 and 126 (FIG. 9). The portion 124 is the lower track portion (FIGS. 4 and 9) which extends parallel to the plane through which the surfaces 98 move when in contact with the shreds in the hopper 20, the track portion 124 also being located sufficiently close to the plane of movement of the slat section portions 97 as to cause the follower bars 110 to ride in the upper portion of the housings 104 with the pins 112 thus projecting from the surfaces 98. The track portion 126 is the upper portion which extends approximately twice the length of the lower portion 124. Portion 126 serves to cam the follower bars 110 (FIG. 9) down into the lower portion of the housing 104 when the tracks portion 126 bends at portion 128 away from the plane of the shred compacting movement of portions 97. The end 129 of the track portion 124 parallels the portion 128 of the track portion 126. The

angled portions

128 and 129 of the track portion are located at a point which insures that the pins 112 are withdrawn by the follower bar 110 into each of the slat sections 86 as those sections reach the point of closest approach to the belts 60 on the compacting roller 22. Otherwise, the pins 112 might interfere with the ridges 64 on the compacting roller (FIG. 12) and the form scraper bar 22A.

The cam wheel 130 is provided on shaft 83 (FIGS. and 8) so as to engage and direct the follower bars 110 into alignment with the

tracks

120 and 122 at the top of the entrance of the conveyor into the hopper 20. That is, as the endless conveyor 80 comes off the sprockets 84, the slat sections 86 are upside down, thereby causing the bars 110 under the influence of gravity to fall to the portion of the pin housing 104 whereby the pins project from the surfaces 98 (FIG. 1). As the returning slat sections 86 ride up and over the sprockets 82, the sections 86 are inverted once again so that gravity would cause the follower bars 110 to withdraw the pins from the surface 98. This would prevent the alignment of the follower bars with the

tracks

120 and 122. For this reason, (FIG. 8), cam wheel 130 is provided with a diameter which maintains the position of the follower bars 110 at the point which feeds the ends of the bars into

tracks

120 and 122. At this orientation, the pins 112 are fully projected from the surfaces 98.

It will be readily apparent from the foregoing description that the slat conveyor of the invention allows the elimination of a second compacting roller and belt, while maintaining the use of shred-engaging pins which draw the shreds into the nip 25. In addition, the pin mechanism of the conveyor 80 is readily cleaned for sanitary purposes, by a mechanism which will now be discussed.

Referring to the portions of the conveyor 80 which pass over either of the paired sprockets 82 or 84 (FIGS. 1 and 8), it will be noted that the slat portions 97 bearing the surfaces 98 are forced to pivot away from the lips 101 upon which they otherwise rest, thereby providing gaps or spacings 150 between adjacent slat sections. It is through these gaps 150,

particularly as provided by sprockets 84, that a cleaning fluid is sprayed, continuously or intermittently, by a cleaning mechanism 152. The mechanism 152 is mounted so as to clean the inactive slat sections 86 returning to the sprockets 82, the mechanism preferably being mounted inside the path followed by conveyor so as to be between the shred compacting area of the conveyor and the returning area of the conveyor. The mechanism itself features one or two spray nozzles 154 which spray against the bottom or undersurfaces 99 of the returning sections 86, as well as against the bottom of the follower bars 110. Thus, without interrupting the operation of the machine, this spray action washes out any food shreds which are caught between the slat sections 86 at the point where the adjacent sections join, or which are within the pin housings 104. The nozzle 154 which sprays closest to the bottom-most point traversed by the conveyor 80 is preferably directed downwardly so as to make maximum use of the spacings 150.

The axle is driven by a sprocket 160 and a chain 162 operating from drive shaft 28 (FIG. 1.)

OPERATION The apparatus described above forms compacted patties in a manner which will now be discussed. The shreds of food in the hopper 20 are conveyed to the nip 25 by the pins 112 projecting from the surfaces 98, which surfaces assist the belts 60 in compacting the shreds. The pins 112 are held in their outward projection by the cam track 124. When the pins 112 approach the nip 25, the end 129 of the track portion 124 along with the portion 128 of the track portion 126 bend away from the plane of motion of the surfaces 98, camming the follower bars away from that plane. The pins are thus withdrawn into the pin housings 104 immediately prior to the contact of the ridges 64 of the compacting roller 22 with the surfaces 98 of the slat conveyor. At this point, the shreds are compacted into a plurality of continuous ribbons confined within the ridges 64, the belts 60, the slat surfaces 98 (FIG. 12) and the scraper bars 22A (FIG. 1.) From there, the ribbon is cut by the reciprocating blade 30 into patties and carried away by the belt 48. The pins 112 continue in their downward movement after passing the location of the nip 25, in a position which is withdrawn from the surface 98. As the individual slat sections 86 pivot around the sprockets 84, the portions 97 thereof defining the

surfaces

98 and 99 are lifted off the lips 101 so as to provide the spacings 150. At this point, cleaning fluid is sprayed from above the spacings 150 by nozzles 154, thereby washing out food shreds from between the slat sections and out of the pin housings 104, which as shown in FIG. 3, generally are open housings. Because the track portions of track are parallel to those portions of track 122, and because the pins are of uniform length, the pins on each fol lower bar 110 move uniformly and simultaneously under the action of the camming tracks 120 and 122 and the camming wheel 130.

The slat conveyor chain can be tightened or loosened as shown in FIG. 12 by means of the adjusting screw 170 (FIG. 5) which threads into the axle 83. Turning the screw 170 pivots counterclockwise the conveyor 80 (FIG. 1) about the axle 85.

Although the invention has been disclosed in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended that it be limited thereto. For example, the angle bars forming the slat sections 86 can be altered in shape, provided that the pin housing formed thereby allows the pins to reciprocate in and out of the surface 98. Also, the cam wheel could be eliminated if the initial portions of the

tracks

120 and 122 are curved in a manner sufficient to initially correctly project the pins 112 from the surfaces 98 as they move into the hopper 20. Another possible variation is to include any number of cleaning nozzles 154 on the cleaning mechanism 152. Thus, it is intended that the invention cover all embodiments, equivalents, and alternate arrangements as may be included within the scope of the following claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In an apparatus for preparing food product patties, the apparatus including a hopper, at least one endless belt mounted to move generally underneath said hopper, and means for both feeding and compacting shreds of a food product from said hopper onto said belt; the improvement comprising said feeding and compacting means including a conveyor with a shred compacting surface, said conveyor having pins reciprocatingly mounted therein for outward projection from said compacting surface, said pins being especially adapted to engage the shreds.

2. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said conveyor includes a plurality of sections joined to move together as an endless conveyor so as to draw shreds toward said belt, some of said pins being mounted for reciprocation within each said section independently of the other sections, said surface being the outwardly facing surfaces of said sections and said projection being approximately perpendicular to said surfaces.

3. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 2 and further including a pin housing mounted approximately perpendicularly to and below each said section, each of said pins for each said section being joined together for simultaneous reciprocation within said housing.

4. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 2, and further including camming means for camming said pins first so as to project out of said surface and thereafter so as to withdraw below said surface.

5. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said withdrawal of the pins occurs at the point of closest approach of said surface to said belt.

6. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said closest approach point is also the point of greatest shred compaction on said surface, the shreds forming thereat a continuous ribbon on said belt.

7. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 6, and further including means downstream from said closest approach point for removing any shreds left on said surface.

8. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said camming means includes a track extending under a portion of said surfaces, and a cam follower fixed to each of said pins for each of said sections.

9. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said track is positioned near both sides of said conveyor, and near said point said track is bent away from said surfaces.

10. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 8, and further including a cam wheel adapted to engage said followers, said track being positioned at one end of said followers tangent to the circumference of said wheel.

11. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 2, and further including means for driving said conveyor.

12. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said driving means includes at least one endless chain and a driving sprocket engaging said chain.

13. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said sections are slats each joined to a link in said chain.

14. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said conveyor includes a plurality of slats and at least one chain, said slats each being joined at one end thereof to a link in said chain.

15. The improved apparatus as defined in claim l, and further including means mounted below said surface for cleaning the same.

16. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said conveyor is an endless, sectioned conveyor mounted for return movement below the sections thereof engaging and compacting the shreds, and said cleaning means is fixedly mounted so as to clean the sections of said conveyor undergoing said return movement.

17. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein said cleaning means includes a nozzle mounted between said engaging sections and said returning sections of said conveyor,

said nozzle being directed so as to spra the surface of said sections opposite to sa1d compacting sur ace, said sections of said conveyor being sufficiently spaced. at their joints during a portion of said return movement so as to allow said fluid to wash saidjoints clean from the inside outwardly.

18. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 1, and further including a second endless belt positioned to pass generally underneath said hopper simultaneously with said one belt, said second belt being positioned adjacent to but spaced from said one belt in a direction transverse to the direction of motion of said belts, said feeding and compacting means cooperating with said second belt to the same extent as and simultaneously with said one belt.

19. In apparatus for forming shreds of a food product into a continuous ribbon, said apparatus including a storage hopper for the shreds, a compacting roller and a recirculating compacting means for compacting said shreds against said roller; the improvement comprising said compacting means including means thereon for engaging the shreds and for pulling the same from said hopper towards said compacting roller.

20. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said shred-engaging and pulling means includes a plurality of pins reciprocally mounted within said compacting means and means for reciprocating said pins so as to either project out from or withdraw into said compacting :means.

21. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein said reciprocating means is positioned to withdraw said pins prior to the point of nearest approach of said compacting means to said roller.

22. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 19, and further including cleaning means for cleaning the portions of said compacting means not engaged in compacting the shreds.

23. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 22, wherein said cleaning means includes liquid spraying means positioned above said portions for spraying down thereupon.

24. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said roller has circumferential ridges spaced along the axis thereof, so as to compact said shreds into a plurality of ribbons formed simultaneously.

25. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 19, and further including a plurality of compacting belts wound around said roller in a spaced relationship, each of said belts operatively cooperating with said compacting means to form a ribbon from said shreds.

Claims

15. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 1, and further including means mounted below said surface for cleaning the same.

17. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein said cleaning means includes a nozzle mounted between said engaging sections and said returning sections of said conveyor, said nozzle being directed so as to spray the surface of said sections opposite to said compacting surface, said sections of said conveyor being sufficiently spaced at their joints during a portion of said return movement so as to allow said fluid to wash said joints clean from the inside outwardly.

20. The improved apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said shred-engaging and pulling means includes a plurality of pins reciprocally mounted within said compacting means and means for reciprocating said pins so as to either project out from or withdraw into said compacting means.