US3106048A

US3106048A - Apparatus for depanning, slicing, dispensing and packaging baked articles

Info

Publication number: US3106048A
Application number: US790420A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fred D Marasso; Robert E Rademacher
Original assignee: AMF Inc
Current assignee: AMF Inc
Priority date: 1959-02-02
Filing date: 1959-02-02
Publication date: 1963-10-08
Anticipated expiration: 1980-10-08
Also published as: GB948261A; GB948262A

Description

Oct. 8, 1963 D MARAsso E'rAL AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES Filed Fell.

L

2, 1959 F. APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING. SLICING, DISPENSING 17 Sheets-Sheet 1 ROBERT E. RADEMACHER ATTQRNEY OCL 8, 1963 F. D. MARAsso ETAL 3,106,048

APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING, SLICING, DISPENSING AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES Filed Feb. 2, 1959 1v sheets-sneer z BYRosERT s. RAnEMAcHx-:R

ATTORNEY w N .tsl

Oct. 8, 1963 D. MARAsso ETAL 3,106,048

APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING, SLICING, DISPENSING AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES Filed Feb. 2, 1959 17 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 3 M 440 446 4445 45,3 90 P 4W 45 f Jaa ow ,43a g2g" Jaa jj; *f6 4.92 \424 449 464 466 449 551 37 43;#392450 y2 45C? FIG. 4

424 46a f d 4629 FRED nmwns'o 470 BYROBERT E. BADEMACHER ATTORNEY 0f- 8, 1963 F. D. MARAsso ETAL 3,106,048

APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING, SLICING, DISPENSING AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES Filed Feb. 2, 1959 17 Sheets-Sheet 4 AT TORNEY Oct. 8, 1963 F. D. MARAsso ETAI.

APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING, SLICING, DISPENSING AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES 17 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 2, 1959 MARASSO ETAL APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING, SLICING, DISPENSING 0dN s, 1963 F, D

AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES 17 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Feb. 2, 1959 INVENTOH. FRED o. MARAsso moaem e. RAoEMAcHsR ATTORNEY x *il Alml I Oct. 8, 1963 F. D, MARAsso ETAL 3,106,048

APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING, SLICING, DISPENSING AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES l Filed Feb. 2, 1959 17 sheets-sheet 7 /zad INVENTOR. FRED D. MARASSO ROBERT E. RADEMACHER ATTORNEY ARASSO ETAL F. D. M APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING, SLICING, DISPENSING AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES 17 Sheets-Sheet 8 ROBERT E. RADEMACHER Oct 8, 1963 F. D. MARAsso ETAL 3,106,048

APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING, SLICING, DISPENSING AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES Filed Feb. 2, 1959 17 Sheets-Sheet 9 1N VEN TOR. FRED D. MARASSO BIQBERT E. RADEMACHER ATTORNEY Oct. 8, 1963 F. D. MARAsso ETAL 3,106,048

APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING, SLICING, DISPENSING AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES Filed Feb. 2, 1959 17 Sheets-Sheet. 10

774 INVENTCR.

FRED D. MARASSO BYR'OBERT E. RADEMACHER Oct. 8, 1963 F. D` MARAsso ETAL. 3,106,048

APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING, SLICING, DISPENSING AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES Filed Feb. 2, 1959 17 Sheets-Sheet 11 lil,

FIG. 2O

t5/40 l nvvENTon. FRED n. MARAsso 36 BoBERT E. RADEMAcHER f/@ZV ATTORNEY F. D. MARAsso ETAL 3,106,048

EPANNING, sLIcING, DISPENSING AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES 17 Sheets-Sheet 12 ATTORNEY Oct. 8, 1963 APPARATUS PoR D Filed Feb. 2, 195s Oct 8, 1963 F. D. MARAsso ETAL 3,106,048

APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING, SLICING, DISPENSING AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES Filed Feb. 2, 1959 17 Sheets-Sheet 13 u 674// i El g Q J Q l INVENToR.

58B j 690 fr FRED D. MARASSO 7:-, E. RADEMACHER ATTORNEY Oct. 8f 1963 F. D. MARAsso l-:TAL 3,106,048

APPARATUS FoR DEPANNING, sL1c1NG, n1sPENs1NG AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES Filed Feb. 2, 1959 17 Sheets-Sheet 14 INVENTOR. FRED D. MARASSO ATTORNEY BXROBERT E. RAoEMAcHl-:R

Od- 8, 1963 F D MARAsSo E'rAl. 3,106,048`

APPARATUS FO DPANNING, SLICING, DISPENSING AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES Filed Feb. y 2, 1959 17 Sheets-Sheet 15 INVENTOR. FRED D. MARASSO BxIROBEFIT E. RADEMACHER ATTORNEY Oct- 8, 1963 F D MARAsso ETA 3,106,048

L APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING, SLICING. DISPENSING AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES y Filed Feb. 2, 1959 17 SheebS-Sheet 16 FIG. 2.9 `K

ATTORNEY Oct. 8, 1963 F. D. rMARAsso ETAL 3,106,048

APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING, SLICING, DISPENSING AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES Filed Feb. 2, 1959 17 Sheets-Sheet 17 mVENToR. 494 70,2/ '06 FRED D. MARAsSo 0195 1s,IBQENERT E. RADEMACHER KMK,

United States Patent O 3,106,048 APPARATUS FOR DEPANNING, SLICING, DIS- PENSING AND PACKAGING BAKED ARTICLES Fred D. Marasso and Robert E. Rademacher, Richmond,

Va., assgnors to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 790,420 36 Claims. (Cl. 53-l23) This invention relates to. handling and packaging of fragile articles and more particularly baked articles such as buns, rolls and the like.

Normally, bake pans have a plurality of pockets each generally containing one article. Generally the pockets are laterally spaced in rows in the baking container. Consequently,- such pans may be conveyed along a conveyor thereby providing laterally spaced rows of endless length. Such baked articles must be removed from the pan and packaged for marketing. With certain specialty types of bun, such as hamburger buns and hot dog rolls, it is additionally necessary to slice them.

Heretofore, it has been necessary to perform the operation of depanning and cartoning manually. A further problem has been that where suitable slicing machines have been devised for halving the buns, nonetheless it was necessary to hand deposit the buns on a suitable conveyor for proper alignment into the slicing machines.

lt is therefore an object of the invention to depan, align, slice and package buns on a single machine. It is an object of this invention to perform these multiple operations continuously and automatically on a unitary device.

Certain semi-automatic depanning devices are known which in general comprise inverting the pan and jarring it so that the baked articles fall therefrom. This type of operation disarranges the orientation of buns and in the case of fragile buns subjects them to damage. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to depan fragile buns in a gentle manner and without disturbing their spacial orientation.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means for readily and rapidly changing the pneumaticallyoperated fingers used for depanning. These fingers are modeled parts for different types of buns and quick changeover is desired.

lt is a further object of the invention to operate these pneumatic fingers in conjunction with a continuous conveyor and realignment means to realign and/or to vary as desired the spacial orientation of the articles transferred by the lingers.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to devise a r novel transfer means for transferring oriented articles from one position to another with or without changing their orientation in a predetermined manner.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor which will properly receive spaced articles and vary their spacing to accommodate to an article treating device such, for example, as a slicing device.

An added object of the present invention is to provide a novel mechanism for moving spaced oriented baked articles from a delivery and/ or article treatment conveyor in predetermined alignment.

A further object of this invention is to provide positively-operated pusher means for transferring baked articles delivered on a conveyor into cartons in predetermined arrangement.

It is likewise an object of the invention to provide means for sub-dividing rows of bakedarticles delivered to a discharge station on a conveyor and to provide means for changing the lateral spacing of the articles to bring the articles into abutting side-by-side relationship.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a packaging device for use with a depanning member and a ICC conveyor for delivering articles to a discharge station having a plurality of article feed positions, and including a first pusher member for moving a portion of the baked articles delivered to the discharge station into a carton at a'first article feed position and second pusher member for moving the remainder of the baked articles on the conveyor into a carton at a second feed position, the pusher member at the second feed position being operative to dispense the articles in overlying relationship with articles moved into a carton at the rst discharge station and positive support means over which articles at the second discharge station are moved by the second pusher member.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means for indexing a carton delivered to the discharge station from the first article feed position to a second article feed position.

An added object of this invention is to provide means for transferring and inverting baked articles delivered from a first article feed position to a second article feed position whereby articles delivered to the second article feed position are disposed in overlying relationship with v the inverted articles.

- Another object of this invention is to provide an article dispensing device provided with means for removing a folded carton blank from a source of supply and camactuated finger members for assembling the removed blank into a carton having one side open for receiving articles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carton dispensing device provided with a suction member for extracting a folded blank from a source of supply and cam-actuated finger members for assembling the removed blank into a carton having a major side in open position for receiving articles.

It is an object of the invention to devise a novel carton and mechanism for readily delivering it from a magazine.

It is a further object of the invention to devise a novel carton in which articles may be fed sidewardly into the carton.

It is a further object to devise a novel carton suitable for slidingly receiving oriented baked articles.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation may be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. l, 2 and 3 when joined on line A-A and B--B illustrates a side elevation of the depanning, slicing dispensing and packaging machine for baked goods;

FIG. 4 is a partial rear view of the dispensing and packaging portion of the machine;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the depanning and aligning mechanism of the machine;

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional side elevation of the machine illustrating the depanning and aligning mechamsm;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation illustrating a gripper unit adapted for depanning and transferring single hamburger buns;

FIG. 8 is an end elevation of Ithe same;

FIG. 9 is a partial sectional end elevation of the gripper actuating mechanism on line 9-9 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a gripper and transfer mechanism adapted for use with single frankfurter rolls and frankfurter troll clusters;

FIG. l1 is a side elevation of the same;

FIG. l2 is an end elevation of the frankfurter roll mechanism;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a gripper and transfer mechanism adapted for use with hamburger bun clusters;

FIG. 14 is an end elevation of the same;

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the hamburger bun cluster mechanism illustrating Ilthe gripper lingers during gripping action;

- FIG. 16 is a side elevation of the same;

FIG. 17 is a sectional plan view of the gripping fingers during gripping action taken on line 17-17A of FIG. 16;Y

FIG. 18 is a plan view of the dispensing and packaging portion of the machine;

FIGS. 19 and 20 are sectional side elevations illustrating the dispensing mechanism during insertion of the baked goods rinto a carton;

FIG. 21 is a side elevation of a control unit for air valve operation;

FIG. 22 is a sectional end elevation of the same taken on line 22-22 of FIG. 2'1;

FIG. 23 is an end elevation of the carton dispensing and opening mechanism in conjunction with a forwarding conveyor;

FIG. 24 is a side elevation of the same;

FIGS. 25, 26, 27 and 28 are perspective views illustrating the successive steps employed in the dispensing and opening of the carton to be forwarded to the packaging machine;

FIG. 29 is a partial end elevation, partly in section, illustrating the carton indexing device;

FIG. 30 is a plan view illustrating a bnn or roll cluster turnover device; and

FIGS. 31, 32 and 33 are partial end elevations of the packaging conveyor in conjunction with the cluster turnover device illustrating the successive steps of the turnover operation.

With reference to the drawings, the bun depanner and packer consists of a pan feeding conveyor F, a bun depanning and lifting device D, a bun yaligning and conveying mechanism C, a bun slicing device S, a bun dispensing mechanism E and a bun packaging device P.

various widths.

The entire machine, with the exception of the bun slic- I, ing device S and the carton dispensing mechanism of the'l packaging device P, are driven by a motor 30 (FIG. 2), the shaft 32 of which carries a variable speed pulley 34 of the well-known spring-loaded Reeves type. Pulley 34, through a V-belt 36, drives a pulley 38 mounted on the input shaft 40 of a suitable gear reduction unit 42. Mounted on the output shaft 44 of unit 42 is a sprocket 46 which, in turn, drives sprockets 50 and 52 through a suitable chain 48 (FIG. 2). Sprocket 52 is mounted on a cam shaft 54 rotatably supported by suitable bearings held by a member 56 of the main frame 58. Sprocket 50 is mounted on and drives the main d-rive shaft 60 which is also supported in suitable bearings held by a frame member 62. Pul-ley 64 is mounted on shaft 60 and, by means of a belt 66, drives a pulley 68 mounted on a shaft 70 which is the drive shaft for the pan feeding conveyor F. Pan feeding conveyor F consists of a suitable frame 72 which is secured by means of adjustable brackets 74 (FIG. 1) to the main frame 58 of the machine. The drive shaft 70 is supported by suitable bearings located in the forward end of frame 72. A pulley 76 is secured to shaft 70 and drives a pair of spaced conveyor belts 78 which run over an idler pulley 80 mounted on a horizontal shaft 82 supported by suitable bearings in frame 72. The pan feed conveyor F is also provided with suitable adjustable pan guide bars 84 which are suspended above -the conveyor belts 78 by lugs 86. Each lug 86 is integral with and projects from a threaded sleeve or hub 88. Each guide bar 84 is provided with a pair of spaced lugs 86 and sleeves 88. The sleeves 88 of one guide bar 84 engage with the left hand threaded end portions of a pair of spaced horizontal transverse shafts 90 while the sleeves 88 of the other guide bar 84 engage with the right hand threaded portions on the opposite ends of said transverse shafts 90. Both shafts 90 are supported by suitableV bearing brackets secured to the top edges of conveyor frame 72. To one end of each of the shafts 90 is secured a sprocket 92 (FIG. l) which is connected by a chain 94. Handwheel 96 is fastened to the forward end of one of Since it is essential to stop the pans intermittently during the depanning operation, the pan infeed conveyor F is provided with a pair of spaced indexing fingers 98, each of which is loosely mounted on a transverse shaft 100. Each shaft 100 is rotatably supported at each end by a suitable bearing lug projecting from a threaded sleeve 102. Each of the twol threaded sleeves '102 supporting each transverse shaft 100 engages a threaded longitudinally arranged shaft 104 (FIGS. 5 and 6) Each threaded shaft or spindle 104 is rotatably supported at each end by suitable bearings formed by either gear housings or individual bearing brackets secured to the inner sides of the conveyor frame 72. To one end of each spindle 104 is secured -a bevel gear 106 which meshes with a corresponding bevel gear 108. Each pair of bevel gears 108 is mounted on a transverse shaft 110 as shown in FIGS. 5 land 6. Each transverse shaft 110 is rotatably supported at both ends by suitable bearings formed by gear housings 112 secured to the inner face of frame 72. To one end of each transverse shaft is also secured a. handwheel 1'14 (FIGS. 1 and 5). The turning of handwheels 114, through the associated

bevel gears

106 and 108 and spindles 104, effect longitudinal back or forward travel of sleeves 102. Since each shaft 100, carried by a. pair of sleeves 102, supports a pan indexing nger 98 it will be understood that the indexing fingers 98 may be moved to any desired position in accordance with the size and dimensions of the pans used.

As mentioned heretofore, each indexing finger 98 is loosely mounted on one of tihe transverse shafts 100. A

torsion spring 116 holds finger 98 in engagement with a suitable lug projecting from an actuating arm 118 mounted on the transverse shaft 100. To each transverse shaft 100 is secured a trip lever 120, .the free end of which, by means of a tension spring 122, engages with the free end of a stud 124 (FIG. 6). Stud 124 protrudes from a piston within an air cylinder 126 held by a bracket 128 mounted on a suitable Ilug projecting from .the lower side of one of the threaded sleeves 102. The injection of -air into the cylinder 126 actuates the piston therewithin moving the protruding stud 124 forward to press the trip lever on shaft 100 to swingl or move in a counter-clockwise direction as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 6. A counter-clockwise rotation of shaft 100, of course, causes the nger actuating arm 118 mounted on shaft 100 to move downward, thus lowering the index nger 98 and disengaging it from the pan resting on the continuously driven conveyor belt above. Each index finger 116, at its forward edge, -is provided with a projecting curved rod 130 which serves as a guiding rod to permit the use of pans of various designs. Each air cylinder 126 is of conventional design and is provided with a flexible hose 132, all of which are connected to a properly timed Bellows Electro air control valve 134 which, in turn, is connected by a suitable tube 136 to a conventional air supply, such as a compressor (not shown).

The depanning operation which removes the buns from *the pans which have been indexed tinto proper location by the mechanism described herein-above is accomplished by a plurality of bun gripping units carried by an oscillating lifter mechanism which lifts the buns from the pans and delivers tfhem to a continuously driven bun conveyor.

The buns are lifted from the pans either one or two rows at a time depending on the type of pans used. The typeof lifter units employed to -lift the buns or rolls depends on the type of buns or rolls delivered by the pans. Generally, there are four main types of buns and rolls, the hamburger roll cluster rolls used in this type of operation. They are: the round single hamburger roll, the oblong-shaped frankfurter and the frankfurter roll cluster. A hamburger roll cluster comprises lfour round hamburger rolls arranged in a substantially square pattern held together by a web of dough, while a frankfurter roll cluster includes, as a rule, four oblong frankfurter rolls arranged side-by-side and held together by a web of dough.

Regardless of the type of lifter units used, each particular type is adjustably spaced and arranged on a transverse, preferably square, bar 138 which at each end is detachably held by a U-shaped lug 140 provided with conventional spring-loaded snap-locks (not shown). Such lau arrangement permits easy insertion and extraction of the bar 138, allowing rapid conversion from lifter units for one type of roll or bun to lifter units for a different type. From each supporting Ilug 140 extends a stud 142 which is rotatably supported by the free end of a lifter arm 144. Each arm 144 is mounted to each end of a transverse shaft 146 supported by a pair of suitable bearing brackets 148 mounted on top of the frame 58. To one end of shaft 146 is also secured an actuating arm 150 the free end of which is pivotally connected to one end of a link 152. The other end of link 152 is pivotally connected to a crank arm 154 secured to the gear reduction output shaft 44 (FIG. 2). The rotating crank arm 154, through link 152, arm 150 and shaft 146 transmits oscillatory motion to the lifter arms 144 which carry the Ilifter units; In order to keep the lifter units in vertical position at all times a lever 156 is secured at one end to vthe stud 142 of each lifter unit supporting lug 140. The free end of each lever 156 is pivotally connected to one end of a stabilizing bar 158 while the other end of the bar 158 i-s pivotallyl attached to a stationary lugs 160 mounted on frame 58. The stabilizing bars 158, coacting with the lifter arm 144, form parallelograms which assure a vertical position of the |lifter units while being moved Ithrough an arc by the oscillating lifter arms 144.

'Ihe lifter unit illustrated in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 is a single unit used primarily for gripping and lifting single round hamburger rolls. It consists of a supporting bracket 162 which is detachably and adjustably secured to transverse square bar 138 mentioned heretofore. A Ilifter bracket 166 is pivotally connected to the supporting bracket 162 by means of a pair of parallel links 164. The upper portion of bracket 166 is provided with a lug 168 which, by means of a collar 170, supports the upper end of air cylinder 172. From the lower end of cylinder 172 protrudes a piston rod 174 the free end of which is pivotally connected to a gripper finger actuating member 176. Member 176 is loosely supported by a stud 178 projecting from and held by the lower portion of the lifter bracket 166. A gripper linger 182 is pivotally mounted on stud 178 also and is secured to member 176 by means of screw 180. Integral with and horizontally extending from the lower portion of lifter bracket 166 is a lug 184 (FIG. 7). The free end of lug 184 pivotally supports another gripper finger 188, by means of a stud 186, positioning finger 188 in line with and exactly opposite finger 182. Link or connecting rod 190 pivotally connects gripper finger 188 to a suitably shaped extension 192 integral with the member 176 and extending upward therefrom. The top end of the cylinder 172 is suitably connected to a flexible hose 194 which, in turn, is connected to a tube 196 leading to a conventional quick exhaust valve 198, such as manufactured by Schroeder. The quick exhaust valve 198 is connected by a flexible hose 200 to a suitable air control valve 202, such as a Bellows Electro air valve. The electrical control of valve 202 will be described hereinbelow. The Aair control valve 202 is connected by a tube 204 to a suitable source of air (not shown).

It will be understood that-when air is supplied to the cylinder 172 of the lifter unit, the piston rod 174 moves downward and causes member 176 to swing clockwise about its pivot 178. This effects a clockwise movement of gripper finger 182 and through connecting rod 190, a corresponding counterclockwise movement to gripper finger 188, causing a closing or gripping movement of the

gripper fingers

182 and 188. To control this gripping motion, as desired, and to protect the rolls from harmful indentations, member 176 is provided with a lug 206 which carries an adjustable stop screw 208. Stop screw 208 engages the bottom side of lug 184 othe lifter bracket, thereby limiting the gripping motion of the gripper fingers. Integral with and extending from the bottom portion of the supporting bracket 162 is a horizontal lug 210 which supports the lifter bracket 166 and permits the gripper fingers carried by the lifter bracket 166 to contact the top face of the pan regardless of possible uneven heights of pans delivered thereto.

The bottom of the cylinder 172 is provided with a suitable compression spring (not shown) which is compressed as the air forces the piston within the cylinder 172 downward. When the air pressure in cylinder 172 is released, the spring (not shown) urges the piston rod 174 upwardly again. Thus the spring (not shown) and the quick exhaust valve 198 effect a rapid opening of the

gripper fingers

182 and 188. The number of lifter units employed is preferably equal to the number of buns or rolls in a single row of buns in a pan. In the event that the distance betwen the rows of buns in the pan is such that two rows of buns can be gripped and lifted at one time the single units described above are so designed that they may be placed side by side and alternately turned such that the gripper fingers are suspended alternately in the front and rear of bar 138 in longitudinal alignment as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6.

While the description hereinabove describes the depanning of round hamburger rolls, the present invention may be used to depan oblong frankfurter rolls by simply replacing the hamburger lifter or gripper units described above with gripper units such as illustrated in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 which are specially designed for gripping and lifting oblong frankfurter rolls. Each of these frankfurter roll gripper units consists of a supporting bracket 212 which is adjustably and detachably secured to the same type of preferably square transverse gripper unit supporting bar 138 mentioned heretofore. A lifter bracket 216 is pivotally connected to supporting bracket 212 by means of a pair of parallel links 214. To the bottom portion of bracket 216 is secured a horizontal gripper arm supporting frame 218. One end of frame 218 rotatably supports a transverse shaft 220 to each end of which is secured a gripper arm 222. Gripper arms 222 at their bottom end are connected by and support a suitably shaped transverse gripper member 224. An actuating lever 226 is secured `at one end to shaft 220. The free end of lever 226 is pivotally connected to the forked end of a piston rod 228 projecting from one end of an air cylinder 230. The opposite end of cylinder 230 is pivotally supported by the frame 218 by stud shaft 232. The other end of frame 218 remote from shaft 220 adjustably supports a pair of spaced vertical rods 234. The lower ends of rods 234 are integral with and carry a transverse gripper member 236 which is ofsubstantially the same shape as gripper member 224. Air cylinder 230 is provided with an air inlet nozzle 238 and connected by flexible tube 240 through quick exhaust valve 198 to a suitable air supply as described hereinabove for the hamburger roll lifter units.

The bottom portion of the supporting bracket 212 is also provided with a horizontally extending lug 242 which serves as a support for the gripper arm carrying lifter bracket 216 and enables the

gripper members

224 and 236 to contact the top face of each pan delivered thereto although the height of the individual pan may vary.

Claims

3. AN APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A DEPANNING DEVICE FOR REMOVING AT LEAST ONE ROW OF ARTICLES FROM LATERALLY SPACED BAKING CONTAINERS, A CONVEYOR FOR RECEIVING AND DELIVERING LATERALLY SPACED ROWS OF ARTICLES THROUGH A CARTONING STATION HAVING A PLURALITY OF ARTICLE FEED POSITIONS, SAID DEPANNING DEVICE BEING OPERATIVE TO DEPOSIT ROWS OF ARTICLES IN UPRIGHT POSITION FROM SAID CONTAINER ONTO SAID CONVEYOR, MEANS FOR ALIGNING THE ARTICLE IN SAID ROWS LATERALLY AND LONGITUDINALLY ON SAID CONVEYOR, A SOURCE OF SUPPLY OF CARTONS, MEANS FOR FEEDING EMPTY CARTONS FROM SAID SOURCE TO SAID CARTONING STATION, MEANS FOR FRACTIONATING A ROW OF SAID ARTICLES ADJACENT SAID CARTONING STATION, A FIRST PUSHER