AU7862798A - Packing particulate foodstuffs - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE

SPECIFICATION

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: THE GRATED CHEESE COMPANY

LIMITED

Malyon McCrea Smith H.R. HODGKINSON

CO.

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 3, 20 Alfred Street MILSONS POINT NSW 2061 PACKING PARTICULATE

FOODSTUFFS

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: i u 4 -la-

FIELD

This invention relates to the packing of irregularly shaped or oblong particles. It has particular application to the packing of individually quick frozen items such as foodstuffs, and has particular application to the packing of individually quick frozen grated cheese, as such material is formed in a variety of sizes and shapes, and is typically oblong or substantially rectangular in shape, having one dimension which is significantly longer than the other dimensions.

*v 10 BACKGROUND Packing of grated cheese, and in particular individually quick frozen grated cheese has resulted in bulky packages with a considerable amount of waste space because of their regular shape of the grated cheese particles. A typical "IQF" cheese particle may for 15 example be much longer than it is wide, and for example may be of the order of 3mm x S 2mm x 13mm. Such "IQF" cheese particles are commonly packed into cartons having a plastic liner, for export. Such export packs may for example comprise 12kg of product.

These cartons can be packed on pallets, and then packed into containers for shipping.

S 20 There is a need to improve on the packing density of such products.

OBJECT

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved method and/or apparatus for packing irregularly shaped or oblong particulate articles such as individually quick frozen 5 grated cheese, or one which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

":J

-2- STATEMENT OF INVENTION In one aspect the invention provides a method including introducing the irregularly or oblong shaped particulate articles into a container, shaking or vibrating the particulate articles, whilst applying a weight to press down on the particulate articles during the shaking or vibrating operation.

Preferably the shaking or vibrating is applied to the outside of the container so that the contents of the container are shaken or vibrated.

S More preferably the weight is raised or lowered by flexible members.

Preferably the shaking is continuous during the packing operation, whilst at the same time the weight is moved towards the particulate articles.

Preferably the particulate articles are individually quick frozen food particles.

Preferably the container comprises a carton and the particulate articles consist of individually quick frozen grated cheese.

In another aspect the invention provides apparatus for the packing of irregularly or oblong shaped particulate material, including means for holding a container, means for applying a l~-Llss~araa .W cc r ct I r r or -3shaking or vibrating force to the container, and means for applying a weight to an open end of the container.

Preferably the means for providing a shaking force to the container consists of a shaking table supported on resilient mounts.

More preferably the means for holding the container consists of one or more clamping plates mounted on the shaking table.

Preferably the weight is suspended by flexible members from a pneumatic or hydraulic ram, which is in turn mounted on supports connected to the shaking table.

More preferably the flexible members are chains.

More preferably the container comprises a carton and the particulate articles consist of individually quick frozen grated cheese.

DRAWINGS

These and other aspects of the invention which should be considered in all its novel aspects, will become apparent from the following description, which is given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 1. f -4- Figure 1: illustrates a preferred packing machine inside elevation.

Figure 2: shows Figure 1 with the carton in place in the frame of the machine, a movable side wall is clamped against the carton and a pressure plate has moved downwards towards the carton PREFERRED

EMBODIMENT

This packing machine is designed to pack individually quick frozen grated cheese into io cardboard cartons containing on average 12kg of cheese. These cartons are supplied with a plastic liner, and have four flaps at their upper open end. Such a carton can be filled with "IQF grated cheese at a filling station to the required weight, and then moved to the S packing station. The carton 10 can be inserted into the frame of the packing station so that it sits on a shaking table 11 and is situated between side walls 12 and 13. Side wall 12 is 15 movable relative to the shaking table to apply sideways pressure to the carton in order to hold it in place. This movable wall 12 can be resiliently mounted to an angle plate 14 attached to the shaking table, and can be moved by a suitable ram, e.g. a pneumatic or hydraulic ram, preferably of short stroke enabling rapid movement of the side wall 12 towards or away from the carton. Any other convenient means of holding the carton in place may be used. We have found that a short stroke ram and adjustable side plate 12 is sufficient to hold the carton, and resist distortion of the carton during the packing operation.

The shaking table 14 is supported on four resilient mounts 20, in the form of steel rods supported on a base 21, and connected to the base 21 by appropriate resilient means such as springs 22. The underside of the shaking table 14 is connected to a shaking or vibrating mechanism, for example a pneumatic ram 25 connected by means of an appropriate pivot 26 to a pivot block 27 so that rapid reciprocation of the ram would cause the shaking table 14 to vibrate up and down. Of course, other shaking or vibrating mechanisms can be used, and the shaking need not be in the vertical plane but may be from side to side, or in a random fashion, for example by means of an orbital shaking mechanism, or may include 1 other sources of shaking or vibration perhaps a series of rapid impacts in order to cause the particulate material to settle into a close packed array.

Mounted on the shaking table 14 are a series of supports 30, 31 which in turn support a cross-member 32. As shown there are two supports 30, 31 in the form of metal pillars, to which a cross-member 32 is attached. This cross-member 32 supports an additional ram 33 which lifts or lowers a weight 43. The weight 43 is of similar dimensions to the open space and the top of the open carton. The lifting plate 35 is connected to two sliding support rods 36, 37 to prevent the lifting plate 35 from rotating as it moves up or down S. 0o towards or away from the interior of the carton. Plate 35 suspends the weight 43 by pairs of chains 42, 44. The weight is a 25k weight to gently press down on the contents during shaking.

The fixed side plate 13 is attached to the support pillar 31 by means of an appropriate angle bracket 38, to enable the side plate 13 to resist sideways forces exerted by the ram used to move the movable support plate 12.

The pressure plate 35 is connected to the ram 33 by means of an appropriate pivot 4 and pivot block 41 to enable the pressure plate to have some degree of freedom as it presses against the "IQF' frozen cheese.

The various rams are controlled by a suitable control mechanism such as a programmed loic controller (PLC") which controls the clamping operation, the shaking operation, and the movement of the weight

METHOD

The operation of the packing apparatus will now be described.

4] w 'J -6- The container is a cardboard canon with a plastic liner. This carton is filled at a filling station with for example 12 kilograms of IQF cheese. It is then moved to the packing apparatus. At this point the two end flaps on the upper open end of the carton are folded down and the two side flaps of the carton remain up and open.

The carton is then located in the frame of the packing station 10 on the shaking table 11 and between the side walls 12 and 13. The ram 15 attached to side wall 12 moves the side i wall firmly against the carton and clamps the carton in place (as in Figure 2) on the 1 shaking table 11. The purpose of this is to hold the carton in place and prevent distortion a of the carton during the operation of the packing apparatus.

The shaking table 11 commences to shake or vibrae from the action of the pneumatic ram 25 situated below to settle within the carton.

At the same time as the shaking table 11 is shaking or vibrating, the weight 43, situated directly above the carton, moves downward towards the carton (as in Figure 2) and gently presses on the contents of the carton. Once maximum packing has been achieved the shaking or vibrating ceases and the weight 43 is raisecd A shaking and pressure cycle takes 25 seconds per carton. The sidewall 12 is withdrawn from the side of the carton and the carton can now be removed to the -ext station for sealing- This method maximises the packing density of the irregularly or oblong shaped particles being packed. The most efficient way to pack particles like, for example, IQF grated cheese would be to align each separate particle. The shaking an -pressure combination Sused in this method may partially achieve this and therefore increase the packing density of such particles. 4 ;fy- -7 EXAMIPLE

I

jS 4 Ac twentifal 12ktg box of lop 0,aed cheese has the folwu imeosiol 28mm wide 3S8rmn lon!nPX 245 mm hni We have found thAt we can improve On the packing- density by producing boe f 'he follow, ing dimensions, 232mm wide x 365mm loexr72mrn hich.- ,e haefudta yuigte paratus and me,-Jod of ;hi invention we cnucreas~e the packing density by 12-20% oVer the conventional lOPF -raied cheese pachmng overatioils-

VARIATINS

Oiler foodstuffs which have irregular or oblong- shares can be packed by this means, eCg potato fries, frozen vegetables, oir Other IQF products- Afthoumh we have descri-bed only ope way of foliing the cartons in place, it wiil be appreciated that other holding mechanisms could be used- Although we prefer to use a hydraulic or pneumatic ram to rase Or lower the wei-ghL it will be appreciated that other lfting means could be used- AlthOU3. we prefer to use a M5g Weight to Penck IQE rae cueese, Other wcig, hs ould he u5ed feI-ndina upon the carton size 2nd nature Of te 100dstuff to -he Packed- Fir~ll~ '.arooher. ahterauzons or modifications mav be Made t h oeiJR ihu de-paTrting fromi the spirit or scope of this invention-

Claims (3)

1. 4.A method as claimed in claim 3. whe-rein the shaing is coninruous5 during' thle "k -~min hils at the same time the wei-nhtr is moved tovwds the particulate articles. i A method as claimned in claim 4.wteriii the paiticulale articles a!-e individually quick ftozn fohod panicles~
2. 6- A method as claimed ia claim 5, whereinL the conine r comprises a carto ar-d he pmrtculate atices conrsist of inmvdually quick ftonis grated cheese. L. in~e cwewt ee to any one of te c~on~sn dra P:,riu &o pC~ of r eggtilarly a, -b aoi shaped PafE!l:" Mar. 24 inc~din~mea~forftholdinga a ickel. mt- fo p~.iinasaig Z hti o r~~i force V the continier coasksz5 of a Sha-4n aa~ nor on rsrn Ouns ~O napparadtas as _Zimd ia wheei e means for kinth aae csss of one- or more ahnilgtes Mn~ult on tht siiak tb. U-An appamats as claimed in claim 10. -wteris hie weinht is suspended ty fltexible enjjei tr M emnalic of hrrabcr ilicv is in turn mounted on sEpprt czrnnectd to the S table. An apparatus as elaime in claim IL whercin ie flexlc e emet' ale can. Z1 3.An appaataS as claimcd in claim 12Y wberen the oantafletr lnvrises a carton and the particalate aniCICoSis fi~dal quick frozen grated cheese. ~C 11
3. 14. An apparatus for the packing of irregularly or oblong shaped particulate articles substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings. c i Dated this 31st day of July 1998 THE GRATED CHEESE COMPANY LIMITED BY: for tA h l a-r Attorney for the Applicant I1