CA1064442A - Method and apparatus for packing luxury provisions and food such as, for instance, sausages, fish products, meat articles, and the like, without bubbles or germs - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A method and apparatus for packing without bubbles or germs luxury provisions and food such as, for instance, sausages, fish products, meat articles or the like, having corresponding liquid components such as brine, preservatives, sauces or the like, into plastic containers or dishes which are formed from a web of foil end are closed after the filling operation by a cover foil, for instance, in a preliminary sealing station, with the exception of a gap at the edge, through which air bubbles and liquid components are transported into the following container connected by the foil, if the container, which is somewhat inclined relative to the horizontal transport plane, is compressed, whereupon then also the edge gap left between the rim of the container and the foil cover is closed at the inclined contain-er, for instance, in a rotary sealing station.

Description

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Method and Apparatus for Packing Luxury Provisions and Food . such as, for instance, Sausages, Fish Products, Meat Articles :
and the Like, without Bubbles or Germs ~ The invention relates to a method and apparatus for ..
: packing without bubbles or germs luxury provisions and food such as for instance, sausages, fish products, meat articles .i .
~ ~ or the like, having corresponding liquid components such as '' ~ f ~rine,preservatives, sauces or the like, into plastic contain-ers or dishes which are formed from a web of foil and are . closed after the filling operation by a cover foil, for ', ~ instance, in a preliminary sealing station, with the except-.~ I
ion of a gap at the edge, through which air bubbles and liquid components are transported into the following contain-er connected by the foil, if the container, which is some-wha_ inclined re.lative.to the horizontal transport plane, is compressed, whereupon then also the edge gap left between the rim of the container and the foil cover is closed at the nclined container, for instance, in a rotary sealing station.
In such packing methods and packing machines or apparatus for, say, sausages packaged, for instance, in : ~ : plastic containers or dishes with corresponding brine or for other foods or luxury provisions with liquid components, ~ ~ special care must be taken that the individual operations 3.~ for closing the containers can be controlled and can proceed ~i3 ~, in such a manner that the germ-promoting residual air bubbles .3~ ' present in the plastic containers or their liquid contents are completely removed before this container is finally ; : closed by the cover foil.
In order to ach~eve thi5~the most varied packing ~, methods have already been proposed, and for carrying out ... .j ., ~ these methods, the most varied machines and apparatus have ..~
~ been designed and also used. ~ ~
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However, the known methods and apparatus for suction-- ing off the residual air present in the plastic package by generating a vacuum in the package have not found acceptance in the case of packaging sausages. The sausage meat, which ~` is usually filled into tender casings or guts, expands too much in a vacuum, so that the enclosures burst or tear.
: Also the method to place sausages in the plastic con-tainers in such a way in the brine that the development of ; air bubbles is practically avoided, did not prove practical as, due to the structure of the plastic package and the ¦ sausage,the formation of air bubbles cannot be avoided and therefore, a closing of these packages without bubbles is i not ensured.
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In a method, which has become known from the German Published Prosecuted Patent Application 2,218,658, for ~, . I
~ ~ packing products containing solid and liquid components .. I
¦ with the exclusion of air in deformable, dishshaped contain-~ ¦ ers, the,air is displaced from the one container, which is ,j in a somewhat inclined position relative to the horizontal, into the following container in horizontal position. If . :I
!~ 20 the container is subjected to underpressure, also a part of the liquid component of the product is displaced, besides the air present in the container, into the next-following container through the not sealed canal or gap at the edge.
¦ Subsequently, the edge gap or canal is closed by welding the foil parts while the container is in a position inclined at - most 10 % to the horizontal.
Apart from the detrimental compressing of the plastic ~. .; ' -` container, which can easily be damaged or even torn thereby, ,, ;
air bubble foam is again produced by the mixing of the air ; 30 bubbles of the one container with the liquid component of 'i the material to be packed in the transfer to the next-follow-.~ ' ~ ing container. Satisfactory removal of such "foam emulsion"

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transported from one container to the other, however, is not possible in the known process at any point within the tube of packaging foil. In any event, one cannot speak ~ very well of sufficient venting, without bubbles, of the ;~ packing container, as the air bubbles are not displaced, and . escape, from the just treated plastic dish directly to the outside.
.~ . It is therefore an object of the invention to provide , i~ a method, avoiding all shortcomings that have become known so far, by which luxury provisions and food such as, for , instance, sausages, fish products, meat articles or the 1 like with corresponding liquid components can be packed, free of air and vapor bubbles and without germs, in dishes .~ , ~ I formed by a web of foil with a welded-on foil cover, in I
fully automatic operation or also in discontinuous work cycles.
~ . According to the invention, this problem is solved in ~: process steps by the provision that the plastic dishes trans-ported in the try receptacles in horizontal position, after being filled and covered with a cover foil which is pulled ~ 20 off from a supply roll, leaving only a gap at the edge free, .;~ I .
~ are tilted in the initial sealing station at the reversing .~ end of the transport device, together with their tray receptacles, from the horizontal position by 90 into the : vertical position with the edge gap at the top and are brief-ly vibrated in this position so that the air can rise better ; i and escape from the edge gap, whereupon the foil cover is pushed inward by a wiper or displacement device which may .. .. .
optionally be set in.vibration, far enough so that all air or vapor bubbles are displaced from the dish and the liquid dish content reaching the upper edge gap can, via a sensor . :~ responding thereto, trigger the final sealing process, in . ~ .
. 1 which then the edge gap, which is still open between the foil . ~

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6~s442 cover and the rim of the dish, is completely closed by means of suitable sealing bars by heating and compressing the open ~i foil parts. : .
-. One variant if the method is characterized by the. feature that the plastic dishes, which are filled and are., closed by a foil cover except for a gap at the edge, are 1 placed on astandardconveyer belt in horizontal position .* into a guide receptacle suitably adapted to their.dish con-tour,which are then, tilted, together with the plastic ~ . 10 dish, by 90 up into the vertical position, pressed against :~i ' a displacement plate of convex shape, which is matched to . ~ , the dish cover or the foi.l cover and which causes the air ¦ bubbles and possibly.excess liquid to be pressed out through the edge gap left between the rim of the plastic dish and the . foil cover, whexeupon also the open edge parts are joined ogether tightly in the final sealing station.
Air or vapor bubbles can be expelled from the contain-. ~ er or the dish particularly reliably with the process pro-- cedure described above if the natural rising of the air and vapor bubbles in the plastic dish, which has been swung from ;` ; : 1:
. the horizontal into the vertical position, is aided by rand-.~ omly variable vibrations or vibration shocks on the recept-acle tray and/or the cover pressure plate or the guide . entrance and/or the displacement plate, respectively.
~ .. me complete removal of harmful gaseous components in -~1 i the material to be packed, while at the same time treating the thin-walled plastic dish with the film-like, thin foil-cover gently, can be ensured, according to further proposals of the invention and through practical adaptation to the dish contents in question, f the cover pressure plate or .- , , . the displacement plate is equipped with a replaceable cush-; I ion-like diaphragm which is adapted to the contour of the. ,,j , . respective foil cover, and to the inner cavity of which a ; -4-:

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pressure medium is admitted until the air bubbles and the liquid components of the dish content are sufficiently . displaced.
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.~` However, there can also be provided, inside the dia-., phragm, chamhers to which any.desired pressure medium can be admitted in.segue~çe, starting from the bottom in such a manner that the foil cover is scanned or is pressed inward in ~ ~ wavefashion from the bottom to the top.

"'! However, the thin foil cover can be pushed-in, as is ',i ' I
required for pre~ssing-out the air bubbles and for the liquid components to rise up to the edge gap, also mainly in a i continuous operation by means of foam rollers, cylinder .~ 1 . brushes or the like which may be disposed so that they can be , I .
~ moved up and down.
''1 j The successful execution of the process steps indica-~ . ted is ensured by a sensor or feeder device which is provid-1 ¦ ed in the vicinity of the edge gap, which indicates the complete escape of the air-containing components when the liquid leaves via the edge gap, and which at the same time imparts to the sealing head of the final sealing station the pulse for sealing the edge gap.
. Apparatus for implementing the process steps described, . .i t~ comprising a transporting device guided according to the chain principle, with receptacle trays connected to each "~
~ other for the filled plastic dishes; a supply roll for the ., . cover foil, which is arranged ahead of the initial sealing !;~ . 1 station so that it can be unrolled; an initial sealing ,. ~ ' ' ~ : station which firmly connects the cover foil to the rim of ,: ;
the dish except for a small edge gap; and a cover pressure ~ . .
30 plate displacing the air or vapor bubbles as well as the . liquid dish content, including a final sealing station, is ; characterized by the feature that at the reversing end of _5_ .~
: , the transporting device, the deflecting wheels or the deflecting roll not only forces the required vertical posi-tion of the receptacle tray with the plastic dish, but also serves as an abutment for the cover pressure plate, which is moved back and forth for instance, pneumatically or ~i hydraulically in the longitudinal center direction of the transporting device, and for the sealing head of the final sealing station, which can be set for the duration of the pressure and the temperature as well as the operating speed.
A further device uses a standard conveyer belt for feeding the plastic dish, which is filled and closed with a plastic cover or a cover foil except for the edge gap, into a guide receptacle provided separately from the conveyor belt, in the vicinity of the venting and final sealing sta-tion. According to the invention, the guide receptacle including the inserted plastic dish, can be tilted u~ about a joint provided at the guide receptacle opposite the edge~
gap of the dish, from the horizontal transport position into the vertical operating position and is secured in its position by a latch arranged at the upper yoke bar of the tilting device, so that the displacement plate with the convex contact surface can push the foil cover inward and the closing of the edge gap by a sealing strip or the like can take place. The tilting-up of the guide receptacle is accomplished here by an actuating cylinder which is linked-on at the upper yoke bar and is operated hydraulically or pneumatically, and the piston rod of which swings, via a .,~., ::
~1 joined tilting lever, the guide receptacle which is firmly r:`. I .
connected to the latter at the other end from the rest into ~ ., .
- 30 the operating position and back.
The advantages obtained with the invention are in particular that, in tilting the plastic dish up into the highest possible position of the edge gap, all air bubbles ;

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and also the air-containing vapor bubbles and other gaseous components of the material to be packed can escape direçtly to the outside with sufficent reliability, particularly if the dish or, respectively, the cover pressure plate or displacement plate vibrating the foil cover under pressure is given an additional oscillating or vibrating motion. It ... . .
is not necessary to subject the packing container or the plastic dish to underpressure, which might be accompanied by detrimental after effects. Thus,crushing, mashing or other-wise damaging the basically thin-walled plastic dish is ,~ j -i completely impossible. The packing containers or dishes ~~ , are rather left completely alone in the receptacle tray ; I protecting the same or in-the guide receptacle during the displacement and expulsion of the air according to the invention and also when the liquid components are pushed upward into the edge gap.
;1 I Embodiment examples of the invention are shown in the , ., drawings and will be described in detail in the following.
¦ There is shown in FIG. 1, a schematic presentation of the process steps which are required for expelling the air from the food cont-¦ ainers, for letting the liquid components rise to the edge gap, and for closing the edge gap, and in 3 FIG. 2, apparatus for tilting-up the guide receptacle ` with the plastic dish into air-displacement and edge gap-'., ` 3 sealing position.
According to FIG. 1, the plastic dishes 3 filled, for instance, with sausages and brine are fed on a transporting device 2 equipped with receptacle trays 1 or other holding devices, underneath a cover foil 6 pulled from a supply roll ; 4 by means of one or several guide rolls 5, to the initial sealing station 7 in the operating rhythm.
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~ During the rest cycle of the transport device 2, the welding strips or welding bars 8, designed in accordance with the shape of the plastic dish 2, of the initial sealing sta-tion 7, press here the cover foil 6 onto the dish rims 9 of .''.! the plastic dish 3 and in the process seal the two parts -~ tightly to each other, but with the exception of the small edge area which is not touched by the welding bars 8 and is left free and which is necessary as the edge gap 10 for venting the plastic dish 3.
In the cyclic advance, the receptacle trays 1 with ~' ~ i the pre-sealed plastic dishes 3 arrive at the reversing zone ,, ,~ I .
of the transporting device 2, which may also be constructed from chain links, with the deflection roll ll, which auto-matically transfers the receptacle tray 1 with the plastic ; dish 3 and the partly welded-on foil cover 13 into the desired ;~ ~ ¦ vertical position which is tilted 90 against the horizontal transport position, and in which the air bubbles or air-~ ~ ¦ filled vapor bubbles 12 present in the dish contents, can 5. ~ best escape directly upward to the outside through the edge . ,!¦ I .
~ 20 gap 10. Oscillations variable at will or vibration shocks ,;; can promote here the expulsion of the air.
`~i In order to be sure that even the last remainder of harmful gaseous components is displaced from the dish volume, one allows the liquid components of the material to be :
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packed to rise, through external pressure on the foil cover 13, up to the edge gap 10. mis is accomplished by a 1 cover pressure plate 14 which is moved back and forth hydrau--~ ~ lically, pneumatically or also by other means, but which ~, could also be replaced by other means. ffrhus~ a plate pro-vided in stationary relationship can be connected with a diaphragm, the wall or walls of which press the foil cover .. . .
~ 13 inward, using a pressure medium, until the air and the ¦ liquid components are displaced. Chambers which are ., .
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- provided in the diaphragm and to which pressure can be admitted in sequence from the bottom to the top, can promote here the careful scanning and inward-pushing of the foil cover from the bottom to the top.
However, the foil covers 13 can also be wiped over and -~j pushed inward from the bottom to the top shortly before or ~ in the vertical position of the dishes 3, by a foam material -s roll, a cylindrical brush or similar rolling members, where ,s the displacement process allows the harmful air present in the dish volume to escape through the edge gap 10 and further .i,- I
1~ I drives also liquid components upward at the same time.

Al I As soon as the liquid driven upward by the pressure ~ ¦ on the foil cover 13 has reached the edge gap 10 and conse-: i !
quently, all air and vapor bubbles 12 have left the space in the dish, the sealing head 15 of the final sealing station ¦ 16 is caused to advance via a sensor or feeler responding 'I !
, ¦ thereto, and thereupon hermetically welds the still open -;~ ¦ foil areas at the foil cover 13 to the rim 9 of the dish.

The plastic dish 3, which in this manner is packed without ;~ I 20 bubbles and germs, is discharged in the following operating ¦ cycle from the receptacle tray, is transferred to a further ~;~ transporting device, not shown, and fed to the collecting ~i station.
; According to FIG. 2, the plastic dish 3 which is ~ filled with sausages and brine and is pre-sealed except for 1¦ the edge gap 10, and is delivered from a packaging machine via a standard conveyer belt 17, transporting tongs or the like, is placed in a guide receptacle 18, with which a tilt-ing device is associated, for instance, by a lowering device, ~ ~ .
not shown. The tilting device consists essentially, besides the necessary base frame l9 with uprights 20 and the yoke ~, .
bars 21 or the like, of the actuating cylinder 22 driven - ¦ pneumatically or hydraulically, with the piston rod 23 and -~ ~1 9 , .

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- the tilting lever 24.
. After the plastic dish 3 is deposited in the guide ~. receptacle 18, the actuating cylinder 22 or its piston rod . 23 pushes the tilting levex 24 downward in the direction of the arrow A and thereby at the same time, the guide recepta-~ cle 18 with the filled plastic dish 3 in the direction of the arrow B upward into the vertical position, which is tilted : 90 relative to the horizontal and in which an actuating or ~! latching cylinder 25, also controlled, for instance, pneuma-.,, I
tically, engages with its latch 26 behind the guide recepta-~ I cle 18 and secures the latter at the upper yoke bar 21 in -~ stationary relationship.
As can further be seen from FIG. 2, the pre-sealed . I plastic dish 3 is pushed in the process against the displace-ment plate 27, which is of convex shape and is fixed rela-tive to the frame, in such a manner that the air and vapor ~ i bubbles 12 escape from the contents of the dish upward ~ ! directly to the outside through the edge gap 10 and also the i: .
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; 1 desired liquid components of the material to be packed can ~:
. 20 advance up to the edge gap 10. Thereupon, a sensor or .
feeler triggers the final sealing operation, in which the sealing bar 20 seals the edge gap 10 hermetically.

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Claims (20)

What is claimed is:

1. A method of packaging foodstuff which includes a liquid constituent comprising: placing the food-stuff in a tray means which is in a horizontal position with its open face upwards; applying a flexible cover to the tray means; sealing the cover to the edge of the tray but leaving a gap between that edge and the cover, the gap extend-ing over only a limited part of the periphery of the tray means; turning the tray means from the horizontal position into an at least substantially vertical position, with the tray means so positioned that said gap is uppermost;
when the tray means is in said at least sub-stantially vertical position pressing the cover inwardly of the tray means such that the level of liquid in the tray means rises towards said gap and gas in the tray means is displaced therefrom through said gap; sensing the arrival of said liquid level at said gap; and, in response to said sensing, sealing said gap to completely close the tray means.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein a shaking or vibrating action is applied to said tray means and/or said cover when in said vertical position to enhance the discharge of gas from the tray means.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the cover is pressed by a member which rolls against the cover in an upward direction.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said cover is provided from a web of plastics film drawn from a storage roll beneath which a succession of said tray means is advanced by a conveyor device.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the con-veyor device includes an endless belt on which said tray means are supported, and wherein each said tray means is turned into said vertical position by the belt passing around an end guide roller.

6. A method according to claim 4 wherein each said tray means is transferred from said conveyor device into a pivoting assembly for turning the tray means into said at least substantially vertical position.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the cover is pressed by a pressure plate.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein said plate has a convex pressing surface.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the cover is pressed by a fluid pressure-inflated diaphragm.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein said diaphragm comprises a plurality of chambers which are inflated by a pressure fluid succ-essively in an upward direction thereby to apply to the cover a pressing force which moves upwardly over the cover.

11. Apparatus for packaging a foodstuff which includes a liquid constituent comprising: a conveyor device for conveying in a substant-ially horizontal position a tray means to contain the foodstuff the open face of the tray being upwardly directed; means for applying a flexible cover to the filled tray means; means for sealing the cover to the tray means, while leaving a gap between the edge of the tray means and the cover, which gap extends over only a limited part of the periphery of the tray means; means for turning the tray means with the cover from said horizontal position into an at least substantially vertical position, with said gap upwards; means for applying a pressing force to said cover to press the cover inwardly of the tray means when the tray means is in said at least sub-stantially vertical position such that the level of liquid in the tray means rises towards said gap and gas in the tray means is displaced therefrom through said gap; and means for seal-ing said gap to completely close the tray means.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherin said conveyor device includes a belt carrying a plurality of holders for receiving respective said tray means, and wherein said turning means comprises an end guide roller of said belt.

13. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said pressing force applying means includes a roll-ing member which rolls upwardly over the cover.

14. Apparatus according to claim 11 including supporting means for carrying a rolled web of plastics film for forming each said cover, said supporting means being disposed above said conveyor device.

15. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said turning means includes a carrier member for receiving a tray means from the conveyor device, the carrier member being pivotal between an at least substantially horizontal position and an at least substantially vertical position.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15 including a fluid pressure-actuated cylinder unit for pivoting said carrier member.

17. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherin said pressing force applying means includes a pressing plate for bearing against said cover.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said turning means includes a carrier member for receiving a tray means from the conveyor device, the carrier member being pivotal between an at least substantially horizontal position and an at least substantially vertical position and wherein said plate is stationary and said carrier means brings said cover into pressing contact with the plate.

19. Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said pressing force applying means includes a fluid pressure-inflated diaphragm.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said diaphragm comprises a plurality of chambers which are inflated by a pressure fluid succ-essively in an upward direction thereby to apply to the cover a pressing force which moves upwardly over the cover.