EP0038324A1 - Collating and packaging machine - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus (10, 201) for loading sausages (15, 220) into trays (60, 239), includes a conveyor (14, 207) for sausages and another (18, 243) for trays. The sausages and the trays are transported in the same direction (16) laterally, side by side, and the trays are stopped one by one at a loading station (24a, 237). A low friction table surface (22) is positioned immediately above the tray and the sausages are placed side by side on the table. When the required number of sausages is accumulated on the table, a push blade (62) pushes the sausages beyond the front end (55) of the table surface and into the front end of the tray. The tray is then moved forward by half a length, so that the next batch of sausages is introduced into the rear end. Alternatively, a collation tray (219) is provided with a plurality of openings (269) connected to a source of pressurized air. The sausages on the tray tend to float on pressurized air and are transported through the collation tray by air jets (221) which form a moving sheet of air on top of the collation tray. When the tray is full of sausages, it turns to an inclined position (231) and is stopped abruptly so that the sausages, still floating on the air from the openings, line up against an extreme wall (233) on the alignment plate. A vacuum is made through the openings of the collation tray to hold the sausages in place, and the tray is inverted over a packaging tray (239). The suction is stopped and the sausages, aligned and oriented correctly, fall freely from the collation tray into the waiting packaging tray.

Description

COLLATING AND PACKAGING MACHINE Background of the Invention . The collating and alignment of uncooked sausages has presented a particularly troublesome problem for the meat packing industry. While many of the processes in this industry have been adapted to automated handling techniques, the problems related to the handling of uncooked sausages, due primarily to the physical characteristics of the uncooked sausage itself, have thus far remained unsolved. Other items which, either because of cooking or other processing, are relatively firm, can be handled rapidly with mechanical manipulators of various types without significant fear of damaging the product or making it unsightly. Uncooked sausages, on the other hand, particularly those using a collagen casing, are extremely flacid and limp, and tend to take on semi-permanent deformations when handled. Slight deformations during handling are self-correcting, in that the sausage has a slight memory and will thus resume its original shape if the deformations are not substantial. Larger deformations, on the other hand, tend to remain as unsightly blemishes on the sausage's surface, making the sausages less marketable and more difficult to package in uniform containers. This problem is particularly evident in regard to equipment which is used to slide the sausages along their length on a supporting surface by pushing the sausages from one end. Because of the nature of the sausage, it tends to slightly deform to conform to the supporting surface. When pushed, the surface- conforming side resists motion, so that the sausages tend to wrinkle along this surface and shorten in length. It will be understood that it is quite essential for any automated machine to be capable of continuous

Y/IPO operation with a virtually zero failure rate, since a single failure can cause the machine to be shut down, result in expensive "down time", and so forth. To use a specific example, it takes five workers about one hour to load 1,000 pounds of uncooked sausage into trays ready for wrapping. This represents several thousand individual sausages. If an automated machine were to take the place of these five workers, and run continuously over an eight-hour shift without a single failure on a single sausage (i.e., without allowing a single sausage to become stuck in the machine, gum up the operation of the machine, and the like) , the failure rate would have to be less than one sausage in better than ten thousand sausages, this being less than 1/100th of 1%. Until now, due to the flaccidity of uncooked sausages, this kind of performance simply has not been achievable.

Summary of the Invention This invention provides an endless chain conveyor for moving the sausages in a mutually parallel, end-to=end relationship toward a collating station. At the collating station, the sausages are length measured and, if acceptable in length, are pushed from the conveyor onto a collating tray. Air jets move the sausages across the collating tray so that they are arranged in a mutually parallel, side-by-side arrangement on the tray. A packaging tray is aligned beneath the collating tray, and a pusher arm is used to slide the collated group of sausages off of the collating tray and into the packaging tray. The collating tray is formed of a low-friction material in an attempt to solve the problem inherent in moving sausages along their length by pushing them from one end.

An alternate embodiment of the present invention utilizes an endless chain conveyor to move the sausages

OMFI

Y7ΪPO in a mutually parallel, end-to-end configuration toward a measuring and collating station. The length of the sausages is measured so that sausages which are not acceptable for packaging are permitted to continue on the conveyor into a discard hopper. Those sausages which meet the length requirements are pushed from the conveyor at precisely the time when they are properly oriented beside a collating tray. Air jets positioned along the side of the conveyor and directed across the top of the collating tray roll the sausages across the tray, the first sausage rolling all the way across the tray until stopped by a sidewall, the second sausage rolling to abut against the first, and so on, until the tray is full. A counter is incremented as each sausage is pushed from the conveyor to determine when the collating tray is full.

The collating tray itself has an undulating upper surface, with a trough to receive each of the sausages in their collated arrangement, and a slight ridge separating the sausages. At the base of each trough the collating tray includes a plurality of apertures which are connected to a manifold within the collating tray. This manifold is, in turn, connected to a valving system which selectively connects the manifold to air pressure or vacuum.

The collating tray itself is mounted on a rotating drum, typically with seven other trays arranged about the periphery of the drum, so that the outer surface of the drum forms an octagon. The drum is mounted to rotate, and the valving structure for selectively connecting the collating tray manifold to air pressure or vacuum is typically in the form of a rotary valve mounted at the hub of the drum to automatically sequence the air pressure and vacuum in accordance with the rotational position of each collating tray.

OMPI When a collating tray is aligned in the upper-most rotational position to receive sausages from the conveyor air pressure is supplied to the collating tray apertures, forming an air cushion to effectively float the sausages on the tray over a cushion of air as they roll from the endless conveyor, pushed by the air blanket from the air jets, into their collated position. Because of the non-uniform nature of the sausages, and the fact that they cannot be pushed from the conveyor sufficiently precisely to align them perfectly on the collating tray, the sausages typically form a slightly irregular pattern on the collating tray when the tray is full. Thus, the sausages will be aligned by the undulating troughs to lie parallel to one another, but may be differently displaced along their length relative to one another. The collating tray, in addition to the sidewall which stops the rolling motion of the initial sausage, includes an end wall on the end of the tray toward the direction of rotation of the collating tray drum. Once the sausage counter senses that a collating tray is filled, the rotating drum is driven through a 45-degree rotation and abruptly stopped at the next indexing location, while the sausages remain supported on the air cushion provided by air pressure at the collating tray apertures. The abrupt stopping of the tray permits the momentum of the sausages themselves to slide the sausages against the collating tray end wall to accurately align the sausages on the collating tray. When the tray is stopped at this 45-degree position, the next collating tray is positioned in the upper-most position to receive the successive set of sausages from the conveyor. During indexing of the drum, the mechanism used to push sausages from the conveyor is disabled, so that sausages will not be pushed onto the collating drum during indexing.

In the second position of the rotating drum position) , the rotating valve disconnects the air pressure from the collating tray apertures and connects these apertures to a source of vacuum. The sausages are then tamped onto the collating tray by a tamper mechanism. This tamping operation tends to seat the lower surface of each sausage against the apertures and the supplied vacuum. Because of the flexibility of the coligen casing, or other similar casing on the sausage, a tight seal is formed between the sausage and each collating tray aperture. The collating tray apertures are arranged so that they exist only beneath the collated sausage location, so that the collating tray manifold is completely sealed by the sausages in the tray. Thus, in a first embodiment of the invention, the vacuum source is disconnected by the valving mechanism as the tray is rotated to the third index position, but the vacuum within the manifold is sealed, so that the sausages become vacuum attached to the collating surface. A second embodiment, which may be useful in situations where the sausages cannot be made to tightly seal against each of the apertures, provides a continued evacuation of the manifold until the sausages are dropped into the packaging tray.

After tamping and evacuating the collating tray, the rotating drum is successively indexed to the 90-degree, 135-degree, and finally the 180-degree position, as further sausages are loaded onto succeeding trays in the upper-most (zero degree) position. At the 180-degree position, a packaging tray, typically moved on an endless conveyor beneath the rotating drum, is positioned accurately beneath the aligned sausages on the collating tray. The vacuum is disconnected from the vacuum manifold and air pressure is again supplied to the apertures. The sausages are therefore released from the collating surface, now in an inverted position, and are ejected by air pressure from the collating surface into the packaging tray in an accuratel aligned and collated position. Movement of the tray may be arrested so that multiple tiers of sausages may be packaged in a single packaging tray. Alternatively, the movement of the tray may be arrested so that sausages may be arranged end-to-end in multiple rows of sausages in a larger tray.

The air pressure supplied to the collating tray apertures is advantageously continuously supplied from the 180-degree ejection location until the tray is again indexed at the upper-most starting position (zero degrees) for receipt of additional sausages. This continuous supply of air pressure tends to keep the surf of the collating tray clean and free of debris , such as small sausage particles, etc., which might otherwise collect on the surface of the tray to interfere with accurate vacuum sealing, as described above.

It has been found that the use of air pressure to float the sausages as they are positioned on the tray eliminates friction problems which might otherwise lead to deformation of the sausages. It has also been found that, while small puckers are formed on the sausage surface at the vacuum aperture positions, these deformities are slight enough that they are quickly removed by the memory of the sausage itself. No direct mechanical handling of the sausages is utilized, so that the sausages remain unblemished during the process.

Description of the Drawings Two embodiments of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

C Figure 1 is a general perspective view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention; Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken at the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken at the line 3-3 in Figure 2, showing the apparatus at one stage of its operation; Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3, showing the apparatus at a subsequent stage in its operation;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken at the line 5-5 in Figure 4; Figure 6 is an exploded, perspective view of a release mechanism for the trays utilized by the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a partly sectioned elevational view of the mechanism of Figure 6, in assembled condition, and showing this mechanism in a first stage of its operation;

Figure 8 is a view similar to that of Figure 7, showing the mechanism in a second stage of its operation; Figure 9 is a view similar to Figures 7 and 8, showing the mechanism in a third stage of its operation;

Figure 10 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of an alternate embodiment of the sausage collating and packaging machine of the present invention;

Figure 11 is a perspective of the collating tray of Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a sectional view of the tray of Figure 10 taken along line 3-3, including a section through a part of the rotating drum of Figure 10; Figure 13 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 12, showing the interrelationship of the rotating and stationary valve surfaces of the rotating valve at the hub of the drum of Figure 12;

Figure 14 is an exploded perspective view of the rotating and stationary valve faces of Figure 13;

Figure 15 is a flow chart showing the operation sequence of the mechanism of Figure 10; - Figure 16 is a sectional view similar to Figure 14 showing an alternate valve embodiment; and

Figure 17 is an exploded perspective view of the rotating and stationary valve faces of Figure 16.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments Turning first to Figure 1, the apparatus generally shown by the numeral 10 is seen to include the following basic components: a tray dispensing assembly 12, a first endless conveyor 14 for conveying sausages 15, or the like, along a straight path in the forward direction, as identified by the arrow 16, a second endless conveyor 18 laterally adjacent to the first endless conveyor 14 and passing beneath the tray dispensing assembly 12 so that it can transport trays sequentially in the forward direction identified by the arrow 16, a loader means 20 adjacent the first conveyor 14 on the side opposite from that of the second endless conveyor 18 (i.e., the nearer side as seen in Figure 1), the loader means 20 being adapted to displace the sausages 15 laterally off the first conveyor 14 (which would be away from the viewer in Figure 1) , means defining a table surface 22 suspended over the second conveyor 18 forwardly of the dispensing assembly 12 and adapted to receive sausages which are displaced laterally by the loader means 20, stop bars 24 for arresting a tray on the second conveyor 18 in a desired position with respect to the table surface 22, and pusher means which is located generally above the table surface 22, and is adapted to push off the surface 22 and into a tray on the second endless conveyor 18 sausages which collect on the surface 22. A rectangular frame 28 is provided to enclose and support the means defining the table surface 22, the pusher means 26, and the stop bars 24 with their associated operating devices. The construction and function of the various items within the rectangular frame 28 will now be described in greater detail.

Firstly, the rectangular frame 28 is suspended above and out of contact with the second endless conveyor 18 as can be seen in Figures 3 and 4. The endless conveyor 18 can be constituted by a single endless conveyor, or can be constituted by a plurality of sequential conveyors in the manner well known in the industry. The use of a plurality of conveyors is often resorted to when the angle defined by the conveying surface to the horizontal is intended to change over its length.

As best seen in Figures 1, 3, and 4, the stop bars 24 are controlled by two air-operated cylinders 30 and 31. The stop bars controlled by these cylinders are identified in Figures 3 and 4 as 24a and 24b, respectively. Each of the cylinders 30 and 31 is mounted on an angle bracket 33 secured to a side 35 of the rectangular frame 28. The opposite side is identified by the numeral 37, the forward end by the numeral 38, and the rearward end by the numeral 40.

The stop bars 24a and 24b are constituted, as can be seen in Figures 3 and 4, by extrusions of T-shaped cross-section, which may be of aluminum or other like material. Each of the stop bars 24a and 24b is secured at the bottom end of the piston 42 of its respective air-operated cylinder 30,31. The position of the table surface 22 with respect to the second endless conveyor 18 is best seen in Figures 3 and 4. The table surface 22 is not a single integral surface, but rather is defined by a plurality of rollers 44 strung on cross rods 46 which extend perpendicularly between the sides 35 and 37 of the rectangular frame 28, and thus perpendicular to what has been identified as the forward direction 16. The rollers 44 are freely rotatable, and the rollers on adjacent cross rods 46 do not touch. The rollers 44 are made of a low-friction material like nylon, so that there will be no tendency for the sausages 15 to stick to their surfaces. Thus, because the rollers 44 are free to rotate, there is little or no frictional resistance against movement of the sausages 15 in the forward direction with respect to the table surface defined by the rollers 44.

The cross rods 46 are secured at either end to portions of the main frame structure for the apparatus, which includes a vertical partition 47 below the side 35, and a further partition 49 extending downwardly from the top surface of a main horizontal mounting plate 50. This construction is particularly well illustrated in Figure 2.

Partition 47 supports, along an upper edge 52 thereof, a plurality of rollers 54 of cylindrical configuration, mounted for free rotation about vertical axes. These rollers constitute a stop or abutment means at the far or leftward side of the table surface 22, against which the first sausage to enter the table surface 22 can come to rest. The fact that the rollers 54 are freely rotatable means that the end sausage will not encounter any frictional drag when it is moved forwardly off the table surface 22 by the pusher means 26 which is shortly to be described.

OMPI Before describing the pusher means, it should be pointed out that the table surface 22 has a free forward edge 55 which is suspended above the second ⁵ conveyor 18. The free forward edge is, in effect, defined by the furthest forward series of rollers 44, but the point being made is that there is no abutment or other means which would prevent sausages from moving forwardly^"off the forward edge 55 of the table surface

10 22.

The pusher means 26 is located generally above the table surface 22, and is adapted to reciprocate in a direction parallel to the arrow 16.

As will be understood, the mechanism under discussion

1*^*-' is adapted repeatedly, at timed intervals, to push a plurality of sausages stacked in side-by-side relationship on the table surface 22 in the forward direction 16, so that they pass beyond the free forward edge 55 and into a tray 60 which has been brought

²⁰ forwardly along the second conveyor 18 and which is held in stopped position by the stop bar 24a (Figure 3) . As can be seen in Figure 3, the tray 60 is located such that its rearward half remains under the table surface, while its forward half projects forwardly of the forward edge 55 and is adapted to receive sausages displaced forwardly from the table surface 22.

The mechanism includes a pusher blade 62, which is rectangular in configuration and which extends downwardly from a horizontal support strut 63.

³⁰ The side 35 of the rectangular frame 28 and the opposite side 37 are both configured to define a cam track 65 which has a lower leg 67, an upward leg 68 at the forward end of the lower leg 67, a return leg 70 above the lower leg 67, and a downward leg 72 joining

35 the return and lower legs together at the rear. In effect, the four legs of the cam track define a rectangle, as is clearly seen in Figure 3. The support strut has, at either end, follower means adapted to follow the respective cam tracks in the sides 35 and 37. The follower means is constituted by two freely rotating follower wheels 75 at either end of the support strut 63.

At its mid-region the support strut 63 is firmly attached to the distal end of the piston 76 of an air cylinder 78. The other end 79 of the cylinder 78 is pivotally attached to a bracket 80 which is affixed to the end 38 of the rectangular frame 28.

Attached to the top of the support strut at either end thereof are two spring elements in the form of resilient metal strap members 82. The strap members extend generally in the forward direction from their location of attachment to the top of the support strut 63, and each one passes centrally through an open-ended sleeve member 84, which in the embodiment shown is generally of rectangular configuration. The center opening of the sleeve member is also rectangular, with a smaller vertical dimension than the horizontal dimension. The resilient strap members 82 are also flattened in configuration, and can be received slidingly within the sleeve members 84. At no time during the circuit of the follower wheels 75 around the cam track 65 do the strap members 82 become fully disengaged from the sleeve members 84. The resilience and configuration of the strap members 82 is such that as the air cylinder 78 contracts, pulling the support strut in the forward direction, the resilient strap members 82 begin to feed through the respective sleeve members 84.

It is important to note that the sleeve members 84 are oriented in such a way that the hypothetical center axis if extended passes above all portions of the cam tracks 65. The strap members 82 are such that,

OMPI when unstressed, they seek a rectilinear or straight configuration. As can be best understood from Figure 3, the fact that the sleeve members 84 are directed so that their horizontal axis extended passes above all portions of the cam tracks 65 means that the resilient strap members 82 will at all times be exerting an upward force on the support strut 63.

In the configuration of Figure 3, however, the "arm" length over which the strap members 82 exert the upward force is so long that the upward force is not sufficient to raise the support strut and associated structure upwardly against its own gravitational weight. Thus, when the air cylinder 78 first begins to pull the support strut 63 forwardly (to the right in Figure 3), the follower wheels 75 track along the lower legs 67 of the cam tracks 65.

When the support strut and its associated structure reach the forward end of the bottom leg 67 of the cam track, the fact that the resilient strap members 82 must curve upwardly to enter the sleeve members 84 parallel to the axis of the sleeve members requires the strap members to be bent much more strongly, i.e., to be bent through a considerably smaller radius than is the case in solid lines in Figure 3. This means that the upward force exerted by the strap members 82 on the support strut 63 and its associated structure will be considerably increased, and in the embodiment being described this force is sufficient to overcome the downward gravitational force on this structure, with the result that the cam follower wheels 75 run upwardly along the upward legs 68 of the cam tracks 65. This brings the assembly to the condition shown in Figure 4, where the support strut 63 has risen to its maximum point along the upward leg 68₀ It will be noted in Figure 3 that, as the support strut 63 and the pusher blade 62 move rightwardly, the pusher blade is located closely adjacent the rollers 44, so that any sausages 15 located on the rollers at that point will be pushed to the right, beyond the free forward edge 55 of the table surface 22 and into the forward end of the tray 60.

At the end of this forward motion, as described above, the support strut 63 and the pusher blade 62 are raised upwardly so as to be clear of any further sausages 15 being displaced from the first endless conveyor 14 and onto the table surface 22.

When the cylinder 78 extends, the support strut 63 and the pusher blade 62 move rearwardly along a path which keeps them clear of the sausages 15, until the rearward end of the return leg 70 is reached. At this point, the resilient strap members 82 have become much weaker in terms of the upward force which they exert, with the result that gravitational force causes the support strut 63 and the pusher blade to descend along the downward leg 72, ending up in the position shown in Figure 3. From this point, a further cycle is set to begin whenever called for by an appropriate timing mechanism or circuit.

Turning now to the sequence of events illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, Figure 3 shows the first phase of the filling of a tray 60 with sausages. The filling pattern is one in which a first group of sausages are placed in the forward end of the tray, following which a second group is placed in the rearward end. The sausages remain at all times aligned in the forward direction, and the number of sausages side-by-side may typically be from four to eight or even more, depending upon the side of the tray.

In Figure 3, it is assumed that the sausage shown at 15 is only one of a plurality of aligned sausages, the others of which cannot be seen because of the

O I alignment. These sausages have been carried along the first conveyor 14 sequentially, and one by one they have been displaced off the first conveyor 14 by the loader means 20 (subsequently to be described in greater detail). The displacement causes the sausages to enter the table surface 22 at the side away from the viewer in Figure 3, and air jets subsequently to be described gently roll the sausages toward the nearer side in Figure 3 (the leftward or far side in Figure 1) , until they abut either the end rollers 54 or the immediately preceding sausage. Figure 2 shows the situation with three sausages 15' already in place, and a fourth sausage 15" about to be displaced from the conveyor 14.

When the required number of sausages have been placed on the table surface 22 in this manner, established by a counter mechanism which is well known in the art and does not form the focus of this invention, a signal is given to initiate one complete cycle for the air cylinder 78. The air cylinder 78 is normally "at rest" in its extended position as shown in Figure 3. Upon a signal to initiate a cycle, the air cylinder contracts and again extends itself. By the action of the resilient strap members 82 described previously, this causes the pusher blade 62 to move forwardly and sweep all of the sausages into the forward end of the tray 60, then to rise up along the upward leg 68 of the cam track and return along the return leg clear of any additional sausages which may have come onto the table surface 22 in the meantime and finally down the leg 72 to return to the position of Figure 3 immediately upstream or rearwardly of the newly arrived sausages. When this first cycle has been completed, a signal is given to raise the stop bar 24a (Figure 3) and to lower the downstream stop bar 24b into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 and in solid lines in Figure 4. -_ £A ζ}^~-

__ OMPI /». Y IPO . < This will allow the tray 60 to move from the position shown in Figure 3 to the dotted line position shown in Figure 4 and identified by the numeral 60'. The solid line tray illustration in Figure 4 is the same one as that of Figure 3, but shows the sausages 15 in place in the forward end of the tray.

Thus, after the front end of the tray has been filled, the stop bars 24a and 24b reverse as just described, which allows the endless conveyor 18 (which is always moving) to carry the tray 60 forwardly to the downstream stop bar 24b as shown in broken lines in Figure 4. This then presents the rearward end of the tray immediately forwardly adjacent the table surface 22 defined by the rollers 44. Throughout this procedure, additional sausages 15 are being accumulated on the table surface, and when the requisite number is achieved, a further signal is given o the air cylinder 78 to initiate another complete cycle, which sweeps the second lot of sausages into the rearward end of the tray. The tray is then completely filled with sausages, and the stop bar 24b is raised at another signal to allow the filled tray to pass forwardly beyond the apparatus being described. The tray may then pass on to other stations in which it is wrapped, stamped or labelled, and so forth. As soon as the filled tray has passed beyond the stop bar 24a, the latter descends once again to the position shown in solid lines in Figure 3, thereby to arrest forward motion of the next sequential tray at a position identical to that shown in Figure 3 for the tray 60. The filling procedure then repeats, with two cycles of the air cylinder 78 causing two further lots of sausages to be deposited into the next sequential tray, one lot in the front and one lot in the back. The apparatus continues in_. this fashion so long as sausages and trays are supplied to it.

O PI Detector means, which may be optical, electrical, or air-operated, are provided to tell the assembly when the filled tray has passed beyond the upstream stop bar 24a, so that the latter may descend. These means are not illustrated.

In Figure 5, the section at 5-5 in Figure 4 is shown. It can be seen that the stop bar 24b is connected not only to the piston of the cylinder 31 but also to a guide rod 87 which extends slidingly thorugh a bore in a further bracket 88 affixed to the side 37.

Attention is now directed to Figure 2, which shows the loader means 20 in elevation. The loader means 20 includes -an air cylinder 89 mounted on a bracket 90, and having its piston affixed centrally to a displacement block 92 at about the same horizontal level as the sausages 15 which are conveyed - along the first conveyor 14. Upon the appropriate signal, the cylinder 89 extends its piston and the displacement block 92, thus knocking an adjacently located sausage to the left in Figure 2 so that it falls down a slight incline and onto the table surface 22 defined by the rollers 44. The position of a sausage immediately upon contact with the table surface 22 is shown in broken lines and identified by the numeral 93. While it is possible to shove each sausage with sufficient force to cause it to roll all the way to the leftward end of the table surface 22 as pictured in Figure 2, it is possible that, because of the softness of the sausages, such an impact is undesirable. If the impact were to distort the sausage cross-sectional shape significantly, it might be difficult or even impossible for the sausage to roll correctly across the table surface 22. For this reason, there is provided a plurality of blow holes 95 in the partition 49, which are fed by an air line 96 from an appropriate source and through appropriate valve means. The blow holes are best seen in Figures 3 and 4, in terms of their orientation with respect to the table surface. The blow holes 95 continually create a curtain of leftward moving air sweeping horizontally across the top of the table surface 22, such that as the sausages sequentially fall onto the table at the rightward side as seen in Figure 2, the air will gently but positively cause them to roll leftwardly over to the furthest leftward position which they can occupy.

Turning now to the tray dispensing assembly shown at top right in Figure 1, it will be seen that this includes a plurality of upstanding guide rods 97 defining a central passageway in which a stack of trays 60 can be accommodated.

The guide rods 97 are divided into four pairs, with two rods extending upwardly from a mounting block 98 adjacent the conveyor 14, with two more rods received in an identical mounting block on the opposite side, not visible in Figure 1, and with the other two pairs of guide rods being received in two identical mounting blocks 100, each of which incorporates a release mechanism now to be described in greater detail. The mounting blocks 100 are located at the upstream and downstream positions of the stack of trays, with the result that the upstream mounting block 100 is not visibl in Figure 1, being hidden by the stack of trays 60.

The mounting blocks 100 of the two release mechanisms are adapted to retain the stack of trays in position within the guide rods and to dispense trays one at a time from the bottom, so that the dispensed tray falls down onto the second endless conveyor 18 and is transported forwardly to the loading position beneath the rectangular frame 28 as previously described.

Figure 6 shows the essential components of the release mechanism. The mounting block is again

OMPI identified by the numeral 100, and in Figure 6 its configuration can be seen to include a lower face 101, an inner face 102, and two side faces 104 of which only one is visible in Figure 6. At the lateral margins of the inner face 102 are slots 106 for receiving the two guide rods 97 which are supported by the mounting block 100. As can be seen, a recess 107 is provided in the mounting block 100, the recess having an oblique face 108 extending between the inner face 102 and the bottom face 101. The recess does not extend the lateral margins of the inner face 102, and thus the recess has inside vertical walls 110 (only one visible in Figure 6) . The mounting block 100 would typically be machined from a solid block of material, such as aluminum, and in order to save weight the upper and outer portions are machined away to provide inward recesses 112 on either side of the mounting block between which is a central flange portion 113. The central flange portion 113 is of course integral with the remainder of the mounting block 100. The central flange portion 113 has an oblique corner face 114 which is parallel to the face 108 of the recess 107. A bore hole is machined through the central flange portion normal to the face 108, and the upper outer end of the bore hole is tapped to receive the end of a standard air cylinder 116. The piston of the air cylinder 116 extends in sliding relation through the bore just described. In Figure 7, the bore can be seen at 118 in the sectioned portion. The lower inner end 118' of the piston of the air cylinder is machined to present an oblique forward end face 119, and an elongated notch 120 is machined on the underside of the piston immediately adjacent the forward face 119. (Alternatively, a separate piece can be machined to the configuration shown in Figure 6 and then threaded onto the standard piston shaft of an air cylinder) .

-Bl3R£Λ

OMPI Vertical spring slots 122 are machined into the mounting block 100 on either side of the bore just described, these spring slots being oval in section, and being shown in broken lines in Figure 9. A bore 124 of smaller diameter is provided transverse to the spring slots 122 at the upper ends thereof, and traverses the spring slots centrally. A rod 125 is adapted to be inserted snugly into the bore 124 so that the upper ends of two springs 126 can be secured at the upper ends of spring slots 122.

Two aligned bores 128 are provided toward the bottom and inside portion of the recess 107, and a further rod 129 is adapted to be inserted therethrough. A lip member 130 is provided as a separate component of the mechanism under discussion. The lip member 130 has a forward lip portion 132 in a wedge shape, and two rearward upstanding portions 133. Each portion 133 has a central slot 134 and through each side of both slots is provided a series of aligned bores 136 which are adapted to slidingly receive a further rod 138. The lower ends of the springs 126 are intended to pass around the rod 138 when in position through the bores 136. A further bore 140 is positioned in the lip member 130 and is adapted to receive the rod 129 as the latter passes through the bores 128 of the mounting block 100.

It will thus be seen that the rod 129 defines a pivot axis about which the lip member 130 can swing with respect to the mounting block 100. Furthermore, the springs 126 are in tension when hooked around the rod 125 and the rod 129, and this tends to bias the lip member 130 into its furthest counter-clockwise position as seen from the 1ft, i.e., as seen in Figure 7. In the lip member 130 there is provided between the upstanding portions 133 a recess 143 adapted to receive the rod 118'. The forward projecting portion

OMPI supporting the lip 132 also has a wedge-like cylindrical recess 145, the purpose of which will appear subsequentl „ A spring member 147 is provided, and is adapted to be secured against the forward face 102 in a recess

148 provided for the purpose. As can be seen in Figure 6, the recess is substantially rectangular in section, and extends vertically centrally of the forward face 102. The spring member 147 is somewhat in the shape of a shovel, with a handle portion 149 adapted to be received in the recess* 148, and a blade portion 151 which has finger portions 153 bent forwardly at right angles to the main part of the blade portion 151, between which is provided a rounded recess 155. A threaded fastener 156 is provided to attach the handle portion 149 of the spring member 147 to the mounting block 140.

Attention is now directed to Figures 1 , 8, and 9, with the help of which the sequential stages in the operation of the release mechanism will be described. n Figure 7, the mechanism is shown before initiation of the cycle which releases one tray to fall down onto the second endless conveyor 18. In Figure 7, the piston of the cylinder 116 is retracted, the lip member 130 is in its furthest counter-clockwise position, the lip 132 of the lip member 130 extends forwardly beneath the horizontal flange 160 of the lower-most tray 60" in the stack, further trays are in place above the lower-most tray 60", and the spring member 147 is in a position such that the fingers 153 are withdrawn behind the hypothetical plane of the forward face 102 of the mounting block 100, so as not to interfere with the trays in any way.

It will also be noted in Figure 7 that the rod 138 passing through the bores 136 of the lip member 130 passes through the slot 120 in the rod 118'. It will further be noted in Figure 7 that the rod 118' is situated with respect to the spring member 147 such that, upon forward motion, contact will be made with the lower end of the spring member 147.

Figure 8 shows the release mechanism after the initiation of a cycle intended to drop one of the trays onto the second endless conveyor 18. The piston 116 has been energized and the rod 118' has started its forward motion. It has moved far enough to push the lower end of the spring member 147 inwardly so that the fingers 153 come into engagement position beneath the flange 160"' of the second tray 60"'. The lower-most tray 60" is still retained at this point by virtue of the fact that the lip 132 of the finger member still extends under its flange. In Figure 8, the rod 118* has extended forwardly as far as possible before it begins to exert a force on the rod 138.

After the position of Figure 8 is reached, further forward movement of the rod 118' will exert counter¬ clockwise torque on the lip member 130 -and the latter will begin to pivot in the clockwise sense as seen in Figure 8, to carry the lip 132 downwardly and outwardly away from its retaining position with respect to the lower-most tray 60". Also, the configuration of the spring member 147 is such that further movement of the rod 118' in the forward direction will not push the spring member 147 to a greater extent outwardly against the trays. This is due to the provision of the recess 155 described earlier in connection with Figure 6. The recess 155 is shaped, configured, and located in such a way that the point of "slip" onto the top of the rod 118' comes at the position shown in Figure 8.

Figure 9 shows the final configuration at the end of the forward thrust of the rod 118'. The forward force exerted against the rod 138 has caused the lip member 130 to rotate completely out of the way of the lower-most tray 60", while the spring member 147 still retains the second lowest tray 60"' and the trays stacked thereabove. When the rod 118' retracts, the first thing that happens is that the lip member 130 returns to its normal position under the influence of the springs 126, and then subsequent to this return the spring member 147 retracts back to the position of Figure 7. Upon the retraction of the spring member 147, the remainder of the trays beginning with tray 60" ' fall down against the lip 132 of the lip member 130.. A new cycle is then 0 set to start.

Returning to Figure 1 a length selection mechanism will now be described. This mechanism is shown generally at the numeral 170 in Figure 1, and includes three photoelectric light generators 173, 174, and 175, 5 together with matching light receptors 176 on the opposite side of the first endless conveyor 14.

The projectors 173, 174, and 175 are longitudinally adjustable with respect to the forward direction arrow 16, as are the receptors 176, and the operation is as follows. 0 The optimum length of sausage 15 for use with the particular plates being employed is determined on the basis of the longitudinal dimension of a tray. The distance between projector 173 and 174 is slightly less than this optimum length, while the distance between -^*-^" projector 173 and 175 is slightly more than this optimum length. As the sausages pass along between the projectors 173-175 and their corresponding receptors, the light beams from the various projectors will be intercepted. A sausage will first cut the beams from projectors 175 0 and 174, and these two beams will be off together for a certain period. When the sausage has continued to the point where the beam from projector 173 is cut, the logic determines the condition of the light beams from projectors 174 and 175. If both of these are still cut, 5 then the sausage is too long and it is rejected. If both of these are open then the sausage is too short and again it is rejected. If the beam from projector 174 is cut but that from projector 175 is not, then the sausage is within the acceptable range and it is placed on the table 22 for insertion into the tray. Rejection takes place simply by not displacing the sausage from the conveyor 14 when it reaches the loading means 20. The sausage is then carried on further and simply runs free onto the mounting plate 50. The operator or one of the personnel attached to the assembly can then place the sausages which are rejected into a container to be reprocessed.

Referring now to the alternate embodiment of Figures 10-17, and initially to Figure 10, the collating apparatus 201 of this embodiment is mounted on a rigid base 203, designed to rest, for example, on the floor of a packing plant, immediately adjacent a sausage forming machine (not shown) . The sausage forming machine ejects finished sausages above an initial alignment guide 205. When dropped into the alignment guide 205, the sausages are generally oriented parallel to the length of the machine 201, that is, in a direction along the width of Figure 1. The alignment guide 205 includes plural rollers which assure this alignment of each individual sausage and serve to accurately roll the sausages onto the top of an endless chain conveyor 207. Because the sausage forming machine ejects the sausages at a substantially uniform rate, and because the conveyor 207 moves at a uniform rate, the sausages are substantially equally spaced along the conveyor 207. The conveyor 207 is moved at a rate which is selected so that the sausages are spaced along the conveyor 207 and moved in a mutually parallel, end-to-end configuration toward a collating station 209. At the collating station, the sausages initially pass a length measuring mechanism 211 which measures each sausage to assure that it is between a minimum and maximum length. Those sausages which do not fall within the length boundaries continue on the conveyor 207 and fall off the end 213 of the conveyor 207 into a collection bin 215.

Those sausages which fall within the predetermined length limitations are pushed from the conveyor 207 by an ejector mechanism 217. The length measuring apparatus 211 serves the additional function of precisely determining the time when each sausage is positioned directly in front of the ejector mechanism 217 so that, by properly timing the ejection from the conveyor 207, the sausages can be roughly aligned on a collating tray 219. The ejector mechanism 217 typically ejects the sausages from the conveyor 207 with just enough force to position the sausages at the side of the collating tray 219 immediately adjacent the conveyor 207. A plurality of air nozzles 221, adjacent the conveyor 207, forms a moving blanket of air across the top of the collating tray 219 which urges each individual sausage to roll across the collating tray 219. Along the edge of the collating tray 219, opposite the ejector mechanism 217, a sidewall 223 stops the motion of the first sausage placed on the collating tray 219. As other sausages are added to the collating tray 219, they roll to abut against the previous sausage, so that the tray 219 is filled with sausages laying substantially parallel to one another in a mutually parallel, side-by- side configuration. A counter 225, responsive to the ejector mechanism 217, is used to determine when the tray 219 is full of sausages.

During this loading process, air is supplied, under pressure, to holes in the upper surface of the collating tray 219 in order to slightly float the sausages as they roll across the tray 219, thereby reducing the friction between the sausages and the tray 219. This air supply mechanism and the method associated therewith will be described in more detail below. The collating tray 219 is mounted on a rotating octagonal drum 227. An indexing mechanism 229, responsive to the counter 225, is used to rotate the drum 227 in 45-degree increments counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure 1. Once the tray 219 is filled, - the indexing mechanism 229 rotates the tray 219 to a tamping station 231, while air is continuously supplied through the surface of the collating tray 219. When the tray reaches the tamping station 231, the drum 227 is abruptly stopped and the sausages, still floating on the air cushion from the supplied air, easily slide against an end wall 233 of the tray 219, driven by their own inertia. This inertial driving of the sausages avoids deformation of the sausages, while at the same time assuring accurate side-by-side alignment of the sausages so that their ends all rest against the wall 233.

At the tamping station 231, a tamping mechanism 235 lightly presses the sausages against the tray 219 and the air pressure, previously supplied to the surface of the tray 219, is discontinued. At the same time, a vacuum is drawn through the apertures in the surface of the tray 219. This vacuum, together with the tamping action of the tamping mechanism 235, seals the sausages against the upper surface of the tray 219. It will be appreciated that the drum 227 carries eight identical collating trays 219 on its eight octagonal surfaces so that, as one tray is positioned at the tamping station 231, the next successive tray is being loaded with sausages 221. Furthermore, the control apparatus prohibits operation of the ejector mechanism 217 during cycling of the indexing mechanism

O P 229 so that the sausages are only ejected from the conveyor 207 when a tray 219 is properly located in a stationary position adjacent the conveyor 207. The vacuum at the upper surface of the tray 219 provides a pressure differential with the surrounding atmosphere which holds the sausages firmly against the tray so that, during the next three indexing operations of the indexing mechanism 229, the sausages are firmly held against the tray 219 and do not drop from the tray, although at the 135-degree position (the loading position being 0 degrees), and the 180-degree position, the sausages and tray 219 are inverted.

When the individual sausage collating trays 219 reach an eject position 237 (180 degrees) , the vacuum at the trays 219 is replaced by air pressure which blows the sausages away from the surface of the trays 219, in accurately aligned position, into a waiting packaging tray 239. The packaging trays 239 are supplied, one at a time, by a tray dispenser 241 onto a tray conveyor 243. The operation of the dispenser 241 is synchronized with that of the drum 227, so that trays 239 arrive at the eject station 237 as required for filling. A stop mechanism 240 is used to arrest the motion of the trays 239 at the eject location 237 during the loading operation. Thus, the sausages fall into the stopped tray 239 as the endless belt conveyor 243 passes beneath the tray 239. In various operational modes, the tray 239 may be stopped by the stop mechanism 240 to receive two tiers of sausages from two successive collating trays 219 on top of one another, or may be partially moved to receive two or more successive tiers, side-by-side. The tray 239 is then released and travels to the end of the endless belt 243 where it is accepted by a wrapping mechanism of prior art design (not shown) .

The indexing mechanism 229 is of common commercial design, typically including a ratchet and pawl to

OMPI accurately advance the drum 227 in 45-degree increments.

As the indexing mechanism 229 continues to rotate the drum 227, the collating tray 219 will again travel to the 0-degree position to receive an additional group of sausages. During this motion between the 180-degree position and the 0-degree position, air is continuously supplied at the surface of the collating tray 219 to keep the surface of the tray 219 clean and free of debris which might interfere with proper sealing of the evacuation process, which occurs at the tamping station 231.

As shown in Figure 10, a single motor 236 and gear mechanism 238 is advantageously used to drive both the conveyor 207 through a chain drive 2 and the conveyor

243 through a chain drive 247.

Referring now to Figures 10 and 12, the details of t collating tray 219, ejection mechanism 217, and length measuring system 211 will be described. The conveyor 207 typically comprises an endless steel chain 248 which carries a plurality of food grade urethane carriers 249. Each of the carriers is supported on a link of the chain and includes an upper surface which is slightly cup-shaped, having a higher wall on the side 251, facing away from the collating tray 219, and a relatively lower wall on the side 253 facing the collating tray 219. Each sausage thus rests on a plurality of the carriers 249, as it progresses toward the collating station.

The measuring system 211 includes three infrared transceiving units 255, 257, and 259 (Figure 10). As sausages pass adjacent these infrared transceiving units, the units sense the position of the sausage on the adjace conveyor 207. Each sausage must lie simultaneously alongside transceivers 259 and 257 to be long enough, and must not simultaneously lie alongside transceivers 255 and 259, since this would indicate excessive length. The position of the transceivers 255, 257, and 259 thus

O provides a predetermined length requirement for the sausages. Switching circuits are utilized to prohibit operation of the ejector 217 if the sausage is an incorrect length.

In addition to this function, the measuring station 211 provides- a.--precise -indication of the time when a sausage is immediately adjacent to the ejector 217. Thus, as soon as the transceiver 259 indicates that the trailing end of a sausage has passed this transceiver, a timer, such as a monostable multivibrator, is initiated. The timer is accurately set on the basis of the speed of the conveyor 207 so that, when the sausage is immediately adjacent the ejector 217, the ejector 217 will push the sausage from the conveyor 207.

The ejector 217 typically includes an air cylinder 261, the piston 263 of which is connected to a food grade urethane push bar 265. When, the air cylinder 261 is activated, the push bar 265 is advantageously extended at a rate and to a distance, both selected to push the sausage off the conveyor 207 to 'pirace the sausage on the collating tray 219, but not to roll the sausage all the way across the tray 219.

Once the sausage is on the tray 219, for example, at the first of a series of undulating troughs 267, the sausages are carried across the tray toward the wall 223 by air which is supplied from a series of jets 221. These jets 221 form a blanket of moving air which continuously flows across the top of the collating tray 219. Air is also supplied under pressure through plural apertures 269 in the upper surface of the collating tray 219, this air tending to slightly float the sausages as they travel across the upper surface of the tray 219. The sausages will stack against one another, typically resting in locations as determined by the troughs 267. The counter 225 (Figure 10) determines when the tray 219 is completely filled with sausages so that the tray 219 may be indexed to the next location and an empty tray 219 may be placed at the collating station 209.

It has been found that the undulating upper surface of the tray 219, in addition to forming a resting place for each of the sausages, tends to align the sausages as they roll across the upper surface of the tray 219, so that the sausages reach their final location parallel to the undulations. As particularly shown in Figure 12, the lower surface of the collating tray 219, which rests on the drum 227, includes a manifold 271 which is connected to the apertures 269. This manifold 271 is in turn connected through the drum 227 to a source of vacuum by means of a valve, described below in reference to Figures 13, 14, 16, and 17. The manifold 271 is large enough so that, after a vacuum is drawn through the apertures 269 at the tamping station 231 (Figure 10) , the vacuum source may be disconnected, and sufficient volume is provided in the manifold 271 so that slight leaks will not seriously degrade the vacuum within the system. Thus, the vacuum may be supplied using the valve of Figures 13 and 14 for a short period of time, and the sausages, once they have sealed the apertures 269, will remain attached to the tray 219, supported by the differential in pressure between atmosphere and the vacuum of the manifold 271.

As shown in Figure 17, each of the collating trays 219 is connected by a tube 272 to a segmented vacuum/air valve 273 having a stationary portion 275 and a rotating portion 277. The valve portions 275 and 277 are typically lapped together to provide mutually rotating sealing surfaces for the application of valved vacuum and air supply to the trays 219.

The preferred embodiment of the valve portions 275, 277 is shown in Figures 13 and 14_ The sectional view of Figure 4 shows the apertures in the stationary segment 275 in solid lines and the positions of the apertures

O PI in the rotating portion 277 in dotted lines, although these apertures are behind the section line. These latter apertures 279 are aligned with each of the collating trays 219 so that, for example, the aperture 279A is at the upper-most or zero-degree position when the associated collating tray 219 is adjacent the ejector 217. The apertures 279 are uniformly spaced in a circular pattern, centered at an axle 281 which supports the rotating valve segment 277 and the drum 227. As shown in Figure 10, the other end of the axle 281 is supported on an upright front wall member 283, which additionally supports the tamping mechanism 235 and the indexing mechanism 229. Referring again to Figures 13 and 14, the stationary valve portion 275 includes an arcuate groove 285 which extends between approximately the 35-degree position and the 180-degree position. This groove 285 is supplied with air under pressure from a compressor, so that those apertures 279 of the moving valve segment 277, which are rotationally oriented to overlap the groove 285, are supplied with air pressure. A single aperture 287, at the 45-degree position on the stationary valve segment 275, is connected to a vacuum pump, and thus evacuates each aperture 279 and its associated collating tray 219, when those trays are indexed to the 45-degree position, that is, at the tamping station 231. The lapped surface between this 45-degree position and the 180-degree position maintains the apertures 279 and the vacuum within the collating trays 219 sealed, as the collating trays 219 are inverted in their travel between the tamping station 231 (Figure 10) and the ejecting station 237 (Figure 10).

As will be noted in Figures 13 and 14, as the sausage trays are abruptly indexed between the zero-degree position and the 45-degree position, air continues to be supplied for the greater portion of the movement, since the aperture 279 of the individual tray 219 overlaps the groove 285. Because of the size of the manifold 271 within the collating tray 219, it takes a finite period of time for this air pressure to be relieved through the

5 apertures 269 (Figure 11) and the tube 272 which interconnects the tray 219 to the aperture 279. Thus, when the collating tray 219 is abruptly stopped at the 45-degree position, even though a vacuum is being drawn at the aperture 279, some air pressure still exists

10 beneath the sausages so that they float to their collated position against the end wall. Then, with the passage of a short period of time, the vacuum supplied at the aperture 287 of the fixed valve portion 273 draws the sausages, with the aid of the tamping mechanism 235,

I**⁵ against the upper undulating surface of the tray 219.

The sealed manifold 271, sealed at the apertures 269 by the sausages and sealed at the apertures 279 by the flat surface of the fixed valve portion 273, maintains the vacuum beneath the tray 219 and maintains the sausages attached by the pressure differential at the surface of the tray 219, as the tray is indexed successively to 90-, 135-, and 180-degree positions.

As shown in Figures 13 and 14, at the 180-degree position, the apertures 279 interface with the groove

25 285 and air pressure is supplied above the sausages, releasing them from the now inverted tray 219. This air pressure blows the sausages away from the surface of the tray 219 into the waiting packaging tray 239.

The groove 285 continues to supply air as the tray

30 219 is indexed to the 225-, 270-, 315-, and zero-degree positions, blowing air through the surface of the tray 219 through the apertures 269 (Figure 11) to clean the surface of the tray 219 of any foreign matter that may have been deposited with the sausages.

35 Referring now to Figure 15, the sequence of operations of the collating mechanism will be described. Figure 15 is a flow chart which diagrams the operation of

OMPI electrical lo ic used to operate the system. It "ill be understood that the flow chart of Figure 15 may be implemented, either through relay logic or *=olid state logic, and that this implementation is well within the skill of those familiar with this art.

When a start button is pushed at step 301, the conveyor, vacuum source, and air pressure source are started at step 303, and the sausage length measuring transceivers 211 determine whether the sausage, passin on the conveyor 207, is too short at step 305. If the sausaσe is too short, the measuring transceivers 211 return the system to wait for the next successive sausage. If the sausage is not too short, the step 307 measures to determine if the sausage is too long. If so, the system is returned to measure the next successive sausage. If not, the transceiver station 211 determines when the end of the sausage exits t^e last transceiver element at step 309 to begin * time delay at step 311, whi^h is selected in conjunction wi^h th-*-*** speed of the conveyor 207, to determine when +^*he s-usa-e, having passed the length measuring t°st, is precisely located in front of the ejection mechanism 7-17. At step 313, the indexing unit 229 is checked to see if the drum 227 is in the middle of an indexing movement. If it is, a delay is introduced at step 315 and drum movement is again checked at step 313. If indexing is not in progress, the ejector 209 is activated at step 317 to move the measured sausage off the conveyor 207 onto the collating tray 219. The sausage counter 225 is incremented at step 319 and its count is checked at step 321 to determine if the sausage collating tray 219 is filled, that is, if the count has reached a predetermined number. If not, the system, returns to step 305 to measure the next successive sausage.

If the sausage count is complete, the drum 227 is indexed at step 323 by 45 degrees to index each of the collating trays 219. The sausage counter 225 is reset to zero at step 325 to enable it to count the next group of sausaσes, and the indexing unit 229 is again πhecked at step 327 to determine if it is in the middle of an indexing movement. If it is, a delay is introduced at step 329 and the indexing unit is again checked at 327. When the indexing is complete, the tamping mechanism 235 is lowered against the sausages at the tamping station (45-degree position) and a time delay is introduced a^*-*^** step 337 which measures the tamping period. The tamper is then raised at step 339 and a tier counter is incremented at step 341.

The tier counter is utilized for determining ho" many groups of sausages will be placed in each individual packaging tray. The count of the tier counter i*- then checked at step 343 to determine whether the oackaging tray is -filled with the required number of sausaqe tiers. If not, the system is returned to step 305. If the tier counter has reached the desired tier count, a time delay is introduced at step 345 and a new tray is dropped onto the conveyor 243 by the tray dispenser 241 at step 347. In addition, at step 349, the stop mechanism 240 is withdrawn for a short period O^*P time, so that the tray which has been arrested at the loading position on the conveyor 243 is released to trave to the next successive piece of machinery, typically a wrapping station (not shown) . The system is then returne to measure the length of additional sausages at step 305. Through the above description, it can e seen that a sausage co^"*lating machine has been described which, through the use of air pressure and vacuum, collates groups of sausa^ges on a tray, inverts these collated sausages, and dτops them into a packaging tray ^**n collated order, all without direct physical manipulation of the sausages with ^hardware elements. This has pi-oven to be a safe and effective means of

_OM?l handling the sausages without damaginq them or making them unsightly in any way.

While the valve of Figures 13 and 14 has b-=-en disclosed i th«^a preferred embodiment as supplying vacuum onlv at the tamping station (45 degrees) , with the integrity of the vacuum system within the manifold 271 relied upon to hold the vacuum through the further indexing stations at 90 degrees and 135 degrees, an alternate 0 valv--*-- structure is shown in Figures 16 and 17 which supplies vac"um continuously at these stations. Thi" alternate embo^diment will assure that, even if there a^e slight leaks in the vacuum system, the sausages will not drop from -t e sausage collating trays 219. 5 As shown in Fiσures 16 and 17, the valve faces of Figure 14 mav be altered in an alternate embodiment to provide a continuous vacuum supply to each of the collatiⁿg tray surfaces 219. It should e recognized in thi^*- reg^**-rd that the simple formation of a circular nroove 0 fo^**- the vacuum source in the Figure 14 embodiment, similar to the groove for air pressure supply in that embodiment, may not be satisfactory, since this groove would provide communication between adjacent ollatinσ travs 219. Thu*=, if th-****- vacuum were impaired at one

2^**-^* trav by a l~^*ak through the apertures 269 in the trav's surface, not onlv miffht the sausages on that trav fall, but the sausages on the remaining trays, in πommunication with that tτ^*ay through the σroove, migh+^* be subject to f^alling f^**^**om heii- trays 219.

^ in o~der to overcome this problem, the embodimen*- of Figure 16 shows four air supply σrooves 411, 413, 415, and 417, and four vacuum supply grooves 419, 421, 423, and 425. Because each of th⁰ vacuum grooves 419-425 covers less than 180 de rees of arc, it is ^possible to use each groove to supply vacuum to collating trays 219 on opposite octagonal faces of the drum 227, thus assuring that two trays 219 will never interface with any one of the grooves 419-425 simultaneously. The operation of the valve embodiment of Fiqures 16 and 17 is virtually identical to that of Figures 13 and 14, except that vacuum is supplied to each of the travs throuσh the entire rotation between approximately the 45-degree position and approximately the 170-degree position. Thus, even if a slight leak occurs at the surface of any one of the collating trays 219, the vacuum will be maintained to hold the sausages in position on the tray as the tray is inverted.

The valve of Figures 16 and 17 includes an altered rotating member also, in which the radial position of the valving orifices is changed. Thus, the orifices 427 and 429 are equally radially displaced and are intended to interface with the grooves 417 and 425. Similarly, opposite orifices 431 and 433 interface with the grooves 415 and 423, orifices 435 and 437 with grooves 413 and 421, and orifices 439 and 451 with grooves 411 and 419. It has been found advantageous in utilizing this embodiment of the valve to use four separate vacuum sources for supplying vacuum to each of the grooves 419-425 in order to assure that short-term changes in vacuum level, as occur when a particular tray first reache the 45-degree position, do not interfere with the vacuum supplied at the 90-degree and the 135-degree positions of the remaininq trays.

Claims

1. Apparatus for aligning and loading uncooked sausages (15, 220) in a packaging tray (60, 239) , characterized by: a conveyor (14, 207) for moving said sausages, one at a time, to a first loading station (20, 209); a collating tray (22, 219) located adjacent said conveyor at said first loading station; an air nozzel (95, 221) positioned at said loading station and directed across the top of said collating tray to form an air jet for moving said sausages from said conveyor across said collating tray; and apparatus (_.62, 227) for loading said sausages from said collating tray into a packaging tray

(60, 239) at a second loading station (24a, 237).

2. Apparatus, as defined in Claim 1, further characterized by: apertures {269 ) on the surface of said collating tray £219) • and an air supply (285, 411, 413, 415, 417) connected to said apertures for providing a cushion of air beneath said sausages as they move across said collating tray (219) .

3. Apparatus, as defined in Claim 1, further comprising: apertures (269) on the surface of said collating tray (219) ; and a vacuum supply (287, 419, 421, 423, 425) connected to said apertures for supplying a suction beneath said sausages to hold said sausages against said collating tray (219) .

4. Apparatus, as defined in Claim 3, further characterized by: apparatus (227) for inverting said collating tray (219) above said second station (237) ; and a valve (273) for discontinuing the supply of vacuum at said second station to permit said sausages to fall from said inverted collating tray (219).

5. Apparatus, as defined in Claim 4, further characterized by: an air supply (285, 411, 413, 415, 417) . connected to said apertures (269) for providing air jets to said collating tray at said second station (237) to push said sausages away from said collating tray and to clean the surface of said collating tray (219) .

6. Apparatus, as defined in Claim 1, further characterized by: a sensor (170, 211) mounted adjacent said conveyor (14, 207) for determining the lengths of said sausages; and means (.305, 307) responsive to said sensor for preventing sausages which do not meet predetermined length requirements from moving onto said collating tray.

7. Apparatus, as defined in Claim 1, further characterized by: a rotating drum (227) supporting said collating tray (219) , said drum (227) mounted to rotate between a first position at which said collating tray (219) is supported upright at said first station (209) and a. second position at which said collating tray (219) is supported upside down at said second position (237).

OMFI

8. Apparatus, as defined in Claim 7, wherein said rotating drum (227) supports plural collating trays (219) around its periphery.

9. Apparatus, as defined in Claim 7, wherein said rotating drum (227) supports a rotating valve (273) for selectively conducting air to and from said collating tray (219) .

-^*■ ^O H \