IES20010205A2 - An interleaving device and process - Google Patents

Abstract

In one aspect the invention provides a process for interleaving frozen food products, for example burgers (1), with sheets (2) of paper or other sheet material. The frozen burgers (1) are fed along a feed path towards a sheet application station and a strip (17) of paper is also fed to the sheet application station, where it is applied to a surface of the burger. The invention is characterized by the steps that the strip (17) of paper is fed to the sheet application station along a path substantial perpendicular to the feed path of the burger (1); the strip (17) of paper is formed with transverse perforation lines spaced at longitudinal intervals corresponding to the desired width of the sheet (2) of paper, before reaching the sheet application station; the frozen burgers (1) are advanced in stack formation, on their edges, towards the sheet application station; at the sheet application station a face of the foremost burger (1a) is pressed against a leading end portion of the strip (17) of paper; and the foremost burger (1a) is moved away from the strip of paper to server the leading sheet of paper from the strip along the line of perforations. A device for carrying out the above process includes a feed magazine (6) for feeding burgers (1), on their edges, towards a sheet application station; means (16,19) for feeding a strip (17) of paper in a path substantially perpendicular to the feed path of the burgers (1), means such as a clamp (10), for clamping a foremost burger (1) of a stack (3) of burgers within the feed magazine (6); means for moving the clamp so as to bring a face of the clamped burger (1a) into adherence contact with a leading end portion of the strip (17) of paper, means for moving the foremost burger (1a) and the sheet (2) adhered thereto so as to detach the sheet from the strip (17) of paper along a line of weakness in the strip (17) of paper. In a second aspect the invention provides a transport apparatus for transporting stacks of burgers to an interleaving device, or to a packing and/or loading station, comprising an elongate channel, e.g. in the form of supports, which are adapted to support a stack of burgers on their edges and along which the stack may be conveyed, transport means for moving the stack along the supports, and at least one L-shaped pressure device, moveable from an inactive position, in which the stack may move over it to an active position in which it presses against the stack of burgers. <Figure 12>

Description

Field of the Invention OPEN TO PU£w-. \ UNDER SECTION 28 AND RULE 23 JNL No. 1^8 OF The invention relates to an interleaving device for inserting a sheet material, e.g. a sheet of paper, cellophane, plastics or the like, between food objects. The invention is particularly concerned with a device and process for inserting a leaf or sheet of paper between frozen meat products, such as burgers, patties and the like. The invention also includes a transport apparatus suitable for conveying or feeding burgers to the interleaving device or to a packing and/or loading station.

Background of the Invention Hamburgers are patties of minced meat which are usually fried or grilled, and are served in bread buns. The term “burger” as used throughout this specification is intended to included hamburgers, beefburgers, vegetarian burgers, meat cakes, patties, and indeed all kinds of food products which have flat parallel surfaces and are typically frozen for delivery and storage before use.

Burgers are usually prepared by filling minced meat under pressure into cavities in a reciprocating mould plate. The formed burgers are knocked out of the cavities onto a conveyor. The conveyor conveys the burgers through a blast freezer where the burgers are individually quick-frozen. The conveyor then conveys the frozen burgers to a packaging station where the frozen burgers are manually stacked into cartons or the like. The frozen burgers may be conveyed to a patty stacker machine which stacks the burgers on their edges in cartons, boxes or the like.

It is known to interleave burgers by inserting a leaf of paper, typically of square shape, between each individual burger or, alternatively, to insert a sheet of paper between each layer of burgers. The interleaving of the burgers has the CO 1 02 0 5 advantage that it prevents the burgers from sticking together when defrosted. The interleaves also facilitate separating the thawed burgers.

Where burgers are individually separated by individual sheets of paper, as distinct from stacked layers of burgers, it is known to insert the interleaf at the stage when the burgers are initially formed and before the freezing stage.

A variety of operations on the burger may be desirable between the forming and freezing steps. Thus, interleaving burgers after freezing has a number of advantages in that it will be possible to include these options and still supply interleaved burgers. The burgers may be cooked on line before freezing, or they may be surface flamed to give a barbecue appearance, or they may be branded with a grill mark, or perforated or scored to enhance cooking, or they may require a cheese flavour deposit or a coating such as breadcrumbs or batter, or they may be inspected for shape and appearance conformance.

With the known interleaving arrangement, the sheets of paper are inserted between the burgers before freezing to produce a stack of burgers. The stack is then passed through the freezer and the burgers are frozen as a stack. However, there is an advantage in freezing the burgers individually because the individual burgers freeze faster. This results in the formation of smaller ice crystals and there is less damage to the meat structure than is the case when the burgers are frozen as an interleaved stack.

It is also known to interleave burgers individually after freezing. For example, US 3, 772, 040 (Benson et al) discloses a method and a machine for stacking frozen patties with sheets of paper or other suitable material between them, comprising the feeding of the patties in succession in file formation in a predetermined non-vertical path and through a stack-starting ring at the end of the path where the patties fall into a vertical stack on a table which is lowered step-by-step in timed relation to the feed of the patties, the cutting from the leading end of a roll of material a sheet which is inserted between each falling patty and the next preceding patty on the stack, and IE 0 1 0 2 ο 5 pushing of the stack horizontally from the table to a predetermined point such as a conveyor.

For inserting the sheets of paper between the patties, a strip of wax paper is unrolled from a roll by a paper feed mechanism step-by-step to project horizontally beneath each falling patty in timed relation to the feed of the patties. The leading end portion of the strip is severed from the strip to form a sheet, by a cutting blade fitted on the frame of the machine, and a shearing blade pivotably mounted.

The severed loose sheet of paper is inserted transversely into the path of the falling patties so that each patty presses a sheet between itself and the next lower patty in the stack.

The machine of US 3, 772, 040 suffers from the disadvantage that it is excessively complicated an expensive to build. For the method to work satisfactorily the paper sheet must be inserted between falling patties and the timing is difficult to control. No means is described for adhering the paper sheet to the surface of the patty, so that when the stacks of patties are altered or moved about during packaging, storage or shipment, the paper sheets may slide and separate from the patties.

US 3, 991,168 (Richards et al) discloses a method and apparatus for interleaving frozen food patties with sheets of protective material (e.g., paper), in which at least a spot of an edible “adhesive” material adheres, each protective sheet to a patty. In one embodiment, a spot of a true adhesive (e.g., honey, sugar solution, etc.) is applied to a protective sheet that is subsequently moved into engagement with a frozen food patty. In another embodiment, at least a spot of an editable heatactivated adhesive material at the interface between a protective sheet and a frozen patty is activated by heat applied through the protective sheet. In this instance, the adhesive may be a separate material which is applied to either the protective sheet or the food patty; on the other hand, the adhesive may comprise moisture in the surface portion of the patty. A sheet applicator comprises a rotor with a plurality of arms, each carrying a suction pickup device. The pickup device picks up an individual sheet IE 0 1 ο 2 0 5 of paper from a sheet supply hopper. The rotor is rotated to carry the sheet to an adhesive application station, where adhesive is applied to the sheet. The sheet is then carried by the rotor into alignment with a patty on a conveyor, and presses the sheet onto the top surface of the patty.

This apparatus suffers from the disadvantages that an adhesive is required to adhere the sheet to the patty, that individual pre-cut sheets of paper must be supplied, and that the patties have to be advanced to the sheet application station individually, and not in stacks. The Richard device also requires the use of paper that is wide enough and stiff enough to be self-supporting on frame members that are spaced by a distance greater than the maximum dimension of the hamburger patties. Consequently the paper must be substantially wider than the patties with which it is interleaved, particularly if a thin and highly flexible paper is employed. The apparatus also has some tendency toward malfunction, when extremely thin and flexible sheets of paper are used, in that they may occasionally fall from the frame before being engaged by the falling hamburger patty, resulting in a failure to achieve effective interleaving.

US 3, 675, 387 (Lekan) discloses a device for interleaving individual thin, flexible sheets of paper or similar material with a series of relatively thick flat articles (e.g., hamburger patties) as those articles fall along a defined stacking path terminating at a stacking position, comprising a carriage with grippers for pulling each flexible sheet from a support and across a shaping member that bends the sheet sufficiently so that the sheet becomes self-supporting as a cantilever member. The carriage takes the sheet to an interleaving position on the stacking path, where one of the articles engages the sheet and carries it to the stacking position. The grippers release the cantilever sheet at about the time the sheet is engaged by the moving article; the carriage then returns for the next sheet. The sheet supply may comprise a hopper with stacked pre-cut sheets, or may constitute a synchronised knife for cutting a sheet from a continuous web just prior to its engagement by the grippers.

US 3, 952, 478 (Richards et al) discloses a sheet applicator for applying individual thin, flexible sheets of paper or similar material to a series of relatively IF η 1 ο 2 o s thick, flat articles (e.g., hamburger patties) as those articles fall along a defined discharge path terminating at a stacking position, comprising a shuttle with vacuum grippers for transferring each flexible sheet from a transfer position to an application position on the article discharge path, where one of the articles engages the sheet and carries it to the end of the discharge path. The grippers engage at least three peripheral points around the edges of the sheet; the falling article pulls the sheet from the gripper, falling through a central opening in the shuttle. The carriage then returns for the next sheet. A single-sheet feeder applies the sheets to the shuttle in registry with the vacuum grippers.

In most interleaving devices using stacks of pre-cut sheets of thin waxed paper or like material, the individual sheets are initially pulled from the stack in a direction including a substantial vector component parallel to the plane of the paper. This produces a substantial tendency toward double-sheeting, particularly if the coefficient of friction between sheets varies, as is often the case. Double-sheeting is highly undesirable; in some applications, it is completely unacceptable. A similar difficulty is experienced with many interleavers that stack up two or more sheets at the interleaving position whenever the burger machine or other food processing equipment with which the interleaver is utilised malfunctions and fails to pass burgers through the interleaving position for one or more cycles of operation.

Object of the Invention It is an object of the invention to provide an improved interleaving device and process for interleaving sheet material between food products such as burgers after the burgers have been individually frozen. It is also an object to provide an interleaving machine which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use. It is also an object to overcome many of the disadvantages of known interleaving machines as described above. It is also an object of the invention to provide a transport apparatus suitable for conveying burgers, on their edges, in individual stacks to the interleaving device or to a packing and/or loading station. It is also an object to provide transport apparatus suitable for conveying the burgers in an unstable format, ϊεο tons and in individual logs of predetermined length, or comprising a predetermined fixed number of burgers in the desired orientation, to the interleaving device or to a packing and/or loading station.

Summary of the Invention The invention provides a process for interleaving frozen food products, for example burgers, with sheets of sheet material, suitably paper, comprising feeding the frozen food products along a feed path towards a sheet application station, feeding a strip or web of sheet material to the sheet application station, and applying a sheet of material to a surface of the food product characterised in that: a) the web or strip of sheet material is fed to the sheet application station along a path substantial perpendicular to the feed path of the food product; b) the web or strip of paper is formed with a line of weakness e.g. by being perforated along transverse perforation lines spaced at longitudinal intervals corresponding to the desired width of the sheet of sheet material, before reaching the sheet application station; c) the frozen food products are advanced in stack formation, on their edges, towards the sheet application station; d) at the sheet application station a face of the foremost food product is pressed against a leading end portion of the strip or web of sheet material; and e) the foremost food product is moved away from the strip or web of web cf sheet material to sever the leading sheet of material from the strip or web along the line of weakness.

When the face of the food product is pressed against the leading sheet of the web or strip of sheet material it adheres to that sheet. After the sheet of sheet material has been detached along the line of weakness the frozen food product and attached sheet are moved to a stacking station.

IE 0 1 0 2 0 5 Preferably, the web or strip of paper is moistened before reaching the sheet application station to facilitate its adherence to the face of the food product.

The invention also provides a device for interleaving food products, such as burgers, comprising a feed magazine for feeding burgers, on their edges, towards a sheet application station; means for feeding a strip or web of sheet material in a path substantially perpendicular to the feed path of the burgers, means, such as a clamp, for clamping a foremost burger of a stack of burgers within the feed magazine; means for moving the clamp so as to bring a face of the clamped burger into adherence contact with a leading end portion of the strip or web of material, means for moving the foremost burger and the sheet adhered thereto so as to detach the sheet from the web or strip of sheet material along a line of weakness in the web or strip of sheet material.

Preferably the feed path for the burgers in substantially horizontal and the feed path for the web or strip of material is substantially vertical, such that the leading end portion of the strip or web of material is presented with the plane of the sheet substantially parallel to the plane of the front face of the burger.

In accordance with another aspect the invention provides a transport apparatus for transporting stacks of burgers, as hereinbefore defined, to an interleaving device, or to a packing and/or loading station, comprising elongate supports which are adapted to support a stack of burgers on their edges and along which the stack may be conveyed, transport means for moving the stack along the supports, and at least one pressure device, moveable from an inactive position, in which the stack may move over the device to an active position in which it presses against the stack of burgers.

Suitably, the pressure device is a substantially L-shaped lever moveable horizontally on the supports and pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis from an upright position in which it may bear against a stack of burgers, to an inclined position in which a stack of burgers may be conveyed over the lever. ΙΕ ο 1 0 2 ο 5 In one embodiment, the transport means comprises at least one clamp, moveable horizontally relative to the supports, and adapted to clamp the stack of burgers and move the stack along the supports.

Preferably, there are at least two pressure devices and two transport means.

In another embodiment, the transport apparatus has a push member slideable in guide means defined by the elongate supports and extending from the rear of the front of the apparatus, at least one push plate or lever moveable along the guide means and adapted to push a stack of burgers along the supports, and the push member is driven through a pawl and rack arrangement such that the pawl engages with the rack when moving forwardly, but tilts forwardly when moving rearwardly to pass beneath the advancing stacks of burgers Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a transport apparatus of the invention; Figure 2 is an end view of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figures 3 and 4 are end elevation, to an enlarged scale, of clamps for use in the apparatus of Figure 1; Figures 5.1 to 5.4 are diagrammatic illustrations of the operation of the apparatus of Figure 1 at various stages; Figure 6 is a side view of a detail of Figure 1; Figure 7 is an end view of Figure 6; Figures 8 and 9 are plan views of an oval and circular-shaped burger, respectively: Figure 10 is a side view of the burgers of Figure 8.

Figure 11 is a elevation showing the burgers stacked on their ends; Figure 12 is a diagrammatic side elevation of an interleaving device of the invention; Figure 12A shows a detail of Figure 12; Figure 13 is a front elevation, to an enlarged scale, of a clamping device of the apparatus of Figure 12, shown in an open position; and IE 0 1 ο 2 Ο 5 Figure 14 is a view similar to that of Figure 13 showing the clamping device in a closed position.

Detailed Description One embodiment of a transport apparatus for conveying burgers (as hereinbefore defined) to an interleaving device of Figures 12 to 14 or a packing and/or loading station is illustrated in Figures 1 to 7.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, transporting apparatus for feeding or conveying stacked frozen burgers 1 to an interleaving station or the like comprises and inclined ramp 50, which suitably is inclined at an angle of about 20° to the horizontal. The frozen burgers 1 which have been stacked on their edges by a known stacking machine (not shown) are delivered from the stacking machine along the inclined plane of the ramp 50 to the transport apparatus generally designated as 51.

The transport apparatus comprises a channel consisting of two part-circular elongate supports 52, which, as best shown in Fig. 2, are spaced apart and are adapted to support the burgers, which may be of disc shape, on their edges. The burgers slide on their edges along the supports 52, from left to right of Figure 1 by means of a conveyor clamp described below. A pair of spaced parallel elongate shafts 53 are positioned below the supports 52. An L-shaped lever or lug 54 is slideably mounted on the shaft 53 such that it can slide along the shafts 53 parallel to the direction of movement of the burgers 1. The lug 54 is also free to pivot about the horizontal axis H-H of Figure 2 but its clockwise rotation is prevented, over a selected distance by restraining plate 55. A pressure device 56 (e.g. a tensile spring) maintains a constant back pressure on lug 54, such that its movement is biased towards the position J at the front of the transport apparatus 51, where a stop 57 restores the lug 54 from an inclined to a vertical position.

The means for moving the burgers 1 along the supports 52 is shown in Figures to 5. The conveying means includes a rail 60 which extends above and parallel to IE 0 1 0 2 0 5 the supports 52, in a position midway between the supports. A pair of clamps 61 are slideably mounted on the rail 60 by means of a sleeve 62 which slides along the rail 60. The clamps 61 each comprises a pair of curved arms 63, 64 which are pivoted at pivot 65 to form a scissors-like mechanism. The clamp 61 is shown in an open position in Figure 3 where it is about to engage a burger 1. It is shown in a closed position in Figure 4. The clamps 61 are opened and closed by an electromechanical device, e.g. a solenoid, or by a spring arrangement.

In operation of the apparatus, as shown Figure 1, a stack (or log) 5 of frozen burgers is moved along the supports 52, by conveyor clamps 61 until the stack 5 comes into contact with the first restraining lug 54, which maintains a light pressure against the accumulated stack 5 and holds the burgers 1 vertical and closely packed together. When the stack 5 of burgers reaches a predetermined point on the support 52, a sensor activates an automatic feed cycle, and the conveyor clamps 61 move the stack 5 to the right. In this process the first lug 54 is pushed to the right, along the shafts 53, until it reaches the end of plate 55. At this point (where the lug 54 is free of plate 55) the pressure of the advancing stack 5 causes the lug 54 to pivot clockwise, such that the stack 5 can slide forward over it. A pressure device, e.g. a spring, maintains a constant back pressure on lug 54, so that when the stack 5 moves forwardly out of contact with the lug 54, the lug 54 is caused to slide rearwardly along the shafts 53 to the position J (Fig. 1), where the stop 57 restores the lug 54 to its vertical position. The accumulation and conveyor cycle then begins again.

The operation of the clamps 61 is illustrated in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 5, the apparatus includes two lugs 54 and 54a, and also two clamps 61 and 61a, which are spaced apart along rail 60.

When an accumulated stack 5a of burgers is advanced up the ramp 50 to the front of the transport apparatus 51, the clamps 61, 61a are caused to close on and clamp the leading and trailing burgers, respectively of the stack 5a. The clamps 61a, 61 are then caused to move to the right along the support rail 60, by actuating means, e.g. a hydraulic ram (not shown), and they convey the stack 5 from the position B IE 0 1 0 2 0 5 shown in Fig. 5.1, to the position B shown in Fig. 5.2. Lug 54a collapses to allow the stack 5 to slide over the lug.

Simultaneously, lug 54, which is in advance of lug 54a, is moved to the left by suitable actuating means, for example a hydraulic cylinder, on shaft 53 (Fig. 5.2). When lug 54 is retracted to the position shown in Fig 5.3 it contacts the advancing stack 5, at B. Lug 54 is thus caused to rotate clockwise in front of the advancing stack 5, to enable the stack 5 to pass over the lug 54, so that it may join the accumulated stacks C of burgers at the interleaving station described below.

Lug 54 is then moved in reverse, to the right, until it engages with, and applies pressure against the accumulated stacks 5 of burgers C at the interleaving station (Fig. 5.4). At this point the clamps 61a, 61 are released from the advanced stack 5 and are moved to the left to the start of the conveying device (see Fig. 5.4), to engage with the next stack 5, and the cycle is repeated.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings, these illustrate in more detail the operation of the lugs 54, and shown them in three operational positions. It will be noted that the lug 54 is L-shaped comprising an upright, normally vertical, portion 70, and a foot portion 71 extend substantially perpendicular to the upright portion. The upright portion 70 is pivoted, intermediate its length, by a pivot pin 72, which extends through the portion 70 and is slideably mounted on the spaced parallel shafts 53 by brackets 73. In this way the lug 54 is free to rotate clockwise about the axis I-I of Figure 7. However, it is restrained from rotating anti-clockwise by the restraining plate 55, when it is pressing against a stack 5 of burgers.

When the lug 54 is in the upright position, shown in figure 6, it is in its normal operating mode, and applies pressure to a stack of burgers immediately forward of the lug 54, to hold the burgers in a vertical position on their edges, and closely packed together.

IE 0 1 0 2 0 5 In the intermediate position of the lug 54, shown in Figure 6, the lug is retracting and is rotating clockwise to permit the next advancing stack 5 of burgers to pan over it.

To the left of Figure 6, the lug 54 is shown a the end of the retract cycle, where it engages with the stop 57. In this position the lug 54 is disengaged from the restraining plate 55, and is free to rotate anticlockwise on coming into contact with stop 57, to allow the next stack 5 of burgers, advancing from the ramp 50 to pass over it. When it moves forward, it rights itself to a vertical position and engages with the rear of the stack 5.

A first embodiment of an interleaving device of the invention is illustrated in Figure 8 to 14 of the drawings. The device is for applying individual thin sheets of sheet material for example grease-proof paper, waxed paper, cellophane, plastics or the like to individual food articles, for example burgers as hereinbefore defined, at rates of from 60 to 240 sheets per minute, Referring to Figures 8 to 10, a burger 1, or similar food object, may be of irregular or oblong shape (Fig. 1) or of disc or circular shape (Fig. 9). The object of the invention is to provide each burger 1, which is in a frozen state, with an individual sheet 2 of sheet material. As illustrated in Figure 11, the frozen burgers 1 are preferably fed to the interleaving device in an accumulated stack 5 of individual frozen burgers 1 positioned upright on their edges. After interleaving, as described below, the burgers are re-stacked into a stack 5a for packing, each burger 1 having an interleaved sheet 2 therebetween.

A sheet interleaving apparatus of the invention is illustrated in Figures 12 and 12A. A stack of individually frozen burgers 1, standing vertically on their edges, are accumulated in the discharge chute 4 of a transport feed apparatus, for example as described above with reference to Figures 1 to 7. The feed apparatus automatically moves a quantity of the stacked burgers 1 in logs 5 (i.e. multiple units) of selected length to the in-feed magazine 6 of the interleaving device. A pushing device, e.g.

EO 1 02 QJ the lug 54 of Figure 1, illustrated diagramatically by the arrows 7, maintains a pressure on the log 5 of frozen burgers in the in-feed magazine 6. Horizontal gates 8 are positioned at the top and the bottom of the in-feed magazine 6. The gates 8 are moveable vertically and serve to hold and guide the individual frozen burgers 1 within the magazine 6.

A clamp 10 is positioned at the exit of the magazine 6. One embodiment of the clamp is shown in more detail in Figures 13 and 14. The clamp 10 comprises a pair of curved arms 11,12 which are pivoted at pivot 13 to form a scissors-like mechanism. The clamp 10 is shown in an open position in Figure 13 where it is about to receive a burger 1. It is shown in a closed position in Figure 14. The clamp 10 is moveable vertically. A slider plate 15 is displaced horizontally from the clamp 10.

The clamp 10 and slider plate 15 define between them a paper application zone.

A feed roll 16 of grease-proof paper or the like, is positioned above the sheet application zone. A web or strip of paper 17 is fed from roll 16 through a perforating device 18 which is adapted to cut lines of perforations across the web of paper 17 at spaced intervals corresponding to the length of each interleaving sheet 2. From the device 18 the web of paper 17 passes through a pair of opposed feed rollers 19. After the rollers 19 the paper passes through a dampening roller 25. The dampening roller 25 is adapted to apply a film of water or a food acceptable adhesive to the surface of the paper. From the rollers 19, the paper is fed to the front of the slider plate 15.

The cycle of the interleaving process commences with clamp 10 in a downward position. The web of perforated paper 17 is position between the foremost burger 1 in magazine 6 and the slider 15. The slider 15 is advanced horizontally towards the magazine 6 to press the leading sheet 2 of the paper web 17 against the face of the leading burger 1 in magazine 6. Gates 8 are now opened, by moving them vertically and pressure from the pushing device 7 forces the leading burger la against the paper sheet 2 and the slider plate 15. Clamp 10 is now moved vertically upwardly to grip the leading burger la, as shown in Figs. 13 and 14. Gates 8 are now closed ιεο 102 a § holding the remaining burgers within the magazine 6. Sliding plate 15 is retracted to its original position.

The clamp 10 is now subjected to a horizontal force, e.g. by an electromagnet, thereby creating a frictional force between the burger la, the paper sheet 2, and the slider plate 15, to cause the sheet 2 to sever along the perforations 14 in the web 17, and to cause the sheet 2 to adhere to the front face of the burger la by means of the film of water or adhesive previously applied to the paper by roller 25.

Clamp 10 containing the burger la is now caused to move vertically downwardly, in the direction of the arrow B, to convey the burger la to a lower stacking station 20. Meanwhile, the paper feed rollers 19 advance the perforated web 17 in front of the slider plate 15, and the cycle is repeated.

At the lower stacking station 20, the clamp 10 is caused to open, and simultaneously a ram 21 advances horizontally in the direction of the arrow C to push the burger la, to which the paper sheet 2 has been applied, to the holding magazine 22. A counter activates a stack separator which advances stacks of selected product count. The ram 21 is retracted and the clamp 10 moves vertically upwardly to grip the next advancing burger la.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that numerous modifications and variation can be effected without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concept of the present invention. It will be appreciated that the present disclosure is intended to set forth the exemplifications of the invention which are not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. The disclosure is intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, these reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any IE 0 J β 2 Ο 5 limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

The words “comprises/comprising” and the words “having/including” when 5 used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components and groups thereof.

Claims (5)

Claims

1. A process for interleaving frozen food products, for example burgers (1), with sheets (2) of sheet material, suitably paper, comprises feeding the frozen food products (1) along a feed path towards a sheet application station, feeding a strip or web (17) of sheet material to the sheet application station, and applying a sheet (2) of material to a surface of the food product (1) characterised in that: a) the web or strip (17) of sheet material is fed to the sheet application station along a path substantial perpendicular to the feed path of the food product (1); b) the web or strip (17) of paper is formed with a line of weakness e.g. by being perforated along transverse perforation lines spaced at longitudinal intervals corresponding to the desired width of the sheet (2) of sheet material, before reaching the sheet application station; c) the frozen food products (1) are advanced in stack formation, on their edges, towards the sheet application station; d) at the sheet application station a face of the foremost food product (la) is pressed against a leading end portion of the strip or web (17) of sheet material; and e) the foremost food product (la) is moved away from the strip or web of web of sheet material to sever the leading sheet of material from the strip or web along the line of weakness.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that after the sheet (2) of material has been detached along the line of weakness, the frozen food product (la) and adhered sheet (2) are moved to a stacking station (20).

3. A device for interleaving food products (1), such as burgers, comprising a feed magazine (6) for feeding burgers (1), on their edges, towards a sheet application station; means (16,19) for feeding a strip or web (17) of sheet material in a path substantially perpendicular to the feed path of the burgers (1), means, such as a clamp (10), for clamping a foremost burger (1) of a stack (3) of burgers within the feed magazine(6); means for moving the clamp so as to bring a face of the clamped burger (la) into adherence contact with a leading end portion of the strip or web (17) of IE 0 1 ο 2 Ο 5 material, means for moving the foremost burger (la) and the sheet (2) adhered thereto so as to detach the sheet from the web or strip (17) of sheet material along a line of weakness in the web or strip (17) of sheet material.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the feed path for the burgers (1) is substantially horizontal and the feed path for the web or strip (17) of material is substantially vertical, such that the leading end portion of the strip or web (17) of material is presented with the plane of the sheet (2) substantially parallel to the plane of the front face of the burger (1). 5. A device for interleaving food products, such as burgers (1), substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figures 5, 6, and 7 of the accompanying drawings. 6. A transport apparatus for transporting stacks of burgers, as hereinbefore defined, to an interleaving device as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5, or to a packing and/or loading station, comprising an elongate channel, e.g. in the form of supports, which are adapted to support a stack of burgers on their edges and along which the stack may be conveyed, transport means for moving the stack along the supports, and at least one pressure device, moveable from an inactive position, in which the stack may move over it to an active position in which it presses against the stack of burgers. 7. A transport apparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which the pressure device is a substantially L-shaped lever moveable horizontally on the supports and pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis from an upright position in which it may bear against a stack of burgers, to an inclined position in which a stack of burgers may be conveyed over the lever. 8. A transport apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the transport means comprises at least one clamp, moveable horizontally relative to the supports, and adapted to clamp the stack of burgers and move the stack along the supports. ΙΕβ I 02 0 5 9. A transport apparatus as claimed in any of claims 6 to 8, wherein there are at least two pressure devices and two transport means.

5. 10. A transport apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.