Patent US3669007A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3669007A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for rolling and tucking filled foodstuffs
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1970-06-22
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Granted: 1972-06-13
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Expires: 1990-06-22
Abstract
Abstract The method and apparatus take an outer food wrap or envelope and place it upon one of a plurality of continuously moving platens, each with a hinged section, upon a conveyor and processes each platen with its wrap beneath an automatic filler tank. The hinged portion of the platen is then folded to make a first transverse fold in the wrap about the filler, and then the wrap is engaged with opposed reciprocating transverse forks which roll the filled wrap upon itself about a line transverse to the conveyor travel. The rolled foodstuff is then sprayed with a binder liquid and passed between compression belts which compress the outer wrap edge to the first outer roll layer. Foodstuffs which are tucked as well as rolled may, after the first partial fold is made, be passed between converging guides which plow the longitudinal edges of the wrap upwardly and inwardly to form side tucks which then are also rolled with the body of the wrap and filler by the method and apparatus described above. Preferably the engaging forks are caused to rotate by a gear and rack arrangement which supports the forks on opposite sides of the conveyor such that they may be cammed toward and away from the conveyor platens.
Inventors
- 👤 Louis Pulici
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 05:40
CPC Classifications
A; A23; A23G; A23G3/00; A23G3/02; A23G3/20; A23G3/2007; A23G3/2023; A21; A21C; A21C9/00; A21C9/06; A21C9/063
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
98 words
A process for preparing folded foodstuffs having an exposed termInal margin comprising the steps of depositing an outer flat wrap on a conveyor, adding a filler substance atop the flat wrap, folding the wrap along a first line transverse to the travel of the conveyor, engaging the partially folded wrap with its filler with transversely extending forks from opposite sides of the line of the conveyor, rotating said forks about an axis transverse to the line of the conveyor to roll said partially folded wrap spirally upon itself, and withdrawing said forks from engagement with the rolled wrap.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
98 words
A process for preparing folded foodstuffs having an exposed termInal margin comprising the steps of depositing an outer flat wrap on a conveyor, adding a filler substance atop the flat wrap, folding the wrap along a first line transverse to the travel of the conveyor, engaging the partially folded wrap with its filler with transversely extending forks from opposite sides of the line of the conveyor, rotating said forks about an axis transverse to the line of the conveyor to roll said partially folded wrap spirally upon itself, and withdrawing said forks from engagement with the rolled wrap.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of altering the rolled thickness of the foodstuff by passing said rolled wrap and filler beneath compressing means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of passing the foodstuff between an upper and a lower longitudinal belt, and driving one belt at a higher speed than the other belt while each of said belts is in contact with an opposite side of the foodstuff so as to further roll the foodstuff upon itself.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 further including the step of adhering the exposed transverse terminal margin of the wrap to the next adjacent layer of the rolled wrap.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 including the further step of impinging the side margins of the wrap upon converging guide walls to fold the side margins of the wrap about the filler along second lines approximately parallel to the path of the conveyor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process in accordance with claim 5 including the further step of spraying the wrap with a binder prior to completion of the rotation of the forks.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A process in accordance with claim 6 wherein the spraying step comprises applying a water spray to the wrap adjacent the exposed margin thereof, and pressing the margin into contact with the moistened area.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
145 words
Apparatus for forming a food portion having an exterior wrap with terminal and side margins and an inner filling comprising a continuous conveyor, a plurality of support platens on the conveyor, each platen having a static portion and an articulated portion; a filling dispenser adapted to deposit a filling onto a wrap positioned on each platen, means for moving the articulated portion of each platen to fold the wrap along a first line transverse to the travel of the conveyor; a plurality of transversely extending forks, transport means for carrying the forks coordinately with the travel of the conveyor, means for rotating each of the forks carried by the transport means, means for moving each fork on the transport means into engagement with the wrap on the platen of the conveyor, and means for disengaging each fork on the transport means from the rolled wrap.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
145 words
Apparatus for forming a food portion having an exterior wrap with terminal and side margins and an inner filling comprising a continuous conveyor, a plurality of support platens on the conveyor, each platen having a static portion and an articulated portion; a filling dispenser adapted to deposit a filling onto a wrap positioned on each platen, means for moving the articulated portion of each platen to fold the wrap along a first line transverse to the travel of the conveyor; a plurality of transversely extending forks, transport means for carrying the forks coordinately with the travel of the conveyor, means for rotating each of the forks carried by the transport means, means for moving each fork on the transport means into engagement with the wrap on the platen of the conveyor, and means for disengaging each fork on the transport means from the rolled wrap.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 further comprising a bonding medium dispenser on the apparatus adapted to dispense bonding medium onto the wrap on the conveyor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 further comprising compression means adapted to compress each rolled wrap at the end of the conveyor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 10 wherein the compression means comprises vertically separated upper and lower longitudinal belts, the said belts converging downstream to a spacing less than the height of the foodstuff leaving the conveyor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 comprising guide means adjacent the conveyor for folding each side margin on the wrap inwardly along a line approximately parallel to the extent of the conveyor.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
123 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein the transport means supporting the plurality of transversely extending forks comprises a second and a third outboard conveyor, each outboard conveyor traversing a path parallel to the first conveyor, and each supporting a plurality of forks each of which is transversely aligned with a fork on the other outboard conveyor, means for coordinating the travel of the three conveyors, and means for rotating each of the plurality of forks carried by each outboard conveyor, means for moving each fork into engagement with the wrap on the platen of the first conveyor, means for disengaging each fork from the rolled wrap, and means for coordinating the engaging and the disengaging means of the second and third conveyors.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
59 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein the means for rotating each of the forks carried by the transport means comprises a housing, a fork bar reciprocable in the housing and rotatable therein, a gear slidably keyed to the fork bar, and a gear rack adapted to mesh with the gear extending parallel to the path of the conveyor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
98 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein the means for moving each fork on the transport means into engagement with the wrap and the means for disengaging each fork on the transport means from the wrap comprises a housing on the transport means, a fork bar slidably and rotatably mounted within the housing, the fork being mounted to one end of the fork bar, a rolling member rotatably mounted to the opposite end of the fork bar, and a guide track accepting the rolling member, said guide track having a path with portions varying spaced from the conveyor.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
12 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 15 wherein the guide track opens horizontally.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
12 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 15 wherein a guide track opens vertically.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 15 wherein the rolling member is a wheel.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 15 wherein the rolling member is a sphere.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
50 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 11 further comprising a drive roller for each longitudinal belt, drive means for each roller and control means for the drive means on at least one roller to vary the peripheral speed of said roller with respect to the peripheral speed of the other roller.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-06-13 | 1975-12-13 | 1976-06-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-06-13 | 1979-12-13 | 1980-06-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-06-13 | 1983-12-13 | 1984-06-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |