Package filling machine and method

Claim 1

A machine for filling packages with a food product having a wet, sticky consistency comprising: a support; a hopper mounted on the support and adapted to receive the food product, the hopper having an opening in the bottom thereof; a drum mounted on the support beneath the hopper for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, the drum having a number of open, outer peripheral pockets movable successfully into registry with the bottom opening of the hopper to receive individual masses of the food product therefrom; a conveyor disposed beneath the drum and adapted to move a number of open packages along a path permitting the individual masses of the food product to be deposited in respective packages as the drum rotates about said axis; means adjacent to one side of the drum for retaining the food product masses in the pockets as the pockets rotate from a position adjacent to the hopper to a position adjacent to the conveyor, said retaining means permitting each food product mass to leave the pocket as a flexible mat to thereby permit the leading portion of the mat to be deposited in a package before the trailing portion of the mat is received in the package; a piston for each pocket, respectively, each piston being shiftably mounted on the drum and defining the radially innermost boundary of the respective pocket; means coupled with each piston for moving the same outwardly of the respective pocket as a function of the rotation of the drum; means coupled with the drum for rotating the same; and means coupled with the conveyor for moving the same at a speed correlated to the speed of the drum to cause packages placed on the conveyor to move into registry with respective pockets as the latter approach the conveyor.

Claim 9

A method of packaging a wet, sticky, pre-cooked food product comprising: depositing a volume of the food product in a confined region having a lower opening; successively moving a plurality of spaced pockets along a first path and into registry with the opening; allowing a mass of the food product to gravitate into and substantially fill each pocket, respectively, as the same moves into registry with said opening; moving a number of spaced, open packages along a second path convergent with said first path with the speed of movement and the spacing of the packages being correlated with the speed of movement and the spacing of the pockets; holding each food product mass in the respective pocket as the latter moves away from said opening and toward said second path; progressively removing the holding action on each food product mass as it approaches and moves into registry with a respective package on said second path; depositing each food product mass in the respective package in the form of a mat as the holding action on the food product mass is progressively removed and as the food product mass is in registry with the respective package; and closing and freezing each package with the food product mass therein.

Claim 10

A method of packaging a wet, sticky, pre-cooked food product comprising: depositing a volume of the food product in a confined region having a lower opening; successively moving a plurality of spaced pockets along a first path and into registry with the opening; allowing a mass of the food product to gravitate into and substantially fill each pocket, respectively, as the same moves into registry with said opening; moving a number of spaced, open packages along a second path convergent with said first path with the speed of movement and the spacing of the packages being correlated with the speed of movement and the spacing of the pockets; holding each food product mass in the respective pocket as the latter moves away from said opening and toward said second path; progressively removing the holding action on each food product mass as it approaches and moves into registry with a respective package on said second path; depositing each food product mass in the respective package in the form of a mat as the holding action on the food product mass is progressively removed and as the food product mass is in registry with the respective package; and closing and freezing each package with the food product mass therein.