George F Howe

US Patent:

41376048, Feb 6, 1979

Filed:

Nov 2, 1977

Appl. No.:

5/847703

Inventors:

Glenn A. Sandberg - Lockport IL
George N. Howe - New Lenox IL

Assignee:

Formax, Inc. - Mokena IL

International Classification:

A22C 700
B65G 5700

US Classification:

17 32

Abstract:

A combination processing machine and stacker for papered food patties and like layered objects comprising an endless belt conveyor for transporting the previously assembled layered objects through a processing station; for hamburger patties the processing station may be a cuber, a garnish or seasoning applicator, or a cheese applicator. The discharge end of the conveyor belt is a stacking station at which the belt engages a nose sprocket and an idler sprocket both mounted on a shuttle reciprocably movable parallel to the conveyor path; when each layered object reaches an alignment stop at the end of the stacking station, the shuttle is shifted rapidly toward the input end of the conveyor, abruptly shortening the discharge end of the conveyor and dropping the object onto a stack accumulator below the shuttle with no change in orientation.