Sean P Mccarthy

US Patent:

6814534, Nov 9, 2004

Filed:

Jun 28, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/185617

Inventors:

John T. McCarthy - Stanfield NC 28163
Michael D. Christy - Locust NC
Sean T. McCarthy - Locust NC
Jay P. Phillips - Concord NC

Assignee:

John T. McCarthy - Stanfield NC

International Classification:

B65G 5700

US Classification:

4147985, 4147982

Abstract:

An apparatus for stacking substantially rigid food portions in preparation for packaging, and without human intervention, including a conveyor for receiving and moving food portions, at least one counter for counting each of the food portions as the food portion is moved by the conveyor, and a rotary transporter having multiple generally right-angled notches for receiving food portions from the conveyor and moving the food portions into a stack. The conveyor, counter, and rotary transporter are cooperatively interconnected by a programmable computer so that a predetermined number of food portions is moved from the conveyor onto the transporter, where the transporter moves the food portions into a substantially horizontal stack of vertically oriented food portions.