Apparatus for transporting food products to a loading head
View Patent ↗An apparatus and method of transporting food products to a loading station having a cooling conveyor that selectively drops food product into a distributor. The distributor separates product into at least two lanes and drops product onto a conveyor. A balancing and diverting conveyor monitors and counts product in each lane and diverts product selectively based upon the sensed product. An orienter transfers product from a loading conveyor to a buffer conveyor. The buffer conveyor transfers product to a main conveyor which transfers product to a loading head.
1. A distributor for distributing food product, comprising:
a rotatable distribution gate mounted to a distribution frame and adapted to receive food product; and
more than one drop gate assembly mounted to the frame and positioned beneath the distribution gate to receive food product selectively diverted from the distribution gate;
wherein the drop gate assemblies are vertically aligned with lanes on a balancing and diverting conveyor positioned below the distributor.
2. The distributor of claim 1 wherein a sensor is mounted on the distribution frame.
3. The distributor of claim 1 wherein the drop gate assemblies are V-shaped with a pair of arms that are rotatably mounted to the distribution frame.
4. The distributor of claim 1 wherein the drop gate assemblies have a pair of arms wherein the arms cross to catch and retain the food product.
5. The distributor of claim 1 wherein the drop gate assemblies have a pair of arms that open at a downstream end of a conveyor prior to an upstream end of the conveyor.