Food transport routing systems, devices, and guides for food processing systems and related methods

• Main Authors: CHANDLER LAWRENCE ALAN, HAWKINS RICHARD RODEHEAVER, HORVATH, JR. FRANK MICHAEL, SHEFET SARID M, JONES LARRY, PHILLIPS JOHN MICHAEL
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.09.2008
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES; BUTCHERING; CHEWING GUM; COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; COFFEE MILLS; CONFECTIONERY; CONVEYING; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FURNITURE; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HUMAN NECESSITIES; ICE-CREAM; KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; MEAT TREATMENT; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS; PREPARATION THEREOF; PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH; SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS; SPICE MILLS; STORING; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES; TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING ORTIPPING; TRANSPORTING

Commercial production transport systems, mechanisms, and guides for food processing are configured so as to automate food transport. The system can direct food to travel serially over side-by-side predetermined travel lanes using one or more of a pick-up mechanism and/or router guide channels to pick-up and/or laterally translate the food product form the first travel lane to the second travel lane so that it travels greater than one, and typically a plurality, of revolutions about a tier or level in a vertically stacked food processing unit before moving to the next tier. Associated methods redirect and/or laterally translate food being transported in an automated food processing system.