Food Article Packaging Apparatus and Method

Abstract

Packaging apparatus and method for inserting food articles into a bag of comparable size. The apparatus has a conveyor that orients the product along a longitudinal axis and delivers the food article to a tray disposed below the conveyor so the product drops from the conveyor and onto the tray. The tray and conveyor move at speeds selected so the product maintains its longitudinal orientation as it drops from the conveyor into the product tray. A bag scoop holds the bag mouth open while the tray carrying the product advances into the bag. A product stripper moves into a position behind the bagged product after passage of the tray so that when the tray returns to its start position, the stripper butts against the end of the product and holds the product while the tray slides out of the bag.

1 . A method for packaging a food article in a bag comprising:
 a) orienting at least one food article on a moving conveyor with the product longitudinal axis extending along the conveyor longitudinal axis;   b) moving a product tray below said conveyor in the direction of the conveyor longitudinal axis;   c) laying said food article from an end of said conveyor and into said product tray while moving said conveyor and said product tray at a speed selected to maintain the longitudinal orientation of said product;   d) bagging the elongated food article; and   e) transferring the bagged food article from a bag loading station onto an outfeed conveyor such that said food article does not invert.   
     
     
         2 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said bagging said food article comprises:
 a) holding open the mouth of said bag with a bag scoop at said bag loading station;   b) moving said product tray and said food article thereon along a path of travel extending through said bag scoop and into said bag to locate the article within said bag.   
     
     
         3 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said method further comprises:
 a) interposing a stripper device to hold said food article on said product tray after passage of said product tray to the delivery station;   b) returning the product tray to a receiving station and in the course of the return; and   c) engaging a bagged product against said stripper for removing said bagged food article from the product tray.   
     
     
         4 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said method further comprising moving said conveyor and said product tray at substantially the same speed during the laying of said food article from said conveyor and into said product tray. 
     
     
         5 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said food article comprises a meat product. 
     
     
         6 . A method as in  claim 5 , wherein said meat product is selected from the group consisting of beef, bison, pork, lamb, chicken, duck and turkey. 
     
     
         7 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said bag loading station is positioned to lie on the same substantially horizontal plane with said outfeed conveyor. 
     
     
         8 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said bag is a flexible heat-sealable plastic bag. 
     
     
         9 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein said product tray is adapted to both deliver said food article into a bag and retract from said bag. 
     
     
         10 . A method as in  claim 7 , wherein said product tray is adapted to pass through said bag loading station to a product delivery station. 
     
     
         11 . A method as in  claim 7 , wherein said bag loading station comprises a bag scoop device. 
     
     
         12 . A method as in  claim 11 , wherein said bag loading station further comprises a bag feeder device adapted to deliver individual bags to said bag scoop device.