Device and method for transporting elongate food products

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for transporting elongate food products including a plurality of elongate product carriers, coupling means for parallel coupling of the product carriers and drive means for displacing the coupled product carriers over a transport path. The invention also relates to a method for displacing elongate food products over a transport path using elongate transport carriers.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method for displacing elongate food products over a transport path using elongate product carriers, comprising adjusting an effective volume of the product carriers by positioning a stationary product guide relative to the transport path, wherein the stationary product guide enters the product carriers by means of passages arranged in the transport carriers. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the stationary product guide is adjustable by altering a position of the stationary product guide. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the stationary product guide is exchangeable. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said adjusting of the effective volume of the product carriers reduces the effective volume to retain only a single row of the elongate food products in the product carriers. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the transport path comprises an ascending portion and a descending portion and the stationary product guide is positioned to enter the product carriers on the ascending portion. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the transport path is an endless loop which further comprises a return portion. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the stationary product guide comprises a belt, a first roller, and a second roller. 
     
     
         21 . A method for transporting elongate food products, comprising:
 moving a plurality of elongate food product carriers along a transport path comprising an ascending part and a descending part, each of the food product carriers comprising an interior compartment having an effective volume, a feed opening associated with the interior compartment, and a guide opening, the feed openings of the food product carriers being configured to receive elongate food products into the interior compartments of the food product carriers; and   as the food product carriers are moving along the ascending part of the transport path, causing a guide element to enter and exit through the guide openings to temporarily reduce the effective volume of the interior compartments of the food product carriers to a reduced volume sufficient to retain a single row of the elongate food products in each of the food product carriers yet insufficient to deliver more than the single row of food products per each of the elongate food product carriers to a top of the ascending part.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the transport path forms an endless loop. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the food product carries are coupled to one another. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the guide element is stationary relative to the transport path. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the guide element is adjustable. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the guide element is exchangeable. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the product carriers comprise a plurality of guide openings. 
     
     
         28 . A method of transporting food products comprising:
 depositing a plurality of food products into a plurality of food product carriers having an effective volume;   transporting the food product carriers along a transport path; and   temporarily reducing the effective volume of the food product carriers to a reduced volume sufficient to retain only a single row of the food products in each of the food product carriers.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the transport path comprises an ascending part and a descending part and the volume of the food product carriers is temporarily limited to prevent more than a single row of food products in each of the food product carriers from being delivered to the top of the ascending part. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the food product carriers comprise a guide opening and said temporarily reducing the effective volume is performed by a product guide passing through the guide opening. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the product guide is stationary with respect to the transport path. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the product guide is adjustable to vary the effective volume of the food product carriers. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the food product carriers are couple to one another.