BACKGROUND

[0001] Technical Field. The present disclosure relates generally to equipment for handling bulk food products and other fragile bulk products. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a bulk feeding system that is adapted to handle bulk cooked food products and the like.

[0002] Background. In food packaging operations, bulk products such as cooked noodles, rice, etc. are frequently transported from the cooking facilities to the packaging facilities via a large container (e.g. a 300 liter "bucket") and dumped into the inlet of a portioning and packaging machine. This machine divides the bulk product into individual portions and places the portions into packages. This sort of operation is widely used for packaging frozen entres and the like.

[0003] Many mechanical bulk product portioning and packaging machines cannot receive large quantities of the product all at once, especially where the product is sticky or fragile. This is because of the nature of the products and of bulk product transporting machines. Bulk product transport machines generally include a large hopper into which the product is dumped, with a transport mechanism such as a conveyor or auger at the bottom, to which all product is directed, and which draws the product at some desired rate out of the hopper.

[0004] Unfortunately, sticky products can bridge across the narrow neck of a hopper, causing the auger or conveyor to "tunnel" through the bottom of the product, thus stopping the flow. This sort of condition requires constant worker attention, which increases the cost of packaging and handling the product. Augers and similar devices can also be damaging to fragile products, and can be dangerous to operators.

[0005] Additionally, some product feeding systems can create pressure on the product during operation, and may require frequent adjustment of discharge openings and the like to keep the product flowing, especially in view of changes in the product during a normal batch process and changes in the product from batch to batch. It can also be difficult to control the pressure on the product.

[0006] The present disclosure is directed toward addressing one or more of the aforementioned issues.

SUMMARY

[0007] It has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a product dispensing system that can receive product in relatively large quantities at spaced apart intervals, and dispense the product at a much lower controlled rate.

[0008] It has also been recognized that it would be advantageous to have a product dispensing system that is resistant to bridging and clogging of product within a product hopper.

[0009] It has also been recognized that it would be advantageous to have a product dispensing system that is gentle to fragile products, such as food products, and avoids compressing the product.

[0010] In accordance with one embodiment thereof, this disclosure provides a bulk product feeding system, including a product hopper, having a sloped bottom, a front side, and an outlet located at a lowermost confluence of the sloped bottom and the front side, the hopper being configured to receive and hold a bulk quantity of sticky or fragile product. A first sloped ram is reciprocally disposed in the bottom of the hopper, and configured to reciprocate toward and away from the outlet. A second, substantially vertical ram is reciprocally disposed on the front side of the hopper, and configured to reciprocate toward and away from the outlet and the first ram. Motion of the first and second rams is coordinated to controllably discharge the product through the outlet.

[0011] In one particular embodiment, the bottom of the hopper can be sloped at an angle of from about 35° to about 45°. In another particular embodiment, the first ram can comprise a pair of rams, configured to independently reciprocate in the bottom of the hopper. In yet another more specific embodiment, a controller is coupled to the first and second rams, and is configured to coordinate reciprocal motion of the first and second rams to dynamically control a size of the outlet and a rate of discharge of the product therethrough. Another specific embodiment includes a sensor, configured to measure a discharge rate of product dispensed from the outlet, the controller being configured to adjust at least one of a position, speed, frequency and stroke length of motion of at least one of the first and second rams in response to the discharge rate in order to attain a desired discharge rate.

[0012] In accordance with another embodiment thereof, the disclosure provides a bulk product feeding system having a product hopper, having a sloped bottom and a front wall, a pair of sloped rams, positioned in the bottom of the hopper, a substantially vertical ram, disposed on the front wall, and a controller, coupled to the sloped rams and the vertical ram. The hopper is configured to receive and hold a bulk quantity of sticky or fragile product and includes an outlet located at a lower confluence of the sloped bottom and the front wall. The pair of sloped rams and the substantially vertical ram are configured to independently reciprocate toward and away from the outlet, the sloped rams and the vertical ram having an extended position of mutual contact which blocks the outlet. The controller is configured to selectively retract and extend the sloped rams and the vertical ram to selectively block or unblock the outlet.

[0013] In accordance with another embodiment thereof, the disclosure provides a method for controllably dispensing a bulk product. The method includes the steps of placing a bulk quantity of sticky or fragile product into a hopper having a front wall, a sloped bottom, and an outlet located at a lower confluence of the front wall and the sloped bottom, and reciprocating a first sloped ram disposed in the bottom of the hopper, and a second substantially vertical ram disposed on the front wall, to selectively open or close the outlet opening, to control a size of the outlet and a rate of discharge of the product therethrough.

[0014] The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are intended to be read in conjunction with both this summary, the detailed description, and any preferred or particular embodiments specifically discussed or otherwise disclosed. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of illustration only so that this disclosure will be thorough, and fully convey the full scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention, and wherein:

[0016] FIG. 1 is an illustration of one embodiment of a product packaging system incorporating a bulk feeding system in accordance with the present disclosure [0017] FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of one embodiment of a bulk feeding system in accordance with the present disclosure, incorporated in a single unit with an upwardly inclined product conveyor and a product portioning device;

[0018] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the bulk feeding hopper of FIG. 2;

[0019] FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the bulk feeding hopper of FIG. 2, showing the bottom rams and the front vertical ram;

[0020] FIG. 5 is a side, cross-sectional view of the bulk feeding hopper of FIG. 2, showing the bottom ram and front ram extended forward to block the outlet of the hopper;

[0021] FIG. 6 is a side, cross-sectional view of the bulk feeding hopper of FIG. 2, showing the bottom ram and front ram retracted to open the outlet of the hopper; and

[0022] FIG. 7 is an illustration of another embodiment of a product packaging system incorporating a bulk feeding system in accordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Reference will now be made to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and additional applications of the principles of the inventions as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention.

[0024] As noted above, some product feeding systems can create pressure on the product during operation, which can be difficult to control, and can present difficulty keeping the product flowing in given changes in the characteristics of the product, such as changes in temperature, moisture content, viscosity, etc. These changes can occur during a given batch or from batch to batch. Because of these and other issues, some systems involve significant maintenance and oversight during operation.

[0025] Advantageously, a bulk feeding system has been developed that allows sticky or fragile products, such as food products, to be loaded in bulk into a feed hopper for a product packaging system, and which avoids or reduces some problems, such as tunneling and damage to the product, pressure increases and flow issues, etc., that are common with some bulk product transport devices. One embodiment of a bulk feeding system 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. This system includes a product hopper 12 that can be positioned to discharge product 30 into an inlet hopper 80 of a sloped product conveyor 82 that feeds the product 30 into an inlet 70 of a product portioning machine 72. The product portioning machine 72 discharges product 30 into containers 74 that are sequentially moved past the outlet of the product portioning machine on a a conveyor 76. A bin hoist (described below) can be used to lift and dump the product into the hopper 12 of the bulk feeding system 10.

[0026] More detailed views of one embodiment of the hopper 12 are provided in FIGs. 3 and 4. The hopper 12 includes a sloped bottom 14, a front side 16, and an outlet opening 18 located at a lowermost confluence of the sloped bottom 14 and the front side 16. The hopper also includes sidewalls 20 that can be sloped and spaced apart by a distance sufficient to resist bridging of the product. The bottom 14 of the product hopper 12 is sloped toward the outlet opening 18 to help assist in discharging product. The bottom of the hopper can be sloped at any angle within a wide range of angles, and can include multiple slopes. It will be apparent that a desirable slope for the bottom of the hopper can depend on the nature of the product that is to be discharged, and the selected slope can be the steepest that is desired for any product, for example. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the upper portion of the bottom 14 of the hopper is sloped at an angle of about 45° but other angles can also be used.

[0027] The system 10 includes at least one reciprocal ram 22 in the bottom of the hopper 12. As best viewed in FIG. 4, a pair of rams 22 can be disposed in the sloped bottom of the hopper, and are powered by pneumatic air cylinders 24, 26 (shown most clearly in FIGs. 5 and 6) to independently, slidingly reciprocate back and forth in the bottom of the hopper 12, toward and away from the outlet opening 18, as indicated by arrow 28. While two rams 22 are shown in the embodiment of FIG. 4, it is to be appreciated that this system 10 can be configured with only one ram in the bottom, or more than two rams can be used. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the upper portion of the bottom 14 of the hopper is sloped at an angle of about 45° and the rams 22 in the bottom of the hopper 12 are oriented at an angle of about 35° relative to the horizontal.

[0028] Another, substantially vertical ram 32 is reciprocally disposed on the front side 16 of the hopper 12, and is powered by a pneumatic cylinder 52. Like the rams 22 in the bottom of the hopper 12, this vertical ram 32 is configured to reciprocate toward and away from the outlet opening 18, as indicated by arrow 54. The sloped rams 22 and vertical ram 32 have front ends 36, 38, respectively, that can draw together to substantially completely block the outlet opening 18, or open it any desired amount. The vertical ram 32 can be used to close the outlet opening 18 completely, and thereby prevent flowable product from flowing out. The outlet opening 18 is thus created by the position of the bottom rams and the vertical ram. The gate opening can be from 0" to 5" depending on product requirements. Where food products are to be dispensed, the bulk feeder 10 (e.g. the hopper, rams, etc.) can be made of food grade acceptable stainless steels and plastics. [0029] Motion of the rams 22, 32 is shown most clearly in FIGs. 5 and 6. The rams can be powered in a variety of ways. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-6, the rams are powered by bi-directional pneumatic cylinders 24, 26 and 52, which can cause the rams to extend or retract as indicated by arrows 28 and 54. The pneumatic air cylinders 24, 26 and 52 can be multi- stroke air cylinders, and function as actuators for the rams, independently controlling the movement of all of the rams 22, 32. The motion of the rams 22, 32 can be coordinated by a computerized electromechanical controller (not shown), which can be housed in a cabinet (56 in FIGs. 2, 4) that is attached to the bulk feeding system 10. Compressed air is provided to the pneumatic cylinders via air lines (not shown), under control of the system controller. The air supply can be controlled to allow the direction, speed, stroke length and other aspects of the motion of the rams 22, 32 to be very accurately controlled. The controller can be configured to coordinate reciprocal motion of the rams 22, 32 to control the size of the outlet 18 and a rate of discharge of the product therethrough. This allows the product to be loaded into the hopper in large batches (which may not be uniform in volume), and discharged from the bulk feeding system at a lower, controlled rate.

[0030] A product discharge sensor 58 can be positioned adjacent to the outlet 18 to sense the rate of discharge from the hopper 12. This can be an optical sensor that provides to the controller a signal indicating that product is or is not flowing from the outlet 18. When low or no product output is detected, the controller can be programmed to retract one or more of the rams 22, 32 to increase the outlet opening, or take other action. If too much product is being discharged, one or more of the rams 22, 32 can be extend to restrict the outlet opening 18, for example. [0031] The system shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 includes a mechanism for sensing the position and motion of the rams 22, 32. The rams 22, 32 can have a dynamically adjustable speed and stroke length. For example, the bottom rams 22 can have a maximum stroke length that is about 4". The front ram 32 can have a maximum stroke length that is about 6". In one embodiment, the bottom rams 22 and vertical ram 32 are configured to reciprocate at a rate of up to about 60 cycles/min, though higher reciprocation rates can also be used. In another more specific embodiment, the bottom rams 22 and vertical ram 32 are configured to reciprocate at a rate of up to about 20 cycles/min. The controller can also be configured to extend or retract any or all of the rams with a pulsatile motion, if desired. This pulsatile motion imparts vibrational energy to the respective rams, and can be applied with very long or very short dwell times between pulses, if desired. The pulsatile motion can be provided through the use of solenoid actuated valves associated with the pneumatic cylinders, or other vibrational devices that impart vibrational energy to the rams. The vibrational devices can be configured to vibrate at a rate of about 0 to 60 Hz. Pulsatile motion can be desirable for inducing vibration into the product to prevent sticking, encourage loosening, etc. This can be particularly useful for the bottom rams 22, so as to loosen sticky product and promote discharge of the product through the outlet 18. A wide variety of other motions of the rams can also be provided. For example, a different frequency of vibration or pulsatile motion can be used for forward versus reverse motion of the rams.

[0032] In typical use, a relatively large quantity of product 30 is dumped into the inlet of the hopper 12 from some sort of conveyance container. The conveyance container can be part of a bin hoist, for example. Bin hoists are frequently used in the food packaging industry for transporting batches of food product from a kitchen to the product packaging area. One type of bin hoist 34 is shown in FIG. 7. The bin hoist includes a base 36 having wheels or casters 38, with a vertical mast 40 attached to the base. A handle 41 is attached to the mast to allow a user to roll the hoist to a desired location. A bin 42 for containing bulk product 44 (shown in dashed lines) is attached to the mast, and can be moved from a lower position, shown at 46, to a raised position (shown in dashed lines at 48). The bin 42 is usually held at the lower position when it is desired to move the bin hoist to another location. When at the desired location, the bin is hoisted up the mast (e.g. via a hand crank or via a power winch mechanism) to the raised position, at which the bin can be rotated, as shown at 50, to allow the user to dump the product into the hopper 12.

[0033] Referring to FIGs. 5 and 6, the rams 22 and 32 can be retracted or extended independently at a controlled rate to discharge product from the hopper 12. When one of the rams 22, 32 retracts (i.e. pulls away from the outlet opening 18), the size of the opening increases and bulk product 30 falls out of the hopper 12. If product drops out of the hopper 12 too rapidly, one or more of the rams 22, 32 can be extended forward, thus restricting the size of the outlet 18. In this way the likelihood of pressure buildup in the product is reduced because of the geometry of the hopper 12. Advantageously, the bottom rams 22 do not push the product into a vertical wall at the front end of the hopper 12. Instead, the bottom rams 22 move the product forward (down), so that it can it fall out of the opening 18.

[0034] The size, shape and configuration of the rams 22, 32 can vary. In one embodiment, the top surfaces of the rams are flat and smooth so that the rams can slide beneath the product in the hopper when it moves. It is possible that some products may tend to stick to the top of the rams 22 as they reciprocate. Accordingly, the hopper 12 can be configured so that the rams 22 retract into a pocket having a top edge 86, so that fixed structure of the hopper provides a scraping function during retraction of a given ram, pushing any sticking product forward. If desired, the surfaces of the rams 22 and 32 can be provided with a non-stick surface or coating (e.g. PTFE or Teflon ^® ) to help reduce sticking of product. The rams can be configured in a variety of ways. For example, the front end 38 of the bottom rams 22 can be stepped or rounded or sloped, or configured in other ways to assist in product discharge. The rams 22can vary in size from about 1" high to about 6" high, for example, depending upon the product flow and desired feed rate. Other ram sizes can also be used. The rams can move full strokes or 1" combinations at the front or back end of the stroke, for example. Other stroke motion patterns or combinations can also be used. Different stroke patterns can be referred to as "gears." The controller can be programmed to adjust the opening and stroke pattern based on feedback from the product discharge sensor 58 until the correct flow is obtained. For very flowable products the outlet opening can be small, and small ram strokes can be used. For relatively non-flowable products, the outlet opening can be large, and large ram strokes can be used.

[0035] A given bulk feeding system can be provided with multiple rams of different sizes, allowing a user to interchange the rams at will to use a different ram for a different product. The size of the outlet opening and how much clearance is provided around the forward face of the ram at maximum extension are factors that can vary depending upon the nature of the product being discharged.

[0036] The size and shape and configuration of the hopper 12, and other components of the bulk feeding system 10 can also vary. In one embodiment, the hopper 12 holds a volume of about 90 gallons (i.e. about 340 liters). As shown in FIG. 6, a product sensor 84 can be located in the hopper 12, and configured to provide a signal to the controller when product is required. This can be a depth sensor that extends downwardly into the hopper 12 to detect when the hopper is at or near empty. This depth sensor can be a conductivity sensor that measures the electrical conductivity of the product whenever the product is in contact with the sensor. The controller for the bulk feeding system 10 can be programmed such that, when a sudden drop in conductivity occurs, the system recognizes this as indicative of a product out condition. In such a case, the system can be programmed to move the rams 22, 32 to close the outlet 18, and send an indication to a worker to take appropriate action, such as provide additional product. When product is again sensed in the hopper 12, the system can reset and retract the rams 22, 32 to begin to discharge product. This can include adjusting the ram stokes in view of the signal from the product discharge sensor 58, until a desired discharge rate is attained.

[0037] As shown in FIGs. 1 and 2, the outlet 18 of the hopper 12 can be located adjacent to an inlet hopper 80 of a sloped product conveyor 82. Alternatively, the outlet 18 of the hopper 12 can be positioned adjacent to a product conveyor onto which product falls as it is discharged. This conveyor can be oriented substantially perpendicular to the direction of motion of the rams 22, as shown in FIG. 2, or it can be oriented to discharge parallel to the direction of motion of the conveyor, as shown in FIG. 1, or oriented in other ways.

[0038] Another exemplary installation of a bulk feeding system 10 is shown in FIG. 7. In this embodiment, the bulk feeding system 10 is elevated and positioned to discharge product onto a horizontal conveyor 60. This conveyor in turn feeds the product into an inlet 70 of a product portioning machine 72 that dispenses measured portions of product into containers 74 on a conveyor 76. Alternatively, the conveyor could transport the product to a product distribution system that directs the product to multiple product portioning machines. The use of a horizontal conveyor can be desirable where the product includes liquid that it is desirable to retain. For example, some food products include sauce or broth that can tend to drip away during packaging. With the horizontal conveyor 60 shown in FIG. 7, liquids are generally retained. Additionally, a drip trough 78 can be positioned below the conveyor to catch liquids that might drip from the conveyor. The drip trough can be sloped to cause the liquids to drain into the inlet of the product portioning machine.

[0039] The invention thus provides a system that dispenses bulk products that may be sticky and/or fragile (e.g. not suitable for auger or direct conveyor withdraw), and also allows the input of large quantities, while dispensing small quantities at a controlled rate. In various embodiments, the feeder can deliver product at a rate of more than 4,000 lbs. per hour, depending upon the nature of the product. The configuration of the hopper and ram prevents or reduces compression and damage to the product, and prevents bridging and sticking of the product, thus allowing large quantities to be placed into the hopper while not requiring worker attention to prevent clogs, etc. Additionally, the system can automatically control the motion of the rams to control the rate of dispensing of the product. Advantageously, this bulk feeding system can be used in a wide variety of applications where it is desired to take a bulk amount of product and feed it out at a controlled or reduced rate. It can be used with a wide variety of filling machines and production lines, for example, and is particularly suited to fragile or sticky food products, such as cooked pasta and the like.

[0040] It is to be understood that the various elements of the bulk feeding system disclosed herein can be mixed and matched in many combinations not specifically shown in the figures, and the present disclosure is intended to cover such. Although the present disclosure is described in terms of certain embodiments, other embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure, including embodiments that do not provide all elements and features set forth herein, which are also within the scope of this disclosure. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.