BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Preparing food for the consumption of the modem consumer involves producing, processing, packaging, delivering and marketing an enormous quantity and variety of food products. Furthermore, a complex mix of socio-economic factors drives the food industry, as it does most other modem industries, to constantly increase the variety and the quantities of the products it markets to the public. The food industry is under continuous pressure to produce and deliver food products of consistent and uniform quality, more efficiently and rapidly, at ever decreasing consumer prices.

In addition, the food products supplied must meet ever more stringent hygiene standards. This demand on the food industry is of paramount and growing importance. Today, a single food processing or packaging plant can, and very often does, supply food products which reach tens of thousands of consumers. A problem on the production line of such a plant can result in the introduction of a contaminant or pathogen into a food product that causes serious illness in large numbers of people. As a result, painstaking care and continuous monitoring is required in the handling, processing and packaging of food products to ensure that the food products that reach the consumer are safe.

The food industry has turned to increased automation of all aspects of food production in response to these needs and demands. Automated equipment replaces people in the food industry wherever possible, resulting in efficiencies and speeds of production of food products that would otherwise have been impossible. It has also resulted in food products of greater uniformity, quality and hygiene and it has allowed the food industry to better monitor production processes.

One area of food packaging which is still labor intensive is the packaging of fillets of fresh fish and meat. Fillets are often packaged in what is called"consumer ready"packaging.

One or more trimmed, portion controlled, fillets are placed in a styrofoam tray which is then hermetically sealed with transparent plastic foil. For proper display, the fillets are carefully positioned in the tray. If there is only one fillet to the tray the fillet is placed in the center of the tray. If there are two or more fillets they may be placed one on top of each other or shingled.

Proper positioning of the fillets in a tray is very important, not only for display purposes, but also for proper packaging. If part of a fillet in a tray lies on the raised rim of the tray, or extends over the edge of the tray, the transparent plastic foil will not seal hermetically. As a result the fillets will spoil quickly and their shelf life will be reduced.

The demand for fillets and other cuts of meat and fish packaged in consumer ready form is large and growing. Consumer ready packaging is attractive to the customer and the precut, portioned fillets are easy for the customer to use. However, the packaging of fillets has not leant itself to automation as has the packaging of other food articles, such as for example frozen food products or processed meats. These latter food items have relatively rigid shapes and are easy to pick up. Fillet cuts of meat and fish on the other hand are hard to handle. They are pliable, slippery and variable in shape, and because they must be very carefully positioned in the trays as well, the packaging and arranging of fillets in trays is generally done by hand.

In order to improve the production rate and the level of hygiene of fillets packaged in consumer ready form it would be desirable to automate the packaging process. An automatic device that picks fillets up and places them accurately in appropriate position in packaging trays is therefore needed and desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a device, referred to in the claims and in the text as an apparatus but also in the text, for convenience, as a"grabber", that picks up a pliable irregularly shaped food article, such as a fillet from a work surface and accurately places the food article in a desired position in a packaging tray or on an appropriate material used for vacuum packaging the food article. Hereinafter, for ease of exposition, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with the food article being a fillet..

The grabber comprises preferably, two thin rectangular spatula elements. The spatula elements are placed on the work surface on opposite sides of the fillet and are brought together so that they slide under the fillet. Preferably, the grabber comprises a stabilizer which presses the fillet to the work surface, thereby holding the fillet firmly in place while the spatula elements are sliding under the fillet. After the spatula elements have come together under the fillet, the stabilizer preferably maintains pressure on the fillet for as long as the fillet is on the spatula elements and thereby holds the fillet firmly in place on the spatula elements.

The spatula elements with the fillet on top of them and the stabilizer in place, are then preferably raised from the work surface and moved so that they are aligned over the packaging

tray. The spatula elements are snapped open and preferably, the stabilizer presses the fillet downward into position in the packaging tray.

The grabber can pick up and place a fillet into a packaging tray so that a reference point on the fillet is located with an accuracy of a few millimeters with respect to the geometric center of the packaging tray. As a result, the grabber can place and position a fillet in a packaging tray so that the fillet is properly positioned and placed in the part of the packaging tray inside of the packaging tray's raised rim. When more than one fillet is packaged in the same packaging tray the grabber can also arrange the fillets with respect to each other in the packaging tray. For example, it can place the fillets one on top of the other or it can shingle them (place them one on top, of but displaced one from the other so that they fill a tray and all the fillets in the tray can be seen).

The accuracy of the grabber is attained in part because the stabilizer firmly presses on the fillet throughout the process of picking up and placing the fillet. It thereby preserves the position of the fillet with respect to the spatula elements, and therefore with respect to an alignment reference point on the grabber, from the time the fillet is picked up until it is placed in the packaging tray.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the spatula elements are identical and each has a large upper and a large lower planar surface and edges. A front edge of each of the spatula elements is preferably beveled. The spatula elements are preferably formed from a friction reducing material such as teflon.

Each of the spatula elements is preferably mounted on its own spatula trolley which slides on its own separate guide profile. The two guide profiles are preferably mounted on a base plate so that they are colinear. The spatula elements are fixed on the trolleys so that the spatula elements are mirror images of each other. Preferably, the front edges of the spatula elements are parallel, face each other, and are perpendicular to the motion of the spatula trolleys.

A spatula trolley mechanism mounted to the base plate moves and positions the spatula trolleys on the guide profiles so that, preferably, the spatula trolleys slide towards and away from each other with equal and opposite displacements. The spatula trolley mechanism moves the spatula trolleys with a range and speed of motion such that the spatula elements can be snapped together to a position where their front edges touch or almost touch and snapped apart so that the distance between the front edges is larger than the largest width of a fillet that is picked up.

The grabber preferably comprises a grabber trolley which preferably slides on a linear grabber trolley profile. The grabber trolley profile is preferably fixed above the work surface on which fillets to be packaged are placed so that the grabber trolley moves parallel to the work surface. A grabber trolley mechanism moves and positions the grabber trolley along the grabber trolley profile in response to a signal from a controller.

The base plate is mounted to the grabber trolley so that the base plate slides linearly on the grabber trolley in a direction perpendicular to the work surface and the edges of the spatula.

A base plate mechanism is mounted on the grabber trolley and is connected to the base plate so that it controls the movement and position of the base plate. It lowers the base plate toward the working surface to a point at which the front edges of the spatula elements touch the work surface and raises the base plate so that the spatula elements are at a convenient maximum height above the working surface.

Methods other than those described above for moving the spatula elements towards and away from each other, and down to and up from a work surface are known in the art and can also be used.

Also mounted to the base plate is the stabilizer that is actuated by a stabilizer actuator.

The stabilizer actuator moves the stabilizer up and down with respect to the work surface. The stabilizer can have different shapes, that are advantageous for packing different types of food items. For example, for fillets the stabilizer is preferably in the shape of a bar, preferably a cylindrical bar. The axis of the bar is maintained parallel to the work surface and equidistant from the front edges of the spatula elements. For a food item that comprises a stack of food slices, preferably the stabilizer is in the shape of a substantially planar plate. When the plate is pressed to the stack the plate will aid in preventing the stack from toppling and/or coming apart if the slices in the stack are not aligned properly.

For clarity and ease of presentation preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described having a stabilizer, hereinafter referred to as a"stabilizing bar", in the shape of a bar.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention the work surface is preferably the surface of a conveyer belt. The grabber trolley profile is preferably mounted close to one end of the conveyer belt so that the grabber moves above and parallel to the surface of the conveyer belt and perpendicular to the conveyer belt's motion (i. e. the grabber moves parallel to the width of the conveyer belt). A fillet to be packaged is preferably placed on the other end of the conveyer belt and moves towards the grabber on the conveyer belt.

In order for the grabber to properly pick up and package the fillet approaching it the grabber must be aligned with the fillet. The alignment of the grabber with the fillet is preferably done by moving the grabber on the grabber trolley profile. The aligning method preferably takes into account that fillets to be packaged have varying shape and size and are placed on the conveyer belt with varying orientation and position. The alignment is preferably done by aligning a grabber focus point with a fillet fiducial point.

The grabber focus point is preferably the point which bisects the line between the centers of the front edges. Since the spatula elements always move colinearly, towards and away from each other with equal and opposite displacements the grabber focus point is fixed with respect to the grabber trolley.

The fillet fiducial point is preferably calculated based on an alignment rectangle and a centroid of the fillet. The alignment rectangle is preferably the smallest rectangle that can be drawn around the fillet on the conveyer belt surface that has edges parallel to the front edges of the spatula elements. In preferred embodiments of the invention where the grabber has a mechanism for rotating the spatula elements, the alignment rectangle can be oriented so that the sides of the alignment rectangle are parallel to any suitable convenient line important to the packaging process. Such a convenient line for example might preferably be calculated from the geometry of the fillet so that the line is the longest dimension of the fillet.

The centroid is the center of mass calculated for the fillet assuming the fillet has a constant thickness. The fillet fiducial point is the projection of the centroid on the line connecting the midpoints of the long sides of the rectangle.

While traveling on the conveyer the fillet preferably passes under a camera which transmits an image of the fillet to a controller. The controller uses the image to calculate the alignment rectangle and fiducial point for the fillet. The controller then transmits a signal to the grabber trolley mechanism which positions the grabber on the grabber trolley profile so that the fillet preferably passes under the grabber with the fillet fiducial point passing under the grabber focus point. The grabber waits for the approaching fillet with the grabber spatula elements apart and with the stabilizing bar and spatula elements raised above the conveyer belt surface.

Preferably, just before the fillet reaches the grabber focus point, the base plate moves downwards and brings the front edges of the spatula elements into contact with the conveyer belt surface. The fillet advances on the conveyer belt and passes between the front edges. The stabilizing bar actuator then preferably pushes the stabilizing bar down so that it meets and presses on the fillet, momentarily holding it in place, just as the fillet fiducial is aligned under

the grabber focus point. The spatula elements then snap together under the fillet. The base plate then preferably moves up, lifting the spatula elements with the fillet on them, preferably held in place on the spatula elements by the stabilizing bar, away from the conveyer belt surface. The grabber moves along the grabber trolley profile until the grabber is appropriately aligned with the packaging tray which is accurately positioned and held by methods known in the art on a platform, hereinafter referred to as a filling station, at the side of the conveyer belt. The spatula blades preferably snap apart and the stabilizing bar preferably pushes the fillet down into the tray.

The grabber and packaging tray are preferably aligned by positioning the grabber focus point with respect to the packaging tray using the geometrical center of the packaging tray as a reference point. The geometric center of the packaging tray is preferably positioned so that at some point in the range of motion of the grabber trolley, the grabber focus point is aligned with the geometric center of the packaging tray. Usually, the packaging tray is rectangular and has edges perpendicular to the motion of the grabber on the grabber trolley profile. Preferably, the packaging tray is large enough so that the fillet alignment rectangle fits inside the raised rim of the packaging tray without having to rotate the fillet with respect to the packaging tray.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, hereinafter referred to as "form-fill-seal machines"the filling station at the side of the conveyor belt is a region of another conveyor belt, hereinafter referred to as a"tray conveyor belt". A production station and a sealing station are situated on opposite ends of the tray conveyor belt. Packaging trays are produced by a tray forming machine, such as a thermoforming machine, at the production station, accurately positioned on the tray conveyor belt and moved by the tray conveyor belt to the filling station where they are filled by the grabber with fillets as described above. After the packaging trays are filled, the tray conveyor belt moves them to the sealing station where the filled packaging trays are sealed.

The controller that controls the grabber preferably monitors the tray forming machine and tray conveyor belt and controls them so that a fillet picked up by the grabber is moved and placed in a packaging tray when a packaging tray is appropriately positioned at the filling station. In a form-fill-seal machine, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, fillets placed in a packaging tray can be shingled in two directions. A first direction of shingling is along the direction of motion of the grabber on its grabber trolley profile as discussed above. A second direction of shingling is along the direction parallel to the motion of the tray conveyor belt. Shingling of fillets along this second direction of shingling is

accomplished by advancing the tray conveyor belt an appropriate amount between placement of fillets in the packaging tray.

In some form-fill-seal machines, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the filling station is large enough so that more than one packaging tray can be located in the filling station at one time. Some form-fill-seal machines, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, use more than one grabber, appropriately positioned to fill multiple packaging trays in a filling station. In some form-fill-seal machines in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tray forming machine has a production cycle during which it produces a plurality of packaging trays simultaneously.

The above discussion has described a grabber that does not rotate the spatula elements.

Some embodiments of the invention however, are provided with a mechanism for rotating the spatula elements in order to facilitate picking up or placing the fillet. In grabbers that rotate, the sides of the alignment rectangle can be parallel to any convenient direction. It should also be realized that if a fillet reaches the grabber on a conveyer belt and the grabber is rotated with respect to the direction of motion of the conveyer belt in order to pick up the fillet, then the stabilizing bar is pressed to the fillet before the spatula elements are lowered to the conveyer belt surface.

The movement and positioning of the grabber trolley is preferably controlled with an accuracy of fractions of a millimeter by processes known in the art. The accuracy of alignment of the grabber focus point and the fillet fiducial point is on the order of a small number of millimeters. The grabber preserves the alignment of the grabber focus point and the fillet fiducial point throughout the process of picking up and placing the fillet. The packaging tray is preferably aligned and positioned with an accuracy of a few millimeters. As a result the grabber achieves an accuracy on the order of millimeters in positioning the fillet in the packaging tray. It should be realized that there are many mechanisms known in the art for moving the grabber and placing and positioning the packaging tray. Which of these mechanisms is used depends upon, among other factors, the desired technical and commercial specifications.

There is therefore provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present. invention an apparatus for moving a soft pliable food article from a first position to a second position comprising: a plurality of spatula elements each having a front edge, wherein the spatula elements are placed on either side of the first position and are moveable toward the first position such that the front edges move towards each other and under a soft pliable food article placed at the first position and subsequently, move away from each other depositing the food

article at the second position; and an actuator that moves the spatula elements towards and away from each other and the first and second positions respectively.

Preferably, the apparatus comprises a stabilizer which presses the food article toward a work surface on which it is placed while the front edges move towards each other under the food article. Preferably, the stabilizer continues to press the food article to the spatula elements after the front edges have stopped moving towards each other under the food article and until the front edges begun to move apart. The stabilizer preferably presses on the food article while the front edges are moving apart under the food article. Preferably, the stabilizer presses the food article towards the second position as the front edges move apart and preferably presses on the food article until the food article is in contact with the second position.

The stabilizer is preferably a bar, preferably parallel to the front edges of the spatula elements and preferably equidistant from the front edges.

Alternatively, the stabilizer preferably comprises a planar surface, wherein the planar surface is pressed to the food article.

Alternatively or additionally, in at least one direction along which the stabilizer presses on the food article, the dimension of the stabilizer is longer than the dimension of the food article in that direction.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention substantially in any direction along which the stabilizer presses on the food article, the dimension of the planar surface in that direction is substantially equal to or greater than the dimension of the food article in that direction.

The apparatus preferably comprises a lifter for lowering and raising the plurality of spatula elements to and from the first position and the second positions.

The apparatus preferably comprises a means for moving the plurality of spatula elements from the first position to the second position.

The front edge of the spatula elements is preferably the intersection of two surfaces which intersect at a small angle.

Preferably, the spatula elements are thin generally planar rectangular elements.

The front edges of the spatula elements are preferably formed by a beveled edge of each of the spatula elements.

Preferably, the spatula elements have nonstick surfaces.

The spatula elements are preferably identical.

Preferably, the spatula elements move towards and away from each other with equal and opposite displacements.

The front edges of the spatula elements are preferably parallel to each other.

Preferably the plurality of spatula elements comprises two spatula elements.

The actuator for moving the two spatula elements towards and away from each other preferably comprises: two spatula trolleys which slide back and forth colinearly on guide profiles; and a piston having a piston rod which is connected to the spatula trolleys with connecting rods of equal length so that when the piston rod is extended and retracted, the spatula trolleys respectively move away from and towards each other; and wherein each spatula element is rigidly attached to a different spatula trolley.

Preferably, the food article is a fillet of meat or fish.

There is further provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a method for aligning a food article on a work surface utilizing the apparatus: determining the position of an alignment reference point for the food article; determining the position of an alignment reference point for the apparatus; and moving either or both the food article and the apparatus until the two reference points are substantially aligned one under the other.

Preferably, determining the position of a reference point for the food article comprises: determining the size of an alignment rectangle having a predetermined orientation wherein the rectangle is the smallest rectangle having the predetermined orientation that can be drawn on the work surface; determining a centroid for the shape of the food article; and determining the point which is the projection of the centroid on the line connecting the midpoints of the shortest sides of the alignment rectangle.

Preferably, when the work surface is the surface of a conveyer belt, the predetermined orientation is parallel to the direction of motion of the conveyer belt. Alternatively or additionally, the predetermined orientation is parallel to a line determined from the geometry of the projection of the fillet on the work surface.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, determining the position of a reference point for the apparatus comprises determining the position of the point which bisects the line drawn between the mid points of the front edges of two spatula elements.

The work surface is preferably a conveyer belt surface and moving the food article comprises moving the conveyer belt surface and moving the apparatus comprises moving the

apparatus on a linear guide profile parallel to the conveyer belt surface and perpendicular to the motion of the conveyer belt.

Preferably, the food article is a fillet of meat or fish.

There is further provide in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a method for moving a soft pliable food article from a first position to a second position comprising: moving edges of spatula elements under the food article while the food article is at the first position; moving either or both the spatula elements and the second position so that the spatula elements holding the food article are substantially over the second position; and moving the edges of the spatula elements out from under the food article so that the food article is deposited at the second position.

Preferably, the method comprises pressing on the food article at the first position while the edges are moving under the food article. The method preferably comprises pressing on the food article while the edges are stationary under the food article. Preferably, the method comprises pressing on the food article while the edges are moving out from under the food element. The method preferably comprises pressing the food article towards the second position. Preferably, the method comprises pressing on the food article until the food article is in contact with the second position.

Preferably, the food article is a fillet of meat or fish.

There is further provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a packaging machine for filling packaging trays positioned at a first location with soft pliable food articles comprising: at least one apparatus; a conveyor for moving the food articles from a second location to a third location; a controller; wherein, the controller controls the at least one apparatus to pick up the food articles from the third location and place them in the packaging trays in the first location so as to fill the packaging trays.

Preferably, the conveyor is a conveyor belt and the second and third locations are regions on the conveyor belt.

Alternatively or additionally the packaging machine comprises a conveyor for moving the packaging trays from a fourth location where they are empty, to the first location and after the packaging trays are filled to a fifth location where they are sealed. Preferably, the conveyor is a conveyor belt and the first, fourth and fifth locations are regions on the conveyor belt.

Alternatively or additionally, the packaging trays are produced at the fourth location by a tray forming machine that accurately positions each of the packaging trays at the fourth location on the conveyor after the packaging trays are produced. Preferably, the tray forming

machine produces and positions a plurality of packaging trays substantially simultaneously.

Alternatively or additionally, the tray forming machine is a thermoforming machine.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention the filled packaging trays are sealed at the fifth location by a sealing machine.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, in order for the at least one apparatus to pick up a food article from the second location, the food article and the at least one apparatus are aligned using two reference points as described above.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention the controller preferably controls the conveyor for moving the packaging trays to be stationary when packaging trays in the fourth location are being filled.

Alternatively or additionally the controller preferably controls the tray forming machine so that the rate of production of packaging trays is equal to the rate at which packaging trays are filled by the at least one apparatus.

There is further provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a packaging machine for filling packaging trays with fillets comprising at least one apparatus and a controller, wherein the controller controls the at least one apparatus to shingle fillets in the packaging trays along at least one particular direction. Preferably, the at least one particular direction comprises two different directions.

There is further provided a packaging machine for filling packaging trays with fillets comprising at least one apparatus and a controller, wherein the controller controls the at least one apparatus and positions of the packaging trays so as to shingle fillets in the packaging trays along at least one particular direction. Preferably, the at least one particular direction comprises two different directions.

The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following description of preferred embodiments thereof in conjunction with the figures, wherein identical structures, elements or parts which appear in the figures are labeled with the same numeral, and in which: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES Fig. 1 shows a schematic of a grabber in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figs. 2A-2E illustrate schematically the steps by which a grabber picks up a fillet and places it in a packaging tray in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 shows a schematic of an automatic conveyer belt system for placing fillets into packaging trays in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a form-fill-seal machine for packaging fillets in packaging trays, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Fig. 1 shows a schematic of a grabber 20 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Grabber 20, is preferably mounted on a linear guide profile 94 so that grabber 20 moves above and parallel to a work surface 21, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Grabber 20 comprises two thin rectangular spatula elements 22 and 24, preferably made from teflon or other non stick food compatible material known in the art. Spatula element 22 is preferably the mirror image of spatula element 24 and fittings and connectors attached to spatula element 22 are preferably mirror images of fittings and connectors attached to spatula element 24.

Unless otherwise required for clarity, mirror image parts are labeled with the same numerals. When the description refers to parts and connections associated with spatula element 22, it is to be understood that the description applies equally well to the mirror images of these parts and connections which are associated with spatula element 24.

Spatula element 22 preferably has a top planar surfaces 26 parallel to a bottom planar surface 28 (only an edge of planar surface 28 is visible in the figure), a back edge 30, and a front edge 32. Front edge 32 is preferably the intersection of top planar surface 26 and a bevel surface 34 (only an edge of bevel surface 34 is visible in the figure) which intersects top planar surface 26 at a bevel intersection angle 36.

Front edges 32 of spatula elements 22 and 24 are preferably parallel and face each other. Bevel surfaces 34 are preferable coplanar with the plane defined by front edges 32.

Spatula element 22 is preferably attached to a mounting profile 38. Mounting profile 38 preferably has a narrow rectangular planar ledge 40, a wide rectangular planar ledge 42 and a rectangular planar part 44 connecting narrow ledge 40 and wide ledge 42. Narrow ledge 40 is attached to spatula element 22, for example, with bolts or rivets and a narrow rectangular reinforcing bar 47 lying on narrow ledge 40. Spatula element 22 and wide ledge 42 extend away from planar part 44 in the same direction. An edge 41 of narrow ledge 40 and edge 30 of spatula element 22 substantially coincide. The plane of narrow ledge 40 is preferably rotated out of parallel with respect to the plane of wide ledge 42 by an angle equal to bevel intersection

angle 36. The direction of the rotation is such that bevel surfaces 34 of spatula elements 22 and 24 are coplanar with the plane defined by front edges 32 of spatula elements 22 and 24.

Wide ledge 42 is preferably attached to one arm of a right angle L bracket 45, preferably using bolts. The other arm of L bracket 45 is preferably attached to a spatula trolley 46, preferably using bolts. Spatula trolley 46 slides preferably on a linear guide profile 48.

Guide profile 48 is mounted on a base plate 50 so that it is preferably colinear with its mirror image.

The arm of L bracket 45 which is attached to spatula trolley 46 preferably has a short axle rod 52 fixed perpendicular to its surface. Axle rod 52 preferably has a threaded end 54 for receiving a nut (shown capped with a nut) and a smooth circular part (not shown) adjacent to threaded end 54 so that an element with a hole can be rotatably fastened to axle rod 52 at end 54.

One end of a connecting rod 56, having at each of its ends a planar part 58 formed with a hole, is preferably rotatably mounted on the circular part of axle rod 52 and secured in place with nut 59 at end 54 of axle rod 52. The other end of connecting rod 56 is preferably rotatably connected to an axle rod 61 (shown capped with a nut), which is mounted to a junction bracket 60 and which is similar to axle rod 52.

Junction bracket 60 is preferably connected to a piston rod 62 of a pneumatic piston 64.

Pneumatic piston 64 is preferably mounted to base plate 50 with an overhang bracket 66.

Piston rod 62 is perpendicular to spatula trolley guide profiles 48. Piston rod 62 is shown in the figure in its fully extended position such that front edges 32 are a maximum distance apart.

When piston rod 62 is retracted by pneumatic piston 64, the ends of connecting rods 56, which are mounted on axle rod 59 of junction coupling 60, are pulled upwards in the direction of overhang bracket 66. This causes the ends of connecting rods 56 which are connected to axle rods 54 to draw together, thereby pulling spatula trolleys 46 towards each other which in turn moves spatula elements 22 and 24 together. When piston rod 62 is extended by pneumatic piston 64 the motion of spatula trolleys 46 is reversed and spatula elements 22 and 24 move apart.

A guide rod 68 is preferably connected to junction coupling 60 with a clamp connector 70. Guide rod 68 fits snugly in a long hole 72 in overhang bracket 66. Guide rod 68 moves up and down in hole 72 towards and away from overhang bracket 66 together with the motion of piston rod 62. Guide rod 68 ensures that piston rod 62 and junction coupling 60 move with a stable linear motion.

Spatula trolleys 46, and therefore spatula elements 22 and 24, preferably move towards and away from each other with equal and opposite displacements. When spatula trolleys 46 are closest together, front edges 32 of spatula elements 22 and 24 either touch or are a small distance apart. When spatula trolleys 46 are farthest apart, front edges 32 are separated by a distance so that a largest fillet to be picked up fits conveniently between them.

The point in space bisecting the line connecting the midpoints of front edges 32 to each other is defined as a grabber focus point 74. Because spatula elements 22 and 24 move towards and away form each other with equal and opposite displacements, the position of grabber focus point 74 is fixed with respect to grabber 20 (grabber 20 does not include grabber trolley profile 94). Grabber focus point 74 is used to align grabber 20 with a fillet it picks up from a work surface and with a packaging tray into which grabber 20 places the fillet.

A pneumatic cylinder 76 is preferably mounted to base plate 50. The axis of pneumatic cylinder 76 is preferably aligned with grabber focus point 74. Pneumatic cylinder 76 has a piston rod (not shown) the end of which is preferably attached to a stabilizing bar 84, preferably via a bar grip coupler 82. The midpoint of stabilizing bar 84 is preferably in line with the axis of pneumatic cylinder 76. Stabilizing bar 84 is preferably parallel to front edges 32 and work surface 21. The length of stabilizing bar 84 is preferably substantially equal to the length of front edges 32, although short bars can be used. Pneumatic cylinder 76 moves stabilizing bar 84 down to and up from work surface 21. Pneumatic cylinder 76 is shown with . its piston bar retracted and stabilizing bar 84 raised above the plane of front edges 32.

Grabber 20 preferably comprises a grabber trolley 86 by which grabber 20 is mounted to grabber trolley profile 94. Preferably, a mounting plate 88 is fixedly attached to grabber trolley 86. Base plate 50 is preferably slideably mounted to mounting plate 88 so that base plate 50 moves linearly back and forth on mounting plate 88 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of grabber trolley 86 and up and down with respect to work surface 21. A preferably pneumatic piston 90 is mounted to mounting plate 88 preferably with a mounting bracket 92. Piston 90 has a piston rod (not shown) which is preferably attached to base plate 50 so that the extension and retraction of the piston rod moves base plate 50 up and down on mounting plate 88.

Figs. 2A-2E illustrate the steps by which grabber 20 picks up a fillet 100 from work surface 21 and places the fillet in a packaging tray.

Fig. 2A, a partially cut away illustration of grabber 20, shows grabber 20 properly aligned with fillet 100 at the beginning of the process of picking up fillet 100. Spatula elements

22 and 24 and stabilizing bar 84 are raised above work surface 21. Spatula elements 22 and 24 are at a maximum distance apart from each other.

An alignment rectangle 106 is the smallest rectangle that can be drawn around fillet 100 on work surface 21 that has edges parallel to front edges 32. Preferably, the long edges 108 of alignment rectangle 106 are parallel to front edges 32. A centroid 109 for fillet 100 is calculated under the assumption that fillet 100 has a constant thickness. A fillet fiducial point is defined as the projection of centroid 109 on the line 107 connecting the mid points of long edges 108. Preferably, grabber focus point 74 is aligned with fillet fiducial point 110.

Fig. 2B, shows the first step in picking up fillet 100 following the alignment of grabber 20 with fillet 100, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Piston 90 lowers base plate 50 towards work surface 21 so as to bring front edges 32 and bevel surfaces 34 into contact with work surface 21. Fig. 2C shows the following step in which piston 76 lowers stabilizing bar 84 to fillet 100 and presses fillet 100 firmly to work surface 21.

Spatula elements 22 and 24 are now ready to be snapped closed. In Fig. 2D pneumatic piston 64 has retracted piston rod 62 thereby raising junction coupling 60 and drawing connecting rods 56 together into a V shape. As a result, spatula trolleys 46 (only one is visible) have been pulled towards each other. Spatula elements 22 and 24 have been drawn together under fillet 100 to a position where front edges 32 are close together. Front edges 32 are preferably closed together to a distance between them which just leaves room for stabilizing bar 84 and prevents fillet 100 from being pinched between stabilizing bar 84 and front edges 32.

After spatula elements 22 and 24 have closed, piston 90 preferably raises base plate 50, thereby raising spatula elements 22 and 24 with fillet 100 preferably firmly pressed to spatula elements 22 and 24 by stabilizing bar 84 from work surface 21. Grabber 20 then moves along guide profile 94 until it is aligned with a packaging tray (shown in Fig. 2E) into which it places fillet 100.

In order for grabber 20 to accurately place fillet 100 into a packaging tray, the packaging tray is preferably accurately positioned under guide profile 94 so that at some point, as grabber 20 moves along profile 94, grabber focus point 74 (shown in Fig. 2A) preferably passes over the geometric center of the packaging tray. If the alignment rectangle 106 of fillet 100 fits into the packaging tray (i. e. inside the part of the packaging tray bounded by the raised rim of the packaging tray) without having to rotate fillet 100, grabber 20 will be able to position itself over the packaging tray by methods known in the art, so that the projection of fillet alignment rectangle 106 is positioned accurately inside the packaging tray. Piston 64 then

extends piston rod 62 snapping spatula elements 22 and 24 apart and stabilizing bar 84 pushes fillet 100 downwards into the packaging tray. This action of stabilizing bar 84 avoids slippage of the fillet when spatula elements 22 and 24 open, thereby preserving the alignment of alignment rectangle 106 with the packaging tray.

Fig. 2E shows grabber 20 just after it has placed fillet 100 into a packaging tray 104.

Spatula elements 22 and 24 are maximally apart and raised above packaging tray 104.

Stabilizing bar 84 is holding fillet 100 pressed to packaging tray 104.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic of an automatic system for placing fillets into packaging trays comprising grabber 20 (shown schematically and partially cutaway so that grabber focus point 74 and stabilizing bar 84 are seen) and a conveyer belt 120 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Conveyer belt 120 comprises a moving surface 121, an entry end 122 and an exit end 124, and preferably a conveyer belt encoder (not shown) that continuously monitors the advancement of moving surface 121. Moving surface 121 moves in the direction from entry end 122 to exit end 124.

Grabber 20 is preferably mounted on a guide profile 94 which is preferably held fixed in a rigid construction 125 near exit end 124 of conveyer belt 120. Guide profile 94 is preferably parallel to moving surface 121 and perpendicular to its direction of motion. A target line 123 is the imaginary line along which grabber focus 74 is projected on moving surface 121. Grabber 20 is preferably moved and positioned on guide profile 94 in response to signals transmitted from a controller (not shown) by methods known in the art.

A camera 126 is preferably mounted centered directly over moving surface 121 near and above entry end 122 of conveyer belt 120. Camera 126 is pointed directly down towards moving surface 121. A point 127 is the center of the field of view of camera 126 on moving surface 121. The distance between point 127 and target line 123 on moving surface 121 is preferably accurately known.

Fillets 100 are placed on moving surface 121 at entry end 122 so that the long dimensions of fillets 100 are approximately parallel to the direction of motion of conveyer belt 120. From the entry point, fillets 100 preferably move through a set of guide baffles 128 which approximately center fillets 100 on the surface of conveyer belt 120. Fillets 100 then preferably pass under camera 126 which transmits images of fillets 100 to the controller. The controller program preferably calculates an alignment rectangle 106 and a fillet fiducial point 110 for each fillet 100 for which the controller receives an image. It also preferably calculates the position of fiducial point 110 with respect to point 127 at the moment when the image of fillet

100 is transmitted to the controller. The controller registers the reading of the encoder at the time that the image of fillet 100 is transmitted and calculates the amount by which the conveyer belt encoder must advance in order for fiducial point 110 to reach target line 123.

As a fillet 100 approaches target line 123, as indicated by the encoder reading, the controller transmits a signal that causes grabber 20 to be positioned on guide profile 94 so that fillet fiducial point 110 will pass under grabber focus point 74. Spatula elements 22 and 24 are pressed down to moving surface 121 and as fillet fiducial point 110 nears alignment with grabber focus point 74, stabilizing bar 84 is lowered to press and hold fillet 100 momentarily in place. Stabilizing bar 84 is timed to be lowered to fillet 100 so that stabilizing bar 84 meets fillet 100 just when grabber focus point 74 and fillet fiducial point 110 are aligned. The process of picking fillet 100 off moving surface 121 continues as described above.

After fillet 100 is picked up, grabber 20 moves along guide profile 94 and positions itself over packaging tray 104 on a platform 129 at the side of conveyer belt 120. Packaging tray 104 is aligned and positioned accurately by methods known in the art by a packaging tray feeder (not shown) so that packaging tray 104 is properly aligned with respect to the line of motion of grabber 20 as described above. Grabber 20 places fillet 100 into packaging tray 104 as described in the discussion referring to Figs. 2A-2E and returns to conveyer belt 120 to wait for another fillet 100.

If only one fillet 100 is to be placed into packaging tray 104, packaging tray 104 is removed and replaced by an empty packaging tray 104. If more than one fillet is to be placed into packaging tray 104, grabber 20 goes back and forth between conveyer belt 120 and packaging tray 104, picking up and placing fillets 100, until packaging tray 104 is filled with the desired number of fillets 100.

Each time grabber 20 returns to packaging tray 104 to place a fillet 100 into it, grabber 20 is aligned with packaging tray 104 according to the way fillets 100 are to be packed. If fillets 100 are to be stacked one on top of the other, grabber 20 is aligned so that alignment rectangle 106 of the fillet being packed is centered on the geometric center of packaging tray 104 each time it places a fillet into packaging tray 104. If fillets 100 are to be shingled, alignment rectangle 106 of a fillet 100 being packed is displaced by a small amount from alignment rectangle 106 of the fillet 100 previously packed.

The movement and positioning of grabber trolley 20 on grabber trolley profile 94 is preferably controlled with an accuracy of fractions of a millimeter by processes known in the art. The accuracy of alignment of grabber focus point 74 and fillet fiducial point 110 is on the

order of a few millimeters. The grabber preserves the alignment of grabber focus point 74 and fillet fiducial point 110 throughout the process of picking up and placing fillet 100. Packaging tray 104 is preferably aligned and positioned with an accuracy of a few millimeters by methods known in the art. As a result grabber 20 achieves accuracy on the order of several millimeters in positioning fillet 100 in packaging tray 104.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a form-fill-seal machine 150 for packaging fillets 100 in packaging trays 152, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Form-fill-seal machine 150 preferably comprises a conveyor belt 154, a packaging conveyor belt 156 grabbers 158,160,162 and 164 and a controller (not shown).

Conveyor belt 154 preferably comprises guide baffles 128 and operates in conjunction with the controller, a camera 126 and each of grabbers 158,160,162 and 164 in a way similar to the way conveyor belt 120 of Fig. 3 operates in conjunction with grabber 20. Conveyor belt 154 moves fillets 100 from where they are placed between guide baffles 128 to a pickup station indicated by a dotted rectangle 170 At which fillets 100 are picked up by grabbers 158,160, 162 and 164. Conveyor belt 154 preferably comprises an encoder (not shown) that enables the controller to continuously and accurately monitor the motion of conveyor belt 154 using methods known in the art.

Tray conveyor belt 156 is preferably situated parallel to conveyor belt 120. Tray conveyor belt 126 preferably has a tray forming machine 172, hereinafter referred to as tray- former 172, at one end thereof and a sealing machine represented schematically by a supply roll 174 of sealing film 176 at its other end. Preferably, tray-former 172 is a thermoforming machine. Tray conveyor belt 156 moves packaging trays 152 from where they are produced by tray-former 172 to a filling station on tray conveyor belt 156 indicated by a dotted rectangle 180 where grabbers 158,160,162 and 164 fill packaging trays 152 with fillets. Tray conveyor belt 156 moves packaging trays 152 after they are properly filled to sealing machine 174 where they are sealed. Tray conveyor belt 152 preferably comprises an encoder (not shown) that enables the controller to continuously and accurately monitor the motion of conveyor belt 156 using methods known in the art.

It should be realized that whereas tray forming machines and sealing machines are well known in the art and are used with conveyor belts for packing food articles, the filling of packaging trays with soft pliable food articles such as fillets is done by hand in prior art.

Grabbers 158,160,162 and 164 are preferably mounted on guide profiles 182. Guide profiles 182 are preferably parallel to the surfaces of conveyor belts 154 and 156 and

perpendicular to their direction of motion. The guide profiles extend over pickup station 170 and over filling station 180 so that grabbers 158,160,162 and 164 can be accurately positioned to pick up fillets from pickup station 170 and place the fillets in packaging trays 152 that are appropriately positioned in filling station 180.

Guide profiles 182 are preferably fixedly attached to rigid constructions 184. Preferably guide profiles 182 are equally spaced. Preferably, the positions of rigid constructions 184 are adjustable so that the distance between guide profiles 182 can be adjusted to accommodate different size trays 152.

Whereas form-fill-seal machine 150 is shown with four grabbers this is by way of example and it is to be realized that form-fill-seal machines, in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention, can comprise different numbers of grabbers.

Tray-former 172 has a tray production cycle during which it preferably produces a one plurality of packaging trays 152, shown in dotted lines in tray-former 172, from a suitable material 190, preferably fed to tray-former 172 from a supply roll 192. At the end of each production cycle newly produced trays are accurately positioned on a region (not shown) of tray conveyor belt 156 under tray forming machine 172. They are removed from under tray- former 172 as tray conveyor belt 156 advances before a subsequent production cycle begins.

Tray-former 172 is shown in Fig. 4, by way of example as producing 8 packaging trays in a production cycle. Tray forming machines that produce different pluralities of packaging trays in a production cycle can be used and can be advantageous in a form-fill-seal machine, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

When form-fill-seal machine 150 is in operation, the controller coordinates the operation of grabbers 158,160,162 and 164, tray-former 172, sealing machine 174 and the motions of conveyor belts 154 and 156 in order to provide appropriate packaging of fillets 100 in packaging trays 152.

The controller receives information from camera 126 for each fillet 100 that is placed on conveyor belt 154, determines a fillet fiducial for the fillet and keeps track of the position of the fillet as it moves on conveyor belt 154. From data received from tray-former 172, the controller monitors the production and placement of packaging trays 152 on conveyor belt 156.

Since packaging trays 152 are accurately positioned on conveyor belt 156 after each production cycle, the controller is able to accurately determine the position of packaging trays 152 as they move on conveyor belt 156. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, tray

conveyor belt 156 is equipped with a camera that is used to determine positions and movement of packaging trays 152 on conveyor belt 156.

Responsive to the information it receives, the controller controls grabbers 158,160,162 and 164, to pick up fillets 100 from pickup station 170 and place them in empty or partially filled packaging trays 152 in filling station 180. Fillets 100 are not necessarily placed on fillet conveyor 154 synchronously with the production and placement of packaging trays 152 on conveyor 156. Preferably, the controller controls packaging conveyor 156 so that a plurality of packaging trays 152 are stationary in packing station 180 while they are being filled with fillets 100 that arrive at pickup station 170 in a random or semi-random manner.

The controller coordinates the production cycle of tray-former 172 and the filling of packaging trays in filling station 180 so that during a production cycle of tray-former 172 the same number of packaging trays are filled as is produced by tray-former 172. Preferably, the controller is programmed with an appropriate algorithm for controlling the movement of conveyor belts 154 and 156, the production cycle of tray-former 172 and the order in which grabbers 158,160,162 and 164, pick up fillets from pickup station 170 so that the rate at which fillets are packed is optimized. Preferably the controller is able to recognize and respond appropriately to changes in the rate at which fillets are placed on conveyor belt 154 and to malfunctions in any of the pieces of equipment comprised in form-fill-seal machine 150.

The present invention has been described using a non-limiting detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof. Variations of the embodiment described will occur to persons of the art. The motion of the grabber for example, has been described as one dimensional and linear. There is no inherent restriction that requires this. The grabber can advantageously move along a curved guide profile or be made to move in three orthogonal directions or rotate.

Similarly, the mechanism for closing the spatula elements together has alternate configurations.

For example, the spatula trolleys can be coupled to separate actuators. Also, the removal of the fillet from the work surface after the spatula blades have closed under the fillet can be done in different ways. The work surface can be lowered from the spatula blades or rotated out from under them. Further options will occur to persons of the art.

With respect to the form-fill-seal machine, such a machine can be constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention using any of the variations of the grabber and the profile along which it moves described above as well as using other variations that will occur to persons of the art. In addition, while the form-fill-seal machine has been described using a single linear conveyor belt to move fillets and a single linear conveyor

belt for moving packaging trays, other variations are possible and will occur to persons of the art. For example, a single linear conveyor belt for fillets can service two linear packaging tray conveyor belts placed parallel to and on opposite sides of the fillet conveyor belt. Grabbers that pick up fillets from a pickup station on the fillet conveyor belt can be constructed and controlled to move to either side of the fillet conveyor to fill trays in filling stations in either of the tray conveyor belts. Alternatively two fillet conveyor belts can be used to service one tray conveyor belt. Furthermore, there is no inherent necessity for the conveyor belt to be linear. A form-fill-seal machine can advantageously use circular,"merry-go-round"conveyors that, for example, move fillets or trays in circular paths to a pickup station or filling station respectively.

Still other variations will occur to persons of the art.

The detailed description is provided by way of example and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the following claims: