Patent Application
20080095895
While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawing, and will hereinafter be described, a presently preferred embodiment, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated.
With reference to
As each sandwich is formed, it is received on a transfer rotor 18 positioned generally beneath wafer magazines 14. The transfer rotor moves each sandwich through an arc of approximately 90 degrees (counterclockwise in the illustrated embodiment), and sequentially transfers the sandwiches to an associated sandwich conveyor 20. The sandwiches are thereafter sequentially conveyed to a wrapper mechanism, indicated generally at 22, where each sandwich is individually wrapped with wrapping material from a supply roll 24, with each wrapped sandwich thereafter moved out of the apparatus along a discharge 26 to an associated apparatus for cartoning, storage, and shipment.
Sandwich wrapper 22 includes a cutting mechanism 28 which cuts individual pieces of the wrapping material for individually wrapping each sandwich, and further includes a vertically reciprocable sandwich elevator 30 for moving each sandwich vertically through a wrapping chute at which the wrapping material is positioned. Suitable mechanisms of the sandwich wrapper appropriately fold and tuck the wrapping material around each sandwich.
In accordance with the present invention, sandwich elevator 30 includes a servo-drive 32, operated by suitable controls 34 whereby the sandwich elevator can be operated independently of other components of the apparatus 10. Typically, other components of the apparatus, including the transfer rotor 18 and sandwich conveyor 20 are operated by a single, common drive in unison with each other.
Operation of sandwich conveyor 30 by servo-drive 32 greatly facilitates efficient and versatile operation of the apparatus 10. While it is desirable to elevate each sandwich as quickly as possible on the elevator 30, elevator mechanisms which are operated by cams, or like mechanical components, typically have certain limits to their operating speeds if damage to the relatively fragile sandwich is to be avoided.
In significant distinction, the present invention permits the acceleration and deceleration of each sandwich to be controlled as desired, independently of drive of the other components of the apparatus.
Notably, servo-drive of the elevator 30 desirably provides a feedback signal to controls 34 which can be monitored to determine the force being exerted on each sandwich by the elevator. Thus, the feedback signal can be monitored to calculate the weight of ice cream being dispensed into each sandwich, and permit operation of the servo-drive 32 to exert the proper amount of pressure to safely transport the assembled sandwich through the wrapping chute. The system can thus be operated generally in accordance with the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,687, hereby incorporated by reference, which has been found to facilitate desirably versatile operation of an ice cream dispensing apparatus.
From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations can be effected without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concept of the present invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiment illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. The disclosure is intended to cover, by the appended claims, all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.
