Claims
- 1. Apparatus for packing a meat product, such as ham in foil, wherein a mould is used to accommodate a bag-shaped foil which has a collar portion located at its open end, characterized by:
- a first support member for supporting the bag and the mould, and a first means, displaceable relative to the support member for turning-down the collar of the bag around the top edge of the mould;
- a second support member for supporting the mould containing the bag-shaped foil, and a second means, displaceable with respect to the second support member for returning-up the collar of the bag;
- a third support member for supporting the mould with the filled bag-shaped foil, equipped with a sealing appliance for sealing the collar.
- 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for turning down and, respectively, for returning the collar, each include at least two blades which are displaceable along the outer wall of the mould.
- 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the turning-down and the returning blades pivot in a controlled manner on an axis which is transverse to the displacement direction.
- 4. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that each returning blade is formed as a hook.
- 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the hook length is equal to at least the collar height of the bag-shaped foil.
- 6. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the second support member is a turntable incorporated in a conveyor track and groups of said returning blades are arranged around the turntable.
- 7. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the mould is polygonal in cross-section, and that the number of turning-down, and also of returning, blades applied is the same as the number of corners of the mould cross-section.
- 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the turning-down and the returning means are so arranged, that they operate at the corners of the mould.
- 9. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the third support member is formed as a vacuum chest, closable with a door, in which the sealing applicance is accommodated.
- 10. Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the sealing appliance is formed as a horizontally extending table at the height of the collar of the bag-shaped foil, and a pressing punch which can be moved up and down, a folding element being fitted in the vacuum chest for holding the collar down over the horizontal table.
- 11. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the pressing punch is fixed to an airtight hose.
- 12. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the folding member is a bent hinge-plate, which can be pivoted, parallel to the pressing table, around a hinge-pin which is fastened to the pressing punch.
- 13. Apparatus for packing a meat product into a flexible bag which has an open end and a collar portion extending about said open end and wherein a mould which has a mould cavity which is proportioned to accommodate one of said bags in an open position is used, the mould having a top edge extending about an open end thereof, comprising;
- (a) a first support member for supporting one of said bags thereon in an open configuration, said first support member also serving to support a mould thereon after a bag has been located therein in a first position such that the collar portion of the bag projects beyond the top edge of the mould,
- (b) first folding means mounted for movement relative to the support member for folding the collar portion of a bag located in said first position, over said top edge of the mould to turn it down over said top edge to support the bag in a second position with the open end of the bag in an open configuration,
- (c) second support means for supporting a mould with a bag located therein in said second position,
- (d) second folding means mounted on said second support means for movement relative thereto, said second folding means including mean to extend over a mould having a bag located therein in said second position to engage the turned down collar portion of the bag and to fold it back to said first position,
- (e) a third support member for supporting a mould with a bag located therein in said first position,
- (f) sealing means on said third support for sealing said collar portion of the bag to close the bag.
- 14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said first support member comprises a first mandrel which is proportioned to provide internal support for a bag and a mould.
- 15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said first folding means comprises a first support head having a plurality of first folding fingers pivotally mounted thereon and projecting from said support head toward one end of said mandrel, said folding fingers being mounted to pivot between a retracted position in which they are arranged and spaced to fit within an open end of the collar portion of a bag located on said mandrel and an extended position in which the fingers are spaced outwardly from one another so as to be free to telescope into and outwardly overlying relationship with respect to a mould located on said mandrel to fold said collar portion over the top edge of a mould as aforesaid.
- 16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a mould having a mould cavity which is proportioned to accommodate one of said bags in an open configuration, said mould having a top edge extending about said mould cavity, said mould having side walls interconnected at corners to form a polygonal cross-section.
- 17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said first folding means has one first folding finger for each corner of the mould which is aligned therewith in use.
- 18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said second folding means has one end second folding finger for each corner of the mould, each second folding finger being aligned with a corner of the mould in use.
- 19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said second folding means comprises a second support head which is mounted to reciprocate with respect to said second support means between a first retracted position and a second extended position, said second support head having a plurality of second folding fingers pivotally mounted thereon and projecting from said second support head toward said second support means, said second folding fingers being pivotal between a first position in which they are spaced outwardly from one another so as to be free to telescope into and outwardly overlying relationship with respect to a mould located on said second support with a bag located therein in its second position, and a second position in which said folding fingers are located closely adjacent said mould so as to engage the collar portion of the bag to fold it back to its first position as aforesaid when said support head reciprocates from its extended position to its retracted position.
- 20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein each of said second folding fingers has a distal end remote from said second support head, said distal end of each second folding finger being hook-shaped to hook under the marginal edge of a bag located in said second position on a mould to facilitate folding of the marginal edge in response to the reciprocating movement of said second folding head.
- 21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said second support means comprises a turntable mounted for rotation about a first axis and said second folding means comprises a plurality of second folding assemblies each located at spaced intervals about said turntable and mounted for rotation about said first axis and infeed conveyor means for feeding said moulds one at a time onto said turntable to locate the moulds with their open ends aligned one with said second folding assemblies and a mould discharge conveyor for receiving and transporting moulds away from said turntable.
- 22. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said third support member further comprises a vacuum chest in which said sealing means is mounted.
- 23. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said sealing means further comprises a sealing table which is spaced above said second support means at a height corresponding to the height of the collar of the bag when the bag is located in its first position, sealing press means mounted above said sealing table for movement toward and away from said sealing table to cooperate therewith to clamp and seal the collar portion of a bag therebetween and collar folding means for folding the collar of a bag into a position extending between the sealing table and the sealing press means.
- 24. Apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein said sealing press means comprises a sealing head mounted on an expandible air-tight hose which serves to locate the sealing head in a retracted position with respect to the sealing table when deflated and an extended position with respect to the table when inflated.
- 25. Apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the collar folding means comprises a plate which is generally L-shaped and which is pivotally mounted above the sealing table for movement between a first position spaced from the sealing table and a second position extending the sealing table and the sealing head.
- 26. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a cylindrical mould having a mould cavity, a bottom wall closing the mould cavity and an open end providing access to the mould cavity and a cover plate proportioned to fit in a close fitting relationship within said open end of said mould.
- 27. Apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein said cover plate comprises a plurality of sections which are movable with respect to one another between a retracted position in which the perimeter of the cover plate is reduced in length and an extended position in which the perimeter of the cover plate is extended in length so as to fit in a close fitting relationship within the mould as aforesaid.
- 28. Apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein the sections of the cover plate are mutually connected by spring means which serves to normally urge the cover plate to the extended position.
- 29. Apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein the mould cavity is rectangular in cross-section and has side walls which are formed with one or more reinforcing ridges.
- 30. Apparatus as claimed in claim 29, wherein the open end of the mould is reinforced.
Parent Case Info
The invention concerns an apparatus and method for packing and processing a meat product, such as ham, in foil, use being made of a mould for accommodating bag-shaped foil.
It is usual to pack pieces of meat, after pre-treatment, in a tin, and to process the meat further in the tin, for example by warming up or heating it to a particular temperature such a pasteurization temperature, by which process the meat achieves its final condition. The meat product in the tin is then ready for transport, storage sale and consumption.
The disadvantages of packing the meat in tins are the high cost, and the weight, involved. The weight, in particular, is disadvantageous during transport and storage.
In a mould of this kind a number of pieces of meat are deposited, after which the meat is cooked in the mould in order to obtain the desired product like ham. The mould serves here as a support for obtaining the correct shape.
The invention aims to provide an apparatus by use of which the mould can be lined with foil and filled with pieces of meat, and the bag-shaped foil can be sealed airtight; and this in such a way that the foil remains free of fat or meat particles at the places where the seal is made, in order to realize an absolutely airtight seal.
The apparatus according to the invention is distinguished by:
a first support member for supporting the bag and the mould, and a first means, displaceable relative to the support member, for turning down the collar of the bag around the upper edge of the mould;
a second support member for supporting the mould containing the bag filled with the meat product, and a second means, displaceable relative to the second support member, for returning the collar of the bag up to its stating position;
a third support member for supporting the mould with filled bag-shaped foil, the third member being provided with a sealing appliance for the sealing of the collar.
In order to let the turning-down and returning of the collar of the packing foil occur without the formation of creases, it is preferable to form the means for turning-down and/or returning the collar by two or more blades displaceable along the outer wall of the mould.
The turning-down blades are hereby preferably supported pivotably on an axis transverse to the displacement direction, in order first to stretch the collar before turning it down.
The returning blades are preferably formed as hooks, the hook length corresponding at least to the height of the collar of the bag-shaped foil. The aim of this latter feature is to grasp the collar approximately at the position of the edge of the mould, so that the turning-down or returning begins immediately at the edge of the mould.
To provide a large packaging capacity, the second support member is made in the form of a turntable which is mounted in a conveyor track, the returning blades being set up in groups around the turntable.
If the mould used is polygonal, there are, according to the invention, as many turning-down (and returning) blades needed as there are corners. By preference, the turning-down and returning means are so arranged that they act at the corners of the mould which is placed in the apparatus, an arrangement which, in trials, caused the least puckering of the collar.
According to the invention, the third support member is formed as a vacuum chamber which can be closed with a door, and in which the sealing means are incorporated. These latter are preferably formed as a horizontally extensive table at the height of the collar, and a reciprocably moveable pressing punch, a folding member being fitted in the vacuum chamber for holding the collar flat over the horizontal table.
The invention further concerns a mould for use in the above described method, the mould being distinguished in having a cylindrical mould-section with a closed bottom and an open side, opposite that bottom, and also a cover-section whose outer circumference abuts with a close fit against the inner surface of the mould-section. Owing to the cylindrical shape, the cover-section can slide along the inner surface, whereby the pressurization of the lining can easily take place by the exertion of pressure on the cover-section. Since the meat tends to expand during the heating phase, any clearance between the cover-section and the mould-section has to be prevented, in order to give the final meat product its required shape, without protusions.
To improve the close fit of the cover-section, this is divided into two or more mutually displaceable members, so that any clearance can be taken up by movement of the cover members.
In a preferred embodiment, the cover members are mutually connected by curved spring strips which stand perpendicularly on the cover members. When the cover is inserted in the mould, the cover members can be pressed close to one another against the spring pressure so that after insertion the springs ensure a constant pressure of the cover members against the inside of the mould.
A preferred embodiment of the mould-section is one in which it has a rectangular shape in cross-section, the side walls being provided with one or more reinforcement ridges. This results in a block-shaped meat product, the ridges increasing the stability of shape of the mould-section.
To the same end of stability of shape, the edge strip of the mould-section can also, or instead, be reinforced by a thickening of the wall of the mould.
The invention further concerns a bag-shaped lining which is suitable for an above-described mould, the lining being distinguished in that its longitudinal dimension is greater than that of the mould, and the inner circumference of the extended collar-shaped part of the lining is greater than that of the bag-portion which fits into the mould-section. By this means, the bag-shaped lining can, before it is filled with meat products, be turned down over the edge strip at the open end of the mould section, whereby the turned down portion of the lining remains free of any contamination due to spillage, which is an advantage during the subsequent airtight sealing of the lining.
The enlargement of the inner circumference of the extended part can easily take place of the bag-shaped lining is folded from soil, the edges to be joined being impermeably welded, and the longitudinal welded seam of the bag-shaped portion being wider than that of the extended portion.
The invention further concerns a holder for accommodating moulds during the penultimate step of the above-described method. This step involves the heating and pressurizing of the contents of the mould.
The holder according to the invention is distinguished by at least one guide for the adjacent accommodation of more than two moulds, such that the cover-section of one mould lies against the bottom of the adjacent mould, the guide being made with a fixed end partition at one extremity and an elastically compliant end partition at the other. In this way, two or more moulds can be simultaneously placed under longitudinal pressure, since the bottom part of one presses against the slidable cover section of the next adjacent mould, thus pressurizing its contents. The entire holder can be placed in a heating appliance, for example an autoclave or a steamer.
Finally the method according to the invention is distinguished by the following steps:
In trials, it has appeared that the meat product, ready and packed in the lining, takes on exactly the shape of the mould, without any externally visible air inclusions etc. This improves the aesthetic appearance of the meat product, with the consequence that transparent linings, for example of plastic, can be used. This latter is preferable, because the purchaser can immediately percieve the quality of the meat.
The invention will be further explained in the description of the drawings, below.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Patent Grant
4735031
