Device for nesting taco shells

Material or article handling – Apparatus for moving intersupporting articles into – within,... – Positions intersupporting article into row

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C053S542000, C414S790400, C414S798400

Reexamination Certificate

active

06217276

ABSTRACT:

The invention relates to a device for nesting taco shells and a multiple nesting device.
Taco shells are deep-fried, thin cornmeal pancakes (tortillas) which as a result of deep-frying have a hard form with a spatial structure for receiving food products. In order to limit the volume of the packaged hard taco shells during transport and storage, they are nested.
The American patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,336 describes a packing machine for taco shells in which taco shells are displaced at mutual intermediate distances over a conveyor belt. For nesting of the taco shells a stabilization member is moved toward the belt to hold a first taco shell in a stationary position while the belt continues to run. Following shells transported by the belt will run up against the stationary shell, whereby they are nested. As soon as the nest of taco shells contains sufficient shells, the stabilization member will be moved in order to release the nest of taco shells. This very simple nesting device has the significant drawback that the positions of the individual taco shells in the nest to be formed as well as the final form of the nest are not precisely controllable.
The present invention has for its object to provide an improved device for nesting taco shells, whereby the positions of the individual taco shells in a nest and the final form of the nest are controllable.
The invention provides for this purpose a device for nesting taco shells wherein, by urging a following taco shell into a fixed taco shell with a pusher the mutual position of the taco shells in a nest can be fully controlled. Irrespective of the exact shape of the taco shells, which will of course differ slightly, the end position into which a taco shell is urged in a nest is determined by the end position of the pusher.
In a preferred embodiment the control means are coupled to the pusher drive means to cause the minimum distance between the pusher and the stop to increase stepwise during successive strokes during making of a nest of taco shells. Successive taco shells can be placed one after another in the nest by varying the stroke length. The stroke length will herein decrease with each successively placed taco shell.
In another preferred embodiment the control means are coupled to stop drive means for stepwise displacement of the stop during successive strokes during making of a nest of taco shells. The stroke length of the pusher can now remain the same during placing of successive taco shells; the additional space required for the already finished part of the nest of taco shells is obtained by stepwise displacement of the stop away from the pusher. It is not therefore necessary when arranging the first taco shells in a nest to have the pusher make a comparatively long stroke. This has a time-saving effect.
The device is preferably provided with supply means for supplying taco shells for nesting which for instance lie substantially perpendicularly of the path of movement of the pusher. The nesting device can thus be rigidly coupled to a taco deep-fryer from which the taco shells are transported, with intermediate spacing, to the nesting device. When the supply means comprise a supply stop for taco shells with which supplied taco shells can be positioned in the path of movement of the pusher, the taco shells can be engaged by the pusher when they lie against the supply stop. A prerequisite here is that the taco shells are supplied at mutual intervals such that the reciprocating stroke of the pusher is at least practically completed at the moment a following taco shell lies against the supply stop.
The invention also provides a multiple nesting device with at least two single nesting devices as described above. This multiple nesting device can be provided with single supply means for sequential supply of taco shells to the individual nesting devices. When a nest of taco shells has been formed in a first nesting device, it must be removed. In order to prevent this removal of the nest resulting in capacity limitations, it is recommended to give the nesting device a multiple form so that supplied taco shells can be nested in another nesting device while a finished nest of taco shells is removed from the filled nesting device. An additional advantage is that switch-overs and/or maintenance of the multiple nesting device do not necessarily result directly in loss of capacity.
In a preferred embodiment the single nesting devices or nesting stations successively adjoin the supply means and each nesting station is provided with a separate supply stop for taco shells with which supplied taco shells can be positioned in the path of movement of the pusher of the associated nesting station, wherein at least one supply stop is displaceable between a stop position and a release position for supplied taco shells. Depending on the position of the supply stop of the first nesting station adjoining the supply means, the taco shells will run up against the stop and then be nested or, when the stop is in the release position, they will pass by the nesting station. When a determined nesting station has been filled or otherwise does not have to be used for nesting, the associated supply stop must be placed in the release position. When the supply stop is in the release position the reciprocating movement of the pusher can be halted simultaneously. The supplied taco shells will run on to the first nesting station adjoining the supply means and having a supply stop situated in the stop position.
In another preferred embodiment the nesting stations of a multiple nesting device are located in a displaceable holder which can be connected onto the supply means by displacing the individual nesting stations. It is thus possible for the nesting stations to be located radially in a holder wheel or placed parallel to a rotation axis of a holder wheel. Such a multiple nesting device has the advantage that it can take a compact form, i.e. without very elongate supply means. An additional advantage is that other operations can be carried out on a nest of taco shells, wherein only one extra processing station is required. It is possible here to envisage placing of a strengthening element in the last arranged shell of a nest of taco shells and/or arranging of a packaging round a nest of taco shells.
In a multiple nesting device with displaceable holder in which the nesting devices are situated, a single stop can co-act with the individual nesting stations. A single pusher can also co-act with the individual nesting stations. The advantage hereof is that despite the presence of a plurality of nesting stations only a single stop and a single pusher are required.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2206228 (1940-07-01), Henry
patent: 4384439 (1983-05-01), Brown
patent: 4753336 (1988-06-01), Taylor et al.
patent: 4760775 (1988-08-01), Hoskins
patent: 5002457 (1991-03-01), Dorner
patent: 5122029 (1992-06-01), DelDuca
patent: 2 095 744 (1972-02-01), None
patent: 212 564 (1967-04-01), None

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