Tortilla destacking device

Details Tortilla destacking device Tortilla destacking device

2007-10-04

2010-06-15

Adams, Gregory W (Department: 3652)

Material or article handling

Apparatus for moving intersupporting articles into, within,...

Unstacking apparatus

C414S797700, C271S105000, C271S270000

Reexamination Certificate

active

07736121

ABSTRACT:
Disclosed herein is a destacking device for dispensing planar food products, such as tortillas, from a stack bottom. In some embodiments of the invention, the device includes a frame and a carriage assembly configured for linear reciprocation with respect to the frame. The carriage assembly has a drum that rotates in response to linear reciprocation of the carriage assembly, and a suction lip is positioned proximal a wall of the drum. A stack of tortillas can be disposed on the suction lip, and a negative pressure is applied to close the suction lip and “suck” a bottommost tortilla against the lip. A movable arm has a leading edge for cooperating with the suction lip to separate the bottommost tortilla from a next bottommost tortilla. The drum rotates the suction lip and tortilla, and the vacuum is released to allow the tortilla to fall downwardly onto an endless belt.

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