Hanging line with smoking rod length measurement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12161129-B2
Application number	US-202318195672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2023
Priority date	May 11, 2022
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 2024

Abstract

A method for handling longitudinal smoking rods for storing sausage-shaped products, comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of the rod-like elements having a length; providing a clipping machine configured to produce the sausage-shaped products; providing a hanging line configured to load the produced sausage-shaped products on the rod-like elements and comprising a measuring position for measuring the length of the rod-like elements, and a loading position for loading the sausage-shaped products on the rod-like elements; feeding one of the rod-like elements to the measuring position of the hanging line; measuring the length of the rod-like element; determining whether the length is within a tolerance range of a desired length; loading a predetermined number of the produced sausage-shaped products on the rod-like element, if the length is within the tolerance range; and discarding the rod-like element from the hanging line, if the length is not within the tolerance range.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for handling longitudinal rod-like elements, in particular smoking rods, for storing sausage-shaped products, in particular sausages, in a system for producing and handling the sausage-shaped products, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
providing a plurality of the rod-like elements, each rod-like element having a length defined between a first end and a second end;
providing a clipping machine configured to produce the sausage-shaped products;
providing a hanging line configured to load the produced sausage-shaped products on the rod-like elements and comprising a measuring position for receiving the rod-like elements and for measuring the length of the rod-like elements, and a loading position for receiving the rod-like elements and for loading the produced sausage-shaped products (S) on the rod-like elements;
feeding one of the rod-like elements to the measuring position of the hanging line;
measuring the length of said one of the rod-like elements;
determining whether the length is within a tolerance range of a desired length;
providing said one of the rod-like elements in the loading position of the hanging line and loading a predetermined number of the produced sausage-shaped products on said one of the rod-like elements, if the length is within the tolerance range;
discarding said one of the rod-like elements from the hanging line, if the length is not within the tolerance range.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hanging line further comprises a magazine for holding available the plurality of the rod-like elements, wherein the measuring position of the hanging line is located within the magazine, and wherein the step of discarding comprises removing the one of the rod-like elements from the measuring position directly into a reject bin.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the hanging line the measuring position and the loading position are one and the same, so that the step of measuring is performed with the one of the rod-like elements placed in the loading position.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the hanging line further comprises an outfeed device, and wherein the method further comprises the step of moving the one of the rod-like elements by the outfeed device from the loading position to an output position.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of discarding comprises removing the one of the rod-like elements from the output position.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of discarding further comprises stopping the operation of the clipping machine until a next one of the rod-like elements has been placed in the loading position of the hanging line and its length has been determined to be within the tolerance range.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of discarding further comprises deferring the step of feeding the next one of the rod-like elements to the loading position of the hanging line until a user manually removes the discarded rod-like element and confirms the removal to the system.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a handling robot configured to grip and move the one of the rod-like elements, wherein
the handling robot grips the rod-like element, which is loaded with the predetermined number of the produced sausage-shaped products, and places the rod-like element in a storage frame, if the length is within the tolerance range;
wherein the step of discarding further comprises removing the discarded rod-like element and placing the same in a reject bin by the handling robot.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the storage frame comprises two support bars having a distance smaller than the desired length, and wherein the handling robot places the one of the rod-like elements on the support bars and perpendicular to the same such that both ends overlap the support bars by the same amount, if the length is within the tolerance range.

10. A system for producing sausage-shaped products, like sausages, containing a flowable filling material in a tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing and a suspension element such as a suspension loop, and for loading the produced sausage-shaped products on rod-like elements such as smoking rods, each rod-like element having a length defined between a first end and a second end; the system comprising:
a clipping machine configured to produce the sausage-shaped products;
a hanging line configured to load the produced sausage-shaped products on the rod-like elements; and
a control unit controlling the operation of the clipping machine and the hanging line;
wherein the hanging line comprises:
a first support element configured to receive the first end of one of the rod-like elements and a second support element configured to receive the second end of the one of the rod-like elements, the first and second support elements defining a measuring position; and
a third support element configured to receive the first end of the one of the rod-like elements and a fourth support element configured to receive the second end of the one of the rod-like elements, the third and fourth support elements defining a loading position for loading the produced sausage-shaped products on the rod-like elements;
a sensor device arranged at the measuring position and configured to measure the length of the one of the rod-like elements placed in the measuring position;
wherein the control unit is configured to compare the length with a desired length and to determine whether the length is within a tolerance range of the desired length, and wherein the control unit further causes the hanging line to load a predetermined number of sausage-shaped products on the one of the rod-like elements if the length is within the tolerance range, and causes discarding the one of the rod-like elements if the length is not within the tolerance range.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the hanging line further comprises a magazine for holding available a plurality of the rod-like elements, wherein the first and second support elements defining the measuring position are located within the magazine, and wherein the magazine is configured to successively feed single rod-like elements first to the measuring position and then to the loading position or to a reject bin.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first and third support elements are one and the same and the second and fourth support elements are one and the same, so that the measuring position is identical with the loading position and the sensor device is arranged at the loading position; and wherein the hanging line further comprises an outfeed device configured to move the one of the rod-like elements from the loading position to an output position.

13. The system of one of claim 10 , further comprising
a storage frame having two support bars with a distance smaller than the desired length for carrying a plurality of the rod-like elements; and
a handling robot configured to grip the one of the rod-like elements and to place it on the support bars of the storage frame or in a reject bin;
wherein the handling robot is further configured to receive the measured length of the one of the rod-like elements from the control unit and to adjust the placing position of the one of the rod-like elements on the support bars such that both ends overlap the support bars by the same amount.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein
the sensor device comprises a pushing device arranged at the third support element and having a ram configured to push against the first end in a longitudinal direction of the one of the rod-like elements, so that the second end becomes aligned w

Assignees

• Poly Clip System Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Scheding Markus
• Waldstädt Manfred

Classifications

• A22C15/007

  Racks for storing or smoking suspended meat or sausages (racks for pressing meat A22C7/0023) · CPC title

• A22C15/002 Primary

  Loops, hooks, cords for suspending single sausages; apparatus for making or conveying loops for sausages · CPC title

• A22C15/001 Primary

  Specially adapted for hanging or conveying several sausages or strips of meat · CPC title