William J Mezera

US Patent:

51370620, Aug 11, 1992

Filed:

Feb 8, 1991

Appl. No.:

7/652720

Inventors:

David F. Kuethe - Madison WI
William J. Mezera - Madison WI

Assignee:

Oscar Mayer Foods Corporation - Madison WI

International Classification:

B30B 1506
B30B 1516

US Classification:

141 71

Abstract:

An auto-tamping funnel system for tamping a product in a container includes a downwardly converging funnel having a bottom outlet disposed adjacent an open top of the tray and a side recess or cutout near the bottom outlet. A door is sized to fit closely in the bottom outlet and in the side recess and a mounting mechanism mounts the door for movement such as rotation between a tamping position where the bottom outlet is closed by the door and a receiving position where the side recess is substantially closed by the door and the bottom outlet is unobstructed. A moving mechanism moves the door between the tamping and the receiving positions. Preferably, the mounting mechanism includes a pivot axis for the door which is adjacent the bottom outlet and the bottom outlet and the recess of the funnel are rectangularly shaped. A pressure distributing mechanism also provides a maximum tamping pressure against the product, when the door is in the tamping position, at a location which is spaced from the pivot axis. Advantageously, a second funnel with an associated second door, a second mounting mechanism and a second moving mechanism is located adjacent the first-mentioned funnel.