Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus for use in releasing a fragile food product which has become stuck to a support surface as a result of a prior processing operation, and for transferring the released food product from the support surface in an orderly fashion so that the food product can be further processed and the support surface returned for reuse. In a preferred embodiment, a releasing roller having flexible rubber projections thereon rotates below a tray which supports strips of an extruded meat product stuck to the tray, with the projections extending upwardly through apertures in the tray to gently contact the underside of the meat strip. A back-up roller above the tray and offset horizontally from the releasing roller restrains the trays and strips from moving upwardly, thereby cooperating with the releasing roller to free the adhered food product. The tray is then inverted onto a strip conveyor belt, the strip conveyor belt having a depressed central portion and raised side portions so that the ends of the tray are supported on the raised side portions with the released food product either falling onto the strip conveyor belt or being suspended just above the strip conveyor belt. A peeling plate is positioned at a height intermediate between the depressed and raised portions of the strip conveyor belt, and with a tapered leading edge pointing against the motion of the strip conveyor belt, to separate the trays, which are lifted upwardly over the peeling plate, from the strips of food product, which remain on the strip conveyor belt.

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First Claim