Tamping system and method

Abstract

A method for filling a container with a food product includes: delivering a food product into a hopper; tamping, by means of a first tamping block, said food product whilst it is in the hopper; locating a container, having an upwardly facing opening, beneath the hopper; and opening the hopper such that the tamped food product falls from the hopper into the container.

1 . A method for filling a container with a food product, comprising;
 delivering a food product into a hopper;   tamping, by means of a first tamping block, said food product whilst it is in said hopper;   locating a container, having an upwardly facing opening, beneath said hopper; and   opening the hopper such that the tamped food product falls from the hopper into the container under pressure from the first tamping block.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hopper comprises a lower part comprising a door, and the step of releasing the food product from the hopper comprises opening said door such that the food product falls from the hopper into the container. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the subsequent step of lowering the first tamping block towards the container through the open door of the hopper. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of lowering the first tamping block towards the container is performed simultaneously with opening the hopper. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first tamping block is lowered a sufficient amount such that the food product is tamped, by the first tamping block, whilst the food product is in the container. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of lowering the hopper towards the container, wherein the step of lowering the hopper towards the container and the step of tamping said food product whilst it is in the hopper are performed simultaneously. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the hopper is lowered towards the container such that the lower part of the hopper is level with the opening of the container. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the hopper is lowered towards the container such that the lower part of the hopper is above the opening of the container. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the hopper is lowered towards the container such that the lower part of the hopper is below the opening of the container. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising tamping, by means of a second tamping block located separately to said first tamping block, the food product whilst said food product is in the container;
 lowering a shroud towards the container such that a lower part of the shroud is located below the opening of the container; and   removing said second tamping block from the container whilst the shroud is still in the lowered position.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of delivering the food product into a hopper is performed at a first position, and the step of tamping the food product whilst it is in said hopper is performed at a second position, and wherein the first and second positions are spaced apart. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the hopper is moveable between the first and second positions. 
     
     
         13 . A tamping system for filling a container with a food product; the tamping system comprising;
 a hopper for holding a food product;   a first tamping block operable to tamp said food product in a first tamping process, whilst the food product is in the hopper; and wherein   the hopper comprises a closable opening operable to release the food product from the hopper such that the food product falls from the hopper into a container having an upwardly facing opening under pressure from the first tamping block.   
     
     
         14 . The tamping system of  claim 13 , further comprising control apparatus adapted to actuate the first tamping block in the first tamping process, and to open the closable opening; the control apparatus further adapted to actuate the first tamping block before opening the closable opening. 
     
     
         15 . The tamping system of  claim 13 , wherein the closable opening comprises a door situated in a lower part of said hopper, the door operable to open such that food product falls from the hopper into the container. 
     
     
         16 . The tamping system of  claim 15 , further comprising a first lowering apparatus adapted to lower the first tamping block towards the container through the open door of the hopper. 
     
     
         17 . The tamping system of  claim 16 , wherein the first lowering apparatus is operable to lower the first tamping block a sufficient amount such that the food product is tamped in a second tamping process, by the first tamping block, whilst the food product is in the container. 
     
     
         18 . The tamping system of  claim 13 , further comprising a second lowering apparatus adapted to lower the hopper towards the container. 
     
     
         19 . The tamping system of  claim 16 , wherein the control apparatus is operable to simultaneously open the closable opening and activate the first lowering apparatus. 
     
     
         20 . The tamping system of  claim 18 , wherein the control apparatus is adapted to actuate the first tamping block in the first tamping process, and the second lowering apparatus, simultaneously. 
     
     
         21 . The tamping system of  claim 13 , wherein the first tamping block has a tamping surface in a plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of motion of the tamping block when it is being lowered, said surface having an area substantially identical to the inner cross sectional area of the hopper. 
     
     
         22 . The tamping system of  claim 18 , wherein the second lowering apparatus is operable to lower the hopper such that the lower part of the hopper is level with the opening of the container. 
     
     
         23 . The tamping system of  claim 18 , wherein the second lowering apparatus is operable to lower the hopper such that the lower part of the hopper is above the opening of the container. 
     
     
         24 . The tamping system of  claim 18 , wherein the second lowering apparatus is operable to lower the hopper such that the lower part of the hopper is below the opening of the container. 
     
     
         25 . The tamping system of  claim 13 , further comprising a food dispenser adapted to dispense food product into the hopper. 
     
     
         26 . The tamping system of  claim 25 , wherein the food dispenser is located at a first position and the first tamping block is located at a second position, and wherein the first and second positions are spaced apart. 
     
     
         27 . The tamping system of  claim 26 , wherein the hopper is moveable between the first and second positions. 
     
     
         28 . The tamping system of  claim 25 , wherein the closable opening comprises a door situated in a lower part of said hopper, the door operable to open such that food product falls from the hopper into the container, wherein the hopper has a trapezoidal shape with the lower part of the hopper and an upper part of the hopper being parallel; and further wherein the tamping block and food dispenser are aligned with an upper opening of the hopper. 
     
     
         29 . The tamping system of  claim 13 , further comprising a second tamping block located separately to the first tamping block and operable to tamp the food product whilst it is in the container, in a third tamping process;
 the tamping system further comprising a shroud operable to be lowered towards the container by a third lowering apparatus, the shroud being lowered such that a lower part of the shroud is located below the opening of the container, and wherein the second tamping block is removed from the container whilst the shroud is still in the lowered position.   
     
     
         30 . A method for filling a plurality of containers with food product, the method comprising the steps of;
 (a) delivering, at a first position, food product into a hopper;   (b) moving the hopper to a second position spaced from the first position; and either:   (c) tamping, by means of a first tamping block, said food product whilst it is in said hopper at the second position;   (d) locating a container, having an upwardly facing opening, beneath said hopper at the second position;   (e) opening the hopper such that the food product falls from the hopper into the container under pressure from the first tamping block;   (f) removing the container from beneath the hopper at the second position; and   (g) moving the hopper back to the first position;   and repeating steps (a) to (g); or:   (c1) locating a container, having an upwardly facing opening, beneath said hopper at the second position;   (d1) opening the hopper such that the food product falls from the hopper into the container;   (e1) tamping, by means of a tamping block in a first tamping process, the food product in the container at the second position;   (f1) removing the container from beneath the hopper at the second position; and   (g1) moving the hopper back to the first position;   and repeating the steps (a) to (g1).   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the container is located beneath the hopper at the second position not earlier than the hopper is moved to the second position. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the plurality of containers are located on a moveable conveyor and spaced at a fixed pitch. 
     
     
         33 . A tamping system for filling a plurality of containers with food product, the tamping system comprising;
 a hopper for holding a food product and comprising a closable opening;   a food dispenser located at a first position operable in use to dispense food into the hopper at the first position;   hopper transport apparatus operable in use to transport the hopper between the first position and a second position spaced from said first position;   container transport apparatus operable in use to transport a container;   a tamping block located at the second position; and   control apparatus operable to:   (a) actuate the food dispenser to deliver a food product into the hopper at the first position;   (b) actuate the hopper transport apparatus to move the hopper containing the food product to the second position; and either:   (c) lower the tamping block so as to tamp the food product whilst it is in said hopper at the second position;   (d) actuate the container transport apparatus to locate a container, having an upwardly facing opening, beneath the hopper at the second position;   (e) open the closable opening to release the food product from the hopper into the container under pressure from the first tamping block;   (f) actuate the container transport apparatus to remove the container from beneath the hopper at the second position; and   (g) actuate the hopper transport apparatus to move the hopper back to the first position;   and wherein the control apparatus is further adapted to repeat the steps (a) to (g); or:   (c1) actuate the container transport apparatus to locate a container, having an upwardly facing opening, beneath the hopper at the second position;   (d1) open the closable opening to release the food product from the hopper into the container, and to lower the tamping block into the container to tamp the food product in the container;   (e1) actuate the container transport apparatus to remove the container from beneath the hopper at the second position; and   (f1) actuate the hopper transport apparatus to move the hopper back to the first position;   and wherein the control apparatus is further adapted to repeat the steps (a) to (f1).   
     
     
         34 . The tamping system of  claim 33 , wherein the control apparatus is further adapted to control the container transport apparatus and the hopper transport apparatus such that the container is located beneath the hopper at the second position not earlier than the hopper is moved to the second position. 
     
     
         35 . The tamping system of  claim 33 , wherein the container transport apparatus is a movable conveyor on which the containers are located and spaced apart at a fixed pitch.