Methods, systems, and associated devices for supplying support members to
a product loading station and automatically removing loaded members
therefrom include: (a) advancing in serial order and spaced apart
relationship, a plurality of elongated support members having opposing
first and second ends and an associated length, along a selected travel
path; (b) loading each of the elongated support members individually with
a respective continuous length of multiple loops or multiple discrete
lengths of elongated product at the loading station; and (c) advancing
the loaded elongated support members away from the loading station along
the selected travel path.
The loaders may be configured with winding mechanisms that wind elongated
products directly onto elongated support members, such as bars, sticks,
or rods, by causing the arm to follow a repetitive motion pattern above
and below the stick or rod to discharge the elongated product in a
winding motion onto the bar, stick, or rod so that they loop or drape
directly onto the rod, stick, bar or other desired food support is also
described.
