EP1552912B1 - Slicing machine for slicing food loaves - Google Patents

Abstract

Machine (1) for slicing food, especially sausage, meat or cheese, comprises a knife (4) or a knife housing (40) that is moved relative to a product support surface (3). A device (5) moves the knife out of the cutting plane away from the food. Preferred Features: The device is a reversing device that moves the knife between two force-loaded end positions.

Description

The invention relates to a slicing machine for slicing food, in particular sausage, meat or cheese bars, wherein the food rests on a product support and a cutting knife at the front end of the food product slices separated, wherein the cutting blade during the separation of the food slice in a cutting plane and a device is provided which causes the distance between the cutting blade and the front end of the food is variable.

An aforementioned slicing machine is for example in the European Patent Application 289,765 , of the DE 154952 , of the US 4,934,232 , of the DE 4214264 A1 , of the DE 4113435 A1 , of the DE 3714810 , of the US 5,241,887 as well as the US 883,550 described. In the above slicing machines are with relatively high cycle numbers (600 - 800 cuts per minute) separated from a food bar slices. The industrially produced food bars, for example, rest on a product support and are transported step by step by the latter, for example, against the cutting blade. For an increase in performance, that is, for a higher clock frequency, there is a need to provide idle cuts, that is, movements of the cutting blade, in which no food slice is separated from the bar. If you do not provide such gaps, there is a risk that the sliced Good accident on the conveyor belt connected afterwards, for example, the sliced portion falls over or an unwanted arrangement of food slices takes place.

To produce the blank cut, the aforementioned European patent application proposes that the product support with the food be brought out of the effective range of the knife by a retraction stroke directed away from the cutting plane. As a cutting plane in this case the plane is considered in which the knife edge is located during the separation of the food disc.

Now it should be noted that the sliced food bars reach considerable dimensions. The bars can have a length of up to 160 cm and a weight of 50 kilos and more. The consistency of the sliced product ranges from relatively firm to elastically deformable according to the processing temperature. Due to the high clock frequencies, there is only a relatively short time within which the product is to be withdrawn from the effective range of the cutting blade. This results in relatively large accelerations, associated with high forces that must be stamped on the product support or the food bar resting thereon in order to withdraw this. If it is not possible to sufficiently retract the food bar within the time frame provided, it is unavoidable that the cutting knife cuts off an incomplete slice, generates slice chips, or otherwise performs unwanted cutting movements. This regularly leads to a debris portion and additional contamination of the cutting blade, since the semi-separated discs may not drop as intended by the cutting blade on the product support.

The food resting on the product support is in principle a vibrating system. The inclination to absorb vibrations is further increased by the variability of the consistency of the food. For a short time relatively high forces are to be impressed on this vibration system in order to bring it out of the effective range of the blade, in order to allow the passage of the idle cuts. These impressed vibrations may produce an undesirable length deformation of the food bar, which can cause the return movement is not sufficient to avoid the unwanted chips formation.

The invention has set itself the task of improving the aforementioned slicing machine to the effect that even with high cutting performance of the slicing machine, the risk of chips formation is reliably avoided.

To achieve this object, the invention is based on a slicing machine, as described above, and suggests that the cutting blade relative to the product support or the cutting plane is movable and the device causes a movement of the cutting blade from the cutting plane, away from the food.

By the proposal according to the invention it is achieved that the food no rapid retraction movement must be impressed, which is contrary to a normal conveying movement of the food and would also lead to the unwanted vibrations in the food. The inventive design is also independent of the other operating parameters (cooled or frozen or softer, processed at room temperature food) consistently good results obtained in the slicing of food bars.

The proposal according to the invention provides that the cutting blade is designed to be movable relative to the product support or cutting plane. It is thus provided that only the cutting blade, which is indeed responsible for the separation of the discs, is moved through the device.

In another variant of the embodiment according to the invention it is provided that the cutting blade is mounted longitudinally movable relative to the product support.

According to the invention, it is also proposed that the device has a linear drive. The linear drive acts, for example, on the longitudinally movable mounted cutting blade and moves it if necessary.

It is advantageous that the device is connected to the machine control and receives the corresponding information from the controller. The drive can in this case be configured as a hydraulically or pneumatically actuable working cylinder or be configured with a corresponding electric or electromagnetic drive.

In a variant of the invention it is provided that the device comprises means by which the movement of the cutting blade is at least temporarily derived from the movement of the cutting blade. It is envisaged, for example, to switch on a spacer in the planetary gear or the drive of the cutting blade if necessary, which causes the cutting blade to occupy a certain distance from the food to be sliced.

The invention also provides that it is beneficial if the device moves the knife shaft. For example, the blade shaft can be telescoped in a certain range and the telescoping capability can be exploited for an offset of the blade. Likewise, the device on the blade shaft attack and cause an offset of the entire blade shaft, for example, against a restoring spring force.

It is envisaged that the cutting blade is formed as a rotationally symmetrical cutter disc. For the release of the food, it is advantageous if the cutting blade, for example, rotates like a planet. Alternatively, however, can also be provided to form the cutting blade as a spiral knife. The spiral knife has a blade located on its outer surfaces and provides the advantage that the food to be cut is released periodically without movement of the cutting blade. The release is necessary to bring the food to be sliced into the effective range of the knife. Due to the configuration of the knife edge with a spiral or screw curve, the effective range or area of action (active time) of the knife in the food can be defined.

In addition to the design of the cutting blade as a spiral knife, but it is also possible to provide a sickle blade, so a knife with "internal cutting", which also releases the cutting material periodically with stationary rotation axis of the knife. Especially the configuration of the cutting blade as a spiral knife or as a sickle knife has the advantage that without moving the axis of rotation of the knife, the food is released periodically. As a result, the relatively complex planetary gear can be saved.

It is favorable that the device is designed as a switching device, which causes an axial displacement of the blade between two force-loaded end positions. A force applied to the end positions is favorable that exact defined end positions exist and no uncontrolled axial movement of the knife occur, which would possibly lead to the unwanted Schnitzelbildungen.

In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the switching device essentially follow the blade shaft or the knife hub and provide at least one switching cam which can be switched by at least one controllable switching element between the end positions. By this proposal according to the invention it is achieved that with relatively little force of the switching element to be controlled, the switching device is switched to the fast rotating knife. The rotational energy of the knife is used selectively to move the knife axially. It should be noted that the switching element is switchable without load or loading and thus low switching forces as they can be derived, for example, by an electromagnet used.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if the switching device or device in the active time of the cutting blade is vorschaltbar by a switching element and switches during the passive time of the cutting blade between the end positions. This is just for example in the embodiment of the invention with the switching cam advantageous because the switching cam periodically rotates with the knife and only the switching element must be switched to operate the switching cam in a timely manner. As the active time of the knife here the time proportion of the periodic cutting movement is considered, within which the cutting blade either penetrates into the food, or, as in the blank cut, does not enter the food but is in the same angular segment. The passive time is considered to be the remaining time within which the cutting knife completely releases the food for advancing the food.

The inventive development, it is possible to make the Vorschaltvorgang, ie the positioning of the switching element for the interaction with the switching cam in the relatively long active time, which is why relatively smaller accelerations sufficient and the necessary forces and the resulting vibrations are lower. In the passive time of the cutting blade, the actual switching operation is then carried out, namely causes an axial offset of the blade. It is possible by the choice of the configuration of the knife, in particular the spiral or sickle blade to control the proportion of active and passive time accordingly. Also, due to the knife position on the hub in relation to the switching cams a fixed mechanical positive guidance can be realized and so the entire slicing machine are relieved of complex control problems. The system is also independent of the selected rotation speed.

Fig. 1

in einer Seitenansicht eine erste Ausgestaltung der Aufschneidemaschine;

Fig. 2

ebenfalls in einer Seitenansicht eine weitere Ausgestaltung der Aufschneidemaschine;

Fig. 3

in einer Frontansicht einen Ausschnitt der erfindungsgemäßen Aufschneidemaschine, insbesondere das Schneidmesser im Zusammenwirken mit dem Lebensmittel;

Fig. 4

in einem Detail die Umschaltvorrichtung bzw. die Vorrichtung der erfindungsgemäßen Aufschneidemaschine, in einer Ansicht;

Fig. 5

eine geschnitte Seitenansicht gemäß Figur 4, der erfindungsgemäßen Aufschneidemaschine.

In the drawing, the invention is shown schematically. Show it:

Fig. 1

in a side view, a first embodiment of the slicing machine;

Fig. 2

likewise in a side view a further embodiment of the slicing machine;

Fig. 3

in a front view of a section of the slicing machine according to the invention, in particular the cutting blade in cooperation with the food;

Fig. 4

in a detail, the switching device or the device of the slicing machine according to the invention, in a view;

Fig. 5

a cut side view according to FIG. 4 , the slicing machine according to the invention.

The Aufscheidemaschine 1 consists of a Produktzuführ- and Aufschneidelement 12, which rests supported by the frame 11 on a substructure 10. The element 12 is in this case arranged inclined in order to take advantage of the slope-down force in the conveyance of the food 2 by the conveying device 30. The angular adjustment of the element 12 is formed variable in variants of the slicing machine.

The food 2, which is for example a sausage, meat or cheese seal, rests on the product support 3. The product support 3 is in this case for example a roller conveyor or a conveyor belt and allows the smoothest possible transporting of the food 2.

The food 2 is thereby conveyed by a conveyor 30 against the cutting blade 4. The conveying device 30 is formed, for example, by a spindle drive 32 on which a coupling element 31 is guided in the manner of a carriage. By the rotation of the spindle 32, the carriage-like coupling element 31 moves. The coupling element 31 is configured, for example, like a clip and grips the rear end of the foodstuff 2. By the coupling element 31, the conveying movement, which is impressed on the coupling element 31 by the spindle drive 32, transferred to the food 2. For the design of the conveyor device 3 but also many other configurations are known and can be used.

The cutting blade 4 is located in a cutting blade housing 40. The cutting blade 4 has a not shown cutting blade drive, which puts the cutting blade 4 in rotation 41. The cutting blade 4 is arranged, for example, on a planetary gear and thus performs in addition to the rotation about its axis of rotation and a rotation of the axis of rotation about the axis of the planetary gear. This results in that the cutting blade 4 rotates periodically and, for example, from the top of the food 2 approaching penetrates into this and a food slice (not shown) separates, which can then fall down on a likewise not shown conveyor belt. Due to the planetary orbital movement of the cutting blade 4, the front end 20 of the food 2 is released regularly and the conveyor 30 promotes food in this time segment 2 straight to the pane thickness forward. The release of the front end 20 of the food 2 can also be achieved in other ways. For example, it can be provided that cutting blade 4 to be arranged on a rail guide which is set so that the food 2 is reached and released in the same way. This rail guide may be arranged, for example, up or to the side.

According to the invention it is proposed that a device 5 is arranged, which causes the distance between the cutting blade 4 and the front end 20 of the food 2 is variable. In this case, the cutting blade 4 or the cutting blade housing 40 is moved away from the food 2 with respect to the product support 3 or the cutting plane 49 or the frame 11. The actual cutting plane 49 does not change as a result of this embodiment. The cutting plane 49 is defined by the movement of the cutting edge 42 during the separation of a food slice, or by the interaction of the cutting edge 42 of the cutting blade 4 and the cutting edge 33. The cutting edge 33 is located on the cutting blade 4 facing End of the product support and forms an abutment to the impressed by the cutting edge 42 in the food 2 cutting force. The cutting edge 33 is geometrically not exactly on the cutting edges 49, this would lead to a collision of the cutting edge 42 on the cutting edge 33, but is arranged on the cutting plane 49 such that the cutting blade 4 is able to pass just next to it. It is important that the cutting edge 33 relatively relatively cooperates with the cutting blade 4 and thus defines the knife cutting plane, as a divergence of these two elements inevitably leads to undesirable cutting results. An offset of a few millimeters can already lead to undesirable results, for example a "chopping" of the cold cuts.

Due to the high production capacity achieved with the slicing machines according to the invention, it is favorable that the slicing machine 1 carries out one or more idle cuts on request in order to avoid the unwanted chip formation.

In a variant of the invention but also provided that this linear drive only on the blade shaft acts and causes a displacement of the cutting blade 4, with fixed drive and fixed cutting blade housing 40. It is clear that during this movement, the knife 4 moves from the previously defined cutting plane 49 to the front, in the conveying direction 21 of the food 2, away from the food 2.

In FIG. 1 another variant of the embodiment not according to the invention is shown. The structure of the slicing machine 1 shown here corresponds essentially to the execution as for FIG. 2 , The proposal is realized here as follows. On the element 12, which is part of the slicing machine 1, an additional carrier 14 is arranged. This additional support 14 carries at its front, the knife 4 end facing a hinge 13 to which the cutting blade 4 and the cutting blade housing 40 is pivotally connected. In the substructure 10 is the pivot drive 53 of, similar to the linear drive 51, according to the embodiment according to FIG. 2 , as a pneumatic cylinder, hydraulic cylinder or electric drive is ausstaltbar. The pivoting drive 53 allows a pivoting movement 52 of the cutting blade housing 40 about the joint 13. The pivot angle is relatively small, the resulting distance between the blade 4 and the front end 20 of the food 2 is again such that a Schnitzelbildung is excluded.

In FIG. 3 is shown in a side view a variant of the invention. The cutting blade 4 is formed here as a spiral blade 43. With W, the passive angle of the cutting blade 43 is described, that is, the angle within which no cutting of the food 2 by the cutting edge 42 takes place. The passive angle W can be larger or smaller according to the position of the knife 4 relative to the food 2, in particular if, as indicated, a diameter of the food 2 is present, which is slightly smaller than the distance between the initial knife edge 42 and the Surface of the product support 3. The chosen configuration of the blade 4 as a spiral blade 43, the blade shaft must not be moved to release the food 2.

To be able to easily remove the cutting blade 4, 43 from the blade holder 44, a plurality of screw connections are provided. The product support 3 is formed in the illustrated embodiment as a roller belt 34.

In the FIGS. 4, 5 the construction of a device 5 and a switching device 54 is shown, which causes the blade 4 and the blade hub 45 between two end positions axially, along the double arrow 55 is adjustable. In the cutting blade housing 40, the blade hub 45 is rotatably supported by the bearing 46. The hub 45 is driven by the main drive motor (not shown). The knife holder 44 is axially displaceable (double arrow 55) mounted in the Mesernabe 45. This can be achieved for example via plain bearing bushes. The knife holder 44 is driven by the knife hub 45.

About the coupling rod 57, the blade holder 44 is brought axially into the respective position. This coupling rod 57 is connected to a lever system. The interaction of these elements 58, 59 causes the coupling rod 57 remains force-loaded in the respective end position and thus defines the two end positions of the blade holder 44 and the cutting blade 4.

The operation of the rocker 48 to change the position of the knife via the rod 500 which is arranged at right angles to the spring element 59 of the toggle lever system and extends radially with respect to the blade axis 47. The spring element 59 is in this case articulated with the rod 500 connected and extends on both sides of the spring element 59. The rod 500 carries at its respective ends depending on a switching cam 56 which cooperates with switching elements 6. The longitudinal mobility of the rod 500 is indicated by the arrow 501.

In FIG. 4 are the two switching cam 56, 56 'in cooperation with the switching elements 6, 6' shown. In the lower arrangement, (marked marked), the switching cam 56 is actuated by the switching element 6 such that the rod 500 is moved upward and causes a displacement of the blade 4 via the coupling rod 57 via the toggle lever system 58, 59.

For a forward and backward movement of the blade holder 44 between the two end positions is provided that a switching element 6 on the left and a switching element 6 'angeordent right of the rod 500.

The structure of the Schaltelemtes 6 consists of a rotatably mounted roller 60 on a guideway 63 longitudinally displaceable (double arrow 61) angeordent. For the longitudinal mobility of the drive 62, which is designed for example as an electromagnet 62.

In FIG. 4 It is shown how the lower switching element 6 'affects the pivot 502 movably mounted switching cam 56'. In the opposite position it is shown that the switching cam 56 is mounted under the roller 60. If then, if necessary, the position to be changed again, first the roller 60 'by the drive 62' back from the effective range of the switching cam 56 'retract to then control the other switching element 6, the roller 60 on the guide track 63 in the effective range of Shift cam 56 moves.

In FIG. 4 the passive time W is indicated as an angular segment of approximately 60 °. Good can be seen that in this Winkelsegement the switching element 6 'switches the cam 56 and so moves the knife. In addition to the use of mechanical positive guidance on the toggle and the coupling rods or rod but also wedge principles or screw movements can be used to realize an offset of the blade 44. The proposed positive guidance of the knife ensures that the knife is arranged in any case when re-cutting the next disc or when blank in the defined position. In this case, additional system elements that require a complex control by the machine control, not necessary. It is also ensured by the mechanical forced operation that the movement of the knife with respect to its axial position is independent of the speed or other parameters.

Claims (7)

1. Slicing machine for slicing food, in particular sausage, meat or cheese bars, the food resting on a product rest, and a rotationally driven cutting blade at the front end of the food cutting off food slices, the cutting blade being located in a cutting plane during the cutting-off of the food slice, and a device being provided which enables the distance between the cutting blade and the front end of the food to be varied, and the cutting blade (4) and the device (5, 54) each having a separate drive, characterized in that the cutting blade (4) is movably mounted relative to the product rest (3) and parallel to the rotation axis of the cutting blade, the device (5, 54) for carrying out one or more idle cuts producing a movement of the cutting blade from the cutting plane, away from the food, and the device having a driven blade hub (45) and the cutting blade (4) being arranged on a blade receptacle (44) which is mounted in the blade hub in an axially displaceable manner.
2. Slicing machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that the cutting blade (4) is designed to orbit in a planetary manner.
3. Slicing machine according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cutting blade (4) is designed as a rotationally symmetrical cutter disc.
4. Slicing machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cutting blade (4) is designed as a spiral blade (43) or crescent blade.
5. Slicing machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (5) is activated in the time segment in which the blade (4) does not engage in the food (2).
6. Slicing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device has a linear drive.
7. Slicing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive is a working cylinder which can be acted upon hydraulically or pneumatically or an electric or electromagnetic drive.

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