EP1651396B1 - Axially-displaceable cutter - Google Patents

Abstract

A food e.g. cheese or sausage slicing machine has a rotating cutting blade (2) that slides between slices along a plane parallel to its axis of rotation (3). The movement between slices is effected by a regulated drive system (6, 8, 9). The assembly includes a mass balance (4) that moves in the opposite direction to the blade under the guidance of the regulated drive system. The lateral movement of the blade and mass balance is independent of the blade speed of rotation.

Description

The present invention relates to a slicing device for slicing food, in particular sausage, meat or cheese bars with a rotating cutting blade, which is slidably mounted parallel to its axis of rotation.

For slicing machines, for example, from the WO 03/028963 A and the US-A-6,123,002 Nowadays discs of a food bar, for example a sausage, ham or cheese bar, are separated with relatively high cycle numbers. The foodstuffs rest on a product support and are transported step by step or continuously against the cutting knife. At very high cutting performance, there is a need to blank, ie movements of the cutting blade, where no food disc is separated from the food bar, provide. In order to produce idle cuts, it is possible, on the one hand, to realize the food by means of a return stroke directed away from the cutting plane. Furthermore, it is possible to produce a blank cut by a preferably axial displacement of the knife.

Such axial displacement of the cutting blade is taught, for example, in the patent document no. 15 49 52, wherein the axial return stroke of the knife of the slicing machine described therein is realized by a cam coupled to the drive, so that an axial displacement of the blade regardless of the speed of the Messers is not possible. Another slicing machine with an axially displaceable knife is in the DE-US 4214264 A1 taught, in the present case, the axial movement is carried out by an actuating cylinder, so that only a movement between two end points and not matched to the respective product is possible.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of providing a slicing machine which does not have the disadvantages of the prior art.

The object is achieved according to the invention by a slicing machine according to claim 1. Preferred embodiments of slicing machines according to the invention are described in the subclaims.

The present invention is a slicing machine for slicing food, especially sausage, meat or cheese bars with a rotating cutting blade, which is slidably mounted parallel to its axis of rotation, wherein it has a counterweight which is movable in opposite directions to the cutting blade.

This slicing machine according to the invention has the advantage that acceleration forces or moments, which arise during the axial displacement of the knife, are compensated. As a result, the slicing machine runs almost vibration-free, so that in particular the machine frame can be made much easier. Furthermore, the cutting blade runs much quieter, so that more precise cuts are possible. By a separate adjustment of the counterweight independent of the axial displacement of the blade, forces and / or moments can be canceled, for example, caused by wear or grinding-related Messerunwuchten. This adjustment of the knife is done after attaching the knife or during operation.

In a preferred embodiment, the displacement of the cutting blade and the counterweight is carried out by a respective regulated drive. This controlled drive has the advantage that a very accurate and very fast axial displacement of the cutting blade and the counterweight is possible. The positions of the cutting blade relative to its zero point and the counterweight are known at all times. By means of this controlled drive, the respective axial displacement, in particular with regard to travel and acceleration, can be optimally adapted to the respective application. The optimum displacement of the cutting blade is, inter alia, a function of the cutting performance of the product, in particular the product geometry as well as the temperature of the product, the knife geometry, the position of the knife to the product and / or the disk thickness. Furthermore, it is possible with the slicing machine to realize a wide variety of displacement profiles, for example, sinusoidal courses of the axial displacement. The optimum displacement of the cutting blade and the counterweight can be stored in a computer associated with the cutting machine. The slicing machine according to the invention is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and operate.

Preferably, however, the slicing machine only has a preferably controlled drive for the displacement of the cutting knife and the counterweight. This embodiment has the advantage that only one drive is necessary for both movements. With regard to the advantages of a controlled drive of the displacement, reference is made to the above.

As a cutting knife every known to the expert knife comes into question. By way of example, only the circular blade, the spiral blade and the sickle blade are mentioned here. The circular knife advantageously turns around like a planet. The knife is rotated by a drive. Preferably, this drive is regulated.

As a counterweight is any weight with which the cancellation of the acceleration forces or acceleration moments and / or the cancellation of forces or moments caused by Messerunwuchten and the like, is possible. The person skilled in the art recognizes that the mass of the counterweight does not have to correspond to the mass of the cutting blade. The same applies to the temporal acceleration course and the displacement path of the counterweight, which need not correspond to the acceleration course or the axial displacement of the blade. Furthermore, the person skilled in the art recognizes that the counterweight does not have to be symmetrical, in particular not rotationally symmetrical.

Preferably, the displacement of the blade and / or the counterweight is at least largely free of play.

Preferably, the displacement of the cutting blade and / or the counterweight is independent of the speed of the cutting blade.

In another preferred embodiment of the slicing machine according to the invention, the cutting blade has a drive shaft and the cutting blade and / or the counterweight are displaceably mounted along the drive shaft. The drive shaft preferably has a controllable drive.

Further preferably, the displacement of the cutting blade and / or the counterweight takes place with a spindle, which is particularly preferably arranged within the drive shaft. This spindle is preferably controllably drivable and preferably cooperates with the thread of at least one sleeve (nut), which is connected to the cutting blade or with the counterweight. Preferably, however, the slicing machine has two sleeves, one cooperating with the cutting knife and one with the counterweight. These sleeves preferably have different threads, wherein the threads preferably differ in their direction of travel and / or in their pitch angle. By this embodiment of the present invention, both the cutting blade and the counterweight are displaced by a drive. Preferably, the connection between the sleeves and the spindle is at least largely free of play. This can be achieved for example by a bias of the sleeves, so that they always rest on the same edge of the spindle.

Preferably, the displacement mechanism for the knife and / or for the counterweight is forced temperature controlled, preferably cooled. Most preferably, the drive of the cutting blade and / or its storage is additionally forcibly cooled. The respective temperature control can be carried out by liquids, preferably aqueous liquids or oil, and / or gas.

Furthermore, a device for slicing food with a rotating cutting blade is disclosed, which is displaceable parallel to its axis of rotation, wherein the displacement takes place with at least one means having a first and second end, which are mutually changeable in their position.

It was extremely surprising for the skilled person and it was not to be expected that such a simple means would allow the knife to move back and forth between two positions.

Preferably, the means is a coupling rod or a leaf spring.

Further preferably, the first and the second end of the means, for example, the coupling rod are rotated against each other, so that their length shortened reversibly relative to the axis of rotation.

In another preferred embodiment of the device, the means, for example a leaf spring, is bent and relaxed again.

In the following, the inventions are based on the Figures 1 - 9 explained. These explanations are merely exemplary and do not limit the general inventive concept.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the slicing machine according to the invention with a spindle.

FIG. 2 shows a further schematic diagram of the slicing machine according to the invention with a spindle.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the slicing machine according to the invention with three spindles.

FIG. 4 shows a device with a Justieranschlag in basic position.

FIG. 5 shows the device with the adjustment stop in the adjustment position.

FIG. 6 shows the contact between the adjustment stop and the knife.

FIG. 7 shows the adjustment stop, which has been returned to the normal position.

FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 show a device for the axial displacement of a knife.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the slicing machine according to the invention. The food to be sliced 1 is on a support (not shown) having a cutting bar 15 at its front end. The knife 2, with the food slices are separated from the food 1, has a cutting edge 18 which cooperates with the cutting bar 15 during the separation of the food slices. The knife 2 is by means of a hub 7 on the Drive shaft 5 axially displaceable but rotatably mounted on two bushings 19. The drive shaft 5 is in turn rotatably supported by bearings 10 on a machine frame 17. The drive shaft 5 is driven by means of the toothed belt wheel 11, which cooperates with a controlled drive (not shown), for example a servo motor. Also on the drive shaft 5, the counterweight 4 rotatably, but axially displaceably mounted on two bushings 19. Within the shaft 5 is a spindle 6, which is connected via the toothed belt wheel 12 with a controlled drive (not shown), in the present case a servo motor. On the spindle 6, the sleeves 8 and 9 are arranged, each having an internal thread 13, 14, which cooperates with the spindle 6. The thread 13 is a right-hand thread while the thread 14 is a left-hand thread. Furthermore, the threads differ in their pitch. The skilled person recognizes that the latter need not be the case. The sleeve 8 is connected to the hub 7, on which the knife 2 is arranged. The skilled artisan recognizes that the hub 7 and the sleeve 8 can also be made in one piece. The sleeve 9 is connected to the counterweight 4. Again, a one-piece design is conceivable. As a rule, the shaft 5 and the spindle 6 rotate during the slicing of food at the same speed, so that the sleeves are 8.9 in a stationary position relative to the spindle 6. If an axial displacement of the blade 2 and the counterweight 4 is desired, the speed of the spindle 6 or the drive shaft 5 is changed so that they no longer run at the same speed, so that the sleeves 8, 9 move relative to the spindle 6 , Due to the different directions of rotation of the threads 13,14 of the sleeves 8, 9, the cutting blade and the counterweight move in different directions, so that cancel forces or moments that are induced by the respective movements. In the present case, the pitch of the thread 14 of the sleeve 9 is greater than the pitch of the thread 13 of the sleeve 8, so that the counterweight 4 can be selected smaller than the mass of the cutting blade. The person skilled in the art recognizes that the counterweight 4 does not have to be rotationally symmetrical, so that imbalances of the blade can be compensated with the counterweight. The skilled person further recognizes that it may also be possible that the counterweight 4 can be moved independently of the cutting blade along the spindle. Since the present case is not a rotationally symmetric blade, the hub 7 is in its upper portion a balancing mass 16 'on which an additional balancing mass 16 is arranged in order to ensure balancing of the blade. The person skilled in the art recognizes that the balancing masses 16, 16 'are arranged on the right and left of the knife, in order to avoid tumbling of the knife. The skilled person also recognizes that the balancing masses 16, 16 'need not be arranged directly on the knife. For example, it is advantageous if the blade 2 is moved axially without the balancing masses 16, 16 '.

Since the exemplary slicing machine has controlled drives, this can be used to set the zero point of the cutting blade. For this purpose, the knife 2 is initially spaced apart from the cutting bar 15 arranged in a rotational movement and slowly moved in the direction of the cutting bar 15. In this case, for example, the torque is measured, which is required to drive the cutting blade 2 constant. As soon as this torque increases, d. H. the cutting blade is in engagement with the cutting bar 15, the axial movement of the blade is stopped and optionally reversed incrementally. The setting thus found is the new zero point. This embodiment has the advantage that the cutting bar does not have to be moved relative to the knife as in the prior art and that the zero point finding can be done automatically in the slicing machine according to the invention and can be repeated during the slicing process. The zero point is stored by the slicing machine according to the invention in a control unit associated with the machine and can be used to adjust the cutting gap.

Furthermore, the controlled drive can be used to adjust or readjust the gap width. The skilled artisan will recognize that the cutting blade 2 is bowl-shaped. During operation of the cutting blade 2, this expands, for example, by thermal effects and / or centrifugal forces. The degree of expansion is thus, inter alia, a function of the rotational speed of the cutting blade and the expert either known or can be measured. In particular, in a slicing machine in which the speed of the cutting blade is not constant but also after the cold start, the expansion by a relative movement between the spindle and the drive shaft be balanced so that can be cut with the slicing machine according to the invention during the entire cutting process with a constant cutting gap and thus food slices with a very constant thickness can be achieved. By automatic adjustment or adjustment of the cutting gap can be cut with much smaller cutting gaps than in the prior art, which has a positive effect on the cutting quality. The drive 5, 7 of the blade 2 and / or the adjusting mechanism 6, 8, 9 of the blade 2 and / or the counterweight 4 are temperature-controlled in the present slicing machine, preferably cooled.

FIG. 2 shows a further schematic diagram of the slicing machine according to the invention with a spindle 6. The slicing machine substantially corresponds to the slicing machine according to FIG. 1 , so that the statements made there apply analogously. In the present case, however, the slicing machine has a spring 20, which cooperates with the sleeves 8, 9 and biases them so that their threads 13, 14 cooperate in each case only with one flank of the thread of the spindle. As a result, the play between the sleeves 13, 14 and the spindle 6 is at least largely reduced. Furthermore, in the present case, the hub 7 is not mounted on bushes but on lamellae 21. The lamellae deform during the axial displacement of the hub 7. The lamellae can simultaneously assume the function of an axial spring for backlash-free bias of the sleeve 8. In addition to the lamellae with circumferential beads, slotted louvers can also be used. The storage with slats has the advantage that no friction and thus no heat and no wear occurs. In addition, details of the temperature, preferably cooling can be found in the present illustration. The tempering medium, in the present case water, is fed via the channels 22 of the slicing machine and then passed into the area in which the storage of the blade and the displacement of the blade 2 and the counterweight 4 takes place. After these areas have been tempered, the tempering is led out via the channels 23 from the slicing head.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the slicing machine according to the invention with three spindles. In the present case, the knife is attached to a knife holder 24 arranged, which is axially displaceable. The knife holder 24 has a balancing mass. In principle, the axial displacement of the knife holder takes place as in FIG. 1 shown, except that in the present case, the axial displacement is done not by one but by at least 3 spindles, which cooperates with two sleeves, the spindles are arranged rotationally fixed and the sleeves 8, 9 (only one shown) driven by the gear 25 becomes. A sleeve has a right-hand and a left-hand thread. During operation, the driven by the drive shaft 5 rotor 26 and the gear 25 rotate at the same speed and in the same direction. For axial adjustment of the knife holder 24 and the counterweight 4, the speed of the gear 25 or the rotor is changed so that the spindle and thus the knife holder 24 and the counterweight 4 moves in the desired direction. The person skilled in the art recognizes that the spindle 6 can also be driven in rotation and the sleeve 8, 9 can be rotationally fixed. Furthermore, the person skilled in the art recognizes that each spindle 6 or sleeve 8, 9 can be driven individually. Also in the present case, the displacement mechanism is tempered. For this purpose, a tempering medium, preferably water, is passed through the channel 22 and an axial bore in each spindle and then discharged through the channel 23 again.

In FIG. 4 a device for slicing food bars is shown. The food bars (not shown) are transported with the conveyor belt 32 in the direction of a knife 27, which cuts the food bar into food slices. The knife 27 is rotatably connected to a shaft 30 which is driven in rotation by a motor (not shown). The knife 27 is mounted on the shaft 30 axially displaceable. The skilled person understands that the shaft itself can be mounted axially displaceable. Between the cutting plane 26 of the knife 27 and the cutting bar 28, with which the knife cooperates during cutting, there is a cutting gap 29, which is adjustable, and which should be as small as possible for an optimum cutting result. However, the knife must not touch the cutter bar 28 when cutting. To set the cutting gap, the device according to the invention has an adjusting stop 31, which in the present representation is in its basic position, ie that it is relatively far removed from the knife. The adjustment stop 31 can, as by the double arrow shown, moved axially. This axial displacement can be done manually, but preferably it is done by adjusting drive, which in turn is connected to a central control unit, so that for example on the display of the machine a certain position of the Justieranschlages and thus a certain width of the cutting gap can be preselected. The axial displacement of the Justieranschlages in the direction of the knife is limited in the present case by the nuts 41. 4 FIG. 5 shows the device for slicing food according to FIG. 4 , In this figure, the adjustment stop is in its adjustment position; ie it has been moved by the actuator or manually to the left towards the knife.

After the adjustment stop has been moved to the left, the knife becomes as in FIG. 6 shown, moved axially to the right until it touches the adjustment stop. The axial displacement of the blade takes place in the present case by a motor. The touch of the knife and the adjusting stop can be detected, for example, by a touch sensor located in the adjusting stop or by the current drawn by the motor which axially displaces the knife. Once the knife has touched the Justieranschlag, the cutting gap 29 has the desired width and the Justieranschlag can, as in FIG. 7 be restored to its basic position.

The adjustment of the adjustment gap can be done before cutting a new food bar and / or after a knife change. With the device, it is possible to set the cutting gap at a standstill or even with a rotating knife. The setting with a rotating knife has the advantage that changes in the cutting plane, for example by centrifugal forces or thermal influences can be compensated.

In FIG. 8 Another cutting machine is shown. With slicing machines, slices of a food bar, for example a sausage, ham or cheese bar, are separated today with relatively high cycle numbers. The food is here on a product edition on and are transported by this gradually or continuously against the cutting blade. At very high cutting performance, there is a need to blank, ie movements of the cutting blade, where no food disc is separated from the food bar, provide. Such idle cuts are generated for example by a preferably axial displacement of the knife. In particular, the axial displacement of the blade is in FIG. 8 shown. The device shown there has a rotating knife 2, which cooperates with a cutting bar 28. The knife 27 is rotatably mounted on the left end of the shaft 30. The shaft 30 has at its right end a means 40 which is connected directly or indirectly to a motor which drives the shaft 30. Furthermore, the device according to the invention coupling rods 33 which are connected by means of ball joints at its two ends 34, 35 with receiving rings 36, 37. The receiving ring 36 is rotatably, but axially displaceably mounted on the shaft 30. The receiving ring 37 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 30 and is driven by the means 39 which is directly or indirectly connected to a motor. In the illustrated example, means 39 and 40 are synchronously controlled. Since the coupling rods 33 are in a vertical position, the distance between the knife 27 and the cutting bar 28 in the present figure is greatest possible. In this position of the knife, gaps are created.

In FIG. 9 a state is shown after the coupling rods 33 have been twisted. Due to the fact that the axial length has been reversibly shortened relative to the axis of rotation by the rotation, the receiving ring 36 and thus the knife 27 are retracted axially in the direction of the cutting bar 28. The distance between the cutting plane and the knife now corresponds to the desired cutting gap and food slices are separated from the food bar.

The rotation of the coupling rods is effected by a short-term change in the speed of the means 39 compared to the speed of the means 40, wherein the speed change must be such that either the speed of the means 39 slows down compared to the speed of the means 40 or that the speed of the By means of 40 compared to the speed of the means 39 is increased. After Completion of the rotation turn the two means 39, 40 again at the same speed. A greater distance between the knife 27 and the cutting bar 28 can be achieved again by bringing the coupling rods 33 into a vertical position. This is done either by the fact that the speed of the means 39 accelerated for a short time and / or that the speed of the means 40 is slowed down for a short time.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Food

2

cutting blade

3

axis of rotation

4

counterweight

5

drive shaft

6

spindle

7

hub

8, 9

Sleeve with internal thread

10

Support the drive shaft

11

gear

12

gear

13

thread

14

thread

15

cutting bar

16

counterbalancing

16 '

counterbalancing

17

machine frame

18

cutting edge

19

sockets

20

feather

21

slats

22

Cooling (inlet)

23

Cooling (drain)

24

knife holder

25

gear

26

cutting plane

27

knife

28

cutting edge

29

cutting gap

30

drive shaft

31

adjusting

32

conveyor belt

33

displacement means

34

First end of the displacement means 33

35

Second end of the displacement means 33

36, 37

receiving ring

38

ball-bearing

39

Drive of the recording ring

40

Drive the drive shaft. 5

41

mother

42

double arrow

Claims (9)

1. Slicing machine for slicing foodstuffs (1), in particular slabs of sausage, meat or cheese, having a rotating cutting blade (2) which is mounted such that it can be moved parallel to its rotational axis (3), characterized in that the machine has a counterweight (4) which can be moved in the opposite direction to the cutting blade (2).
2. Slicing machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that the cutting blade (2) and/or the counterweight (4) is/are moved by preferably a regulatable drive (6, 8, 9).
3. Slicing machine according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cutting blade (2) and/or the counterweight (4) is/are moved independently of the rotational speed of the cutting blade.
4. Slicing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cutting blade has a drive shaft (5), and in that the cutting blade (2) and/or the counterweight (4) is/are mounted such that it/they can be moved along the drive shaft (5).
5. Slicing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cutting blade (2) and/or the counterweight (4) is/are moved using at least one spindle (6).
6. Slicing machine according to Claim 5, characterized in that the spindle (6) interacts with the thread (13, 14) of at least one sleeve (8, 9) which is connected to the cutting blade or to the counterweight.
7. Slicing machine according to Claim 6, characterized in that the threads (13, 14) of the sleeves (8, 9) are different.
8. Slicing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mechanism (6, 8, 9) for moving the blade (2) and/or the counterweight (4) is temperature-controlled, preferably cooled.
9. Slicing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the blade (2) and/or the blade holder (7) is mounted by a means which can be flexed and released again, preferably a lamella.

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