Solid material comminution or disintegration – Apparatus – Comminuting surface provided with openings to permit...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-23
2003-03-25
Rosenbaum, Mark (Department: 3725)
Solid material comminution or disintegration
Apparatus
Comminuting surface provided with openings to permit...
C241S095000, C241S101010, C029S426100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06536691
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for and a method of shredding a product, and, in particular, to such an apparatus and method in which the product is shredded as it is moves around the inner periphery of a vertically-oriented housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the production of food products such as cheese, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, processed meats, and the like, it is often desired to cut the product into slices, strips, shreds, dices, or other forms. In the cheese industry especially, customers demand a wide variety of cuts. For example, some customers want slices, others want strips or shreds, while still others prefer dices. To serve a full range of customers, cheese producers must have the ability to meet these varying demands. One commercial machine designed for this purpose is described below with reference to
FIGS. 1-3
.
In
FIG. 1
, a known commercial machine, referred to as a “prior art vertical feed machine,” or “PAVFM” for short, is designated generally by reference numeral
100
. The PAVFM includes a frame
102
, on which a stationary, generally cylindrical, vertically-oriented slicing case
104
is mounted. By “vertically-oriented” it is meant that the slicing case
104
is oriented such that its cylindrical axis is substantially horizontal. As seen in
FIG. 2
, the slicing case
104
has an open front face, a rear wall
106
, and a sidewall
108
with a substantially smooth inner surface. A feed hopper
110
, shown in
FIG. 1
, is aligned with the open front face of the slicing case
104
for delivering a product to be cut to the slicing case interior. The slicing case
104
has an internal diameter of approximately 12″ and a depth (i.e., the width of the sidewall
108
) of approximately 4¼″. As shown in
FIG. 2
, knife holder
118
and a knife clamp
120
secure a straight-edge slicing knife
116
within the slicing case
104
. The slicing case sidewall
108
includes an opening
112
, and a portion of the sidewall
108
adjacent to the opening
112
and across from the slicing knife
116
forms an adjustable case gate
114
. By turning an adjustment knob
122
of a slice adjustment assembly
124
, the case gate
114
can be moved radially inward and outward to vary the width of the opening
112
. Changing the width of the opening
112
varies slice thickness.
An impeller
126
is mounted within the slicing case
104
for rotation in a counterclockwise direction, indicated by arrow A in
FIG. 3
, about a substantially horizontal axis. The impeller
126
is bolted to a drive shaft
128
that extends through a central opening (not shown) in the rear wall
106
of the slicing case
104
. As shown in
FIG. 2
, the impeller
126
comprises a disc-shaped base plate
128
, a flat, ring-shaped plate
130
, and four circumferentially-spaced paddles
132
that are fitted between the disc-shaped base plate
128
and the ring-shaped plate
130
.
An auxiliary cutting assembly
134
, shown in
FIG. 3
, is provided beneath the opening
112
in the slicing case
104
. The auxiliary cutting assembly
134
includes a feed drum
136
, a feed spindle
138
, circular knives
140
, shear plates
142
, and crosscut knives
144
. The feed drum
136
is mounted for rotation in a counterclockwise direction, indicated by arrow B, beneath a chute
146
leading from the opening
112
in the slicing case
104
. The feed spindle
138
is mounted opposite the feed drum
136
for rotation in a clockwise direction, indicated by arrow C. After slices
170
are cut by the slicing knife
116
and discharged through the opening
112
, the feed drum
136
and the feed spindle
138
together convey the slices
170
to the circular knives
140
, which further cut the slices
170
into strips
180
. The circular knives
140
rotate in a clockwise direction, indicated by arrow D. Shear plates
142
are interposed between the circular knives
140
for holding the strips
180
as they are cut into dices
190
by the crosscut knives
144
, which rotate in a counterclockwise direction, indicated by arrow E. A discharge chute
148
directs the dices
190
to a conveyor (not shown) or the like.
The PAVFM typically is equipped with either a 5 or 7½ horsepower motor
150
, shown in
FIG. 1
, for simultaneously driving rotation of both the impeller
126
and the moving parts of the auxiliary cutting assembly
134
. However, the PAVFM can be modified by providing separate motors for independently driving the impeller
126
and the auxiliary cutting assembly
134
. For example, a 15 horsepower motor can be used to drive the impeller
126
, and a 10 horsepower motor can be used to drive the auxiliary cutting assembly
134
. This particular two-motor configuration is referred to herein as a “modified PAVFM.” Unless the context indicates otherwise, use of the term “PAVFM” hereafter encompasses both unmodified and modified PAVFMs.
The operation of the PAVFM next will be described primarily with reference to FIG.
3
. Blocks of cheese
160
, for example, are fed through the feed hopper
110
to the interior of the slicing case
104
, where they are collected by the impeller paddles
132
for movement therewith around the inner periphery of the slicing case
104
. Centrifugal force ensures that one face of each of the cheese blocks
160
remains in sliding contact with the inner periphery of the slicing case
104
throughout the entire revolution of the impeller
126
. That face is referred to herein as the “outer face.” As a cheese block
160
approaches the slicing knife
116
, the case gate
114
allows the block
160
to move radially outward a preselected distance before the leading edge of the block
160
contacts the cutting edge of the slicing knife
116
. A slice
170
is cut from the outer face of the cheese block
160
as the impeller paddle
132
pushes it past the slicing knife
116
. The slice
170
slides down the chute
146
and onto the revolving feed drum
136
, which, together with the feed spindle
138
, conveys the slice
170
to the circular knives
140
. The circular knives
140
then cut the slice
170
into strips
180
, after which the rotating crosscut knives
144
further cut the strips
180
into dices
190
.
In the mode of operation described above, the PAVFM produces a diced final product. The PAVFM can be adapted to produce strips or shreds by removing the crosscut knives
144
, or it can be adapted to produce slices by removing the entire auxiliary cutting assembly
134
. The PAVFM is capable of making products having a thickness between {fraction (1/16)}″ and ⅜″, a width between ⅛″ and 1″, and a length between {fraction (1/16)}″ and 3″. The size of the final product can be varied by adjusting the slice thickness, changing the spacing between circular knives
140
, and/or changing the spacing between crosscut knives
144
.
Tables 1-3 list production rate data for three different cuts of cheese typically made with the PAVFM—a standard shred, a standard dice, and a long thin shred. For each type of cut, the input product is a block of mozzarella cheese, ¾″ thick by 2″ wide by 2″ long. The cheese is unfrozen and at a temperature of about 32-38° F. In each example, the impeller
126
is driven at approximately 450 RPM, the feed drum
136
and circular knives
140
are driven at approximately 900 RPM, and the feed spindle
138
and crosscut knives
144
are driven at approximately 2463 RPM. At impeller speeds greater than 450 RPM, the cheese tends to crumple or collapse as it passes through the cutting knives.
TABLE 1
PAVFM and modified PAVFM data for standard shreds.
Shred Dimensions
⅛″ thick × ⅛″ wide × ¾″ long
PAVFM Max. Output (5 HP Motor)
~1200 lbs/hr
PAVFM Max. Output (7½ HP Mo-
~1800 lbs/hr
tor)
Modified PAVFM Max. Output
~3400 lbs/hr
TABLE 2
PAVFM and modified PAVFM data for standard dices.
Dice Dimensions
⅛″ thick ×
Hendrickson David
Hildreth Chris
Leprino James G.
Prewitt William C.
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Leprino Foods Company
Rosenbaum Mark
LandOfFree
Apparatus for and method of shredding a product does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus for and method of shredding a product, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus for and method of shredding a product will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3066195