Cutting – With means to clean work or tool
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-14
2002-08-13
Ashley, Boyer (Department: 3724)
Cutting
With means to clean work or tool
C083S932000, C083S751000, C083S768000, C083S769000, C083S758000, C083S759000, C083S754000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06431041
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for slicing loaves and other bakery products, such as for example cakes and pastries. These bakery products may optionally be completely frozen, or frozen just on the outside, in particular in order to allow cutting of soft bakery products or of bakery products with a filling which is soft at room temperature, such as pies. In addition, the invention relates to a cutting-blade carrier for a device of this kind and to the cleaning of the cutting blades of a device of this kind.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A known device for slicing loaves is described in GB-1,464,604. This device is provided with two cutting-blade carriers, which are disposed one behind the other, as seen in the passage direction of the loaves. The two cutting-blade carriers are each guided in a straight line, substantially perpendicular to the passage direction of the loaves, in the frame of the device and are moved in a reciprocating manner in opposite phases.
In generally known bread-cutting devices, the cutting-blade carriers are driven with a rectilinear, reciprocating movement, which has an amplitude of between 30 and 45 millimeters and a frequency of 700 to 800 reciprocating movements per minute. Another known device has only one cutting-blade carrier, which is driven with a rectilinear, reciprocating movement which has an amplitude of 3 millimeters and a frequency of approximately 3000 reciprocating movements per minute.
In practice, the known devices have proven unsatisfactory. Particularly if the bread was baked shortly before, it adheres to the cutting blades, with the result that it is desirable, not to say necessary, to regularly remove the bread material which adheres to the cutting blades during the cutting operation. This is because bread residues adhere to the cutting blades to an ever increasing extent as the cutting blades become dirtier.
For the purpose of cleaning the cutting blades, it is generally known in the case of the devices of the large-amplitude type to provide one or more scraper members, which are disposed outside the path through the cutting device for the loaves, the cutting blades being scraped clean on moving past a cutting member. In practice, the loaves to be cut are frequently so high, approximately 15-20 centimeters as seen in the longitudinal direction of the cutting blades, that the central part of the bread-cutting length of the cutting blades does not move past one of the scraper members in these known devices, and is therefore not cleaned. In the case of the known small-amplitude device, it is impossible to clean the cutting blades in this manner during cutting of the bread.
It is also known to apply a small quantity of an edible lubricant to the cutting blades during the cutting operation, particularly when cutting bread with a low fat content. The application of lubricant can also only take place outside the path of the loaves. Owing to the considerations outlined in the preceding paragraph, it is clear that in many cases the known devices do not allow satisfactory lubrication of the cutting blades.
A further drawback of the known devices is that the cutting operation entails an undesirably high loss of bread material, owing to the formation of crumbs. The crumbs are mainly formed as a result of the contact between the sides of the cutting blades and the bread, in particular at the location of the transitions between that edge of each cutting blade which is provided with cutting formations and the substantially flat sides of this cutting blade.
The object of the present invention is to eliminate the abovementioned problems. Furthermore, the invention aims to eliminate a considerable number of other drawbacks of the known devices. These drawbacks include the fact that the known cutting-blade carriers are expensive and that exchanging a cutting-blade carrier requires a maintenance person and takes up considerable time, during which time cutting cannot take place. The present invention also aims to provide measures which improve the cleaning of the cutting blades, so that the cutting blades last longer and fewer crumbs are formed.
According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a device according to the preamble of claim 1, which preamble is based on GB-1,464,604, which device is characterized by the characterizing part of claim 1.
The characteristic part of claim 1 provides for the movement of each cutting-blade carrier to be the resultant of the low-frequency first movement, which may also be an intermittently executed movement, having a large amplitude, on the one hand, and a high-frequency, preferably continuous, second movement having a small amplitude, on the other hand.
In the preferred embodiment, the cleaning means may comprise, for example, two cleaning devices, one below and one above the path for the loaves, in which case, for example, the position of the top cleaning device is adjustable with respect to the support means for the loaves, so that the position of the top cleaning device can be matched to the height of the loaves to be cut. In a variant, only one cleaning device may be provided, for example at a short distance below the path for the loaves. The invention provides for the cutting action of the cutting blades to be effected substantially by the second movement and for the first movement to serve primarily to allow the cutting blades to move past the cleaning means over their entire bread-cutting length.
In the preferred embodiment, the effect is achieved that the cutting blades not only move in a rectilinear, reciprocating manner in the longitudinal direction of the cutting blades, as in the case of known devices, but also each cutting blade executes small loop movements with a high frequency. This loop movement is very advantageous for the cutting action of the cutting blades when cutting bread and other bakery products. The loop movement is also advantageous if the sides of the cutting blades bear against scraper surfaces of a scraper member, because in this case a type of polishing effect is achieved.
The claims describe the advantageous direction of the loop-like movement, the loaf to be cut remaining in a stable position on the support means.
The claims describe values which are advantageous in practice, the magnitude of the first amplitude being dependent substantially on the height of the loaf to be cut and on the arrangement of any cleaning means for the cutting blades. The second amplitude is preferably small.
The claims describe values which are advantageous in practice, and it should be noted that in principle the first movement does not have to be a continuous movement, but may also be a stepwise movement, since the cutting action is effected substantially by means of the second movement.
The position of the cutting formations are considerably closer together, i.e. with a finer toothing, than that which is used in the case of the known devices. The distance between the cutting formations is preferably less than the second amplitude.
In the preferred embodiment, the second drive means only have to drive the relatively lightweight cutting-blade carrier and associated holding means, without having to cover a long drive path.
The invention makes it possible for there to be only one single cutting-blade carrier present, instead of two, as in the known devices. This is possible because in the device according to the invention the bread is not dragged along by the cutting blades which move with a small amplitude and a high frequency and are preferably regularly cleaned during the cutting operation. However, a variant of the device according to the invention comprises two cutting-blade carriers which are disposed one behind the other in the passage direction of the loaves, in which case an advantageous embodiment provides for the two cutting-blade carriers each to be driven with an identical second movement, but in opposite phases, and for the two cutting-blade carriers to be driven by common first drive means providing the first movement.
According to a second as
Ashley Boyer
Hoffmann & Baron , LLP
Rompa Patent Beheer B.V.
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