Cutting – Processes – With subsequent handling
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-01
2001-11-20
Rada, Rinaldi I. (Department: 3724)
Cutting
Processes
With subsequent handling
C083S029000, C083S155100, C083S090000, C083S932000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318224
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to methods of slicing products and also to slicing apparatus. The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with the slicing of foodstuffs such as meat, meat products, fish, fish products, cheese, bread and the like.
Automatic food slicers are well known and are able to perform rapid slicing of various food products, to produce individual batches of slices each containing a pre-selected number of slices and each batch being substantially of a pre-determined weight. Such slicers may be arranged to output each batch of slices as a stack, a so-called shingle or “fluffed”. In the case of a stack, it is preferred for the edges of the slices to be aligned as closely as the product allows. A shingle comprises an array of slices where one edge of each slice is spaced by a pre-determined distance from the corresponding edge of the next slice. In a fluffed batch, the slices are relatively thinly sliced and arranged three-dimensionally in a random manner; this is typically used for insertion into sandwiches where randomly folded slices improve productivity and visual appeal.
In order to optimise the appeal to the end purchaser of a packaged stack or shingle of slices, it is preferred that the stack or shingle has the slices thereof arranged as neatly and uniformly as possible. This may be achieved by providing a conveyor to receive slices cut from the product, the conveyor being driven in a controlled manner dependent upon the cutting of slices from the product. When producing stacks of slices, the conveyor may be driven backwards towards the cutter as the slices fall on to the stack, to compensate for the reducing trajectory through which the slices fall as the stack builds up. In this way, a closely aligned stack of slices may be achieved. Conversely, when a shingle is to be produced, the conveyor may be driven away from the cutter so that successive slices fall in a partially overlapping manner on previously-cut slices.
It has been found that as stack heights increase, it is more difficult to produce a well-aligned stack by using reverse operation of the conveyor. Moreover, with high cutting rates, a completed stack of the required number of slices must be moved away very rapidly in order to allow the accumulation of slices for the next stack, before the next slice has been cut from the product. At the completion of each stack, the reverse action of the conveyor must be stopped and the conveyor accelerated quickly in the forward direction; in turn this can lead to distortion of the stack.
EP-A-0713753 discloses a complex apparatus for slicing products. This specification includes an arrangement for lifting the conveyor on which slices fall, but requires a slow cycle time, to discharge the cut slices after the required number have been cut, as the conveyor must be lifted back to its initial position.
The present invention aims at addressing the above-described problem, in order to facilitate the production of stacks of slices cut from a product at a relatively high rate, whilst allowing the production of well-aligned stacks.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of slicing a product to produce a formed stack of slices, in which method:
the product is fed to a slicing station;
slices are cut one at a time from the product at the slicing station and are allowed to fall on to a receiver;
the vertical distance between the slicing station and the receiver is varied as a stack of slices builds up thereon; and
a discharge means having an input end and arranged to receive a stack of slices from the receiver has its input end maintained substantially in alignment with the receiver during the varying of the vertical distance of the receiver from the slicing station.
It will be appreciated that by the method of this invention, the vertical distance through which each slice falls, following the cutting thereof from the product, may be maintained substantially constant by appropriate adjustment of the receiver position. In this way, it may be expected that each slice will be added to the stack at substantially the same position, that is, with the same unchanging trajectory. Thus, a stack of slices should be well-aligned, vertically.
The adjustment of said vertical distance should be performed to optimise the stack formation. The height of a stack of slices should substantially correspond to the distance through which the product has been fed to produce those slices, and thus the receiver may be moved during slicing through a vertical distance corresponding to the feeding of the product being sliced. However, a stack of slices may have a slightly different height than the length of product cut to form that stack and thus the adjustment of the vertical receiver may need to be slightly greater than the feeding of the product; and discharge means having an input end disposed adjacent the out-feed end of the receiver, the input end of the discharge means and the out-feed end of the receiver being linked to remain in vertical alignment during adjustment of the position of the receiver. A single control means may be provided for both the feeding of the product and the adjustment of the receiver and to control the latter dependent upon the former.
According to a second aspect of this invention, there is provided slicing apparatus comprising:
feed means to feed to a slicing station in a controlled manner a product to be sliced;
a slicing blade arranged at the slicing station to cut successive slices from product fed to the slicing station;
a receiver for cut slices arranged below the slicing station and capable of vertical movement relative to the slicing station;
adjustment means to adjust the vertical position of the receiver below the slicing station during slicing of the product; and
discharge means having an input end disposed adjacent the out-feed end of the receiver, the input end of the discharge means and the out-feed end of the receiver being linked to remain in vertical alignment during adjustment of the position of the receiver.
In a preferred embodiment, the receiver is carried on a sub-frame, and the sub-frame is slidably mounted on a fixed part of the slicing apparatus for generally vertical movement. A servo-motor may be arranged for this purpose, for example by driving a lead screw having a nut coupled to the sub-frame or by driving an endless belt having a run coupled to the sub-frame.
In order to allow a stack of slices to be removed rapidly once the required number of slices has been cut from the product, it is preferred for the receiver to comprise the upper run of a first endless conveyor. A second endless conveyor may be arranged with the in-feed end thereof adjacent the out-feed end of the first conveyor, the first and second conveyors being provided with independent drive means to permit the independent operation thereof. By having a relatively short first conveyor, a stack may rapidly be transferred from the first conveyor to the second conveyor in order to allow the building up of a new stack on the first conveyor, whilst a completed stack is taken away for further processing such as weighing, packaging and if appropriate labelling.
Other features of the slicing apparatus of this invention may essentially be conventional and will be understood by those skilled in the art. Such features will not therefore be described in further detail here.
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patent: 3612996A (1987-10-01), None
patent: 0713753A2 (1996-05-01), None
patent: 0262942 (1990-10-01), None
Flores Sanchez Omar
Rada Rinaldi I.
Renner Kenner Greive Bobak Taylor & Weber
Thurne Engineering Company Limited
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