SLICING MACHINE WITH SPRAY UNIT

Abstract

To minimize contamination by an anticaking agent of parts of a slicing machine located away from a slice to be produced or already produced by the slicing machine, only a corresponding main surface of the slice is coated with the anticaking agent, if possible. For which purpose, an actual anticaking agent image on the main surface is automatically determined and compared by a control with a predetermined target anticaking agent image and, depending on this, a spray direction and spray distance of the spray opening from an application point are automatically corrected by the control.

Claims

1. A slicing machine for slicing calibers into slices, comprising: a cutting unit, a feed unit for feeding a caliber to the cutting unit, a discharge conveyor unit with at least one discharge conveyor belt, a spray unit with a spray opening for applying a liquid or powdery anticaking agent to a main surface of a slice to be produced from the caliber or already produced from the caliber, the spray unit being arranged and embodied in such a way that the spray opening is operable to apply anticaking agent in a direction of one slice at a time, a control for controlling moving parts of the slicing machine, wherein the spray unit as well as the control are configured in such a way that coating of the main surface of the slice with anticaking agent is maximized and anticaking agent exposure to parts of the slicing machine located away from the slice is minimized.

2. The slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein a spray direction of the spray opening is automatically adjustable in a controlled manner during slicing operation of the slicing machine.

3. The slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein a spray distance of the spray opening from a cutting plane of the cutting unit and/or a spray distance of the spray opening from a support surface of the at least one conveyor belt are/is automatically adjustable in a controlled manner during a slicing operation of the slicing machine.

4. The slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein the spray unit comprises a detection unit, which is capable of detecting an actual interface image generated by the spray opening on the main surface of the slice with respect to position of the actual interface image on the main surface, the detection unit is coupled to the control, and the control is configured to determine necessary adjustment of a spray direction of the spray opening and/or of a spray distance of the spray opening by comparison of the actual interface image with a predetermined desired interface image, and to adjust the spray opening accordingly.

5. The slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein the spray unit comprises an inspection unit, which is capable of checking presence of a main surface of a slice not yet coated with anticaking agent, at an application position for application of anticaking agent, the inspection unit is coupled to the control, and the control is capable of activating the spray opening only in the presence of the main surface not yet coated with anticaking agent at the application position.

6. The slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein the spray unit comprises a spray bar extending in a transverse direction over multiple tracks of the slicing machine, and the spray unit comprises a holding device to which the spray bar is fastened in a controllably adjustable manner.

7. The slicing machine according to claim 6, wherein the holding device is rod-shaped with a longitudinal direction, the spray bar is automatically pivotable in a controlled manner relative to the holding device about an axis that extends in a longitudinal direction of the spray bar, and/or the spray bar is automatically adjustable in a controlled manner relative to the holding device along the longitudinal direction of the holding device.

8. The slicing machine according to claim 6, wherein the holding device comprises a main arm, and a tilting arm which is pivotable relative to the main arm about a transverse axis that is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the holding device and to which the spray bar is fastened.

9. The slicing machine according to claim 8, wherein the main arm of the holding device is adjustable in length.

10. A method for operating a slicing machine, the method comprising: applying, with a spray unit, anticaking agent to a main surface of a slice to be or already produced, wherein the spray unit comprises a spray opening configured to apply anticaking agent in a direction of one, slice at a time, and wherein coating of the main surface of the slice with anticaking agent is maximized, and/or delivery of anticaking agent as away from the slice is minimized.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein a spray direction of the spray opening is automatically adjusted in a controlled manner; during a slicing operation of the slicing machine, and/or a spray distance of the spray opening from a cutting plane of a cutting unit of the slicing machine and/or a spray distance of the spray opening from a support surface of a discharge conveyor unit of the slicing machine is automatically adjusted in a controlled manner; during the slicing operation of the slicing machine.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein application time for anticaking agent per main surface is adjusted automatically in a controlled manner; during a slicing operation of the slicing machine, and/or application quantity per time unit for anticaking agent is automatically adjusted in a controlled manner during the slicing operation of the slicing machine, and/or size of the spray opening for anticaking agent is automatically adjusted in a controlled manner; during the slicing operation of the slicing machine, and/or the applying comprises applying, with the spray unit, anticaking agent to a front end face of a caliber, which front end face forms the main surface of the slice to be produced from the caliber, wherein during the applying of anticaking agent to the front end face of the caliber, delivery of anticaking agent from the spray opening is already started before the front end face is released by a blade of a cutting unit of the slicing machine rotating past the front end face.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein an actual interface image produced by the spray opening on the main surface of the slice is detected with respect to its-size and position of the actual interface image on the main surface, and a spray direction of the spray opening and, if needed, position of the spray opening are automatically adjusted in such a way that the actual interface image corresponds to a predetermined interface image.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein presence of a main surface of a slice not yet coated with anticaking agent, is checked at an application position for the applying of anticaking agent, and the spray opening is activated only if the main surface not yet coated with anticaking agent is present at the application position.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the spray unit comprises a spray bar, and when product to be sliced by the slicing machine is changed and/or number of tracks or track distance of the slicing machine is changed, the spray bar is changed or a spray distance and/or a spray direction of the spray bar are/is adjusted.

16. The slicing machine according to claim 4, wherein the detection unit comprises a camera.

17. The slicing machine according to claim 5, wherein the inspection unit comprises a camera.

18. The slicing machine according to claim 9, wherein the main arm is telescopically adjustable in length.

19. The slicing machine according to claim 9, wherein the slicing machine comprises a base frame, and the main arm of the holding device comprises a base part which is fastenable to the base frame, and a support part which is adjustable in an automatically controlled manner relative to the base part in the longitudinal direction of the holding device.

20. A slicing machine for slicing calibers into slices, the slicing machine comprising: a cutting unit; a feed unit for feeding a caliber to the cutting unit; a spray unit with a spray opening for applying a liquid or powdery anticaking agent to a main surface of a slice to be produced from the caliber or already produced from the caliber by the cutting unit; and a control; wherein the spray unit comprises a detection unit configured to detect an actual anticaking agent image of the anticaking agent deposited on the main surface of the slice by the spray opening, and the control is configured to adjust the spray unit based on a comparison of the actual anticaking agent image with a predetermined target anticaking agent image.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0075] Embodiments according to the invention are described in more detail below by way of example. They show:

[0076] FIGS. 1a, b: a slicing machine in the form of a slicer according to the prior art in different perspective views, with the feed belt folded up into the slicing position,

[0077] FIG. 1c: the slicing machine of FIGS. 1a, b in side view with the cladding parts removed so that the different conveyor belts can be seen more clearly,

[0078] FIG. 2a: a simplified side view of the slicing machine compared to FIG. 1c, loaded with a product caliber and with an additional spray unit, which is in a first functional position,

[0079] FIG. 2b: a side view as in FIG. 2a, but with the infeed belt folded down into the loading position and the product caliber cut open except for a caliber remnant, with the additional spray unit located in a second functional position,

[0080] FIG. 3a: the application situation for the anticaking agent with a spray unit in principle representation in the side view,

[0081] FIG. 3b: the application situation according to FIG. 3a in top view,

[0082] FIGS. 4a, b: the spray unit in enlarged side view according to FIGS. 2a, b and the functional positions shown there,

[0083] FIG. 5: a spray unit alone in perspective view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] FIGS. 1a, 1b show different perspective views of a multi-track slicer 1 for simultaneous slicing of several product calibers K on one track SP1 to SP4 next to each other and depositing them in shingled portions P each consisting of several slices S with a general passage direction 10* through the slicer 1 from right to left.

[0085] FIG. 1c and FIG. 2a show—without and with the caliber K inserted—a side view of this slicer 1, omitting covers and other parts not relevant to the invention, which are attached to the base frame 2 like all other components, so that the functional parts, especially the conveyor belts, can be seen more clearly. The longitudinal direction 10 is the feed direction of the calibers K to the cutting unit 7 and thus also the longitudinal direction of the calibers K lying in the slicer 1.

[0086] It can be seen that the basic structure of a slicer 1 according to the state of the art is that a cutting unit 7 with blades 3 rotating about a blade axis 3′, such as a sickle blade 3, is provided with several, in this case four, blades, product calibers K, in this case four, lying side by side transversely to the feeding direction 10 on a feed conveyor 4 with spacers 15 of the feed conveyor 4 between them are fed by this feed unit 20, from the front ends of which the rotating blade 3 cuts off a slice S with its cutting edge 3a in each case in one operation, i.e., almost simultaneously. The feed or feeding direction 10 may also be considered a transport direction of the slicer 1, in particular a transport direction of the feed unit 20.

[0087] For the cutting of the product calibers K, the feed conveyor 4 is in the cutting position shown in FIGS. 1a-2a, which is oblique in side view with a low-lying front end on the cutting side and a high-lying rear end, from which it can be folded down about a pivot axis 4′ running in its width direction, the first transverse direction 11, which is located in the vicinity of the cutting unit 7, into an approximately horizontal loading position as shown in FIG. 2b.

[0088] The rear end of each caliber K lying in the feed unit 20 is held positively by a gripper 14a-d with the aid of gripper claws 16 as shown in FIG. 2a. These grippers 14a-14d, which can be activated and deactivated with respect to the position of the gripper claws 16, are attached to a common gripper slide 13, which can be moved along a gripper guide 18 in the feeding direction 10.

[0089] Both the feed of the gripper slide 13 and of the feed conveyor 4 can be driven in a controlled manner, but the actual feed speed of the calibers K is effected by a so—called upper and lower product guide 8, 9, which are also driven in a controlled manner and engage on the upper side and lower side of the calibers K to be cut open in their front end sections near the cutting unit 7.

[0090] The front ends of the calibers K are each guided through a so—called slit opening 6a-d of a plate-shaped cutting frame 5, the cutting plane 3″ running immediately in front of the front, obliquely downward—pointing end face of the cutting frame 5, in which cutting plane the blade 3 rotates with its cutting edge 3a and thus cuts off the protrusion of the calibers K from the cutting frame 5 as a slice S. The cutting plane 3″ runs perpendicular to the upper run of the feed conveyor 4 and/or is spanned by the two transverse directions 11, 12 to the feeding direction 10.

[0091] The inner circumference of the eyeglass openings 6a-d of the cutting edge 3a of the blade 3 serves as a counter cutting edge.

[0092] Since both product guides 8, 9 can be driven in a controlled manner, in particular independently of one another and/or possibly separately for each track SP1 to SP4, they determine the—continuous or clocked—feed speed of the calibers K through the cutting frame 5.

[0093] The upper product guide 8 is displaceable in the 2. transverse direction 12—which is perpendicular to the surface of the upper run of the infeed conveyor 4—for adaptation to the height H of the caliber K in this direction. Furthermore, at least one of the product guides 8, 9 can be embodied to be pivotable about one of its deflecting rollers in order to be able to change the direction of the strand of its guide belt lying against the caliber K to a limited extent.

[0094] Below the feed conveyor unit 20 there is usually an approximately horizontally running residue conveyor 21, which starts with its front end below the cutting frame 5 and directly below or behind the discharge conveyor unit 17 and with its upper run thereon—by means of the drive of one of the discharge conveyors 17 against the passage direction 10*— transports away falling residues to the rear.

[0095] The slices S standing at an angle in space during separation fall onto a discharge unit 17 starting below the cutting frame 5 and running in passage direction 10*, which in this case consists of several discharge conveyors 17a, b, c arranged one behind the other with their upper runs approximately in alignment in passage direction 10*, of which the first discharge conveyor 17a in passage direction 10* can be embodied as a portioning belt 17a and/or one can also be embodied as a weighing unit.

[0096] The slices S can hit the discharge conveyor 17 individually and at a distance from each other in the passage direction 10* or, by appropriate control of the portioning belt 17a of the discharge unit 17—the movement of which, like almost all moving parts, is controlled by the control 1*— form shingled or stacked portions P, by stepwise forward movement of the portioning belt 17a.

[0097] In the two side views of FIGS. 2a and 2b, compared with FIGS. 1a—c, a spray unit 22 for applying an anticaking agent T to the slices S is additionally drawn in each case, in FIG. 2a in the functional position according to the enlarged individual representation of FIG. 4a and in FIG. 2b in the functional position according to the enlarged representation of FIG. 4b.

[0098] FIGS. 3a, b show the situation when applying anticaking agent T to a slice S— here circular—lying on a discharge conveyor, enlarged in side view and top view.

[0099] According to FIGS. 1c and 2a, b, the discharge unit 17 consists of three conveyor belts arranged one behind the other in the transport direction 10, of which the rearmost in the passage direction 10* is embodied as a portioning belt 17a, i.e., it is capable of producing shingled or stacked portions from the individual slices falling from the cutting unit 7 by controlled, stepwise forward travel.

[0100] In this process, an anticaking agent T is to be applied over as large an area as possible to the upward—facing main side S1 of each slice S immediately after it strikes the portioning belt 17a, preferably before the latter moves forward one step with the new slice S, and of course before the next slice strikes.

[0101] Accordingly, the predetermined target anticaking agent image Bsoll is a circular area coated with anticaking agent T on this main surface S1, which corresponds essentially to the entire upwardly facing main surface S1 of the slice S.

[0102] The spray unit 22 with the at least one spray opening 24.1 in the direction of view of FIG. 3a, i.e., in the transverse direction 11, emits therefrom a conical jet of an anticaking agent T— in powder form and transported by means of compressed air or in liquid form—which also has, for example, a circular cross section. The center axis and line of symmetry of this cone is the spray direction 24′.

[0103] Because of the overhanging cutting plane 3″ and cutting frame 5, the spray unit 22 is not arranged in the longitudinal area above the portioning belt 17a, but slightly offset in the transport direction 10 above the start of the next discharge conveyor 17b.

[0104] After the spray unit 22 has been set, usually manually, before the start of a job, for example a batch of calibers K to be cut, an approximately circular area, the actual anticaking agent image Bist, should be coated with anticaking agent T on the main surface S1 of the slice S at the start of the cutting operation by means of one shot or burst of anticaking agent T delivered.

[0105] By means of a detection unit 27, such as a camera 27, the control 1* can check whether or not the actual anticaking agent image Bist already corresponds—within a predetermined tolerance—to the target anticaking agent image Bsoll in terms of position and size.

[0106] The latter is the case here, because according to FIG. 3b the actual anticaking agent image Bist is too small and lies within the target anticaking agent image Bsoll, but is offset eccentrically in the transport direction 10.

[0107] This is detected by the control 1*, which automatically moves the spray unit 22 further away from the application point on the portioning belt 17a, the slice S, in the opposite direction to the spray direction 24′ in order to enlarge the area on which there is target anticaking agent T, i.e., the target anticaking agent image Bist, to the size of the target anticaking agent image Bsoll.

[0108] The fact that this reduces the amount of anticaking agent per unit area within the last area—at least if the application time of anticaking agent remains the same—can usually be accepted or compensated for by extending the application time, i.e., the impact.

[0109] In order to arrange the anticaking agent image Bist centrally therein, the spray unit 22, which can be pivoted about a pivot axis running in the transverse direction 11, is automatically pivoted accordingly about this pivot axis by the control system.

[0110] In addition, there is an inspection unit 28, for example also a camera—which can also be functionally combined with the detection unit 27—which, before the spray unit 22 dispenses the anticaking agent T, checks whether there is a slice S at all on the intended application point, in this case on the impact point of a slice S on the portioning belt 17a, which slice S is also not yet coated with anticaking agent on its upper side.

[0111] Only when this is the case and is reported to the control 1*, does the control 1* cause the spray unit 22 to dispense anticaking agent T. The spray unit 22 can also be used to dispense anticaking agent.

[0112] The spray unit 22 can be embodied as a spray bar 23, in particular with several spray openings 24.1-24.4 distributed in the transverse direction 11, which is shown separately in FIGS. 4a, b in the slicing machine and in FIG. 5, but including its holding unit 30.

[0113] The spray bar 23 of the spray unit 22 extending in transverse direction 11 is in FIG. 2a in such a pivoted position about the transverse direction 11, which is at the same time the longitudinal extension 23′ of the spray bar 23, that the nozzle units 25 mounted on the right-hand narrow side of the spray bar 23 in FIG. 2a point with the spray direction 24′ of their spray nozzles 24 approximately horizontally to the rear against the passage direction 10* and are directed against the end face of the caliber K or the spray nozzle 24 projecting from the cutting frame. K1, which is sprayed with anticaking agent T before it is separated as a slice S from the blade 3.

[0114] In FIG. 2b, on the other hand, the spray bar 23 is rotated about its longitudinal direction 23′ in such a way that the spray direction 24′ points obliquely downwards to the rear and thus to the upper side of the last slice S already deposited on the portioning belt 17a, which is coated with the anticaking agent T when the spray nozzle 24 is activated.

[0115] As can be seen more clearly from the perspective view in FIG. 5 of the spray unit 22 alone, the spray unit 22 preferably consists on the one hand of the spray bar 23, in which the nozzle units 25.1-25.4 with the respective spray opening 24. 1 to 24.4 are arranged in a peripheral wall facing in particular against the passage direction 10*, i.e., to the rear, and on the other hand a holding device 30 with which the spray bar 23 can be fastened to the base frame 2 of the machine 1.

[0116] According to FIGS. 2a, b, the attachment is made to the cross-member 2a of the base frame 2, which rises obliquely from the rear and is present in plan view at least on the operator side facing the operator, as FIG. 1a shows.

[0117] The holding device 30 is thus fastened to the base frame 2 with its rear end section 30A in the passage direction 10* and carries on its other end section 30B, which is located further forward and further up in the assembled state, the spray bar 23, which is fastened to the end section 30B of the holding device 30 in a cantilevered manner on one side, namely with its end section 23A, and extends from there with its longitudinal direction 23′ in the transverse direction 11, preferably over all tracks SP1 to SP4 of the slicing machine 1.

[0118] As shown in FIGS. 4a, b and 5, the hollow spray bar 23 is beam-shaped with, in this case, four circumferentially adjoining peripheral walls extending in its largest direction of extension, the longitudinal direction 23′, enclosing a rectangular cross section, the end faces of the spray bar 23 also being tightly closed.

[0119] In one of the two wider, here the upwardly directed, peripheral walls 23b of the rectangular periphery there is a large-area opening which extends substantially over the entire length and which, as can be seen in FIG. 5, can be tightly closed by a bar cover 34 which can be fitted and screwed on tightly.

[0120] In the adjacent narrower peripheral wall 23a, which in the assembled state is directed against the direction of flow 10*, the nozzle units 25.1-25.4 with their spray openings 24.1 to 24.4 are mounted in corresponding passages, the, e.g., approximately cylindrical part of the nozzle units 25.1-25.4 extending from the passage into the interior of the spray bar 23.

[0121] In order to be able to re-produce the swivel position of the spray bar 23 about its longitudinal direction 23′, an arc-shaped scale 35.3 is arranged on the operator-side end face of the spray bar 23 and a pointer 36.3 is arranged on the tilting arm 30.2, which points to the markings of the scale 35.3.

[0122] The corresponding tilting position between tilting arm 30.2 and spray bar 23 is fixed by tightening a handwheel 37.3, with which the spray bar 23 can be clamped in the set rotational position relative to the tilting arm 30.2.

[0123] Irrespective of the presence of the tilting arm 30.2, the support device 30, in particular its main arm 30.1, can consist in the longitudinal direction 30′1 the greatest direction of extension of the beam-shaped holding device 30—of two parts which can be displaced relative to one another and thus telescoped, in this case a base part 30.1a, on which the clamping device 33 for fixing to the base frame 2 is located, and a support part 30.1b, on which either the tilting arm 30.2 or directly the spray bar 23 is fixed.

[0124] The extent to which the support part 30.1b is pulled out of the base part 30.1a is again indicated by means of a linear scale 35.1 and a pointer 36.1 referring thereto, one of which is fixed to the base part 30.1a and the other to the support part 30.1b. The set extension position is again fixed by means of a handwheel 37.1, by means of which a clamping screw connected thereto in a rotationally fixed manner is actuated, which clamps the two parts against each other.

[0125] In the released state of this clamping device, the relative longitudinal movement from base part 30.1a to support part 30.1b can be effected by means of a threaded spindle, the drive journal 38.1 of which is in the form of an external hexagon, which in this case projects from the front end face of the main part 30.1a facing the spray bar 23.

[0126] In addition, the holding device 30, in this case the main part 30.1, in particular its base part 30.1a, can be adjusted relative to the clamping device 33 in a transverse direction to the longitudinal direction 30′ of the holding device 30 or of its main part 30.1, the adjustment direction of which is also transverse to the transverse direction 11, the longitudinal direction 23′ of the spray bar 23.

[0127] There, too, a scale 35.2, linear in this case, and a pointer 36.2 pointing to it are provided for indicating the transverse adjustment, one part of which is fixed to the clamping device 33 and the other to the holding device 30, in particular its main part 30.1.

[0128] The set transverse adjustment can also be fixed here by a clamping device not shown. In the released state of this clamping device, this transverse adjustment can be effected by means of a threaded spindle whose drive journal 38.2 in the form of an external hexagon in this case projects from the upper side of the main part 30.1a.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0129] 1 slicing machine, slicer [0130] 1* Control [0131] 2 Base frame [0132] 3 Blade [0133] 3 rotation axis [0134] 3″ blade plane, cutting plane [0135] 3a Cutting edge [0136] 4 Feed conveyor, feed belt [0137] 5 cutting frame [0138] 6a— d product opening [0139] 7 cutting unit [0140] 8 upper product guide, upper guide belt [0141] 8.1 contact run, lower run [0142] 8a cutting side deflecting roller [0143] 8b deflecting roller facing away from the cutting side [0144] 9 bottom product guide, lower guide belt [0145] 8.1 Contact run, upper run [0146] 9a cutting side deflecting roller [0147] 9b deflecting roller facing away from the cutting side [0148] 10 Transport direction, longitudinal direction, axial direction [0149] 10* Passage direction through machine [0150] 11 1. transverse direction (width slicer) [0151] 12 2nd transverse direction (height-direction caliber) [0152] 13 Gripper unit, gripper slide [0153] 14,14 a-d gripper [0154] 15 spacer [0155] 16 Gripper claw [0156] 17 discharge conveyor unit [0157] 17a, b, c portioning belt, discharge conveyor [0158] 18 Gripper guide [0159] 19 Height sensor [0160] 20 Feed unit [0161] 21 End piece conveyor [0162] 22 Spray unit [0163] 23 Spray bar [0164] 23′ longitudinal direction [0165] 23′ nozzle plane [0166] 24.1-0.4 Spray opening, spray nozzle [0167] 24′ Spray direction [0168] 25.1, 25.2 Nozzle unit [0169] 26 Spray distance [0170] 27 Detection unit, camera [0171] 28 Inspection unit, camera [0172] 29.1-29.3 Contact [0173] 30 Holding device [0174] 30A, B End section [0175] 30′ Longitudinal direction [0176] 30.1 Main arm [0177] 30.1a Base part [0178] 30.1b Support part [0179] 30.2 Tilting arm [0180] 31′ Transverse axis [0181] 32 Tensioning nut [0182] 33 Clamping device [0183] 34 Bar cover [0184] 35.1-35.3 Scale [0185] 36.1-36.3 Pointer [0186] 37.1, 37.3 Handwheel, clamping screw [0187] 38.1, 38.2 Drive journal [0188] 39 Press plate [0189] Bist Actual anticaking agent image [0190] Bsoll Target anticaking agent image [0191] K Caliber, product caliber [0192] KR End piece [0193] P Portion [0194] S Slice [0195] S1, S2 main surface [0196] T Anticaking agent