BAND SAW CUTTING EQUIPMENT

Abstract

The present invention refers to a band saw cutting equipment used, preferably, for the cutting of frozen food products, which has a double band saw cutting system, both in the same cutting plane, with opposite serrated edges on the outside of the said cutting system and with a piece of guidance and separation of the two band saws, that allow the correct position of the band saw to be assured without it bending, maintaining the cutting plane and avoiding that it moves in the cutting plane, avoiding it leaving the pulley system, maintaining a minimum separation between the saws.

Claims

1. A band saw cutting equipment which has a pulley system in which the band saw cutting system is installed, wherein the cutting equipment contains at least one cutting system made up of two band saws located in the same cutting plane contiguously without touching each other, with a separation between them, each of the two band saws having a single side with cutting serrated edges located on the farthest edges between the two band saws, i.e. in their opposite edges to allow cutting in both directions of passage through the cutting system, characterized in that the cutting system has at least one guide and separation piece of both band saws fixed in a position that guides each of the band saws in the cutting plane, preventing it from bending and exiting from that plane by means of guiding elements and keeping both band saws separated in the cutting plane by means of a minimum separation element.

2. The band saw cutting equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein the guiding element of the guide piece and separation of each band saw is based on a body with a groove slightly wider than that of the band saw, through which the band saw passes.

3. The band saw cutting equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein the separation element of the guiding and separating piece is based on a body between the two guiding grooves of band saws that maintain a minimum distance between these saws.

4. The band saw cutting equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein the guiding elements for each band saw and the separating element are contained in the same guiding and separating body through which the band saws pass.

5. The band saw Band saw cutting equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein the body forming the guiding element and the separating element is comprised of at least tungsten carbide.

6. The band saw cutting equipment in accordance with claim 1, where the guiding element of the guiding and separation piece is based on at least one pair of facing bearings that leave a gap between them slightly wider than the width of the band saw, and the separating element of the guiding and separation piece is based on bearings between both band saws that maintain a minimum distance between these saws.

7. The band saw cutting equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein the minimum separation between the two band saws located in the same cutting plane achieved by the dimension of the separating element is less than 30 mm.

8. The band saw cutting equipment in accordance with claim 7, wherein the minimum separation between the two band saws located in the same cutting plane achieved by the dimension of the separating element is between 2 mm and 6 mm.

9. The band saw cutting equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cutting equipment has at least two pieces of guidance and separation of both band saws, each of them being located on each side of the cutting area of the product.

10. The band saw cutting equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cutting equipment has at least one pair of guiding and separating pieces of both band saws, each pair being located on each side of the cutting area of the product.

11. The band saw cutting equipment in accordance with claim 9, wherein at least one of the two guiding and separating pieces or one of the pairs of guiding and separating pieces located on either side of the cutting area can regulate the height of its position.

12. The band saw cutting equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cutting equipment has a system of pulleys with double channel/rail, installing each of the band saws in each channel/rail.

13. The band saw cutting equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cutting equipment has a system of pulleys with a double pulley wheel, installing each of the band saws on individual pulley wheels.

14. The band saw cutting equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cutting equipment has a band saw protection system formed by a band saw enclosing structure that automatically moves to cover the cutting area.

15. The band saw cutting equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cutting equipment has a cleaning system for band saws.

16. The band saw cutting equipment in accordance with claim 15, wherein the cleaning system of band saws is formed by brushes beside and on the side of the band saws with an elastic system of approach to the band saw and absorption of contacts with these band saws.

17. The band saw cutting equipment in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cutting equipment has two or more cutting systems that make cuts in parallel planes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to better understand the description made, a set of drawings has been provided which, schematically and solely by way of non-limiting example, represents a practical case of embodiment.

[0019] FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the cutting equipment in a view perpendicular to the cutting plane.

[0020] FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the cutting mechanism through the cutting plane.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the band saw guide piece.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the detail of the location of the top guide pieces and the protection associated with the equipment.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a detailed perspective view of the location of the lower guide pieces.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cleaning element detail of band saws.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0025] In the present preferred embodiment of the invention, and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the products cutting equipment (10) by band saw, in this case frozen food products, is based on a cutting system that has two individual band saws (11, 11′), contiguous without touching each other, having such band saws (11, 11′) in the same cutting plane (P), mounted on the same pulley wheel (12) with double channel/rail, where alternatively, they could be mounted on a double pulley wheel system with a single channel/rail each of them, being able to be independent pulley systems mounted jointly, with this separation between band saws (11, 11′).

[0026] The band saws (11, 11′) are characterised in that they have a single cutting edge (15), being positioned in such a way that the inner edges (14) do not have cutting serrated edges, but the opposite outer edges (15) are serrated to have the possibility of cutting and, in this way, it is possible to pass the product to be cut in one direction or in another indifferently, and the product can be cut in both directions, not having to make an extra displacement of the product to the beginning of the equipment to make the cut in the same direction. The outer edge (15) is the part of the band saw furthest from the other band saw, while the inner edges (14) are the closest edges between them of each band saw (11, 11′).

[0027] These band saws (11, 11′) are preferably separated by a distance of less than 6 mm, preferably 4 mm to 5 mm, which is achieved in the first instance by the separation between the channels/rails of the pulley wheel (12). In alternative embodiments, minimum separations of 2 mm are reached to avoid risks of contacts between saws (11, 11′). By introducing auxiliary elements such as cut product separators or the like, superior separations could be achieved.

[0028] Alternatively, these band saws (11, 11′) can be separated by a distance of less than 8 mm. Alternatively, they can be separated by 6 mm to 4 mm, as mentioned above, which is achieved in the first instance by the separation between the channels/rails of the pulley wheel (12).

[0029] As the band saws (11, 11′) are subjected to a pressure caused by the passage of the product to be cut on these band saws (11, 11′), these (11, 11′), although they are tensioned to make their rotation between the pulleys (12) and avoid varying their cutting plane, they may tend to move in the same cutting plane in the same direction of advance of the product to be cut by its pressure against them, which could cause the pulley rail/channel (12) to come off or impact the first band saw (11) to make the cut against the adjacent band saw (11) and cause them to contact each other, which could result in damage to the band saws (11, 11′). In the same way, the cutting friction of the band saws (11, 11′) on the product can cause perpendicular forces to the cutting plane, depending on the material to be cut, which can cause cuts of non-regular thickness.

[0030] The cutting equipment (10) includes, in the present embodiment, two pairs of guide and separation pieces (16, 16′) fixed to the cutting equipment (10) that define between each pair (16, 16′) a cutting area (Z), guiding the passage through these pairs of pieces (16, 16′) of each of the band saws (11, 11′) to minimise variations in the cutting plane between these two pairs of pieces (16, 16′) and physically separating them in such a way that although there is such pressure, they do not come into contact with each other (11, 11′).

[0031] As an alternative to this and other possible embodiments, it is possible to have a single pair of guide and separation pieces, one piece on each side of the cutting area, or a single guide and separation piece in the cutting system that performs this function in the area next to the cut, preferably. More guide pieces are also available depending on the configuration of the required cutting area and the expected cutting resistance characteristics of the product, preferably grouped in pairs on either side of the cutting area.

[0032] Each of the guiding and separation pieces (16, 16′), as can be seen in FIG. 3, consists of a body which, in the present embodiment, has at least tungsten carbide, having a high resistance to wear, in such a way that materials with a similar resistance to wear could be used in the same way, such as thermal plastics with graphite, ceramic materials, fibres or other special plastics. This piece of guidance and separation has a groove (17), as a guidance element, for each of the passages to guide each band saw (11, 11′), with dimensions slightly higher than the thickness and width of these band saws (11, 11′) in such a way that pressures against them that are in the plane perpendicular to the cutting, are prevented by such guidance by the grooves. In the same piece there is a separation (18) between the grooves (17), as a separation element, which corresponds to the minimum separation desired between the two band saws (11, 11′) and avoids the displacement of the band saw (11, 11′) that receives the pressure of the product when making the cut, in the cutting plane in the cutting direction.

[0033] In the case of alternative designs, the guide and separation piece can be kept in separate guide and separation bodies instead of in one piece.

[0034] Alternatively, the guide and separation piece can be made with bearings, not shown in the figures, instead of contact surfaces of the tungsten carbide body, based on a pair of facing bearings, as a guiding element, which leave a gap between them slightly greater than the width of the band saw (11, 11′), and as a separation element for the guide and separation piece, one or more bearings between the two band saws (11, 11′) would be used to maintain a minimum distance between these saws (11, 11′).

[0035] In the present embodiment, there is an upper guide and separation piece (16) that can be adjusted in height, in order to define a cutting zone (C) variable between the two guide and separation pieces (16, 16), where the lower piece (16′) is fixed close to the platform where the product to be cut is moved.

[0036] Alternatively, the guiding and separating pieces can all be fixed or adjustable, all of them, to have different configurations of the cutting equipment (10).

[0037] The cutting equipment (10), in the present embodiment of use in automatic mode by means of the movement of the product by an automated grip and movement device, includes a protective system (20) of the band saws (11, 11′) with automatic movement at the moment in which the entry of an operator is detected in the associated safety enclosure of the cutting equipment. This protective system (20) is formed by an enclosing structure of these band saws (11, 11′), which when detecting the entry of the person in the safety area, moves this structure to the cutting area, minimising the possibility of damage if there was a break in these band saws (11, 11′) and preventing that by accident an operator could access the cutting area.

[0038] As another auxiliary element, and as can be seen in FIG. 6, the cutting equipment (10) includes a band saw cleaning system (19), where this cleaning system (19) is formed by the action of brushes that are beside and on the side of the band saw (11, 11′) and having an elastic system in such a way that, as the brush is used, it is supplied, bringing it closer to the band saw (11, 11′) and in such a way that any impact/contact on the said brush by the band saw (11, 11′) is absorbed by the elastic system, preferably springs.

[0039] As an alternative configuration that would include the previous elements of the main accomplishment commented and its commented alternatives, the cutting equipment (10) has two or more cutting systems that make cuts in parallel planes, for the same passage of the product, that can make several cuts at the same time.

[0040] Although reference has been made to a specific embodiment of the invention, it is clear to a person skilled in the art that the band saw cutting equipment is susceptible to numerous variations and modifications, and that all the details mentioned can be replaced by others technically equivalent, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the attached claims.