SLICING MACHINE

Abstract

In order to reliably avoid collisions between components of a slicing machine, in particular between a blade and another component, a control run is carried out before the start of a slicing operation, during which the respective component that has a risk of collision or the respective counter-component is brought into a position closest to the other component and tested to see whether a collision occurs.

Claims

1. A method for operating a slicing machine which is used to produce shingled or stacked portions from one or more slices to be separated from a product caliber and which comprises a cutting unit with a blade which can be driven in rotation about a rotation axis and whose position can be adjusted, a plurality of adjustable components which can be adjusted in position, in such a way that at least one of the plurality of adjustable components could potentially enter a path of movement of the rotating blade in a colliding manner, of which at least one of the plurality of adjustable components comprises an adjustable discharge unit with at least one adjustable portioning belt, the method comprising: moving or adjusting in the course of a control run before a start of a slicing operation, the cutting unit blade, rotating at most at 10 rpm about its rotation axis, or a control element such as a light beam and/or the adjustable components of the slicing machine, including the portioning belt, which are adjustable during the slicing operation, relative to each other in a direction of mutual approach; and checking whether a collision occurs between the blade and any one or more of the plurality of adjustable component.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the collision check is carried out with maximum possible mutual approach of at least two components potentially colliding relative to each other and/or is carried out during a slicing program of a control system of the slicing machine for a batch of product calibers at maximum possible mutual approach of at least two components potentially colliding relative to each other.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: automatically performing the collision check by measuring a current consumption and/or a torque and/or a tracking error of a variable speed drive and checking for an impermissibly high value of the measurement, in case of an automatically detected collision, emitting at least one warning signal by the control system, wherein the start of the slicing operation is refused.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein collision checking comprises: bringing a potentially colliding component of the slicing machine, which is located in the vicinity of the blade and is adjustable into its position nearest to the blade, and then moving the blade or its control element as far as possible in a direction of the potentially colliding component and carrying out a collision check while doing so, in a case of a circular disc-shaped blade, moving the blade or the control element including the rotation axis as far as possible in a direction of the potentially colliding component, in a case of a non-circular-disk-shaped blade, moving the blade or the control element as far as possible in a direction of the potentially colliding component and rotating the blade or the control element in a direction of the potentially colliding component with a rear end of a cutting edge ahead in a slicing direction of rotation.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the blade or the control element is moved as far as possible in a direction of the potentially colliding component by moving along the rotation axis in a direction towards this component and/or moving transversely to the rotation axis perpendicular to a transverse direction in a downward direction and/or moving transversely to the rotation axis to a side in a width direction of the discharge unit, wherein the width direction is a horizontal direction.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein collision checking comprises: adjusting a cutting edge of the blade or the control element, including the rotation axis, as far as possible in a direction of the component to be checked for collision, in a case of a non-circular disc-shaped blade, adjusting the blade with a rear end of the cutting edge in a cutting direction of rotation or a control element arranged at this position in a direction of the component to be tested for collision, thereafter moving the adjustable component of the slicing machine, which is located in the vicinity of the blade and is to be checked for collision, from a position remote from the blade in a direction of its position closest to the blade, and carrying out a collision check while doing so.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein in a case of a rearmost, blade-nearest, most upstream conveyor, a portioning belt of a discharge conveyor for slices and portions-as is a component to be checked for collision, the method further comprising: moving the portioning belt by pivoting about a first pivot axis located in a downstream half, of a swing arm in a direction of a position closest to the blade and/or moving the portioning belt in a direction of a position nearest to the blade by pivoting about a second pivot axis of a portioning swing arm receiving the portioning belt, located downstream of the portioning belt and/or moving the portioning belt in a direction of a position nearest to the blade by pivoting about a third pivot axis of a total swing arm receiving the portioning belt, downstream of the portioning belt.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein in a case of a rearmost, blade-nearest, most upstream conveyor, a portioning belt of a discharge conveyor for slices and portions is a component to be checked for collision, the method further comprising: moving the portioning belt upwardly in a direction of a blade-nearest position by linear movement of a portioning swing arm and/or of a swing arm receiving a positioning swing arm and/or of a total swing arm, upwards in a vertical direction and/or to the side, in a horizontal direction.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein in a case of a cutting frame and/or an air nozzle of an interleaver unit or another component to be adjusted only outside the cutting operation is a component to be checked for collision, the method further comprising performing a procedure that is analogous to that for components adjustable during the cutting operation.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: in a case of a conveyor belt being a component to be checked for collision, driving the conveyor belt in a circulating manner, against a normal conveying direction of the conveyor belt.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the collision check is performed both in a cutting position and in a non-cutting position of the blade.

12. A slicing machine for slicing calibers into slices and producing shingled or stacked portions from one or more slices, the slicing machine comprising: a cutting unit with a blade which can be driven in rotation about a rotation axis and whose position can be adjusted, a plurality of adjustable components that can be adjusted in position in such a way that at least one of the plurality of adjustable components could potentially enter a path of movement of the rotating blade, in a colliding manner, of which at least one of the plurality of adjustable components comprises an adjustable discharge unit with at least one adjustable portioning belt, a control system for controlling moving parts of the slicing machine, wherein the control system is configured to control the slicing machine to move or adjust in the course of a control run before a start of a slicing operation, the cutting unit blade, rotating at most at 10 rpm about its rotation axis, or a control element such as a light beam and/or the adjustable components of the slicing machine, including the portioning belt, which are adjustable during the slicing operation, relative to each other in a direction of mutual approach; and check whether a collision occurs between the blade and any one or more of the plurality of adjustable component.

13. The slicing machine according to claim 12, wherein a collision sensor connected to the control system by means of data is present on the blade and/or the potentially colliding component that can be adjusted during the slicing operation.

14. The slicing machine according to claim 12, wherein in addition to the cutting unit having a rotatable blade a control element is present, the control element comprising a disembodied control element including a light beam of a light barrier, which lies in a width direction of the slicing machine, wherein the control element can be positioned instead of a cutting edge of the blade at a potentially colliding position of the cutting edge.

15. The slicing machine according to claim 13, wherein the collision sensor is either a current flow sensor on an adjustment drive of the adjustable component and/or an adjustment drive of the blade and/or a rotation drive of the blade or is a non-contact optical sensor directly detecting a collision between two components, which is directed at a potential point of collision or a light barrier.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0067] Embodiments according to the disclosure are described in more detail below by way of examples, with reference to the following figures showing:

[0068] 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 pivoted up into the slicing position;

[0069] FIG. 1c: the slicing machine of FIGS. 1a, b in side view with the panels removed so that the various conveyor belts can be seen more clearly;

[0070] FIG. 2a: an enlarged and simplified side view of the slicing machine loaded with a product caliber compared to FIG. 1c;

[0071] FIG. 2b: a side view as in FIG. 2a, but with the feed belt pivoted down into the loading position and the product caliber cut open except for a caliber remnant, and

[0072] FIG. 3: a side view of the cutting and discharge area, enlarged again compared to FIGS. 2a, 2b, showing the specific adjustment possibilities of both the blade and the discharge conveyor unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] 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 each side by side and depositing in shingled portions P each consisting of several slices S with a general passage direction 10*through the slicer 1 from right to left.

[0074] FIG. 1c and FIG. 2a show—without and with inserted caliber K—a side view of this slicer 1, omitting covers and other parts not relevant to the disclosure, which are attached to the base frame 2 like all other units, so that the functional parts, especially the conveyor belts, can be seen more clearly. The longitudinal direction 10 is the feeding 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.

[0075] 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 rotation axis 3′, such as a sickle blade 3, is fed with several, in this case four, product calibers K lying transversely to the feeding direction 10 next to one another 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.

[0076] For cutting 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 cutting-side front end and a high-lying rear end, from which it can be pivoted 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] Both the feed of the gripper slide 13 and of the infeed 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 which engage on the upper side and lower side of the calibers K to be cut open in their front end regions near the cutting unit 7.

[0079] The front ends of the calibers K are each guided through product opening 6a-d of a plate-shaped cutting frame 5, with the cutting plane 3″ running directly in front of the front end face of the cutting frame 5, which points obliquely downwards, in which 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″ lies 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.

[0080] The inner circumference of the product openings 6a-d serves as a counterblade for the cutting edge 3a of the blade 3.

[0081] Since both product guides 8, 9 can be driven in a controlled manner, in particular independently of each other and/or possibly separately for each track SP1 to SP4, these determine the—continuous or clocked—feed speed of the calibers K through the cutting frame 5.

[0082] The upper product guide 8 can be displaced in the second transverse direction 12—which is perpendicular to the surface of the upper run of the feed conveyor 4—in order to adapt to the height H of the caliber K in this direction, which is usually determined by means of a height sensor 19. 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 resting against the caliber K to a limited extent.

[0083] 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 a plurality of discharge conveyors 17a, b, c arranged with their upper runs approximately aligned one behind the other in passage direction 10*, of which the first discharge conveyor 17a in the passage direction 10 can be embodied as a portioning belt 17a, in that it can be driven in a clocked manner in at least one, preferably in both, directions of rotation and/or one can also be embodied as a weighing unit.

[0084] The slices S can hit on the discharge conveyor 17 individually and spaced apart 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 between the hitting operations. As one skilled in the art would understand, the control 1* may include suitable hardware and/or software, such as one or more suitable processors, in communication with, or configured to communicate with, one or more storage devices or media including computer readable program instructions that are executable by the one or more processors for controlling operation of the slicing machine 1, or components thereof, and/or for performing functions recited herein.

[0085] Below the feed unit 20 there is usually an approximately horizontal end piece conveyor 21, which starts with its front end below the cutting frame 5 and directly below or behind the discharge conveyor 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 falling residues to the rear.

[0086] FIG. 3 shows on the one hand the movement possibilities of the blade 3 of the cutting unit 7 and on the other hand the movement possibilities, in particular adjustment possibilities, of the discharge unit 17 consisting in this case of three discharge conveyors 17a—the portioning belt—17b and 17c, which however do not necessarily all have to be realized in total on a concrete machine.

[0087] The various transverse axes and pivot axes are specified for the respective component.

[0088] The blade 3 can be moved along its rotation axis 3′, the moving direction Z3, between a cutting position SS—in which it is very close to the front surface of the cutting frame 5—and a non cutting position LS, whereby both positions can of course also be finely adjusted in this direction, which is also the feeding direction 10 for the calibers K fed in.

[0089] In most machines, the blade 3 can additionally be adjusted in the two transverse directions to the rotation axis 3′, the two transverse directions spanning the cutting plane 3″, namely in the direction Y3, the first transverse direction 11 or width direction 11 of the entire machine, as well as in the direction X3, the second transverse direction 12 of the feed unit of the machine.

[0090] The blade can be driven in rotation around the rotation axis rotation axis 3′, which thus represents the pivot axis or rotation axis C3. However, the blades can often also be pivoted about the two other transverse directions, designated as the pivot axis A3 and B3, in order to be able to set the blade plane 3″ exactly parallel to the front surface of the cutting frame 3.

[0091] Since the rotation axis 3′ and thus the traverse axis Z3 of the blade 3 is at an angle to the passage direction 10′, the conveying direction of the discharge conveyor unit 17, the latter has its own, different coordinate system.

[0092] The upper runs of the discharge conveyors 17a, b, c, which are approximately at the same height, transport a slice or portion lying on them in the height-direction or transport direction 10*, the moving direction Z17 of the discharge unit 17, when they are set to a mutually aligned pivot position.

[0093] These or their components can also be moved perpendicularly to this, in particular up and down in the vertical direction X17, and if necessary also in the width direction 11, the moving direction Y17.

[0094] Most importantly, the individual conveyors and/or parts of the entire discharge unit 17 can be pivoted about the pivoting direction B17, which corresponds to the moving direction Y17, and thus their inclination can be adjusted when viewed from the side.

[0095] This applies in particular to the most upstream conveyor belt 17a, the portioning belt. This is usually solved in that the at least two deflecting rollers, here 17a1, 17a2 of the portioning belt 17a—are arranged in a swing arm 517a which can be pivoted about a pivot axis, here the rotation axis of the downstream deflection roller 17a2—between an approximately horizontal position aligned with the downstream conveyors 17b, c or a pivoted position, preferably with the rear end tilted downward, in which the impact of a separated slice can be reproduced more precisely, especially in portions.

[0096] In the present design, the portioning swing arm 17a, i.e., also its swing arm 517a as well as the following conveyor belt 17b, is accommodated together in a swing arm S17a+b, which can also be pivoted about a pivot axis located near its downstream end and extending in the transverse direction Y17, preferably about the pivot axis located on the rotation axis of the downstream deflection roller.

[0097] In addition to this, the swing arm S17a can in turn be pivoted relative to the swing arm S17a+b.

[0098] All three discharge conveyors 17a, b, c are mounted in a common frame and can thus be moved up and down in the moving direction X17 in accordance with the cutting task at hand.

[0099] This frame can additionally be embodied as a swing arm S17, which can be pivoted about a pivoting axis running in the transverse direction, in particular near its downstream end, which runs in the direction B17.

[0100] In addition, there are machine designs in which the entire discharge unit 17—but less frequently the individual conveyors 17a, b or c—have a pivoting axis A17 about the upright direction X17 and/or a pivoting axis C17 about the conveying direction Z17 of the discharge conveyor.

[0101] As can be seen from the solidly drawn blade 3, the blade 3 is a non-circular disk-shaped blade, for example a circular segment blade or preferably a sickle blade, which in FIG. 3 is in such a rotational position about the rotation axis 3′ that its cutting edge 3a momentarily projects further from the axis of rotation 3′ obliquely upwards than obliquely downwards, where the cutting edge 3a lies in the region of the upper end of the slice 5, as is the case before the start of a cutting process of a new slice.

[0102] For cutting off, the blade 3 rotates a maximum of one complete revolution until the cutting edge 3a—as additionally shown with this blade 3 drawn through—is in the lowest position reachable by the cutting edge 3a along the front surface of the cutting frame 5.

[0103] In addition, FIG. 3 shows the counterweight 22, which is part of the blade holder 23 to which the blade 3 is screwed, and which protrudes over the front surface of the blade 3 facing in the direction of the discharge conveyor unit 17.

[0104] Since when the blade 3 is moved in the direction Z3, e.g., between the cutting position SS and the non cutting position LS, the entire cutting unit 7 and thus also the counterweight 22 are moved, in extreme cases this can also be a component at risk of collision.

[0105] The collision check before starting the slicing operation can be performed in different variants, which can also be used in combination with each other, e.g.:

Variant A=Blade 3 is Rotated:

[0106] The blade 3 is brought into such a rotational position around the rotation axis 3′ that its cutting edge 3a projects as little as possible downward below the rotation axis 3′. At the same time, the blade 3 is moved downward at an angle in the direction Z3 as far as possible, at least to the non cutting position LS.

[0107] With regard to the discharge unit 17, the individual swing arms are in their at least horizontal position, preferably in their maximum upwardly pivoted position, and the overall frame R17, in which all discharge conveyors 17a, b, c of the discharge unit 17 are accommodated, is in the maximum raised position.

[0108] Now the blade 3 is slowly rotated about its rotation axis 3′, i.e., the pivot axis C3, preferably in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation during cutting, and it is checked whether the rear end 3a1 of the cutting edge 3a, visible for example in FIG. 1a, collides with one of the other components, in particular the discharge conveyor unit 17.

Variant B=Total Frame R17 is Moved Upwards:

[0109] The blade 3 is brought into a rotational position about the rotation axis 3′ in which the rear end 3a1 of its cutting edge lies below, preferably exactly below, the cutting axis 3′.

[0110] Otherwise, the blade as well as the individual discharge conveyors 17a, b, c as well as their oscillators are adjusted as described for variant A.

[0111] Now, for the collision check, the overall frame R17 is moved upwards in direction X17 and checked whether a collision occurs with one of the parts of the blade unit, in particular the cutting edge of the blade and/or the counterweight 22 and/or also the cutting frame 5.

Variant C=Portioning Unit 17 or One of its Discharge Conveyors is Pivoted Upwards:

[0112] The blade is adjusted as described in variant B.

[0113] The individual swing arms of the discharge conveyor unit, be it S17a and/or S17a+b and/or S17 are moved to their pivot position projecting furthest downwards.

[0114] To check for collisions, all the swing arms present are pivoted upward—one after the other and/or simultaneously—to the maximum upward pivoted position and checked to see whether a collision then occurs with a component of the blade unit.

Variant D=Blade 3 is Moved in Axial Direction Z3:

[0115] The blade is brought as close as possible in the axial direction to the front surface of the cutting frame 5 or the cutting plane defined by this.

[0116] Otherwise, the blade is adjusted as described in variant B.

[0117] The portioning unit 17 is in the uppermost position with the overall frame R17 in the direction of X17 and all the discharge conveyor swing arms are in the maximum upward pivoted position.

[0118] To check for collisions, the blade is now moved in its axial direction Z3, i.e., along its rotation axis 3′, obliquely downwards against the portioning unit 17 at least to the non cutting position LS or to the maximum attainable position of the blade 3 in this direction and checked to see whether a collision with components of the discharge conveyor 17 occurs.

[0119] Depending on which other adjustment options are available, in particular pivoting around the axes B17 and A17 or even C17 on the discharge conveyor unit 17 and/or pivoting around the axes A3 and B3 on the blade 3, control runs for collision checking can also be carried out by varying these pivot positions.

REFERENCE LIST

[0120] 1 slicing machine, slicer [0121] 1* control [0122] 2 base frame [0123] 3 blade [0124] 3′ rotation axis [0125] 3″ blade plane, cutting plane [0126] 3a cutting edge [0127] 3a1 rear end [0128] 4 feed conveyor, feed belt [0129] 4′ pivot axis [0130] 5 cutting frame [0131] 6a-d product opening [0132] 7 cutting unit [0133] 8 upper product guide, upper guide belt [0134] 9 bottom product guide, bottom guide belt [0135] 10 transport direction, feeding direction [0136] 10* passage direction [0137] 1. transverse direction (width slicer) [0138] 2. transverse direction (height-direction caliber) [0139] 13 gripper unit, gripper slide [0140] 14.14a-d gripper [0141] 15 spacer [0142] 16 gripper claw [0143] 17 discharge conveyor unit [0144] 17a, b, c portioning belt, discharge conveyor [0145] 18 gripper guide [0146] 19 height sensor [0147] 20 feed unit [0148] 21 end piece conveyor [0149] 22 balance weight [0150] 23 blade holder [0151] 24 control element, light [0152] 25 light barrier [0153] X3, Y3, Z3 moving directions of blade 3 [0154] A3, B3, C3 pivoting directions of the blade 3 [0155] X17, Y17, Z17 moving directions of the discharge conveyor 17 or its components [0156] A17, B17, C17 pivoting directions of the discharge conveyor unit 17 or its components [0157] K product, product caliber [0158] KR end piece [0159] LS non cutting position [0160] SS cutting position [0161] S slice [0162] P portion [0163] R17 total frame [0164] S17a portioning swing arm [0165] S17a+b swing arm part [0166] S17a+b+c total swing arm [0167] S17 total swing arm