Slicing machine with cross transfer device for loading outside the machine and loading method for a slicing machine

Abstract

In order to be able to load a forming tube channel, which stands very steeply and is open at a front and top on a longitudinal side, correctly by checking and, if necessary, changing position of a product piece in the forming tube channel, instead of sliding the new product piece from the outside on a support plate to the forming tube channel in the machine and dropping it into the forming tube channel, the entire forming tube channel is moved from a cutting position outward to a loading position, the product piece is inserted there and an entire transfer device in the form of one or more slides is moved back to the cutting position and locked there.

Claims

1. A slicing machine for slicing a piece of product from a foodstuff into slices, comprising: a base frame, a forming tube channel fastened to the base frame and extending in a longitudinal direction, with an open longitudinal side and a channel cavity open at both ends, at least one cross press stamp which can be inserted into the open longitudinal side of the forming tube channel in a first transverse direction to form a circumferentially closed forming tube, at least one longitudinal press stamp which can be inserted into the forming tube from a rear end for advancing as well as longitudinally pressing the product piece located therein in a feeding direction toward a cutting end of the forming-tube tube, a cutting device with a blade which is arranged in front of the cutting end of the forming tube and is displaceable in a transverse direction relative to the forming tube, a loading device for loading the forming tube channel which is open on the longitudinal side, wherein the loading device comprises a transfer device which supports the forming tube channel and which is capable of transferring the forming tube channel from a loading position further away from an upright longitudinal center plane of the at least one cross press-stamp in transfer direction transverse to the feed direction to a slicing position in which the longitudinal center plane runs between side walls of the forming tube channel.

2. The slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein the transfer device comprises a base slide displaceable in the transfer direction, the basic slide carries the forming tube channel, which is displaceable by means of the transfer device between the loading position and a slicing position.

3. The slicing machine according to claim 2, wherein the side walls of the forming tube channel comprise a first side wall and a second side wall that are displaceable relative to each other in a second transverse direction, wherein the first side wall is fixedly fastened to an additional slide, which is arranged on the base slide so as to be displaceable in the transfer direction, and the second side wall is adjustable relative to the additional slide, or the first side wall is fixedly fastened to the base slide and the second side wall is adjustable relative to the base slide, or both side walls are synchronously adjustable towards or away from each other.

4. The slicing machine according to claim 3, wherein position of the additional slide relative to the base slide can be fixed in the transverse direction by means of a first locking device and/or position of a transverse stop relative to the base frame of the machine can be fixed by means of a first locking device in the transverse direction and/or position of the second side wall relative to the additional slide or to the base slide can be fixed in the transverse direction by means of a second detent device.

5. The slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein an axial positioning device is provided, by which the forming tube channel can be positioned axially in the slicing position.

6. The slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein an end position sensor is provided, which detects reaching of the slicing position by the forming tube channel.

7. The slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein a latching device is provided for locking the transfer device in the transfer direction in the slicing position.

8. The slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein a transverse stamp sensor is provided for detecting whether the at least one cross stamp is located outside the forming tube channel.

9. The slicing according to claim 1, wherein a controlled drive is provided for movement and/or adjustment of the transfer device.

10. The slicing machine according to claim 2, wherein the base slide runs on base guides extending in the transfer direction, the base guides are embodied in such a way that the base slide, when in the slicing position, deflects the base guides when the forming tube channel is loaded in the first transverse direction by transverse pressing, a support body is arranged on the base frame under the base slide in the cutting position in such a way that the base slide maintains a distance therefrom in an unloaded state and reaches the support body and is supported by the support body when loaded by the transverse pressing.

11. A method for slicing a product piece with the slicing machine according to claim 1, wherein the product piece in the forming tube channel from the loading position further away from the upright longitudinal center plane of the at least one cross press stamp is transferred in the transfer direction to the slicing position in which the longitudinal center plane extends between side walls of the forming tube channel.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the product piece is transferred by loading the forming tube channel in the loading position outside the base frame of the machine with the product piece and transferring the loaded forming tube channel into an interior of the slicing machine to the slicing position of the forming tube channel.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the loaded forming tube channel is fixed in the slicing position before start of a cutting operation.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the loaded forming tube channel is finely adjusted in the longitudinal direction relative to a blade plane of the blade during a transfer operation and/or the side walls of the forming tube channel are fixed in their distance in transverse direction relative to each other and/or relative to the longitudinal center plane.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the loaded forming tube channel, when loaded in the first transverse direction, contacts a support body which is arranged under an underside of the forming tube channel due to material elasticity of the machine and is supported by the support body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Exemplary embodiments according to the invention are described in more detail below. The figures show:

(2) FIG. 1a: a known slicing machine in a sectional view along the longitudinal center plane with pressing stamps attached to the press drives for longitudinal pressing and transverse pressing,

(3) FIG. 1b: a view similar to FIG. 1a, but with both stamps already in the forming tube channel,

(4) FIG. 1c: a top view of the slicing machine of FIG. 1a, b in the direction of longitudinal pressing, i.e., at the level of the cutting plane C-C in FIG. 1b,

(5) FIG. 2: the slicing machine of FIGS. 1a-c cut along the cutting plane II-II,

(6) FIGS. 3a, b: a first embodiment of a loading device according to the invention, viewed in the longitudinal pressing direction, as a sectional enlargement of the area marked in FIG. 2 in the known machine, in various functional positions,

(7) FIG. 4: a sectional view cut along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3a,

(8) FIGS. 5a, b: a sectional view cut along the line V-V in FIG. 4, in different functional positions,

(9) FIG. 6: a second embodiment of a loading device according to the invention, shown analogously to FIG. 3a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) FIGS. 1a, b show a slicing machine with a base frame 12but without an operating unitaccording to the state of the art in side view, cut open along its longitudinal center plane 10 and reveal its basic principle:

(11) A product piece 100 with a cross section that is still irregular along its length is first inserted into a very steep forming tube channel 1U running in longitudinal direction 10, of which primarily the side wall 1U2 is visible in FIG. 1a and which has an open longitudinal side facing upwards and forwards, as shown in FIG. 1a.

(12) FIG. 1c and FIG. 2 show as a loading device 16 a support plate 9 extending laterally to the outside of the base frame 17 of the machine and also inclined steeply in longitudinal direction 10, which projects laterally to the operator side from the base frame 12 of the machine, on which a product piece 100 can be placed outside the machine and by means of a pusher 2 in the second transverse direction 11.2 into the machine over the upper end of one side wall 1U1 of the forming tube channel 1U, so that the product piece 100 falls into the forming tube channel 1, but in an uncontrolled manner.

(13) Subsequently, the open longitudinal side of the forming tube channel 1U is circumferentially closed to form a forming tube 1, e.g., by driving in a cross press stamp 5.1 fitting exactly into it in transverse direction 11.1 to the longitudinal direction 10, the transverse press direction 11.1, by means of a transverse press drive 7 according to FIG. 1b.

(14) At the same time or subsequently, as shown in FIG. 1b, a longitudinal press stamp 4.1 is moved into the forming tube 1 from the rear, upper end by means of a longitudinal press drive 6 and presses the product piece 100 as it continues to move forward in the longitudinal direction 10.

(15) Longitudinal pressing and transverse pressing together cause the irregularly shaped product piece 100 in the forming tube 1 to be deformed into a caliber 100* with a uniform cross section in longitudinal direction 10.

(16) For cutting, this caliber 100* is pushed forward in a controlled manner by the longitudinal press stamp 4.1 beyond the front, lower open end, the cutting end 1a, of the forming tube 1 to a stop plate 14 arranged at a distance in front of it, the stop surface of which defines the stop plane 14.

(17) By moving the cutting edge 3a of a blade 3 rotating about a blade axis 3, which runs parallel to the longitudinal direction 10, in a transverse direction to the longitudinal direction 10, here also the transverse pressing direction 11.1, this protrusion of the caliber 100* is cut off as a slice 101, falls onto a discharge conveyor 8 and is conveyed by the latter out of the base frame 12 of the machine.

(18) As best shown in FIGS. 1a, b and 2, the forming tube channel 1U consists of two side walls 1U1, 1U2, as well as a bottom 1U3, wherein the side walls 1U1, 1U2 are adjustable in their clear transverse distance, the width B, from one another by moving, in particular along the bottom 1U3, in the 2. transverse direction 11.2, which runs transversely, in particular in each case at a 90 angle, to both the axial direction 10 and the 1. transverse direction 11.1.

(19) In this embodiment, the side walls 1U1, 1U2 are always symmetrical to the longitudinal center plane 10, which is defined by the first transverse direction 11.1 and the longitudinal direction 10 and which runs stationary parallel to the inner surfaces of the side walls 1U1, 1U2 and/or perpendicular to the surface of the bottom 1U3, and to the inner surfaces of the two side walls 1U1, 1U2 of the forming tube channel 1U, which is in the cutting position, at the same distance B/2 on both sides, and/or in particular at the same distance B/2 on both sides to the two lateral longitudinal edges of the cross press stamp 5.1.

(20) The side walls 1U1, 1U2, or more precisely the inner surfaces of the side walls, preferably run parallel to one another so that a cross press stamp 5.1 with a fixed width can be inserted between them with an exact fit.

(21) For this purpose, the side walls 1U1, 1U2 can be moved to certain, fixed cross distances, to each other and thus to the longitudinal center plane 10, and for each of these defined widths B, i.e., inner free widths, of the molded tube channel 1U, a cross press stamp 5.1 to 5.6 with an analogous width is provided, since the cross press stamps are not variable in width.

(22) For this purpose, the cross press stamps 5.1 to 5.6 are held in a cross press stamp turret 15as best shown in FIGS. 1a-cwhose rotary axis or shift axle 15 runs parallel to the longitudinal direction 10 but is offset relative to the forming tube channel 1U in such a way that the closest cross press stamp 5.1 facing the forming tube channel 1U is still radially and axially outside the extent of the forming tube channel 1U, and from there the matching cross stamp can be pulled out downwardly from the cross stamp turret 5. and pulled onto the cross press drive 7 and locked there.

(23) Different longitudinal press stamps 4.1 are used in each case for the free inner width of the forming tube 1, which thus changes in steps, and these are held in a longitudinal stamp turret 13, the shift axle 13 of which runs parallel but offset to the shift axle 15 of the cross stamp turret 15.

(24) From there, too, the appropriate longitudinal press stamp 4.1 can be automatically selected and attached to the longitudinal press drive 6.

(25) FIG. 2 shows only the longitudinal press stamp 4.1 in use, since this section lies above this longitudinal press stamp 4.1, which has already been inserted into the forming tube 1, but already below the longitudinal stamp turret 13, on which the other longitudinal press stamps 4.1-4.6 are located.

(26) Therefore, in addition to the forming tube 1, the circular disk-shaped blade 3 can already be seen as well as the stop plate 14 arranged next to it, the functional edge of which is convexly curved and runs parallel to the outer circumference of the circumferential edge, the cutting edge 3a of the blade 3, usually at a small radial and usually also axial distance from it.

(27) FIG. 2 further shows the actuating devices for the two side walls 1U1 and 1U2 in order to displace them along the bottom 1U3 and thus to adjust the width B of the forming tube channel 1U to a predetermined value corresponding to the width of one of the cross press stamps 5.1-5.6.

(28) The selection of the punches to be used for pressing and slitting can be partially or completely automated in that the machine itself analyzes, in particular measures, the still irregular, unpressed product piece 100 to such an extent that the control of the machine can automatically select the correct cross press stamp and longitudinal press stamp, for which the product piece 100 usually first has to be in the machine in order to be analyzed by corresponding sensors.

(29) FIG. 3a shows in the cutting position and FIG. 3b in the loading position the transfer device 17 which carries the forming tube channel 1U and which is part of the loading device 16.

(30) With this transfer device 17, the U-shape 1U can be moved laterally outside the base frame 12 of the machine, as can be seen in FIG. 3b, and in this loading position, an operator can insert a piece of product 100 into the forming tube channel 1U, which is steep but open at the top towards the front, in such a way that its position can be easily seen and corrected.

(31) As can best be seen in FIG. 3a, the transfer device 17 consists at least of a base slide 18 which can be moved in the 2. transverse direction 11.2, the transfer direction 17, along slide rails 27, of which there are two spaced apart one behind the other in the viewing direction of FIGS. 3a, b and on which the base slide 18 can be moved with rollers 18b.

(32) Since the slide rails 27 lie approximately horizontally, the operator can grasp the steeply standing base slide 18 by a handle 18a arranged on its operator side B and pull it out until the forming tube channel 1U is located outside the base frame 12, of which the two side frames or side plates are shown here, as shown in FIG. 3b, for which purpose there must of course be a sufficiently large passage in one wall of the base frame 12. On the inside or outside of this passage, there may be a safety door which triggers a stop of the slicing machine as soon as it is opened during slicing operation.

(33) The forming trough 1U must be in a defined cutting position according to FIG. 3a at least in transverse direction, in particular in such a way that the longitudinal center plane 10 of the cross press stamp 5.1 is at the same time the longitudinal center plane 10 between the inner surfaces of the side walls 1U1 and 1U2.

(34) Since the width of the forming tube channel 1U, i.e., the mutual spacing of the inner surfaces of the two side walls 1U2 and 1U1, is also to be variable in steps, an additional slide 19, which carries one side wall 1U1, is displaceable in the transfer direction 17 on the base slide 18 and can be positively locked in certain transverse positions relative to the base slide 18 by means of a locking device 21.

(35) Since, depending on the setting, the side wall 1U is at a certain distance from the longitudinal center plane 10, the other side wall 1U2 must also be set to this new distance on the other side of the longitudinal center plane 10, which is why this other side wall 1U2 in turn rests on the top of the additional slide 19 and can be latched relative to it in the transfer direction 17 in various transverse positions, in particular with a second latching device 22.

(36) The latching device 21 consists of a through-hole in the plate-shaped additional slide 19, which is preferably at the same time the bottom 1U3 of the forming tube channel 1U or includes this bottom, but the through-hole is away from the forming tube channel 1U on the operator side in transfer direction 17.

(37) In the base slide 18, there are recesses, in this case through holes, at predetermined distances from each other, and the through hole in the auxiliary slide 19 can be brought into alignment with each of these recesses in the base slide 18 in the transfer direction 17, and a detent bolt 21a can be inserted into the base slide 18 through the additional slide 19 with a small radial clearance with respect to the diameters of the holes and recesses.

(38) Similarly, the detent device 21 comprises a through-hole in the plate-shaped extension extending from the lower end of the side wall 1U2 away from the forming tube channel 1U and braced with respect to this side wall to form a supplementary slide 32, but the through-hole is located away from the forming tube channel 1U in the transfer direction 17.

(39) In the supplementary slide 19 there are recesses, in this case blind holes, at predetermined distances from one another, whereby the through hole in the plate-shaped extension of the supplementary slide 32 can be brought into alignment with each of these recesses in the supplementary slide 19 in the transfer direction 17 and a locking bolt 22a can be inserted through the plate-shaped extension into the supplementary slide 19, which has a small radial clearance with respect to the diameters of the holes and recesses.

(40) In FIG. 3a, only for reasons of overview, no piece of product is shown in the shaped-pipe channel 1U, which, however, in this case is already closed on the open longitudinal side, which according to the right half of the illustration can be done by a suitable cross press stamp e.g., 5.1, which has the same width as the inner free width currently set free width of the forming tube channel 1U and can be moved tightly into this in the first transverse direction, the transverse pressing direction 11.1, in order to press the product piece located therein also in the transverse direction 11.1.

(41) If this is not desired, a cover 5* that can be placed over the upper ends of the two side walls 1U1, 1U2 along the open longitudinal side is also sufficient.

(42) The setting and adjustment of the transverse position of the supplementary slide 19 relative to the base frame 18 and also of the supplementary slide 32 is carried out before loading and preferably outside the base frame 12 of the machine in the loading position as shown in FIG. 3b.

(43) In the cutting position of FIG. 3a, it is essential that the base slide 18 is and remains exactly in the cutting position in the transverse direction 11.2, this being ensured by a transverse stop 33 on the base frame 12, against which the base slide 18 can be moved, on the one hand, and a latching device 20, on the other hand, which prevents withdrawal from this stop 33 and thus from the cutting position in the latched state.

(44) For this purpose, a latching projection 28, which in this case projects downwards, is formed on the base frame 12, behind which a latching nose 29, which comes from below and projects upwards, can engage, which latching nose 29 is pivotably fastened to the base slide 18 between a latched and unlatched position. The tilted latching nose 29 can be unlocked by means of a drawbar 31, which extends from the latching device 20 arranged on the anti-operator side under the base slide 18 to the operator side and can be gripped there, in particular outside the base frame 12, by an operator in order to be able to pull the base slide 18 out into the loading position for new loading of the forming tube channel 1U.

(45) For this purpose, of course, no cross press stamp 5.1 may be located inside the forming tube channel 1U, but must have moved out of it against the cross press direction 11.1, which can be checked by means of a sensor or also by means of a latching device not shown.

(46) An end position sensor 26 is provided on the latching device 20, which detects the latched state of the latching nose 29 behind the latching projection 28, preferably without contact, and is connected in terms of signals to the control of the machine, so that no start of the slicing operation is possible without a basic slide 18 in the slicing position.

(47) Not shown is a stop at the lower open end of the forming tube channel 1U, which is very steep, for the inserted product piece 100, which would otherwise slip out of the lower open end of the forming tube channel 1U.

(48) This stop can be mounted stationary on the base frame 12 and extend close to the stop plate 14 in the transverse direction 11.2 shown in FIG. 1a to FIG. 2, which is connected to the blade 3.

(49) FIGS. 4 and 5a, b show how the base slide 18 can be adjusted very precisely to the blade plane 3 in the longitudinal direction 10 in the cutting position:

(50) FIG. 4 shows, viewed in the transfer direction 17, the transverse direction 11.2, the base slide 18 rolling on a left-hand slide rail 27A with left-hand rollers 18A in this viewing direction and on a right-hand slide rail 27B with right-hand rollers 18B.

(51) Whereas the right-hand rollers have a slightly crowned peripheral surface in cross section and roll on a flat support surface of the slide rail 27B, the left-hand rollers 18A have a peripheral groove into which the left-hand slide rail 27A partially dips, the roller 18A bearing against the periphery of the slide rail 27A with both flanks of its groove, i.e., on both sides of the longitudinal center plane 18A of this roller 18A, which is transverse to its rotation axis 18.

(52) As a result, the roller 18A is held positively on the plunging slide rail 27A in the longitudinal direction, the longitudinal pressing direction 10, especially since the base slide 18 has, in addition to each roller resting on the upper side of the respective slide rail 27A, 27B, a respective counter-roller 18A* or 18B* on the opposite side of the respective slide rail 27A, 27B, which is necessary because of the rotational axis 18 of the rollers 18A, B, which in reality is very steep.

(53) In order to permit temperature expansions of the base slide 18 in the longitudinal press direction 10, only the rollers 18A on one side of the base slide 18 are positively formed with respect to the slide rail 27A as describedregardless of whether they are on the left or the right side of the base slide 18 as viewed in the transfer direction 17while the rollers 18B on the other side rest with their circumferential surface, which is convex in cross section, on the running surface of the slide rail 27A, 27B, which is less convex in the longitudinal direction 10, in particular planar, running surface of the slide rail 27B can move in longitudinal direction 10.

(54) In the case of the rollers 18A, the groove could represent a prism and the part of the cross section of the roller 27A facing in the opposite direction could likewise represent a prism.

(55) In the illustrated embodiment, however, the fillet in the roller 18A has, in its outer peripheral region, a peripheral surface 18A1 which is straight in cross section and angled with respect to one another and which corresponds in inclination to a tangent to the circular cross section of the slide rail 27A at that peripheral location of the slide rail against which it thus bears.

(56) The central cross sectional area 18A2 of the fillet has a smaller radius of curvature than the round cross section of the slide rail 27A, and is contiguous with the inner ends of the peripheral surfaces 18A1, and is therefore not in contact with the slide rail 27A.

(57) Axially on both sides away from the fillet, the rollers 18A have an annular cylindrical peripheral surface 18A3 whose diameter corresponds in particular to the largest diameter of the rollers 18B.

(58) FIG. 4 also shows that on the underside of the base slide 18 there is a guide rail 24 running in the transfer direction 17, which runs in the longitudinal pressing direction 10 with very close tolerances in a guide shoe 23 fixed to the base frame 12 of the machine, which also supports the two slide rails 27A and 27B.

(59) FIG. 5a shows in the top view of the base slide 18 that the guide shoe 23 with a groove is only present in the last section of the transfer distance from the loading position to the cutting position, i.e., the guide rail 24 present on the base slide 18 only dips into the guide shoe 23 on the last part of this transfer distance, approximately the last 20 cm, before the base slide 18 reaches the cross stop 33, i.e., the cutting position.

(60) The groove of the guide shoe 23 has a lead-in slope at the end from which the guide rail 24 moves in.

(61) Since the guide shoe 23 guides the base slide 18 via the guide rail 24 in the longitudinal pressing direction 10, i.e., in particular relative to the blade plane 3, more precisely than the form fit between the rollers 18A and the slide rail 27A partially moved into it, the immersion of the guide rails 24 in the groove of the guide shoe 23 can lead to a slight misalignment of the base slide 18 in the longitudinal pressing direction 10, i.e., to a one-sided lifting of the rollers 18A from the slide rail 27A.

(62) In order to avoid this, the slide rail 27A can end with its convex running surface from the position in transfer direction 17, in which the insertion slope 23a changes into a constant groove width of the groove in the guide shoe 23, and a flat running surface of a slide rail 27A1 can follow it at such a height that the at least foremost roller 18A in the direction of the transverse stop 33 can continue to roll on it with its cylindrical circumferential surfaces 18A3 up to the transverse stop 33 without being displaced in transverse direction 11.1, as shown in FIG. 5b. The same applies to the counter-roller 18A* and the running surface on the underside of this slide rail 27A1.

(63) FIG. 6 shows a view analogous to FIG. 3a, in which, however, the transfer device 17 in a second design is constructed in such a way that the side walls 1U1 and 1U2 can only move in counter-synchronism, i.e., due to the initially equal distance B/2 to the longitudinal center plane 10 due to a corresponding counter-synchronous mechanism, they always assume the same distance to the left and right of the longitudinal center plane 10. This distance can again be set in steps according to the available widths of the various cross press stamps 5.1 to 5.6, but in this way the bottom of the forming tube channel can be fixed to the base slide 18 or be part of this base slide, so that the additional slide can be omitted and only the two side walls with the counter-synchronous mechanismin this case a threaded spindle with two counter-rotating threaded sections one behind the other and spindle nuts connected axially fixed to the two side wallswhich can be moved individually relative to the bottom 1U3 need to be present, as well as on one of the two additional slides the one locking device analogous to the locking device 21 or 22 of FIG. 3a, b.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(64) 1 forming tube 1 forming tube cavity 1U forming tube channel 1U channel cavity 1U1,1U2 side wall 1U3 bottom 1a cutting end 2 slider 3 blade 3 blade axis 3 blade plane 3a blade, cutting edge 4.1-4.5 longitudinal press stamp 5.1-5.6 cross press stamp 6 longitudinal press drive 7 cross press drive 8 discharge conveyor 9 support plate 10 axial direction, longitudinal direction, longitudinal press direction 10 longitudinal center plane 11 transverse direction, radial direction 11.1 1. transverse direction, transverse pressing direction 11.2 2. transverse direction 12 base frame 13 longitudinal stamp turret 13 rotary axis, shift axle 14 stop element, stop plate 14 stop plane 14a functional edge 15 cross stamp turret 15 shift axle 16 loading device 18A, B roller, slider roller 18A longitudinal center plane 18A1 first running surface 18A2 center area 18A3 cylindrical peripheral surface 17 transfer device 18 base slide 18a pull handle 19 additional slide 20 latching device 21 latching device 22 latching device 23 guide shoe 24 guide rail 25 axial positioning device 26 End position sensor 27A, B slide rail 28 latching projection 29 latching nose 30 tilting lever 31 drawbar 31a handle 32 supplementary slide 33 cross stop 100 product piece 100* caliber 101 slice A distance B width forming tube channel