BE1024063B1 - AUTOMATIC BREAD SLICER WITH A BRUSH SUPPORT SURFACE HAVING A SLOT FOR A CUTTING BLADE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic slicing machine for a bread (4), comprising: - a loading compartment (1) and a receiving compartment (2), - a cutting device (6) for cutting slices of bread (4), - a supporting surface (3) for the bread (4), - a slot (5) provided in the support surface (3) between the compartments (1, 2) through which the cutting device (6) can move back and forth to cut slices of bread (4), - at least one movable closure member (11, 12, 18) for closing the free portion of the slit ( 5) as the cutting device (6, 7) advances. The surface of the closing member (11, 12, 18) is curved in the direction of movement of the bread (4) and the side of the compartments (1.2) above so that the bread (4) can slide on this surface curved when moving between compartments.

Description

Automatic bread slicer with support surface for bread

The invention relates to a slicing machine automatically slices a bread or a similar commodity. This machine includes a loading compartment, which is connected to a receiving compartment, and a support surface for the bread extending into said compartments. This surface defines a direction of movement of the bread parallel to the support surface, according to which the bread is transported between the two compartments. The machine is also provided with a cutting device for cutting slices of bread when it is moved between the two compartments. For this purpose, a slot is provided in the support surface between the loading compartment and the receiving compartment extending substantially transversely to the direction of movement. The device can move through this slot reciprocatingly along the longitudinal direction of the slot to cut slices of bread.

Such a bread slicer is, for example, described in DE 4431808 and DE 9310092.

An important problem that manifests itself in such machines is that, when moving the bread along the support surface in said direction of travel, the bread passes through the height of the slot, which is provided to allow the passage of the chopped off. Thus, it often happens that the displacement of the bread is disturbed by the presence of this slot because the bread or slices of the bread, cling to one of the longitudinal edges of the slot at the time of crossing the slot.

In bread slicers in which the bread is transported horizontally in one direction, the portion of the support surface that extends below the cut portion of the bread is generally positioned somewhat lower than the portion of that surface in the compartment in which the bread to be cut is introduced. Thus, the same problems occur for such slicers when it is desired to reverse the movement of the bread after cutting. The invention seeks to remedy this problem by proposing a machine in which the bread and / or bread slices are transported opposite the slot without any hindrance and without being bothered by the presence of the slot. For this purpose, the machine according to the invention comprises at least one movable closure member for closing the free portion of the slot as the cutting device advances or retreats through the slot.

Advantageously, the closure member cooperates with the cutting device so as to synchronize the movement of the closure member and the cutting device.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the surface of the closure member is curved in the direction of movement of the bread and the side of said compartments, so that this surface extends through the slot . Thus, the bread can slide on this curved surface during its movement between the compartments in the direction of movement of the bread.

The aforesaid curved surface preferably extends somewhat beyond the support surface when the closure member closes the free portion of the slot.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least a part of the closure member, when this part closes the slot, extends behind the support surface relative to the compartments.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the closure member comprises a cylinder, whose diameter is greater than the height of the slot, which is rotatably mounted about its axis. The axis of this cylinder extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the slot and behind the support surface relative to the compartments. The cylinder is driven about its axis in a reciprocating manner, so that when the cutting device is removed from the slot, the slot is closed by the surface of the cylinder, and so that recess provided in the cylinder for the cutting device is moved opposite the slot as the cutting device advances or retracts into the slot to maintain the portion of the slot, located laterally with respect to the device cutting, closed.

In this embodiment of the machine, according to the invention, the cutting device preferably moves in a plane which comprises the axis of the cylinder.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the aforesaid recess is formed by a cut in the cylinder. This cutout is delimited on the surface of this cylinder, on the one hand, by a straight line extending parallel to the axis of the cylinder and, on the other hand, by a helical line.

In an alternative embodiment of the machine, according to the invention, the closure member comprises a band whose width is at least equal to the height of the slot. This band can be moved reciprocatingly in the longitudinal direction of the slot opposite it to close as the progress or retreat of the cutting device in the slot, to maintain the portion of the slot, located laterally relative to the cutting device, in the closed state. Interestingly, said strip is wound and unrolled from a roll formed of this band, reciprocatingly to close the slot as the advancement or retreat of the device cutting in the slot. In a particular way, the strip is curved in its transverse direction, so that the unrolled part, extending opposite the slot, becomes rigid. The invention is preferably applied in a machine where said support surface for the bread is inclined at an angle between 0 ° and 20 ° relative to the vertical. Other details and features of the invention will become apparent from the description given below, by way of non-limiting example, of some particular embodiments of the machine, according to the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figures 1 to 5 show schematically the displacement of the cutting device in a back and forth movement according to a first embodiment of the machine according to the invention.

Figures 6 to 8 show in more detail the closure member during the advancement of the cutting device through the slot, provided in the support surface, according to this first embodiment of the invention.

Figures 9 and 10 schematically show a perspective view, substantially front, of the cutting device and the support surface with the closure member, according to the first embodiment of the invention.

Figures 11 to 15 show schematically the displacement of the cutting device in a reciprocating motion, according to a second embodiment of the machine according to the invention.

In the different figures, the same reference numerals relate to similar or identical elements.

The machine according to the invention is, in general, an automatic bread slicer in which a bread to be cut is moved in a direction of movement in the machine. During this movement, the slices are cut one after the other in a direction transverse to said direction of displacement.

To cut the bread into slices, it is placed in a loading compartment of a slicer. This compartment has a support surface for the bread having a plate which extends substantially vertically or which is inclined at an angle α less than 30 °, in particular less than 20 °, with respect to the vertical.

This support surface extends into a receiving compartment and has a slot which defines this receiving compartment with respect to the loading compartment.

The machine also has a movable support for the bread extending preferably transversely to the support surface. This mobile support is driven, for example, by an electric motor to transport the bread from the loading compartment to the receiving compartment and vice versa.

To cut the bread into slices, it is placed with the side, which forms the bottom of the bread, against the support surface in the loading compartment while it is supported by the mobile support. The bread then undergoes a descending or ascending movement towards the reception compartment while it is guided by the support surface in a corresponding movement of the mobile support. Thus, this support surface defines the direction of movement of the bread, according to which the bread and the movable support are moved.

During the movement of the bread, it is sliced by means of a cutting device comprising a cutting blade which moves through the bread in a direction horizontal or transverse to the direction of movement. After each passage of the cutting blade, the bread is advanced a distance corresponding to the thickness of a slice before cutting a next slice. Thus, a cut bread is obtained whose slices are stacked one on the other between the two opposite ends of the bread.

Such a slicer is, for example, described in DE 4431808 and DE 9310092.

Figures 1 to 5 show schematically the support surface, the closure member and the cutting device of a machine, according to a first embodiment of the invention. For the sake of clarity of the figures, other parts, such as for example the chassis of the machine and the mobile support, are not shown.

The bread slicing machine comprises a loading compartment 1 which is connected to a receiving compartment 2. A support surface 3 extends into these two compartments 1 and 2.

To cut a slice of bread 4, it is placed in the loading compartment 1 against the support surface 3. Next, the bread 4 is transported from this compartment 1 to the receiving compartment 2. During this movement, the bread 4 slides against the support surface 3, preferably having a flat and smooth surface. Thus, this support surface 3 defines a direction of movement of the bread 4 which extends parallel to the support surface 3 of one of the compartments to the other compartment.

Between the two compartments 1 and 2, the support surface 3 has a slot 5 which extends substantially transversely with respect to the direction of displacement aforesaid. Thus, the bread passes through this slot 5 during its movement between the two compartments 1 and 2.

A cutting device 6 makes it possible to cut slices of the bread 4 when the latter is moved between the compartments 1 and 2 opposite the slot 5.

This cutting device 6 comprises a circular cutting blade 7 which is driven around its central axis. The cutting blade 7 is mounted on the end of an arm 8, which is also driven to move the blade 7 through the slot 5. When the bread 4 is positioned in front of the slot 5, the blade 7 can then undergo a move through bread 4 and slot 5 to cut a slice of bread 4.

To cut a slice of bread 4, it is advanced on successive steps corresponding to the thickness of a slice to cut. After each advance, the cutting device 6, in particular the blade 7, is moved back and forth through the bread 4 and the slit 5 to cut a next slice, as indicated by the arrows 9 and 10. .

In Figures 2 to 4 the bread 4, which is opposite the slot 5, is not shown for the sake of clarity. Nevertheless, the support surface 3 may extend, for example, along a horizontal plane or inclined with respect to the horizontal, in the embodiment of the invention, which is shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the surface of support 3 is preferably inclined at an angle α between 0 ° and 20 ° relative to the vertical.

Thus, the machine, according to the first embodiment of the invention, comprises a movable support for the bread 4 which is movable along said direction of movement of the bread to support the bread 4. This mobile support is not shown in FIGS. attached, but is known to those skilled in the art.

When the sliced bread is placed in the loading compartment 1, it is placed on the mobile support, which is at this time in this compartment 1. When cutting the bread 4 into slices, the mobile support is moved following the direction of movement of the bread towards the bottom of the second compartment. As explained above, this displacement is made in successive steps corresponding to the thickness of a slice. After complete cutting of the bread, the mobile support is preferably reassembled to the load compartment 1 to transport the bread to the compartment 1, in order to remove the cut bread from the machine.

To ensure that the bread 4 can slide on the support surface 3, when the latter is moved between the two compartments 1 and 2, the machine according to the invention comprises a movable closing member 11 which allows to close the slot 5 above where the cutting blade 7 is not present in the slot 5. In this way, the closure member 11 allows to close the free portion of the slot 5 as and when the advancement of the retraction of the cutting device 6, in particular the blade 7, through the slot 5. The closure member 11 is formed by a cylinder 12 whose axis 13 extends parallel to the longitudinal direction of the slot 5. The diameter of the cylinder 12 is greater than the height of the slot 5 and is mounted behind the support surface 3 with respect to the compartments 1 and 2 so that the surface of the cylinder 12 extends, preferably somewhat through the slot 5. Thus, this surface is is curved in the direction of movement of the bread and the side of the compartments 1 and 2.

When a slice of the bread is cut, the blade 7 of the cutting device 6 moves through the slot 5 and along it. To allow this movement of the blade 7, the cylinder 12 has a recess 14 for the blade 7 and is rotatably mounted about its axis 13.

When the blade 7 does not extend into the slot 5, a part of the surface of the cylinder, which does not have a recess 14, is positioned in the slot 5, as shown in FIGS. 1, 5, 6 and 9. In this position of the cylinder 12, a roll 4 can be moved in said direction of displacement on the support surface 3 and pass through the height of the slot 5 without being impeded by the presence of the slot 5. The bread then slides on the surface curved cylinder 12.

As the blade 7 enters the space in the slot 5 to cut a wafer, the cylinder 12 is driven about its axis 13, so that the slot 5 is partially open by positioning the recess 14 next to of the slot 5 at the place where the blade 7 advances in the slot 5 to allow the passage of the latter. This is schematically shown in FIGS. 2, 7 and 10. The recess 14 is formed by a cut in the cylinder 12, which is delimited on the surface of this cylinder, on the one hand, by a straight line 15 extending parallel to the axis of the cylinder and, on the other hand by a helical line 16. Thus, where the recess 14 is positioned facing the slot 5, the blade 7 can extend through this recess 14. For this purpose, the volume of this recess 14 is preferably greater than half the cylinder 12 along the length of the recess 14 along the axis 13 of the cylinder 12. The distance between the straight line 15 and the helical line 16 decreases by a distance which is substantially equal to the diameter of the cylinder 12 to a distance which is at least equal to the height of the slot 5.

During the advancement of the blade 7 along the slot 5, the cylinder 12 rotates about its axis 13, as indicated by the arrow 17, to open the slot 5 until the blade 7 has passed through almost completely. the length of the slot 5 or at least the place corresponding to the space occupied by the bread 4 in front of the slot 5. By the rotation of the cylinder 12, the helical line 16 is kept at a small distance in front of the blade 7.

After the blade 7 has passed through the slot 5 in such a way, the movement of the blade 7 is reversed and the blade 7 is removed from the slot 5 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. When the blade removal is begun 7, the direction of rotation of the cylinder 12 about its axis 13 is also reversed. Thus, as the blade 7 retracts into the slot 5, the portion thereof, which is released by the blade 7 and located laterally relative to the blade 7, is closed by the surface of the cylinder 12.

To cut slices of the bread 4, as it moves from the loading compartment 1 to the receiving compartment 2, the cutting blade 7 is reciprocated along the slit 5 by the drive of the arm 9 in the direction of the arrows 9 and 10. During this movement back and forth the blade 7 moves in a plane which comprises the axis 13 of the cylinder 12. The closure member 11, formed by the cylinder 12, therefore cooperates with the cutting device 6, which comprises the blade 7, so as to synchronize the movement of the cylinder 12 and the blade 7. For this purpose, synchronization means are provided which include, for example, a electronic system which controls the motor driving the cylinder 12 about its axis according to the reciprocating movement of the arm 8, which is part of the cutting device 6.

Synchronization means may, alternatively, comprise a mechanical connection between the closure member 11 and the cutting device 6, so that the movement of the cylinder 12 is driven by the movement of the arm 8.

A second embodiment of the machine according to the invention is different from the first embodiment in that the closure member 11 is formed by a moving strip 18, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 15, instead of a cylinder 12.

This band 18 can be moved reciprocatingly in the longitudinal direction of the slot 5 and facing it to close as the advancement or retreat of the blade 7 in the slot 5.

The width of this band 18 is at least equal to the height of the slot to allow closing thereof.

The strip 18 is wound and unrolled from a roll 19 formed of this strip 18, which is positioned laterally next to the slot 5 and the support surface 3. Thus, the strip 18 is unwound and wound, following a reciprocating movement to close the slot 5 as the blade is advanced or withdrawn into the slot 5. Interestingly, the strip 18 is curved along its transverse direction, from so that the unwound portion of the strip 18, which extends opposite the slot 5, becomes substantially rigid. This is the same principle that is applied by a retractable meter comprising a graduated steel blade.

Thus, said strip 18 is preferably formed by a steel strip. The invention is of course not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the accompanying figures, but many other variants could be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention. The invention can also be applied in a machine with a support surface substantially horizontal or inclined relative to the horizontal.

However in the embodiments of the invention described above a circular cutting blade is used. It is clear that it is possible to apply other types of blades, such as an oblong blade which is reciprocated in its longitudinal direction as it moves through the slot.

Claims (14)

claims 1. Machine for automatically slicing a bread (4) or the like, comprising: - a loading compartment (1), which is connected to a receiving compartment (2), - a cutting device (6) allowing cutting slices of the bread (4) when it is moved between the loading compartment (1) and the receiving compartment (2), - a support surface (3) for the bread (4) extending into the two compartments and defining a direction of movement of the bread (4) parallel to the support surface (3), - a slot (5) provided in the support surface (3) between the aforementioned compartments (1, 2). extending substantially transversely to the direction of travel through which the cutting device (6) is reciprocable in the longitudinal direction of the slot (5) for cutting slices of the bread (4). ), - at least one movable closure member (11, 12, 18) allows both closing the free part of the slot (5) as the cutting device (6,7) advances or withdraws through the slot (5), this machine being characterized in that the surface of the closing member (11, 12, 18) is curved in the direction of movement of the bread (4) and the side of the compartments (1, 2) above, so that this surface extends through the slot (5), so that the bread (4) can slide on this curved surface when moving from the loading compartment (1) to the receiving compartment (2) and vice versa, in the direction of movement of the bread (4). 2. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the closure member (11,12,18) cooperates with the cutting device (6,7) in such a way as to synchronize the movement of the closure member (11). , 12, 18) and the cutting device (6, 7). 3. Machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said curved surface extends somewhat beyond the support surface (3) when the closure member (11,12,18) closes the free portion of the slot (5). 4. Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the closure member (11,12,18) is connected to the cutting device (6,7,8) for the movement of the body of closing (11,12,18) can be caused by the displacement of the cutting device (6,7,8). 5. Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least a portion of the closure member (11,12,18), when this portion closes the slot (5), extends behind the surface support (3) relative to the aforementioned compartments (1,2). 6. Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the closure member (11) comprises a cylinder (12), whose diameter is greater than the height of the slot (5) and which is mounted of rotationally about its axis (13), the axis (13) of this cylinder (12) extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of the slot (5) and behind the support surface (3) relative to the compartments ( 1.2), the cylinder (12) being driven about its axis (13) in a reciprocating manner, so that when the cutting device (6, 7, 8) is removed from the slot (5), it is closed by the surface of the cylinder (12), and so that a recess (14) provided in the cylinder (12) for the cutting device (7) is moved with respect to the slot (5) as the cutting device (6, 7) advances or retracts into the slot (5) to hold the part of the slot (5), located laterally with respect to u cutting device (6, 7), closed. 7. Machine according to claim 6, wherein the cutting device (6,7) is movable in a plane comprising the axis (13) of the cylinder (12). 8. Machine according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the recess (14) aforesaid is formed by a cut in the cylinder (12) defined on the surface of the cylinder (12), on the one hand, by a straight line (15) extending parallel to the axis (13) of the cylinder (12) and, secondly, by a helical line (16). 9. Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the closure member (11) comprises a strip (18) whose width is at least equal to the height of the slot (5), this strip ( 18) being movable reciprocatingly in the longitudinal direction of the slot (5) and facing it to close as the advancement or retreat of the cutting device (7) in the slot, in order to maintain the portion of the slot (5), located laterally relative to the cutting device (7), closed. The machine according to claim 9, wherein said strip (18) is wound and unrolled from a roller (19) formed from said strip (18), reciprocatingly to close the slot ( 5) as the cutting device (7) advances or retracts into the slot (5). 11. Machine according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the strip (18) is curved in its transverse direction, so that the unwound portion extending opposite the slot (5) becomes rigid. Machine according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein said strip (18) is formed by a steel blade. 13. Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising a movable support for the bread (4), the support being movable in said direction of movement of the bread (4) to support the bread (4) and to transport , after its complete slicing, to the load compartment (1) · 14. Machine according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein said support surface (3) for the bread (4) is inclined at an angle between 0 ° and 20 ° relative to the vertical.