EP0028278A1 - Machine de découpage - Google Patents

Machine de découpage Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0028278A1
EP0028278A1 EP79302441A EP79302441A EP0028278A1 EP 0028278 A1 EP0028278 A1 EP 0028278A1 EP 79302441 A EP79302441 A EP 79302441A EP 79302441 A EP79302441 A EP 79302441A EP 0028278 A1 EP0028278 A1 EP 0028278A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
platen
block
cheese
heads
portions
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP79302441A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
David Neville De Mattos
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
CODAT MANAGEMENT Ltd
Original Assignee
CODAT MANAGEMENT Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by CODAT MANAGEMENT Ltd filed Critical CODAT MANAGEMENT Ltd
Priority to EP79302441A priority Critical patent/EP0028278A1/fr
Publication of EP0028278A1 publication Critical patent/EP0028278A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D3/00—Cutting work characterised by the nature of the cut made; Apparatus therefor
    • B26D3/18—Cutting work characterised by the nature of the cut made; Apparatus therefor to obtain cubes or the like
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D3/00—Cutting work characterised by the nature of the cut made; Apparatus therefor
    • B26D3/18—Cutting work characterised by the nature of the cut made; Apparatus therefor to obtain cubes or the like
    • B26D3/185—Grid like cutters

Definitions

  • This invention is concerned with apparatus for use in the packaging of portions of cheese or other soft non-granular substances such as fat or meat loaf.
  • Cheese is produced in parallelepiped blocks, generally of the order of 18 kg weight. For distribution and retail sale these blocks require to be cut into portions, each portion being individually and separately packed.
  • Automatic vacuum packaging machines are known which have a matrix of compartments each for a single portion of cheese and which operate to pack portions of cheese loaded in the matrix in plastic film wrapping material.
  • apparatus for cutting a block of a soft non-granular substance into a plurality of portions, the apparatus comprising a platen to receive a block to be cut; drive means for advancing the platen from a starting position in steps to a fully advanced position; first cutter means for cutting into the block along the direction of advance of the block on the platen; and second cutter means for cutting the block in a direction transverse to the cuts produced by the first cutter means whereby operation of the first and second cutter means produces a layer of portions cut from the block, the drive means being adjustable to set the size of steps in which the platen advances, and thus the thickness of the layer of portions produced, such that the block is divided completely into a plurality of layers none of which has a thickness less than a predetermined minimum.
  • the preferred embodiment of such apparatus can be used to cut a block of cheese for loading into an automatic packaging machine.
  • the apparatus includes a transfer mechanism for transferring portions to a packaging machine, the mechanism comprising a plurality of heads each having a face for engaging a portion to be transferred, port means in that face,and means to couple the port means to a source of sub-atmospheric pressure, the plurality of heads being located in each of at least two parallel rows, the heads of each row being movably mounted on a carrier and the carriers being mounted on supports, the carriers being movable between a first position at a first spacing on the supports to a second position at a second spacing from-one another and the heads on each carrier being movable between a first spacing at the first position of the associated carrier to a second spacing on the carrier at the second position of that carrier, whereby in a first location closely packed portions can be engaged by the heads and transferred to a second location in a spaced apart relationship to one another.
  • the mechanism comprising a plurality of heads each having a face for engaging a portion to be transferred, port means in that face,and means to couple the port means to a
  • the heads of the transfer mechanism are intended to provide the clamping heads of the cutting apparatus and to transfer the rows of cut portions to the matrix of lined compartments of a wrapping machine.
  • the suction heads for use in a transfer mechanism preferably comprise a manifold for connection to a source of sub-atmospheric pressure, a plurality of cups each having an open mouth lying in a gripping surface of the head, and an aperture establishing communication between each cup and the manifold, the cross-sectional area of each aperture being small in comparison with the area of the mouth of the cup it serves.
  • a preferred embodiment of the invention which comprises a feed and cutter unit 1, a transfer unit 2, and a control cubicle 3.
  • the apparatus functions to receive blocks of, for example, cheese and to reduce them to a multiplicity of portions which are delivered to an automatic vacuum packaging machine 4 situated below one end of the transfer unit 2.
  • blocks of cheese are removed from their wrappings in a stripping room 5 and are placed on a gravity feed conveyor 6 leading to the cutter unit 1.
  • the blocks are taken successively from the conveyor 6 and passed through the cutter unit 1 in which they are cut completely into usable portions none of which has a thickness less than a predetermined minimum. Cut portions are removed from the cutter unit by the transfer unit 2 and deposited in the packaging machine 4 for vacuum wrapping.
  • the cutter unit 1 and gravity conveyor 6 are shown schematically in side elevation.
  • the leading block of cheese on the conveyor 6 passes on to a conveyor 7 of the cutter unit and is held there until required by clamps 8.
  • the clamps 8 are powered by a pneumatic ram 9 and are connected by a centering linkage such that the block held between the clamps 8 is centered on the conveyor 7.
  • the cylinder 9 is operated to release the clamps 8 and allow a block of cheese to roll forward into a loading gate 9 where it is arrested by a stop 10.
  • the loading gate comprises a short length of conveyor 11 which is mounted by a linkage to be vertically movable between the lower and upper positions illustrated in Figure 3. Movement of the conveyor 11 is controlled by a pneumatic ram 12.
  • the ram 12 When required, the ram 12 is operated to raise a block of cheese mounted on the conveyor section 11 to the upper position illustrated in Figure 3 whereupon a further pneumatic ram 13 is operated to force the block of cheese 14 forward onto a platen 15.
  • a further pneumatic ram 13 If desired, side trimming wires can be position to trim the sides of the block as it is forced forward by the ram 13. However, this should not be necessary unless the sides of the block are badly barrelled.
  • the platen 15 is then raised by admitting hydraulic fluid to a hydraulic ram 16 until the top surface of the block of cheese located on the platen breaks a photo-optical beam. By measuring the position of the platen at this instant, the.thickness of the block of cheese is determinable.
  • the platen 15 is then raised in a plurality of steps under program control (as hereinafter described) to force the block of cheese through a fixed cutting frame 17.
  • the cutting frame 17 is provided with an intersecting grid-pattern of cutting wires to divide the block vertically into a plurality of columns.
  • a block is divided into twelve rectangular columns by means of cutting wires intersecting at right angles.
  • the layer cut by the slicer will comprise a plurality of individual portions which are then removed from the top of the block by the transfer unit.
  • the slicer 19 is then retracted by the ram 18 and the ram 16 advanced a further step to raise the block of cheese.
  • the thickness of the layers cut by the slicer 19 is determined by the size of the steps in which the ram 16 advances aswill be described in more detail hereinafter.
  • the slicer preferably comprises a rigid frame to which is secured a single cutting wire.
  • the platen After the last layer of portions has been removed from the platen the platen automatically decends to receive another full block of cheese.
  • the transfer unit comprises a plurality of pick-up heads mounted so as to be horizontally movable with respect to each other.
  • One head is provided for each grid square of the fixed cutting frame 17 and accordingly each pick-up head removes a single portion of cheese after a layer of cheese has been severed by the slicer 19.
  • the pick-up heads 20 are mounted on blocks 21 which in turn are slidably mounted on rods 22,23. The arrangement is such that the blocks 21 can slide relative to each other within predetermined limits in two mutually perpendicular directions. The extent of permissible travel is determined by lost motion connections 24 and 25. Means are provided for raising and lowering the pick-up heads 20 and for displacing the entire assembly of pick-up heads horizontally.
  • the initial position on the left of Figure 5A illustrates the spacing of the blocks above the block of cheese, the ram 26 being fully retracted and the left hand blocks 21 being restrained by fixed stops 27.
  • the lost motion connections 24 are fully contracted and the blocks 21 are close together.
  • the blocks 21 are moved to the right as viewed in Figure 5A to a position above the packaging machine.
  • the left most blocks 21 eventually engage fixed stops 28 and further extension of the ram 26 serves to move the blocks 21 apart - to the limit of the lost motion connections 24.
  • the rams 29 are dispensed with and a cam track is provided for separating the blocks 21 in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the ram 26.
  • the pick-up heads are readily accessible to an operator and the surface of the head which comes into contact with the cheese can be wiped over without removal from the machine. To provide for washing and sterilization the heads can be removed individually.
  • the pick-up heads 20 each comprise a resilient pad 30 moulded from a suitable elastomeric material to define a plurality, e.g. 36, cups on the lower face thereof.
  • Each cup is connected to a manifold defined within the pick-up heads by a short metal tube extending from a recess at the closed end of each cup into the manifold.
  • the cross sectional area of each tube is much smaller than the opening to each cup defined at the lower surface of the pads 30.
  • the cups are sealed by the block of cheese and a vacuum is formed within each cup. If, however, any cup is not sealed only a small amount of air can be drawn through the tube associated with that cup because of the small diameter of the tube.
  • Each pick-up head is accordingly capable of lifting a block of cheese, but if for some reason not all the cups of a head seal on the block of cheese no serious leakage of air into the manifold of that pad will occur.
  • the vacuum system is arranged such that vacuum is supplied to the manifolds of the pick-up heads as they are driven down into contact with the top surface of the cheese.
  • the ram 16 is a double acting hydraulic ram having a piston 31 upon the piston rod 32 of which the platen 15 is directly mounted. Raising of the platen is accomplished by admitting hydraulic fluid from a reservoir 33 to the underside of the piston 31, the movement of the piston being controlled by an electrically operated hydraulic valve 34 positioned in a pipe 35 connecting the upper chamber of the ram 16 (as viewed in Figure 6) to a reservoir 36.
  • an electrically operated hydraulic valve 34 positioned in a pipe 35 connecting the upper chamber of the ram 16 (as viewed in Figure 6) to a reservoir 36.
  • compressed air is continuously applied to the inlet 37 of the reservoir 33 whilst the outlet 38 of the reservoir 36 is vented to atmosphere. Accordingly, movement of the piston 31 is controlled exclusively by opening and closing the valve 34.
  • a digital encoder mechanism 39 of any convenient type, for example, Litton Precision Products International Inc. encoder type 70B item 500-1-3-1 is connected to the platen in order to provide a train of output pulses upon movement of the platen 15. In the preferred embodiment one output pulse is produced for each 0.1 mm vertical movement of the platen 15.
  • the output pulses from the..digital encoder 39 sre supplied to a micro-processor control unit housed within the control cubicle 3.
  • blocks of cheese supplied to the machine are manufactured to the same nominal dimensions it will be appreciated that the actual dimensions of the blocks vary considerably.
  • a remnant layer of random thickness will be left. If this remnant layer is too thin for packaging it must be regarded as waste and used, for example, in the production of processed cheese. Not only is this a less profitable use for the cheese, but also means that the remnant layer must often be removed from the machine by hand, resulting in an interruption to automatic operation.
  • the apparatus is programed to cut as many slices as possible of a desired thickness, whilst ensuring that the remnant layer produced is never less than a usable thickness.
  • the block is always completely divided into portions sufficiently thick for automatic wrapping, thereby substantially completely eliminating waste and the associated interruptions to production.
  • the feed mechanism ensures that the last two portion layers are always in excess of a selected minimum thickness and never above twice this thickness.
  • the equipment would cut six layers of 25 mm and two of 15 mm: from a 175 mm block the last two layers would be 12.5 mm, and from 165 mm there would be six layers of 25 mm and one final layer of 15 mm. From a block of 158 mm, five layers of 25 mm would be cut and two of 16,5 mm.
  • control of the thickness of each portion is achieved by means of a micro-processor unit which receives signals from the digital encoder 39 and in response opens and closes the hydraulic valve 34.
  • a micro-processor unit which receives signals from the digital encoder 39 and in response opens and closes the hydraulic valve 34.
  • the micro-processor has previously been programed with the total number of pulses from the digital encoder 39 which correspond to the maximum overall vertical movement of the platen 15. By deducting from this total the number of pulses produced during raising of the platen 15 until.the cheese intercepts the photo-optical beam, the resultant number of pulses corresponds to the height of the block 14.
  • the valve 34 is then closed to stop the platen 15.
  • the desired slice thickness and the minimum acceptable slice thickness have previously been set on the control cubicle by meams of, for example, thumbwheel switches.
  • the valve 34 is then opened and the platen 15 rises until the number of pulses emitted by the digital encoder corresponds to the desired slice thickness plus the offset between the photo-optical beam and the cutting wire of the slicer 19.
  • the valve 34 is again closed. This step in the movement of the platen will have forced the cheese up through the fixed cutting frame 17 to produce a plurality of columns each of which extends above the plane of the cutting wire of the slicer by an amount equal to the desired thickness.
  • the slicer 19 is then operated and the first layer of portions removed as described above.
  • the valve 34 is again opened and the cheese forced upwardly until the number of pulses emitted by the digital encoder corresponds to the desired slice thickness.
  • the valve 34 is then closed and the slicer 19 operated again.
  • the cheese remaining on the platen 15 has a thickness determined by subtracting the total number of pulses emitted by the digital encoder 39 from the number of pulses corresponding to the maximum possible movement of the platen 15, less than the desired portion thickness plus the minimum acceptable portion thickness.
  • the valve 34 is opened to advance the platform an appropriate distance, after which the slicer 19 is operated, and then to fully advance the platen after which the remaining portions on the platform are removed without operation of the slicer 19. If in the alternative the cheese remaining on the platen must be removed as a single layer the valve 34 is opened to allow the platen to become fully advanced, and the portions remaining on the platen are then removed without operation of the slicer 19.
  • operation of the entire machine is under the control of the micro-processor, with each movement of the machine being monitored by suitable photo-optical or magnetic sensors. These sensors ensure that each motion or function is correctly performed, and result in the initiation of a suitable error procedure in the event of any malfunction.
  • the cutting apparatus is preferably electrically connected to the packaging machine in order to ensure correctly phased operation.
  • control cubicle 3 is preferably mounted on the machine it may, if desired, be mounted away from the cutter unit and transfer unit and be connected to these units by suitable cables.
  • control cubicle preferably allows for manual operation of each portion of the machine to facilitate the clearing of faults and the initial setting up of the machine.
  • the digital encoder emits one pulse for each 0.1 mm of movement of the platen
  • the desired portion thickness and minimum acceptable thickness can conveniently be adjusted in steps of 0.1 mm.
  • the machine is preferably provided with guards whereby the moving parts are inaccessible.
  • the guards may be removed for cleaning and maintenance purposes but are provided with fail-safe air operated interlocks such that removal of any guard breaks an air line resulting in the operation of one or more diaphragm switches to shut down the machine.
  • a stand-by low. pressure air supply to the pick-up heads and the clamping cylinder 9 is provided in order to prevent the inadvertent dropping of portions of cheese or the entry of further blocks of cheese into the machine in the event of automatic shutdown of the machine.
  • the control apparatus of the machine preferably provides for a second mode of operation in which after the height of the block of cheese has been measured as described above, the block of cheese is completely advanced in a plurality of steps each of equal size whereby the block is divided into a plurality of equal sized portions.
  • the controller is programed with the number of slices into which the block is to be divided.

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Forests & Forestry (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Dairy Products (AREA)
  • Packging For Living Organisms, Food Or Medicinal Products That Are Sensitive To Environmental Conditiond (AREA)
EP79302441A 1979-11-05 1979-11-05 Machine de découpage Withdrawn EP0028278A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP79302441A EP0028278A1 (fr) 1979-11-05 1979-11-05 Machine de découpage

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP79302441A EP0028278A1 (fr) 1979-11-05 1979-11-05 Machine de découpage

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0028278A1 true EP0028278A1 (fr) 1981-05-13

Family

ID=8186458

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP79302441A Withdrawn EP0028278A1 (fr) 1979-11-05 1979-11-05 Machine de découpage

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0028278A1 (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2130956A (en) * 1982-11-29 1984-06-13 Michelin & Cie A process and device for cutting strips from a mass of material in particular from a latex coagulum
GB2240030A (en) * 1990-01-18 1991-07-24 Kerrygold Company Limited Dividing foodstuffs and other materials into portions
EP0812766A1 (fr) * 1996-06-14 1997-12-17 KRAFT JACOBS SUCHARD R & D, INC. Unité d'emballage pour produits alimentaires, procédé et dispositif de fabrication de ladite unité
EP1010500A3 (fr) * 1998-12-17 2002-10-09 Wright Pugson Limited Dispositif, ainsi que procédé pour couper le fromage

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3046656A (en) * 1959-07-10 1962-07-31 Caves & Des Producteurs Reunis Machine for cutting cheeses of cylindrical shape into sector portions
US3739668A (en) * 1971-06-28 1973-06-19 Safeway Stores Apparatus for cutting and handling block-line articles
US3776073A (en) * 1970-10-30 1973-12-04 Kraftco Corp Method and apparatus for preparing cheese cuts

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3046656A (en) * 1959-07-10 1962-07-31 Caves & Des Producteurs Reunis Machine for cutting cheeses of cylindrical shape into sector portions
US3776073A (en) * 1970-10-30 1973-12-04 Kraftco Corp Method and apparatus for preparing cheese cuts
US3739668A (en) * 1971-06-28 1973-06-19 Safeway Stores Apparatus for cutting and handling block-line articles

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2130956A (en) * 1982-11-29 1984-06-13 Michelin & Cie A process and device for cutting strips from a mass of material in particular from a latex coagulum
US4560338A (en) * 1982-11-29 1985-12-24 Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin Apparatus for obtaining strips from a material, particularly from a latex coagulum
US4663100A (en) * 1982-11-29 1987-05-05 Compagni Generale Des Etablissements Michelin Method for obtaining strips from a material, particularly from a latex coaglum
GB2240030A (en) * 1990-01-18 1991-07-24 Kerrygold Company Limited Dividing foodstuffs and other materials into portions
EP0812766A1 (fr) * 1996-06-14 1997-12-17 KRAFT JACOBS SUCHARD R & D, INC. Unité d'emballage pour produits alimentaires, procédé et dispositif de fabrication de ladite unité
EP1010500A3 (fr) * 1998-12-17 2002-10-09 Wright Pugson Limited Dispositif, ainsi que procédé pour couper le fromage

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PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

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AK Designated contracting states

Designated state(s): AT BE CH DE FR IT LU NL SE

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19811030

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

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18D Application deemed to be withdrawn

Effective date: 19840209

RIN1 Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected)

Inventor name: DE MATTOS, DAVID NEVILLE