EP0052547B1 - Mounting and balancing device for the rotating knives of a cutter machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The massive central portion of the knife is formed with an opening of substantially rectangular shape for inserting a boss of square shape integral with a support-washer in turn formed with an opening the shape of which is identical to that of the machine shaft. The boss has an eccentric hole for cooperating with a finger of a stabilizer holding washer provided with a sleeve on which comes the balancing washer of circular shape but having in its center a recess of oblong shape.

Description

The present invention relates to young people; mounting and balancing device allowing the adjustment and locking in place of the knives used in the machines used for cutting, grinding and chopping food products, in particular in delicatessen and salted meats, these machines comprising a certain number knives arranged on an axis rotating at high speed a generally semi-toroidal tank. The knives are placed either 180 °, 120 °, 90 °, 60 °, or 30 ° one from the other, depending on the number of knives, on a single line.

It is also recalled that in modern machines, called cutter machines, the speed of rotation of the knives is extremely high since there are machines which normally rotate between 3000 to 6000 rpm. These speeds have led to the appearance of phenomena which, until now, were negligible but which today cause serious risks. Indeed, the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the knives reaches very high values which tend to move them relative to the shaft on which they are fixed and, despite the precautionary measures taken, certain knives move with all the consequences disastrous as one can imagine since these knives come into contact with the tank of the machine, break, deeply scratch this tank and risk being transformed into extremely dangerous projectiles for the neighboring personnel. On the other hand, the metal shards make the products being processed unusable and the price of these products is high since sometimes hundreds of kilograms are treated in a single work pass.

It should also be noted that the very high speed of rotation gives rise to vibrations if the knives are not carefully balanced. Indeed, the new knives have little different weights but significant differences inevitably appear after a few sharpening operations which can reach differences of several tens of grams. The vibrations thus caused lead to general fatigue of the machine, the deterioration of the knife shaft bearings and a deafening noise in the workshop making the work hard for the staff.

We have already tried to remedy these drawbacks by different mechanical solutions both with regard to the suppression of the movement of the knives under the effect of centrifugal force and with regard to the vibrations due to imbalances by using complementary devices. rebalancers. However, existing embodiments generally present together or separately various drawbacks or limitations of use such as high price, reduced adjustment possibilities, limited balancing possibilities, restriction as to the choice of the number of knives used and the manner of arranging them. on the knife holder shaft, etc.

In document DE-A-2 653 335, the adjustment is obtained by transforming the rotational movement of an adjustment washer carrying two opposite lugs in rectilinear movement, ensuring the simultaneous adjustment of two knives opposite at 180 °.

In the application of FR-A-2 387 686, the adjustment is obtained by a means close to the previous one, the rotation of an adjustment washer ensuring the adjustment of a single knife.

In patent application FR-A-2 433 980, the adjustment design is entirely different and is based on the adjustment by filing, as the knife wears, of a stopper spout.

In the aforementioned patent is described an embodiment of a completely special design. Balancing can be done knife by knife, or in pairs, or possibly for a complete torque set. The principle is very simple and inexpensive. It is by multiplying the possible positions of weights, the number of which can also be multiple, that the desired balancing can be obtained. This system has the advantage of a low cost price and great compactness. On the other hand, its precision can only be approximate and the use of multiple weights risks creating some irritating problems for the user. In addition, the compensation capacity is limited.

The present invention overcomes these drawbacks by creating a balancing and tightening device ensuring complete security.

According to the invention, in the massive central part of the knife is pierced an opening of substantially rectangular shape to allow the establishment of a boss of square shape integral with a support washer itself pierced with an opening which the shape is identical to that of the machine shaft, the boss having an eccentric hole intended to cooperate with a finger, a balancing washer provided with a sleeve on which is placed the balancing washer of circular shape but having in its center an oblong recess thus ensuring the possibility of eliminating unbalances to achieve a balancing of the knives mounted on the machine shaft.

According to another characteristic of the invention, it is placed between the boss of the support washer and one of the sides of the opening of the knives a wedge or intermediate piece suitably adjusted then this intermediate piece is blocked by a blocking piece or latch while the boss of the support washer is also blocked by a blocking piece or latch.

• La fig. 1 montre une élévation d'un couteau conforme à l'invention.
• La fig. 2 est un plan d'une rondelle-support de couteau.
• La fig. 3 est une coupe suivant la ligne III-III de la fig. 2.
• La fig. 4 est une vue en plan d'une rondelle porte-équilibreur.
• La fig. 5 est une coupe suivant la ligne V-V de la fig. 4.
• La fig. 6 est une vue en plan d'une rondelle équilibreuse.
• La fig. 7 est une élévation latérale correspondant à la fig. 6.
• La fig. 8 est une élévation montrant un couteau équipé de la rondelle support.
• La fig. 9 est un plan d'un cache placé en bout de l'ensemble des couteaux et rondelles-support et équilibreuse.
• La fig. 10 est une coupe suivant la ligne X-X de la Fig. 9.
• La fig. 11 montre un outil permettant la mise en place et le réglage en équilibre des couteaux.
• La fig. 12 est une élévation latérale de l'ensemble des couteaux montés sur l'arbre d'entraînement d'une machine cutter.
• Les fiq. 13 et 14 montrent une légère modification de la réalisation d'un élément de blocage du couteau.

An embodiment of the object of the invention is shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings.

• Fig. 1 shows an elevation of a knife according to the invention.
• Fig. 2 is a plan of a knife support washer.
• Fig. 3 is a section along line III-III of FIG. 2.
• Fig. 4 is a plan view of a balancing washer.
• Fig. 5 is a section along the line VV of FIG. 4.
• Fig. 6 is a plan view of a balancing washer.
• Fig. 7 is a side elevation corresponding to FIG. 6.
• Fig. 8 is an elevation showing a knife fitted with the support washer.
• Fig. 9 is a plan of a cover placed at the end of all the knives and support washers and balancing machine.
• Fig. 10 is a section along line XX of FIG. 9.
• Fig. 11 shows a tool for setting up and adjusting the balance of the knives.
• Fig. 12 is a side elevation of all the knives mounted on the drive shaft of a cutter machine.
• The fiq. 13 and 14 show a slight modification of the embodiment of a knife blocking element.

In fig. 1, a knife known as a cutter knife 1 is shown, the shape of which is conventional, the cutting area of the knife being designated by 2. The massive central part 1d of the knife has an opening 3 of substantially rectangular shape but the side 3b of which is not not parallel to the opposite side 3a but, on the contrary, moves away from right to left of the side 3b. Semicircular cutouts 4, 5 are provided in the middle area of the sides 3b, 3c of the opening 3.

In Fig. 2, a cylindrical support washer 10 has been shown, the central part 10a of which has an additional thickness or boss 11 pierced with an opening 12 with a hexagon corresponding to the section of the drive shaft of the machine. In addition, there is provided in the boss 11 a hole 13 whose role will be explained below. Instead of the hexagonal hole 12, there could be an opening of another shape.

In fig. 4 a circular balancing washer 15 is shown, the central part 15a of which forms a sleeve 16. A stud finger 17 provided on the face of the washer 15 opposite the sleeve 16, this stud finger 17 being intended to cooperate with the hole 13 of the support washer 10.

In fig. 6 we see a balancing washer 20 of circular shape but the central part of which is hollowed out at 21 in an oblong shape and which has, in its lower part 22, holes 23 of different diameter allowing it to be lightened. In addition, there are provided, diametrically opposite, two screw studs 25, 26.

As can be seen in FIG. 9, there is also provided a cover 30 having in section the shape of a bowl (see FIG. 10) and the central part of which is pierced with a hole 32 intended to allow the setting in place of the cup 30 on the machine shaft.

In fig.11, we see a fixed needle 40 which supports a cylindrical-conical piece 41 terminated, at its base, by a flange 42. This cylindrical-conical piece 41 is intended to allow the mounting, adjustment and balancing of the knives which are , then mounted on the shaft 50 (fig. 12) of a cutter machine. In fact, the cylindrical-conical part 41, which is in unstable equilibrium on the pointed end of the needle 40, allows precise adjustment of the knife balancing. As the threaded plug 45 can be screwed into the channel 46, it can be moved in height according to the setting that one wishes to make and thus adjust the sensitivity of the cylindrical-conical part 41. The outside diameter of the part 41 corresponds to the diameter of the 50 of the machine.

As can be seen in fig. 8, the central boss 11 of a support washer 10 is placed in the opening 3 of a knife 1 so as to allow the knife 1 to be placed on the cylindrical-conical part 41, the face 41a of which has hexagon like 50 of the machine. When the first knife 1 has been placed with its support washer 10, the second knife 1 with its support washer is placed, for example at 60 ° from the first knife, then the third knife 1 at 60 ° relative to the second knife, etc., up to the sixth knife 1 (see fig. 8 and 12). In the present case, the six knives are arranged at 60 ° from each other on the part 41 a of the cylindrical-conical part 41. Each knife 1 is wedged by an intermediate part 60 relative to the corresponding washer 10. The piece 60 has a substantially rectangular shape and is adjusted so as to fill the space between the boss 11 and the side 3b of the opening 3, then blocking pieces 61 are placed in the cutouts 4, 5, these pieces of blocking being small cams which can be turned using a screwdriver since they have a slotted head as shown in FIG. 8. An exact adjustment of the knife is thus obtained without risking seeing it then move on the shaft 50 of the machine since the locking pieces 61, cooperating with the intermediate pieces 60, ensure perfect attachment of this knife to the shaft 50. Like the hexagonal openings 12 of the support washers 10, the openings of the sleeves 16 of the balancing washers, the recessed opening 21 of oblong shape of the balancing washer and the opening 32 of the bowl 30 are provided. large enough for the shaft 50 to pass, the elements can be stacked easily on top of each other, it being understood that the hexagon shape could be modified in the event that the shaft 50 has another shape, for example a shape circular with a locking device.

When the positioning of the knives and their length adjustment are carried out on the cylindrical-conical part 41, the assembly is then balanced by slowly rotating this assembly which is locked, by the introduction into the hole 13 of the support washer 10 of the last knife placed on the shaft of the nipple 17 of the balancing washer 15. The balancing washer 20 is then placed on the sleeve 16 in its neutral position and, if all of the knives 1 show a imbalance, the balancing washer 20 is correctly placed to compensate for the imbalance movement. At this time, and thanks to the screws 25, 26 the balancing washer 20 is blocked. It then remains to set up the bowl 30 so that the assembly is particularly well balanced and adjusted in layout and length. From this moment, all of the knives can be mounted on the shaft 50 of a machine eliminating all the risks caused by the centrifugal force tending to move the knives 1 longitudinally as well as by removing any unbalance causing vibrations dangerous for the machine and knives.

The attachment of all the knives to the shaft 50 is generally carried out by a locking nut screwing onto the threaded part 50a of the shaft 50 but other means can be envisaged.

As can be seen in fig. 2, the support washer 10, which has a boss 11 of square shape and in its center an opening 12 with a hexagon, allows in a simple way the use of this support washer for the installation of the knives either at 30 °, either at 60 °, or at 90 °, or at 120 °, or at 180 °, etc., from each other without any modification of the structure of the assembly since the combination of the boss 11 square with the opening hexagon ensures this division in a simple and easy way. Similarly, this boss 11 allows excellent guidance of each knife, the contact surface between the sides of the opening 3 and the boss 11 being larger than that currently existing between the elements allowing the mounting of a knife on a shaft. hexagon of an existing machine. This ensures better contact by a larger surface, the fatigue of the shaft 50 is therefore reduced considerably and there is less wear of this shaft and of the ball bearings maintaining this shaft.

Attention should also be drawn to the fact that the balancing washer 20 is made in one piece which was not the case in the devices comprising a balancing element since it was necessary to adjust the balancing by several separate flyweights, on the one hand, a greater trial and error and, on the other hand, a limitation of the unbalance compensations to a low value which hardly exceeds 20 to 30 grams.

Finally, it should be noted that the shim or intermediate piece 60, which is most often made of mild steel easily ground or filed, allows exact and very quick adjustment even in precarious working conditions.

It is also possible, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, replace the shim 60 with two pieces 160, 161 having opposite teeth 160a, 161a, which are arranged opposite one another and between the central boss 11, the support washer 10 and the bottom of the opening 3. Thus by having parts 161, 161d, 161e, of different heights, it is easy to block the support washer 10 whatever the position that one wishes to obtain from this washer 10.

There is therefore no need, as with part 60, to remove materials for the reflection of the knife 1 after wear of the latter, for example by resharpening.

Claims (5)

1. Mounting and balancing device for the rotating knives of a cutter machine, in which the massive central part (1d) of the knife is pierced with an aperture (3) of a substantially rectangular shape for enabling the positionning of a square shaped boss (11) fixed with a support-washer itself pierced with an aperture (12) the shape of which is identical to that of the machine shaft, characterized in that the boss (11) has an excen- tric hole (13) provided to cooperate with a finger (17) of a balancer-supporting washer (15) provided with a sheath (16) on which comes the balancing washer (20) of a circular shape but having in its center an oblong shaped recess (21) thus ensuring a possibility of suppressing the wants of balance for realizing a balance of the knives (1) mounted on the machine shaft.

2. Mounting and balancing device according to claim 1, characterized in that there is placed, between the boss (11) of the support washer and one of the sides (3b) of the aperture (3) of the knives (1), a suitably adjusted wedge or intermediary part (60) then this intermediary part (60) is locked by a locking part or bolt (61) while the boss (11) of the support-washer (10) is also locked by a locking part or bolt (61).

3. Mounting and balancing device according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the boss (11) of the support-washer (10) has a square shape provided for enabling an arrangement at 90° of the knives (1) the one with respect to the other.

4. Mounting and balancing device the balancing washer (20) of which, of a circular shape, is centrally pierced with an oblong shaped aperture (21) thus enabling its displacement at will on the machine shaft according to one of claim 1 to 3, characterized in that one of the part of the balancing washer is pierced with holes (23) for ligtening it, and in that two mobile fingers (25, 26) enable, by moving them, to block the balancing washer (20) in the position enabling a compensation of the wants of balance and therefore a balancing of the machine knives (1).

5. Mounting and balancing device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the aperture (3) in the massive central part (1d) of the knife has a substantially rectangular shape but the side (3b) of which is not parallel to the side (3a) but is slightly distant therefrom for enabling an easy insertion of the suitably adjusted wedge or intermediary part (60).

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