EP0234964A1 - Mounting device knife adjustment for mincing machines known as cutter - Google Patents

Abstract

The mounting device, with knife adjustment, for machines for mincing, cutting and crushing food products or the like, in which the fastening zone (3a, 3b) of the knife (1) is pierced with a substantially rectangular aperture (4), is characterised in that the outer straight edges (5a, 5b) converge towards the tip of the knife (1) and, furthermore, are chamfered in order to interact to fasten the knife when the latter is placed on a drive washer (7) between two segments (9, 10), one (9) fixed on the washer and the other (10) capable of slight movement by means of an off-centred locking member (11, 12). <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a mounting device for adjusting and locking in place the knives used in so-called "cutter" machines used to cut, grind and chop food or other products, in particular cold cuts and cured meats, these machines comprising a number of knives arranged on an axis rotating at high speed in a generally semi-toroidal tank. The knives are placed one after the other, offset by 60, 90, or 180 ° most often, sometimes 30 or 120 °, depending on the number of knives used and the nature of the work to be carried out.

In modern machines, called "cutters", the speed of rotation of the knives can be very high. There are many of these machines that can run normally at more than 3,000 rpm and sometimes up to 6,000 rpm. These speeds have led to the appearance of phenomena that were once negligible but which today cause great risks. In particular, the centrifugal force generated by the rapid rotation of the knives reaches very high values which tend to move them relative to the shaft on which they are placed. Despite the measures taken, it sometimes happens that certain knives move with all the disastrous consequences that one can imagine since their points then come into contact with the tank of the machine, scratch it deeply, break and risk turning into projectiles. extremely dangerous for the surrounding personnel. In addition, the metal chips make unusable the products being treated and the price of these products is high since one treats sometimes several hundred kilograms in a single work phase.

Various solutions have been proposed and carried out with the aim of prohibiting the deregulation in operation of the knives. Some devices are simple and inexpensive, but inconvenient to use. Others are sophisticated but at a fairly high cost price. Most often have drawbacks which need not be discussed here.

Advances still to be made in this area, the present invention has been studied in order to combine ease of use, precision, efficiency, low price.

According to the invention, the mounting device with adjustment of the knives for machines for chopping, cutting and grinding food or other products in which the knife attachment zone is pierced with an opening of substantially rectangular shape is characterized in that the outer rectilinear edges converge towards the point of the knife and, moreover, chamfered so as to cooperate for the fixing of the knife, when the latter is placed on a drive washer between two segments, one fixed on the washer, the other slightly mobile, by means of an eccentric locking member.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the slightly mobile segment is fixed to the washer by means of a nut with an eccentric stage which can be locked by a screw.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the two segments are fixed on the washer and the fixing of the knife is obtained using a wedge-shaped wedge held by a screw entering the washer.

Circular in shape, pierced in its center with a bore whose shape corresponds to the section of the shaft of the cutter machine, the drive washer carries two segments, one of which is fixed, and the other mounted movable and opposite to the previous one in order to allow the knife placed between them to be clamped, and to absorb variations in the width of the knife attachment zone which vary according to its longitudinal adjustment, due to the pinching of the rectilinear outer edges. These segments at the same time ensure the transmission of the rotational movement of the drive washer, itself driven by the rotary shaft of the machine. The fixed segment is made integral with the drive washer by any means, riveting or screwing. The movable segment cooperates with the drive washer by means of a nut with an eccentric stage, with screw locking, allowing compensation for variations in the width of the knife in its fixing zone as mentioned above, to effect its nipping therefore its maintenance, and ensuring the self-alignment of the surfaces in contact. Of course, each knife requires a drive washer.

Various other characteristics will also emerge from the detailed description which follows.

• La fig. 1 montre une vue en plan d'un couteau selon l'invention.
• La fig. 2 est une coupe suivant la ligne II-II de la fig. 1 montrant la zone de fixation de ce couteau.
• La fig. 3 montre une vue en plan d'une rondelle d'en­traînement complète, avec les segments, la noix de réglage à étage excentré, et la vis de blocage.
• La fig. 4 est une coupe suivant la ligne IV-IV de la fig. 3 montrant la rondelle d'entraînement.
• La fig. 5 est une vue en plan, agrandie pour plus de clarté, de la noix de réglage à étage excentré et de la vis de blocage.
• La fig. 6 montre une coupe agrandie, suivant la ligne VI-VI de la fig. 5, de la noix de réglage à étage excen­tré et de la vis de blocage.
• La fig. 7 montre en plan un couteau en place, serré sur sa rondelle d'entraînement.
• La fig. 8 montre une coupe, à plus grande échelle, suivant la ligne VIII-VIII de la fig. 7 de l'ensemble formé par le couteau monté et serré sur sa rondelle d'entraînement.
• La fig. 9 montre une autre réalisation de l'invention, dans laquelle les deux segments opposés sont montés fixes et le couteau fixé par une cale mobile, en forme de coin, avec vis de blocage.
• La fig. 10 montre un détail d'une autre réalisation dans laquelle l'usinage oblique des flancs des bords exté­rieurs rectilignes de la zone de fixation des couteaux est remplacé par un usinage en feuillure, correspondant à un usinage semblable et complémentaire des segments.

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

• Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a knife according to the invention.
• Fig. 2 is a section along line II-II of FIG. 1 showing the attachment area of this knife.
• Fig. 3 shows a plan view of a complete drive washer, with the segments, the eccentric adjustment nut, and the locking screw.
• Fig. 4 is a section along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3 showing the drive washer.
• Fig. 5 is a plan view, enlarged for clarity, of the eccentric stage adjustment nut and of the locking screw.
• Fig. 6 shows an enlarged section along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5, the eccentric stage adjustment nut and the locking screw.
• Fig. 7 shows in plan a knife in place, clamped on its drive washer.
• Fig. 8 shows a section, on a larger scale, along the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7 of the assembly formed by the knife mounted and tightened on its drive washer.
• Fig. 9 shows another embodiment of the invention, in which the two opposite segments are mounted fixed and the knife fixed by a movable wedge, wedge-shaped, with locking screw.
• Fig. 10 shows a detail of another embodiment in which the oblique machining of the flanks of the rectilinear outer edges of the knife attachment zone is replaced by rebate machining, corresponding to similar and complementary machining of the segments.

In fig. 1, a cutter knife 1 is shown, the cutting area of which is designated by 2. The fixing area located between the dotted lines 3a and 3b has an opening 4 of substantially rectangular shape, the width of which is intended to admit the passage of the rotating shaft of the machine. The length of the opening 4 is sufficient for a longitudinal movement of the knife to compensate for the wear of its tip following successive sharpening.

The chamfered rectilinear outer edges 5a and 5b of the knife attachment zone are machined so as not to be parallel and on the contrary have a slight upward pinching which is appreciably exaggerated in the drawing for greater clarity, this pinching being oriented so that the intersection of the theoretical straight lines extending the rectilinear outer edges of the knife attachment zone is on the side of the point of the knife.

In fig. 2, there is shown in section along line II-II of FIG. 1 the knife attachment zone showing that the machining of the rectilinear outer edges 5a and 5b, in addition to the nipping described above, determines a slight obliquity of their sides, in the form of a dovetail. Of course, this oblique machining can be carried out by milling and grinding at the same time as the straightening of the non-parallel rectilinear outer edges 5a and 5b is done, hence a reduced manufacturing price.

In fig. 3, a drive washer 7 is shown, in plan view, comprising a central bore 8 produced to allow passage with a small clearance of the rotary shaft of the machine. This tree is most often of hexagonal section, but sometimes square, or round with key, even octagonal. In the embodiment described here, the segment 9 is fixed by screwing and riveting 9a on the drive washer 7, while the segment 10 is movable, and is simply kept in contact with the drive washer 7 by the adjusting nut with eccentric stage 11 and the locking screw 12.

In fig. 4, a section is shown along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3 of a drive washer 7, complete with segments 9 and 10, and the eccentric stage adjustment nut 11 with its locking screw 12. Note the slightly oblique machining of the rectilinear inner edges 13a and 13b of the segments 9 and 10, the obliqueness of which is complementary to that of the rectilinear outer edges 5a and 5b of the knife attachment zone in order to form a housing capable of firmly maintaining the dovetail shape of the knife attachment zone 1 from the moment when, by means of the eccentric stage adjustment nut 11, the segment 10 will have been adjusted and tightened against the knife 1. The eccentric stage adjustment nut 11 is then locked in position by the locking screw 12.

In fig. 5, is shown in plan, enlarged to better show the details, an adjusting nut with eccentric stage 11. We can distinguish in this drawing the visible but not through end of the clamping screw 12, comprising a slot 12a for screwdriver . Also two small holes 14a and 14b, intended to allow the adjustment of the eccentricity, by rotation, of the nut eccentric stage adjustment 11, using a lug wrench, not shown.

In fig. 6, a section is shown along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5 enlarged for a better view of the details, an adjusting nut with an eccentric stage 11 and a locking screw 12. In order to facilitate the understanding of the operation, this drawing shows in partial view the segment 10 and the drive washer 7. During the adjustment operations, the tightening of the knife 1 between the segments 9 and 10 is obtained by rotating the eccentric adjustment nut 11 using a lug wrench, thus determining a slight translation of the segment 10 in the direction of the segment 9, thus tightening the knife 1 vigorously, after which the adjusting nut with eccentric stage 11 is locked in position using the screw 12. It is noted that due to the eccentricity of the eccentric stage 11b of the eccentric stage adjusting nut 11, the tightening torque is powerful, irreversible and thus guarantees the correction of any play, the self-alignment of the surfaces in contact, and the tightening forceful knife attachment area 1.

In fig. 7, there is shown the assembly formed by a knife 1 in place on a drive washer 7 clamped between the segments 9 and 10 as a result of the appropriate adjustment of the eccentric stage adjustment nut 11 locked in position by the screw blocking 12. Of course, these are several similar assemblies which will be mounted on the machine shaft in order to produce a cutting device which may include from 2 to 6 knives, sometimes 8 and more.

In fig. 8, a section is shown along the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7 of the assembly described previously in FIG. 7.

In fig. 9, there is shown in plan another possible embodiment of the invention described above. Thus, the knife 1 is exactly similar to that described above, as well as the drive washer 7. On the other hand, the two segments 15 and 16 are both fixed, and the knife is tightened using 'a wedge 17 in the form of a wedge. This wedge 17 is interposed between the knife 1 and the segment 16. A strong longitudinal pressure exerted on this wedge, in the direction of its tip, ensures the clamping of the knife, and a screw 18 keeps it blocked.

In fig. 10, a slightly different embodiment of the devices described above is shown in section, in which the slight obliquity of the flanks of the straight outer edges 5a and 5b of the attachment zone of the knife 1, as well as the flanks of the straight inner edges of the segments 9 and 10, or of the segment 15 and of the shim 17, is replaced by a machining in additional rebates 20, 21.

It is possible to present somewhat different embodiments from those described above, without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, provision can be made for the two segments to be mobile, or for their mobility to be ensured by means of oblique slides, or of studs positioned by pushing screws.

In any event and whatever the detail of construction allowing the displacement of the segment or segments, the inevitable characteristic of the invention resides in pinching the rectilinear outer edges of the knife attachment area and holding it by two segments cooperating with a drive washer.

The invention described above does not include an integrated device for balancing, allowing compensation for the inevitable weight differences resulting from sharpening, generating harmful vibrations. However, it has been provided to allow the addition of such an additional device. According to the embodiment of this balancing device, and depending on the characteristics of the "cutter" machine, its installation can be done at the end of the shaft or, conversely, interposed between the knives.

Claims (3)

1. Assembly device with adjustment of knives for machines for chopping, grinding food products or other in which the fixing zone (3a, 3b) of the knife (1) is pierced with an opening (4) of substantially rectangular shape , characterized in that the external rectilinear edges (5a, 5b) converge towards the point of the knife (1) and moreover are chamfered so as to cooperate for the fixing of the knife when the latter is placed on a drive washer (7 ) between two segments (9, 10) one fixed (9) on the washer, the other slightly mobile (10), by means of an eccentric locking member (11, 12). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the segment (10) is blocked on the washer (7) by means of a nut with an eccentric stage (11) which can be blocked by a screw (12). 3. Device according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the two segments (15, 16) are fixed on the washer (7) and that the attachment of the knife (3a, 3b) is obtained using a wedge wedge (17) held by a screw (18) penetrating the washer (7).

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