EP0776265B2 - Slicing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PCT No. PCT/EP95/02509 Sec. 371 Date Feb. 20, 1997 Sec. 102(e) Date Feb. 20, 1997 PCT Filed Jun. 28, 1995 PCT Pub. No. WO96/05952 PCT Pub. Date Feb. 29, 1996A food slicing machine including a housing and a disc-shaped knife which is mounted for rotation on the housing. An adjusting device moves a stop plate relative to the cutting plane of the knife to set the slice thickness. A food carriage reciprocates adjacent the knife and is pivotable between a slice cutting position and a fully retracted position. A locking disc is connected to the adjusting device and includes a slot of uniform width extending from the periphery in a generally radial direction. A locking element which is slightly smaller than the slot is arranged to enter the slot responsive to pivoting of the carriage out of the slice cutting position. Upon setting the adjusting device to a slice thickness of zero, the slot is aligned with the locking element. A relatively small amount of pivoting of the carriage from the slice cutting position toward the fully retracted position causes the locking element to enter the slot and prevent substantial rotation of the adjusting device in either direction.

Description

The invention relates to a slicing machine according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

In cold cutting machines of this type cut injuries to the operator of the circular blade, especially during cleaning of the machine in which the carriage must be pivoted from its working position out in an out-of-service position as possible excluded.

It is known to protect the cutting edge of the circular blade on the circumference with an annular, fixed blade protection ring against contact, wherein the cutting area remains recessed. This area is covered in the slice thickness setting "zero" by the stop plate of the cutting material. When cleaning the machine, the carriage is pivoted away from the blade while the stop plate is locked in the disc thickness setting "zero".

The EP 0 503 168 A1 describes a Verriegelungseiririchtung this kind. With the Wegschwenkbewegung of the carriage connected to the slide foot slider is moved translationally, which actuates a bolt, the rounded locking member gradually immersed in a circular arc in a rounded along the circumference of the locking disc arranged recess of the disc thickness adjustment and this locked. Due to the direction of movement and the shape of the locking member, the locking of the stop plate is effective only at a larger tilt angle of the carriage. This is further worsened by the unfavorable connection of the carriage with the slide and the slide with the bolt, which are each connected by slot guide and therein engaging the stub. The conversion of the rotary movement of the carriage foot in a translational movement of the slide and the further conversion into the rotational movement of the bolt results in combination with the slot guides an undefinable bearing clearance. The disadvantage is also added that after the pivoting back of the carriage in the working or cutting position and the following Schnitthubbewegung the slide / latch connection is disengaged, whereby the disc thickness adjustment can be rotated in an uncontrollable position and the lock no longer works ,

The invention has for its object to provide a simple, mechanical locking device of the disc thickness adjustment, which ensures a secure locking function already shortly after the start of Wegschwenkbewegung the carriage.

This object is achieved in the slicing machine described in the introduction, characterized in that the recess of the locking disc is extending from the periphery of the disc in the direction of the disk center groove whose opening on the disk circumference substantially equal to the dimension of the engageable in the groove locking member, that the locking member along a guided to the locking disc center path is guided, and that the carriage when pivoting out of its working position by means of a one-sided articulated actuator works directly on the locking member.

An essential feature of the invention is extending from the disk periphery in the direction of the disk center groove, wherein the direction of the groove can not only extend substantially perpendicular to the tangent of the disk circumference, but this can also form an acute angle. It is important, however, that the groove opens to disk extent only to the extent necessary for trouble-free engagement of the locking member. The opening of the groove on the disk circumference, so as to ensure conditions as possible defined for the engagement or the pivoting of the carriage, have at most twice the width of the dimension of the engaging in the groove locking member.

Preferably, the play between the locking member and the opening of the groove on the disk periphery is kept smaller, for example, by the opening is less than 1.5 times the dimension of the engageable locking member.

Important in the context of the present invention is also the web on which the locking member is guided when it engages in the locking washer groove. The definition of a web oriented towards the center of the locking disk does not mean a precise alignment of the web in the radial direction with respect to the locking disk center, but a path leading away from the circumferential direction of the locking disk, which may well be at an acute angle, for example 30 °, to the tangent of the locking disk circumference. Furthermore, the web need not be straight.

Preferably, the locking member will be arranged on a pivotally held latch, wherein the distance of the locking member from the pivot axis of the bolt substantially corresponds to the distance of the pivot axis of the bolt to the Sperrscheibenmittelpunkt. This means that the path on which the locking member is guided when engaging in the groove of the locking disc, represents a pitch circle movement, whose circular line passes through the center of the locking disc.

Preferably, the groove will be provided with substantially parallel side surfaces, which allow a simple sliding in of the locking member in the groove, on the other hand, however, not too big game between locking member and side surfaces of the groove.

The locking member itself will often have the shape of an elongated detent which is similar in shape to a circular arc segment. This arc segment is then arranged parallel to the pivoting direction of the pivot bolt and enters with an end face in the groove of the locking disc.

In a preferred embodiment, the locking member by means of spring force, preferably by means of a leg spring, held out of engagement with the groove of the locking disc. When pivoting the carriage out of its working position then the locking member is engaged against the spring force in the groove of the locking disc.

Preferably, the locking member is actuated by a slide attached to the actuator, which presses when pivoting the carriage out of its working position on the locking member or the locking lug of the pivot bolt and causes a nearly vertical immersion or engagement of the locking member in the groove of the locking disc.

When engaged locking member or latching in the groove of the locking disc, the adjustment of the stop plate is locked, i. an adjustment of the thickness of the disc and a laying of the Kreismesserkante is made impossible.

The aforementioned actuator, which is coupled to the foot of the carriage and converts the pivoting movement of the carriage in a pivoting movement of the bolt is hinged on one side of the carriage foot and guided adjacent to its free end in a carriage guide. The actuator preferably operates directly on the locking member.

In a further preferred embodiment, the locking device comprises a parallel to the carriage guide extending stop bar, which has at its end of Schliebe the Verschiebeendstellung a recess through which a coupled with the pivoting movement of the carriage actuating member, such as the plunger, to actuate the locking member and can work on the locking member. Consequently, the recess is to be arranged in alignment with the locking member and the locking disc.

In order to come to a lock even with very small pivoting movements of the carriage, the outer contour of the locking member and the outer contours of the groove of the locking disc are preferably formed edged. Under edged here are radii of the cooperating edges of locking member and groove of the locking disc to understand, which are smaller than 1.0 mm. As a result, the locking of the screed thickness adjusting device becomes effective immediately after the beginning of the pivoting away movement of the carriage or immediately after the beginning of the slice thickness adjustment from zero.

Preferably, the slicing machine is designed so that at a slice thickness setting greater "zero" is ensured by the locking device a substantially backlash-free support of the carriage against pivoting movements.

This rules out that the carriage can be slightly swung out of the working position and that in this way larger forces can act impulsively on the support or the locking device. In addition, it is avoided that a larger gap between the circular blade and carriage may arise, which would lead to a risk of injury by blade contact.

The backlash-free support is preferably formed in that the locking member rests on the periphery of the locking disc and on the other hand engages the locking member, the actuator or in a displaced from the end position slide the actuator rests against the stop bar, wherein the actuator in turn substantially free of play on the slide or held on the carriage foot. The smallest gaps between the components in the order of 0.5 mm are easily tolerated.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention it is provided that in the Verschiebeendstellung of the carriage, the actuating member, in particular the actuating member, the locking member and the locking disc are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the locking disc common operating plane. In this arrangement, virtually no torsional forces occur and the forces occurring during pivoting of the carriage or acting in the out-of-operation position by gravity and the mass of the carriage forces are absorbed torsion substantially by the axis of rotation of the locking disc.

When the carriage is swiveled back into its working position, the locking of the disk die setting is canceled. In this case, the locking member or the bolt by means of spring force, preferably by means of a leg spring, pushed out of the locking disk groove and comes with a housing-fixed stop in an exact basic position to the plant.

During the following Schnitthubbewegung the carriage remain attached to the carriage foot actuator and held on the machine housing locking member out of engagement, but they are again positively connected with reaching the Schlittenendlage.

If the operator attempts to swing the carriage in its final displacement position while maintaining the thickness of the pulley greater than zero, that is with unprotected circular blade, so the carriage is locked. The force exerted on the carriage pivotal force is guided by means of a direct, positive support from the actuator via the locking member of the bolt almost perpendicular to the periphery of the locking disc, without causing the bolt storage is charged significantly.

In addition, actuator, locking member and locking disc are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the locking disk axis working plane for intercepting the pivoting force of the carriage.

In addition, the locking device according to the invention contains further advantages.

The almost vertical immersion of the locking member (or the locking lug) in the locking disc allows the same immediately after the beginning of the locking Swivel movement of the carriage to be effective, ie there are no intermediate positions with unprotected knife edge possible.

With the beginning of the pivoting movement of the carriage from its working position emerges in a preferred embodiment, at the same time the actuator into the groove of the stop bar and locks the carriage stroke of the carriage out of its Verschiebeendstellung out. This ensures that the carriage can only be pivoted away in its Verschiebeendlage, provided that the stop plate is in the zero position at which the blade of the circular blade is completely protected against contact.

Figur 1

eine Vorderansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Schneidemaschine,

Figur 2

einen Teilschnitt senkrecht zur Schlitten-Schnitthubbewegung mit Schlitten in Arbeitsposition,

Figur 3

einen Teilschnitt senkrecht zur Schlitten-Schnitthubbewegung mit weggeschwenkter Position des Schlittens (Reinigungsposition),

Figur 4

einen Schnitt A-A gemäß Figur 3.

These and other advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the description and the drawings. They show in detail:

FIG. 1

a front view of a cutting machine according to the invention,

FIG. 2

a partial section perpendicular to the carriage Schnitthubbewegung with carriage in working position,

FIG. 3

a partial section perpendicular to the carriage Schnitthubbewegung with weggeschwenkter position of the carriage (cleaning position),

FIG. 4

a section AA according to FIG. 3 ,

In the FIG. 1 shown cutting machine 1 for food, eg sausage, cheese, fish or the like, comprises a machine housing 2, on which a motor-driven circular blade 3 is rotatably mounted. On the machine housing 2, a spoked wheel-shaped knife protection ring 4 is fixed in a stationary manner, which annularly surrounds the cutting edge of the circular blade 3 for safety reasons, with the exception of the front cutting region 5. In the cutting area 5 a parallel to the cutting plane 6 of the circular blade 3 extending stop plate 7 is arranged for adjusting the disc thickness relative to the blade or cutting plane by means of a disc thickness adjustment device 8. The disc thickness adjustment device 8, which is known per se, can be adjusted in its minimum setting to a slice thickness "below zero" (for example approximately -0.5 to -2 mm). In this position, the front edge of the stopper plate 7 covers the cutting edge of the circular blade 3 in the front cutting region 5 and, together with the blade protection ring 4, provides contact protection over the entire circumference of the circular blade 3.

A carriage 9 for receiving a not shown cutting material is on the circular blade 3 along, parallel to the knife or cutting plane back and forth. The material to be cut is fed on the carriage 9 to the rotating circular blade 3 and sliced adjacent to the stop plate 7.

The cutting plane 6 of the circular blade 3 can be arranged perpendicular to the footprint of the cutting machine 1, as in FIG. 1 represented, or inclined at a certain angle to the vertical (oblique cutter).

The carriage 9 is out of his in FIG. 1 drawn working position in the dash-dotted line cleaning position 9 'about a mounted on the slide foot 10 pivot axis 11 of the circular blade 3 wegschwenkbar.

Out FIG. 2 It can be seen that the Schlittenfuß 10 is pivotally connected to a slide guide 12 which is guided perpendicular to the image plane on a rigidly fixed to the machine housing 2 guide shaft 13 and by means of a rigidly mounted on the machine housing 2 running rail 14 between a roller 15 and a threaded pin 16th is secured against rotation.

On slide foot 10, a ram axis 17 is arranged parallel to the pivot axis 11, on which a plunger-shaped actuating member 18 is articulated. This is simultaneously slidably mounted in a guide bore 19 of the carriage guide 12 perpendicular to the plunger axis 17. The end of the actuator 18 slides during the Schnitthubbewegung of the carriage 9 on a fixed to the machine housing 2 stop bar 20 along. This has in its Verschiebeendstellung, preferably on the side of the disc thickness Ver adjusting device 8, a recess 21.

The actuator 18 and the stop bar 20 prevent the pivoting away of the carriage 9 during the entire Schnitthubbewegung with the exception of a Verschiebeendstellung in which the actuator 18 can dip into the recess 21 of the stop bar 20.

In one displacement end position of the carriage 9, the actuating member 18 comes into contact with a latch 22 which is rotatably mounted on a bolt 23 fixed to the housing. The latch 22 is pressed by spring force, preferably with a leg spring 24, into the recess 21 of the stop bar 20, so that the latch stop 25 comes to rest and formed in the form of a latching locking member 26 of the bolt 22 with the opposite contact surface of the stop bar 20 and is flush with the front end of the actuator 18.

If the carriage 9 is now swung out of the working position in one displacement end position, the actuating member 18 presses on the blocking member 26. However, the pivotal movement of the bolt 22 is blocked by a locking disk 27 fixedly connected to the disk thickness adjusting device 8 and rotatable together therewith. as long as the stop plate 7, as in FIG. 2 shown, larger to a slice thickness is set as zero.

The force exerted on the carriage 9 pivotal force is guided by means of a direct substantially play-free support of the plunger shaft 17 via the actuator 18 and the locking member 26 almost perpendicular to the periphery of the locking disc 27, without causing the latch bearing 23 is loaded significantly. Also considered perpendicular to the axis 30 of the locking disc 27 (see FIG. 4 ), are actuator 18, locking member 26 and locking disc 27 in a plane of action for intercepting the pivoting force of the carriage. 9

In FIG. 3 the stop plate 7 is adjusted by means of the disc thickness adjustment device 8 to its minimum setting "below zero". In this setting, the carriage 9 is pivoted away. This is made possible by a groove 28 which is arranged approximately radially on the circumference of the locking disk 27 and in which the locking member 26 is immersed almost perpendicularly. Thus, the fixedly coupled with the locking disc 27 disc thickness adjustment immediately from the beginning of the pivotal movement of the carriage 9 is locked out of its working position and thus the edge of the circular blade 3 protected by the front side of the stop plate 7.

In FIG. 4 is the known disc thickness adjustment 8 partially shown. With a rotary handle 29, the desired slice thickness is set. The rotary handle 29 is fixedly connected via a rotatably mounted in the machine housing 2 axis 30 with a groove curve 31 and a spacer ring 32 secured via locking disk 27.

The Nutenkurve 31 is additionally connected to an adjusting device, not shown, which converts the rotational movement of the groove cam 31 in a translational movement of the stop plate 7 perpendicular to the cutting plane 6 of the circular blade 3.

Claims (11)

1. Slicing machine for cold cuts comprising a machine housing, a driven circular knife (3) mounted thereon, a stop plate (7) adjustable by means of an adjusting device (8) for setting the cold meat slice thickness relative to the cutting plane of the circular knife (3), a carriage (9), which is held on the machine housing for reciprocating movement along a guide means extending parallel to the cutting plane, and which is articulatedly connected to the guide means such that it is pivotable out of its working position into a cleaning position away from the circular knife (3), and a locking device comprising a locking disk (27), coupled to the adjusting device (8), and a locking element (26), which is adapted to engage in a recess (28) at the circumference of the locking disk, and which is actuatable and engageable in the recess of the locking disk (27) when the carriage (9) is pivoted out of its working position, with the locking disk taking up a position in relation to the locking element (26), which prevents engagement of the locking element in the recess (28) and thus pivoting of the carriage (9) out of the working position when the stop plate (7) is set by means of the adjusting device (8) to a slice thickness greater than zero, and with adjustment of the stop plate (7) being blocked by the locking element (26) engaged in the recess (28) of the locking disk (27) when the carriage (9) is pivoted out of its working position, characterized in that the recess of the locking disk (27) is a groove (28), which extends from the circumference of the disk in the direction of the disk centre, and the opening of which at the disk circumference corresponds essentially to the size of the locking element (26) engageable in the groove (28), in that the locking element (26) is guided along a path directed towards the centre of the locking disk, and in that when pivoted out of its working position the carriage (9) acts directly on the locking element (26) by means of an actuating element (18) articulated on one side.
2. Slicing machine for cold cuts as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the locking element (26) is arranged on a pivotally held locking bar (22), the distance of the locking element (26) from the pivot axle (23) of the locking bar (22) corresponding essentially to the distance of this pivot axle to the central point of the locking disk.
3. Slicing machine for cold cuts as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the groove (28) has essentially parallel side faces.
4. Slicing machine for cold cuts as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the locking element (26) is held out of engagement with the groove (28) of the locking disk (27) by spring force, preferably by means of a leg spring (24).
5. Slicing machine for cold cuts as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the locking device comprises a stop bar (20), which extends parallel to the carriage guide means (13), and which has at its end corresponding to the displacement end position of the carriage (9) a recess (21) aligned with the locking element (26) and the locking disk (27) and allowing the passage of an actuating element (18) coupled to the carriage (9) for actuating the locking element (26).
6. Slicing machine for cold cuts as defined in claim 5, characterized in that the cutting stroke movement of the carriage (9) is locked in its displacement end position with the passage of the actuating element (18) through the recess (21).
7. Slicing machine for cold cuts as defined in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the locking element (26) is held out of engagement with the groove (28) by spring force, with the locking element (26) abutting on the stop bar (20) with a locking bar stop (25).
8. Slicing machine for cold cuts as defined in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outer contours of the locking element (26) and of the groove (28) of the locking disk (27) are of canted design.
9. Slicing machine for cold cuts as defined in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that when the stop plate (7) is set to a slice thickness "greater than zero" the locking device forms an essentially clearance-free support for the carriage (9) in relation to pivoting movements.
10. Slicing machine for cold cuts as defined in claim 9, characterized in that the clearance-free support is formed by the locking element (26) abutting on the circumference of the locking disk (27) as well as by the actuating element (18) engaging on the locking element (26), the actuating element being held directly on the carriage (9) essentially free from clearance.
11. Slicing machine for cold cuts as defined in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that in the displacement end position of the carriage (9) the actuating element (18), in particular the push rod, the locking element (26) and the locking disk (27) are arranged in a common effective plane located at right angles to the axis of rotation of the locking disk (27).

Images