EP3412418A1

EP3412418A1 - Improved machine for cutting food products

Info

Publication number: EP3412418A1
Application number: EP18175900.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Lorenzo Cerretani; Davide Fumanelli; Alberto Manaresi
Original assignee: Pizzoli SpA
Current assignee: Pizzoli SpA
Priority date: 2017-06-09
Filing date: 2018-06-05
Publication date: 2018-12-12
Anticipated expiration: 2038-06-05
Also published as: EP3412418B1; IT201700063874A1; PL3412418T3; ES2832737T3

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine for cutting food products into wavy sticks (62; 63), comprising a cutting head (10) comprising a plurality of cutting stations (12), each provided with a wave-shaped blade (20) that extends vertically and a plurality of horizontal blades (30) superimposed and spaced apart; and a rotatable drum (50) coaxially disposed within said cutting head (10). Each cutting station (12) comprises a support device (24;124) of the wave-shaped blade (20) and a support device (34) of the horizontal blades (30), spaced radially from each other. The horizontal blades (30) are formed with a cutting edge (32) oriented towards the inside of the cutting head (20) and with a side (33) in contact with, or in proximity to, the wave peaks (21) of the wave-shaped blade (20).

Description

The present invention relates to an improved machine for cutting food products. In particular, the present invention relates to a machine for cutting vegetable food products such as tubers and other fruit and vegetables adapted to be sliced.
In the food industry there is the need to slice and/or cut certain products into suitable shapes and sizes during preparation and processing. For example, during the preparation and processing of potatoes, it is necessary to cut the tuber to obtain slices or sticks of various shapes suitable for cooking, for example for frying. Therefore, the market offers machines for cutting potatoes adapted to produce parts of various shapes, according to market demand and to consumer appreciation.
The various types of machines for cutting food products comprise machines in which the food product is fed towards, and through, a plurality of blades, according to a rectilinear trajectory, and machines in which the product is fed towards, and through, the blades according to a curved trajectory, these latter as a result of the centrifugal force exerted by a plate or rotatable drum onto which the product is loaded.
An example of machines in which the product is fed towards and through the blades, according to a rectilinear trajectory is provided by EP 2 408 599 B1 , which relates to a blade assembly for producing cut food products, in which the blades are wave-shaped, are arranged parallel to one another in the longitudinal direction of the blade assembly, and form blade peaks and blade troughs of identical shape. The food product, for example a potato, is cut by feeding the potato in the longitudinal direction of the blade assembly and through these blades, in this way obtaining a wavy slice. A plurality of sectioning blades arranged transversely to said longitudinal direction of the blade assembly, and of feed of the potatoes, further cut the slice into channel-shaped sticks, i.e., sticks having a U-shaped cross section.
In a machine for cutting food products provided with a blade assembly with the structure described above, the product is fed through the blades by means of a jet of pressurized water, which forms the means of transport towards and through the blades. This system requires the use, and management, also from the point of view of hygiene, of large amounts of pressurized water and requires a substantial consumption of material and energy. When processing potatoes the wear of the blades in these systems is accelerated by the continuous flow of pressurized water containing native starch granules, which being hard act as abrasive material on the blades. Moreover, in the crossing point of the blades it is possible, during production, for fibrous vegetable material to accumulate and lodge in the slits that form the joints of the blades. This causes damage to the product during cutting, with increased loss of starch in the conveying fluid, which accelerates wear of the blades and causes a substantial loss of output.
Finally, this system requires complete disassembly of the cutting assembly even to replace only one broken blade. A further drawback is due to a higher cost of blades with respect to the cost of blades used in circular/centrifugal systems.
Examples of machines in which the product is fed towards and through the blades, according to a curved trajectory are provided in the documents below.
EP 1 626 844 B1 describes an annular-shaped cutting head for food products, which comprises a plurality of blades mounted on related supports, mounted inside which is a rotatable drum, into which the food product is placed, to be thrust through centrifugal force against the blades and sliced. The blades can be wave-shaped and are mounted vertically on the related supports, i.e., parallel to the rotation axis of the drum. The distance between two contiguous blades defines the thickness of the slice to be cut. As the blade supports are rotatable on vertical pivots so as to move contiguous blades towards or away from one another, the thickness of the slices is adjustable. This type of cutting head is suitable to produce flat or wavy slices, for example of potatoes, but is not able to produce sticks or the like.
A cutting head for food products of the aforesaid type is also described in EP 2 918 384 A1 . This type of cutting head is also suitable to a produce wavy or zigzag slices, for example of potatoes, but is not able to produce sticks or the like.
US 2014/0260850 A1 describes a cutting head that produces wavy sticks, for example of potatoes, of a width such as to define an adjacent wave peak and wave trough, i.e., a double channel. The general structure of the cutting head is that defined for EP 1 626 844 B1 and EP 2 918 384 A1 , the main difference being that the wave-shaped blade is provided with teeth that extend perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal plan along which the blade extends, starting from the cutting edge thereof, and alternated by the peaks and the troughs of the cutting blade, so that the potato is cut directly into double channel-shaped sticks. Production of a blade having a grate-like structure of this kind, i.e., with teeth that extend perpendicularly from the cutting edge thereof, means that the teeth are attached to the blade only in one point, which, besides representing a structurally weak element of the blade, makes them relatively costly to manufacture. Moreover, the distance between the teeth is permanent; therefore, the production of sticks of different transverse size requires the use of another blade. This limits the use of this cutting head. Another disadvantage of the blade structure of US 2014/0260850 A1 derives from the fact that the blade must be replaced when either the teeth or the wave-shaped blade, but not necessarily both, become worn, with the disadvantage of having to replace the whole grate-shaped blade even if a part of it is still efficient and functional. This entails costs in terms of replacing the material, machine downtime and labour costs to carry out the replacement operations. Finally, if wishing to re-utilize the blades after sharpening, this operation would be very difficult due to the position in contact of the perpendicular blades.
WO 2016/115413 A1 describes an apparatus for cutting food products of the general type described above, provided with a single cutting station along the circumference, in which the product is first sliced, then each slice is thrust against a first knife with circular blades that cut the slice into parallel wavy sticks, which then encounter a second knife with multiple blades arranged transversely to those of the circular knife, adapted in turn to cut the sticks into transverse segments. Besides not being designed to produce a stick-shaped product, the fact of comprising a single cutting station does not permit efficient slicing and limits the productivity of the apparatus.
It would therefore be desirable to obtain a machine for cutting food product into wavy, in particular channel-shaped, sticks that reduces or eliminates the drawbacks of prior art machines, in particular for cutting potatoes.
It would be desirable for this machine to be provided with sturdy cutting elements, capable of minimizing accidental breakages, and which can be produced with relatively simple mechanical processes.
It would also be desirable for this machine to be versatile and to allow simple and effective adjustment of the sizes and the thickness of the cut product.
It would further be desirable for this machine to permit the best use of all the blades, also those that are durable, without the need to replace them before completion of their life cycle.
Finally, it would be desirable for this machine to be capable of ensuring high productivity and for the components used for its manufacture to allow minimization of blade wear.
Therefore, the aim of the present invention is to provide a machine for cutting food products into wavy sticks that eliminates or minimizes the drawbacks related to prior art machines, as described above.
Within the scope of the aforesaid aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a machine equipped with sturdy cutting elements, capable of minimizing accidental breakages, and which can be produced with relatively simple mechanical processes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine for cutting food products that permits simple and effective adjustment of the sizes and the thickness of the cut product.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a machine that allows use of the blades to be maximized, without the need to replace them all before completion of their life cycle.
Yet another object of the present invention is of provide a machine that allows high productivity and minimization of blade wear.
The aforesaid and other objects and advantages of the invention, which will be apparent in the description below, are achieved by a machine for cutting food products, comprising:

an annular-shaped cutting head, mounted in said machine with its axis (Y) disposed vertically, comprising a plurality of cutting stations, each cutting station comprising at least a wave-shaped blade that extends vertically and a plurality of blades that extend horizontally and are superimposed on and spaced vertically from one another, said wave-shaped blade being formed with wave peaks and wave troughs;
a rotatable drum coaxially disposed within said cutting head, provided with radially oriented blades;
motor means of said drum, operatively adapted to rotate said drum about its vertical axis (Y);

each of said cutting stations comprises a support device of said wave-shaped blade and a support device of said plurality of blades that extend horizontally, said support devices being spaced radially from each other;
said blades that extend horizontally are formed with a cutting edge oriented towards the inside of said annular-shaped cutting head and with a side in contact with, or in proximity to, said wave peaks of said wave-shaped blade.

According to an aspect of the invention, said support of said wave-shaped blade comprises means for adjusting the inclination of said blade.
According to another aspect of the invention, said plurality of blades that extend horizontally and are superimposed on and spaced vertically from one another, are detachably mounted in said support device.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, said support device of said plurality of blades that extend horizontally are provided with means for adjusting the distance between each of said blades.
According to a further aspect of the invention, said wave-shaped blade comprises V-shaped wave peaks and U-shaped wave troughs.
According to one more aspect of the invention, in each of said cutting stations said blades that extend horizontally are in contact with said V-shaped wave peaks of said wave-shaped blade.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the description of preferred embodiments, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying figures, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a schematic top perspective view of a cutting head according to an embodiment of the machine for cutting food products according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a schematic bottom perspective view of the cutting head of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a schematic top perspective view of some components of the machine of Fig. 1, unassembled;
Fig. 4 is another schematic perspective view of some of the components represented in Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the components of Figs. 3 and 4, assembled;
Fig. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the components of Fig. 5 according to a different angle;
Fig. 7 is a schematic top perspective view of a rotatable drum of the machine for cutting food products according to the present invention;
Fig. 8 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the components of the drum of Fig. 7;
Fig. 9 is a top perspective view of a first embodiment of a wave-shaped blade and of the related support device, belonging to the cutting head of Fig. 1;
Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the wave-shaped blade and of the related support device of Fig. 9;
Fig. 11 is a front elevation view of the wave-shaped blade and of the related support device of Fig. 9;
Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the wave-shaped blade and of the related support device of Fig. 9;
Fig. 12A is a schematic view of an embodiment of the wave-shaped blade of Fig. 12;
Fig. 13 is a schematic top view of the plurality of horizontal blades and of the related support device, belonging to the cutting head of Fig. 1;
Fig. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the components of Fig. 13;
Fig. 14A is a view of a detail of Fig. 14;
Fig. 15 is a top perspective view of a second embodiment of a wave-shaped blade and of the related support device, belonging to the cutting head of Fig. 1;
Fig. 16 is a side perspective view of the wave-shaped blade and of the related support device according to the embodiment of Fig. 15;
Fig. 17 is a schematic view of different operating dispositions of the wave-shaped blade and of the related support device according to the embodiment of Fig. 15;
Fig.18 is a partially sectioned top plan view of the cutting head and of the drum belonging to the machine for cutting food products according to the present invention;
Fig. 19 is a view of detail of Fig. 18 which shows cutting of a food product;
Fig. 20 is an enlarged view of a detail of Fig. 19;
Figs. 21 and 22 show different forms of food products cut with the machine of the present invention.

The machine for cutting food products according to the present invention is suitable to cut numerous types of food products, in particular vegetables such as tubers and other fruit and vegetables adapted to be sliced. Hereinafter in the description, reference will be made to cutting potatoes, but the same considerations can be applied without limitation to other types of products.
As mentioned in the introduction, the food processing industry requires machines for cutting potatoes into various shapes and sizes. The cut potatoes, for example in the form of slices or sticks, are then processed with different methods to obtain a finished or semi-finished product. For example, the raw sticks are fried and then frozen, so that the consumer only requires to defrost and heat the product in order to consume it.
One type of stick in demand has a channel shape, i.e., a U-shaped cross section, as shown in Fig. 21. The channel can be simple or multiple, for example double, as shown in Fig. 22. The channel shape is particularly appreciated as the concave U-shape allows the stick to be dipped in sauce, as if it were a spoon, and the potato chip to be enjoyed accompanied by the sauce.
To obtain channel-shaped sticks it is necessary to have cutting machines provided with at least one wave-shaped blade.
The machine for cutting food products according to the invention is of the type in which the product is fed towards the wave-shaped blade and other blades, as described below, according to a curved trajectory, also as a result of the centrifugal force exerted by a rotatable plate onto which the product is loaded.
With reference to Figs. 1-6 and 12A, there will now be described an embodiment of the cutting head belonging to the machine for cutting food products according to the invention.
The cutting head, indicated as a whole with 10, is annular-shaped and comprises a plurality of cutting stations 12, all spaced at equal distances from a vertical central axis Y. In other words, the section of the cutting head according to a plane perpendicular to the axis Y is of circular shape, as shown in Fig. 18.
Each cutting station 12 comprises at least one wave-shaped blade 20 that extends vertically and a plurality of blades 30 that extend horizontally and that are superimposed and spaced vertically.
The wave-shaped blade 20 is formed with wave peaks 21 and wave troughs 22, as better shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 12A. The term "wave-shaped blade that extends vertically" is intended as a blade with wave peaks 21 and wave troughs 22 that project for the same distance from a vertical plane Z-Z, as shown in Fig. 12A, where the plane Z-Z is parallel to the axis Y of the cutting head and perpendicular to each plane on which the horizontal blades 30 lie. It can be noted that Fig. 12A shows a particular embodiment of the wave-shaped blade 20, in which the wave peaks 21 form a sharp edge, i.e., are V-shaped, while the wave troughs 22 are rounded, i.e., are U-shaped. In a preferred embodiment, the wave peaks 21 define an angle ε preferably comprised between 45 and 90°.
Each wave-shaped blade 20 is detachably mounted in a support device 24, which will be described in detail below, with the cutting edge 20' of the blade projecting from the support.
The plurality of blades 30 that extend horizontally and that are superimposed and spaced vertically are also detachably mounted in a support device 34, which will be described in detail below. The term "plurality of blades that extend horizontally" indicates blades lying on planes perpendicular to the axis Y of the cutting head and parallel to one another.
As shown in particular in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the support device 24 with the related blade 20 and the support device 34 with the related plurality of blades 30 are associated to form a cutting station 12 of the food product. The support devices 24 and 34 are attached with the respective upper ends to an upper ring 40 and with the respective lower ends to a lower ring 42.
The cutting head 20 is therefore formed by the plurality of cutting stations 12 mounted on the rings 40, 42.
The support device 24 of the wave-shaped blade 20 is mounted inside the rings 40, 42, while the support device 34 of the related plurality of vertically superimposed horizontal blades 30 is mounted outside the rings 40,42. Therefore, the support devices 24,34 are spaced radially from each other. The relative mounting of the two support devices 24, 34 is implemented so that the blades 30 are aligned with the wave peaks 21 of the wave-shaped blade 20. Alignment of the blades 30 with the peaks 21 of the wave-shaped blade 20 can cause contact between the blades 30 and the peaks 21, or proximity of the blades 30 to the peaks 21. The term "proximity of the blades to said wave peaks" means a disposition between blades 30 and peaks 21 in which there is no effective contact between them but a space exists between blades 30 and peaks 21 such that transverse cutting of the slices of potato into simple or multiple channel-shaped sticks is in any case obtained.
With reference to Figs. 13, 14 and 14A, each blade 30 is flat and has a polygonal shape. In the embodiment illustrated, each blade 30 has an approximately trapezoidal shape and has a side 31 for insertion and attachment to the support device 34, a side or cutting edge 32 and a side 33 of contact with or proximity to the wave-shaped blade 20 of the support 24. An edge 32' is defined between the cutting side 31 and the contact side 33. The cutting side 32, which in the present description is interchangeably indicated as cutting edge, is oriented towards the inside of the cutting head 10 and forms an angle δ with respect to the side 31. The angle δ varies between 45 and 90°, preferably between 60 and 70°. Alignment of the blade 30 with the wave peak 21 of the wave-shaped blade 20 is implemented by moving the side 33 of the blade 30 in proximity to and/or in contact with the peak 21 of the blade 20.
As shown in particular in Figs. 5 and 6, each cutting station 12 has a side directed towards the inside of the cutting head 10 and a side directed towards the outside of the cutting head 10. As will be described in detail below, the side directed towards the inside forms the cutting side, i.e., the side that enters the product to be cut, while the side directed towards the outside forms the unloading side, i.e., the side from which the cut product is delivered.
According to a preferred embodiment, the relative disposition of the blades 30 and of the wave-shaped blade 20 is such that the edge 32' of the blade 30 is not placed in contact with or in proximity to the cutting edge 20' of the blade 20 but is placed in a position moved back by an angle δ with respect to the cutting edge 20', as shown in Fig. 20. This disposition is such that the product to be cut, which is fed towards the cutting station from the inside towards the outside in the direction of the arrow A, first encounters the wave-shaped blade 20 and then the plurality of blades 30, first cutting a wave-shaped slice and then cutting the slice into sticks, as will be explained below.
Figs. 3 and 4 show that the cutting station 12 is assembled on the rings 40, 42 with screws 36 and nuts 38 passing through corresponding holes of the supports 24, 34 and of the rings 40,42.
Figs. 7 and 8 show the rotatable drum belonging to the machine according to the invention, indicated as a whole with 50.
The drum 50 is formed by a plate 52 provided with three blades 56 disposed along its outer edge and oriented towards the inside starting from the circumference of the plate 52, which are attached at the top to a ring 54. The plate 52 is provided with holes 18 for connection to motor means, not illustrated, adapted to rotate said drum about its vertical axis Y. The components of the drum are attached with screws 57, as shown in Fig. 8. The diameter and height of the drum 50 are such as to allow its insertion into the cutting head 20 and to allow the blades 56 to graze the inlet side of the cutting stations 12.
Naturally, in addition to the motor means of the drum 50, the cutting machine according to the invention comprises other known components or devices, not illustrated and described, such as hoppers for loading the potatoes and unloading the cut sticks, container of the cutting head, optional cover, control unit of the motor means and of any other electrical and electronic components.
Figs. 9-12 show a first embodiment of the support 24 of the wave-shaped blade 20.
The support 24 comprises a base 23 provided with holes 26, 27 for attaching to the upper ring 40 of the machine according to the invention, and holes 26', 27' for attaching to the lower ring 42 of the machine according to the invention.
The base 23 is provided with a wave-shaped portion 25, having substantially the same shape and size as the blade 20, adapted to accommodate the blade 20 with its cutting edge 20' projecting therefrom. The portion 25 is inclined with respect to the base 23, so that when the support 24 is mounted in the cutting head the blade 20 it is directed towards the inside of the head.
The support 24 also comprises a plate 28 provided with fingers 29 also inclined with respect to the plate 28. The plate 28 is provided with holes 44 aligned with holes 46 of the base 23, for attachment by means of screws 48. The ends of the fingers 29 are in contact with the wave troughs 22 of the blade 20 and act thereon maintaining it against the portion 25 of the support 24. Preferably, a finger 29 is associated with each wave trough 22. The wave-shaped blade 20 is held in position on the wave-shaped portion 23 by means of pivots 17 pressure fitted in holes 15 made in the wave-shaped portion 23. The pivots 17 create points on which the blade 20 rests, so that it is held in position and is prevented from moving following the stresses created during cutting of the product.
The presence of the fingers 29 has the main function of facilitating unloading of the cut product, as will be seen below, as they form a continuous inclined surface that substantially covers the wave troughs 22, thereby facilitating delivery of the product from the cutting station 12, preventing parts of the potato from being inserted into the wave troughs 22 instead of being thrust towards the unloading side of the cutting station.
The holes 27,27' of the base 23 of the support 24 are elongated so as to form a slot in the horizontal direction.
The support 24 comprises means for adjusting its inclination with respect to the circumference of the cutting head, which for the present objects, is considered defined by the rings 40, 42, so that the blade 20 mounted on the support is oriented towards the inside of the cutting head, as shown in Fig. 1. This adjustment of the inclination of the support 24 is achieved through means for tilting the support, described below.
Figs. 1-3 show that it is possible to adjust the position of the support 24, and more precisely the inclination of the support 24 with respect to the rings 40, 42, and hence the disposition of the blade 20, i.e., its inclination towards the inside of the cutting head, using means for tilting the support 24.
The means for tilting the support 24 are produced by interposing, between the rings 40, 42 and the support 24, suitable spacers 46, 47, between the upper part of the support 24 and the upper ring 40, and corresponding spacers 46',47' between the lower part of the support 24 and the lower ring 42. The spacers 47,47', placed in proximity to the cutting edge of the wave-shaped blade 20, are thicker than the spacers 46,46', so as to determine a divergence angle α between the rings 40, 42 and the blade 20 and orient the cutting edge of the blade 20 towards the inside of the cutting head, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 19. The spacers 46,46',47,47' are perforated so as to allow screws 36 to pass through them into the holes 26, 26', 27, 27' of the support 24. Moreover, the slot shape of the holes 27,27' allows the spacers 47,47' to move along the slots and further adjust the divergence angle α between the rings 40, 42 and the wave-shaped blade 20.
Due to the disposition of the supports 24 along the circumference of the annular-shaped cutting head 20 and to adjustment of the divergence angle α with respect to the rings 40,42, a distance in radial direction is defined between the wave-shaped blades 20 of two contiguous cutting stations 12. This distance determines the thickness of the slice of food product that is cut. In fact, each slice has an outer side that is cut by the first blade 20 the product encounters during its trajectory in the cutting station 12, and an inner side, which is cut by the blade 20 of the subsequent cutting station 12 that the product encounters along its trajectory, as will be better described below. It must be noted however that being arranged along a circumference, the blades 20 are not disposed parallel to one another. In fact, an angle β is defined between two adjacent vertical planes Z-Z of the wave-shaped blades 20 (Fig. 19).
Figs. 13-14A show an embodiment of the support 34 of the plurality of blades 30 that extend horizontally and that are superimposed and spaced vertically. The figures also show the means for adjusting the distance between each blade.
The support 34 is formed with a parallelepiped-shaped cavity 35 in which the blades 30 are accommodated with interposition of spacer blocks 37, which form an embodiment of the means for adjusting the distance between each blade.
Each blade 30 is inserted in the cavity 35 with the attachment side 31, in proximity of which a hole 38 is made. Each spacer block 37 is also provided with a hole 38' aligned with the holes 38. An elongated screw 39 with the threaded end 39' is inserted into the holes 38 of the blades 30 and 38' of the spacer blocks 37, and passes through corresponding holes 55 of the support 34 to be finally screwed into a nut 57, producing locking of the blades 30 and of the spacer blocks 37 in the cavity 35.
This structure allows one or more of the blades 30 to be replaced or repaired, without the need to replace blades without wear. Moreover, it allows the distance of the blades 30 from one another to be adjusted simply using spacer blocks of different length / (Fig. 14). In a preferred embodiment, the length / of the spacer block 37 corresponds to the distance between two wave peaks of the wave-shaped blade 20.
The support 34 of the plurality of blades 30 is also provided with holes 58, 59 for attachment to the upper ring 40 of the machine according to the invention, and holes 58', 59' for attachment to the lower ring 42 of the machine according to the invention. The holes 59,59' are elongated so as to form a slot in the horizontal direction. In this way, as shown in Fig. 3, it is possible to obtain alignment of the support 34 with the support 24 when this is moved along the excursion permitted by the elongated holes 27,27'.
Figs. 15-17 show a second embodiment of the support, which in this embodiment is indicated with the numeral 124, of the wave-shaped blade 20.
The support 124 comprises a base 123 coupled to two support heads 127, 127', for attachment to the rings 40, 42 of the cutting head 20. The support head 127 is provided with holes 126 for attachment to the upper ring 40 of the machine according to the invention, and the support head 127' is provided with holes 126' for attachment to the lower ring 42 of the machine according to the invention.
The base 123 is provided with a wave-shaped portion 125, having substantially the same shape and size as the blade 20, adapted to accommodate the blade 20 with its cutting edge 20' projecting therefrom. The portion 125 is inclined with respect to the base 123, so that when the support 124 is mounted in the cutting head the blade 20 is directed towards the inside of this head.
The support 124 also comprises a plate 128 provided with fingers 129 also inclined with respect to the plate 128. The plate 128 is provided with holes aligned with holes of the base 123, not illustrated, for attachment by means of screws 148. The ends of the fingers 129 are in contact with the wave troughs 22 of the blade 20 and contribute to filling the wave troughs of the wave-shaped portion 125 of the support 24, and of the blade 20, facilitating unloading of the cut potato, as was explained in relation to the support 24. Preferably, a finger 129 is associated with each wave trough 22.
As described in relation to the fingers 29, also the fingers 129 have the important function of facilitating unloading of the cut product, as will be seen below, as it forms a continuous inclined surface that facilitates delivery of the cut product from the cutting station 12. Moreover, the slits 150 of the fingers 129 allow more delicate delivery of the cut product, to avoid impacts that could compromise the integrity of the product and the appearance of cutting defects identifiable with wrinkles, (known as "feathering" in jargon).
The embodiment described in Figs. 15-17 comprises means for tilting the blade 20 with respect to the support 124. In fact, coupling between the base 123 and the two support heads 127, 127' allows rotation of the base around a central pivot 140 accommodated in a corresponding longitudinal hole 141, as shown in Fig. 17. The sides of the base 123 are provided with holes 133, into which screws 144 passing through corresponding slot-shaped elongated holes 143, provided in the support heads 127, 127', are screwed. In this way, it is possible to rotate the base 123 with respect to the support heads 127, 127', hence with respect to the rings 40,42 of the cutting head. Fig. 17 shows the support 124 without the two support heads 127, 127' highlighting the two end positions taken by the base 123 by rotation around the pivot 140. This rotation determines an inclination of the blade 20 towards the inside of the cutting head, defined by the angle γ shown in Fig. 17. The maximum degree that the angle γ can take is determined by the width of the slot-shaped elongated holes 143, and is comprised between 0 and 40°, preferably between 0 and 15°.
As the wave-shaped blade 20 is integral with the base 123, rotation of the base 123 naturally also causes rotation of the blade 20 with respect to the support heads 127, 127', hence with respect to the rings 40,42 of the cutting head. Each support head 127,127' has in its front side in proximity to the wave-shaped blade 20, an extension 147 provided with an elongated hole 145. At one side of the hole 145 marked by the notches 149, so that by sighting through the hole and having as reference a notch made on the portion of the base 123 corresponding to the hole 145, it is possible to establish the degree of inclination of the base 123 with respect to the support heads 127, 127', i.e., the angle γ, and consequently, the degree of divergence of the blade 20 towards the inside of the cutting head.
With particular reference to Figs. 18 and 19, operation of the machine for cutting food products according to the invention will now be described.
The food product to be cut, for example a potato 60, is inserted into the drum 50 and rests on the plate 52, or on other potatoes above it. The drum is rotated according to the direction of the arrow A by known motor means, not illustrated. Rotation of the drum causes a centrifugal force that thrusts the potato towards the circumference of the plate 52, where the blades 56 push it towards the cutting stations 12 positioned along the cutting head 10. The trajectory travelled by the potato towards and through the cutting station is curved, and substantially circular. The potato then enters a first cutting station 12 and encounters the wave-shaped blade 20, which, as already stated, is oriented towards the inside of the cutting head and diverges from the lower ring 42 of the cutting head by an angle α. The angle α is adjustable as explained above in relation to the structure of the support 24 or 124 of the wave-shaped blade 20. It must be borne in mind that the angle α can be determined solely by inclination of the support 24 with respect to the rings 40,42 of the cutting head, as in the case of the embodiment of the support of the wave-shaped blade indicated with 24, or it can be determined solely by inclination of the blade 20 according to the angle γ, as in the case of the embodiment of the support of the wave-shaped blade indicated with 124, in which case α = γ, or by a combination of these two embodiments.
The wave-shaped blade 20 cuts the potato initially forming a wave-shaped slice. The slice surmounts the blade 20 for a short portion and encounters the cutting edge 32 of the blades 30, which makes transverse cuts with respect to those made by the blade 20, forming a plurality of sticks 62. As each blade 30 is positioned at each peak 21 of the blade 20, and therefore the number of the blades 30 is the same as the number of the peaks 21, the stick 62 has the shape of a single channel, as shown in Fig. 21. In an alternative embodiment of the blade, not illustrated, the blade 30 is positioned in a disposition alternated with respect to the peaks 21 of the blade 20, i.e., the number of the blades 30 is halved with respect to the number of the peaks 21 of the blade 20. In this embodiment a double channel-shaped stick 63 is produced, as shown in Fig. 22. The sticks 62 travel on the fingers 29, 129 of the support 24,124 of the blade 20, passing from the inlet side to the outlet side of the cutting station 12, from which there are unloaded outside the cutting head. The presence of the fingers 29,129 facilitates unloading of the sticks 62,63 as the fingers 29,129 form a continuous inclined surface that prevents the sticks from being inserted into the wave troughs 22 of the blade 20, or into the corresponding cavities of the portion 25,125 of the support 24,124 of the blade 20. As already stated, in the production of the cutting station 12 according to an embodiment of the invention, illustrated in particular in Figs. 5 and 6, the relative disposition of the blades 30 and of the wave-shaped blade 20 is such that the edge 31' of the blade 30 is not placed in contact with or in proximity to the cutting edge 20' of the blade 20, but is placed in a position withdrawn with respect to the cutting edge 20', in the direction of the arrow A (Figs. 5,18,19). This disposition is such that the potato, which is fed in the direction of the arrow A, first encounters the wave-shaped blade 20 and then the plurality of blades 30, first cutting a wave-shaped slice and then cutting the slice into sticks. The two cuts, consecutive and not simultaneous, make it possible to reduce the impact force of the product on the blades, dividing it into two subsequent moments. This reduces any damages that might be caused to the product. Moreover, as described previously in relation to Fig. 14A, to further reduce the force required for the cut, the blade 30 does not cut the product perpendicularly to the direction of feed of the product but according to an angle δ, preferably comprised between 60° and 70°, as can be noted in Figs. 18-20. The potato on which the cut has been made travels along the inner side of the blade 20, i.e., the side opposite the side on which the fingers 29 (or 129) are present, and then along the wave-shaped portion 25 (o 125), as can be better understood from Fig. 5. The potato then encounters the subsequent cutting station 12, which in the same way cuts the side of the slice and immediately afterwards cuts it into sticks. The centrifugal force and the thrust of the blades 56 allow the remaining part of potato to be thrust against the subsequent cutting stations, until cutting has been completed.
Due to the disposition of the supports 24 along the circumference of the cutting head 20, and to adjustment of the divergence angle α with respect to the rings 40,42, a distance in radial direction is defined between the wave-shaped blades 20 of two contiguous cutting stations 12. As stated above, this distance determines the thickness of the slice of food product that is cut. The thickness of each slice of potato, hence of each stick 62, is determined by the distance in radial direction of the two successive blades 20.
According to the various aspects of the invention, the machine for cutting food products has numerous advantages with respect to prior art machines.
Firstly, the vertical wave-shaped blade that cuts the slice is independent and separate, even though in contact with or in proximity to, the horizontal blades that cut the slice into sticks. In this way, when necessary, it is possible to replace single blades and not all the blades simultaneously, as instead occurs when the sticks are cut by means of a single grate-shaped blade.
Other advantages consist in the versatility with which the inclination of the wave-shaped blade towards the inside of the cutting head and the distance of the vertical blades can be adjusted, in order to cut sticks with a single or multiple channels.
Moreover, the embodiment in which the horizontal blades 30 are placed at the V-shaped peaks of the wave-shaped blade 20 makes it possible to obtain channel-shaped sticks with a precise U-shaped cross section.
With the machine according to the present invention it is also possible to achieve high productivity in terms of cut product, without jamming due to the accumulation of cut product in the cutting stations. In fact, due to the particular structure of the blade supports, the cut sticks are easily unloaded from the cutting head.
Finally, the machine according to the invention can be produced with numerous cutting stations, for example 16 or even more cutting stations, disposed on the circumference of the cutting head. The high number of cutting stations reduces the distance between two consecutive blades, making it possible to obtain greater precision during cutting and to avoid unwanted movements of the product between consecutive cuts. This also reduces the amount of scraps and increases output and hourly capacity.

Claims

Machine for cutting food products into wavy sticks (62; 63), comprising:
- an annular-shaped cutting head (10) comprising a plurality of cutting stations (12), each cutting station comprising at least a wave-shaped blade (20) that extends vertically and a plurality of blades (30) that extend horizontally and are superimposed on and spaced vertically from one another, said wave-shaped blade (20) being formed with wave peaks (21) and wave troughs (22);

- a rotatable drum (50) coaxially disposed within said cutting head (10), provided with blades (56) placed along the outer edge of said drum;

- motor means of said drum, operatively adapted to rotate said drum about its vertical axis (Y);
characterized in that:
- each of said cutting stations (12) comprises a support device (24; 124) of said wave-shaped blade (20) that extends vertically, and a support device (34) of said plurality of blades (30) that extend horizontally, said supporting devices (24, 34) being spaced radially from each other;

- said blades (30) that extend horizontally are formed with a cutting edge (32) oriented towards the inside of said cutting head (20) and with a side (33) in contact with, or in proximity to, said wave peaks (21) of said wave-shaped blade (20).
Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said wave-shaped blade (20) comprises means (46,47,46 ', 47'; 140,143,144) for adjusting the position of said blade.
Machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said plurality of blades (30) that extend horizontally and are superimposed on and spaced vertically from one another are detachably mounted in te said support device (34).
Machine according to one or more of claims 1-3, characterized in that said support device (34) of said plurality of blades (30) that extend horizontally and are vertically superimposed is provided with means (35, 37) for adjusting the distance between each of said blades (30).
Machine according to one or more of claims 1-4, characterized in that in each of said cutting stations (12) said blades (30) that extend horizontally are in contact with, or in proximity to, said wave peaks (21) of said wave-shaped blade.
Machine according to one or more of claims 1-5, characterized in that said wave-shaped blade (20) comprises V-shaped wave peaks (21) and U-shaped wave troughs (22).
Machine according to claim 6, characterized in that said blades (30) that extend horizontally are in contact with, or in proximity to, said V-shaped wave peaks (21) of said wave-shaped blade (20).
Machine according to one or more of the claims 1-4, characterized in that each of said blades that extend horizontally and are vertically superimposed has a polygonal shape and has a side (31) for fastening to the relative support device (34), a cutting edge (32) and a side (33) of contact with, or proximity to, said wave-shaped blade (20) mounted in said supporting device (24;124).
Machine according to one or more of Claims 1-8, characterized in that said support device (24) of said wave-shaped blade (20) comprises a base (23; 123) provided with a wave-shaped portion (25; 125) adapted to accommodate said wave-shaped blade (20), said wave-shaped portion (25; 125) being inclined with respect to said base (23; 123) so that said wave-shaped blade (20) is operatively directed towards the inside of said cutting head (10).
Machine according to one or more of Claims 1-8, characterized in that said support device (24; 124) of said wave-shaped blade (20) comprises a plate (28; 128) provided with fingers (29; 129) inclined with respect to said plate (28; 128), said fingers being superimposed on said wave troughs (22) of said blade (20).
Machine according to Claim 10, characterized in that one of said fingers (29; 129) is associated with each of said wave troughs (22) of said blade (20).
Machine according to one or more of Claims 1 to 11, characterized in that said means for adjusting the position of said wave-shaped blade (20) comprise means for tilting said support (24; 124) which comprise spacers (46, 47, 46', 47') of different thickness, adapted to determine a divergence angle (α) between said support (24; 124) and said cutting head (20).
Machine according to one or more of Claims 1 to 11, characterized in that said means for adjusting the inclination of said wave-shaped blade (20) comprise means for tilting said blade (20) with respect to said support (124).
Machine according to Claim 13, characterized in that said means for adjusting the inclination of said wave-shaped blade (20) comprise a pair of support heads (127, 127'), each attached to rings (40, 42) of said cutting head (10), said base (123) of said support (124) being rotatably coupled to said pair of support heads (127, 127').
Machine according to claim 14, characterized in that said base (123) is rotatably mounted around a central pivot (140) with respect to said support heads (127, 127') and is provided with means for locking the rotation 144, 143) with respect to said support heads (127, 127').