ES2442456T3 - Device and portioning procedure - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Device for cutting slices (2) or portions of slices of precise weight of a product that can be cut (3), stably only under certain conditions, in particular meat or fish, with - a portioning module (1 ) pair to cut and lay down the slices (2), which comprises a deporving blade (4) and at least two portioning chambers (7a, 7b) and - a feed module (100) for pre-molding and product feeding to be cut (3) towards the portioning module (1) in the direction of advance (10), - the advance module (100) presenting a mold tube (101) extending in the direction of the advance (10), and whose open rear end is closed by a press punch (102) movable in the direction of advance (10) in the mold tube (101), for the previous formation and displacement of the product to be cut (3), and - wherein the bottom of the portioning chambers (7a, 7b) is formed by at least one counterpoint (12a, 12b) which is movable in the direction of the feed (10) and in the reverse direction, characterized in that the pressing surface of the tailstock (12a, 12b) has at least one pressure sensor (15) or the pressure can be measured by measuring the force applied in a counter-punch drive (13) that is connected with a control (20) to the tailstock (12a, 12b), to keep constant the pressure acting on the slice (2), even during penetration of the serving knife (4).

Description

Device and portioning procedure

The invention relates to a device and a method for dividing portions of a precise weight.

II. Technical background

Commerce and wholesale consumers in the food sector, especially industrial kitchens, catering services, restaurant chains and the like, especially want more expensive foods such as fish or meat, than the slices made available or portions that comprise several slices always have the same weight, possibly accepting a weight tolerance of only ± 3%, for example for fresh meat sold in the retail self-service store, with a theoretical weight of 500g.

The sectioning of a slice with a certain predetermined theoretical weight of a great fascisculus of fish or meat that, on the one hand, presents a heterogeneous consistency and on the other hand an increasingly different shape and size, causes considerable problems, especially in automated operation, where production of 200 slices per minute is required.

For this purpose, corresponding portioning devices and procedures are known that start from the idea that the matching volumes of the same piece of meat or fish also have approximately the same weight. From this, a portioning chamber with a predetermined volume and dimensions is completely filled with the product to be cut which, at least to some extent, is deformable, and then a slice of the product is cut by a separation cut directly on the open side of the porthole chamber in the form of a blind hole.

To automate this process, the product in the form of a fascicle is inserted into a mold tube, opened in front and closed behind by a longitudinally movable press punch, which has a constant cross-section in the longitudinal direction, and by advancing the Pressing punch The product is pressed in such a way that it becomes shorter fascicle with a constant cross section, according to the cross section of the mold tube.

From this mold tube, the fascicle is displaced by means of the pressing punch, from the front end to the portioning chamber which, as a rule, is immediately adjacent, a slice and so on is cut.

There are still a plurality of problems that impede or hinder the exact respect of the real weight that, however, is desired by the industry that produces meat or fish, to minimize the use of the merchandise and ensure its profit margin.

A problem consists in the fact that, for a product to be cut, the same specific weight is always assumed, predetermined manually or stored for the separate genera of the product, for example for the various fascicles of the various slaughter animals.

However, depending on the predominant pressure in the slice to be cut during the portioning process as well as the composition of fat or water, porosity or percentage of the fascicle genera, this is not always the case.

Additionally, in practice it is not always possible to ensure a 100% filling of the portioning chamber with the product to be cut, especially in the desired reduced filling time, and despite the already known load of depression for example in the chamber of portioning that, by itself, again generates problems caused by the fouling of the depression ducts with traces of the product to be cut etc.

In addition, the pressure and friction conditions differ considerably between the product to be cut and the surrounding component, if one compares, on the one hand, the front end of the mold tube or the portioning chamber with the rear end of the tube of mold, where the product to be cut is fed by means of the pressing punch, for the previous deformation or the previous pressing and for its advance towards the portioning chamber.

Likewise, the speed of the process, which is very important for the processing industry, is not optimal when the same portioning chamber is used each time for filling, sectioning, evacuation and new filling. It has been tried to improve it with alternating chambers, but they have the disadvantage of a non-modifiable volume.

In this context, in a first time the French patent FR 1271402 has revealed a pressing device in which a piece of meat can be pressed into a mold in both longitudinal and transverse directions.

Additionally, cutting devices are known in which a previously pressed piece of meat is further cut into slices or tacos.

Thus, US patent 6045071 has revealed a cutting device in which the mold tube, circumferentially closed or open in the form of a channel, is pressed longitudinally and with a blade slices are cut at the front end that become tacos, because to a grid of blades arranged upstream, to generate the longitudinal fascicles.

Behind the blade, the dowels fall down loose.

Also by the PCT application WO 03 / 064123A1 a cutting device is known in which the sliced slices of the piece of meat are received in a portioning device, opposite the mold tube with respect to the blade, the bottom of which is formed by a counterpoint, opposite to the longitudinal pressing punch, which is gradually removed, so that at the end of the cutting process the entire piece of sliced meat is in this portioning tube.

As the next state of the art, US patent application 2004/0156965 shows a cutting device in which each slice cut separately is removed after sectioning by a rotation of the portioning chamber in which it is located. On the side of the mold tube, the piece of meat is pressed in both the longitudinal and transverse directions. The characteristics of the general concept of claims 1 and 12 are known from this document.

From the European patent application EP 0306012 A2 it is known that a pressure switch measuring the pressure applied on the rear end of the meat piece is integrated in the pressing punch that presses on the rear end of the meat piece be cut

III. Representation of the invention

a) Technical object

It is therefore the object according to the invention to provide a method as well as a device that, despite a high process speed and a reduction in the propensity for dysfunctions, maintains the deviation between the theoretical weight of the slices or portions of slice and the real weight as low as possible.

b) Object solution

This object is solved by claims 1 and 12. Advantageous embodiments result from the dependent claims.

In particular by means of the two-part embodiment of the mold tube as a channel and lateral punch that can be introduced therein, on the one hand the introduction of the product to be cut into the mold tube is facilitated, on the other hand the cross section of the tube The mold could be as close as possible to the cross section of the product to be cut before, by means of the pressing punch, the product is previously pressed in the longitudinal direction in the mold tube. In this way the transverse deformation of the product to be cut is minimized, that is, the product is protected and in this way the maintenance of both the weight and the shape of the slices to be cut is improved.

Since the contour of the cross-section of the pressing punch must correspond to the free cross-section in the mold tube, which must be closed, defined, staggered, cross-sectional, cross-sectional positions that can be addressed exclusively, and for the lateral punch, are predetermined. free cross sections resulting in the mold tube are provided with specific press caps, of different sizes,

or a pressing punch whose contour can be adapted.

Similarly to the free cross section applied to the mold tube and thereby the cross section of the pressing punch, a portioning chamber with a corresponding cross section and possibly a corresponding cutting tube must also be provided in the portioning module, since, as a rule, the cross section of the portioning chamber must be identical to that of the mold tube.

Next, however, if the opposite is not indicated, the existence and use of a portioning chamber is assumed in which the front end of the product to be cut is inserted, and whose volume is completely filled by the product to be cut. It is determined by the slice to be sectioned.

However, it is only possible to optimize the weight of the slice generated below in function of the determined actual weight of the preceding slices, if, according to the invention, for this purpose the pressure during processing, in or near the part a be cut from the product, it can be modified, for example by

modification of the clamping force of the pressing punch, but especially through the volume of the portioning chamber and with it the slice to be generated:

For this purpose, the bottom of the portioning chamber is made movable in the forward direction and can be activated as a counterpoint that closes the portioning chamber, on a path corresponding in particular to a multiple of the theoretical thickness of a slice.

This allows the additional advantage of being able to section several slices one after the other, without having to remove them after each time immediately from the parking chamber. That is to say, the slices already sectioned are displaced in a staggered manner by means of the product still whole, even inside the portioning chamber and are cut, and to the same extent the tailstock is removed in a staggered manner to create the volume required for it. This is possible through a plurality of sliced slices, particularly through the entire cut product, since the effect that inside the product to be cut are areas with different elasticity, that is, types of muscle fiber, which behave and expand differently after sectioning, can only have disadvantageous effects for the new slice to be cut after being added through the plurality of slices.

Particularly if, as mentioned, the entire product, cut into consecutive slices, is pushed into the portioning chamber so that there, finally, is the entire product, sectioned, in the portioning chamber, then In this way, it is possible to manufacture a particularly simple and economical machine in which no piece of device is required which, immediately after sectioning a slice, moves it with the help of the portioning chamber outside the cutting area and the evacuates, providing a new empty parking chamber in the cutting position.

Such a device piece must operate very quickly and very precisely, which means high mechanical stress and a high percentage of the costs of the entire device.

It can be waived if the evacuation of the portioning chamber must be done only once, after the sectioning of the entire product to be cut.

In order to avoid that this must be done in a very short time, preferably there are two portioning chambers for each machine and thereby portioning tubes, and also preferably two mold tubes that can be moved, in particular sliding, between two positions, to namely, the cutting position to cut the product to be cut, and an ejection position distanced from it.

In this way, it is possible to move the filled portioning chamber which, in case of being made with a side punch, after removing the side punch only is a portioning channel, from the working position to the loading position, to empty it there. manually or with the help of an axially acting slide.

For this, relatively long time is available because, in the meantime, the other empty portioning chamber is brought to the working position, and a new cutting cycle begins.

Also, during the sectioning of the product to be cut that is in a first mold tube, a second mold tube that is adjacent in the ejection position, can already be filled with a new product to be cut.

The user can choose the moment in which within the time window, which is required for the sectioning of the product to be cut, the new charge of the second mold tube or the discharge of the second portioning tube is carried out, so that a temporary stop is also given for other activities, and a single user can handle for example several of these machines.

The cut product can be evacuated on a conveyor belt or temporarily stored in trays and subsequently be divided into portions manually, semi-automatically or completely automated, and further processed.

The manufacture of such a machine is particularly economical if the corresponding components, such as mold tube and portioning chamber, mold tube channel and portioning channel, the respective transverse punches and / or pressing punches and counter punches, They are made identical, so that a machine with two or more pairs of mold tube and portioning tube can be made from increasingly identical components.

However, through the possibility of precise positioning of the tailstock, it is now also possible to readjust the volume of the portioning chamber each time again for each slice to be cut, depending on the divergence of the theoretical weight that has been shown with respect to to the actual weights measured previously for sliced slices.

In particular, in this way it is also possible, not only to respect exactly the theoretical weight of the individual slices, but also the theoretical weight of portions comprising several slices, since here the deviations between real and theoretical weight of the slices are no longer added individual, as in the past, but specifically shortly before the portion is done, by weighing for example the individual slices, the difference between the actual weight and the theoretical weight in the soma is known, and can be compensated for through one or several of the last slices, or it can be controlled as desired, for example by adjusting the actual weight of the entire portion to the lower limit of the authorized tolerance range.

This is possible in a particularly simple way if a portion is divided which consists, for example, of 6 slices whose theoretical weight is predetermined, in two partial portions, for example 2 x 3 slices or 1 x 5 slices and 1 x 1 slice, producing the portions partial with several slices sectioning them one after another, but receiving them one after another in the portioning chamber, and after finding out the actual weight of the first partial portion, the last partial portion can be determined exactly correspondingly, as far as to the theoretical weight and also to the real weight, by corresponding adjustment of the longitudinal position of the tailstock.

It is recommended that the mold tube cavity has a cross-sectional contour in the form of a parallelogram, in particular with rounded angles, and a large corner bracket of 120 ° - 150 °.

This offers, on the one hand, the advantage that the volume can be modified by means of the channel and the transverse punch that can be displaced transversely therein, the transverse punch forming one of the faces of the parallelogram and being displaced in the direction of the two adjacent faces of parallelogram.

On the other hand this offers the advantage that with this cross-sectional shape the typical product in the form of a pork loin can still be pressed to adopt this cross-sectional shape, and yet there is a way in which also the sectioning of Homogenous bodies in the form of tacos is possible.

Preferably, for this cycle the control of the pressing punch and the tailstock will allow exactly synchronized movement of both punches, or even a mechanical coupling of both punches can be provided which, preferably, can be disengaged.

Particularly, with the help of the control, the pressing punch can be removed each time after the sectioning of a slice and the product to be cut can be relieved of the pressure in the forward direction, before the cut slice is evacuated, by example, moving the portioning chamber away, to avoid an unwanted exit of the product at this time, out of the hollow mold space.

A fourth advantage of the longitudinally movable tailstock consists in being able, when the fascicle is advanced and similarly, the tailstock is displaced backwards to fill the portioning chamber, moving the two together at a first time through a reduced path above the theoretical thickness, and then move the tailstock and the product to be cut again, eventually also the pressing punch, contrary to the direction of advancement, to the point where the tailstock has reached the theoretical position in the hollow portioning space. This can be helpful in generating a previously defined theoretical pressure for the portioning chamber, defined by the counterpoint, since, despite the essential inability to be compressed of the product to be cut, the pressure applied by the pressing punch can present strong divergences, due to the friction that occurs between the mold tube, the product to be cut etc.

For this purpose and others, a pressure measurement may be provided in the hollow portioning space, for example if the pressure or the clamping force of the tailstock is measured.

On the one hand, the correlation between the volume and the weight received in it depends on the specific weight of the product to be cut, which depends slightly, but not without relevance, on the pressure that governs the product to be cut. On the other hand, before or during the portioning, that is, the sectioning of the slice, the pressure in the portioning chamber must be within predetermined limits, since a too low pressure on the product to be cut leads to suppose that the Portion chamber is not completely filled, and too high pressure can damage the inner structure of the product to be cut.

To avoid increasing the existing pressure in the product at the beginning of the cutting process through the penetrating knife and the displacement of the volume of the same, but on the other hand without lowering it and thus reducing the maintenance of the shape and precision Weight of the slice to be cut, the objective is to maintain this pressure that exists before starting the sectioning process also during this process as constant as possible.

To achieve this, the displacement of volume generated by the penetrating portioning knife is compensated by a counterpoint that is removed to the same extent, particularly in an increasing way and not at a stroke, which allows to maintain the constant pressure as at the beginning of the process of sectioning.

Especially to avoid, during the previous pressing of the initial product to turn it into a fascicle definitely formed in the mold tube, that the plate-shaped portioning knife receives the pressure, generated by the pressing punch, in the longitudinal direction by the product to be cut, preferably in the direction of advancement, upstream of the portioning knife, is provided a solid prepress plate that can be made transversely in the advance path and that closes the hollow mold space also tightly forward .

After molding and pressing the product to be cut beforehand, which is carried out with a pressure higher than that of the advance and projection that follows, namely as a rule with 1.0 bar at 6.0 bar versus a pressure of portioning in the portioning chamber of only 0.2 bar at 1.0 bar, the prepress plate moves in a transverse direction, out of the advance path, and the product to be cut is moved in the direction of advance, for division in portions.

Pressing punches and / or tailstocks are generally driven by a conventional punching drive, for example a hydraulic cylinder or an electric drive or the like, preferably being aligned with respect to the travel path, each time only one unit of this type of drive, with a plurality of portioning plates or mold tubes existing on a revolver or a transverse displacement unit.

Additionally or instead, the tailstock can also be operated by pre-tensioning with a spring and / or may be capable, despite its adjustability in the longitudinal direction of being fed on its rear side with compressed air that can subsequently be used for ejection of the sectioned slice of the portioning chamber.

Several possibilities are provided to further facilitate ejection of the slice cut out of the portioning chamber.

On the one hand, compressed air outlets on the pressing surface of the tailstock, possibly also an annular groove between the outer periphery of the object and the inner periphery surface of the portioning chamber, to activate the separation of the cut slice from the parking chamber

As a general rule, the axial movement of the slice outside the portioning chamber is caused by the advance of the counterpoint in the direction and preferably up to the opening of the portioning chamber. There, the movement of the tailstock is stopped, if possible at once, to support the separation of the slice through its kinetic energy which is further encouraged by the opening of compressed air outlets, for example on the pressing surface of the tailstock for the separation of the slices briefly before reaching this position.

By means of the precise adjustment of the theoretical weight of the slice, for example by means of the precise adjustment of the position of the counterpoint, it is also possible to minimize the remains of worse recovery of a fascicle etc. after portioning:

By weighing, particularly automatic weighing, the initial product, before or after its introduction into the mold tube, it is possible to modify - preferably by means of a computer unit integrated in the total machine control - the theoretical weight of the slices or individual portions within the framework of their permissible tolerance values in such a way that, considering the initial weight and eventually considering the weight loss, known from experience, in the form of fouling by the blade or by evacuated meat fibers by the portioning plate etc., it is determined in such a way that from the initial weight of the product to be cut a remaining weight remains as small as possible, which can no longer be divided into portions.

This remaining weight, previously known, can be used for example to create a clean surface of beginning and end for the other portions that are usable and respect the measure - distributing it on an input slice and a remaining slice, or completely without rest.

c) Examples of realization

In the following, some embodiments according to the invention are described in detail. They show: Fig. 1: the entire device, cut along the forward direction and viewed from above in the direction of Advance, Fig. 2: detailed representations of the mold tube and the blade, Fig. 3: a detailed representation of the portioning module, Fig. 4: the development of the portion, Fig. 5: a second construction of the device, cut along the forward direction 10, Fig. 6: the mold tube or portioning tube, consisting of a channel and a transverse punch, in its section transverse, in several different states, and

Fig. 7: An enlarged representation of a detail of Fig. 5 with the product to be cut.

Figure 1a shows along the advance path 10 'the functional collaboration of the individual components, namely, the advance module 100 which, in this case, is located below, and the portioning module 1 located above as well as the portioning blade 4 located between the two, represented respectively in a longitudinal section through their centers, represented without filling, that is to say without product to be cut, for reasons of transparency.

Instead of an exactly perpendicular arrangement, as shown in Figure 1a, an inclined arrangement can also be chosen.

The feed module 100 comprises the mold tube 101 opened up and down, which has a constant internal cross-section in the feed direction 10 and is closed at the rear end to the back, particularly lower, by a convenient pressing punch 102 which it is movable by means of a pressing punch drive 108 in the longitudinal direction, that is, in the direction of advance and contrary to it, in the mold tube 101 and can modify the internal volume thereof.

In this case, adjacent to the mold tube 101 in the forward direction 10, that is, upwards, follows a cutting tube 25, if possible without interstitium (tightened for example by a pressing cylinder) in an aligned manner having the same inner cross section.

The cutting tube 25 serves to guide the blade grids 23 a, b which are arranged crosswise with respect to each other and extend in transverse directions 11, 11 ', respectively consisting of a plurality of blades parallel to each other. others, so that the individual blades penetrate through slits of the opposite walls of each other of the cutting tube 25, where they move in their longitudinal extension from one side to the other to divide the product, at first even in the form of fascicle, in individual bands that extend in the direction of the advance 10.

Directly ahead, namely, in this case, below the knife grids 23 a, b, a prepressing plate 22 with a direction of transverse travel with respect to the direction of travel 10 in the corresponding grooves of the cutting tube 25 is guided transversely , and can close or release the inner cross section through the hole in the prepress plate 22 and has the same inner cross section as the cutting tube 25.

This press plate 22 serves in its inserted state, which closes the cross section, to support in the direction of the front front side the fascicle of the product, introduced in its initial form, during the previous deformation and the previous pressing according to the contour remaining interior of the mold tube, without thereby loading the much less solid blades of the blade grids 23 a, b. If the knife grids 23a, b, are omitted, the prepress plate is also not necessary because then the prepress is performed directly against the portioning module 1, for example against the counterpoint thereof.

The portioning module 1 comprises a portioning plate 5 in the form of a blind hole, whose bottom surface opposite the feed module 100, that is to say, which is located above, is formed by a counterpoint 12 that closes the internal cross-section of the Portion chamber 7 in the form of a blind hole, counterpoint that is movable in the forward direction 10 and against it, by means of a counterpuncture drive 13. The inner cross-section of the portioning chamber 7 corresponds to the section of the cutting tube 25 and the mold tube 101 and is aligned therewith.

The fascicle of the product to be cut that is pushed out of the mold tube 101 by the pressing punch 102 forward, that is in the direction of the advance 10 upwards, is pushed forward while the blades of both cutting grids they cut into bands that extend in a longitudinal direction, and when pushed further forward it is moved until it is adjacent to the tailstock 12, thus filling with its front front end also the portioning chamber 7 on the portioning plate 5. Previously it This is done after the previous deformation in the mold tube, during which cavities must not remain in the hollow space of the mold tube 101 until they are not filled with the product to be cut, after removing the press plate 22 from the internal cross section.

In this state, the portioning knife 4 is then introduced in the transverse direction in the internal cross-section, sectioning the fascicle of the product to be cut and thereby cutting the front end thereof, namely the volume received in the chamber of portion 7, in the form of a slice 2, as illustrated in the other figures.

The drive 108 of the pressing punch and / or the drive 13 of the tailstock must be able to move quickly and accurately, the accuracy of the movement through a pneumatic drive being particularly difficult. Instead, mechanical drives are preferred, for example by means of a threaded spindle or a spherical or rolling spindle, which combine speed with the ability to position

exactly. The two drives can be activated separately, but they can also be synchronized electrically or mechanically.

In FIG. 1a, in addition, the transport device 50 is shown in the form of a conveyor belt to evacuate the sliced or portioned blocks, as well as the stirring drives 6a and 106a for the rotation of the portioning stirrer 6, in which the portioning plates 5 are found, as well as of the advancing revolver 106 on which the mold tubes 101 are located, as well as for positioning these revolvers in the desired position of rotation.

Likewise, the direction of movement of the lateral punch 104 into the channel 103 of the mold tube can also be made inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the contour of the axis of the mold cavity 101 which has the advantage that the length and length of Width of the mold cavity 101 are modified at the same time.

Several portioning blades 4 are shown in Figure 2b. The portioning blade 4 is flatly configured with a surface that is large enough to section the cross-section of the mold tube cavity 101 a and thereby the entire product to be cut 3 and cover it after the slice 2 is cut, which is particularly important for the next transverse displacement of the portioning plate 5 filled with the slice 2.

The cutting edge 4b can extend in a straight line, particularly inclined with respect to the direction of movement of the blade, namely, the transverse direction 11, or it can also be V-shaped or have a different contour. The important thing is that the portioning blade 4 is subjected to traction in its direction of tracing, that is, transversely with respect to its direction of movement, for example between the arms with free ends of a knife bar 24, for example in the form of U, which receives the portioning blade 4.

Through this previous clamping, the blade reaches sufficient stability, despite its insufficient stability in the unstressed state, that is, if it is made of a very thin steel plate, and during the cutting process it displaces, not However, little volume.

Figure 2a shows in its cross section the embodiment of the mold tube 101 in two parts, namely the U-shaped mold tube channel 103 with inner flanks parallel to each other, and the side punch 104 that fits exactly inside thereof and can be displaced in the transverse direction 11, the remaining cavity 101 a of the mold tube being able to vary in this way: this serves to adapt the initial cross-section of the cavity 101 to and before pressing to the cross-sectional contour of the initial product to be cut 3. For this purpose, the side punch 104 can be displaced entirely out of the channel 103 of the mold tube, thereby facilitating the product to be cut 3 which must be introduced into the channel 103 of the mold tube.

Since the initial product to be cut 3, be it a meat fascicle or a fish body, as a rule it does not have a round cross-section, and much less angular, but rather oval, the inner section of the tube channel 103 The mold is made analogously, that is, the channel 103 of the mold tube is provided with a cross-section which at the bottom is for example semicircle and / or round, and analogously the front side of the side punch 104 It is made concave so that the two together have the outline of a rounded rectangle or an elongated hole.

In Figure 2c on a quadruple revolver two identical mold tubes 101, 101 'are respectively arranged of which, therefore - for example using a size 101 - one can be used for portioning while the other can be cleaned thereto. time and / or be filled with a new product to be cut 3.

Figure 2d, on the contrary, shows only a double revolver, which has two mold tubes 101 of the same size.

Since this modifiable cross section must be able to be closed through corresponding pressing punches 102 a, b ..., the side punch 104 can preferably address defined transverse positions 105 a, b ... inside the mold tube channel 103, be available to the pressing punches formed analogously 102 a, b ... or the pressing punch is adjustable without steps on its surface.

After the introduction of the initial product to be cut 3, the lateral punch 104 will therefore address such a transverse position, for example 105a, in which the initial product 3 is already deformed and previously pressed in such a way in the transverse direction. which fills the remaining inner cross section to the greatest extent possible or completely.

Next, the product to be cut 3 is pushed by the appropriate pressing punch, for example 102a in the forward direction 10 against the pressing plate 22 and is also pressed in the direction

longitudinal to the point where there are no more hollow spaces between the product 3 and the inner contour of the cavity of the mold tube 101 a.

Instead of the two-part, variable mold tube 101, consisting of a mold tube channel 103 and the side punch 104, mold tubes 101 a, b can also be used in one piece, with an internal cross-section of a different size.

In FIGS. 2c and 2d, mold tubes 101, 101 'of this type are arranged on a forward revolving 106, whose axis of rotation 110 is parallel to the advance path 10' and away from it, so that the tube of desired mold 101, 101 'with the pressing punch 102 a, b ... from and already guided therein, can be turned in the advance path 10'.

An analogous situation is presented on the side of the portioning module 1 for portioning cameras 7 of different sizes in the corresponding portioning plates 5 a, b which, in turn, are arranged on a portioning stirrer 6, analogously to the scramble 106, but eventually with rotation axes offset from each other, as shown in Figure 1 a.

In this case, preferably, the pressing punch drive 108 and the counter punch drive 103 are only present once, namely, fixedly arranged on the feed path 10 ’.

In case there is a cutting tube 25, it must also be changed together with the mold tube 101 a, b or be arranged on a stirrer, together with the portioning plate 5.

Especially on the side of the parking module 1, the configuration of the construction in stirring can be used as follows:

Figures 1b and 1 c show, in a plan view from above, according to Figure 1a a portioning stirrer 6 of this type and a mold tube revolving 106. On the portioning stirrer 6, in this case two can be found, but there can also be three or more, different portioning plates 5, but equal in their outline and size, with corresponding portioning cameras 7a, b, which also have the Same size and same contour.

This can be used to, after sectioning a slice 2 in the cutting position S of the revolver, rotate the portioning revolver 6 further and bring the next chamber, for example 7b, to the cutting position, refilling it immediately after of removing the blade 4, again by advancing the product to be cut 3.

The portioning chamber 7a that has just been filled is then rotated, together with the cut slice 2 which is still therein, for example to the directly adjacent ejection position A, and it is only there that the slice 2 is ejected out of the portioning chamber 7a or 7b and deposited for example on a transport device 50.

The two rotational positions of the portioning revolver 6, which eventually still remain, can be used, for example, for cleaning the portioning chamber 7 or a rotational position of the advancing stirring 106 can also be used for filling the cavity 101a of the mold tube, bringing in this position another transport device 50 'the next product to be cut 3, possibly under automatic weighing by a direct scale 107 integrated in this transport device 50'.

Naturally, the cross-section of the chamber can also be modified on the side of the portioning chamber 7, for example through the realization of the portioning plate 5 in two parts, by means of the channel 103 and the side punch as it already is. It has been described for a mold tube 101 in several pieces, with the consequence that then also the lateral punch can address for example defined transverse positions, for which the corresponding counterpoint 12 must be available.

In this way it is possible to carry out, in spite of the arrangement of several portioning chambers 7a, b ... of the same size on a portioning revolver 6, quickly the sectioning and ejection on several turning positions, and at the same time, and maintaining however, the advantage of adjusting the sizes of the portioning chambers 7 over the entire stirring portion 6.

Similarly, on the side of the forward stirring 106, this distribution of the functions over various turning positions can be used to, already during the advance and the portioning of a product to be cut 3 in the advance path 10 ', in in a different turning position, refill the next mold tube 101 with the product to be cut 3, press it if necessary already in the transverse direction 11 by means of the side punch 104, clean the mold tube, disinfect it by UV light, or the like.

In a representation of partial cutting through the portioning module 1 and its portioning stirring 6, Figure 3 shows the ejection process that, in the beginning, has already been facilitated by the fact that through the arrangement of the plates of portion 5 above the mold tubes 101, the portioning chambers 7 are open downwards and therefore the ejection of the slices 2 is already encouraged by their gravity.

Figure 3 shows in this case the reception not only of a slice cut 2 in the portioning chamber 7, but the possibility created by the counterpoint 12 movable in the longitudinal direction, of sectioning one after another several slices 2, even of which they have a different theoretical thickness D and also a real thickness, and to receive them together in the first portion 7a which is still in the cutting position S, and leave them there until the desired amount of slices that can represent approximately a portion or a partial portion, and only then bring this chamber 5 from the cutting position S to the ejection position A according to the left half of Figure 3, which saves time in the cycle of job. The ejection position A can be diametrically opposed to the cutting position A, as shown in Figure 3, or also by a discretionary intermediate angle.

In figure 3 in the right half the situation is shown when cutting a second slice 2 while a first cut slice 2 is already in the portioning chamber 7 in the cutting position S, and the counterpoint 12 is, therefore, therefore, in an axial position that corresponds to twice the thickness of slice D.

In the left half of the image are the two slices 2 currently cut, already outside the portioning chamber, still adhering to the tailstock 12, and will be ejected from it towards the transport device 50, located below in this position of ejection A, in which as a direct scale is integrated a portioning scale 14 that directly weighs the portion, which in this case consists of two slices 2, which falls on top of it, transmitting the result of the weighing to the control 20 indicated in the figures 1 for all movable components of the total machine, to adapt the particular setting of the counterpoint 12 for all subsequent cutting processes.

As can be seen in Figure 3, on the back of the tailstock 12, that is, between the fixed bottom of the portioning plate 5, which can also be the portioning scraper 6 directly, and the back of the tailstock 12, an interior space closable, usable as a pressure space 16.

The interior space 16 can be loaded by means of valves 18a, b recerrable with vents for ventilation and / or with compressed air and / or depression, and closing all the valves, therefore, it can also be closed in a pressure-tight manner.

Thus, for the expulsion, the pressure space 16 can be loaded with overpressure, that is, compressed air, and thus the counterpoint 12 can be displaced, downwardly, in the direction of advance 10, until the Pressing surface of the tailstock 12 is aligned with the opening, namely the bottom side, of the portioning plate 5, or immediately in front, which is carried out through an end stop, preferably by form nexus.

In this case, the pressing punch 102 is found - at least during the time that the corresponding portioning plate 5 is in the cutting position S - under a corresponding pressure that is detected by a pressure sensor 15, located well between the tailstock 12 and the tailstock drive 13 that loads it, either directly on the pressing surface of the tailstock 12, as shown in Figure 1, or is detected by measuring the reception of current in the drive 108 ,

or is fixed mechanically locked in the corresponding longitudinal position.

In Figure 3, in the ejection position A, the counterpoint 12 may be capable of being displaced by a drive 13 ', preferably a drive analogous to the drive in the cutting position S, in the longitudinal direction 10. Preferably, However, you must give it up.

As described, the tailstock 12 can be displaced downwards and thereby eject the slices 2 mechanically out of the portioning chamber 7, which preferably ends when the pressing surface of the punch 12 has reached the opening of the parking chamber 7.

This compressed air supply has the advantage that it can also be used to separate the first slice 2 that still adheres to the tailstock 12:

For this purpose, the tailstock 12 - as seen in Figure 3 - is made in two parts, with an additional stop part 19 which can move with respect thereto in the direction of the advance 10. The stop part 19 has a stop 19a directed forward, with which the movement is obtained in the front end position in front of a component fixedly connected with the portioning plate 5.

The punch plate 12 'equipped with its own punch on the rear side is housed in the hollow punch of the stop part 19 and the stop part 19 is prestressed by a spring 30 in the position pushed back in front of the fixed bottom of the plate 5.

The pressing plate 12 ’is penetrated by air openings 8a that extend backward, and in which the appendages directed to the stop portion 19 that can close the air openings 8a are adjusted.

During expulsion, the tailstock 12 is suddenly stopped at the end of the ejection position, namely preferably before the alignment of the pressing plate 12 'in front of the front end of the parking chamber 7a, through the end stop 19a to support a separation of slices 2a, b for their kinetic energy. At the latest in this state, the spring 30 pushes against this downward movement of the tailstock 12 against a corresponding support of the stop part 19 upwards, thus preventing the appendages at the lower end of the stop part 19 close the air openings 8a.

The compressed air with which the pressure space 16 is loaded flows through the air openings 8a on the front side of the pressing plate 12 'and thus between the pressing plate 12' and the first slice 2 attached there, separating her. A bearing effect can be obtained if there are additional air openings between the outer perimeter of the pressing plate 12 ’and the inner perimeter of the portioning chamber 7, for example in the form of a circumferential annular groove.

After ejection of the slices 2, the corresponding pressing plate 5 can be used again for the portioning, and at the appropriate time it returns to adopting the cutting position S. There it is then pushing, to generate the corresponding counterforce, the counterpuncture actuation 13 from above, that is, contrary to the direction of travel, on the rear front surfaces, both of the stop part 19 and also of the counterpoint 12, until their rear front surfaces are aligned, thereby reaching a relative position of these two pieces relative to each other, in which the appendages at the lower front end of the stop portion 19 make accessible the air openings that penetrate the punch plate 12 'of the tailstock 12.

Figures 4 show the separate states of motion through the example of a portioning chamber 7, until the two sectioned slices 2a, b are located, one behind the other, in the portioning chamber 7, and additionally not in shape of slices, but with slices divided into tacos or separate parallelepipeds.

Figure 1 shows the basic situation in the transition between the mold tube 101, the cutting tube 25 and the portioning plate 5, as can be seen in Figure 1 on the feed path 10 ’. In this case, the press plate 22 is still in the position that closes the mold tube cavity 101 a but the product to be cut 3 is previously pressed in the longitudinal and transverse direction to the point where spaces no longer exist gaps in the mold tube cavity 101 to which they are not filled with the product to be cut 3.

After leaving the press plate 22, by means of the pressing punch 102 the product to be cut 3 is pushed forward upwards, until it touches the counterpoint 12 which closes with its pressing surface the opening of the portioning chamber 7, as shown in Figure 4a, the product 3 being already cut into bands through the passage of the two knife grids 23a, b. Then, according to Figure 4b, the cut product 3 is moved together with the counterpoint 12 into the portioning chamber 7, together in particular due to the synchronized movement of the pressing punch 102.

This continues until the tailstock 12 and with it the product to be cut 3 has reached the theoretical depth corresponding, as a rule, to the theoretical thickness D of the slice 2 to be produced (Figure 4c).

After, in this position, the tailstock 12 has been stopped, and preferably it has also been mechanically fixed, the portioning blade 4 is inserted in a transverse direction into the mold tube cavity until the product has been completely sectioned 3 in the transverse direction 11, and a first slice 2, possibly divided for example into parallelepipeds, has been separated from the fascicle.

Next, the portioning blade 4 is removed from the inner section and the product 3 which includes the cut slice 2 and also the tailstock 12, to which it is adjacent under previous tension, is moved further in the direction of the advance 10, preferably another together with the pressing punch 102 synchronously displaced, until the counterpoint 12 has reached the next defined axial position which, preferably, corresponds to a depth of twice the theoretical thickness D of the slices 2 in the chamber of parking 7.

In this position, the stopping is carried out again and preferably the fixing of the tailstock 12 in this longitudinal position, and again the introduction of the portioning knife 4 (Figure 4d) from the outside towards the inner cross-section until, again, An upcoming slice 2b has been completely sectioned.

In this way it is possible to produce the corresponding number of slices one after the other, without the expulsion of the portioning chamber 7a which, as described above with the help of Figure 3, due to the time required, is performed only once per serving and not each time per slice.

Figures 5 and 7 show in the longitudinal section, that is, along the direction of advance 10, a second construction of the device, in which, in Figure 5, the representation of the advance module 100 coincides with the illustration corresponding in FIG. 1a, with the exception of the absence of the revolver lever 106a, since in this case the two mold tubes 101 are not on a forward revolver, but on a transverse advance car 106 'with whose help - as is best visible in Figure 7 - the two mold tubes 101, 101 'that are located parallel to each other, can be displaced transversely with respect to the direction of travel 10 from the cutting position S, in which the blades are located, towards an adjacent ejection position A, which exists doubly on opposite sides of each other to the cutting position S, and can be moved back again.

Additionally, Figure 5 differs from Figure 1 by the fact that on the opposite side of the portioning blade 4 there is again an essentially identical unit, symmetrical to a plane parallel to the plane of the portioning blade 4, but this time with the function as 5 ', 5 "portioning tubes, which - such as mold tubes 101 and 101' - are preferably arranged together in a base body, also transversely movable as a transverse carriage for movement between the cutting position S and ejection position A.

Correspondingly, the axial length of the mold tube cavities 101a, 101a 'is identical to that of the portioning chamber 7, 7', so that the initial product to be cut 3 can be received entirely cut into slices or in blocks in the portioning chamber 7, above the portioning blade 4, that is, the product 3 fits, entirely cut into slices or tacos, in the portioning chamber 7, without having to evacuate it previously, such as mentioned in principle already in the case of figure 3.

The main advantage of this machine construction consists in the fact that those parts of the device of the solution according to figure 1 are not required, which are necessary for the rapid and precise evacuation of the parking chamber 7 after each cut of slice, as well as the subsequent transport, also precise and fast, to an automatic packing unit, arranged downstream, which must operate just as quickly.

In this way, the construction and maintenance effort in front of the machine of Figure 1 is reduced considerably and, however, semi-automatic operation is offered to the user, because the cutting process itself is performed automatically, but the filling and emptying of the product must not necessarily be automated, especially if there is not only one pair consisting of mold tube 101 and 5 'portioning tube, but two pairs, side by side, as shown in figures 5 and 7, which allows the following advantageous course of the process:

After inserting the product into the mold cavity 101 a, which is in the cutting position S, the product is pre-pressed by the pressing punch 102 and, eventually, by the cross punch 104, to form the product to to be cut 3. Next, according to figure 7, the product to be cut 3 is pushed forward with the help of the pressing punch 102 gradually in the direction of the portioning blade 4, while at the same time the counterpoint 12 it is moved in a synchronized manner and applied to the front front surface of the product 3, and the product is cut into slices by the portioning knife, slice by slice, or - if there is a grid of blades 23 - in block-shaped pieces, until the sectioned product 3 is entirely in the portioning chamber 7.

Meanwhile, the user can introduce a new initial product to be cut 3 'in the other mold cavity 101 to', which is in the ejection position.

After finishing the described cutting process, the transverse carriage 106 'is displaced with the mold tubes 101, 101' such that the new product is in the cutting position, and also the transverse carriage of the cutting tube 106 '' is moved in the transverse direction such that the filled portion chamber 7 is moved - in this case to the right side - towards the ejection position, and there it is subsequently pushed, for example through an axial slide 109 , completely out of this portioning chamber 7 to prepare it for a new use.

Meanwhile, however, the other portion chamber 7 ’is already in the cutting position S, and during this time the next cutting process is already underway.

Since the introduction of a new initial product 3 'and the removal of the cut product from the portioning chamber 7 - in particular if it is also performed automatically or partially automatically - takes less time than the sectioning of an entire product 3, a time window is available to the

user, within which you can perform these jobs so that a user can operate several of these machines at the same time.

As Figure 7 shows, the machine also becomes more economical due to the fact that the pressing punch 102 and / or the tailstock 12 as well as the corresponding drives 108, 13 are present only once, namely in the position of cuts.

An additional pecularity is the configuration of the counterpoint 12:

Since, next to the portioning knife 4, in a short cutting tube 25 or in a cutting plate 25, intersecting blades 23a, 23b form a grid of blades 23 for cutting tacos which, however, can be completely deactivated by the lateral extraction of the cutting plate and its replacement by a filling tube, the counterpoint 12 comprises in its free front face introduced slits that cross and have a different depth, depending on their direction, and they serve to receive the blades 23a, b of the blade rack 23.

In this way, by saving a prepress plate as described for example in Figure 3, the counterpoint 12 can have direct contact from the beginning, even during prepressing, with the front surface of the product to be cut 3, being able to be moved to the axial position of the leading edge of the blades 23 located in front of everything, housing the blades 23a, b in their appropriate grooves.

The mold tubes 101, 101 'as well as the 5', 5 "portioning tubes can be configured as continuous tubes in one piece on the circumference, or, as already described, they can be composed of two parts, namely , a channel and a transverse punch, for example 104, accessible from the open side of the channel, as shown in Figures 6 as a cross section in a discretionary longitudinal position of the mold tube 101, because the cross punch 104 with its drive , preferably, it is also present only in the cutting position S in the mold tube and, similarly, this counterpoint is present in the cutting position S only once in the portioning module 1.

Figure 6 also shows another mold tube cavity 101a different from the cavity described in Figures 2:

The cross section of the mold tube cavity is in the form of a parallelogram, and the cross punch 104 that constitutes one of the sides of the parallelogram can be moved in the direction of the two other sides of the parallelogram, between the free arms thereof.

This cross-sectional shape of the cavity allows - in the case of a knife rack - the arrangement of the blades 23a or 23b in each case parallel to the outer surfaces of the cross section of the parallelogram, so that they are not cut tacos, but small parallelograms that, nevertheless, all have more or less the same volume.

This form of cross-section, however, allows at the same time the adaptation, for example of a pork loin, through pre-pressing, without too much deformation, so that in this form of cross-section it is possible to cut both slices and bodies in the form of tacos, without having to change the mold tube.

REFERENCE LIST

1 portioning module 2 slice 3 product to be cut 4 portioning blade 4 'cycle direction 5 portioning plate 5' portioning tube 6 portioning stirring 6 'revolver shaft 6th revolver drive 7 portioning chamber 8 air hole 9 input unit 10 forward direction 10 'forward path 11 transverse direction 12 tailstock 13, 13' tailstock drive 14 portioning scale 15 pressure sensor 16 pressure space

17 connecting rod 18 a, b, c valve 19 ejection pin 20 control 21 flow channel 22 prepress plate 23 a, b blade rack 24 blade bar 25 cutting tube 25 to cutting tube cavity 30 spring 50, 50 'transport device 100 feed module 101 mold tube 101 to mold tube cavity 102 press punch 103 mold tube channel 103a opening 104, 104' side punch 105 a, b transverse position 106 feed forward 106 'carriage transverse feed 106 "transverse cutting tube carriage 106a revolver drive 107 direct scale 108 pressing punch drive 109 axial slide 110 rotation axis D thickness A ejection position S cutting position

Claims (19)

1. Device for cutting slices (2) or portions of slices of precise weight of a product that can be cut (3), stably only under certain conditions, in particular meat or fish, with

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 a portioning module (1) for cutting and setting the slices (2), which comprises a portioning blade (4) and at least two portioning chambers (7a, 7b) and

-

 a feed module (100) for pre-molding and feed of the product to be cut (3) to the portioning module (1) in the feed direction (10),

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 the feed module (100) having a mold tube (101) extending in the direction of the feed (10), and whose open rear end is closed by a press punch (102) movable in the direction of the feed

(10) in the mold tube (101), for the previous formation and displacement of the product to be cut (3), and

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 wherein the bottom of the portioning chambers (7a, 7b) is formed by at least one counterpoint (12a, 12b) that is movable in the direction of the advance (10) and in the reverse direction, characterized in that the pressing surface of the counterpoint (12a, 12b) has at least one pressure sensor (15) or the pressure can be measured by measuring the force applied in a counterpoint (13) drive that is connected to a counterpoint (20) for the counterpoint ( 12a, 12b), to keep constant the pressure acting on the slice (2), even during the penetration of the portioning knife (4).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that

-

 the mold tube (101) is made in two parts with a mold tube channel (103) open laterally, and lateral punches (104) that can be inserted laterally into its opening (103a),

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 The feed module (100) comprises several pressing punches (102a, b) with different cross-sectional surfaces or a punch with variable cross-sectional surface, movable in the direction of advancement

(10) according to the transverse positions (105a, b ..).

3.

 Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the lateral punch (104) can only approach defined transverse positions (105a, b ..) with respect to the channel of the mold tube (103).

Four.

 Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in case of several portioning chambers (7a, b) in a portioning plate (5), the tailstocks (12a, b) of each of the portioning chambers (7a , b) they can only be loaded in the receiving position, that is, along the forward path (10 '), by a counterpoint drive (13).

5.

 Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the portioning chamber (7a) corresponds to the hollow space (101a) of the mold tube as regards the axial length, and is made of a portioning tube (5 ) to receive the entire final cut product (3) and is constructed identically to it, particularly as regards the mold tube (101) and the pressing punch (102).

6.

 Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device comprises two pairs composed of a feed module (100) with the mold tube (101) as well as a portioning module (1) with a portioning tube (5) ') which can alternately move from a cutting position (S) to cut the product to be cut, in which the pressing punch and the tailstock drive are located, to an ejection position (A) outside of the cutting position (S), in particular transversely.

7.

 Device according to claim 6, characterized in that in the ejection position (A) an axial slide (109) is provided which is ejected from the portioning tube (5), in particular after removing the side punch from its channel portioning, the cut product (3) in axial direction.

8.

 Device according to one of the preceding claims 6 or 7, characterized in that only a common pair of side punches (104, 104 ') is provided for at least two pairs of feed module (100) and portioning module (1), which is associated with the cutting position (S).

9.

 Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tailstock drive (13) operates electrically, pneumatically, mechanically (for example by means of a threaded spindle) and / or by means of a spring preload in the direction of travel (10).

10.

 Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tailstock (12a, b) can be displaced both by fractions of the theoretical thickness (D) of a slice (2), and by a multiple of the thickness (D) of a slice ( 2).

Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tailstock (12a, b) can be moved in synchronization or in opposite synchronization together with the pressing punch (102) and / or in synchronization with the movement of the portioning knife (4). 12. Procedure for cutting slices (2) or portions of slices of precise weight of a product that can be cut (3), stably only under certain conditions, in particular meat or fish, where

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 the product to be cut (3) is compressed before its sectioning with its front front end in a portioning chamber (7a) in the form of a blind hole with a defined depth, until it is completely filled,

-

 a slice (2), directly behind the open rear end of a mold tube (101), of the product to be cut (3) is cut by means of a portioning blade (4) fixed in the forward direction (10), and

-

 the slice (2) is deposited in the portioning chamber (7a), whose bottom is configured as a tailstock

(12) movable in the direction of the feed (10), and is transported away from the product to be cut (3), where

-

 during or immediately before sectioning the slice (2) the pressure is monitored and regulated at or near the part to be cut from the product (3), so that a load force of the tailstock (12) in the longitudinal direction is measured by a tailstock drive (13), or its pressure force is measured directly against the product to be cut (3).

13.

 Method according to claim 12, characterized in that, after the sectioning of the slice (2) and before the distance of the slice (2), the pressure is removed from the product to be cut (3) by removing the pressing punch (102) axially movable.

14.

 Method according to one of the preceding claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the portioning chamber (7a, b) is purged or charged with a depression when inserting the product to be cut, to facilitate the complete filling of the portioning chamber (7).

fifteen.

 Method according to one of the preceding claims 12 to 14, characterized in that, by inserting the product to be cut into the portioning chamber (7a), the tailstock (12) is removed further than corresponds to the desired thickness of the further slice (2) and it is only during or after the advance of the product to be cut (3) by means of a pressing punch (102) from the rear end, which is done during a defined path, that the tailstock (12) is moved in the opposite direction to the direction of the product to be cut (3) to the theoretical thickness (D), in particular with a defined force.

16.

 Method according to one of the preceding claims 12 to 15, characterized in that several slices (2 a, b, c ...) are cut one after the other, and the slices already cut (2 a, b ...) remain in the portioning chamber (7a) by progressive recoil of the tailstock (12) and the expulsion and particularly the removal of the slice portion, in particular of the entire final cut product (3), only when the desired number has been reached of slices.

17.

 Method according to one of the preceding claims 12 to 16, characterized in that the feeding of new products to be cut (3) in a second mold tube (101) is carried out in a way away from the cutting position (S) for cutting the product to be cut, particularly during the sectioning of another product to be cut (3 '), and also the removal of the already cut product is carried out in a second portioning tube, away from the cutting position (S).

18.

 Method according to one of the preceding claims 12 to 17, characterized in that the precise heavy weight of a theoretical portion consisting of several slices is obtained by the automatic realization and determination of the weight of several, particularly two, partial portions comprising in particular several slices (2 a, b ...), and by adjusting the theoretical weight for the last, particularly second, partial portion, depending on the difference between the actual weight and the theoretical weight of the previous partial portions.

19.

 Method according to one of the preceding claims 12 to 18, characterized in that the tailstock (12) is displaced according to the movement of the pressing punch (102), particularly in synchronization or synchronization opposite it, during the insertion of the product to be cut. (3) in the parking chamber.