FR2835463A1 - SLICING MACHINES A PRODUCT, PARTICULARLY BREAD - Google Patents

Abstract

The slicing machine incorporates a slice thickness regulator that adjusts the gap between cutting blades (5) by rotating a blade supporting frame (7, 7') with a holder (8) to maintain the angle of the blades as they are moved from one position to another. The frame has articulated upper (11) and lower (12) supports which have one end holding a blade and the other pivoted to a counter-frame, with both frame and counter-frame oscllating on sliders (9, 13) that rotate about vertical axes.

Description

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 The present invention relates to a machine for slicing a product, in particular bread.

 It relates more particularly to an adjustment mechanism at will of the cutting thickness of the wafer for a machine for slicing a food product, in particular bread.

 Already known in the prior art, in particular from French Patent No. 2,587,266, such a slicing machine which includes an adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the cutting of the piece of bread to the desired thickness at will. , this mechanism comprising means able to move the saws or cutting blades closer to or further from the machine.

 These means allowing the approximation or the distance consist of two parallel axes, threaded at the two ends, a series of supports for the cutting blades joined together by means of articulated rods and mounted axially movable on each of these axes and a control wheel which is associated with one of the axes in order to control the approach or the distance of the blades according to the direction of rotation of the wheel.

 Such a machine design generates a large clearance between the adjustment means and each support of the blades so that variations in the thickness of the slices on the same product can appear on the same cut. Furthermore, each of the cutting blade supports is mounted to move axially, in particular by guiding ball bearings which does not make it possible to obtain a small thickness of slices.

 The object of the invention is to provide a machine for slicing a food product, in particular bread, which makes it possible to resolve all or part of the aforementioned drawbacks.

 To this end, the subject of the present invention is a machine for slicing a product, in particular bread, comprising means for adjusting the cutting thickness of the product at will allowing the saws or blades to be brought closer or further apart. section, characterized in that the adjustment means consist of means for rotating at will a support frame on which the blades are arranged along a vertical axis of rotation and means for maintaining the orientation of the blades one cutting position to another.

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 According to a technical characteristic of the present invention, this support frame comprises blade supports respectively upper and lower mounted articulated, one of their ends holding the cutting blade and the other end of which is articulated on a counter-frame forming the holding means. This frame and this counter-frame are mounted respectively oscillating on slides arranged on each side and of which at least the slides of the frame and of the counter-frame arranged on the same side are movable in rotation around distinct vertical axes of rotation arranged on a same vertical plane.

 Still according to the invention, each of the upper blade supports comprises a means for adjusting the tension of the blade which consists of a threaded rod arranged on the counter-frame. Coaxial with the threaded rod is mounted a spring bearing on a nut cooperating with the threaded rod.

 According to another technical characteristic of the present invention, the machine comprises a second series of elongated oscillating blades, parallel, spaced from one another and interposed alternately between the first series of blades on a second frame and second counter-frame arranged on slides similarly to the first frame and counter-frame ensuring an antagonistic movement of the first and second cutting blades.

 According to yet another technical characteristic of the present invention, the vertical plane on which the various axes of rotation are arranged corresponds to a fixed side wall of the chassis of the machine.

 According to an alternative embodiment, the vertical plane on which the different axes of rotation are arranged corresponds to the longitudinal median axis of the machine, advantageously making it possible to reduce the deflections of the machine almost by almost two compared to a plane located on one of the chassis walls.

 According to a technical characteristic of the present invention, a series of pushers consisting of a substantially vertical wall intended to cooperate with the product during the cutting of the latter and of a rod perpendicular to the vertical wall mounted articulated around vertical axes , are arranged on crosspieces capable of pivoting about a vertical axis of rotation situated on the plane of rotation, consequently bringing about a bringing together or a distance between the rods and thus making it possible to synchronize their movement with the adjustment means of the '' spacing of the blades so that

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 said pushers are always located in the center of the interval between two cutting blades.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the machine comprises means for pressing the product on the cutting table arranged in the vicinity of the blades and movable vertically.

 According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the support frame (s) are able to pivot around their vertical axis at an angle of the order of 0 to 40 degrees corresponding respectively to a maximum thickness of l '' order of 15 mm and minimum of the order of 8 mm.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the machine comprises remote control means, of the electric motor and adjustment console type, allowing the movement of the frame (s) and counter-frame (s) to the slice thickness. desired.

 The characteristics of the invention mentioned above, as well as others, will appear more clearly on reading the following description of an exemplary embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a view partial perspective view of the machine according to the present invention, - Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of the machine according to Figure 1, and - Figures 3 and 4 are schematic top views of the machine according to Figure 1 respectively set for maximum slice thickness and medium slice thickness.

 There is shown in Figures 1 and 2, a machine for slicing 1 a food product, in particular bread Pa, conventionally comprising a horizontal cutting table 2 mounted on a lower frame 3 and surmounted by a vertical frame 4 s extending perpendicular to the lower frame 3.

 Inside the frame 3 are arranged, vertically, saws or cutting blades 5 oscillating vertically under the impulse for example of an electric motor, not visible.

 The machine 1 also includes a series of pushers 6 arranged on

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 the cutting table 2 extending in the intervals between the cutting blades 5. These pushers 6 are advantageously intended to push the product to be cut between the cutting blades 5 in order to cut this product, in this case the bread, sliced.

 Means for adjusting the spacing between the blades 5 and also between the pushers 6 are arranged on the latter, thus making it possible to adjust the thickness of the slices of the product to be cut.

 According to the present invention, these adjustment means consist of means for rotating a support frame 7 on which the cutting blades 5 are arranged along a vertical axis of rotation R and means for maintaining the orientation of the blades 5 from one cutting position to another.

 As shown in Figure 2, the support frame 7 consists of two vertical uprights 14 parallel on which are articulated an upper 15 and lower cross member 16. Each of the uprights 14 is further mounted oscillating on slides 9 arranged on each side and of which one according to the embodiment shown is fixed to one of the sides of the chassis and the other mobile in rotation in order to allow the rotation of the frame 7.

 On this support frame 7 are mounted articulated, for example by means of a ball joint 10, respectively upper 11 and lower 12 blade supports, one of their ends of which holds the saw or cutting blade 5 and the other end of which is articulated on a counter-frame 8 oscillating on slides similar 13 to the support frame 7 concomitantly with the latter, thus constituting the means for maintaining the orientation of the cutting blade from one cutting position to another.

 Thus, the support frame 7 and the counter-frame 8 are able to be moved in rotation from a perpendicular position relative for example to one of the sides of the lower frame 3 corresponding to a maximum thickness of the edges (FIG. 3) towards a plurality of inclined positions of the frame 7 and of the counter-frame 8 relative to one of the sides of the frame 3 corresponding to a reduction in the thickness of the edges (FIG. 4), this by transformation of the rectangular base of the frame and counter-frame to that of a parallelogram having the effect of bringing the lateral uprights 14 closer to the frame 7 and the counter-frame 8, while maintaining the orientation axis of each blade.

 It will be noted that the axis of rotation of the frame and against the frame is distinct and

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 disposed on the same vertical plane Pr which, in particular in the mode of representation of FIGS. 3 and 4, corresponds to one of the sides 3a of the chassis 3, thus ensuring the fixed part allowing movement. In order to limit the clearance of the machine and consequently its size, it is understood that the plane of the axes of rotation Pr can be identical to the longitudinal median axis of the machine.

 The upper blade support 11 is further arranged on the counter-frame 8 by means of a threaded rod 17. Coaxially with the threaded rod is mounted an elastic means 18, of the spring type, bearing on a nut 19 in order to allow its displacement and thus adjust the tension of each cutting blade 5 by compression of the spring 18 and variation of the inclination of the upper blade support 11.

 In order to simplify the description, the identical elements between the different embodiments are designated by the same reference numeral added with a sign '.

 According to a second preferred embodiment, the machine 1 comprises a second series of elongated oscillating blades 5 ', parallel, spaced from one another and interposed alternately between the first series of blades 5 on a second frame 7' and second counter-frame 8 'arranged similarly to the first frame 7 and counter-frame 8 as described above in order to ensure an antagonistic movement of the first 5 and second 5' cutting blades thus making it possible to stabilize the food product, for example bread and to get a better cut of the latter.

 This second frame 7 ′ and counter frame 8 ′ are advantageously arranged as visible in FIG. 2 symmetrically with respect to the transverse median axis of the machine.

 This reciprocating back and forth movement of the cutting blades 5 and 5 ′ is advantageously obtained by the arrangement of a pair of connecting rods 20 and 21 connected to a flywheel 22 which is associated with an electric motor, as visible in FIG. 2 The first 7,8 and second 7 ′, 8 ′ respectively frames and counter frames are associated with this pair of connecting rods 20 and 21 by pairs of connecting rods 23 and 24 articulated by means of ball joints 25 thus ensuring a connection whatever the displacements. in rotation of the frames 7, 7 'and associated counter-frames 8.8'.

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 It will be noted that a means of pressure 26 of the product, in particular bread for example on the cutting table 2 in the vicinity of the blades 5 and 5 ′ can be arranged on the machine 1 in order to avoid a vertical rise of the latter during the section, as visible in FIG. 1. This pressure means 26 is for example constituted by a horizontally movable horizontal wall which is integral in displacement with the means for adjusting the spacing of the blades. This horizontal wall is for example fixed on a crosspiece 40 mounted articulated at each of its ends on the walls of the chassis 3.

 As mentioned above, a series of pushers 6 is also associated with the blades and is provided with a means for adjusting their spacing which is synchronized with the means for adjusting the spacing of the blades so that said pushers are always located in the center of the gap between two cutting blades.

 To do this, each of the pushers 6 consists of a substantially vertical wall 27 intended to cooperate with the product during the cutting of the latter and of a link 28 perpendicular to the vertical wall mounted articulated around vertical axes 29 and 30 at each of its ends which are able to slide longitudinally relative to the machine 1 on slides 41 secured to the side walls of the chassis respectively designated by the reference 3a and 3b.

 These rods 28 being further connected to each other and to the fixed wall with respect to which the frames 7, 7 ′ and 8,8 ′ frames move in order to ensure the synchronization of the spacing adjustments and their displacement in the same direction and over the same distance.

 It will be noted that the vertical walls 27 forming in part the pushers have their orientation maintained whatever the displacements because each of the links 28 is articulated at its ends to a cross member 35 articulated on the fixed wall 3a and the movable wall 3b of the chassis. 3 consequently resulting in a rapprochement or a distance between the links 28.

 It will be noted that all of these links 28 associated with the pushers 6 form the cutting table 2 on which the food product rests.

 In order to ensure the rotation of the frames 7,7 'and counter-frames 8,8' as well as the pushers 6 and allow the thickness of the slices of the product to be cut to be adjusted, displacement means, not shown, of the type electric motor

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 associated with a rack are mounted on the machine chassis.

 Likewise, the longitudinal displacement of the pushers is effected, for example, by electrically driving a transmission chain in one direction or another depending on the cutting phase or any other equivalent means.

 It is understood of course that the displacement of the pushers 6 as well as the rotation of the frames 7,7 ′ and counter-frames 8,8 ′ could be carried out manually by simple displacement of the movable wall 3b of the chassis.

 The operation of the slicing machine according to the invention, which already emerges from the description which has been made above, will now be explained in more detail.

 In order to adjust the cutting thickness of the slices, the operator chooses for example on a desk (not shown) the size of the slices thus controlling the rotation of the frames and counter-frames at an angle of the order of 0 to 30 degrees corresponding respectively to a maximum thickness (FIG. 3) and minimum of the order of 15 mm to 8 mm (FIG. 4), in the case of an application to bread.

 During this rotation, at least one of the sides of the frames and the counter frames moves in a combined movement of translation and rotation thus transforming the rectangular base into a parallelogram while maintaining the orientation of the cutting blades, that is to say that is to say parallel to the fixed side 3a of the chassis in the embodiment shown in the figures.

 The pushers 6 are also synchronized with the movement of the spacing of the blades 5.5 ′, these being articulated between the two walls 3a and 3b of the chassis supporting the slides of the frames and counter-frames as shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 3 and 4 .

 As soon as the cutting blades 5.5 ′ have been positioned, they oscillate according to an alternating movement of one blade in two back and forth, then the series of pushers 6 is guided in translation via a transmission chain in order to route the product to the 5.5 'blades and cut into slices.

 At the end of the cycle, the bread pressure medium and the pushers are repositioned to their rest position, to prepare for the reception of a next cut, by reversing the movement of the transmission chain and the product.

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 can be evacuated for example to a bagging means.

 It will be understood from reading the description above that the machine according to the present invention allows adjustment of the slices according to very small thicknesses and a good quality of cut ensured in particular by the creation of the reciprocating movement of the cutting blades.

 Although the invention has been described in connection with two particular embodiments, it includes all the technical equivalents of the means described.

Claims (10)

1. Machine for slicing (1) a product, in particular bread, comprising means for adjusting the cutting thickness of the product at will allowing the saws or cutting blades (5, 5 ') to be brought closer or further apart ), characterized in that the adjustment means consist of means for rotating at will a support frame (7,7 ') on which the blades (5,5') are arranged along a vertical axis of rotation ( R) and means for holding (8) the orientation of the blades (5,5 ′) from one cutting position to another.  2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that this support frame (7) comprises blade supports respectively upper (11) and lower (12) mounted articulated, one of their ends retaining the cutting blade (5) and the other end of which is articulated on a counter-frame (8) forming the holding means and in that the frame and the counter-frame are mounted respectively oscillating on slides (9, 13) arranged on each side and of which at least the slides of the frame and of the counter-frame arranged on the same side are movable in rotation around distinct vertical axes of rotation arranged on the same vertical plane (Pr).  3. Machine according to claim 2, characterized in that each of the upper blade supports (11) comprises a means for adjusting the tension of the blade which consists of a threaded rod (17) arranged on the frame and in that that an elastic means (18) bearing on a nut (19) is mounted coaxially with the threaded rod (17).  4. Machine according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that it comprises a second series of blades (5 ') oscillating elongated, parallel, spaced from each other and interposed alternately between the first series of blades (5) on a second frame (7 ') and second counter-frame (8') arranged on slides similar to the first frame (7) and counter-frame (8) ensuring an antagonistic movement of the first (5) and seconds (5 ') cutting blades.  5. Machine according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the vertical plane (Pr) corresponds to a fixed side wall of the chassis of the machine. <Desc / Clms Page number 10>  6. Machine according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the vertical plane (Pr) corresponds to the longitudinal median axis of the machine.  7. Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a series of pushers (6) consisting of a substantially vertical wall (27) intended to cooperate with the product during the cutting of the latter and of a rod (28) perpendicular to the vertical wall mounted articulated around vertical axes (29 and 30), on crosspieces able to pivot around a vertical axis of rotation situated on the plane of rotation (Pr) driving by consequently a bringing together or a distance between the links (28) thus making it possible to synchronize their movement with the means of adjusting the spacing of the blades so that said pushers are always located at the center of the interval separating two cutting blades .  8. Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a pressure means (26) of the product on the cutting table (2) arranged in the vicinity of the blades (5 and 5 ').  9. Machine according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that the frame (s) support (s) are able to pivot about their vertical axis at an angle of about 0 to 40 degrees corresponding respectively to a maximum and minimum thickness.  10. Machine according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that it comprises remote control means, of the electric motor and adjustment console type, allowing the movement of the frame (s) and against frame (s) the desired slice thickness.