GB1385744A - Apparatus for cutting elongate products - Google Patents

Abstract

1385744 Apparatus for cutting sausages SOC LORRAINE DE PRODUITS ALIMENTAIRES 27 March 1972 [31 March 1971] 14317/72 Heading A4C [Also in Divisions B5 and B8] Apparatus for transversely cutting a plurality of products, e.g. sausages, of elongate shape and various lengths, each into at least two portions, comprises at least one substantially planar cutter 16, an endless conveyer 2 for presenting the products to the cutter, the conveyer having a generally planar upper run, means 8 on the conveyer for supporting on said upper run the products in aligned positions transverse to the direction of travel of said upper run, automatically operable positioning means 11, 12, 13 adopted to shift each product supported by the support means in a transverse direction relative to the motion of the upper run into a predetermined transverse position, and means 15 for maintaining the products in the predetermined position during the cutting operation, the cutter plane intersecting the plane of the conveyer upper run along a line substantially parallel to the direction of travel thereof. Sausages 9 are cut into two substantially equal portions by apparatus having a conveyer 2 on which are mounted support blocks 8, each provided with a recess to accommodate a sausage 9. Centring arms 11, 12, mounted in guide sleeves 22, 23 and connected by a pivoted lever 27 are provided on each support block 8. The centring arms are normally biased apart by a spring 24 so that the cups 13 carried by each arm are at their maximum separation. As each support block approaches the rotary knife 16 a shoe 25 of the centring arm 12 engages a ramp 14 and consequently both cups 13 approach the axis XY of the conveyer. The sausage 9 is centralized with respect to the axis XY by the cups, and when both cups 13 are in contact with the sausage the springs 32 on which the ramp 14 is mounted yield so that the sausage is not damaged. Before the sausage reaches the knife 16 the shoe 25 clears the ramp 14 and the cups return to their maximum spacing under the action of spring 24. As each sausage approaches the knife 16 it is engaged by two holding devices each comprising a channel member 34 carrying, on its under side, a plurality of rollers (34a), Fig. 3 (not shown). Each sausage is cut obliquely into two equal portions by a cutter mechanism comprising a motor driven rotary blade 16, the blade passing through an oblique slot 21 in the support block 8 as the latter traverses the cutting zone. The position of the blade may be adjusted by means of hand-wheels (41, 42). A safety switch (18), Fig. 1 (not shown) may be provided to de-energize the blade motor (37) if the cutter mechanism housing is opened. The apparatus may be adjusted to cut the sausage into portions of any predetermined length ratio, and a plurality of blades may be provided to cut the sausage into a corresponding number of portions.