GB2120766A - Plate freezer - Google Patents
Plate freezer Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2120766A GB2120766A GB08309626A GB8309626A GB2120766A GB 2120766 A GB2120766 A GB 2120766A GB 08309626 A GB08309626 A GB 08309626A GB 8309626 A GB8309626 A GB 8309626A GB 2120766 A GB2120766 A GB 2120766A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- plate
- plates
- spacer
- freezer
- stack
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D31/00—Other cooling or freezing apparatus
- F25D31/001—Plate freezers
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- De-Stacking Of Articles (AREA)
Abstract
An automatic plate freezer comprises a plurality of freezer plates (A-I) which rest on a lower support (44) connected by ties (43) to an upper support (41). Each plate rests on the plate below via adjustable spacers (46) and the upper support (41) may be raised and lowered by jacks (42). In use, product to be frozen is loaded on the plate located at a loading level determined by sensors (48) and the spacers associated with that plate are set to a value appropriate to the product in question. The jacks (42) are then extended to lift the stack of plates (A-I) until the plate just loaded is engaged by latches (47). The stack is then lowered, and the latches support all plates at and above the level of the latches. Lowering of the remaining plates continues until the sensors (48) detect that the plate below that just loaded is at the loading level whereupon the cycle repeats. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Plate freezer
This invention is concerned with improvements in and relating to plate freezers.
It is known to provide a plate freezer as shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings which is a diagrammatic elevation of an automatic plate freezer having an upper pressure plate 1 supporting a lower pressure plate 2 through tie rods 3 and movable by hydraulic jacks 4, a stack of freezer plates 5, located between the pressure plates, and supported by the pressure plate 2; and side guide frames 6 setting the path of the plates. The operation of this freezer comprises loading product, such as packets of food onto each plate 5 successively when the plate to be loaded is at an input level, the loading causing frozen product to be discharged from the other end of the plate.The successive loading begins with the stack of freezer plates and pressure plates at a lowermost position set by the jacks in which uppermost plate A is resting on plate latches 7 and the next plate B is suspended from plate A by link bolts 8 so that plates A and B are in an open condition with plate B at the input level and plates A and B spaced to allow incoming and outgoing product to slide along the surface of plate B.
When plate B is fully loaded, the jacks extend thereby lifting the upper pressure plate 1, thereby the tie rods and hence the lower pressure plate and thus the complete stack less plate A until fixed spacers (not shown) on freezer plate B abut plate A. Fixed spacers are indicated at 9 to show how they are positioned on a plate. Then the upper plate A lifts with product in contact with adjacent surfaces of plates A and B but protected against squeezing between plates A and B by the fixed spacers. The lift of the jacks causes plate
B to be engaged by the latches whereupon lift ceases and the jacks are allowed to retract, thereby lowering all the plates below plate B until plate C is at the input level. The sequence is then repeated.When all plates have been loaded the latches are locked out and the whole stack is lowered, the plates all being at minimum spacing set by the spacers and resting on lower pressure plate 2, the extra spacing which was provided between each adjacent pair of plates for loading purposes now being between plate A and the upper pressure plate.
The fixed spacers are each of a form comprising a channel secured to the upper surface of a plate and a spacer block held in place in each channel by clamping screws. To vary the spacer to accommodate product of different thickness, each block must be removed and replaced by a block of the new required size to give the required spacing.
According to this invention, there is provided a plate freezer comprising a stack of freezer plates; spacer means between each pair of adjacent plates enabling each plate to be supported on the plate below with a spacing therebetween determined by the spacer means; latch means for supporting a plate located at the level of the latch means; and lifting-and-lowering means for sequentially lifting the plates in the stack to locate a plate for support by the latch means, and then lowering those plates in the stack located below the latch means until the plate next below the latch means is at a predetermined position, the lifting-and-lowering means being repeatedly operable to locate successive plates in the stack at the predetermined position, and the predetermined position being defined by sensor means which detect when a plate is at the predetermined position and then terminate lowering of the plate to maintain it in the predetermined position.
In order that the invention may be well understood reference will now be made to
Figs. 2 to 5 of the accompanying drawings-in which:
Figure 2 is an elevation of an adjustable spacer;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the spacer of Fig.
2;
Figure 4 is a plan view of a set of automatically adjustable spacers; and
Figure 5 is a diagrammatic elevation of an automatic plate freezer.
Referring to Figs. 2 and 3 a spacer comprises a channel 20 positioned on a freezer plate 21; a fixed stop 22 in the channel 1, the fixed stop having an inclined face 23; an adjustable stop 24 held in position lengthwise of the channel by a clamping screw 26 and having an inclined face 25; and a spacer block 27 of trapezoidal form having inclined faces 28. The inclination of faces 23 and 25 corresponds to the inclination of the faces 28 and the block 27 has an inclined slot 29, corresponding in inclination to one of the inclined faces 28 of the block.
A guide pin 30 set in the walls of the channel 20 passes through slot 29. By lengthwise adjustment of the stop 24 the height of the upper face of the block above the surface of its associated plate is infinitely variable within the limits of the slot 29.
In place of the manually adjustable spacers described above, an automatically operable set of spacers may be provided as shown in
Fig. 4 where the individual spacers are as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 save that each adjustable stop 24, instead of being held by a clamping screw, is held by a spindle 31. The spindles 31 engage an operating bar 32 each end of which cooperates with a jack 33 through which the bar and hence the displaceable spacers is adjustable. A locking device may be provided for holding the bar in the portion set by the jacks.
Where automatically adjustable spacers are
desired a control may be provided to jacks 33
located at the input level which will set the
jacks to set the spacers to the size of product
then at the input level.
Referring again to Fig. 1 the use of adjust
able spacers in place of the fixed spacers
would, in the freezer of Fig. 1, require adjust
ment of the length of the tie rods to provide
correct operation.
Referring to Fig. 5 there is shown a freezer
in which different thicknesses of product can
be accommodated without adjustment of tie
rods, and thus without interrupting through
put of product. Such a freezer preferably
incorporates the adjustable spacers described
above.
The freezer of Fig. 5 comprises a pair of
side guide frames 40, an upper support 41
movable by hydraulic jacks 42 and, sus
pended from support 41 by ties 43, a lower
support 44. Between each adjacent pair of
freezer plates 45 is a plurality of automatically
adjustable spacers 46 such as shown in Fig.
4. Only exemplary spacers 46 are shown in
the interests of clarity. Plate latches 47, dur
ing part of each operating cycle, are provided
to support the plate located at the level of the
latches 47, and with it all the plates located
above the level of the latches.
In operation, with the freezer in the configu
ration shown in Fig. 5, items to be frozen are
loaded on to plate C, and the adjustable
spacers 46 associated with this plate (only
one such spacer being shown in the interests
of clarity) are set to provide the plate spacing
desired for the product in question. Jacks 42
are then extended to lift the upper support - 41, and via ties 43, the lower support 44 and
the plates C to I which are resting on the
lower support. As lifting continues the spacers
of plate C engage plate B and thereafter the
entire stack of plates is raised until plate C is
engaged by latches 47. The jacks 42 are then
retracted and the plates D to I are-lowered,
the plates A to C being supported on the
latches 47. Lowering continues until fixed
sensors 48 detect that plate D is at the
loading level, whereupon the jacks are held to
hold the plates D to I whilst plate D is loaded.
The cycle is then repeated.
Preferably four jacks 42 are provided, two
on each side of the stack of plates, and four
sensors 48 are provided, one at each corner
of the stack. In this case, each sensor is
preferably set to detect when the adjacent
corner of a plate is at the correct loading
level, and each sensor upon detecting the
adjacent plate corner stops the adjacent jack.
In this manner it is assured that each plate
will be in exactly the correct plane for loading.
Various modifications may be adopted in
the above described embodiments, such as
use of electrically actuated jacks, and the use
of rotary cams or the like to adjust the height of the spacers.
Claims (9)
1. A plate freezer comprising a stack of freezer plates; spacer means between each pair of adjacent plates enabling each plate to be supported on the plate below with a spacing therebetween determined by the spacer means; latch means for supporting a plate located at the level of the latch means; and lifting-and-lowering means for sequentially lifting the plates in the stack to locate a plate for support by the latch means, and then lowering those plates in the stack located below the latch means until the plate next below the latch means is at a predetermined position, the lifting-and-lowering means being repeatedly operable to locate successive plates in the stack at the predetermined position, and the predetermined position being defined by sensor means which detect when a plate is at the predetermined position and then terminate lowering of the plate to maintain it in the predetermined position.
2. A plate freezer according to claim 1 wherein said sensor means comprises a plurality of sensors each for detecting when an adjacent portion of a plate is at predetermined location relative to the sensor, and wherein the lifting-and-lowering means comprises a plurality of jacks each of which is separately controlled by a respective sensor.
3. A plate freezer according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein, whilst a plate is maintained in the predetermined position, the lifting-andlowering means hold the weight of the plates located below the latch means.
4. A plate freezer according to any preceding claim wherein the spacer means are adjustable to vary the spacing between the plates.
5. A plate freezer according to claim 4 wherein the spacer means associated with a plate which is being loaded with a product to be frozen are automatically set to provide a spacing between that plate and the plate above suitable for the product to be frozen.
6. A plate freezer according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the spacer means associated with each plate comprises a plurality of individual spacers each comprising a base member mounted on the associated plate and a spacer block adjustably mounted on the base.
7. A plate freezer according to claim 6 wherein each spacer block trapezoidal in shape and includes two downwardly inwardly converging faces which rest on correspondingly inclined faces of a fixed stop and a movable stop, the movable stop being movable towards and away from the fixing stop to vary the vertical position of the spacer block.
8. A plate freezer according to claim 7 wherein each spacer block includes a slot which extends parallel to one of the inclined faces thereof, and wherein a oin secured to the base passes through the slot to control movement of the spacer block.
9. A plate freezer, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB08309626A GB2120766B (en) | 1982-04-16 | 1983-04-08 | Plate freezer |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB8211135 | 1982-04-16 | ||
GB08309626A GB2120766B (en) | 1982-04-16 | 1983-04-08 | Plate freezer |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB8309626D0 GB8309626D0 (en) | 1983-05-11 |
GB2120766A true GB2120766A (en) | 1983-12-07 |
GB2120766B GB2120766B (en) | 1985-12-24 |
Family
ID=26282573
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB08309626A Expired GB2120766B (en) | 1982-04-16 | 1983-04-08 | Plate freezer |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
GB (1) | GB2120766B (en) |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2603978A1 (en) * | 1986-09-12 | 1988-03-18 | Samifi Stal Spa | DEVICE FOR SPACING IN THE DESIRED MEASURES THE COOLING PLATES IN HORIZONTAL PLATE FREEZERS |
FR2659728A1 (en) * | 1990-03-19 | 1991-09-20 | Guerin Sa Pierre | PLATE RESTORER AND CALIBRATION RULE FOR A FREEZER OF THIS TYPE. |
FR2680866A1 (en) * | 1991-09-04 | 1993-03-05 | Guerin Sa Pierre | Adjustable locking system for plate deep-freeze and tool for adjusting the system |
EP2902736A1 (en) * | 2014-01-30 | 2015-08-05 | A/S Dybvad Stalindustri | Plate freezer and method for operating a plate freezer |
-
1983
- 1983-04-08 GB GB08309626A patent/GB2120766B/en not_active Expired
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2603978A1 (en) * | 1986-09-12 | 1988-03-18 | Samifi Stal Spa | DEVICE FOR SPACING IN THE DESIRED MEASURES THE COOLING PLATES IN HORIZONTAL PLATE FREEZERS |
FR2659728A1 (en) * | 1990-03-19 | 1991-09-20 | Guerin Sa Pierre | PLATE RESTORER AND CALIBRATION RULE FOR A FREEZER OF THIS TYPE. |
EP0448453A1 (en) * | 1990-03-19 | 1991-09-25 | Pierre Guerin S.A. | Plate freezer and spacing bar for same |
FR2680866A1 (en) * | 1991-09-04 | 1993-03-05 | Guerin Sa Pierre | Adjustable locking system for plate deep-freeze and tool for adjusting the system |
EP2902736A1 (en) * | 2014-01-30 | 2015-08-05 | A/S Dybvad Stalindustri | Plate freezer and method for operating a plate freezer |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB8309626D0 (en) | 1983-05-11 |
GB2120766B (en) | 1985-12-24 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 19950408 |