GB2139080A

GB2139080A - Slicing apparatus for bakery products

Info

Publication number: GB2139080A
Application number: GB08409637A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Fraser Clarke
Original assignee: QUEENSLAND AGGREGATES Pty Ltd
Current assignee: QUEENSLAND AGGREGATES Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1983-04-20
Filing date: 1984-04-13
Publication date: 1984-11-07
Also published as: GB2139080B; AU2718984A; DE3413912A1; AU570041B2; JPS6016396A

Abstract

Apparatus (10) for slicing a bakery product (17) comprises a conveyor assembly (12) for conveying the product (17) towards a slicing head (15) having a plurality of disc cutters (27) arranged to slice the bakery product (17) and a plurality of movable belts (24) arranged above the conveyor assembly (12) and moving at the same speed thereof so as to engage and compress the bakery product (17) during its movement through the slicing head (15). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Slicing apparatus for bakery products This invention relates to apparatus for slicing bakery products such as breads, cakes, pastries or the like, and in one aspect to apparatus for the partial slicing of bread sticks to permit the subsequent application of a spread such as garlic butter or the like.

Various types of equipment are known for the slicing of bakery products. One such known type of apparatus includes a plurality of rotating knives which move into and across the product to slice the product such as a loaf of bread into a plurality of bread slices. In an alternative arrangement, equipment employing reciprocating blades is used to cut the bread load into slices. The above known arrangements however suffer a number of disadvantages. In particular, the known equipment tends to be relatively unsafe in use, and furthermore is not suitable for partial slicing of bread products.

The present invention aims to overcome or at least alleviate some of the above disadvantages by providing apparatus which is suitable for the slicing of bakery products in a safe reliable and efficient manner. The apparatus of the present invention is particularly suitable for partial slicing of bread products so as to permit the subsequent application of a spread such as garlic butter. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention resides broadly in apparatus for slicing a bakery product, said apparatus including slicing means, means for supporting said bakery product for relative movement past said slicing means whereby said slicing means is operable to form at least one slit in said bakery product and means adjacent the said slicing means for engaging the upper portion of said bakery product and cooperating with said support means to hold said bakery product as the latter is slit by said slicing means.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a prefered embodiment of the invention and wherein: Figure 1 is a partly cut away elevational view of slicing apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view showing the slicing head of the apparatus; and Figure 3 is a sectional view along line A-A of Figure 2 showing details of the slicing head.

Referring to the drawings there is illustrated slicing apparatus 10 according to the present invention which is suitable for slicing bakery products and in particular for partially slicing bread sticks. As shown, the apparatus 10 includes a main elongated frame 11 which is arranged substantially horizontally in use and which supports a feed-in conveyor assembly 12 including a pair of end rollers 13 and an endless conveyor belt 14 which extends therebetween and a slicing head 15 disposed at one end thereof. Preferably, a fixed horizontal slider plate 16 is disposed beneath the surface of the upper run of the belt 14 so that bread sticks 17 may be placed on the belt 14 and supported in their movement towards the slicing head 15.

The slicing head 15 includes a sub frame 18 pivotally supported at 19 by a pair of supports 20 at one end of the main frame 11. As shown, the sub frame 18 is disposed at an inclined attitude relative to the main frame 11 and is adjustably supported in that attitude by a pair of stays 21 which extend from opposite sides of the sub frame 18 to the main frame 11. A pair of rollers 22 are supported rotatably at respective opposite ends of the sub frame 18 in respective bearings and each roller 22 is provided with a plurality of spaced annular grooves 23 so that respective endless belts 24 may be supported between the respective rollers 22. The belts 24 preferably are formed of plastics material and are of circular cross-sectionai form.An idler roller 25 is supported on the sub frame 18 intermediate the end rollers 22 and positioned so that the leading portions 26 of the belts 24 are inclined downwardly and rearwardly for a purpose hereunder described.

The slicing head 15 also includes a cutter assembly 27 which is supported on the main frame 11 and located intermediate the end rollers 22 of the conveyor assembly 12 and adjacent the idler roller 25 but rearwardly thereof. Preferably the cutter assembly 27 includes a shaft 28 supported at one end in a bearing 29 supported by a standard 30 extending upwardly from the main frame 11. The shaft 28 extends through apertures 31 in opposite sides of the sub frame 18 and is coupled at its opposite end to a drive motor 32. The shaft 28 carries a plurality of spaced coaxial cutting discs 33 which are arranged between respective belts 24 and extend therebelow as more clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. Preferably the cutter discs 33 are provided with a serrated outer cutting edge to improve the efficiency of slicing.

The drive motor 32 is arranged to drive the shaft 28 and cutting discs 33 in an anti-clockwise direction in the drawings of Figures 1 and 3 and the belts 24 and conveyor belt 14 are driven so that the upper run of the conveyor belt 14 and the lower run of the belts 24 move in the same direction and at substantially the same speed. Preferably one of the conveyor belt end rollers 13 and one of the rollers 22 which supports the belts 24 are driven by the drive motor 32 via respective gear reduction transmissions 34.

In use a plurality of bread sticks 17 are placed one at a time at spaced apart positions on the moving conveyor belt 14 so as to extend transversely thereof. The belt 14 carries the bread sticks 17 towards the slicing head 15 so that the upper portions of the respective bread sticks 16 become engaged by the inclined portions 26 of the belts 22.

The respective belts 22 and 14 then serve to grip the bread sticks 17 and cause progressive compression thereof as the sticks are moved rearwardly by the belts 22 and 14. When the cutting assembly 27 is reached, the bread sticks 17 have been compressed to approximately one-third to one-half of their normal height. The belts 12 and 14 then continue to move the compressed bread sticks 17 past the cutting discs 33 which penetrate the upper surfaces of the bread sticks 17 to form a plurality of slits therein. A clean cut is achieved because the respective upper belts 24 on either side of each cutter disc 33 support the bread stick during the cutting process. The slit bread sticks 17 are then fed rearwardly by both the belts 22 and 14 to be discharged from the apparatus.

Of course the apparatus is suitable for slicing many different types of bakery products and if say a larger product is required to be slit, the sub frame 18 of the slicing head 15may be pivoted upwardly and supported at a greater angle relative to the main frame so as to permit the product to pass through the apparatus 10. As is described above, the apparatus is particularly suited for partial slicing of a bakery product and for this purpose, the cutting discs 33 are arranged so that the cutting edges thereof are spaced above the conveyor belt 14.

However, if full slicing of a bakery product is required, the cutting discs 33 may be lowered so that the cutting edges are adjacent to the conveyor belt 14. Of course any number of cutting discs 33 may be used to suit any required slit pattern in the bakery product.

While the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention, many modifications and variations as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. Apparatus for slicing a bakery product, said apparatus including slicing means, means for supporting said bakery product for relative movement past said slicing means whereby said slicing means is operable to form at least one slit in said bakery product and means adjacent the said slicing means for engaging the upper portion of said bakery product and co-operating with said support means to hold said bakery product as the latter is slit by said slicing means.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1,wherein said means adjacent said slicing means cooperates with said support means to compress said bakery product and maintain said product in a compressed attitude as the latter is moved past said slicing means.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein said means adjacent said slicing means cooperates with said support means to progressively compress said bakery product as the latter approaches said slicing means.

4. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said support means comprise conveyor means and wherein said means adjacent said slicing means comprise movable belt means disposed above said conveyor means and wherein the adjacent runs of said movable belt means and said conveyor means move in the same direction at substantially the same speed.

5. Apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein said movable belt means comprise a plurality of spaced apart belts and wherein said slicing means are operable to slit said bakery product between adjacent seat belts, the portions of said bakery products to be slit being supported by the respective said belts.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein said movable belts are supported by a pair of spaced apart rollers and wherein there are provided idler roller means arranged to deflect the lower run of said movable belts to define leading downwardly and rearwardly inclined portions of said belts which cooperate with said conveyor means to progressively compress said bakery product as the latter approaches said slicing means.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein said rollers are supported in a frame adjustably mounted relative to said conveyor means whereby to permit adjustment of the angle between said belts and said conveyor means and wherein said slicing means are mounted in a fixed attitude independently of said frame.

8. Apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said belts are of circular cross section and supported between arcuate grooves in said rollers.

9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said slicing means includes at least one rotatable cutting disc disposed above said conveyor means and operable to form said slit in said bakery product.

10. Apparatus for slicing a bakery product substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A method for slicing bakery products including the steps of supporting said bakery product for movement along a first path towards and past slicing means and engaging the upper portion of said bakery product adjacent said slicing means whereby to hold said bakery product as the latter is slit by said slicing means.