GB2240030A

GB2240030A - Dividing foodstuffs and other materials into portions

Info

Publication number: GB2240030A
Application number: GB9001161A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Kenneth Crowcroft
Original assignee: KERRYGOLD Co Ltd
Current assignee: KERRYGOLD Co Ltd
Priority date: 1990-01-18
Filing date: 1990-01-18
Publication date: 1991-07-24
Also published as: GB9001161D0

Abstract

A cylindrical block of cheese is divided into short cylindrical sections by a reciprocating cutter (24) and into sector- shaped portions by moving past a fixed cutter (28). The block of cheese is supported on a carrier (10) which is indexed upwardly. The sector-shaped portions are removed by a pusher (34). The reciprocating cutter (24) may be a wire or a coated plate. <IMAGE>

Description

PORTIONING FOODSTUFFS AND THE LIKE This invention relates to the division of foodstuffs, eg medium, hardfat or traditional cheeses or like materials or products into substantially uniform batches of discrete portions of predetermined shape.

In one typical application of the invention a cheese product manufactured as a cylindrical block known as a truckle is cut up into disc-like slices which are sub-divided into eg six equi-angular sector shaped portions, each portion being subsequently individually wrapped and the batch of portions cut from each slice being then arranged in circular relationship in a drum shaped outer lidded package.

Hitherto the cutting of such batches of portions has been a laborious, time consuming and inefficient process and the object of the present invention is to provide apparatus which will facilitate speedy and efficient division and which is convenient and adaptable in use.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for dividing a block of a foodstuff or other material or product into substantially uniform batches of discrete portions of predetermined shape comprising carrier means for locating the block in use, cutting means for severance of the block material, and indexing means for relative movement of the carrier means and the cutting means for forward feed of the block in increments for successive cutting operations thereon; characterised in that the cutting means comprises a first cutting formation guided for movement transversely of the direction of said forward feed for severance of a section of predetermined thickness from the bulk of the block, and a second cutting formation presented face on to said section to divide it by relative motion normal to the direction of movement of the first formation so as to form said slice into a batch of said portions in a single operation.

Conveniently the cutting means operates at an operatively fixed location with the block being shifted by indexing movement of the carrier means e.g. in an upward direction from below the cutting means.

The carrier means may be adjustable to accommodate blocks of different shapes or sizes while centering them or otherwise aligning them in desired relationship to the cutting means.

Where the material is cheese or a material or product of similar consistency the first cutting formation could be a tensioned wire though preferably it is a thin flat metal plate, possibly coated with a nonstick material, having its side edges running in guides to resist any tendency to buckle.

The second cutting formation may comprise an arrangement of cutting blades or the like in the form of an open ended honeycomb or grille and operating in the manner of a pastry cutter, the portions being cut and pushed through the second cutting formation by the forward feed of the block for subsequent removal eg by a pusher element moving transversely across the back of the second cutting formation.

An embodiment of the invention is now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional elevation of an apparatus for cutting batches of sector shaped portions of cheese or the like, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of said apparatus, Figure 3 is a plan view of a second cutting formation of the apparatus, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a truckle bloc of the material to illustrate the dividing sequence, The apparatus comprises a carrier assembly 10 which is vertically movable in fixed support structure 12, the latter may be floor mounted eg on adjustable feet 1 & for alignment with feed belts or other equipment of a packaging or other production line.

Assembly 10 comprises a base plate 16 which is removably located on the head of an indexing jack 18 which is operated automatically to raise the base plate by predetermined increments. Different sizes of base plate 16 may be interchanged to suit the size of truckle or block of material being handled. Jack 18 may be operated by fluid pressure (hydraulic or pneunatic) or mechanically e.g. by a screw or lever linkage.

Plate 16 is centered on and moves within a cylindrical liner 20 carried on structure 12 and again liners of different diameters may be substituted to suit the size and shape of truckle or other block.

The apparatus further comprises cutting means 22 at the top of structure 12 operating above the top of liner 20.

Said cutting means includes a first cutting formation in the form of a flat thin gauge horizontal blade 24, eg formed from stainless steel having a nonstick coating of "Teflon" (Trade Mark) or the like, having its side edges running in parallel guides 26 to resist buckling. Blade 24 is advanced and retracted transversely of the direction of upward feed of the carrier assembly 10 by a hydraulic ram or other drive means, when advanced it overlies the full extent of the carrier assembly.

A second cutting formation 28 is mounted in an operatively fixed position on structure 12 spaced above the path of movement of blade 24 and concentric with the base plate 16 of the carrier assembly.

formation 28 in this example comprises an assembly of vertical straight radial blades 30 at equi-angular spacing about the central axis and with their upper and lower edges on common horizontal planes, the upper and lower ends of this pastry cutter like blade assembly being open so that material can pass therethrough.

Different forms and sizes of cutting formations 28 can be interchanged eg different numbers of radial blades may be provided depending on the number of segmental portions required in each batch and the blade assembly may include different diameters of circumferential collar within which said blades are located.

The upper face or back of cutting formation 28 (i.e.

the upper edges of blade 30) is co-planar with the acting upper face of a conveyor belt 32 for carrying away the batches of portions after cutting eg to a wrapping and packing station. Said batches are transferred to the belt by a transversely movable curved pusher 34 which is advanced and retracted across the upper face of the second cutting formation 28 by e.g. a further hydraulic ram.

In operation a cylindrical truckle of cheese, for example, is positioned on base plate 16, use of the appropriate liner 20 aligning it co-axially with the second cutting formation 28. At the start of the operating cycle both horizontal blade 24 and pusher 34 will be at their retracted positions (to the left as viewed in Figures 1 and 2) and carrier assembly 10 will be at its lowest position, the top face of the truckle being on a level with the plane of blade 24. An initial upward indexing movement of base plate 16 raises truckle 36 by a first increment so that its top face is above the level of blade 24, then with the truckle stationary the latter blade is extended and retracted to sever a round section 38 (Figure 4) from the remaining bulk of the truckle 36 leaving it resting on top of the latter.

Next the truckle is indexed upwardly again, positioning it for the next section to be cut by horizontal blade 24 and at the same time urging the section 38 axially upwards so that it is acted on by the second cutting formation 28 separating it into the first batch of sector shaped portions. The next successive indexing movement will bring the next section severed by blade 24 into co-action with second cutting formation 28 and at the same time urge the first batch, i.e. the subdivision of section 38, through the blades 30 of formation 28 to rest above the latter. In this position they are shifted laterally by pusher 34 onto belt 32.

The above cycle of operations continues automatically until the whole of truckle 36 has been portioned, the operation being carried out in a particularly efficient and speedy manner.

It will be appreciated that the invention could be applied to portioning foodstuffs other than cheese or possibly other materials and/or may be adapted to handle other shapes and sizes of truckle or bulk block eg rectangular and/or its ultimate division into batches of portions or other shapes or sizes eg diced or cubed.

Claims

1. Apparatus for dividing a block of a foodstuff or other material or product into substantially uniform batches of discrete portions of predetermined shape comprising carrier means for locating the block in use, cutting means for severance of the block material, and indexing means for relative movement of the carrier means and the cutting means for forward feed of the block in increments for successive cutting operations thereon; characterised in that the cutting means comprises a first cutting formation guided for movement transversely of the direction of said forward feed for severance of a section of predetermined thickness from the bulk of the block, and a second cutting formation presented face on to said section to divide it by relative motion normal to the direction of movement of the first formation so as to form said section into a batch of said portions in a single operation.

2. Apparatus as in Claim 1 wherein the cutting means operates at an operatively fixed location with the indexing means operating to shift the carrier means relative to the cutting means.

3. Apparatus as in Claim 2 wherein the carrier means is shifted upwardly from below the cutting means.

4. Apparatus as in any preceding Claim wherein the carrier means is adjustable to accommodate lots of different shapes or sizes while centering them or otherwise aligning them in desired relationship to the cutting means.

5. Apparatus as in any preceding Claim wherein the first cutting formation is a tensioned wire for severance of material being cheese or other material or product of similar consistency to cheese.

6. Apparatus as in Claim 1 to 4 wherein the first cutting formation is a thin flat metal plate having its' side edges running in guides to resist any tendency to buckle.

7. Apparatus as in Claim 6 wherein the plate is coated with a non-stick material.

8. Apparatus as in any preceding Claim wherein the second cutting formation comprises an arrangement of cutting elements in the form of an open ended honeycomb or grille operating in the manner of a pastry cutter, the portions being cut and pushed through the second cutting formation by said incremental forward feed of the block in use.

9. Apparatus as in Claim & including a pusher element movable transversely across the back of the second cutting formation to remove the batch of portions after being cut and pushed through said cutting formation.

10. Apparatus for dividing cheeses or like or other materials or products into batches of portions substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.