GB2528637A

GB2528637A - Accurate halver

Info

Publication number: GB2528637A
Application number: GB1410761.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Lindsay Holt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-06-17
Filing date: 2014-06-17
Publication date: 2016-02-03
Also published as: GB201410761D0

Abstract

A self centring halving machine receives produce on a toothed conveyor belt 16 and transports it to a cutting mechanism 10. A second conveyor belt 2 is located centrally above the main belt and is driven at the same speed by a timing mechanism. The height adjustment to cater for varying sized produce will be via the levelling mechanism 1 that comprises a platform situated below the main conveyer. The accurate halver uses a register rod 15 in combination with the second conveyor to measure and define the centre line to ensure accurate cutting.

Description

Description.

Accurate HaMng Machine.

This invention is a halving machine filled with unique mechanical features that enable the machine to halve potatoes or vegetable products accurately.

In the food industry there are many different types of slicing and halving machines. But one problem is, the difference in the size and shape of the produce to be cut.

A company processing baked potatoes, certain sizes and weights are required, so the potatoes are sized and graded.

Even though most slicers have a size change capability this does not rule out waste product caused by natural irregular shaped potatoes. Example two potatoes weighing the same as each other but one is more or less round and the other more of a flat shape, the conventional halver would cut the round potato in half and the flat potato would have a bottom portion the correct thickness and the top portion would be undersize this is a big problem to processing companies causing waste and labor intensive operations.

The Accurate Halving machine consists of a main conveyor belt with a leveling platform housed inside the conveyor, a small conveyor belt is positioned above the main conveyor belt this is called a register belt, and is connected to the leveling platform by the means of two rods one on each side of the conveyor, register rods operate the leveling platform via the register conveyor. This unique feature of this machine is built in the leveling platform mechanics and its mathematical formula, enabling potatoes and produce to travel down a centerline through the accurate halving machine. The register conveyor is supported on two pillars and connected to the drive of the main conveyor both run at the same speed, both conveyor belts are food quality timing belts and are driven and carried by geared rollers. The register conveyor pivots on the bearing pillars, the out feed end rests on adjustable stops.

The underside of the register belt out-feed roller is set at the same distance above the centerline as the leveling platform is set bellow. Potatoes travel down the main conveyor belt they find their natural position and enter the register belt traveling through the conveyor belts the potatoes or produce are stabilized and leveled down the centerline by the movement of the register belt lifting and the leveling platform going down presenting the potato central to the cutting means.

The Invention will now be described by the way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1.

Shows the basic parts of the halving machine, and how it is configured.

A main conveyor and drive unit, register conveyor and measuring and leveling platform, cutting means and drive.

Description.

Accurate HaMng Machine.

Figure 2.

The conveyors stabilize three different sizes of product.

Figure 3.

The leveling platform and register belt presenting produce centrally to the cutting means.

Figure 4.

Mechanics of the leveling platform and register belt.

Figure 5.

Mathematical formula of the leveling platform linkages.

Figure 6.

Mechanics of the culling device.

In Figure 1. A levelling platform number fig 1-1, attached by register arm fig 1-15 to the register belt figl-2 control the position of the produce to be halved just as they enter the culling device. Two conveyor belts fig 1-16 the main conveyor and fig 1-2 the register belt carry the produce through the machine figl-8 a potato entering the machine figl-9 potato been stabilised and finding its natural position controlled by belts fig 1-2,16. The accurate halver consist of two conveyor belts the main conveyor figl-16, and the small register belt figI-2 this sits centrally above. Both these belts are toothed food quality timing belts running on toothed drive and idle rollers number fig 1-3, assuring there is no belt slip, they are driven by a motor and gearbox flgl-17, with an array of drive chain or timing belts driving both conveyors at the same speed or feet per minute. The cutting device in this case consists of two culling discs Fig I & 6 number 10 set horizontally either side of the latter end of the main conveyor fig 1-16 the blades are as close as possible Fig 6-10 the cutters are set on two shafts through bearings fig 6-20, connected to each other by chains or timing belts and pulleys fig 6-19, keeping the circular blades running at the same speed, these are driven by a motor and gearbox mounted bellow fig 6-18, the speed of the culling discs are set to the same speed as the conveying belts.

Figure 2. shows the importance of both the conveyor belts 2,16 been non slip working together stabilising the produce or potatoes 9 and actually measuring them mechanically.

The register belt height is set to the minimal size product that is going to be halved by adjusting the screw adjuster number 5. This will also lower the levelling platform, the register belt and the levelling platform will remain an equal distance from a centreline the runs through the halving machine as shown in fig 4 mechanics drawing.

Figure 3, this shows how the levelling platform 7 works, a potatol4, set centrally to the culling discs 10, by the movement of the register belt 2,13 and the levelling platform 7,13 via the register arm 15.

Description.

Accurate HaMng Machine.

Figure 4. This is the mechanics of the accurate halvers levelling platform 7 and register belt 2 register rod 15 platform linkages 6 and the levelling units frame 1. The accurate halver has a centreline through the machine this is the where any culling device will be set. The register belt 2 and the levelling platform 7 are attached mechanically without any support under the register belt the platform 7 and the register belt 2 would close together and meet together on the machines centreline Ideally the register 2 and platform 7 are set with a gap of 20mm or set to the minimum product height.

Figure 5. The Accurate halvers unique levelling platform has its own mathematical formula the registers roller measures a product as it moves towards it the levelling platform bellow moves away at exactly the same rate as does the register belt raises this then always leaves the same distance above and below the machines centreline. The distance from register roller 2 to register rod point 15 this distance moved down the register rod then transferred into and arc movement through linkages 6 into angular movement and transmitting it to a lowering or raising of the levelling platform 7 at the same rate of distance of the register belt 2.

Figure 6. This shows the mechanical cutting device through which the main conveyor runs, levelling the produce or potatoes 10 two cutting discs set on two shafts 20, set in bearings connected by drive chains or timing belts and pulleys 19, finally driven by a geared motor 18. * 4

Claims

Claims.* Accurate Halving Machine.1. An Accurate halving machine comprising of a toothed belt fig 1-16 the belt set horizontally and is arranged to support produce and transport it to a cutting mechanism a small toothed conveyor figl-2 namely the register belt is set horizontally above and over the Centre portion of the main conveyor belt the purpose of the register belt is to stabilize and finally measure the produce the register belt is supported by bearings where the drive is generated fig 1-21 the oUt feed end of the register belt is supported on a adjustable stop fig 1-5 bellow this ioint is a unique leveling mechanism fig 1-1 this contains a platform fig 1-7 this situated bellow the main conveyor belt figi-IB The mechanics of this unique product leveling device Fig 4 this shows how the register belt fig 4-2 transfers its measuring information to the leveling platform fig 4-7 via register rod fig 4-15 then through linkages fig 4-6 finally to the leveling platform fig 4-7 the datum for the leveling operation is a centerline through the halving machine this would be where a given cutting or halving device would be set fig 3-10 without stop fig 1-5 register belt fig 4-2 and level platform fig 4-7 would close together on the centerline of the accurate halving machine ideally the gap between the register belt and the leveling platform would be 20mm or the size of the minimum product size The accurate halvers unique leveling platform has its own mathematical formula the register roller measures a product as it moves towards it the leveling platform bellow moves away at exactly the same rate as does the register belt raises this then always leaves the same distance above and below the machines centerline In fig 5 the register roller has move up fig 5-2 drawn in broken line this has lifted register rod fig 5-15 drawn in broken line this distance is transmitted down the register rod fig 5-15 to the leveling devices transfer linkages fig 5-6 then transferred to an arc movement through linkages 6 into angular movement and transmitting to a lowering or raising of the leveling platform fig 5-7 at the same rate of distance of the register belt fig 5-2. Thus moving potatoes or produce along the given centerline of the accurate halving machine.