GB440730A - Improvements in or relating to the cutting or slicing of non-rigid or tough substances - Google Patents

Abstract

440,730. Cutting gelatine &c. WILSON, E. G., Netherwood, Far Moss Road, Blundellsands, near Liverpool. June 27, 1934, No. 2825. [Class 31 (i)] [See also Group V] Apparatus for slicing gelatine or similar non-rigid tough substances comprises a bottomless casing to receive the gelatine and a table to support the same, a knife disposed at a space or gap in said table, said knife being supplied with liquid lubricant, means for relatively reciprocating the casing and the table to sever slices from the underside of the gelatine, and a slice-receiving surface below the table adapted so to move that successive slices are laid separately thereon. The table comprises a fixed portion 1 of glass &c. mounted on a frame 3 and a portion 5 of similar material which is vertically adjustable on screws 7. A band knife 10 runs between guides 8, 9 in the gap between the portions 1, 5 and passes over pulleys 11 one of which is driven from the shaft 15. The bottomless casing or carriage 39 is mounted on bearing blocks 36 adapted to slide on fixed bars 37 and is divided into a number of compartments by glass, aluminium, &c. partitions 41. The blocks of gelatine &c. are retained in the compartments by plates 43 of aluminium which are carried by pairs of cross-bars 44 sliding on rods 45 and which are controlled by springs 44<a>. The rods 45 are adapted to be moved longitudinally by pairs of interconnected bell-crank levers 46 so as to cause the plates 43 to grip the gelatine blocks tightly. The carriage mechanism is operated from a shaft 21 driven from the shaft 15. The shaft 21 drives through gearing a disc 26 which carries a radially adjustable crank pin 28 which slides in a slot 29 of a pivoted lever 30. The lever 30 is connected by a rod 34 to a bearing 36<a> sliding on the bar 37 between the bearings 36 and thus transmits a reciprocating motion with quick return to the carriage 39. The pin 28 also engages a second pivoted lever 53 which has a cam surface 54<c> on it. The lever 53 is connected by a wire 51 to the bell-crank levers 46 and normally moves with the lever 30. When the pin 28 moves up the cam surface 54<c>, however, the wire 51 is pulled which causes the plates 43 to grip the gelatine blocks and hold them securely during the cutting operation. The thickness of slice cut off may be varied by adjusting the table 5. A number of trays 60 are carried on chains 56 under the table 1 to receive the severed slices and the chains 56 are given an intermittent forward motion by rocker bars 59 which are pivoted on the shaft 40 carrying the bearings 36<a> and which engage projections 58 on the chains. The band knife 10 may be lubricated by hot or cold water supplied to an inlet orifice 9<b> which leads to grooves in the guides 8, 9 above and below the knife 10. The surface of the table 5 may also be lubricated. The lower run of the knife 10 may be heated by steam radiators 71, 73. A plurality of cutting machines may be used in parallel with a single conveyer. The casing 39 may be fixed and the table together with the knife or a cutting wire may be reciprocated thereunder.