GB655781A - Improvements in or relating to bread slicing machines - Google Patents

Abstract

655,781. Endless conveyers. BETTENDORF CO. April 6, 1948, No. 9605. Convention date, April 10, 1947. [Class 78 (i)] [Also in Group I] In a bread-slicing machine a loaf is pushed, broadside on, through a series of crossed belt type of endless band-saws 7, spaced one slice thickness from each other, the loaves pass from a first conveyer 64 to come against a timed reciprocated gate 127 which releases the loaf so that it strikes a hand adjusted stop 190 and drops on transfer carrier bars 147 which are timed to pivot down about one end shaft 149 to slide the loaf on to a second conveyer 176, 185, which feeds it through the saws, the cut loaf then passes on to a discharge conveyer 213 which may feed it in timed relation to a wrapping machine. The various conveyers and loaf handlers are driven through spring- pressed ball engagement clutches to provide overload release and automatic re-engagement in the correct timed relation. Such timed relation can be set and re-adjusted by hand as required. The conveyer 176 has upstanding stops 185 which receive and space the loaves for feeding in to the band-saws. The loaves are advanced by the endless hand conveyer 64, Fig. 1, first to a high-speed feed roller 114 which has three times the linear speed of 64 to separate the loaves if adhering together. The feed roller 114 comprises a number of spaced spools with the stationary fingers between the spools to prevent the bread being drawn down between the spools and the ends of 147. Other fingers 144 on a vertically reciprocated gate 127 lift the loaf off the roller 114 until it is wanted when the gate is timed to lower so allowing the loaf to be propelled by 144 against a stop 190 from which it drops on to transfer bars 147. The stop 190 is slidable to vary the opening at the top of the casing through which the loaf drops on to the transferring carrier 147. Such sliding adjustment is done by a hand-operated rack and pinion. The reciprocation of the gate 127 is obtained from a cam 134 and bell-crank lever 133, 131 which cam can be hand adjusted to give the correct timing. The transfer carrier 147 is then timed to pivot down about 149 through motion derived from the same cam 134 through adjustable length links 160, 161 to rock the shaft 149 and attached bars 147 such motion having a safety spring pressed ball connection 156, Fig. 19, so that if an overload is on the bars 147 such as misalignment of a loaf or any foreign material the positive drive from 158 to 159 is broken and 159 continues to oscillate freely. Such disengagement of the ball detent 156, Fig. 19, allows a de-energizing switch 172 to be actuated by a spring 168 and a hood and plunger 170, 171 to stop the machine. When the transferrer 147 has pivoted down about 149, as above, a loaf slides down to the endless chain conveyer 176 having spaced upright stops 185 against which the loaf abuts. The speed of the conveyer 176 can be adjusted through gearing to suit the width spacing of the loaves as they are fed broadside on, the synchronism from one stage to another being obtained by the timing of the stop gate 127, as above, and by the pivoting down of 147 and to correspond with the spacing of the stops 185. All the conveyers have hand-adjusted side guides to suit the endwise length of a loaf. The conveyer 64 can be pivoted down about its left-hand end to obtain access to the other conveyers &c., and for repairs. Such pivoting down automatically disconnects its drive and vice versa. The instantaneously disengageable one point clutch 246, Fig. 22 (not shown), is as described in Specification 539,819.