JP2024080763A - Food Cutting Equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To realize a food cutting device that can increase the commercial value of cut meat pieces and can also increase work efficiency. [Solution] A block of food is cut into pieces of a set thickness starting from the tip, and the cut food pieces are sequentially transferred onto a conveying surface while being shifted at a set pitch so that they overlap each other, forming an assembly. The conveying surface is configured to be freely raised and lowered, and a rocking member is provided that rocks downward while supporting the cut food pieces, and the food pieces supported by the rocking member are transferred onto the conveying surface by rising to a first set position on the conveying surface and rocking downward to a second set position of the rocking member. A control means is provided that automatically corrects the first set position so that the distance between the conveying surface that has risen to the first set position and the rocking member that has rocked downward to the second set position is equal to or slightly smaller than the total thickness of the food pieces present between the conveying surface and the rocking member. [Selected Figure] Figure 12

Description

The present invention relates to a food cutting device.

2. Description of the Related Art A known example of a conventional food cutting device is a block meat cutting device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-233696.
This cutting device has a supply section that swings up and down while transporting the chunks of meat, and a cutting section that cuts the end of the chunk of meat protruding from the transport terminal end (tip) of the supply section.
The cutting section further includes a transfer rotor that transfers the pieces of meat cut in the cutting section, and a swinging member that transfers the pieces of meat from the transfer rotor, swings downward, and transfers them to the conveying surface of the conveying section.
The meat piece transferred from the transfer rotor to the swinging member is folded by having its middle portion pushed up by the tip of the swinging member, and is then transferred onto the conveying surface by the downward swing of the swinging member.
At this time, the swinging member is sandwiched between the folded pieces of meat, but immediately after being transferred onto the conveying surface, it moves in a direction to come out from between the pieces of meat.
After one piece of meat is transferred, the conveying surface moves a set pitch and the next piece of meat is transferred.

By repeating this transfer of meat pieces, the pieces are sequentially transferred onto the conveying surface while being shifted at set pitches so that portions of each piece of meat overlap each other, and an aggregate of multiple pieces of meat is formed on the conveying surface.
Once one aggregate is formed, the conveying surface moves a set distance to space the aggregate before starting to form the next aggregate.
The worker uses a tool to quickly scoop up each cluster and arranges them on a tray.
The trays on which the assemblages are arranged are then wrapped, labeled, and shipped as merchandise.
Although the above describes the case where the meat pieces are folded, there are also cases where the meat pieces are transferred onto the conveying surface without being folded to form an assembly.

JP 2019-156423 A

In the above-mentioned prior art, when the position of the lower swing end of the swinging member is fixedly set, depending on the thickness of the meat piece, the meat piece may be strongly pressed against the conveying surface by the swinging member.
This causes pressure marks to remain on the pieces of meat, reducing their commercial value.
It should be noted that such problems can occur whether the pieces of meat are folded or not.
In particular, when folding meat pieces, when the oscillating member is pulled out from between the pieces of meat transferred onto the conveying surface, the pieces of meat may be pulled by the oscillating member and may become displaced from their position on the conveying surface.
This causes problems such as the shape of the assembly being distorted, requiring workers to adjust it, and reducing work efficiency.
The present invention aims to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and to provide a food cutting device that can increase the commercial value of food pieces and collections of such food pieces, and that can increase work efficiency by reducing the need for an operator to rework the collections.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions.
That is, the invention described in claim 1 is a food cutting device which cuts a block of food into a set thickness from its tip, sequentially transfers a set number of cut food pieces (m) onto a conveying surface (5a) while shifting the food pieces at a set pitch (Pκ) so that some of the food pieces overlap each other, and forms an assembly (M) of a plurality of food pieces (m) on the conveying surface (5a), the conveying surface (5a) being configured to be freely raised and lowered, and a swinging member (82) which swings downward while supporting the cut food pieces (m) is provided, and the food pieces (m) supported by the swinging member (82) are The food cutting device is configured so that the food pieces are transferred onto the conveying surface (5a) by raising the conveying surface (5a) to a first set position and swinging the oscillating member (82) downward to a second set position, and is provided with a control means (200) which automatically corrects the first set position so that a distance (TS1) between the conveying surface (5a) raised to the first set position and the oscillating member (82) swinging downward to the second set position is equal to or slightly smaller than the total thickness of the food pieces (m) present between the conveying surface (5a) and the oscillating member (82).

The invention described in claim 2 is the food cutting device described in claim 1, in which the first set position is automatically corrected according to the cutting thickness of the food piece (m).

The invention described in claim 3 is the food cutting device described in claim 2, which is configured so that the first set position is automatically corrected in response to a change in the set pitch (Pκ).

The invention described in claim 4 is the food cutting device described in claim 3, which is configured so that the first set position is automatically corrected according to the set number of food pieces (m) that form the assembly (M).

The invention described in claim 5 is the food cutting device described in claim 4, in which the first set position is automatically corrected according to the vertical width of the tip of the block of food.

The invention described in claim 6 is configured such that the tip of the swinging member (82) supports the middle part of the vertical width of the food piece (m), both ends of the food piece (m) hang down by their own weight to form a food piece (m) folded in half that spans one side and the other side of the swinging member (82) from the tip of the swinging member (82), and the folded food piece (m) is transferred onto the conveying surface (5a) by rising to a first set position of the conveying surface (5a) and swinging the swinging member (82) downward to a second set position, and a third set position that presses the upper surface of the folded food piece (m) transferred onto the conveying surface (5a), and a second set position that presses the upper surface of the folded food piece (m) transferred onto the conveying surface (5a), and a third ... The food cutting device according to claim 1 is provided with a pressing member (88) that rises and falls from the top surface to a position spaced upward, and the rocking member (82) moves in a direction to pull out from between the food pieces (m) while the pressing member (88) is lowered to the third set position to press the top surface of the food piece (m) folded in half, and the third set position is automatically corrected so that the distance (TS2) between the upper edge of the rocking member (82) that has been rocked down to the second set position and the third set position is equal to or slightly smaller than the cutting thickness of the food piece (m) placed on the upper edge of the rocking member (82).

The invention described in claim 7 is the food cutting device described in claim 6, in which the third set position is automatically corrected according to the cutting thickness of the food piece (m).

The invention described in claim 8 is the food cutting device described in claim 7, which is configured so that the third set position is automatically corrected in response to a change in the set pitch (Pκ).

The invention described in claim 9 is the food cutting device described in claim 8, which is configured so that the third set position is automatically corrected according to the set number of food pieces (m) that form the aggregate (M).

The invention described in claim 10 is the food cutting device described in claim 9, which is configured so that the third set position is automatically corrected according to the vertical width of the tip of the block of food.

The invention described in claim 11 is the food cutting device described in claim 1 or claim 6, in which the second set position is automatically corrected according to the cutting thickness of the food piece (m).

The invention described in claim 12 is the food cutting device described in claim 11, which is configured so that the second set position is automatically corrected in response to a change in the set pitch (Pκ).

The invention described in claim 13 is the food cutting device described in claim 12, which is configured so that the second set position is automatically corrected according to the set number of food pieces (m) that form the aggregate (M).

The invention described in claim 14 is the food cutting device described in claim 13, in which the second set position is automatically corrected according to the vertical width of the tip of the block of food.

According to the present invention, the food pieces (m) transferred to the conveying surface (5a) are less likely to bear pressure marks caused by the oscillating member (82), and the decrease in commercial value of the food pieces (m) and the collection (M) of these food pieces (m) can be reduced.
In addition, it is possible to reduce the displacement of the food pieces (m) on the conveying surface (5a) and reduce the need for workers to adjust the mass (M), thereby improving work efficiency.

FIG. 2 is a right side view of the food cutting device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the food cutting device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a left side view for explaining the food cutting device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory plan view showing the transmission structure of the food cutting device in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a left side view of a supply unit in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view for explaining the periphery of a cut portion in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view of a pressing member and a lifting/lowering operating portion in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a left side view for explaining a pressing member in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a left side view for explaining the periphery of a cut portion in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory left side view showing a state in which food pieces are transferred in this embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory left side view showing a state in which a food piece is pressed in this embodiment. FIG. 12 is an enlarged explanatory view of a main part in FIG. 11 . FIG. 11 is an explanatory left side view showing a collection of food pieces that have been folded and transferred. FIG. 4 is an explanatory right side view of the rear part of the transport unit in the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory plan view of a conveying section in the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a controller of the food cutting device in the present embodiment. 4 is a first half of a main flowchart of cutting control in this embodiment. 11 is a second half of a main flowchart of cutting control in this embodiment. 18 is a sub-flowchart showing the process of lifting and lowering control of the transport surface in the latter half of the main flow chart of FIG. 17. 18 is a sub-flowchart showing the process of controlling the elevation of the pressing member in the latter half of the main flow chart of FIG. 17. 18 is a sub-flowchart showing the process of swing control of the swing member in the latter half of the main flow chart of FIG. 17. FIG. 2 is an explanatory plan view showing a formed state of an assembly in the present embodiment. FIG. 23 is an explanatory left side view of the assembly shown in FIG. 22 . FIG. 4 is an explanatory side view showing the change in height of a block of food. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing the relationship between the height of a block of food and the weight of the block.

As a form for implementing the present invention, a slicer (the "food cutting device" of the present invention) that continuously cuts and cuts out a block of meat ("block of food" in the claims) MF, forms an assembly M of a plurality of pieces of meat ("food pieces" in the claims) m, and conveys the assembly M will be described in detail as an example.
In addition, based on the conveying direction of the collection M of meat pieces m cut out by this slicer, the upstream side is defined as the "rear side" and the downstream side as the "front side", and the left side when facing downstream is defined as the "left side" and the right side as the "right side".

(Overall configuration of slicer)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the slicer 1 is configured by providing a supply section 3, a cutting section 4, a conveying section 5, and a control section 7 on a machine base 2 serving as a base.
The machine base 2 is a rectangular frame body in a plan view.
The supply section 3 receives meat chunks inserted by an operator and transports them forward.
The cutting section 4 cuts (slices) the front end of the chunk of meat protruding forward from the front end of the supply section 3 into pieces of a specified thickness, folds the cut meat pieces m, and sequentially transfers them onto the endless belt 96 of the conveying section 5 to form an aggregate M consisting of multiple meat pieces m.
The conveying section 5 has an endless belt 96 that conveys the assembly M forward.
The aggregate M conveyed by the endless belt 96 is scooped up by an operator using a tool such as a spatula and arranged on a tray.
The control unit 7 includes a controller that controls the operating state of the motors, air cylinders, etc. that drive each part.
Unless otherwise specified, "motor" means an electric motor.

A support 1A is erected on the left rear end of the machine base 2, and a base of a support arm 1B is attached to the front upper end of this support 1A so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis.
An operation box 1C having a touch panel type display unit is attached to the free end of this support arm 1B.
An air supply pipe 1D is erected at the rear upper end of the support portion 1A.
A pipe leading to a compressed air supply facility in a factory is connected to the upper end of this air supply pipe 1D.

(Supply Department)
As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the supply section 3 includes a frame 8 that is rectangular in plan view, and a chunk meat transport device 9 that transports the input chunk meat MF forward.
Left and right side walls 10 are erected on the left and right sides of the frame body 8, and left and right fulcrum shafts 11 are fixed to the rear ends of the left and right side walls 10 in a position where they protrude outward.
The left and right fulcrum shafts 11 are arranged on the same axis, and both ends thereof are supported on fixed portions on the machine base 2 side via left and right bearings 12 .

(Swing mechanism of supply unit)
As shown in FIG. 4, a swing motor 13 is attached to a portion of the machine base 2 below the frame 8, and one end of a crank arm 15 is attached to an output shaft 14 of the swing motor 13.
A bearing 16 journalled to the other end of the crank arm 15 and a bearing 17 supported at a position forward and below the fulcrum axis 11 in the frame body 8 are fixedly fitted inside cylindrical portions provided at both ends of the interlocking rod 18.
As a result, the supply section 3 is supported in a posture inclined downward toward the front so that the end (front end) of the conveyance path is lower.
When the swing motor 13 is driven, the supply unit 3 swings obliquely up and down about the fulcrum shaft 11 , and the conveying end of the supply unit 3 moves back and forth on a circular arc trajectory about the fulcrum shaft 11 .

(Conveying passage of supply section)
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the frame 8 is integrally provided with a partition wall 19 between the side walls 10 at both left and right ends.
Two conveying passages 20 are formed between these two side walls 10 and one partition wall 19 .
As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the left and right side walls 10 are connected by a gate- or arch-shaped reinforcing frame 21 disposed above the two transport passages 20 to ensure rigidity.

(Feeding section conveyor)
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the chunk meat transporting device 9 is configured by providing two transport paths 20 with wide lower conveyors 22 for transporting chunk meat, respectively.
The lower conveyor 22 forms the bottom of the two transport paths 20 and transports the chunks of meat MF.
The lower conveyor 22 is composed of a front end roller 23, a rear end roller 24, a lower endless belt 25 with a rough surface that is wound between these rollers 23, 24, and a tension roller 26 in the middle in the front-to-rear direction that applies tension to the lower endless belt 25.
The front end roller 23 is rotatably supported on a left-right axis fixed to the front ends of left and right frames (not shown).
The rear end rollers 24 are fixed to lower drive shafts 27 in the left and right direction which are supported by the rear ends of the left and right frames.

The tension roller 26 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the lower winding region of the lower endless belt 25 and elastically urges it downward.
This provides the lower endless belt 25 with a tension suitable for transport.
Alternatively, instead of a configuration in which the tension roller 26 is elastically biased, a configuration in which the height of the tension roller 26 is adjusted and fixed may be used.
The front end roller 23, rear end roller 24, tension roller 26 and lower endless belt 25 are formed wider than the distance between the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls 10, 10, and each of their left and right ends is inserted below the left and right side walls 10, 10.
In addition, between the front end roller 23 and the tension roller 26 in the frame 8, and between the tension roller 26 and the rear end roller 24, sliding contact plates (not shown) are attached to support the lower surface of the upper winding area of the lower endless belt 25 in sliding contact therewith.
This sliding contact plate is formed to have a wide width extending between the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls 10 .
The upper surface of the lower endless belt 25 is disposed immediately below the partition wall 19 with a gap therebetween so that the upper surface does not come into contact with the lower end of the partition wall 19 .
As a result, the upper surface of the lower endless belt 25 forms the bottom of the two transport paths 20, 20 described above.

(Press plate of supply section)
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the bases of the left and right pressing arms 28 are supported by bearings at the left and right fulcrum shafts 11 at locations between the side walls 10 and the bearings 12 .
As a result, the left and right pressing arms 28 are disposed outside the left and right side walls 10 so as to be able to swing up and down.
A pressure plate 29 facing the upper front end of the conveying path 20 is attached to the front end of each of the left and right pressure arms 28 .
The pressure plate 29 is fastened to a mounting stay 30 attached to the front ends of the left and right pressure arms 28, 28 by means of a knob bolt 30N.
The mounting stay 30 extends upward from the front ends (free ends) of the pressing arms 28 , 28 , and then bends toward the upper part of the conveying passage 20 .
The pressure plate 29 has an upper surface portion which is fastened to the mounting stay 30, an inclined surface portion which slopes downward from the front end of the upper surface portion, and a pressure surface portion which extends forward from the front end of the inclined surface portion.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, stays 30T are raised from the left and right side walls 10 of the frame 8, and the cylinder portions of the left and right air cylinders 30S are rotatably supported by the stays 30T on left and right shafts 30Y.
As a result, the air cylinder 30S is attached in a vertical orientation.
The tip of the piston of this air cylinder 30S is axially attached to the front parts of the left and right pressing arms 28 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction.
When the piston of this air cylinder 30S extends, the pressing arm 28 rotates downward, and the pressing surface of the pressing plate 29 presses the front end of the chunk of meat MF that has been transported to the front of the transport passage 20.
That is, the timing of extension and contraction of the piston of this air cylinder 30S is controlled so as to be synchronized with the swing of the supply unit 3 about the fulcrum shaft 11.
As a result, just before the front end of the chunk of meat MF is cut in the cutting section 4 due to the upward swing of the supply section 3, the piston of the air cylinder 30S extends and presses the front end of the chunk of meat, preventing it from shifting out of position when cut.
After cutting, the piston of the air cylinder 30S contracts, the pressure on the chunk of meat is released, and the lower endless belt 25 is driven to send the chunk of meat out until the front end of the chunk of meat abuts against a receiving plate described below.

(Transmission of supply section)
As shown in FIG. 4, a transport electric motor 31 is attached to the lower surface side of the frame body 8, and an output gear 32 is fixed to the output shaft of the transport electric motor 31 in the left-right direction.
The output gear 32 is meshed with an intermediate gear 33 that is journalled at the rear of the frame 8 , and the intermediate gear 33 is meshed with an input gear 34 that is fixed to the left end of the lower drive shaft 27 .

(Cutting-related parts in the supply section)
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, a frame member 36 having rectangular openings 35 on the left and right sides is fastened to the front end of the frame body 8.
Between the left and right openings 35, vertical rails (not shown) are formed.
A sliding edge portion 40 that continuously surrounds three edges of each opening 35, including the front surface of this crosspiece and the left and right openings 35 in the frame member 36, and which is also the left and right side edges and the bottom side edge, is formed by raising forward.
The front surface of this sliding edge portion 40 is formed in an arc shape centered on the fulcrum shaft 11 of the supply portion 3 when viewed from the side.
The upper front surface of the sliding edge 40 is an inclined surface rising upward toward the rear, and an endless strip blade 49 (described later) is guided and slides on the sliding edge 40 when the supply unit 3 swings upward.

The bottom edge of each opening 35 is formed into a blade-like shape.
Further, a recess (not shown) that is continuous in the up-down direction is formed only in the center in the width direction (left-right direction) of the sliding contact edge portion 40 formed on the front surface of the crosspiece.
As a result, sliding edges 40 remain on both the left and right sides of the bottom of the recess, and the rear surface of the cutting edge of an endless strip blade 49, which will be described later, also comes into sliding contact with these sliding edges 40.
The bottom surface of this recess is also formed in an arc shape centered on the fulcrum axis 11 when viewed from the side.

(Cutting section receiving plate)
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 9, a receiving plate 43 for receiving the front end of the chunks of meat delivered from the left and right openings 35 is disposed at a position facing the front side of the swinging locus of the frame member 36 described above.
The entire rear surface of the receiving plate 43 or a part of the surface is formed to have a curvature along a circular arc centered on the fulcrum shaft 11 of the supply unit 3 in a side view.
As a result, the front surface of the sliding edge portion 40 of the frame member 36 and the rear surface of the receiving plate 43 have arc shapes with the same or similar curvatures when viewed from the side.

(Cutting blade)
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 , the cutting unit 4 includes an electric cutting motor 44 , a drive pulley 46 attached to an output shaft 45 of the electric cutting motor 44 , and a driven pulley 48 attached to a driven shaft 47 .
An endless steel blade 49 is wound around the drive pulley 46 and the driven pulley 48 .
The electric motor 44 for the cutting blade is fixed to a position away from the two openings 35 to the left.
On the other hand, the driven shaft 47 is supported for free rotation via a bearing 50 at a position away to the right of the two openings 35, and is supported on the machine base 2 so that its position can be adjusted left and right by the operation of an air cylinder (not shown).
The output shaft 45 and the driven shaft 47 are held parallel to each other in the same forward upward inclination position.
As a result, by operating the air cylinder to reduce the distance between the drive pulley 46 and the driven pulley 48, the endless blade 49 can be easily wound around and removed from these two pulleys 46, 48.

When the electric cutting motor 44 is started with the endless strip blade 49 wound around the drive pulley 46 and driven pulley 48, the drive pulley 46 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the front upper extension direction of the axis of the output shaft 45.
Further, the driven pulley 48 is also rotated counterclockwise via the endless band blade 49 .
As a result, in the lower winding region of the endless strip blade 49, the endless strip blade 49 moves in a circular motion from the driven pulley 48 side to the driving pulley 46 side (from right to left).
Therefore, in this lower winding region, the endless blade 49 moves around under tension, and the lower winding region of the endless blade 49 is used as an area for cutting the chunk of meat.
Furthermore, if the endless band blade 49 which moves in this manner is overloaded due to the cutting resistance of the chunks of meat MF, etc., a force will be applied to the driven shaft 47 in a direction toward the output shaft 45. However, by compressing the air in the air cylinder which adjusts the movement of this driven shaft 47, damage due to the overload can be prevented.
One side edge of the endless blade 49 is formed into a sharp cutting edge.

Further, a guide member (not shown) for guiding the endless strip blade 49 is disposed above the receiving plate 43 between the driving pulley 46 and the driven pulley 48 .
This guide member has a left-right groove that opens downward in the lower edge of a long plate body, and the side edge portion without the blade edge of the endless strip blade 49 is inserted into this groove so that it can slide freely in the left-right direction.
By fixing the position of this guide member, the winding surface of the endless band blade 49 is maintained in a set position inclined downward to the rear, and a gap is formed between the blade edge of the endless band blade 49 and the upper end of the receiving plate 43.
Since the inner and outer surfaces of the endless strip blade 49 are supported in sliding contact with each other by the guide member, the inclined posture during the circular movement is stable.

(Support of cutting portion, first support member, third support member)
As shown in FIG. 3, two flat rails 52 are fixedly mounted on both the left and right sides of the upper portion of the machine base 2, facing in the front-rear direction and spaced apart in the left-right direction.
The third support member 53 has a rectangular frame shape in plan view and at its lower part, two rollers 54 are supported on each of the left and right sides of the front part in a balance swinging manner.
Further, a roller 54 is journalled on each of the left and right sides of the rear part of the lower part of the third support member 53 .
With the third support member 53 mounted on the machine base 2, all six rollers 54 are transferred to the upper surfaces of the left and right rails 52, and the third support member 53 is supported so as to be freely movable in the front-to-rear direction relative to the machine base 2.

A first support member 55 formed into a rectangular frame when viewed in a plane is placed on the upper side of this third support member 53, and the upper ends of four upper link arms 56 are attached to four locations on the front, back, left and right of this first support member 55 so that they can freely rotate around upper shafts 57 in the left-right direction.
The lower ends of these four upper link arms 56 are fixed to the left and right ends of a left-right lower shaft 58 that is bearing-supported at the fore-aft center and rear of the third support member 53, respectively, so that the left and right upper link arms 56 are configured to rotate integrally around the lower shaft 58.
Additionally, the upper ends of the lower link arms 59 are connected and fixed to the lower ends of the four upper link arms 56. As a result, the lower link arms 59 and the upper link arms 56 form an inverted V shape when viewed from the left side.
Further, left-right shafts 59P provided at the lower ends of the front and rear lower link arms 59 are connected to shafts 53P provided at the front and rear of the third support member 53 by front and rear tension springs 60, respectively.
As a result, the elastic force of the tension spring 60 in the contracting direction urges the first support member 55 in the upward direction.

The base of an electric motor 61 is supported by the third support member 53 around an axis in the left-right direction, and a female screw member 64 is screwed onto a screw shaft 63 that is driven to rotate by the electric motor 61 .
The tip of an intermediate member 64a which moves together with the female screw member 64 is rotatably attached to a stay 55b on the left-right frame 55a side provided at the middle part of the first support member 55 in the front-rear direction by a left-right shaft 65.
When the screw shaft 63 is rotated by the drive of the electric motor 61 , the female screw member 64 screwed therewith moves in the axial direction of the screw shaft 63 .
Then, the frame 55 a of the first support member 55 is pushed and pulled via the intermediate member 64 a, and the first support member 55 moves relative to the third support member 53 .
The movement trajectory of this first support member 55 is determined by setting the swing trajectories of the upper ends of the front and rear upper link arms 56 .

In other words, all four upper link arms 56 are formed to be the same length, and the bearing position of the front lower shaft 58 relative to the third support member 53 is set higher than the bearing position of the rear lower shaft 58 relative to the third support member 53.
The rearward downward inclination of the left and right upper link arms 56 on the front side is set to be gentler than the rearward downward inclination of the left and right upper link arms 56 on the rear side.
As a result, the closer the first support member 55 gets to the third support member 53 (the more it descends), the more the front side of the first support member 55 descends compared to the rear side, and the first support member 55 tilts downward toward the front.

A rear support base 67 having left and right side plates 66 is fixed at the lower end to the rear of the first support member 55 .
The lower portions of the left and right side plates 66 are connected and reinforced by a round bar-shaped frame 68 extending in the left and right direction.
The upward extending portions of the left and right side plates 66 are connected by a left-right frame (not shown).
As shown in FIG. 3, an oblique side portion that slopes upward toward the front is formed in the upper rear portion of the left and right side plates 66, and a stay 70 that protrudes forward from both left and right ends of the front surface of the above-mentioned receiving plate 43 is fastened and fixed to this oblique side portion.
This causes the receiving plate 43 to be fixed in a fixed position on the first support member 55 .
When the third support member 53 is moved forward relative to the machine base 2, the receiving plate 43 moves away from the opening 35, and a space for maintenance is formed between the receiving plate 43 and the opening 35.
This space can be used to perform maintenance on the cutting unit 4 and the transport unit 5, which will be described later.

(Adjusting the thickness of the cut meat pieces)
In FIG. 3, when the electric motor 61 is driven, the first support member 55 and the receiving plate 43 supported integrally therewith move in a direction constrained by the swing trajectory of the upper link arm 56 .
In other words, when the thickness of the cut pieces of meat is to be increased, the first support member 55 is moved forward, and at this time, the first support member 55 moves downward and forward while tilting downward toward the front.
At this time, the rear surface of the receiving plate 43 supported by the first support member 55 changes its position so as to tilt forward.
As a result, regardless of changes in the distance between the front surface of the sliding edge portion 40 and the rear surface of the receiving plate 43, when viewed from the side, the rear surface of the receiving plate 43 is maintained positioned on an arc (an imaginary arc) centered on the fulcrum axis 11, which is the swing center of the sliding edge portion 40.
In other words, the distance between the front surface of the sliding edge portion 40 and the rear surface of the receiving plate 43 is adjusted while maintaining the distance from the fulcrum axis 11 to the upper end of the rear surface of the receiving plate 43 and the distance from the fulcrum axis to the lower end of the rear surface of the receiving plate 43 equal.
This allows the thickness of the cut meat pieces to be adjusted to a substantially uniform thickness over the entire surface.

The curvature of the front surface of the sliding contact edge portion 40 and the curvature of the rear surface of the receiving plate 43 in a side view are substantially equal.
Therefore, strictly speaking, when the above-mentioned thickness adjustment is made, the distances from the fulcrum shaft 11 to the upper and lower ends of the rear surface of the receiving plate 43 and the distance from the fulcrum shaft 11 to the vertical middle part of the rear surface of the receiving plate 43 will be slightly different.
However, this slight difference is not significant enough to affect the commercial value of the cut piece of meat.
This configuration of tilting the receiving plate 43 forward while moving it downward and forward is applied to a configuration in which a chunk of meat is cut in the lower region of the arcuate trajectory of the sliding edge portion 40 centered on the fulcrum axis 11, such as the slicer in this embodiment.

(Transfer rotor of cut section)
As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 6 and 9, left and right transition rotors 72 which rotate independently on the same axis are provided between the upper portions of the left and right side plates 66.
The left and right transition rotors 72 are each formed by arranging a number of annular plates 74, each having a number of sharp projections formed thereon, at intervals on the outer periphery of a body 73.
The body 73 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 75 that is installed across the left and right side plates 66 .
The projections formed on the periphery of the annular plate 74 have sharp tips that are sharp enough to pierce the cut pieces of meat.
In addition, a transfer motor 76 is attached to the upper outer surfaces of the left and right side plates 66, and an output shaft 77 driven by this transfer motor 76 protrudes toward the inside of each side plate 66 through holes drilled in the left and right side plates 66.
An output gear 78 is fixed to the protruding end of the output shaft 77 , while input gears 79 are fixed to the outer ends of the left and right bodies 73 .
Then, the output gear 78 and the input gear 79 are meshed with each other.

In addition, a part of the peripheral portion of the annular plate 74 is inserted into a vertical slit formed in the upper part of the receiving plate 43, and the protrusions formed on this peripheral portion are configured to pierce the pieces of meat during and after cutting, so as to be transferred onto the transfer rotor 72.
At this time, by setting the upward movement speed of the opening 35 and the peripheral speed of the annular plate 74 of the transfer rotor 72 in the same direction and at the same speed, the cut meat pieces can be smoothly transferred and transported.

(Folding device)
As shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 9, left and right rod-shaped bodies 81 that are rotated back and forth by left and right swing motors 80 are disposed below the front side of the support shaft 75 described above.
A number of thin rods (referred to as "swinging members" in the claims) 82 are attached to the left and right rod-shaped bodies 81 at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction.
Before the support shaft 75 begins to rotate, these numerous thin rods 82 enter between the adjacent annular plates 74 and are stored in a standby position where they are engaged with the upper peripheral surface of the annular plates 74 and do not interfere with the pieces of meat m being transported.
Further, the left and right swing motors 80 and the left and right rod-shaped bodies 81 are unitized.
As shown in Figures 6 and 9, the left and right units 83 are supported so as to be freely slidable in their longitudinal direction by two round bar-shaped guide rails 83L which are attached in parallel to the outer portions of the left and right side plates 66 and inclined upward at the front.

Furthermore, one end of a crank arm 85 is attached to the output shaft of a gear case 84G to which power is supplied from left and right entrance/exit motors 84 attached to the outer sides of the left and right side plates 66.
Then, both ends of a turnbuckle-type rod 86 are axially attached to the other end of the crank arm 85 and the unit 83 .
As a result, the numerous thin rods 82 attached to the left and right rod-shaped bodies 81 swing back and forth so that their inclined postures are reversed in the front-rear direction by the operation of the left and right swing motors 80.
In addition, the numerous thin rods 82 are guided by the guide rails 83L as a unit by the operation of the left and right advance/retract motors 84, and slide back and forth in an upwardly inclined direction toward the front.

(Pressing device)
As shown in Figures 4, 6, 7, and 8, a holding member 87H is attached to the center of a left-right frame (not shown) that connects the upper parts of the left and right side plates 66, and a cylinder portion 87S of the electric cylinder 87 is attached to this holding member 87H facing diagonally upward and downward.
A lifting motor 87M is attached to the upper end of the cylinder portion 87S via an interlocking case 87K.
The output shaft of this lifting motor 87M is linked to a screw shaft (not shown) in the cylinder portion 87S via a linking mechanism in a linking case 87K.
As a result, when the output shaft of the lift motor 87M rotates in the normal direction, the piston 87P extends obliquely downward due to the normal rotation of the screw shaft in the cylinder portion 87S.
On the other hand, when the output shaft of the lift motor 87M rotates in the reverse direction, the piston 87P is contracted obliquely upward due to the reverse rotation of the screw shaft in the cylinder portion 87S.
Further, the center of a support plate 87T is fixed to the tip (lower end) of the piston 87P.
Two guide rods 87R are loosely fitted and supported in a holding member 87H so as to be slidable, and the distal ends (lower ends) of the guide rods 87R are fixed to a support plate 87T.
As a result, when the piston 87P of the electric cylinder 87 expands and contracts, the support plate 87T reciprocates in an oblique direction while its position is maintained by the two guide rods 87R.

Then, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, a first stay 87S1 formed in a substantially inverted L-shape is fastened to the underside of this support plate 87T with screw members 87B1, and an L-shaped second stay 87S2 is fastened to the vertical side of this first stay 87S1 with screw members 87B2.
Furthermore, one left-right end of an inverted L-shaped first support member 87S3 is welded and fixed to the side surface of the second stay 87S2.
The first support member 87S3 extends in the left-right direction, and a pressing rod (referred to as a "pressing member" in the claims) 88, which has a circular cross section and a predetermined length in the left-right direction, is welded to the lower end of the vertical side of the first support member 87S3.

Further, the tip of the upper side of the inverted L-shaped second support member 87S4 is disposed parallel to the upper side of the upper side of the first support member 87S3.
The tip of the upper side of the second support member 87S4 is fastened to the upper side of the first support member 87S3 by a wing bolt 87SB.
A weld nut 87W into which the wing bolt 87SB screws is fixed by welding to the upper surface of the upper side of the first support member 87S3.
Further, the base of a support pin 87SP is fixed to the inner surface of the vertical side of the second support member 87S4, and the tip of this support pin 87SP is inserted into a hole formed in the vertical side of the first support member 87S3.
A nut 87N is then screwed onto the insertion end of the support pin 87SP to fix it in place.
One end of a linear spring member 89 is attached in a wound state to this support pin 87SP, and the other end of this spring member 89 is inserted into a through hole formed in the upper side of the second support member 87S4 so as to be slidable diagonally in the up and down direction.
This insertion end is formed into a loop to prevent it from slipping out.

As shown in FIG. 7, two second stays 87S2 are provided symmetrically with respect to the first stay 87S1, and the first support members 87S3, the pressure rods 88, and the second support members 87S4 extend in opposite directions on the left and right.
The spring members 89 are curved to have a shape of a substantially inverted right-angled triangle when viewed from the front, and two pairs are provided for each second support member 87S4.
In this state, every two spring members 89 intersect with each other when viewed from the front, and the curved portions of the four spring members 89 are positioned at the lower ends.

(Formation of an aggregate in the mode of folding a piece of meat)
The formation of the aggregate M in the folding mode of the meat piece m will now be described.
As shown in Figure 9, when the aforementioned swing motor 80 is activated and the numerous thin rods 82 swing forward from the standby position, the pieces of meat m being transported on the upper peripheral surface of the annular plate 74 of the transfer rotor 72 are placed on these numerous thin rods 82 and peeled off from the peripheral surface of the annular plate 74.
At this time, when folding the piece of meat m, the tips of the numerous thin rods 82 lined up in the left-right direction abut the front-to-back center part of the underside of the piece of meat m, push up the front-to-back center part of the underside of the piece of meat m, and then swing downward toward the front.
As a result, both front and rear ends of the piece of meat m hang down under its own weight, and the piece of meat m bends at the positions where the tips of the many thin rods 82 come into contact, and is folded in half.
At this time, the conveying surface 5a rises, and the folded meat piece m is transferred (carried over) onto this raised conveying surface 5a.

At this point, as shown in FIG. 10, the pressure rod 88 and the spring member 89 are in the raised retracted position.
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11, the piston 87P of the electric cylinder 87 is extended, the pressure rod 88 is lowered, and the lower peripheral surface of the pressure rod 88 presses part of the upper surface of the folded meat piece m.
At this time, the spring member 89 which has descended together with the pressing rod 88 is elastically deformed by contact with the meat piece m, and retreats to the same height as the pressing rod 88 .
With part of the upper surface of the meat piece m pressed in this manner, the advance/retract motor 84 is operated, and the left and right rod-shaped bodies 81 together with the left and right swing motors 80 slide rearward and downward.
As a result, the numerous thin rods 82 that had been sandwiched between the upper and lower sides of the folded meat piece m are instantly pulled out.

Thereafter, the piston 87P of the electric cylinder 87 starts to contract, and the curved portion of the spring member 89 pushes the upper surface of the folded meat piece m downward, while the pressing rod 88 moves upward and away.
As a result, the meat piece m adheres to the pressure rod 88 and does not move upward, but is held in the folded state at the transfer position on the conveying surface 5a.
Thereafter, the conveyor drive motor 112 is driven to move the endless belt 96 forward by a predetermined distance, and then the next piece of meat m is transferred onto the conveyor.
By repeating this folding and transferring of the meat pieces m, as shown in Figure 13, multiple folded meat pieces m (six meat pieces m in this embodiment) are sequentially placed on the conveying surface 5a of the endless belt 96 during conveying operation while being shifted at a set pitch so that parts of them overlap each other, and an aggregate M of meat pieces m is formed.
After one aggregate M is formed, the conveying speed of the endless belt 96 is temporarily increased, or the time interval at which the thin rod 82 oscillates is intermittently changed while maintaining the rotational speed of the transfer rotor 72 and the oscillation timing of the thin rod 82 synchronized.
As a result, a predetermined gap is formed between one collection M and the next collection M on the endless belt 96.

(Formation of aggregates in a mode where the pieces of meat are not folded)
On the other hand, it is possible to switch to a mode in which the cut meat pieces m are not folded but are transferred as they are onto the conveying surface 5a at the conveying starting end of the endless belt 96.
In other words, when the swing motor 80 is activated and the numerous thin rods 82 swing forward from the standby position, the pieces of meat m being transported on the upper peripheral surface of the annular plate 74 of the transfer rotor 72 are supported by one side of the numerous thin rods 82 and peeled off from the peripheral surface of the annular plate 74.
As the thin rods 82 further swing downward and forward, the meat piece m is guided by the other side of the thin rods 82, turned over, and transferred onto the conveying surface 5a.

At this time, the lift motor 105 is not operated and the transport surface 5a is held in the lowered position.
Furthermore, the piston 87P of the electric cylinder 87 does not extend, and the pressure rod 88 is held in the raised retracted position.
After the meat pieces m have been transferred onto the conveying surface 5a, the swing motor 80 operates in the reverse direction, causing the thin rod 82 to swing upward and retreat, and the conveying drive motor 112 is driven to move the endless belt 96 downstream a predetermined distance.
By repeating this operation, multiple unfolded meat pieces m are sequentially transferred onto the conveying surface 5a of the endless belt 96, which drives intermittently at predetermined distances, so that parts of the pieces overlap one another, and a collection M of meat pieces is formed.
Each time an assembly M consisting of a set number of meat pieces m is formed, the endless belt 96 is driven at an increased speed, so that a predetermined interval is formed between each assembly M.

(Transportation section)
The conveying unit 5 will now be described.
As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the conveying section 5 includes a driven roller 90, a group of driven rollers 91, a drive roller 92 and two driven rollers 93 arranged in close proximity to each other in front and behind the drive roller 92, and an upper driven roller 92U arranged above the drive roller 92.
Also, a group of driven rollers that form a reciprocating conveyor 95 shown in FIGS.
An endless belt 96 is wound around the rollers and roller groups described above to form the conveying section 5 .
In addition, between each roller in the upper winding region of the endless belt 96, a sliding support plate (not shown) for supporting and sliding against the lower surface of the endless belt 96 is provided.
This forms a continuous conveying area extending from the conveying start end to the conveying end.
This series of transport action zones includes a transport action portion 5F on the upstream side in the transport direction and a transport action portion 5R on the downstream side in the transport direction.

(Transportation action part on the upstream side in the transport direction)
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 15 , a middle support base 98 consisting of left and right plate members 97 is mounted on the first support member 55 .
The boss members in the front-rear direction fixed to the lower ends of the left and right plate bodies 97 are fitted to round bar-shaped sliding guide rods fixed to the left and right side surfaces of the first support member 55 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction (both the boss members and the sliding guide rods are not shown).
In addition, a locking device (not shown) is provided for fixing and releasing the sliding position of the boss member relative to the sliding guide rod.
When the locking device is unlocked and the intermediate support base 98 is slid forward, the wrapping circumferential length of the endless belt 96 is reduced and the endless belt 96 becomes slack, making it possible to remove the endless belt 96 .

(Means for lifting and lowering the conveying surface)
The bases of the left and right support stays 101 are fixed to the left and right plate bodies 97 of the intermediate support base 98, and the left and right ends of a support shaft 102 that is long in the left-right direction are bearing-supported on the extended ends of the left and right support stays 101 so that it can freely rotate up and down.
As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 15, the support shaft 102 rotatably supports the above-mentioned driven roller 90 which is formed to be wide in the left-right direction.
As a result, the driven roller 90 is disposed at the front low position (downstream low position) of the transfer rotor 72 described above.

The left and right ends of the support shaft 102 support the tops of swing arms 103 branched into upper and lower sides, respectively, by bearings so that the arms can rotate up and down.
Between the left and right upper side portions of the swing arm 103, two upper driven rollers 91UF, 91UR are axially supported so as to be freely rotatable.
In addition, two lower driven rollers 91DF, 91DR are rotatably supported between the left and right lower portions of the swing arm 103.
As a result, the above-mentioned driven roller group 91 is formed, and this driven roller group 91 is disposed in front of the driven roller 90 (downstream in the transport direction).
Further, an operating arm 104 is provided hanging down integrally from the top of the right swing arm 103 .

On the other hand, as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 15, a gear case 106 that transmits power from a lift motor 105 is fixed to the right side surface of the right plate body 97 of the intermediate support base 98, and one end of a crank arm 108 is attached to the output shaft 107 of this gear case 106.
The tip end (lower end) of the operating arm 104 and the other end of the crank arm 108 are axially connected by a link rod 109 .
With this configuration, when the lift motor 105 is driven in the forward direction, the crank arm 108 and the operating arm 104 rotate in conjunction with each other, and the left and right swing arms 103 rotate upward around the axis of the support shaft 102 .
As a result, the two upper driven rollers 91UF, 91UR rise and push up the inner surface of the upper winding area of the endless belt 96, forming a steeply inclined surface sloping upward toward the front on the conveying surface 5a on the conveying starting end of the endless belt 96 supported between the two upper driven rollers 91UF, 91UR.

When the lift motor 105 is driven in the reverse direction from this state, the left and right swing arms 103 rotate downward about the axis of the support shaft 102, and the two upper driven rollers 91UF, 91UR descend and return to their original positions.
As a result, the conveying surface 5a is lowered to its original position and restored to a gently inclined surface.
At this time, the two lower driven rollers 91DF, 91DR are lowered to press down the inner surface of the lower winding region of the endless belt 96, thereby preventing the endless belt 96 from slackening.

(Transport drive unit)
As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 15 , the drive roller 92 is disposed between the left and right plates 97 of the intermediate support base 98 , and both left and right ends of the rotation shaft 110 are bearing-supported by the left and right plates 97 .
A gear case 113 to which power is supplied from a transport drive motor 112 is fixed to the right side surface of the right plate body 97 , and the rotation shaft 110 of the drive roller 92 is connected to the output shaft of this gear case 113 .
Two driven rollers 93 are disposed close to each other in front of and behind the driving roller 92 , and are disposed at a higher position than the driving roller 92 , and are supported by bearings between the left and right plate bodies 97 .

The endless belt 96 is wound around the upper peripheral surfaces of the two driven rollers 93, and is further wound around the lower peripheral surface of the drive roller 92 disposed between the two driven rollers.
This increases the peripheral length of the endless belt 96 wound around the lower peripheral surface of the drive roller 92, reducing slippage of the endless belt 96 relative to the drive roller 92.
The upper driven roller 92U is rotatably supported by a left-right shaft (not shown) attached between the upper portions of the left and right plate bodies 97 of the intermediate support base 98 and is disposed above the drive roller 92.
Thus, the transport action portion 5F on the upstream side in the transport direction is formed mainly from the driven roller 90 to the upper driven roller 92U.

(Second Support Member)
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 15, a front support base 116 consisting of left and right plates 115 is fixed to the rear end of the third support member 53.
This front support base 116 is not directly connected to the first support member 55 and the intermediate support base 98 described above.

(Transportation acting portion on the downstream side in the transport direction)
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 15, left and right extension plates 118 are provided extending downstream from the upper portion of the front support base 116.
In addition, a round bar-shaped guide rail 119 in the front-to-rear direction is arranged on each inner surface of the left and right extension plate bodies 118 at a distance from the inner surface, and both front and rear ends of the left and right guide rails 119 are attached to the inner surface of the extension plate body 118.
A movable frame 124 is formed by a frame made up of the left and right movable plates 121 and the front connecting rod 122 that connects the left and right movable plates 121 together.

As shown in FIG. 15, a bending portion driven roller 127 is rotatably engaged with a support shaft 126 installed between the left and right movable plate members 121 .
Furthermore, the left and right inclined plates 125 are fastened together and fixed to the front ends of the left and right movable plates 121 .
Furthermore, left and right support arms 131 are attached to the outside of the front ends of the left and right inclined plate bodies 125, and the front ends of these left and right support arms are connected by a connecting shaft 132.
A driven roller 133 is rotatably supported on the connecting shaft 132 by a bearing.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lower rear portions of the left and right moving plates 121 are extended downward and forward, and a moving roller 150 is rotatably supported on a shaft 149 that is installed between the left and right extended ends.
The movable roller 150 moves together with the movable frame 124 and absorbs the change in the winding circumferential length of the endless belt 96 caused by the forward and backward movement of the driven roller 133 .
Thus, boss members 134 are attached to the front and rear of the outer surfaces of the left and right moving plates 121, and these boss members 134 are engaged with the left and right guide rails 119 described above so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction.

In addition, a gear case 136 to which power is supplied from an electric motor 135 for extension is fixed to the right side surface of the right plate body 115 of the front support base 116.
The lower end of a vertically oriented swing arm 138 is fixed to both left and right ends of an output shaft 137 of the gear case 136 .
The upper end of the swing arm 138 and the end of the front connecting rod 122 that protrudes outward from the moving plate body 121 are axially connected to both front and rear ends of a linking rod 139 .
As a result, when the extension electric motor 135 is driven, the bending section driven roller 127 and the driven roller 133 supported on the moving frame 124 side move together in the front-to-back direction, and the conveying terminal end (front end) of the endless belt 96 changes position in the front-to-back direction.

The portion of this endless belt 96 extending from the bent portion driven roller 127 to the driven roller 133 is referred to as the reciprocating conveyor 95 described above.
As shown in FIG. 3 , the base (rear end) of a tension arm 140 is supported on the upper rear portion of the left and right plates 115 of the front support base 116 so as to be vertically rotatable about a rotation shaft 141 .
A tension roller 142 is rotatably supported at the free end (front end) of the tension arm 140 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , support stays 145 are fastened and fixed to both left and right portions of the front end portion of the first support member 55 , and a lower driven roller 148 is axially supported between the left and right support stays 145 .
As described above, when adjusting to increase the thickness of the cut pieces of meat, the closer the first support member 55 is to the third support member 53 (the more it descends), the more the front side of the first support member 55 descends more than the rear side, and the first support member 55 tilts downward toward the front.
At this time, the wrapping circumference of the endless belt 96 is shortened and the endless belt 96 becomes slack, but the change in circumference of the endless belt 96 is absorbed by the lower driven roller 148 provided on the first support member 55 side moving forward and downward.

Thus, the above-mentioned reciprocating conveyor 95 forms a downstream transport section 5R in the transport direction of the transport section 5.
Incidentally, a continuous transport action area is formed by the endless belt 96 from the transport action portion 5F on the upstream side in the transport direction to the transport action portion 5R on the downstream side in the transport direction.
Between the rollers, a sliding contact plate (not shown) is provided to support the lower surface of the upper winding area of the endless belt 96 from below.
From the transfer end of this reciprocating conveyor 95, the two left and right rows of assemblies M are transferred to the next process (not shown).
It should be noted that the reciprocating conveyor 95 may not be provided.

(Disconnection process)
The cutting process of the chunk of meat MF using the slicer 1 having the above-mentioned configuration will now be described.
First, the operating conditions are set according to the type and state of the chunk of meat MF to be cut, the setting conditions of each section are changed, and the start-up operating device 201, which will be described later, is turned on.
This starts the circular movement of the endless strip blade 49 of the cutting section 4 and the conveying drive of the conveying section 5 .
In this initial state, the supply unit 3 is located at the lower limit of its swing range, and when chunks of meat MF are fed into the supply unit 3 in this state and the feed switch is turned on, the chunk meat conveying device 9 starts to operate.
As a result, the inserted chunk of meat MF is transported forward by the transporting action of the chunk of meat transporting device 9, and the front end of the chunk of meat MF abuts against the rear surface of the receiving plate 43, regulating the position of the front end of the chunk of meat MF.

As the supply section 3 swings upward from this state, the blade edge of the endless blade 49 which moves in a circular motion from right to left cuts from above into the front end portion of the chunk of meat MF protruding from the left and right openings 35.
At this time, since the position of the front end of the chunk of meat MF is restricted by the receiving plate 43, the front end of the chunk of meat MF is cut by the endless band blade 49 to a uniform thickness.
When the supply unit 3 swings upward to a position near the upper limit of its swing range, the front end of the chunk of meat MF is cut off by the endless strip blade 49 .
Then, the meat pieces m cut to the specified thickness pass through the gap formed between the upper end of the receiving plate 43 and the lower end of the endless band blade 49, and are transferred to the upper peripheral surfaces of the annular plates 74 of the left and right transfer rotors 72 located in front of the receiving plate 43.
The supply unit 3 also swings downward to the lower limit of its swing range and returns to its initial state, after which the supply unit 3 swings upward again and the above-mentioned cutting of the chunks of meat is repeated.

In this way, the meat pieces m that have passed through the gap and been transferred to the upper peripheral surface of the annular plate 74 of the transfer rotor 72 are sequentially transferred and aligned in parallel onto the conveying surface 5a at the conveying starting end of the endless belt 96, as described above.
During such cutting operations, in order to adjust the thickness of the cut meat piece m, the electric motor 61 for adjusting the meat thickness is operated to adjust the position of the receiving plate 43 relative to the opening 35, and this receiving plate 43 and the first support member 55 supporting the conveying action section 5F on the upstream side in the conveying direction move in the forward and backward directions.
However, the front support member 116 that supports the conveying section 5R downstream in the conveying direction is integrally attached to the third support member 53 on the machine base 2 side, and therefore does not move in the forward/backward direction due to the influence of the position adjustment of the receiving plate 43.

Therefore, even if the thickness of the meat pieces m to be cut is adjusted, the position of the conveying section 5R downstream in the conveying direction in the conveying section 5 does not change, so the handover position of the meat pieces m or the collection M of meat pieces m from the conveying end of the conveying section 5R to the storage section is stable.
Furthermore, since the positional relationship between the receiving plate 43 and the conveying section 5F on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the conveying section 5 does not change, the cut and folded meat pieces m are smoothly taken over by the conveying section 5F and conveyed.

(Slicer control circuit)
As shown in FIG. 16, a controller (the "control means" in the claims) 200 provided in the control unit 7 is connected to its input side with a start operating device 201, a parallel number automatic control on/off operating device 202, a parallel number standard setting operating device 203, a parallel length setting operating device 204, a cutting thickness setting operating device 205, a chunk meat vertical width standard value setting operating device 206, a parallel pitch standard setting operating device 207, and left and right chunk meat vertical width measuring sensors 208.
Furthermore, to the input side of this controller 200, there are connected a potentiometer 209 for measuring the supply section swing angle, a sensor 210 for measuring the distance traveled by the lower endless belt, a potentiometer 211 for measuring the rotation phase of the left and right handover rotors, a potentiometer 212 for detecting the rod-shaped body rotation angle, a potentiometer 213 for measuring the extension and retraction position of the electric cylinder, and a potentiometer 214 for detecting the swing arm angle.
Also, to the input side of this controller 200, a conveyor movement distance measuring sensor 215, a conveyor rear end advance/retract position measuring sensor 216, and a folding possibility selection operating tool 217 are connected.
These operating tools may be displayed graphically on a touch panel display unit provided on the operation box 1C and operated by touch operation.

On the other hand, the output side of the controller 200 is connected to a cutting motor driver 218, a swing motor driver 219, a transport motor driver 220, a left/right handover motor driver 221, a left/right swing motor driver 222, a left/right entry/exit motor driver 223, a lifting motor driver 224, a transport drive motor driver 225, a lift motor driver 226, and an extension motor driver 227.

(Explanation of switches/sensors connected to the input side)
The start-up operating device 201 connected to the input side of the above-mentioned controller 200 is used to start up the entire slicer 1 and to switch the state so that command signals can be output from the output side of the controller 200 to each motor driver, etc.
When this start-up operating device 201 is turned on, command signals are output from the output side of the controller 200 to the cutting motor driver 218, the swing motor driver 219, the transport motor driver 220, and the left and right handover motor drivers 221, and the driving of the cutting section 4, the supply section 3, and the transport section 5 is initiated.
The parallel number automatic control on/off operating device 202 switches between an active state and an inactive state the function of automatically controlling the number of meat pieces m forming the aggregate M and the pitch at which these meat pieces m are arranged in parallel.

The parallel number reference setting operation tool 203 is used to manually set a reference value (parallel number reference setting value N) for the number of meat pieces m that form one aggregate M before starting the cutting operation.
The alignment length setting tool 204 is used to manually change and set the alignment length of the cut meat pieces m (total length of the aggregate M, alignment length setting value L) before starting the cutting operation.
The cutting thickness setting operation tool 205 is used to set the thickness of the meat pieces m to be cut before starting the cutting operation.
The meat chunk width reference value setting operation tool 206 is used to visually determine and input (set) the vertical width (height in a horizontal position) of the meat chunk MF before cutting.
The parallel pitch reference setting operating tool 207 is used to set a reference pitch for arranging the cut meat pieces m in parallel.
The left and right chunk meat vertical width measuring sensors 208 are intended to measure the up and down movement position of the pressure plate 29 located at the front of the left and right conveying passages 20, thereby measuring the height of the tip of the chunk meat MF inserted into the left and right conveying passages 20.

The supply unit swing angle measuring potentiometer 209 measures the vertical swing angle of the supply unit 3 .
The lower endless belt movement distance measuring sensor 210 measures the movement distance of the lower endless belt 25 in the supply section 3 (the conveying distance of the chunks of meat MF) from the rotation speed of the conveying electric motor 31 and the like.
The left and right transition rotor rotation phase measuring potentiometers 211 measure the rotation angles of the left and right transition rotors 72 individually.
The left and right rod-shaped body rotation angle detection potentiometers 212 measure the rotation angles of the left and right rod-shaped bodies 81 having a number of thin rods 82 .
The electric cylinder extension/retraction position measuring potentiometer 213 measures the extension/retraction position of the piston 87P of the electric cylinder 87 that moves the pressure rod 88 up and down.
The swing arm angle detection potentiometer 214 measures the vertical swing angle of the swing arm 103 provided at the starting end of the transport section 5 .

The conveyor movement distance measuring sensor 215 measures the movement distance (conveyance distance) of the endless belt 96 in the conveyor section 5 based on the rotation speed of the conveyor drive motor 112 and the like.
The conveyor rear end advance/retract position measurement sensor 216 measures the movement position of the conveying terminal end of the conveying action section (second conveying action section) 5R downstream in the conveying direction of the conveying section 5 based on the rotation speed of the extension electric motor 135, etc.
The folding/non-folding selection operating device 217 switches between a mode in which the cut meat pieces m are folded and transferred to and arranged in a row on the conveying surface 5a at the conveying starting end of the endless belt 96, and a mode in which the meat pieces m are not folded but are transferred to and arranged in a row on the conveying surface 5a at the conveying starting end.

(Description of drivers etc. connected to the output side)
A cutting motor driver 218 connected to the output side of the controller 200 supplies power to the electric cutting motor 44 to drive and control the endless strip blade 49 .
The swing motor driver 219 supplies power to the swing motor 13 to control the swing drive of the supply unit 3 in the diagonal upward and downward directions.
The transport motor driver 220 supplies power to the transport drive motor 112 to control the driving of the transport unit 5 .
The left and right transfer motor drivers 221 supply power to the left and right transfer motors 76 to drive and control the left and right transfer rotors 72 .
The left and right swing motor driver 222 supplies power to the left and right swing motor 80 to control the rotation of the left and right rod-shaped bodies 81 having a large number of thin rods 82 .

The left and right extension/retraction motor drivers 223 supply power to the left and right extension/retraction motors 84 to control the extension/retraction drive of the thin rod 82 together with the left and right rod-shaped bodies 81.
The lifting motor driver 224 operates the lifting motor 87M of the electric cylinder 87 to control the upward and downward movement of the pressure rod 88 equipped with the spring member 89.
The transport drive motor driver 225 supplies power to the transport drive motor 112 to control the driving of the endless belt 96 of the transport unit 5 .
The lift motor driver 226 supplies power to the lift motor 105 to control the vertical swing of the swing arm 103 .
The extension motor driver 227 supplies power to the extension electric motor 135 to control the movement of the transport end portion of the transport action portion 5R on the downstream side of the transport section 5 in the transport direction in the forward and backward directions.

(Transfer control/assembly formation control)
9 to 13, the transfer control of the folded meat pieces m and the formation control of the aggregate M will be described along the flow charts shown in FIGS.
Each set value is stored in advance in the controller 200, except for those for which a calculation method is specifically described.
As shown in FIG. 17, first, various setting values and reference values are obtained.
That is, the parallel number reference setting value N manually set by the parallel number reference setting operating device 203, the parallel length setting value L manually set by the parallel length setting operating device 204, the cutting thickness setting value D manually set by the cutting thickness setting operating device 205, the chunk meat vertical width reference value H manually set by the chunk meat vertical width reference value setting operating device 206, and the parallel pitch reference setting value _{P_O} manually set by the parallel pitch reference setting operating device 207 are acquired (STEP 1).
The lift motor reference rotation amount _XA , which is set as a reference value of the rotation amount of the lift motor 105, the lift motor reference rotation amount _YB , which is set as a reference value of the rotation amount of the lift motor 87M, and the swing motor reference rotation amount _Zγ , which is set as a reference value of the rotation amount of the swing motor 80, are preset as fixed values in the controller 200.
Each of these reference rotation amounts X _A , Y _B , and Z _γ includes a rotation amount corresponding to the thickness of the thin rod 82 (cross-sectional diameter in the case of a round rod).

Then, when the folding mode is switched to by the folding/non-folding selection operating device 217 and the start operating device 201 is turned on, an operation command signal is output from the output side of the controller 200 to the cutting motor driver 218, the swinging motor driver 219 and the transport motor driver 220, and driving of the cutting unit 4, swinging of the supply unit 3 and driving of the transport unit 5 are initiated.
Here, the vertical width of the tip of the chunk of meat MF fed into the supply section 3 (the height of the tip of the chunk of meat fed in a horizontal position) is measured by the chunk of meat vertical width measuring sensor 208, and the chunk of meat vertical width measurement value _Hm is obtained (STEP 2).

Then, by operating the parallel number automatic control on/off operating device 202, it is determined whether the number control function has been switched to an enabled state (STEP 3), and if it has been switched to an enabled state, the process proceeds to calculation of the corrected parallel number Nκ (STEP 4).
That is, the corrected number of parallel pieces Nκ is calculated from the reference vertical width H of the chunk of meat MF obtained in STEP 1 and the measured vertical width _Hm of the chunk of meat obtained in STEP 2 using the following equation.
Nκ=N×( _Hm /H)×κ
κ: constant. If it is determined in STEP 3 that the number control function is disabled, the process in STEP 4 is not performed, and the parallel number reference setting value N is substituted as the corrected parallel number Nκ (STEP 4-2).

After the corrected number of parallel sheets Nκ is obtained, the process moves to calculation of the parallel pitch Pκ (STEP 5).
That is, the parallel pitch Pκ is calculated from the parallel length setting value L obtained in STEP 1 and the corrected parallel number Nκ calculated in STEP 4 by the following equation.
Pk = (L- _Hm )/(Nk-1)
The folded meat pieces m are shifted by this parallel pitch Pκ and sequentially arranged side by side on the conveying surface 5a of the endless belt 96 during conveying operation so that parts of the meat pieces m overlap each other, thereby forming a collection M of meat pieces m as shown in Figure 13.

In forming this aggregate M, the number Q of overlapping pieces of meat m arranged in parallel is calculated using the following formula (STEP 6).
Q = _Hm / Pκ × S
S: constant This formula is used to calculate how many parallel pitches Pκ are included within the vertical width (length in the conveying direction) of one piece of meat m that has been folded and transferred onto the conveying surface 5a.
That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, the next meat piece m having a predetermined vertical width is transferred onto the conveying surface 5a so as to overlap the meat piece m previously transferred onto the conveying surface 5a, shifted by the parallel pitch Pκ.
Therefore, the number of meat pieces m (the number of sides of the folded meat piece m) interposed between the part of the next meat piece m pressed by the pressing rod 88 and the conveying surface 5a, including the upper and lower two sides of the previously transferred meat piece m, is calculated based on the vertical width _Hm of this meat piece m and the parallel pitch Pκ.

In the state shown in Figure 12, the upper and lower edges of the first piece of meat m that has been folded and transferred, and the lower edge of the second piece of meat m that has been transferred next, are between the thin rod 82 and the conveying surface 5a, and the upper edge of the second piece of meat m is placed on top of the thin rod 82.
In this case, the constant S etc. is set so that the calculation result of the overlapping number Q is a value of 4 or close to 4.
As described above, the thickness of the thin rod 82 is a fixed value and is set in advance as part of the lift motor reference rotation amount _XA , the elevation motor reference rotation amount _YB , and the swing motor reference rotation amount _Zγ , and is therefore not included in the following calculation formula.
However, the thickness of the thin rod 82 may be included in the following calculation formula.
After the overlapping number Q is calculated, the number of parallel pieces _Nm is incremented by one as shown in FIG. 18, while cutting the chunks of meat MF and arranging the meat pieces m in parallel (STEP 7).

(Calculation of target rotation amount of lift motor)
In the parallel operation of the meat pieces m, a target rotation amount X of the lift motor 105 is calculated (STEP 8).
First, as shown in FIG. 19, each calculation element is obtained (STEP 9).
That is, the number of parallel pieces _Nm obtained in STEP 7, the cutting thickness setting value D set in STEP 1, the chunk meat vertical width measurement value _Hm obtained in STEP 2, the parallel pitch Pκ calculated in STEP 5, the fixed set lift motor reference rotation amount _XA and constant _Kα , and the number of overlapping parallel pieces Q calculated in STEP 6 are obtained.

Based on this, the correction coefficient α is calculated using the following equation (STEP 10).
α= _Nm ×D× _Hm ×Pκ×Q× _Kα
Then, the correction coefficient α is compared with a correction coefficient threshold value A of the lift motor target rotation amount (STEP 11).
As a result, when it is determined that the correction coefficient threshold value A is greater than the correction coefficient α, the lift motor target rotation amount X is corrected by the following equation (STEP 12).
X = _XA × α
On the other hand, if it is determined that the correction coefficient α is equal to or greater than the correction coefficient threshold value A, the lift motor reference rotation amount _XA is substituted as the lift motor target rotation amount X as shown in the following equation (STEP 13).
X=X _A
Then, the corrected lift motor target rotation amount X is output from the controller 200 to the lift motor driver 226 (STEP 14).

As a result, the rising end position of the conveying surface 5a (the "first set position" in the claims) is automatically corrected.
Then, the meat pieces m are transferred onto the conveying surface 5a which has been raised to the upper end position as described above by the thin rods 82 which swing downward.
In addition, the calculation formula for the correction coefficient α in STEP 10 described above includes the cut thickness setting value D of the meat piece m as an element, so that the position of the ascending end of the conveying surface 5a is automatically corrected in accordance with the cut thickness of the meat piece m.
In addition, the calculation formula for the correction coefficient α in STEP 10 includes the parallel pitch Pκ as an element, so that the position of the ascending end of the conveying surface 5a is automatically corrected in response to changes in the parallel pitch (the "set pitch" in the claims).
In addition, the calculation formula for the correction coefficient α in STEP 10 includes the number of parallel food pieces _Nm as an element, so that the position of the upward end of the conveying surface 5a is automatically corrected according to the number of parallel food pieces (the "set number of food pieces forming an aggregate" in the claims).

In addition, the calculation formula for the correction coefficient α in STEP 10 includes the measured vertical width value _Hm of the chunk of meat as an element, so that the position of the ascending end of the conveying surface 5a is automatically corrected in accordance with the vertical width of the tip of the chunk of meat MF.
As shown in Figure 12, the upward end position of the conveying surface 5a is automatically corrected, so that the distance TS1 between the conveying surface 5a which has reached this upward end position and the thin rod 82 which has swung downward to the downward end position becomes equal to or slightly smaller than the total thickness of the food pieces m existing between the conveying surface 5a and the thin rod 82.
This prevents the thin rod 82 from excessively pressing the upper edge of the meat piece m transferred onto the conveying surface 5a, and makes it difficult for the thin rod 82 to leave a mark on the meat piece m caused by pressing the meat piece m, thereby minimizing the decrease in the commercial value of the meat piece m and the aggregate M.

(Calculation of target rotation amount of lift motor)
In parallel operation of the meat pieces m, the target rotation amount Y of the lifting motor 87M is calculated (STEP 15). Note that STEP 15 to STEP 21 are not executed if the meat pieces m are not folded.
First, as shown in FIG. 20, each calculation element is obtained (STEP 16).
That is, the number of parallel pieces _Nm obtained in STEP 7, the cutting thickness setting value D set in STEP 1, the measured vertical width value _Hm of the chunk of meat obtained in STEP 2, the parallel pitch Pκ calculated in STEP 5, the fixed set reference rotation amount _YB of the lifting motor and a constant _Kβ , and the number of overlapping pieces Q of the parallel meat calculated in STEP 6 are obtained.

Based on this, a correction coefficient β is calculated using the following equation (STEP 17).
β=Nm _× D× _Hm ×Pκ×Q× _Kβ
Then, the correction coefficient β is compared with a correction coefficient threshold value B of the lift motor target rotation amount (STEP 18).
As a result, if it is determined that the correction coefficient threshold value B is greater than the correction coefficient β, the lift motor target rotation amount _YB is corrected by the following equation (STEP 19).
Y = _YB × β
On the other hand, if it is determined that the correction coefficient β is equal to or greater than the correction coefficient threshold value B, the lift motor reference rotation amount _YB is substituted for the lift motor target rotation amount Y as shown in the following equation (STEP 20).
Y = _YB
Then, the corrected lift motor target rotation amount Y is output from the controller 200 to the lift motor driver 224 (STEP 21).

As a result, the lower end position of the pressure rod 88 (the "third set position" in the claims) is automatically corrected.
Then, the pressing rod 88, which has been lowered to this lower end position, presses the upper surface of the upper side of the folded meat piece m transferred onto the conveying surface 5a.
In addition, the formula for the correction coefficient β in STEP 17 described above includes the cut thickness setting value D of the meat piece m as an element, so that the lowering end position of the pressure rod 88 is automatically corrected in accordance with the cut thickness of the meat piece m.
Furthermore, the equation for the correction coefficient β in STEP 17 includes the parallel pitch Pκ as an element, so that the position of the lowering end of the pressure rod 88 is automatically corrected in response to a change in the parallel pitch (the “set pitch” in the claims).
In addition, the number of food pieces in parallel _Nm is included as an element in the calculation formula for the correction coefficient β in STEP 17, so that the position of the lowering end of the pushing rod 88 is automatically corrected according to the number of food pieces in parallel (the "set number of food pieces forming an aggregate" in the claims).

In addition, the calculation formula for the correction coefficient β in STEP 17 includes the measured vertical width _Hm of the chunk of meat as an element, so that the position of the lowering end of the pressing rod 88 is automatically corrected in accordance with the vertical width of the tip of the chunk of meat MF.
As shown in FIG. 12, the downward end position of the pressure rod 88 is automatically corrected, so that the distance TS2 between the upper edge of the thin rod 82 that has swung to the downward swing end position and the lower end of the pressure rod 88 that has descended to the downward end position becomes equal to or slightly smaller than the cutting thickness of the piece of meat m placed on the upper edge of the thin rod 82.
As a result, the upper surface of the upper side of the meat piece m placed on the upper edge of the thin rod 82 is not excessively pressed by the pressing rod 88, and the marks caused by the pressing by the pressing rod 88 are unlikely to remain on the meat piece m, and the decrease in the commercial value of the meat piece m and the aggregate M can be reduced.
In addition, even if the thin rod 82 is moved in a direction to be pulled out from between the folded pieces of meat m while the pressing rod 88 is pressing the upper surface of the upper edge of the piece of meat m on the thin rod 82 with an appropriate force, the piece of meat m is less likely to lose its posture or shift in position due to the thin rod 82.
This reduces the amount of reworking of the assembly M by the worker, thereby improving work efficiency.

(Calculation of target rotation amount of swing motor)
In addition, in the parallel operation of the meat pieces m, a target rotation amount Z of the swing motor 80 is calculated (STEP 22).
First, as shown in FIG. 21, each calculation element is obtained (STEP 23).
That is, the number of parallel pieces _Nm obtained in STEP 7, the cutting thickness setting value D set in STEP 1, the measured vertical width of the chunk of meat _Hm obtained in STEP 2, the parallel pitch Pκ calculated in STEP 5, the fixed reference rotation amount _Zγ and constant _Kγ of the swing motor, and the number of overlapping pieces Q of the parallel meat calculated in STEP 6 are obtained.

Based on this, a correction coefficient γ is calculated using the following equation (STEP 24).
γ=N _m ×D×H _m ×P κ ×Q×K _γ
Then, the correction coefficient threshold value C of the swing motor target rotation amount is compared with this correction coefficient γ (STEP 25).
As a result, when it is determined that the correction coefficient threshold value C of the target rotation amount of the swing motor is greater than the correction coefficient γ, the target rotation amount Z of the swing motor is corrected by the following equation (STEP 26).
Z = _Zγ ×γ
On the other hand, if it is determined that the correction coefficient γ is equal to or greater than the correction coefficient threshold C of the oscillation motor target rotation amount, the oscillation motor reference rotation amount _Zγ is substituted for the oscillation motor target rotation amount Z as shown in the following equation (STEP 27).
Z = _Zγ
Then, the corrected oscillation motor target rotation amount Z is output from the controller 200 to the oscillation motor driver 222 (STEP 28).

As a result, the downward swing end position of the thin rod 82 (the "second set position" in the claims) is automatically corrected.
Then, the meat piece m is transferred onto the conveying surface 5a which has risen to the uppermost position by the thin rod 82 which has swung to the lowermost position.
In addition, the formula for the correction coefficient γ in STEP 23 described above includes the cut thickness setting value D of the meat piece m as an element, so that the downward swing end position of the thin rod 82 is automatically corrected in accordance with the cut thickness of the meat piece m.
Furthermore, the parallel pitch Pκ is included as an element in the calculation formula for the correction coefficient γ in STEP 23, so that the downward swing end position of the thin rod 82 is automatically corrected in response to changes in the parallel pitch (the “set pitch” in the claims).
In addition, the number of parallel food pieces _Nm is included as an element in the calculation formula for the correction coefficient γ in STEP 23, so that the downward swing end position of the thin rod 82 is automatically corrected according to the number of parallel food pieces (the "set number of food pieces forming an aggregate" in the claims).

In addition, the formula for the correction coefficient γ in STEP 23 includes the measured vertical width of the chunk of meat _Hm as an element, so that the downward swing end position of the thin rod 82 is automatically corrected in accordance with the vertical width of the tip of the chunk of meat MF.
As shown in Figure 12, the downward swing end position of the thin rod 82 is automatically corrected, so that the distance TS1 between the conveying surface 5a which has reached the upward swing end position and the thin rod 82 which has swung to the downward swing end position becomes equal to or slightly smaller than the total thickness of the meat pieces m existing between the conveying surface 5a and the thin rod 82.
This prevents the thin rod 82 from excessively pressing the pieces of meat m transferred onto the conveying surface 5a, and makes it difficult for the thin rod 82 to leave marks on the pieces of meat m caused by pressing the pieces of meat m, thereby minimizing the decrease in the commercial value of the pieces of meat m and the aggregates M.
In this manner, the cutting operation and the parallel operation are repeated (STEP 29), and the process ends when the number of parallel sheets _Nm coincides with the corrected number of parallel sheets Nκ (STEP 30).
As a result, a mass M of meat pieces m is formed on the conveying surface 5a.

As described above, in this embodiment, it is possible to perform three types of automatic correction: automatic correction of the ascending end position of the conveying surface 5a (the "first set position" in the claims), automatic correction of the descending end position of the pressure rod 88 (the "third set position" in the claims), and automatic correction of the descending swing end position of the thin rod 82 (the "second set position" in the claims).
However, it is not essential to execute all three types of automatic correction; it is also possible to execute only two or one of the automatic corrections, or to be able to arbitrarily select the automatic corrections to be executed.

(Formation of spacing between aggregates)
In forming the above-mentioned aggregate M, the number of sheets transferred and arranged in parallel on the conveying surface 5a is determined by the number of reciprocating rotations of the rod-shaped body rotation angle detection potentiometer 212.
Then, when the number of sheets arranged in parallel coincides with the above-mentioned number of sheets arranged in parallel Nκ, the process shifts to calculation of the conveyor movement amount for forming the gap between the assemblies.
The conveyor movement amount P for forming the gap between the assemblies is calculated from the effective conveying length (effective conveyor length) E of the endless belt 96, the parallel length setting value L, and the number of assemblies R by the following formula:
P = (E-L x R) / (R-1)
This conveyor movement amount P is the distance between adjacent aggregates M, M, and is measured by a conveyor movement distance measuring sensor 215.
In this manner, the aggregates M are intermittently formed on the endless belt 96 at intervals P between adjacent aggregates, and are transported.

(Convergence of the aggregate weight)
22 and 23 show examples of the state of the aggregate M of meat pieces m thus formed.
In this example, an assembly M1 formed by arranging five pieces of meat m in a row so that at least a portion of them overlap, an assembly M2 formed by similarly arranging six pieces of meat m in a row, and an assembly M3 formed by similarly arranging seven pieces of meat m in a row are shown side by side.
However, this is used for the convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not limited to the aggregates M having different numbers of meat pieces being present on the same endless belt 96.
Thus, the assembly M1 is formed by arranging five pieces of meat m1, each having a length (height) H1, in parallel at a pitch P1 to form an assembly of total length L.
The assembly M2 is formed by arranging six pieces of meat m2, each of which is shorter than the meat pieces m1, in parallel at a pitch shorter than P1 to form an assembly of total length L.
The assembly M3 is formed by arranging seven pieces of meat m3, each of which is shorter than the meat pieces m2, in parallel at a pitch shorter than that of the assembly M2, to form an assembly of total length L.

In this way, by changing the number of pieces arranged in parallel and the pitch according to the height of the meat pieces m, the total length and weight of the assembly M of meat pieces (food pieces m) can be made uniform.
That is, as shown in FIG. 24, the chunk of meat MF usually has a predetermined length, the height V1 of its front end and the height V2 of its rear end are different, and the height also changes irregularly from the front end to the rear end.
For this reason, when cutting (slicing) meat at a constant thickness in the vertical direction, pieces of meat that are formed have different heights depending on the part that is cut, and the weight of these cut pieces of meat is also not uniform.
In response to this, by controlling the number of parallel pieces in addition to controlling the parallel pitch as described above, it is possible to reduce the variation in the total weight of each aggregate M, for example by bringing the total weight of the aggregate M relative to the height (thickness) of the meat chunk MF closer to within the variation range W, as shown in Figure 25.

(Scope of application)
Although this embodiment relates to a slicer for cutting raw meat, the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to cutting devices for other foods such as processed meat, fish, cheese, and vegetables.

1. Slicer (food cutting device)
5a Conveying surface 82 Thin rod (swinging member)
88 Pressing rod (pressing member)
200 Controller (control means)
MF Chunk meat (chunk food)
m Meat pieces (food pieces)
M aggregate Pκ parallel pitch (set pitch)
TS1: Distance between the conveying surface that has risen to the first set position and the thin rod (swinging member) that has swung down to the second set position TS2: Distance between the upper edge of the thin rod (swinging member) that has swung down to the second set position and the third set position

Claims (14)

A food cutting device that cuts a block of food into a set thickness from its tip, sequentially transfers a set number of cut food pieces (m) onto a conveying surface (5a) while shifting them at a set pitch (Pκ) so that some of the food pieces overlap each other, and forms an assembly (M) of a plurality of food pieces (m) on the conveying surface (5a). The conveying surface (5a) is configured to be freely raised and lowered, and is provided with a swinging member (82) that swings downward while supporting the cut food pieces (m), and the food pieces (m) supported by the swinging member (82) are moved along the conveying surface (5a). The food pieces (m) are transferred onto the conveying surface (5a) by the lifting of the oscillating member (82) to a first set position and the oscillating member (82) swinging downward to a second set position, and a control means (200) is provided to automatically correct the first set position so that the distance (TS1) between the conveying surface (5a) that has been lifted to the first set position and the oscillating member (82) that has been oscillated downward to the second set position is equal to or slightly smaller than the total thickness of the food pieces (m) present between the conveying surface (5a) and the oscillating member (82). The food cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the first set position is automatically corrected according to the cutting thickness of the food piece (m). The food cutting device according to claim 2, configured so that the first set position is automatically corrected in response to changes in the set pitch (Pκ). The food cutting device according to claim 3, wherein the first set position is automatically corrected according to the set number of food pieces (m) that form the assembly (M). The food cutting device according to claim 4, wherein the first set position is automatically corrected according to the vertical width of the tip of the block of food. The tip of the swinging member (82) supports the middle part of the vertical width of the food piece (m), and both ends of the food piece (m) hang down by their own weight to form a food piece (m) folded in half that spans one side and the other side of the swinging member (82) from the tip of the swinging member (82), and the folded food piece (m) is transferred onto the conveying surface (5a) by rising to a first set position of the conveying surface (5a) and swinging the swinging member (82) downward to a second set position. A third set position presses the upper surface of the folded food piece (m) transferred onto the conveying surface (5a), and a fourth set position presses the upper surface of the folded food piece (m) from the upper surface of the food piece (m). The food cutting device according to claim 1 is provided with a pressing member (88) that rises and falls between the first and second positions, and the second position, and the third position is automatically corrected so that the distance (TS2) between the top edge of the rocking member (82) that has been rocked down to the second position and the third position is equal to or slightly smaller than the cutting thickness of the food piece (m) placed on the top edge of the rocking member (82). The food cutting device according to claim 6, wherein the third set position is automatically corrected according to the cutting thickness of the food piece (m). The food cutting device according to claim 7, configured so that the third set position is automatically corrected in response to changes in the set pitch (Pκ). The food cutting device according to claim 8, wherein the third set position is automatically corrected according to the set number of food pieces (m) that form the assembly (M). The food cutting device according to claim 9, wherein the third set position is automatically corrected according to the vertical width of the tip of the block of food. The food cutting device according to claim 1 or claim 6, in which the second set position is automatically corrected according to the cutting thickness of the food piece (m). The food cutting device according to claim 11, configured so that the second set position is automatically corrected in response to changes in the set pitch (Pκ). The food cutting device according to claim 12, configured so that the second set position is automatically corrected according to the set number of food pieces (m) that form the assembly (M). 14. The food cutting device according to claim 13, wherein the second set position is automatically corrected in accordance with the vertical width of the leading end of the block of food.

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