NL1043363A - Peeling machine and method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a peeling method and a corresponding peeling machine for a rod-shaped food product L packaged in a casing, comprising: a cutting station defining a longitudinal direction on which the rod-shaped food product L can be placed in the longitudinal direction; a longitudinal blade 4 oriented longitudinally and movable along a cutting line from one end of the cutting station to the other end of the cutting station so as to cut the casing of a food product L located onto the cutting station; a plurality of grasping means 32 for grasping the casing arranged in the longitudinal direction along the cutting line; and a rolling device 3 on the same side of the cutting line as the grasping means 32, over which the rod-shaped food product L can be rolled out of the casing perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction.

Description

TITLE: Peeling machine and method

The present invention relates to a peeling machine for a rod-shaped food product packaged in a casing according to claim 1 and to a corresponding peeling method according to claim 12.

Rod-shaped food products, especially sausage and cheese products, are packaged in casings for storage and transportation. The casing is often made of plastic and must be removed before consumption or further processing. In large companies of the food industry, this is done by machines, because the manual removal of the casing has significant disadvantages. First of all, this requires the use of a knife, which inevitably entails a risk of injury. Besides, manual processing may damage the rod-shaped food product if cuts are too deep, clumsy cuts may produce small casing shavings that adhere to the rod-shaped food product and may end up in the final product, and direct contact with the food during manual peeling may negatively affect the hygienic quality of the product.

Several methods and machines for removing the casing of a rod-shaped food product can be found in the prior art. DE 10 2011 053 196 B3 describes a peeling machine which, in a first step, cuts both ends of the casing in order to separate a central casing part from two end casing caps. The casing is cut with a knife attached to a pivoting arm. This pivoting arm is driven by a motor and rotated around the food product. In a further step, the central casing part of the casing is cut in the longitudinal direction and the casing is removed with clamping elements seizing the casing and peeling it off the food product.

DE 9104598 U1 discloses a peeling machine which first cuts a rod-shaped food product in the longitudinal direction and then cuts off the tips at the ends of the food product with a pivotable knife. The casing is removed by two automated grasping arms with controllable suction cups, which seize the casing on both sides of the cut during the cut and peei it from the food product.

The prior art thus teaches a method for peeling a rod-shaped food product comprising the following three essential steps:

a) cutting the casing in the end regions to form a central casing part and two end casing caps and removing the casing caps, wherein the end regions of the food product may also be cut off completely at the same time if necessary;

b) longitudinally cutting the casing;

c) seizing and removing the casing with grasping means, wherein steps a) and b) can also be performed in reverse order.

A disadvantage of the known peeling machines is the complicated mechanism for cutting the casing at the ends of the rod-shaped food product (method step a)) and for seizing the casing for removing it from the food product (method step c)).

The object of the present invention is to provide a new method for peeling a food product and to provide a peeling machine for peeling a rod-shaped food product quickly and efficiently in a few simple steps.

This object is achieved by a peeling machine for a rod-shaped food product packaged in a casing according to claim 1 and by a corresponding peeling method according to claim 12. Further features and exemplary embodiments are described the dependent claims.

The core of the invention is the cutting or removal of the casing of the rod-shaped food product, wherein certain method steps are performed by moving the food product within the peeling machine rather than moving the tools of the peeling machine around an immobile food product. This allows a simpler construction of the peeling machine and allows to peel a rod-shaped food product quickly and efficiently with a few simple steps.

Drawings:

Figure 1 Rod-shaped food product and peeling machine, perspective view

Figure 2a Peeling machine with rod-shaped food product on the working station, perspective view

Figure 2b Peeling machine with rod-shaped food product on the working station, side view in section

Figure 2c Peeling machine with rod-shaped food product with two end casing caps and a central casing part, perspective view

Figure 3a Peeling machine with rod-shaped food product on the cutting station, side view in section

Figure 3b Peeling machine with rod-shaped food product during the longitudinal cut, side view in section

Figure 3c Peeling machine with rod-shaped food product at the beginning of the removal of the central casing part, side view in section

Figure 3d Peeling machine with rod-shaped food product at the end of the removal of the central casing part, side view in section

Figure 4 Embodiment of the peeling machine with multipart rollers and sliding carriage

The figures represent possible embodiments, which will be explained in the following description. Since the above-mentioned method steps are essentially independent of one another, any one of them alone or any combination of these steps can be carried out in the peeling method and in the peeiing machine according to the new method described below. The remaining steps may be performed either with a separate apparatus or manually or according to known methods and with known means of the prior art.

Step a): cutting the casing in the end regions of the rod-shaped food product L to form a central casing part Ht and two end casing caps Hk

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the peeiing machine has means for carrying out step a). For this purpose, it is particularly advantageous if the peeling machine has two parallel rollers 1 arranged substantially horizontally, a first roller la and a second roller 1 b, which form an elongated working station of the peeling machine and define a placement direction (Figure 1 ). At the outset of the peeling process, a rod-shaped food product L is placed on the working station in the placement direction parallel to the rollers 1 so as to sit on each roller 1a, 1b and be held stably therebetween (Figures 2a-b ). According to the invention, each roller 1a, 1b is rotatable about its longitudinal axis, enabling the rod-shaped food product L to rotate about its longitudinal axis on the working station on the rollers 1. The axes of the two rollers may lie in a horizontal or inciined plane, provided that the food product L does not spontaneously fall out of this working station.

In each end region of the working station, th © peeiing machine has at least one end blade 2 which is oriented perpendicularly to the placement direction, i.e. the plane in which each end blade 2 is located is perpendicular to the placement direction. The end blades 2 serve to cut the casing in the end regions of the rod5 shaped food product to form a central casing part Ht and two end casing caps Hk. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the end blades 2 are immovably connected to the peeling machine and have a protruding tip which punctures the end regions of the casing as soon as the rod-shaped food product L is placed on the rollers 1 (Figures 1 and 2a-b), After placement onto the working station, the rod10 shaped food product L is rotated on the rollers 1 about its longitudinal axis, so that the casing is cut in both end regions by the end blades 2 in order to form two end casing caps Hk and a central casing part Ht (Figure 2c). In one embodiment of the invention, these end blades 2 cut the entire circumference of the casing, so that the two end casing caps Hk are completely severed from the central casing part Ht. In another embodiment, the periphery of the casing is only cut partially so that the two end casing caps Hk remain connected to the central casing Ht, eg through a narrow strip of casing, allowing the end casing caps Hk and the central casing Ht to be removed simultaneously later on. The rod-shaped food product L is rotated either manually or mechanically, eg by means of a separate drive moving either the rod20 shaped food product L directly or one or both rollers 1. Advantageously, the end blades 2 may be double-edged so that the rod-shaped food product L may be rotated in both directions of rotation. If only the casing is to be removed, it is important that the food product L is damaged as little as possible by the cuts of the end blades 2. So, when cutting the casing in order to form the two end casing caps Hk and the central casing portion Ht, the food product L must be cut as little as possible, the end blades 2 ideally protruding only just enough to cut through the casing (Figure 2b). Alternatively, the end regions of the rod-shaped food product L could be cut off completely in this step. In order to achieve this, the end blades 2 may protrude higher, eg up to half the diameter of the rod-shaped food product L, so that after a complete rotation of the food product L, the end portions are completely severed from the main part of the food product L together with the end casing caps Hk. In another possible embodiment, the end regions of the food product L to be severed are only partially severed by the end blades 2 and remain connected to the main part of the food product L, e.g. through a narrow uncut portion of food product. This way, they cannot fall away immediately and may be removed from the main part Ht of the food product L later on, manually or mechanically.

Step b): longitudinal cut of the casing

In this step, the casing of the rod-shaped food product L is cut over its entire length. For this purpose, the peeling machine has an elongate cutting station defining a longitudinal direction and on which the rod-shaped food product L can be placed in the longitudinal direction. In order to out the casing of the food product L, the peeling machine is provided with a longitudinal blade 4 which is movable manually or mechanically along a cutting line from one end of the cutting station to the other end (Figures 1 and 3b). The longitudinal blade 4 is oriented in the longitudinal direction,

i.e. the plane in which the longitudinal blade 4 is located is parallel to the longitudinal direction, and cuts the casing in the longitudinal direction. For example, the longitudinal blade 4 may be arranged on a holder 5 movable along one or more guides 51 (Figure 3b). Advantageously, the longitudinal blade 4 may be doubleedged so that the casing can be cut in both directions. Thus, the longitudinal blade 4 does not have to be returned to the first position after a cut and before the next cut. Cutting the entire length of the casing in one cut also has the advantage that it avoids generating fine casing shavings which may appear in case the longitudinal blade 4 is not moved back exactly on the same path. It is important that the processed food product L is damaged as little as possible by the peeling. So, when making the longitudinal cut, it is important to cut the food product L as little as possible. For this reason, the longitudinal blade 4 ideally protrudes only just enough to cut the casing only (Figure 3b).

It is important that the rod-shaped food product L is mounted firmly on the cutting station before the longitudinal cut and the casing must be held tight so that it does not rotate or move. In order to achieve this, the cutting station is provided with grasping means 32 arranged in the longitudinal direction along the cutting line, preferably in the immediate vicinity of the cutting line. In the preferred embodiment of the peeling machine, the grasping means 32 are a row of points, needles or nails 32 which are preferably arranged over the entire length of the casing to be cut and which puncture the casing as soon as the rod-shaped food product L is placed onto the cutting station (Figs 3a). Advantageously, the points, needles or nails 32 may project only just enough to puncture the casing without damaging the rod-shaped food product L in the process. With these grasping means 32, the rod-shaped food product L is held firmly in place, so that the longitudinal cut is as clean and straight as possible. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the cutting station comprises an edge 31 oriented in the longitudinal direction and preferably extending over the entire length of the food product L. The grasping means 32 are arranged on this edge 31 so that they puncture the casing of the rod-shaped food product L when it is pressed against the edge 31. Advantageously, the points, needles or nails 32 may be straight, protrude perpendicularly from the edge 31 and puncture the casing perpendicularly (ie radially to the rod-shaped food product L),

In case the peeiing machine is provided with the means described at the beginning of the description for carrying out step a), the rod-shaped food product L is brought from the working station to the cutting station either manually or mechanically, eg by means of a separate drive. Advantageously, the cutting station and the working station are arranged in parallel. This way, the placement direction of the working station and the longitudinal direction of the cutting station are the same and the two stations are arranged in the immediate vicinity of each other, so that moving the rod-shaped food product L from the working station to the cutting station requires only a small and swift movement. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the cutting station is formed by the second roller 1b and the edge 31, Thus, the rod-shaped food product L is displaced or rolled perpendicularly to the placement and longitudinal direction over the second roller 1 b until it sits on the edge 31 (FIG.3a). On the cutting station, the rod-shaped food product L sits on the edge 31 on the one hand and on the second roller 1b on the other hand, and is held stably therebetween.

Step c): removal of the casing by roiling the rod-shaped food product L perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction

After the longitudinal cut, the casing is removed from the rod-shaped food product L. This is done by removing the rod-shaped food product L from the cutting station, while the casing is seized by the described grasping means 32 and held at the cutting station. According to the invention, the rod-shaped food product L is rolled manually or mechanically away from the cutting station perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the cutting station (FIG.3c). At the beginning of this rolling movement, the rod-shaped food product L moves substantially perpendicularly to the grasping means 32, so that the casing gets caught thereon. It should be noted that the casing should not be cut too close to the grasping means 32 by the longitudinal blade 4, because enough casing material must remain between the edge of the casing and the grasping means 32 to avoid that the grasping means 32 tear the edge of the casing. On the other hand, the edge of the casing should not be too far from the grasping means 32 in order to ensure easy detachment of the casing, as it often adheres strongly to the food product L.

Behind the grasping means 32, a rolling device 3 is arranged on the same side of the cutting line as the grasping means 32. For example, the rolling device 3 may be a downwardly inclined rolling plate 3, on which the rod-shaped food product L can roll out of the casing perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction. Advantageously, the food product L rolls down the rolling device 3 spontaneously by gravity. In the preferred embodiment of the invention with the longitudinal edge 31, the edge 31 is the upper edge of the roiling plate 3. To remove the casing, the rodshaped food product L is rolled around and over the edge 31 (Figure 3c), and rolls down the inclined rolling plate 3 as soon as it is brought over the top of the edge 31 (Figure 3d).

At the end of step c), the central casing part Ht is completely removed from the food product L. If the end regions of the rod-shaped food product L have not been cut yet, but only the end casing caps Hk, the remaining end casing caps Hk can now be pulled away manually or mechanically. Since each end casing cap Hk can be easily grasped and only represents a small fraction of the casing, it is easily detached from the rod-shaped food product.

The preceding part of the description indicated the most essential features of the peeling machine and of the corresponding peeling method. The following part of the description discloses further advantageous features and embodiments.

In one embodiment of the invention, steps a) and step b) are performed in reverse order. For this purpose, the longitudinal blade 4 may be arranged between the rollers 1 and movable in the longitudinal direction.

in the embodiment of Figure 1, the two end blades 2 are arranged immovably at opposite ends of the rollers 1. The two end blades 2 therefore have a fixed spacing, so that the peeling machine according to FIG. 1 is oniy suitable for peeling rod-shaped food products L of a certain length. In order to allow the two end casing caps Hk to be cut from the central casing part Ht also with shorter rod-shaped food products L in step a), in a possible embodiment of the peeling machine, at least one end blade 2 is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the rollers 1, which allows adjusting the distance between the two end blades 2. In another possible embodiment of the peeling machine, each roller 1a, 1b consists of at least two parts, wherein at least one part of each roller 1a, 1b is displaceable in the longitudinal direction along an axis 11a resp. 11b (Figure 4). The longitudinally displaceable parts of the rollers 1a, 1b are connected to a carriage 6, which is also slidable along the axes 11a, 11b in the longitudinal direction. One of the end blades 2 is arranged on the carriage 6, at the end of the displaceable parts of the rollers 1 a, 1 b, while another end blade 2 is arranged at the opposite end of the rollers 1. The carriage 6, the end blade 2 fixed thereon and displaceable parts of the rollers 1 can thus be moved in the longitudinal direction to adjust the length of the working station and the distance between the two end blades 2 to the length of the food product L to be peeled.

In an advantageous embodiment of the peeling machine, a plate 7 is provided at each opposite end of the rollers 1, against which the ends of the rod-shaped food product L are placed when it is placed onto the working station (FIG. 2 a ). The plates 7 are used for positioning the rod-shaped food product L in the longitudinal direction, so as to precisely determine the points of incision of the end blades 2 with respect to the 10 ends of the rod-shaped food product L. To displace the points of incision, the distance between the plates 7 and the end blades 2 is adjustable.

In a possible embodiment of the invention, the central casing part Ht is cut on the working station over its entire length before the rod-shaped food product L is 15 brought to the cutting station. For this purpose, the longitudinal blade 4 may be arranged between the rollers 1 and movable in the longitudinal direction.

In the illustrated embodiments of the invention, the rollers extend continuously (Figure 1) or in different parts (Figure 4) over approximately the entire length of the 20 rod-shaped food product L to be peeled. In other possible embodiments of the invention, however, the rollers 1 may be longer or shorter and / or consist of a plurality of smaller aligned wheels arranged along the axes 11a, 11b and which may possibly rotate Independently of each other.

In a possible embodiment of the invention, the edge 31 is curved and the grasping means 32 are arranged on the curved edge 31.

In a possible embodiment of the invention, the grasping means 32 are curved, e.g. hook-shaped points, needles or nails 32 in order to better seize the casing.

The distance between the rollers 1 depends on the diameter of the rod30 shaped food product L and is such that the rod-shaped food product L is held stably on the working station between the rollers 1. The same applies to the distance between the second roller 1b and the edge 31. In possible embodiments of the invention, the distance between the rollers 1 and / or the distance between the second roller 1 b and the edge 31 is adjustable.

In one embodiment of the peeling machine, the end blades 2 and / or the longitudinal blade 4 and / or the grasping means 32 can be immovably connected to the peeling machine and protrude from the working station and / or from the cutting station in order to puncture the rod-shaped food product L. In another embodiment, the end blades 2 and / or the longitudinal blade 4 and / or the grasping means 32 can be extended in and out of the peeling machine and are only moved out when the food product is positioned onto the working station or onto the cutting station.

Claims (3)

CONCLUSIONS Peeling machine for a rod-shaped food product (L) wrapped in an envelope, with: ~ a cutting station that defines a longitudinal direction and on which the bar-shaped food product (L) can be placed in a longitudinal direction - a longitudinal knife (4), which is oriented longitudinally and movable along a cutting line from one end of the cutting station to the other end, to cut open the casing of a food product (L) located at the cutting station through - a plurality of gripping means (32) for gripping the casing, which are arranged in the longitudinal direction along the cutting line; and - a rolling device (3) on the same side of the cutting line as the gripping means (32), via which the rod-shaped food product (L) can be rolled out of the envelope at right angles to the longitudinal direction. Peeling machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the gripping means (32) are immovably connected to the peeling machine or can be moved in and out of the peeling machine. Peeling machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripping means (32) are a series of tips, needles or nails which pierce the casing. Peeling machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rolling device (3) is a downwardly inclined opioid plate, on which the rod-shaped food product (L) rolls downwards to remove the casing due to gravity. Peeling machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by an elongated workstation, which defines a loading direction and is provided in each end region with an end knife (2) oriented at right angles to the loading direction. Peeling machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the workstation is formed by two parallel rotatable rollers (1a, 1b), on which the food product (L) can be placed in the loading direction, parallel to the rollers (1a, 1b) and rotatable about its longitudinal axis, so that the casing is cut open in the end areas by the end cutters (2). Peeling machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, 10 characterized in that the cutting station comprises an edge (31) which is oriented in the longitudinal direction and on which the gripping means (32) are arranged such that they penetrate the casing of the rod-shaped food product (L) as soon as it touches the edge ( 31) is pressed. Peeling machine according to claims 6 and 7, characterized in that the cutting station is formed by the edge (31) and the second roller (1b), and that they are parallel, so that the food product (L) on the cutting station on the one hand lies on the edge (31) and on the other side lies on the second roller (1 b) and is kept stable between them. Peeling machine according to claim 8, characterized in that The longitudinal knife (4) is arranged between the second roller (1b) and the edge (31). Peeling machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the longitudinal knife (4) protrudes only enough to cut the casing without damaging the rod-shaped food product (L). A peeling machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the end blades (2) protrude only so far to cut the casing without damaging the rod-shaped food product (L). A method for peeling a rod-shaped food product (L) packed in an envelope, comprising the following method steps: 1) fixing the food product (L) on a cutting station using gripping means (32) holding the casing, 2) longitudinally cutting open the casing over the entire length of the food product (L); 3) removing the casing by a rolling movement of the rod-shaped food product (L) at right angles to the longitudinal direction. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that the gripping means (32) are a series of tips, needles or nails which pierce the casing as soon as the rod-shaped food product (L) is introduced into the cutting station. Method according to one or more of claims 12 to 13, characterized in that the rolling movement of the food product (L) takes place on an inclined run-off plate (3) based on gravity. Method according to one or more of Claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the food product (L) is rotated about its longitudinal axis prior to the rolling movement, and the casing thereby and by means of two end knives (2) is turned cut open, that a central casing part (Ht) and two end-casing caps (Hk) are formed.