US1973526A

US1973526A - Slicing apparatus and method

Info

Publication number: US1973526A
Application number: US600582A
Authority: US
Inventors: James J Diamond; Tinsman Harry; Scott James
Original assignee: Ward Baking Co
Current assignee: Ward Baking Co
Priority date: 1932-03-23
Filing date: 1932-03-23
Publication date: 1934-09-11
Anticipated expiration: 1951-09-11

Description

Sept. ll, 1934.y J. J. DIAMOND ET AL 1,973,526

SLICING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed uarc'h 25, 1932 '4 sheets-sheet 1 NN nu .vm Fm. .vOOOCCOKOOQ OOG. O ,0, G

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Sept, 11,11934. 1 1 D|AMOND Er AL 1,973,526

SLICING APPARATUS AND METHOD l Filed March 25, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .wlanulmmrmn.

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J. J. DIAMOND ET AL SLICING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed March 23. 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 %'1 NVENToRs ATTOR N EY Sept 1l, 1934 J. J. DIAMOND Er AL 1,973,526

SLICING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed March 25, 1932 4 sheets-sheetl 4' .v/ INVENToRs 1A/15s d D/Amwa -l HARRY T/Msm/v JAM/ss scoTT Patented Slept. 411, 1934 SLICING APPARATUS AND METHOD James J. Diamond, 'New Rochelle, N. Y., and Harry Tinsman and` James Scott,y Detroit, Mich., assignors to Ward Baking Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 23,

10 Claims.

This invention relates to slicing machines adapted to cut food products and the like into slices of appropriate thickness and to a new method of slicing such products. It is particularly suited to the cutting of bread, cake or the like into slices of uniform thickness, although it is capable of adaptation to a variety of other uses.

Aiconsiderable demand has recently grown up for pre-sliced bread directly available for the making of sandwiches and-toast. 4This has necessitated the development of complicated machinery to be used bylarge bakeries for the purpose of slicing and packaging thousands of loaves daily. lHeretofore the slicing machines employedhave included a series of parallel, rotating blades each adapted to cut only a single slice from a loaf of' bread. The number of blades required has depended upon the number of slices to be cut from a single loaf. The cutters and loaf have been given 20 a relative movement transversely of the axes of the cutters. I'his has necessitated the provision of reciprocating parts with the result that the cutting operation has been intermittent and the speed attainable has been limited.

It has been a primary object of the present invention to simplify the construction of a slicing machine and speed up its operation to the point of cutting a great many more slices in a given time interval than has been possible heretofore. A feature of the invention is the provision of only a single blade or cutter to perform the entire slicing operation upon successive loaves. The employment of reciprocating parts to provide for the feed between the cutter and work has been eliminated and the cutting operation is made substantially continuous. 'I'he loaves are fedin a direction parallel with the axisV of rotation of the cutter and vthey are advanced continuously past the cutter.

More specifically the invention contemplates the provision of a helical or spiral cutter having a lead equal to the thickness of the slices to be cut. The arrangement is such that when the cutter once enters the loaf at one lend it is never completely withdrawn until the entire loaf has been sliced. Furthermore, the cutting edge of the blade is so formed and arranged that a uniform cutting pressure is maintained atrgall times. 'Ihe cutter may be readily varied to cut slices of different thicknesses.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the detailed description of an illustrative form of the same which will now be given in commotion with the accompanying drawings in which:

1932, Serial No. 600,582

Fig. 1 is a side elevation vof an illustrative machine with parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation through the machine along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail View in vertical section of a portion of the cutter and cooperating parts.

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged detail views of a portion of the cutter showing its adaptability to cut slices of different thickness.

Fig. 7 is a perspective detail view of a portion of the feeding devices.

Fig. 8 is a rear face view of the cutter. and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view through the edge of the cutter, taken along the line 9--9 of Figure 8.

Referring now to the drawings, the illustrative machine may be provided with any suitable form of supporting framework 10 having legs or pedestals extending to the floor o r any suitable foundation. The cutter is designated generally by the reference character 11 and is mounted to rotate with a shaft 12 carried by suitable bearings in a portion of the frame. A motor 13 is arranged to drive the cutter through suitable connections which may include sprockets 14 and 15 mounted on the motor shaft andshaft 12, re-

spectively, and a connecting chain 16. Assuming that the machine is designed to slice loaves of bread 17, these may be suitably carried by supports 18, attached to the frame, along whic'h the loaves are adapted to slide as they are confined between

guide walls

19 and 20. The wall 19 is preferably xed but in order to adapt the machine to accommodate loaves of different widths, the guide 20 is preferably made adjustable. For this purpose it may be provided with a number of extensions 2l adapted to rest upon portions of the framel l0 and provided with elongated slots to receive clamping bolts 22. The guide 20 should be adjusted to a position in which the loaves are permitted to slide freely but are held against undue, lateral movement.

For the purpose of feeding the loaves along the supports 18, a series of pushers or feeding elements 23 may be provided at spaced intervals on a chain 24. This chain is supported at its right end by means of a sprocket 25 and at its left end by a sprocket 26 secured to a shaft 27. The upper course of the chain is preferably also supported intermediate the sprockets in any suitable way, not shown, so as to prevent sagging. 'Ihe shaft 27 is'adapted to be rotated in synchronism with the rotation of the cutter through connections including awormwheel 28 secured to the shaft 27, a worm- 29 carried by a shaft 30, a sprocket 31 secured to shaft 30 and a chain 32 connecting this sprocket with a sprocket 33 secured to the shaft 12. It will be apparent that through these connections the pushers or feeding elements 23 will be advanced in a definite relation to the rotation of the cutter 11.

In normal use the slicing machine will generally be employed in conjunction with a wrapping machine. For this purpose the two machines should beso interrelated that the sliced loaves will be delivered in proper relation to the receiving end of the wrapping machine. The pushers 23, therefore, are adapted to continue to advance'the loaves until they are` properly positioned to be transferred to the wrapping machine. While the chain 24 is advanced continuously in the manner explained, a slight pause is necessary in the advance of a sliced loaf in order to allow sufficient time to effect the transfer mentioned. For thisreason, and for the further reason that it would be objectionable to have the pushers 23 actively continue to advance the bread while the pushers are being swung around the sprocket 26, it is desirable to provide for the disablement o f the pushers at a predetermined point in the courseI of their travel. Furthermore, in

order that the machine may present loaves of different lengths at the most appropriate point to be handled by the transfer mechanism, it is desirable that the point at which the pushers are disabled should be variable. For this purpose each pusher may be provided with a rearwardly extending arm 34, secured to a pintle 341 by which the pusher is secured to the chain. The arm is provided with a roller or rounded end adapted to cooperate with a guide 35 mounted beneath the supports 18. 'I'he guide 35 is adjustable with respect to the supporting frame. So long as the arm 34 engages this guide, the pusher 23 will be prevented from rocking rearwardly. However, when the end or shoulder 351 of the guide is reached, the pusher is permitted to rock .idly backwardly and will no longer advance the loaf of bread.` By adjusting the guide 35, the point at which the pushers may be disabled maybe varied to suit the wrapping machine and to take care of loaves of different lengths. The pushers 23 are preferably spaced at approximately 20 inch intervals along the chain so that loaves of maximum length may be conveniently placed between successive pushers with a suitable clearance at the forward ends of the loaves to allow time for the transfer in the manner explained. The maximum length of a loaf of bread now being sold in sliced form is 16 inches, thus with the pushers spaced 20 inches apart a clearance of 4 inches, which is more than adequate, is insured. Obviously the distance between the pushers may be varied, if desired, to take care of loaves of different lengths. l v

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 8, the details of construction of a preferred form of cutter may be noted. The cutter may comprise a blade 36 formed of good cutting steel of suitable thickness, say for example, .085 of, an inch thick. This blade is provided with an opening 37 at its center and is adapted to be sprung apart to provide a helically arranged cutting edge. For this purpose the blade is adapted to fit the outer face of a supporting member 38 secured to the shaft 12. The face of this member is of such form as to provide a helical edge having a pitch or lead indicated by the line 39 (Fig. 5). Therefore.

when the blade is secured to the supporting member by means of bolts 40, or the like, the edge of the blade will assume a helical form having a. lead equal to the length of line 39. This line represents the thickness of the slice of bread which is cut upon each revolution of the' cutter. Should it be desired to vary the thickness of the slice, the blade may simply be clamped to a supporting member 381 having a different cam face with ailead 391, as shown in Fig. 6. The opening 37 at the center of the blade permits its free ends to be quite readily sprung apart. As viewed from the front or back face, the cutter is provided with a serrated edge 41 of spiral form (Figs. 3 and 8). Thus, the radius of the blade gradually increases fromv its smallest point 42 to its maximum at 421. The form of the spiral is such that the cutting pressure will be uniform throughout the rotation of the blade. For this purpose the increase in the radius of the blade is made uniform for equal, angular distances. Thus, while the length of the edge over an arc of, say, 30, will vary from the shorter radius to the longer radius, the form of the spiral is such that the increase in radius will be the same for each 30 in crement. Therefore, while the linear speed of different points at the edge of the cutter may vary, the cutting pressure which is determined by the outward movement of the edge from the shorter to the longer radius will be uniform.

While the blade, to provide the necessary rigidity, is preferably formed of metal of a thickness of, say, .085 of an inch, it is desirable that the cutting edge of the blade be of less thickness so that it may readily enter the bread. For this purpose the blade is bevelled from the outer edge inwardly to a line 43 (Fig. 8).

edge,-for example only 1/2 inch in. However, at the larger radius the bevel extends inwardly to a greater distance of, say, 3 inches from the edge. This variation in extent of the bevel is necessary to allow for the proper clamping of the blade to its support by means of the bolts 40. The maximum extent of bevel is carried as far around from the larger to the smaller radius of the blade as is permitted by these bolts. In order to simplify thesharpening of the blade, it is preferably cut-in to a certain extent, as indicated at 44, at the base of each depression in the serration.

Referring to Figure 2, it will be noted that the guide wall 19 must be broken away at a point adjacent the cutter in order to permit free passage of the blade. 'I'he extent to which the guide wall is cut away must be slightly in excess of the helical lead provided on the blade. In order that the bread may be given lateral support during the cutting operation, at which time such support is most essential, a movable guide wall is provided in the gap formed in the fixed guide 19. The movable guide wall is then advanced at the same rate as the cutting edge of the blade, as determined by the speed of rotation and the helical lead of the blade. For this purpose there is provided a drum or cage 45 having alternate .series of slots and upstanding guide fingers 46.

The slots between these fingers should be slight- At the shorter' `radius of the cutter this line is much nearer the ly in excess of the thickness of the blade and the pushers 23.

is rotated in synchronism with the rotation of the blade and in synchronism with the .advance of the pushers 23. Assuming, now, that the blade 36 is provided with a 1/2 inch lead so as to cut slices of 1/2 inch thickness, the center lines of the fingers 46 should also be spaced at 1/2 inch intervals. In an arrangement in which the pushers 23 are spaced 20 inches apart on the chain,

as previously suggested, the drum may conveniently be provided with sixty fingers, the circumference of the drum then being thirty inches. This provides the drum with an adequate diameter so that there is no danger of the blade, even at its longest radius, extending completely across the drum so as to iit into spaces between fingers at diametrically opposite points. The guide wall 20 is also provided with an opening 201 which may conveniently taper from a width of say 3A of an inch at the top to about a quarter of an inch at the bottom. This will permit the different sections of the blade to enter freely but at the same time will lend some support to the advancing bread. A cage similar to the cage might be provided but this is considered unnecessar`y in view of the fact that the bladetends to press the bread toward the wall 19. The supporting rails 18 are similarly provided with a transverse slot to permit the long radius portion of the blade to pass through. This slot need only be a little more than the thickness of the blade since the helicallead of the portion of the blade which will reach into the slot is only slight.

The operation of the device describedin detail in the foregoing sections may be briefly outlined as follows: The motor 13 is set into operation to drive the cutter 11, the chain 24 and the drum 45 at suitable synchronized speeds. of bread are successively inserted between the

guides

19 and 20 in a position to be engaged by 4The loaves are then advanced into the path of the rotating cutter which introduces the portion .of its edge of smaller radius into the forward end of the loaf. Upon continued rotation of the blade it gradually sinks deeper and deeper into the loaf due to the increase in the radius of the blade. At the same time the loaf is advanced both' by the action of the blade and by the action of the pusher to offset the displacement of the edge of the blade to the extent of its helical lead. When the loaf has been cut through to the bottom upon passage of the portion of longest radius of the blade through the loaf, a second bite will be taken by the portion of shortest radius at a point just the thickness l of a slice of bread from the original cut.l This action will continue throughout the length of the loaf. As the loaf advances past thel cutter the vcage 45 will rotate to provide a continuously advancing guide wall at the side oi the loaf, in the manner explained. When the end of the loaf is reached, it will be necessary to carry'the pusher 23 past the path of the blade. This, however, is

readily accomplished due to the fact that the pusher may be of considerably less thickness thana slice of bread, say between and M; of

Loaves ment. I'he net result ofl this arrangement will be that the last slice at the end of the loaf adjacent the pusher will be less than the normal `thickness bythe thickness 0f the pusher plus a reasonable clearance. While an illustrative form of the invention has been disclosed in considerable detail, it will be understood that its features may be embodied in structures of considerably varying forms and adapted for a variety of diierent purposes. In the slicing of some products and even in the slicing of bread, if the machine is not associated with a wrapping machine, the articles may be fed in a continuously advancing stream without the intermediate pushers and gaps between the articles. The articles in advance of the cutter may be fed by any suitable gripping means while the cutter itself will continue the feeding. While a special motor has been disclosed as provided for the slicing machine, it will be understood that if the machine is coupled with a wrapping machine, this motor may be eliminated and the drive may be taken from a' suitable operating part of the wrapping machine. Numerous other changes will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art.

What we claim is:

1. A slicing machine comprising a rotatable cutter having a helical cutting edge, parallel guide l -members adapted to engage the articles, said pushers being of less thickness than the helical lead of the cutter and being advanced through the path ofthe cutter, and common means for driving said rotating means and said advancing means in synchronous relation.

2. A slicing machine comprising a rotatable cutter having a helical cutting edge', means f or continuously rotating said cutter, means for coninuously advancing articles to be sliced past said cutting edge, a stationary guide wall for supporting and guiding one side of the article as it is advanced, said wall being broken away adjacent said cutter, the construction and arrangement being such that the cutter extends substantially continuously through said broken-away portion of the guide wall, and a movable guide adapted to bridge the broken-away portion of said guide wall, said movable guide being shifted with the articles. l

3. A slicing machine comprising a rotatable cutter having a helical cutting edge, means for continuously rotating said cutter, means for continuously advancing articles to be sliced past said rio anotherside of the articles, said means having a slot permitting passage of the cutter therethrough, said guide being shifted with the articles -at the speedof the axial advance of the cutting edge.

4. A slicing machine comprising a rotatable cutter having a helical cutting edge of increasing radius from end to end-means for continuously rotating said cutter, means for continuously advancing articles to be sliced 'past said cutting edge, a movable guide adjacent the cutter apertured to permit the passage of the cutter therethrough, the aperture insaid guide being traversed by substantially the entire cutting edge,

said drum being arranged to guide the articles as they are sliced, and means for rotating said drum in unison with the advance of said articles.

6. In a machine of the class described a cutter having a helical cutting edge of increasing radius from end to end, a guideway extending across the path of said cutter providing support for two adjacent sides of an article to be sliced, -means extending through the support for one of said sides for advancing the article, said cutter and guideway being so constructed and arranged in l reation to each other as to cause said cutter to cut completely through said article, movable means forming a portion of one side of said guideway Where the cutter intersects the guideway, and operating means for synchronously rotating said cutter, operating said article advancing means, and shifting said movable means.

7. In a machine of the class described a cutter having a helical cutting edge of increasing radius, guide means having portions arranged at substantially right angles, said means extending across the path of said cutter and serving to support and guide articles to be sliced, means associated with one of said portions for advancing the articles through the path of said cutter, means for rotating said cutter in a direction to force the-articles against said guide means portions, sadguide means and cutter being so constructed'and arranged that said cutter will pass completely `through said article, movable means interposed in one of said guide means portions adjacent the cutter and forming a moving guide surface, and means for synchronously operating -said article advancing means and said movable means.

8. In a machine of the class described a helical cutter having a cutting edge of gradually increasing radius, means for rotating the cutter, a stationary support beneath said cutter in a plane parallel with the cutter axis, the portion of said cutting edge of greatest radius passing through the plane of said support, an endless conveyor beneath said support, pusher elements carried by said conveyor and extending above said support to advance articles to be sliced, said elements being of less thickness than the helical lead of said cutter, means for shifting said conveyor in synchronism with the rotation of said cutter, and means associated with said elements for maintaining the same in definite relation to said conveyor over portions of their travel and in freely movable relation to said conveyor at other points.

9. In a machine of the class described a helical cutter having a cutting edge of gradually increasing radius, means for rotating the cutter, a stationary support beneath said' cutter in a plane parallel with the cutter axis, the portion of said cutting edge of greatest radius passing through the plane of said support, an endless conveyor beneath said support, pusher elements carried by said conveyor and extending above said support to advance articles to be sliced, said elements being of less thickness than the helical lead of said cutter, means for shifting said conveyor in synchronism with the rotation of said cutter, and

slotted means shiftable in synchronism with said conveyor for receiving the edge of said cutter and guiding and retaining the side of an article to be sliced.

10. Ina machine of the class described a cutter having a helical cutting edge of increasing radius, guide means having portions arranged at substantially right angles, said means extending across the path of said cutter and serving to support and guide articles to be s iced, means asso-\ ciated with one of said portions for advancing the articles through the path of said cutter, means for rotating said cutter in a direction to force the articles against said guide means portions, said guide means and cutter being so constructed and arranged that said cutter will pass completely through said article, one of said portions of the guide means comprising a movable member having slots to receive the edge of said cutter, and means for moving said member in synchronism with the rotation of said cutter.

JAMES J. DIAMOND. HARRY TINSMAN. JAMES SCO'I'I.