US2854045A - Cutter knife having micro-adjusting means - Google Patents

Description

Sept. so, 1958 Filed July 15. 1954 w. c. SCHMIDT ET AL 2,854,045

CUTTER KNIFE HAVING MICRO-ADJUSTING MEANS s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS WILLIAM C. SCHMIDT BYCLIFFORD J. PIGKENS,SR.

P 1958 w. c. SCHMIDT ETAL 2,854,045

CUTTER KNIFE HAVING MICRO-ADJUSTING MEANS Filed July 15, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS WILLIAM G. SGHMID WM- ATOR..

BYQLIFF'ORD J. PICKENS,SR.

p 1958 w; c. SCHM-IDT ET AL 2,854,045

CUTTER KNIFE HAVING MICRO-ADJUSTING MEANS Filed July 15, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS WILLIAM C. SCHMIDT CLIFFORD J. PIGKENS,SR.

United States Patent CUTTER KNIFE HAVING MICRO-ADJUSTING lVIEANS William C. Schmidt, Indian Hill, and Clifford J. Pickens,

Sr., Cheviot, Ohio, assignors to The Cincinnati Butchers Supply Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 15, 1954, Serial No. 443,626

8 Claims. (Cl. 146106) This invention relates to cutter knives, and more particularly to knives of the type used in commercial meat cutting, chopping and mixing machines.

An object of the invention is to provide interchangeable cutter knives for meat cutting machines, wherein the individual knives are adjustably mounted for radial movement relative to the knife carrying shaft by means of a radially shiftable intermediate member which interconnects the hub of a knife to a shaft-engaging spacer sleeve.

Another object of the invention is to provide a knife assembly which may be associated with the cutter shaft of existing cutting machines. In other words, the cutter knife assembly is adapted to replace existing knife assemblies, without requiring replacement or rebuilding of the machine or replacement of the knife-carrying shaft thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cutter knife assembly having the hereinabove described characteristics and which includes means by which the individual knives are positively and securely though releasably anchored relative to the knife carrying shaft whereby to preclude accidental or unintentional disengagement of a cutter knife from the shaft incident to operation of the machines.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cutter knife assembly which includes means for enabling an operator to easily and accurately effect radial adjustment of the individual knives relative to their common supporting shaft by utilizing only a screw driver for turning the indexing member by which a knife is connected, through an intermediate element, with a shaft-engaging sleeve.

These and other objects may be attained by the means described herein and as disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an end view of a cutter shaftof a typical meat cutting machine provided. with a plurality of knives embodying the teachings of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the cutter assembly of Fig. 1 with parts cut away to reveal certain structural details.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 but showing only knife P.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the knife after having been radially shifted outwardly relative to the shaft.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an end view illustrating only one knife, embodying the teachings of the present invention, associated with a blade-carrying shaft showing the knife in fully advanced position in solid outline and in retracted position in broken outline.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating a modified form of blade adjusting means.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 illustrating the relationship of parts after the knife has been radially shifted outwardly relative to the shaft.

Commercial meat cutting, chopping and mixing machines are quite old in the art, as evidenced by the ice 2 Van Hooydonk United States Patent No. 1,980,304. Cutter knives for such machines are likewise Well known, as evidenced by the United States Patents to Gabriel No. 2,081,807; Stock No. 2,149,193, and W. C. Schmidt No..2,635,663.

The present invention is primarily directed to a cutter knife which may be adjusted relative to its supporting shaft and then retainedin adjusted position while the other knives are being adjusted and while the knives are free from compressive axial forces. Heretofore the matter of individually adjusting a plurality of knives has presented quite a tricky problem, since compressive axial forces were utilized to hold the blades in adjusted position as well as to hold the knives, per se, on the shaft. The present invention provides simple yet highly effective means for literally obtaining micro-adjustment of the individual knives and of maintaining such adjustment while the individual blades are anchored to their supporting shaft by compressive axial forces.

With reference now to Figs. 1 and 6, the numeral 10 denotes diagrammatically the contour of a rotatable bowllike trough in which the products to be cut by the knife assembly are disposed.

At the outset it should be understood that the present invention is neither directed to nor concerned with the particular type of trough 10 nor with the means by which it is mounted, nor is the invention concerned with the structural details of the driving mechanism for the knifecarrying shaft 12.

As best illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, each knife comprises a hub portion 14 from which blades 16 and 18 diverge, hub 14 being provided with an open ended,

radially extending slot 20 having side edges 211, and the axis of which bisects the axes of blades 16 and 18.

In Fig. 1 the blades include leading, trailing and outer ends 22, 24 and 26, respectively, which are suitably sharpened whereby to provide keen cutting, edges.

Shaft 12 is provided with a plurality of sets of flats, each set of which comprises and is defined by a pair of spaced parallel faces 28 provided in opposite sides of the shaft, it being understood that one set of flats is provided for each knife to be mounted on shaft 12. The axis of each pair of flats is disposed at an angle with reference to the other sets of flats for effecting a desired arrangement of blades with respect to the shaft.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention hub 14 of each knife includes and is defined by a pair of flat and unobstructed side faces, one face of which is provided with one or more sockets 30 disposed in axial alignment with slot 20 and beyond its closed end 21. The sockets may, if desired, comprise a hole which extends completely through the hub between its opposite side faces, note Fig. 5.

A spacer element 40- is provided with a smooth axial bore 42 dimensioned to snugly though slidably engage shaft 12 one spacer element being provided for each of the knives, said spacers being located between adjacent knives, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

Each spacer element 40 comprises a body portion having flat and unobstructed, parallel side faces, one of which is provided with a radially extending open-ended slot or guideway 46.

An intermediate element or pin carrying member. 50 dimensioned to slidably engage the guideway 46 of a spacer element is provided with pins 52 which extend through slot 46 and beyond the side face of thespacer element. Pins 52 are snugly receivable within sockets 3.0 of knife-hub 14 for thereby securely though releasably anchoring a knife hub to an intermediate element.

An elongate indexing member 54 is rotatably mounted relative to a spacer element and fixed against end'wise ax ial movement therewith by means of an enlargedheaded portion 56 receivable in key-slot 58 provided in the spacer and in axial alignment with guideway 46. The body portion of member 54 is threaded whereby to engage and extend. entirely through threaded bore 55 of intermediate element 50. Suitable means such as, by way of example, a slot 59, may be provided in the free outer end of the indexing member for enabling an operator to turn it by means of a screw driver, the blade of which is receivable in slot 59.

It will be noted that axial movement will be imparted to intermediate element 50 incident to turning indexing member 54, and that movement of the intermediate element will be translated to movement of a knife hub axially of its slot 20.

With reference now to Figs. 7-9, it will be noted that the knife adjusting means is contained wholly within spacer element 70, which is provided with a smooth axial bore 72 dimensioned to snugly though slidably engage shaft 12, and flat and unobstructed side faces 74.

A radially extending bore 76 is provided having a bottom or end wall 78, side Walls 80, and open at its upper or outer end. An elongate slot 82 is provided in one of the axial faces 74 for slidably receiving pin 84 secured to, carried by and projecting from follower nut 86 which threadably engages an elongate threaded indexing member 88rotatably mounted within the bore. The lower end of member 88 may terminate in a cylindrical portion 90 of reduced diameter receivable in socket portion 92. The upper end of member 88 may likewise terminate in a cylindrical portion 94 which is rotatably journaled in end plug 98 which threadably engages the inner walls of the bore, as illustrated.

The outer end of cylindrical portion 94 may be provided with a slot 100 dimensioned to receive the blade of a screw driver.

Pin 84 is receivable within socket 30 of a knife which will be shifted toward or away from the shaft 12 incident to turning of the indexing member.

With reference now to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that the illustrated assembly includes five knives, the respective blades of which have been designated by the letters P, Q, R, S, and T, respectively. Slot 20 of knife T is receivable over the rearmost set of flats for disposing the rear face of the knife in abutting relationship with boss 180 integral'with shaft 12. Knife S is separated from knife T by means of a spacer element 40, said spacer element including an indexing member 54 as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that we have thus provided simple yet highly effective means for not only effecting simple yet accurate radial adjustment of the individual knives with reference to shaft 12, but for likewise positively anchoring the individual knives relative to the shaft for precluding their accidental or unintentional dislodgement from the assembly incident to rotation of the shaft.

The various adjacent faces of the knives and spacer elements are adapted to be tightly axially compressed by means of nut 821 which threadably engages the free outer end of shaft 12, for thereby retaining the knives in adjusted position.

It should be understood that various changes in the structural details of the device may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A cutter knife assembly comprising the combination of a shaft, a cutter knife having a hub provided with an open-ended shaft receptive slot, and a solid portion opposite to said slot, a spacer element having a shaft receptive aperture therein, and axial means secured to,

carried by and projecting from the spacer element interconnecting said solid portion of the knife hub to the spacer element, said axial interconnecting means engaging the hub in alignment with and beyond the slot,

opposite to the open end of the latter, for securing the hub in adjusted position relative to the shaft.

2. A cutter knife assembly comprising the combination of-a shaft having a pair of parallel flats in opposite sides thereof, a cutter knife having a hub provided with an open ended slot dimensioned to receive the shaft between said flats, said hub having a solid portion opposite to the slot and adjacent to the base of the latter, a spacer element having an aperture therethrough dimensioned to receive the shaft, an intermediate element connected to the solid portion of the hub in alignment with and beyond the slot, opposite to the open end of the latter, and means adjustably interconnecting the intermediate element to said spacer element to provide for shifting movement of the intermediate element radially toward and from 'said shaft.

3. A cutter knife assembly comprising the combination of a shaft having a plurality of sets of laterally spaced flats disposed in angular relationship, a plurality of cutter knives each including hub portions having flat and unobstructed side faces and being provided with an open ended slot dimensioned to receive the shaft between said flats, spacer elements each having flat and unobstructed side faces, one side face of each element provided with a radially extending open ended guideway, said spacer elements each having an aperture therethrough for snugly through slidably receiving the shaft, said spacer elements adapted to be located between the hubs of adjacent knives, an intermediate element for and slidably engaging the guideway of each spacer element, means interconnecting each intermediate element to the hub of one of said knives, in alignment with and beyond the slot, and opposite to the open end of the latter, and means adjustably interconnecting the intermediate elements to and for relative endwise movement relative to their respective spacer elements.

4. A cutter knife assembly comprising the combination of a shaft having a pair of parallel flats in opposite sides thereof, a cutter knife including a pair of divergent blades and a hub having flat and unobstructed side faces, and provided with an open ended radial slot dimensioned to receive the shaft between said flats, the slot having a base disposed at the junction of said blades, a spacer element including flat and unobstructed side faces and having an aperture therethrough dimensioned to receive the shaft, an intermediate element slidably mounted radially of and in one face of the spacer element, means anchoring the intermediate element to the knife hub at the blade junction and outside the limits of the knife slot and its base, and means adjustably interconnecting the intermediate element to and for relative radial movement with said spacer element.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the means for anchoring the intermediate elements to the knife hub comprises pins that span the adjacent faces of and whose opposite ends are located interiorly of said intermediate elements and hub, respectively.

6. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the means for adjustably interconnecting the intermediate element to and for relative radial movement with the spacer element, comprises an elongate screw including an inner headed end rotatably journalled in the spacer element against endwise movement relative thereto and a threaded body portion which extends through and engages a threaded bore in the intermediate elements, said body portion having a headless outer end off which the intermediate element is displaceable by rotating the screw.

7. A cutter knife assembly comprising the combination of a shaft having a plurality of sets of laterally spaced flats disposed in angularrelationship, a plurality of cutter knives each including hub portions having flat and unobstructed side faces and being provided with an open ended, radially extending slot dimensioned to receive the shaft between said flats, spacer elements each having flat and unobstructed side faces, one side face of each element provided with a radially extending open ended guideway, said spacer elements each having an aperture therethrough for snugly though slidably receiving the shaft, said spacer elements adapted to be located between the hubs of adjacent knives, an intermediate element for and slidably engaging the guideway of each spacer element, means interconnecting said intermediate element to that portion of the hub of said knives which is in axial alignment with and spaced beyond the inner closed end of their respective shaft-receptive slots, and means adjustably interconnecting the intermediate elements to and for radial movement relative to their respective spacer elements for imparting radial movement of their respective knives relative to the shaft.

8. A cutter knife assembly for a cutting machine of the type which includes a knife-carrying shaft having a plurality of sets of laterally spaced flats disposed in angular relationship, which assembly comprises, in combination, a plurality of cutter knives each including hub portions having flat and unobstructed side faces and being provided with an open ended slot dimensioned to receive the shaft between said flats, and having at least one pinreceptive socket in one face of the hub beyond and in axial alignment with the slot, spacer elements each having flat and unobstructed side faces, one side face of each element provided with a radially extending open ended guideway, said spacer elements each having an aperture axially therethrough for snugly though slideably receiving the shaft, said spacer elements adapted to be located between the hubs of adjacent knives, an intermediate pin carrying element for and slidably engaging the guideway of each spacer element with its pin outermost, said pin receivable within the socket of the knife hub for interconnecting an intermediate element to the hub of a knife, and means adjustably interconnecting the intermediate elements to and for radial movement relative to their respective spacer elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,375,501 Ganzhorn Apr. 19, 1921 2,149,193 Stock Feb. 28, 1939 2,551,049 Pinkers May 1, 1951 2,711,270 Gulbrandsen June 21, 1955 2,721,593 Schaller Oct. 25, 1955 2,804,112 Schaller Aug. 27, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 594,588 Great Britain Nov. 14, 1947

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