WO2004103820A1

WO2004103820A1 - Machine and method for canning fish, meat and the like, and relative forming device

Info

Publication number: WO2004103820A1
Application number: PCT/EP2004/005273
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sandro Cafaggi
Original assignee: Bolton Alimentari S.P.A.
Priority date: 2003-05-20
Filing date: 2004-05-17
Publication date: 2004-12-02
Also published as: ITMI20031004A1

Abstract

A machine for canning fish, meat and the like comprises a supply device (20) of a product (11) to be canned, a forming device (30) of said product (11), a cutting device (40) of portions or chunks of product (12) and an ejector device (60) of the chunks (12) into empty packages (63), in which the forming device (30) comprises a forming mouth (31, 31') of the chunk (12), such a mouth (31, 31') having, for the product supplied, an input portion or channel (32) with a substantially quadrangular section (11) and, for a formed tubular product (12'), at least one output portion or channel (33) with a section without corners, and in which the cutting device comprises at least one mobile blade or knife (40) downstream of the output channel (33) of the mouth (31, 31').

Description

MACHINE AND METHOD FOR CANNING FISH, MEAT AND THE LIKE, AND RELATIVE FORMING DEVICE

The present invention refers to a machine and method for boxing fish, meat and the like, as well as a relative forming device.

In particular the canning of tuna has numerous difficulties strictly correlated with the natural and inevitable discontinuity of the product supplied to the canning machine, with its tendency to disintegrate causing a high waste as well as a very fragmented or disintegrated end appearance of the canned product. That which has been described in particular for the^' canning of tuna is also applicable to the canning of other fish, for example salmon, or the canning of meats or other similar products.

Besides involving technical problems of maintenance and cleaning of the machines, the disintegration of the tuna is often considered by the end consumer to be an. indicator of low quality of the product.

A further critical aspect of the canning of tuna, salmon, meats and the like consists of controlling the weight of the product introduced into the packages . Indeed, above all for small packages the imprecision of the machines can lead to variations in weight with unacceptable percentages . Known machines and methods for canning fish, meat and the like do not satisfactorily solve the outlined technical problems .

Such machines, indeed, frequently cause a high deformation of the product with consequent deterioration of the appearance and high production of waste.

The control of the weight determines an excessively wide range of filling weights and consequent waste of a high number of finished packages .

Moreover, such machines are generally complicated and have a large number of moving members, a circumstance that penalises production speed and maintenance. The purpose of the present invention is that of realising a machine and method for canning fish, meat and the like, as well as a relative forming device, that maintains as far as possible to integrity of the muscle fascicles of the product, in particular in the canning of tuna. Another purpose of the present invention is that of realising a machine and method for canning fish, meat and the like that allow a high production speed and adequate control of the weight of the packages produced. Another purpose of the present invention is that of realising a canning device and a forming device that are particularly simple and functional, with low costs. These purposes according to the present invention are accomplished by realising a machine and method, as well as a relative forming device for canning fish, meat and the like, as outlined in the independent claims.

Further characteristics are foreseen in the dependent claims .

The characteristics and advantages of a machine and method for canning fish, meat and the like, as well as a relative forming device according to the present invention shall become clearer from the following description, given as an example and not for limiting purposes, referring to the attached schematic drawings, in which: - figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the machine for canning fish, meat and the like according to the invention; figure 2 shows a partially separated perspective view of a forming device of two portions or chunks of product according to the invention; figures 3 to 5 shows schematic section views of the forming device according to the invention realised, respectively, according to the lines III-III, IV-IV and V-V of figure 2, during the forming of the product to be canned; figures 6 and 7 show a section view of a detail of a device for adjusting and controlling the weight of the portions of product canned in the machine of figure 1, in two different operating steps; figure 8 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a forming device according to the invention that can be applied to a machine like the one shown in figure 1, but with a single head instead of a double head. With reference to figure 1, a machine for canning fish, meat and the like is shown, wholly indicated with 10, and comprising a supply device 20 of a product 11 to be canned, a forming device 30 of the product, a cutting device 40 of portions 12, or chunks, of product, shown in figure 7, a device for controlling and adjusting the weight 50 of the chunks of product and an ejector device 60 of the chunks 12 into empty packages 63. The supply device 20 comprises, for example, four conveyor belts 21 (one upper, one lower and two side) that define a loading and supply chamber 22 of the product 11. The chamber 22 is directly fitted to the input of the forming device 30. The arrangement of the four conveyor belts, which for the sake of simplicity of representation in figure 1 have been shown separated, is known and therefore shall not be described in detail.

The belts 21 intermittently supply the product, for example the fish, to the forming device 30 through friction. With the aim of keeping the fish fillets as integral as possible, it is arranged in the chamber 22 in the form of a parallelepiped 11, of a suitable size according to the capacity of the container. This allows easy and automatable loading so that human intervention is reduced to mere supervision.

The forming device 30 comprises a forming mouth 31 of the chunk 12, equipped, for the product supplied, with an input portion or channel 32 having a substantially quadrangular cross-section, i.e. squared or rectangular, and, for a formed tubular product 12', at least one output portion or channel 33 with a section without corners, for example substantially circular. The mouth 31, shown in figure 1 and in the detail of figure 2, is a first non-limiting example embodiment suitable for the simultaneous forming of a pair of portions or chunks 12 of product with a circular section. The mouth 31 has the input portion 32 with a rectangular section, made up of two adjacent squared sections, fitted continuously with two adjacent output portions 33 with a substantially circular section. In other words, the squared sections continuously transform into circular output portions. The double mouth 31 also comprises a suitably shaped blade 34, for example supported and guided by a support 35. The blade 34, shown in figure 2 in an intermediate position, is mobile, with the machine shut down, from a rest position in which it is disengaged from the mouth 31 to a work position in which it longitudinally divides the mouth 31 at a transition portion 36 between the input channel 32 and the two output channels 33. The blade 34 longitudinally divides the underlying product 11 into two equal blocks 11' with a squared section. The blade 34 also slightly separates such blocks 11' to promote their subsequent supply towards the two cylindrical output channels 33 avoiding direct impact with a separator wall 37 of the channels 33. For such a purpose the product 11 supplied to the double mouth 31 must be separated into two halves 11' for a length greater than or at least equal to the advance by one step of the supply device 20.

In a preferred embodiment of the mouth 31 the quadrangular input section 32 has at most the same area as the sum of the areas of the two circular output sections 33, so as to avoid excessive compression and deformation of the product supplied 11 during the formation of the formed tubular product 12' . The reduced friction in the forming device 30 allows the intermittent advancing of the product to be carried out through just the belts 21.

A further embodiment of the forming mouth 31', suitable for forming a single chunk 12, has an input portion or channel 32 with a squared section that continuously transforms into an output portion or channel 33 with a substantially circular section, as shown in figure 8. The canning machine adapted for the assembly of the single mouth 31' shall be similar to that of figure 1, with the exception of the fact that each station shall work on a single chunk of the product. The cutting device 40, that separates or cuts the chunk 12 from the formed product 12' in output from the forming mouth 31, comprises at least one mobile blade or knife arranged between the mouth 31 and a pair of containment chambers 41 of the chunks 12, as shown schematically in figures 6 and 7. The chambers 41 have a circular section with a slightly greater diameter than the diameter of the output portion of the mouth 33 so as not to cause further deformations of the product. The blade 40, for which a linear movement is shown schematically in figure 1, can be any type of known blade or knife, for example even rotary.

The chambers 41 are- realised on board a transfer element 42, for example a rotating disc or plate, which carries a plurality of chambers or pairs of chambers 41 on the perimeter. For the sake of simplicity of representation in figure 1 only two pairs of chambers 41 have been represented, but of course other pairs of chambers can be realised radially and equally spaced apart. The disc 42 intermittently moves the pairs of chambers 41 from the forming and cutting devices, 30 and 40 respectively, to the ejector device 60 of the chunks 12 into the packages 63.

The device for controlling and adjusting the weight 50, arranged in the canning machine 10 according to the invention at the forming and cutting devices, 30 and 40 respectively, comprises a loading cell 51 for controlling the weight, shown schematically in the figures. The loading cell is connected to a bottom wall 52 of each of the cylindrical containment chambers 41 and emits an electrical signal when forming is complete. The loading cell 51 controls the pressure applied by the product supplied in the form of tubular blocks 12' to the containment chambers 41, as schematised in figure 6. Indeed, since the fish cannot be compressed, the registering of a pressure peak indicates that the chambers 41 are full of fish. The loading cell 51 then commands the stopping- of the advance of the belts 21 and the cutting of the chunks 12 from the tubular blocks 12' (figure 7), as well as the subsequent packaging operations . Moreover, the bottom wall 52 of the containment chambers 41, to vary the height of the chamber itself, is connected to a piston 53 that can be adjusted longitudinally inside the thickness of the rotating disc 42, as schematised in figure 1 through the arrows. This also allows the adjustment of the weight of the packaged produced, necessary as the capacity of the packages 63 to be filled varies, to be obtained. Thanks to the pistons 53 it is thus possible to continuously adjust the filling weight within a certain range, for example equal to +/- 15 g, without acting on other adjustments of the machine such as the stroke of the conveyor belts, the working pressure or some other. The variation of the weights introduced into the cans will moreover be comprised within a range of approximately +/- 5 g, and in any case lower than that of machines currently available on the market.

For greater modifications in filling weight, the replacement of the transfer element 42, for example with a disc of greater thickness (not shown) , obviously allows the canning of substantially larger portions of product. To vary the diameter of the packages, on the other hand, it is necessary to replace at least also the forming mouth 31.

The ejector device 60 of the portions or chunks of product 12 into the empty packages 63 is of the known type and comprises, for example, a pair of pistons 61 with variable stroke, equipped with a surface sintered with flowing compressed air that prevents the fish from sticking to the pistons themselves, and a supply and discharge device 62 of empty and full packages 63, respectively. The supply and discharge device 62 and the transfer element 42 respectively place the empty cans 63 and the chambers 41 containing chunks 12 of product in alignment with the pistons 61. Finally, the pistons 61 transfer the chunk of product 12 into the packages 63. The method for canning fish, meat and the like, according to the invention, based upon that which has been described up to now, comprises the steps of supplying a product to be canned 11 in the form of a parallelepiped with a substantially quadrangular section to a forming device 30 of the product supplied, forming two tubular blocks of product with a section without corners 12', for example with a substantially circular section, in which the area of the section of the product supplied 11 is at most equal to the sum of the areas of the sections of the blocks formed 12', compacting the two tubular blocks 12' against a bottom wall 52 of two height-adjustable containment chambers 41 until a pressure peak is registered, cutting two chunks 12, or portions of product, contained in the chambers 41 from the respective tubular blocks 12' transferring the chunks 12 into two packages 63. That which has been described for the simultaneous canning of two portions of product is also applicable in a substantially analogous way, with suitable adaptations, to a machine for canning a single portion at a time.

The machine for forming and canning fish, meat and the like object of the present invention has the advantage of obtaining portions or chunks of product such as meat or fish, for example in the form of raw or cooked fish fillets, where the muscle fibres remain integral. The fish, or other canned product, is, indeed, formed into a round chunk without the machine modifying the structure of the muscle fascicles, only through the deformation of the outer part of the product without making significant modifications to the section area.

Moreover, the machine object of the present invention advantageously allows the loading of the product to be canned to be carried out with easy and automatable methods to reduce human intervention to mere supervision, without leftover pieces.

The machine is also advantageously quiet and easy to maintain, having a reduced number of moving parts and blades . Another advantage of the machine according to the invention is the simplicity of changing the format of the product to be canned and the possibility of continuously adjusting the filling weight with a significant reduction in the variation of the weights introduced into the cans .

Numerous modifications and variations can obviously be applied to the machine for forming and canning fish, meat and the like thus conceived, all. included in the invention; furthermore all the details can be substituted by technically equivalent elements. In practice, the -materials used, as well as the forms and dimensions, can vary according to technical demands.

Claims

1. Machine for canning fish, meat and the like, comprising a supply device (20) of a product (11) to be canned, a forming device (30) of said product (11), a cutting device (40) of portions or chunks of product

(12) and an ejector device (60) of said chunks (12) into empty packages (63), characterised in that said forming device (30) comprises a forming mouth (31, 31') of the chunk (12) said mouth (31, 31') having, for the product supplied, an input portion or channel (32) with a substantially quadrangular section (11) and, for a formed tubular product (12'), at least one output portion or channel (33) with a section without corners, and in that said cutting device comprises at least one mobile blade or knife (40) downstream of said at least one output channel (33) of said mouth (31, 31') .

2. Machine according to claim 1, characterised in that said mouth has an input channel (32) with a substantially squared section continuously fitted with an output channel (33) with a substantially circular section, said single - mouth (31') being suitable for forming just one chunk (12) at a time.

3. Machine according to claim 1, characterised in that said mouth has an input channel (32) with a substantially rectangular section, made up of two adjacent squared sections, continuously fitted with two adjacent output channels (33) with a substantially circular section, said double mouth (31) being suitable for the simultaneous forming of two chunks (12) .

4. Machine according to claim 3, characterised in that said double mouth (31) comprises a shaped blade (34) mobile from a rest position in which it is disengaged from said mouth (31) to a work position in which it longitudinally divides said mouth (31) at a transition portion (36) between the input channel (32) and the two output channels (33), said blade (34) being suitable for longitudinally dividing the underlying product supplied (11) into two equal blocks with a squared section (11' ) .

5. Machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the section of said input channel (32) has at most the same area as the sum of the areas of the at least one output channel (33) .

6. Machine according to claim 1, characterised in that said supply device (20) comprises four belts (21) defining a loading and supply chamber of the product (22) corresponding to- the input section of said mouth (31, 31') .

7. Machine according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a weight-control device (50) comprising at least one loading cell (51) connected to a bottom wall (52) of cylindrical containment chambers (41), suitable for containing the chunks of product (12) .

8. Machine according to claim 7, characterised in that said chambers (41) are height-adjustable for adjusting the weight of the chunk (12), said bottom wall (52) being connected to a longitudinally adjustable piston (53) .

9. Machine according to claim 7, characterised in that said chambers (41) are realised on board a transfer element (42), suitable for moving said chambers (41) from said forming and cutting devices (30 and 40 respectively) to said ejector device (60) of the chunks (12) into the empty packages (63) .

10. Machine according to claim 9, characterised in that said transfer element (42) is a rotating disc or plate, equipped with a plurality of said chambers (41) or pairs of chambers (41) arranged radially and equally spaced apart on the perimeter.

11. Machine according to claim 7, characterised in that said chambers (41) have a section with a larger diameter than the diameter of the output channel (33) of said mouth (31, 31'-) .

12. Machine according to claim 1, characterised in that said ejector device (60) comprises at least one piston (61) and a supply and discharge element (62) of said packages (63), suitable for taking the empty packages (63) into alignment with said piston (61) .

13. Method for canning fish, meat and the like, characterised in that it comprises the steps of supplying a product (11) to be canned to a forming device (30) of the product supplied, forming at least one tubular block of product with a section without corners (12'), the area of the section of the product supplied (11) being at most equal to the sum of the areas of the sections of the at least one block formed (12'), compacting said at least one tubular block (12') against a bottom wall (52) of at least one height- adjustable containment chamber (41) until a pressure peak is registered, cutting at least one chunk or portion of product (12), contained in said at least one chamber (41) from said formed tubular block (12'), transferring said portion of product or chunk (12) into at least one empty package (63) .

14. Forming device, suitable for forming a product to be canned, supplied in the form of a body with a substantially quadrangular section (11), in at least one tubular block (12') with a section without corners, characterised in that -it comprises a forming mouth (31, 31') having an input portion or channel (32) with a substantially quadrangular section (11) and at least one output portion or channel (33) with a section without corners .

15. Forming device according to claim 14, characterised in that said mouth has an input channel (32) with a substantially squared section continuously fitted with an output channel (33) with a substantially circular section, said single mouth (31') being suitable for forming just one chunk (12) at a time.

16. Forming device according to claim 14, characterised in that said mouth has an input channel (32) with a rectangular section made up of two adjacent squared sections continuously fitted with two adjacent output channels (33) with a substantially circular section, said double mouth (31) being suitable for simultaneously forming two chunks (12) .

17. Forming device according to claim 16, characterised in that said double mouth (31) comprises a shaped blade (34) mobile from a rest position in which it is disengaged from said mouth (31) to a work position in which it longitudinally divides said mouth

(31) at a transition portion (36) between the input channel (32) and the two output channels (33), said blade (34) being suitable for longitudinally dividing the underlying product supplied (11) into two equal blocks with a squared section (11').