WO2007054981A1

WO2007054981A1 - Apparatus for cutting into pieces

Info

Publication number: WO2007054981A1
Application number: PCT/IS2006/000022
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gudmundur Orn Jensson
Original assignee: Gudmundur Orn Jensson
Priority date: 2005-11-11
Filing date: 2006-11-10
Publication date: 2007-05-18
Also published as: IS8126A; IS2409B

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for cutting raw material (18), that consists of fixed knives (10) with the shape of sickles and knives (5, 6) on an axis (16) that are attached to the teeth-units (3) on a teeth-holder (2). The teeth-holders (2) enter in between the sickle-shaped knives (10) except uppermost and thus space for intake (17) is formed where material is drawn in by the knives on the axis (5, 6) and is cut between the knives (5, 6) on the axis (16) and the fixed knives (10). Another embodiment of the apparatus has two or more axes (16, 16’) with cutting knives (5, 6) that operate against each other during rotation but additionally against the fixed knives (10). The axes (16, 16’) which are independent of each other can rotate in both directions. The invention relates also to the use of the apparatus in food processing and elimination of waste material.

Description

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING INTO PIECES

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus for cutting material into pieces, especially raw material for processing in the food industry. The invention consists of an axis/axes with knives attached that operate against an adjacent axis/axes and fixed knives. The invention relates also to the use of the apparatus.

Background of the invention

Many kinds of apparatus have been described for tearing down generated waste material, such as plastic materials, tyres, furniture etc., as well as organic waste such as food remains. WO 97/10057, WO 91/14501 and US 5201475, e.g., describe apparatus for such use. In common is, that they relate to apparatus equipped with one or more axis/axes with fixed cutting edges that rotate against adjacent axis/axes and/or fixed cutting edges. The fixed cutting edges are oriented almost in one plain and/or come in use during relatively short part of the rotational trajectory of the knives. This limits efficiency of the apparatus.

Aim of the invention

The aim of the present invention is to facilitate processing and increase efficiency when compared to the apparatus that known art describes. This aim is achieved by fixed cutting knives that have the shape of a sickle and thuse utilize better the rotational trajectory of the knives, up to 3/4 of the rotational trajectory of the knives.

Summary of the invention The invention is in accordance with the characterizing parts of the claims.

One embodiment is such that the apparatus has one axis with knives that rotate against and between sickle-shaped knives. Because the rotational center of the axis is situated lower and more outward than an imaginary center of the arch of the sickles, a space for intake is formed where material is drawn in by the rotation of the knives on the axis. In another embodiment the axes are two ore more and the axes crisscross and thus the scissoring and cutting action can take place between axes. In this embodiment the fixed knives have also the shape of sickles.

The sickles can be equipped with hooks for breaking off the last pieces near the axis.

The cutting edges can be serrated blades and/or plane and can be replaced. Also, the knives on the axis can be equipped with replaceable knives of different kinds, e.g. hook-shaped knives.

The number of knives on each teeth-holder varies depending on the use and the field of application. The apparatus is mainly intended for the food industry.

Detailed description of the invention

The invention is described with references to the following figures:

Figures IA and IB: Show cross-sectional and three-dimensional figures of teeth-holders and teeth-units where the teeth-units are three.

Figures 2 A and 2B: Show cross-sectional and three-dimensional figures of sickle-shaped plates.

Figures 3 A and 3B: Show cross-section and three-dimensional view of teeth-holders and teeth-units where the teeth-units are two.

Figure 4: Shows how teeth-holders (with teeth-units) can form a spiral.

Figure 5: Shows how sickle-shaped plates are arranged.

Figure 6: Shows three-dimensional figure of an apparatus with one axis (frame is open). Figures 7 A , 7B and 7B: Show combined apparatus with two axes, shown from the end (frame is open), at an angle from above (axes are visible) and direct from above.

Figures 8 A and 8B: Show processing apparatus from the end with one axis and two axes, respectively. Figures 9 A and 9B: Show half of a teeth-holder that is made from two plates and complete teeth-holder with one teeth-unit inserted (unattached teeth-unit in the middle-hole of each teeth-holder).

The apparatus consists mainly of two parts i) teeth-holders (2) with teeth-units (3) ii) sickle-shaped plates (9).

The teeth-holders (2) are round plates with a hole (8) in the middle that is used for attaching them around an axis (16) so that the holder is able to follow the rotational movement of the axis, that can rotate both ways. On the outer edge of the teeth-holders (2) are slots (19) where it is possible to insert the teeth-units (3) that are secured by fastening means (4). The teeth-units (3) consists of two parts, i.e. attachment part, made from a steel plate that is sufficiently thin to fit into the slot (19) of the teeth-holders (2), and broader sheet of steel (5) that is secured tranversely in a groove on the the attachment part. The groove is rather shallow; semi-circle or otherwise. The sheet of steel (5) is sharpened at both ends into a sharp edge (6) so that the teeth-units (3) bite in whichever direction the axis (16) rotates. Because the teeth-units (3) are secured by the fastening means (4) to the holders (2), it is possible to exchange them and vary the shape of the tooth and the notch (7). The number of teeth-units (3) on each teeth-holder (2) is optional. Individual teeth-holders (2) are arranged on the axis, e.g. in the form of a spiral for equalizing the force (Figure 4), although that is not a requirement. The number of units can vary but for the use described below, it is suitable to use 2-200 units.

The other main part of the apparatus are sickle-shaped plates (9) with sickle-shaped sheets of steel (10), knives, that enter in between the teeth-holders (2) and scissor and cut against the teeth-units (3). The sickle-shaped plates (9) are preferably thicker in the part that is attached to the frame (preferably form continuous entity in that part) than the part that enters between the teeth-holders (12, 13). The sickle-shaped sheets of steel (10) are made from hardened steel that is forced into a recess and have sharp edges that can be grinded. It is also possible to grind edges on the material in the sickle itself. Besides, the sickle-shaped plates can be T-shaped and in that case they have three cutting edges where the leg of the T (15) is the third one. The sickle-shaped plate (9) and the sheet of steel (10) form preferably a hook (12) at the lower end that adjoins the axis. The sickle-shaped plates (9) are aligned and fastened together with a sliding locking bar (11). In the sickle-shaped plates (9) is a recess (14) above the archs of the sickles. In the hollow (14) that is formed when the sickle-shaped plates are arranged together, it is optionally possible to install cooling means or warm-up as well as flow of water under high pressure for automatic cleaning of the apparatus when needed.

In use, the material (raw matrial) to be processed (18) is drawn under the sickle-shaped plates (9) when a tooth (6) seizes the material and cleaves it into pieces. The tooth (6) pushes the piece in between the teeth-holders ;(2) and the piece is drawn against the edges. This is the cutting motion of the apparatus that can be alikened to when a scissor is moved through material as a knive. Finally, a hook (12) cuts or tears pieces that might have escaped the cutting action of the edges of the sickle-shaped knives (10). Besides, the hook (12) keeps the axis (16) clean. In the case where material is not allowed to fall down, the apparatus keeps on cutting material while space is available. For example, when a piece of meat (e.g. approx. 200x400x600 mm) is cut, the process starts uppermost where the piece (18) is cut transversely into relatively large pieces. Then the pieces enter the space of intake (17) and under the sickle-shaped knives (10) where they are cut into smaller pieces. The process ends at the hooks (12) where the last pieces, e.g. tendons and a like, are cut at the axis.

In one embodiment the apparatus has two axes (16, 16') where teeth-holders with teeth-units (1) intercross and in that case the adjacent axes (16/16') are able to cut against either the sickles (10) (see above) or against teeths (6) and teeth-holders (2, 1) of the adjacent axis (16/16'). The teeth-units (3) reach the adjacent axis (16/16') and aid in its cleaning. The axes (16, 16') can rotate independently of each other for obtaining movements that give the best result in cutting the material, but are preferably coordinated in the way that the teeths (6) of the teeth-units (3) interact favorably. The number of axes can be more than two and that embodiment is similar as above except that the axes in the middle do not adjoin the sickles but only adjacent axes. By having the knives on axis (10) and knives on sickles (6) replaceable, the field of use is augmented and maintenance becomes much less expensive and simpler. It is convenient to make the teeth-holders (2) from two plates where indentations (20) are made in each half. The indentations (20) form a slot (19) for the teeth-holders (2) when the plates are put together (see figures 9A and 9B).

It is possible to use the apparatus in many kinds of industry, depending on the number, density, size and type of knives, all of which selected for the field of use (see figures 1 and 3). How small the pieces will become depends among other things on these details. The apparatus is very convenient for use in the food industry for cutting into pieces e.g. meat, fish and other raw material that is possible to utilize further, frozen or not, as well as for reducing waste material that is difficult to handle e.g. the feathers of large fowls such as turkeys or bones, to mention something.

List of labels in the figures

1 Teeth-holder with teeth-units

2 Teeth-holder 5 3 Teeth-unit

4 Locking means

5 Sheet of steel (knive)

6 Edge/tooth on the sheet of steel

7 Notch on teeth-holder and teeth-unit 10 8 Hole in teeth-holder

9 Sickle-shaped plate

10 Sickle-shaped knive

11 Attachment for locking bar

12 Hook

15 13 Attachment for sickle-shaped knive

14 Hollow

15 T-shaped sickle-knive 16/16' Axis/axes

17 Space for intake

20 18 Raw material

19 Slot for teeth-holder in teeth-unit

20 Indentation in one half of teeth-holder

Claims

1. An apparatus for cutting that consists of one or more axes (16, 16') equipped with numerous attached knives (5, 6) that are rotated by a machinery in whichever direction and enter in between numerous fixed knives (10) and each other when two or more axes (16, 16') are present characterized in that the fixed knives (10) have the shape of a sickle and the knives of the axis/axes (16, 16') that are attached to teeth-units (3) on teeth-holders (2) enter in between sickle-shaped plates (9) except uppermost and thus space for intake (17) is formed uppermost where material is drawn in by the rotation if the knives of the axis/axes (16, 16') to be cut in between the knives of the axes (16, 16') and the fixed knives (10) as well as in between knives (5, 6) of the axes (16, 16') on adjacent axis (16/16') that crisscross in the case where two or more axes (16, 16') are present.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that the number of axes (16, 16') is from 1 to 4.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that aδ the sickle-shaped knives (10) have a hook (12) on one end.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3 characterized in that aδ sickle-shaped knives (10) and the knives (5, 6) on the axis are replaceable.

5. The apparatus according to anyone of the preceeding claims characterized in that aδ the cutting edges are plain and/or serrated.

6. The apparatus according to anyone of the preceeding claims characterized in that the knives of the axis/axes (16, 16') form a hook.

7. The apparatus according to anyone of the preceeding claims characterized in that the number of teeth-units (3) on a teeth-holder is from 1 to 100.

8. The apparatus according to anyone of the preceeding claims characterized in that the teeth-holders (2) are made from two plates that have indentations (20) that form a slot (19) for the teeth-units (3) when they are put together.

5

9. The apparatus according to anyone of the preceeding claims characterized in that the sickle-shaped knives (10) are effective up to about 3/4 of the rotational trajectory of the teeth-units (3).

10 10. The apparatus according to anyone of the preceeding claims characterized in that the number of teeth-holders (1) on a axis/axes (16/16') is from 2 to 200.

11. The apparatus according to anyone of the preceeding claims characterized in that the teeth-units (3) form a spiral. 15

11. Use of an apparatus according to claims 1 - 11 for cutting raw material (18), especially frozen food.