GB1560874A

GB1560874A - Slicing machines

Info

Publication number: GB1560874A
Application number: GB717378A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Bizerba Werke Wilhelm Kraut GmbH and KG
Current assignee: Bizerba SE and Co KG
Priority date: 1977-02-22
Filing date: 1978-02-22
Publication date: 1980-02-13
Also published as: DE2707534A1; AT357057B; DE2707534C3; ATA2578A; NL7800607A; DE2707534B2

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO SLICING MACHINES (71) We, ,FAl J31'zERBA-WBRKR ,W HELM KRAUT KG, of Wilhelm-Kraut-Strasse 41, 7460 Balingen 1, Germany, a German Company, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following state ment-- The present invention relates to a slicing machine having a slide mounted for recipro ca!ting movement on a machine casing to support and supply a product to be cut, a rotary knife, a drivable conveying and distributing device, a collecting means which is selectively a linearly displaceable collecting table or a rotary tray, and a driving pinion and a driving member meshing with the pionion for driving via a toothed rack the collecting table or for driving the rotary tray.

In known machines of this ldind, the toothed rack is fixed to the collecting table and the rotary table comprises a ring gear.

The toothed rack and the ring gear may, when the collecting table is replaced by a rotary' easy, be brought tìnt engagement with a single pinion which extends upwards above the otherwise closed surface of the machine casing. This arrangement, however, is unsatisfactory because, upon changing from a collecting table to ta rotary tray, more wear is produced between the toothed rack, the ring gear and the pinion. Moreover, the gears of the collecting table or rotary tray, which are to be brought into mutual meshing engagement, cover one another and thus are not located directly in the field of view of the attendant. In the case of imperfect meshing of the gears due to wear, irregularities occur in the operation of the machine which impair uniform laying down of the cut slices of product.Finally, another disadvantage is due to the fact that cleaning of the machine is restrained owing to the presence of the driving pinion which projects over the casing.

According to the invention, there is provided a slicing machine having a slide mounted for reciprocating movement on a machine casing to support and feed a product to be cut, a rotary knife, a drivable conveying and distributing device, a collecting means which is selectively a linearly displaceably collecting table or a rotary tray, and a driving pinion and gear means for driving the collecting means, the gear means comprising a toothed rack sildably mounted on a guide shaft and pivotable into and out of engagement with the driving pinion, the rotary tray being insertable while being prevented from rotating about its axis of rotary tion in a hollow shaft arranged to rotate with the pinion, and a pivotal yoke which is located in a first position when the table used, in which position the hollow shaft is covered and the rack engages the pinion, and in a second position when the tray is used, in which second position the pivotal yoke holds the rack out of engagement with the pinion, uncovers the hollow shaft for reception therein of a drive shaft of the tray, and prevents axial movement of the tray relative to the hollow shaft when the tray is mounted in the hollow shaft.

A preferred slicing machine provides a simple wear-resistant plug connection for a collecting table and a rotary tray so that the table and the tray are easily insertable in their appropriate operational position. The preferred arrangement allows easy cleaning especially of the upper surface of the machine casing, the cleaning not being made difficult owing to the presense of overlying driving components.

Owing to a rocking arrangement of the toothed rack, the rack may be accurately guided while being brought into engagement with the pinion. Insertion of the rotary tray in a hollow shaft makes common guiding of the toothed parts substantially superfluous.

The pivotable yoke also serves to disconnect the toothed rack from the pinion and constitutes at the same time an axial fixing means for the rotary tray and a cover for the hollow shaft so that no dirt can enter the shaft. It is possible that the driving pinion and the hollow shaft as well as the parts cooperating therewith be arranged laterally on the machine casing so that they do not interfere when cleaning the upper surface of the casing.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a prefed slicing machine; Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a collecting table with its driving system; Figure 4 is a front view in the direction of the arrow A of Figure 3 with parts cut away; Figure 5 is a plan view of a rotary tray and its driving system; and Figure 6 is a front view in the direction of the arrow B of Figure 5 of the rotary tray and its driving system.

The slicing machine illustrated in Figure 1 and 2 comprise, in a manner known per se a slide 1 for supporting and feeding a product to be cut. e.g. meat or salami product, the slide 1 being mounted for reciprocating movement on a machine casing 11. When the slide 1 is actuated, slices of product to be cut are obtained by means of a rotary knife 2 which is driven by a motor contained in the housing 3. A conveying and distributing device, also known per se, guides the cut slices laterally away from the rotary knife so that they can be transferred to a collecting table 5 which can be moved parallel to the slide 1.Depending on which end position the slices occupy in the conveying and distributing device 4 before being laid down and on the position of the collecting plate 5, predetermined patterns can be obtained on the plate 5, e.g. an overlapping arrangement or a pattern in the form of a stack of slices one above the other. The conveying and distributing device during the cutting process is driven in a conventional way in timed relationship with the movement of the slide 1. Transfer of the cut slices by means of this device from the cutting to the accurately defined lay-down position is effected for example by means of an impulsecontrolled direct-current motor or stepping motor. On the other hand, these motors and the linear driving of the collecting table 5 are controlled by a programme switch (not shown).A control box 6 having a key board 7 with a plurality of programme keys is provided for putting this switch on and off.

The control box 6 is secured to one side of the machine casing by means of an upright 8 and a socket 9.

A driving pinion 13 and a hollow shaft 14 are mounted for rotation in a bracket 12 secured to the machine casing 11 (see Figures 3 and 4). The hollow shaft 14 comprises at its upper end a transverse key slot 15 in which may be fixed a rotary tray described below. The driving pinion 13 and the hollow shaft 14 are driven, in a manner known to a person skilled in the art and thus not described in detail, by means of a ring gear 16 and other driving means (see also Figure 6) so as to rotate one another. The ring gear 16 meshes with a driving member, e.g. an electric motor energized by 'the above mentioned programme switch. The bracket 12 carries a trunnion 17 on which a shifter yoke 18 is pivotally mounted for tilting movement in the direction of the arrow X.

The shifter yoke 18 is biased by means of a torsion or bending ,spring (not shown) which reacts on a rack 23 so that the yoke takes the position shown in Figure 3 where it covers the driving pinion 13 and the hollow shaft 14 (Figure 4).

A guide shaft 21 is fixed by means of a holder 22 on a support 19 carrying the conveying and distributing device 4. The toothed rack 23 (Figure 4) is axially displaceable along the guide shaft 21 and is mounted at the same time for pivotal movement about an axis. To this end, drive blocks 24 are used which, on the other hand, are mounted for rotation and are slidable on the shaft 21 and, on the other hand, are connected to the toothed rack 23 formed as an angle or L-bar. The limb carrying the drive blocks 24 extends (see Figure 3) substantially wider than the other limb of the angle bar which is formed with teeth 25. A leaf spring 26 holds the toothed rack 23 in meshing engagement with the driving pinion 13.

To connect and disconnect the collecting table 5 which is also slidably mounted on the guide shaft 21, two opposite flattened portions 27 are formed in this shaft. Upon connecting or disconnecting the table 5, guide rails 28 connected to the table 5 are inserted onto the opposite flattened portions 27, and thus the table can be taken off or placed onto the shaft 21. The guide rails are formed in a known manner with bores for accomodating the shaft 21. Radial slits in which the flats 27 are fitted extend from the bores. To facilitate location of the insertion position, a stop face 29 is provided in the holder 22 against which one of the guide rails 28 is applied. The collecting table 5 can then be easily removed from the shaft 21. After that, the table 5 is pushed by hand on the guide shaft 21 to its starting position shown in Figure 3 where the front guide rail 28 rests against the front drive block 24 of the toothed rack 23. By moving forward the toothed rack 23 the collecting table 5 is engaged. As soon as the collecting table is moved out of its slipin position over the flats 27, it is secured against disengagement by the full breadth of the diameter of the shaft 21. During the distribution process of the slices cut by the rotary knife 2 and collected by the collecting table 5, the table 5 is stepwise moved forwards by the driving pinion 13 and the toothed rack 23, the width of the steps being determined by the said programme switch.To move the colleoting table 5 backwards to the starting position, the toothed rack 23 is disengaged by acting on a knob 31 provided on it and against the action of the spring 26, from the driving pinion 13 (see also Figure 6).

Instead of the reotilinearly displaceable collecting table 5, use can be made of a rotary tray 32 to collect the cut slices. The rotary tray and its drive means are illustrated in Figure 5 and 6. After removal of the collecting table 5 from the guide shaft 21, the shifter yoke 18 is pivoted, against the action of the spring acting on it, in the direction of the arrow X (Figure 5) so that the bore in the hollow shaft 14 is uncovered.

To this end, a recess 33 (Figure 3) may also be provided in the shifter yoke 18. When the shifter yoke 18 is pivoted, the toothed rack (see Figure 6) is disconnected from the driving pinion 13 at the same time. A downwardly extending stud 34 is provided to that purpose in the shifter yoke, the stud being applied against the toothed rack 23 and engaging it. The rotary tray 32 comprises an axis of rotation in the form of a power take-off shaft 35 which is inserted in the bore of the hollow shaft 14 so that studs 36 radially extending from the shaft 35 engage with the above mentioned key slot 15 in the upper edge of the Ihollow shaft 14 and ensure rigid connection between the shaft 35 and the hollow shaft 14. The shaft 35 also has a ring groove 37 in which the shifter yoke 18 with its recess 33 is pressed by the spring biasing the yoke.The shaft 35 and thus the rotary tray 32 are axially fixed and inadvertant disengagement upwards is prevented. In this position of the shifter yoke, the toothed rack 23 is permanently held disengaged from the pinion 13.

In the above described and illustrated embodiment of the invention, the pinion 13 and the hollow shaft 14 are produced as separate components. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the driving pinion 13 can also be arranged on the hollow shaft 14, e.g. in such a way that a flange 38 (Figure 6) provided on the upper end of the hollow shaft 14 is in the form of a ring gear and meshes with the toothed rack 23.

In the above described embodiment of the invention, the pinion 13 and the hollow shaft 14 are arranged laterally outside the machine casing 11. In this way, a complete flat surface of the casing is obtained which is easy to clean.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A slicing machine having a slide mounted for reciprocating movement on a machine casing to support and feed a product to be cut, a rotary knife, a drivable conveying and distributing device a collecting means which is selectively a linearly displaceable collecting table slidably mounted on a guide shaft and pivotable into and out of engagement with the driving pinion, the rotary tray being insertable while being prevented from rotating about its axis of rotation in a hollow shaft arranged to rotate with the pinion, and a pivotal yoke which is located in a first position when the table is used, in which position the hollow shaft is covered and the rack engages the pinion, and in a second position when the tray is used, in which second position the pivotal yoke holds the rack out of engagement with the pinion, uncovers the hollow shaft for reception therein of a drive shaft of the tray, and prevents axial movement of the tray relative to the hollow shaft when the tray is mounted in the hollow shaft.

2. A slicing machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the driving pinion and ithe hollow shaft are arranged laterally outside the machine casing.

3. A slicing machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the driving pinion is arranged on the hollow shaft.

4. A slicing machine is claimed in claim 1, 2, or 3, in which the pivotal yoke is biased towards the first position, in which the yoke covers the hollow shaft, by means of a spring.

5. A slicing machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the toothed rack held in engagement with the pinion by means of a spring.

6. A slicing machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the collecting table, when used as the collecting means is slidably mounted on the guide shaft by means of guide rails having recesses fitting with flattened portions provided on the guide shaft.

7. A slicing machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the collecting table is drivable by the toothed

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Claims

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24 of the toothed rack 23. By moving forward the toothed rack 23 the collecting table 5 is engaged. As soon as the collecting table is moved out of its slipin position over the flats 27, it is secured against disengagement by the full breadth of the diameter of the shaft 21. During the distribution process of the slices cut by the rotary knife 2 and collected by the collecting table 5, the table 5 is stepwise moved forwards by the driving pinion 13 and the toothed rack 23, the width of the steps being determined by the said programme switch.To move the colleoting table 5 backwards to the starting position, the toothed rack 23 is disengaged by acting on a knob 31 provided on it and against the action of the spring 26, from the driving pinion 13 (see also Figure 6).

Instead of the reotilinearly displaceable collecting table 5, use can be made of a rotary tray 32 to collect the cut slices. The rotary tray and its drive means are illustrated in Figure 5 and 6. After removal of the collecting table 5 from the guide shaft 21, the shifter yoke 18 is pivoted, against the action of the spring acting on it, in the direction of the arrow X (Figure 5) so that the bore in the hollow shaft 14 is uncovered.

To this end, a recess 33 (Figure 3) may also be provided in the shifter yoke 18. When the shifter yoke 18 is pivoted, the toothed rack (see Figure 6) is disconnected from the driving pinion 13 at the same time. A downwardly extending stud 34 is provided to that purpose in the shifter yoke, the stud being applied against the toothed rack 23 and engaging it. The rotary tray 32 comprises an axis of rotation in the form of a power take-off shaft 35 which is inserted in the bore of the hollow shaft 14 so that studs 36 radially extending from the shaft 35 engage with the above mentioned key slot 15 in the upper edge of the Ihollow shaft 14 and ensure rigid connection between the shaft 35 and the hollow shaft 14. The shaft 35 also has a ring groove 37 in which the shifter yoke 18 with its recess 33 is pressed by the spring biasing the yoke.The shaft 35 and thus the rotary tray 32 are axially fixed and inadvertant disengagement upwards is prevented. In this position of the shifter yoke, the toothed rack 23 is permanently held disengaged from the pinion 13.

In the above described and illustrated embodiment of the invention, the pinion 13 and the hollow shaft 14 are produced as separate components. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the driving pinion 13 can also be arranged on the hollow shaft 14, e.g. in such a way that a flange 38 (Figure 6) provided on the upper end of the hollow shaft 14 is in the form of a ring gear and meshes with the toothed rack 23.

In the above described embodiment of the invention, the pinion 13 and the hollow shaft 14 are arranged laterally outside the machine casing 11. In this way, a complete flat surface of the casing is obtained which is easy to clean.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A slicing machine having a slide mounted for reciprocating movement on a machine casing to support and feed a product to be cut, a rotary knife, a drivable conveying and distributing device a collecting means which is selectively a linearly displaceable collecting table slidably mounted on a guide shaft and pivotable into and out of engagement with the driving pinion, the rotary tray being insertable while being prevented from rotating about its axis of rotation in a hollow shaft arranged to rotate with the pinion, and a pivotal yoke which is located in a first position when the table is used, in which position the hollow shaft is covered and the rack engages the pinion, and in a second position when the tray is used, in which second position the pivotal yoke holds the rack out of engagement with the pinion, uncovers the hollow shaft for reception therein of a drive shaft of the tray, and prevents axial movement of the tray relative to the hollow shaft when the tray is mounted in the hollow shaft.
2. A slicing machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the driving pinion and ithe hollow shaft are arranged laterally outside the machine casing.
3. A slicing machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the driving pinion is arranged on the hollow shaft.
4. A slicing machine is claimed in claim 1, 2, or 3, in which the pivotal yoke is biased towards the first position, in which the yoke covers the hollow shaft, by means of a spring.
5. A slicing machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the toothed rack held in engagement with the pinion by means of a spring.
6. A slicing machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the collecting table, when used as the collecting means is slidably mounted on the guide shaft by means of guide rails having recesses fitting with flattened portions provided on the guide shaft.
7. A slicing machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the collecting table is drivable by the toothed

rack having at least one drive block engaging with the collecting table.
8. A slicing machine as claimed in claim 7 when dependent on claim 6, in which the drive block engages with the guide rail of the collecting table.
9. A slicing machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.