GB2279236A

GB2279236A - Meat substitute manufacturing process and apparatus therefor

Info

Publication number: GB2279236A
Application number: GB9411686A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Reed; John Arthur Wrigglesworth
Original assignee: PJ CONTRACTS Ltd
Current assignee: PJ CONTRACTS Ltd
Priority date: 1993-06-15
Filing date: 1994-06-10
Publication date: 1995-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 2014-06-10
Also published as: GB2279236A8; GB9411686D0; GB9312331D0; GB2279236B

Abstract

A process for manufacturing a proteinaceous foodstuff of reconstituted meat or meat substitute or the like, which comprises the steps of forming the reconstituted meat or meat substitute into slabs and conveying the slabs along a production line past a cutting head (39, 40) of an apparatus having a conveyor (37), the cutting head having at least one cutting or shearing blade (39, 40) mounted so as to cut or shear the slabs transversely substantially perpendicular to the direction of motion of the conveyor. <IMAGE>

Description

MEAT SUBSTITUTE MANUFACTURING PROCESS Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing a proteinaceous reconstituted meat or meat substitute or the like and an apparatus therefor.

Background to the Invention The vegetarian food market in the United Kingdom has grown dramatically in recent years as the buying public are dissuaded from heavy meat consumption by Government Health Warnings on the dangers of high saturated fat intake and by the cries of the animal rights movement. Many of those who give up meat eating to assuage their conscience do, however, crave an element of meat-like texture, flavour and shape in their meals.

Accordingly, a "meat substitute" manufacturing industry has grown up to meet the demand. Meat substitutes are derived from a multitude of different proteinaceous sources ranging from nuts and beans such as, for example, the soya bean curd product TOFU or even microbial protein such as, for example, the yeast protein-based product QUORN (trade mark) manufactured by ICI.

Production of QUORN (trade mark) has, to date, involved the formation of large slabs of the compressed proteinaceous material, which slabs are then subjected to dicing by passing under a cutting head having a pair of blades transecting each other across the width of the elongate slabs, each blade extending diagonally across the slabs. This blade configuration is suitable for dicing of meat and, to a limited extent, for dicing the meat substitute in low volumes. However, a particular problem arises especially, but not exclusively, where it is desired to dice the meat substitute into small cubes, or portions. An effect known as "creaming" occurs whereby the edges of the diced portions are smoothed and fibres folded over giving rise to an unsatisfactorily artificial texture to the portions and detracting from their appeal as a meat substitute, and allowing the portions to re-congeal.

It is a general objective of the present invention to overcome this problem of the prior art and in so doing to provide an apparatus and process which may also be used to advantage in processing of reconstituted meats and other processed foodstuffs.

Summarv of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for manufacturing a proteinaceous foodstuff such as reconstituted meat or meat substitute or the like, which comprises the steps of forming the reconstituted meat or meat substitute into slabs and conveying the slabs along a production line past a cutting head of a cutting machine having a conveyor, the cutting head having at least one cutting or shearing blade mounted so as to cut or shear the slabs transversely substantially perpendicular to the direction of motion of the conveyor.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for use in the method of the first aspect, which comprises a conveyor and a cutting or shearing head mounted proximate the conveyor and having one or more cutting or shearing blades mounted so as to cut or shear slabs of proteinaceous foodstuff transversely substantially perpendicular to the direction of motion of the conveyor, in operation.

Advantageously the transverse blade or blades are blunted to tear the foodstuff into portions.

Preferably the blade is mounted immediately beyond the downstream end of the conveyor to bend the foodstuff downwardly over the end of the support surface of the conveyor, compressing the foodstuff there against and thereby shearing the foodstuff into portions.

Preferably, in the above embodiment, the transverse blade has a stepped profile, having an upstream surface which shears the slabs and a downstream surface which pushes the sheared portion away.

In the embodiment having a shearing blade mounted transversely of the conveyor immediately beyond the downstream end thereof, most preferably the shearing blade is mounted rotatably to the apparatus by a spindle extending substantially horizontally transverse to the conveyor.

Advantageously the apparatus further has a plurality of blades mounted thereto extending longitudinally of the conveyor.

Suitably the blades are mounted in a mounting block which is releasably fastenable in a clamping assembly on a blade actuating arm. The mounting block suitably slide fits onto the clamping assembly of the actuating arm.

Adyantageously the cutting head further comprises a guide block within which the transverse and/or longitudinal blade slides to slice or shear the slab. The guide block is suitably of a low friction plastics material such as, for example, acetal.

Where the apparatus is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending blades, these are preferably rotating disk blades and are suitably stripped of the foodstuff as they rotate by a cleaning or stripping block mounted to the apparatus.

Preferably the apparatus further comprises a flicker head assembly having an axle extending transversely of the production line immediately down stream of the cutting head assembly, the axle having a plurality of radial projections adapted to lodge into the sheared or cut portions to separate them one from another.

Preferably the projections are spaced in an alternating pattern around the axle and, more preferably, the projections are arranged in a helical pattern around the axle.

Powered rotation of the axle at high speed causes a front line of teeth to embed into alternate or spaced apart portions and drag these forwardly at a faster rate than intermediate portions, thereby separating the adjacent portions.

Advantageously the apparatus comprises a pair of lateral conveyors, one on each of side of a horizontal conveyor bed and operated to run in synchronism with the horizontal conveyor bed.

Suitably the operation of the cutting head assembly is synchronised with the running of the horizontal conveyor bed.

Advantageously the apparatus further comprises a supply conveyor, the rate of which is controlled by a control system which is sensitive to accumulation of the product on the supply conveyor.

Preferably adjustment means are provided to enable adjustment of the height of the shearing head relative to the conveyor and/or the longitudinal separation of the shearing head from the conveyor. Preferably adjustment means are also provided for adjusting the height of the conveyor.

Where operation of the cutting/shearing head assembly is synchronised with the running of the horizontal conveyor bed, preferably control means are provided to enable adjustment of the speed of the cutting/shearing head assembly relative to the conveyor to enable selection of a desired length of the foodstuff between cuts.

Brief Description of the Drawings Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view of a conveyor assembly of a production line for manufacturing a proteinaceous meat substitute; Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line II-II in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a cutting head assembly mounted to the chassis of the conveyor assembly at the downstream end thereof; Figure 4 is a front end elevation of the cutting head assembly of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a flicker head assembly; Figure 6 is a plan view of the flicker head assembly of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a further preferred embodiment of cutter head assembly; ; Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of an actuating mechanism for the conveyor assembly of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 9 is a plan view of the actuating mechanism of Figure 8; Figure 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of a yet further embodiment of the invention; and Figure 11 is a plan view of the embodiment of Figure 10.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a conveyor assembly forming part of a production line. A horizontal conveyor belt 1 is driven around an upstream drum 2 and around a downstream set of rollers 3a-3d, passing over a rigid support bed 4. The rollers 3a-3d are arranged to cantilever to release the tension in the conveyor belt 1 and allow straightforward removal of the belt 1 from the chassis for cleaning or replacement.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, a cutting head assembly 6 is mounted to the main conveyor chassis by an actuating arm 7 above the downstream end of the horizontal conveyor belt 1 and directly above a fixed bed 5 against which the blades of the cutting head assembly 6 press, in use.

The illustrated cutting head assembly 6 comprises two discreet blade groups each having a mounting block 8, 9 which has a dove tail configuration for sliding fitment to a corresponding co-operatively engaging portion 10 of the actuating arm 7. A central dove tail element 11 is adjustably mounted to the actuating arm 7 by an adjustment nut 12. This central dove tail element enables the mounting blocks 8 and 10 to be secured once fitted in place.

The upstream mounting block 8 carries a set of 10 blades 13 extending longitudinally of the conveyor belt 1, whereas the downstream mounting block 9 carries four blades 14 extending perpendicularly transversely to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor belt 1.

Each set of blades 13, 14 is constrained to slide vertically by a respective acetal guide block 15, 16. These guide blocks 15, 16 serve to prevent warping of the respective blades 13, 14, in use, and are rigidly mounted to the chassis by a support arm 17.

In operation the actuating arm 7 carrying the blade mounting blocks 8, 9 and associated blades 13, 14, reciprocates vertically at a selectable rate and in synchrony with the movement of the conveyor belt 1. The length of material which is cut by the upstream blades 13 subsequently passes beneath the downstream blades 14 to be cut into rectangular portions.

Because the portions leaving the cutting head assembly will have a degree of natural adhesion a mechanical facility to properly separate the portions is required. Referring to Figures 5 and 6 there is shown a flicker head assembly 18 comprising a tubular barrel 20 mounted concentrically upon a spindle shaft 21 which is actuated to roll by an associated motor 22 at a variable rate which is synchronised with the operation of the conveyor 1 and cutting head assembly 7.

The barrel 20 has a plurality of radially extending lugs 23 arranged in a helical array around the circumferential surface of the barrel 20 to act as ratchet teeth, each lug 22 engaging a respective severed portion of the substrate passing from the cutting head assembly 6. The staggered arrangement of the lugs 22 ensures that alternate ones of the sheared portions of substrate are forcibly advanced by the flicker head assembly 18, thereby separating the adjacent portions. With the helical arrangement this is achieved both for laterally adjacent and longitudinally adjacent portions.

Turning now to Figure 7, there is shown an alternative embodiment of cutting head assembly in which the transverse cutting blades 14 of the Figure 3 embodiment are substituted by a punch arrangement having a single stepped transversely extending blade 23. The blade 23 is adjustably secured to the downstream face of a mounting block 24 which is, in turn, secured to the actuating arm 7. In addition to the stepped blade 23, the mounting block 24 also carries a sprung clamping element 25 which is biased downwardly to clamp the substrate against the cutting board 5 and a downstream extension element 26 by spring-loaded rods 27. The extension 26 provides a fixed edge 28 past which the cutting edge 29 of the blade falls to shear portions from the substrate.A downwardly extending stepped portion of the blade 23 forces the sheared portion away from the clamped substrate and thereby separates it from the substrate upstream.

Spacing of the blade 23 from the clamping assembly 25, 27 may be adjusted by provision of shims between the blade 23 and mounting block 24.

Turning to Figures 8 and 9, these show part of the actuating mechanism for synchronising movement of the main horizontal conveyor belt 1 and a pair of lateral vertically arranged conveyor belts, 1 along each opposite side of the horizontal belt 1. The operation of the transport conveyor mechanism is mechanically coupled to the actuating mechanism for the cutting head to ensure that each is synchronised with the other and properly indexed.

Alternatively, the conveyor drive mechanism and actuated drive mechanism may be independent but linked by a common microprocessor controller.

In order to ensure that the flow of product to the conveyor belt 1 and cutting head 6 is consistent, sensors for build up of the substrate upstream of the conveyor belt 1 are suitably provided. An infeed conveyor suitably has infrared, or other wireless, sensors to identify accumulation of the substrate and trigger a corrective response from the mechanism controlling the rate of operation of the conveyor 1 and cutting head 6.

Turning now to the embodiment illustrated in Figures 10 and 11, the apparatus of this embodiment comprises an in-feed conveyor 30 and a pair of lateral centralising conveyors 31, 32 to direct the slabs of QUORN (TM) towards a rotary longitudinal cutting head assembly 33 having a plurality of rotary cutting blades 34 mounted upon a spindle extending transversely of the in-feed conveyor 30.

In operation of the system the spinning cutting disks/rotary blades 34, which rotate in synchrony with the in-feed conveyor 30 will cut the incoming QUORN into longitudinally extending strips. Any tendency of these strips to congeal upon the blades 34 is countered by passing of the blades 34 through a cleaning or stripping block 35 mounted to the apparatus adjacent the spindle of the cutting head assembly 33. The in-feed conveyor 30 and the rotation of the blades 34 will force the product under and through the stripping block 35 which removes the product from between the blades 34.

The height position of the stripping block 35 may be adjusted by an adjustment screw 36.

Downstream of the cutting head 33 and stripping block 35 is provided an out feed conveyor 37.

A complementary overhanging conveyor 48 is provided above the outfeed conveyor 37 which is height adjustable relative to the outfeed conveyor 37 by means of an adjustor 43. The outfeed conveyor 37 is synchronised with the infeed conveyor and is designed to keep pressure on the product ensuring a smooth flow through the longitudinal cutting blades 34.

At the downstream end of the outfeed conveyor 37 is provided a rotary transverse shearing head 38 comprises a pair of shearing blades 39, 40 projecting from a spindle mounted substantially perpendicularly relative to the direction of motion of the conveyor 37.

The transverse shearing blades 38, 39 of the shearing head 38 act against a small rigid nose 44 provided at the downstream end of the conveyor 37, which maximises pressure at the shearing point.

The position of the shearing head 38 relative to the nose 44 is adjustable by longitudinal and vertical adjustors 41, 42 respectively.

The rate of revolution of the shearing head 38 is synchronised with the conveyors 30, 37 such as to suit the required length of product.

Claims

1. A process for manufacturing a proteinaceous foodstuff of reconstituted meat or meat substitute or the like, which comprises the steps of forming the reconstituted meat or meat substitute into slabs and conveying the slabs along a production line past a cutting head of a having a conveyor, the cutting head having at least one cutting or shearing blade mounted so as to cut or shear the slabs transversely substantially perpendicular to the direction of motion of the conveyor.

2. An apparatus for use in the method of Claim 1, which comprises a conveyor and a cutting or shearing head mounted proximate the conveyor and having one or more cutting or shearing blades mounted so as to cut or shear slabs of the foodstuff transversely substantially perpendicular to the direction of motion of the conveyor, in operation.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the transverse blade or blades are blunted to tear the foodstuff substitute into portions.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the or each blade is mounted immediately beyond the downstream end of the conveyor to bend the foodstuff downwardly over the end of the support surface of the conveyor, compressing the foodstuff there against and thereby shearing the foodstuff into portions.

5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the transverse blade has a stepped profile, having an upstream surface which shears the slabs and a downstream surface which pushes the sheared portion away.

6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the shearing blade is mounted rotatably to the apparatus by a spindle extending substantially horizontally transverse to the conveyor.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus further has a plurality of blades mounted thereto extending longitudinally of the conveyor.

8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the longitudinal blades are mounted in a mounting block which is releasably fastenable in a clamping assembly on a blade actuating arm.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the cutting head further comprises a guide block within which the transverse and/or longitudinal blade(s) slide(s) to slice or shear the foodstuff.

10. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the longitudinally extending blades are rotating blades, preferably disk blades.

11. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 10 wherein a cleaning or stripping block is mounted to the apparatus to strip foodstuff from the disk blades.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim which further comprises a flicker head assembly having an axle extending transversely of the production line immediately down stream of the cutting head assembly, the axle having a plurality of radial projections adapted to lodge into the sheared or cut portions to separate them one from another.

13. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the projections are spaced in an alternating pattern around the axle and, more preferably, the projections are arranged in a helical pattern around the axle.

14. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein adjustment means are provided to enable adjustment of the height of the shearing head relative to the conveyor and/or the longitudinal separation of the shearing head from the conveyor.

15. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein operation of the cutting/shearing head assembly is synchronised with the running of the horizontal conveyor bed, and control means are provided to enable adjustment of the speed of the cutting/shearing head assembly relative to the conveyor to enable selection of a desired length of the foodstuff between cuts.

16. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any suitable combination of the accompanying drawings.