Knife Blade Retraction Mechanism for a Food Article Slicing Machine

• US 20090151527A1
• Filed: 10/21/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Provisur Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Formax Incorporated
• Inventors: Lindee, Scott A., Pasek, James E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,616,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 83/412
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/0093 Handling, transporting or packaging pieces of meat
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 1/143 rotating about a stationary axis B26D1/20 - B26D1/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 1/157 rotating about a movable axis B26D1/20 - B26D1/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 1/165 for thin material, e.g. for sheets, strips or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 2007/011 by clamping claws, e.g. in high speed slicers for food products
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 2210/02 for cutting food products, e.g. food slicers
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 2210/08 Idle cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/00 Arrangements for operating and controlling machines or devices for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/08 Means for actuating the cutting member to effect the cut
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/32 with the record carrier formed by the work itself
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/34 scanning being effected by a photosensitive device
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/42 with interrelated action between work feed and clamp work clamping arrangements B26D7/02
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/00 Details of apparatus for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting cutters B26D1/00; arrangements for guiding hand cutting tools B26B29/06; punching tools or dies, cutting-out knives or dies B26F
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/06 Arrangements for feeding or delivering work of other than sheet, web, or filamentary form feeding or discharging sheets, webs, or filaments B65H
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/0608 by pushers B26D7/0616, B26D7/0625 and B26D7/0641 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/0625 by endless conveyors, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/0683 specially adapted for elongated articles
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/088 by cleaning or lubricating sterilizing B26D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/18 Means for removing cut-out material or waste
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/22 Safety devices specially adapted for cutting machines safety devices in general F16P
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/225 : for food slicers
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/24 : arranged to disable the operating means for the cutting member
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/30 : for weighing cut product
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/32 : for conveying or stacking cut product means for removing cut-out material or waste B26D7/18
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/144 : using light grids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 83/932 : Edible
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/30392 : with means to protect operative or machine [e.g., guard, safety device, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/04 : Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/0467 : By separating products from each other
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/061 : With manually actuated means to disturb cyclic operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/081 : With randomly actuated stopping means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/166 : Removable element carries program
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/182 : With means to weigh product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/2048 : By movement of stack holder
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/2137 : And alternatively movable to or from operating position
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/2192 : Endless conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/242 : With means to clean work or tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/531 : With plural work-sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/647 : With means to convey work relative to tool station
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6536 : By carriage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6563 : With means to orient or position work carrier relative to tool station
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6577 : With means to adjust additional means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6579 : With means to press work to work-carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6582 : Tool between tandem arranged work carrying means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6616 : Having means to actuate pusher
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/662 : Lever, cam, or link actuated pusher
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6668 : Interrelated work-feeding means and tool-moving means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6945 : With passive means to guide tool directly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/741 : With movable or yieldable guide element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/768 : Rotatable disc tool pair or tool and carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7868 : Tool element selectively operative
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/85 : Signal; e.g., alarm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/95 : Machine frame

Abstract

A knife blade retraction mechanism for a food article slicing machine. The mechanism retracts the slicing blade from the slicing plane during the dwell between sliced groups to prevent scrap generation. The mechanism also has a knife blade brake to quickly top the slicing blade.

Claims

1. A food article slicing machine, comprising:

a slicing station comprising a knife blade and a knife blade drive driving the blade along a cutting path in a cutting plane;

a food article feed apparatus supporting one or more food articles for movement along food article paths intersecting the cutting path; and

a retraction mechanism for retracting said knife blade from said cutting plane.

2. The slicing machine of claim 1, wherein said retraction mechanism has an engaged position where the blade is in the cutting plane and a retracted position being a horizontal distance from the cutting plane.

3. The slicing machine of claim 1, wherein said retraction mechanism has an engaged position where the blade is in the cutting plane and a retracted position being a horizontal distance from the cutting plane in an axial direction with respect to the knife blade axis of rotation.

4. The slicing machine of claim 1, wherein said retraction mechanism retracts the knife blade a horizontal distance from the cutting plane so the knife blade is disengaged from a non-advancing food article.

5. The slicing machine of claim 1, wherein said retraction mechanism comprises an actuator for moving the knife blade between the cutting plane and a retracted position.

6. The slicing machine of claim 5, wherein said retraction mechanism comprises a pivot bar for operatively connecting said actuator to said knife blade.

7. The slicing machine of claim 5, wherein said actuator has an extended position and a starting position;

said knife blade is in a retracted position from the cutting plane when the actuator is in said extended position;

said knife blade is coplanar with said cutting plane when the actuator is in said starting position.

8. The slicing machine of claim 1, further comprising a brake mechanism for stopping said knife blade.

9. The slicing machine of claim 1, further comprising

a disc rotating in sync with and operatively connected to said knife blade;

a brake caliper for clamping onto said disc to slow said disc;

said caliper having an engaged position where the caliper applies pressure to said disc, and a disengaged position.

10. The slicing machine of claim 9, further comprising one or more friction pads for creating friction against said disc;

said friction pads positioned between said brake caliper and said disc.

11. A slicing machine, comprising:

a slicing station comprising a knife blade and a knife blade drive driving the blade along a cutting path in a cutting plane;

a food article feed apparatus supporting one or more food articles for movement along food article paths intersecting the cutting path; and

;

a means for retracting said knife blade from said cutting plane.

12. The slicing machine of claim 11, wherein said means has an engaged position where the blade is in the cutting plane and a retracted position being a horizontal distance from the cutting plane in an axial direction with respect to the knife blade axis of rotation.

13. The slicing machine of claim 11, wherein said means comprising:

an actuator;

said actuator has an extended position and a starting position;

said knife blade is in a retracted position from the cutting plane when the actuator is in said extended position;

said knife blade is coplanar with said cutting plane when the actuator is in said starting position.

14. The slicing machine of claim 11, wherein said retraction mechanism retracts the knife blade a horizontal distance from the cutting plane so the knife blade is disengaged from a non-advancing food article.