Maintenance and Safety System for a Food Article Slicing Machine

• US 20090173196A1
• Filed: 10/21/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Provisur Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Formax Incorporated
• Inventors: Lindee, Scott A., Hansen, David, Pasek, James E., Sandberg, Glenn, Hancock, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,850,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 83/13
• 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 slicing apparatus and a weighing and classifying conveyor combination with cleanup position wherein, the elevated food article feed mechanism can be collapsed to a maintenance position, the weighing and classifying conveyor is oriented at a distance from the slicing apparatus and the slicing head cover is automatically lifted to an open cleanup position. The machine has laser intrusion detectors that are used to shut down systems when an unwanted intrusion by a person or object is detected.

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 corresponding food article paths intersecting the cutting path, and

an output conveyor having a normal position and a cleanup position;

an upstream end of said output conveyor is adjacent to a slicing station when in a normal position;

said upstream end of said output conveyor positioned a predetermined distance from said slicing station when in a cleanup position.

2. The food article slicing machine of claim 1, comprising a means to move said output conveyor between said normal position and said cleanup position.

3. The food article slicing machine of claim 1, wherein said output conveyor comprises a linear actuator attached to a machine base of said slicing machine for moving said output conveyor between said normal position and said cleanup position.

4. The food article slicing machine of claim 1, wherein two rails connect said output conveyor to said machine base;

said output conveyor travels along said rails when moving between a normal position and a cleanup position.

5. The food article slicing machine of claim 1, wherein said output conveyor has an intermediate position for transitioning from said normal position to said cleanup position;

a downstream end of said output conveyor is at an incline when said output conveyor is in said intermediate position.

6. The food article slicing machine of claim 1, wherein said food article feed apparatus comprises an operating position and a cleanup position;

said food article feed apparatus is at an incline when in a operating position;

said food article feed apparatus is lowered near said machine base when in a cleanup position.

7. The food article slicing machine of claim 1, comprising a slicing head cover having an open and a closed position;

said cover covering said slicing station when in a closed position;

said cover raised above and away from said slicing station when in a open position;

said slicing machine having a cleanup position;

said slicing machine cleanup position comprises said output conveyor in said cleanup position, said food article feed apparatus in said cleanup position, and said slicing head cover in an open position.

8. The food article slicing machine of claim 1, comprising:

a machine base having a bottom wall; and

a plurality of feet attached to said base for supporting said slicing machine;

each said foot comprising an internal bore for receiving a shaft, and a seal for sealing said bore to said shaft.

9. The food article slicing machine of claim 8, said bore comprises a threaded portion above a smooth portion;

said shaft comprises a threaded portion above a smooth portion;

said threaded portion of said bore engagable with the threaded portion of said shaft;

said seal is located in said smooth portion of said bore;

said seal seals said smooth portion of said shaft to said bore.

10. The food article slicing machine of claim 8, said machine base comprises a top wall;

said top wall is angled downward as said top wall meets a side wall.

11. A method of moving a high speed slicing machine to a cleanup position, comprising the steps of:

providing an output conveyor adjacent to a slicing station;

raising a downstream end of said output conveyor;

moving said output conveyor a predetermined distance from said slicing station.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of lowering a food article feed apparatus near a machine base of said slicing machine.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of moving said slicing head cover to an open position above said slicing station.

14. 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; and

a safety guard system for detecting an intrusion into the machine.

15. The food article slicing machine of claim 14, wherein said safety guard system comprises an emitter for wirelessly broadcasting a signal and a receiver for detecting said signal.

16. The food article slicing machine of claim 15, wherein said safety guard system comprising a sensor;

said sensor comprising said emitter and said receiver.

17. The food article slicing machine of claim 15, wherein said receiver detects said signal when said signal is reflected off an object.

18. The food article slicing machine of claim 15, wherein said emitter or said receiver are opto-electric.

19. The food article slicing machine of claim 15, wherein said emitter broadcasts said signal across an arc defining a signal curtain;

said signal curtain covering at least a portion of said slicing machine.

20. The food article slicing machine of claim 19, wherein said sensor communicates an intrusion condition to a slicing machine control when said sensor detects an intrusion into said signal curtain.

21. The food article slicing machine of claim 16, wherein said safety guard system comprises a housing for protecting said emitter and said receiver;

said housing having an open position, a closed position, and a device for urging said housing to said closed position, and an opening mechanism for overcoming said device.