High Speed Slicing Machine

• US 20110265624A1
• Filed: 05/02/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2010
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Provisur Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Provisur Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Pasek, James E., Wolcott, Thomas C.
• Application Number:
  US13/099,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20110265624A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 83/409
• 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 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 7/0683 specially adapted for elongated articles
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/225 for food slicers
• 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: Y10T 83/2074 Including means to divert one portion of product from another
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/654 With work-constraining means on work conveyor [i.e., "work-carrier"]

Abstract

A high speed food article slicing machine with a slicing station, a moveable frame supporting a food article feed mechanism frame, a food article gate, and a safety guard system for detecting an intrusion into the machine. Food articles are loaded onto a lift tray and raised to a staging position where food articles are in contact with a food article gate. The lift tray is located inline with the food article feed paths such that lateral shifting of food articles into the feed paths is not needed. Food article grippers, individually driven along feed paths by an overhead conveyor, move food articles over the food article gate towards the slicing station. The food article gate functions to assist in removal of food article end portions. The slicing machines utilizes a horizontally radiating laser intrusion detector to shut down systems when an unwanted intrusion is sensed.

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 disposed over a food article loading apparatus, said food article feed apparatus having an upper conveyor assembly with independently driven endless conveyor belts, each belt connected to a food article gripper for moving a food article along a food article feed path.

2. The food article slicing machine of claim 1, wherein the food article feed path comprise lanes within a lift tray.

3. The food article slicing machine of claim 1, wherein a food article gate disposed upstream of the slicing station forms a portion of the food article feed path.

4. The food article slicing machine of claim 3, wherein the food article loading apparatus includes a lift tray assembly moveable between a staging position and an elevated position, said elevated position feting a position wherein the food articles disposed within the lift tray assembly are in the food article feed path;

and wherein the food articles are supported in position along the food article feed path by at least the food article gate when the lift tray assembly is moved from its elevated position.

5. The food article slicing machine of claim 1, wherein the food article feed path feeds the food article between a front lower conveyor and upper presser plate upstream of the slicing station

84. The food article slicing machine of claim 5 wherein the lower conveyor pivots between a first position which decreases the distance between the upper presser plate and the lower conveyor, and a second position which increases the distance between the upper presser plate and the lower conveyor.

85. The food article slicing machine of claim 1 wherein each independently driven endless conveyor belt is wrapped around a drive roller;

said drive roller having a toothed outer diameter for engaging with the endless conveyor belt and a toothed recessed diameter for engaging with a drive belt.

86. The food article slicing machine of claim 85 wherein the drive belt is connected to a drive shaft connected to a servomotor.

87. The food article slicing machine of claim 86 wherein each endless conveyor belt is driven independently by a servomotor;

each servomotor arranged on the same side of the endless conveyor belts,

88. The food article slicing machine of claim 1 wherein each independently driven endless conveyor belt can be timed to moved food articles towards the slicing station at the same rate.

89. The food article slicing machine of claim 1 comprising at least two conveyor belts each connected to a food article gripper.

90. The food article slicing machine of claim 1 comprising three conveyor belts each connected to a food article gripper.

91. The food article slicing machine of claim 1 wherein the food article loading apparatus forms a portion of the food article feed path.

92. The food article slicing machine of claim 1 wherein movement of the conveyor belt is in a plane parallel to the food article feed path.

93. The food article slicing machine of claim 1 wherein the grippers are connected to the bottom of the endless conveyor belt.

94. The food article slicing machine of claim 1 wherein the plane defined by the conveyer belt surface is parallel to food article path.

96. The food article slicing machine of claim 1 wherein the food article engagement structure is a gripper.

97. The food article slicing machine of claim 96 wherein the gripper is mounted to a bottom run of the belt via a guide assembly.

98. New The food article slicing machine of claim 97 wherein each belt is disposed between two rails that straddle the belt;

said rails supporting and guiding the grippers between a retracted home position and a forward position approaching the slicing plane.

6-83. -83. (canceled)

95. 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 disposed over a food article loading apparatus, said food article feed apparatus having an upper conveyor assembly with independently driven endless conveyor belts, said belts translating a food article engagement structure that engages a food article to move the food article along a food article feed path.