Knife blade retraction mechanism for a food article slicing machine

• US 8,616,103 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2008
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alie, Ghassem
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Bharat C
• Application Number:
  US12/255,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20090151527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,897 Days
• Field of Search: 834/69, 83215-216, 83563-564, 83703-705, 837/30, 83D/IG.1, 834/94, 83/58
• US Class Current: 83/469
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/0093 Handling, transporting or packaging pieces of meat
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 1/02 having a stationary cutting member B26D1/547 takes precedence
• 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 1/36 and rotating continuously in one direction during cutting, e.g. mounted on a rotary cylinder for flying cutting B26D1/62
• 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 food article slicing machine includes a slicing station, a food article feed apparatus, and an automated blade retraction mechanism. The food article feed apparatus supports one or more food articles for movement along food article paths intersecting the cutting path. The automated blade retraction mechanism periodically retracts the blade from the cutting plane to make empty cuts during a continuous cutting operation. The retracting mechanism includes a sliding member arranged outside the blade shaft, the sliding member guided for sliding movement and non-rotation and arranged to exert a sliding force on the blade shaft. A linear actuator causes the sliding member to slide and exert a sliding force on the blade shaft to retract the knife blade away from the cutting plane in a direction along the axis of the blade shaft.

Claims

1. A food article slicing machine, comprising:

a slicing station comprising a knife blade mounted on a blade shaft having a blade shaft axis and a knife blade drive driving the blade along a cutting path in a cutting plane by rotating the blade shaft about said blade shaft axis;

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

an automated retraction mechanism for periodically retracting said knife blade from said cutting plane to make empty cuts during a continuous cutting operation, said retraction mechanism comprising;

a stationary hub and a sliding member with a bearing hub, wherein said stationary hub surrounds at least a portion of the bearing hub, and wherein said bearing hub is arranged for sliding movement in an axial direction parallel to said blade shaft axis within said stationary hub;

wherein the bearing hub engages with the blade shaft such that an axial movement of the bearing hub along said blade shaft axis causes a corresponding axial movement of the blade shaft, and wherein the sliding member is arranged outside the blade shaft and guided for sliding movement and non-rotation with respect to the stationary hub and arranged to exert an axial force on an outside of the blade shaft; and

a linear actuator having a shaft that moves linearly and is operatively connected to a pivot bar at a base end of the pivot bar and the pivot bar operatively connected to the sliding member at a distal end, wherein the pivot bar has a pivot axis with respect to the stationary hub that is between the base and distal ends, and wherein movement of the linear actuator shaft pivoting the pivot bar about the pivot axis causes the sliding member to slide and exert an axial force on an outside of the blade shaft to retract said knife blade away from said cutting plane in a direction along said blade shaft axis.

2. The slicing machine of claim 1, wherein said pivot bar is rotationally connected to the linear actuator shaft and to the sliding member.

3. The slicing machine of claim 1, wherein said actuator shaft has an extended position and a starting position;

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

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

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

5. 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.

6. The slicing machine of claim 5, further comprising one or more friction pads for creating friction against said disc;

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

7. The slicing machine of claim 1 wherein the distal end of the pivot bar comprises elongated slots, said elongated slots configured to receive sliding lugs connected to the bearing hub, said sliding lugs moveable within the elongated slots to translate rotational motion of the pivot bar into linear movement of the bearing hub.

9. The slicing machine of claim 1 wherein the sliding member and the blade shaft have an axial mechanical engagement comprising tapered bearings.

8. The slicing machine of dam 7 wherein the sliding lugs extend through elongated slots through the stationary hub, said elongated slots through the stationary hub configured to allow linear motion of the bearing hub relative to the stationary hub.

10. A slicing machine, comprising:

a slicing station comprising a knife blade mounted on a blade shaft having a blade shaft axis and a knife blade drive driving the blade along a cutting path in a cutting plane by rotating the blade shaft about said blade shaft axis;

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

a means for automatically retracting said knife blade from said cutting plane to make empty cuts during a continuous cutting operation, said means for automatically retracting comprising;

a stationary hub and a sliding member with a bearing hub, wherein said stationary hub surrounds at least a portion of the bearing hub, and wherein said bearing hub is arranged for sliding movement in an axial direction parallel to said blade shaft axis within said stationary hub, wherein the bearing hub engages with the blade shaft such that an axial movement of the bearing hub along said blade shaft axis causes a corresponding axial movement of the blade shaft arranged outside the blade shaft; and

a linear actuator having a shaft that moves linearly and is operatively connected to a pivot bar at a base end of the pivot bar and the pivot bar operatively connected to the sliding member at a distal end, wherein the pivot bar has a pivot axis with respect to the stationary hub that is between the base and distal ends, and wherein movement of the linear actuator shaft pivoting the pivot bar about the pivot axis causes the sliding member to slide and exert an axial force on an outside of the blade shaft to retract said knife blade away from said cutting plane in a direction along said blade shaft axis.

11. The slicing machine of claim 10, 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.

12. The slicing machine of claim 10, wherein said means for automatically retracting retracts the knife blade a distance from the cutting plane so the knife blade is disengaged from a non-advancing food article.