Abstract:
A slicing apparatus and method suitable for reliably slicing elongated food products along a longitudinal axis thereof. The apparatus includes a slicing wheel mounted for rotation about a roughly horizontal axis, a first delivery structure adapted to deliver food product to the slicing wheel, and a moving delivery device adapted to press the food product against the first delivery structure and propel the food product in a delivery direction along a length of the first delivery structure to the slicing wheel. The slicing wheel produces a slice cut in the food product parallel to the delivery direction in which the food product is delivered to the slicing wheel.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/722,360, filed Nov. 5, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to methods and equipment for cutting food products. More particularly, this invention relates to a slicing apparatus suitable for slicing an elongate food product lengthwise. 
         [0003]    Various types of equipment are known for slicing, dicing, shredding and granulating products, including but not limited to food products. A particular example is the TRANSLICER® series of machines manufactured by Urschel Laboratories, embodiments of which are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,702. The TRANSLICER® series has found wide use for slicing elongate products with the use of a cutting wheel disposed in a vertical plane and rotated on a horizontal axis, with radial cutting blades mounted between a hub and an annular-shaped rim. Notable examples of cutting wheels suitable for use with the TRANSLICER® are disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,992,284 and 6,148,709. A conveyor or other suitable device delivers product horizontally to the cutting wheel. The cutting operation performed by the TRANSLICER® is generally limited to the hemisphere of the cutting wheel in which the blades are traveling downward, because attempting to cut a product as the blade travels upward tends to lift the product off the conveyor. 
         [0004]    Although the TRANSLICER® series of machines produce desirable resulting in various cutting applications, there is an ongoing demand for machines capable of producing various types of cuts. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention provides a slicing apparatus capable of reliably slicing elongated food products, particularly along a longitudinal axis thereof. 
         [0006]    According to a first aspect of the invention, a slicing apparatus includes a slicing wheel mounted for rotation about a roughly horizontal axis, a first delivery structure adapted to deliver a food product to the slicing wheel, and a moving delivery device adapted to press the food product against the first delivery structure and push the food product in a delivery direction along a length of the first delivery structure to the slicing wheel. The slicing wheel produces a slice cut in the food product parallel to the delivery direction in which the food product is delivered to the slicing wheel. 
         [0007]    Other aspects of the invention include methods of using a slicing apparatus comprising the elements described above. 
         [0008]    A technical effect of the invention is the ability to rapidly and reliably slice elongated food products lengthwise. In particular, it is believed that, by providing a moving delivery structure that is capable of applying pressure to the entire length of an elongate food product as it is being sliced with the slicing wheel, curvature of the food product can be minimized to the extent that the food product can be proportionately halved along its length. 
         [0009]    Other aspects and advantages of this invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIGS. 1 through 3  are perspective views representing a slicing apparatus in accordance with an aspect of this invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    The present invention provides a slicing apparatus that may be, though is not required to be, a variation or adaptation of the TRANSLICER® series of machines. As schematically represented in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , the slicing apparatus is well suited for slicing an elongate food product  10  with the use of a slicing wheel  12  disposed in a vertical plane and rotated on a horizontal axis, as the product  10  is horizontally delivered to the slicing wheel  10 . In contrast to the radial cutting blades of the TRANSLICER® series, the slicing wheel  12  can be in the form of a disk-shaped blade oriented to produce a lengthwise slice cut  22  in the food product  10  as it is delivered horizontally to the slicing wheel  12 . The embodiment of  FIGS. 1 through 3  shows the product  10  as being delivered while supported on a channel  14  or another suitable stationary delivery structure, which operates in combination with an overhead hold-down device  16 . The hold-down device  16  is represented as a conveyor belt unit in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , though other moving delivery devices could also be used. The channel  14  is further shown as having a V-shaped cross-sectional shape and operating in combination with a conveyor belt  24  that is supported by and travels on one of two legs of the V-shaped channel  14 . In preferred embodiments, a second conveyor belt (not shown) rides on the second of the two legs of the V-shaped channel  14 , such that the product  10  is entirely supported on two moving delivery devices (belts  24 ). However, it is also foreseeable that the product  10  could be supported solely by the stationary channel  14 , or that only one belt  24  could be employed. 
         [0012]    The wheel  12  can be seen to produce the slice cut  22  in the food product  10  parallel to the length of the product  10  and parallel to the direction in which the product  10  is delivered to the wheel  12  on the channel  14 . In certain embodiments of the invention, the product  10  has a circular cross-section and the slice cut  22  is a diametrical cut that passes entirely through the product  10  so as to halve the product  10 . However, the invention is not limited to any particular type of cut, for example, the slice cut  22  could lie on a chord of the circular cross-section of the product  10 , or the product  10  could have a cross-section other than circular.  FIGS. 1 through 3  depict the inclusion of an optional comb/stripper plate  26  adapted to maintain stability/control of the sliced product  10  as and after it leaves the wheel  12 , particularly such that the product  10  continues its forward momentum as it exits the slicing apparatus. 
         [0013]    The overhead hold-down device  16  can be seen to be an integral hold-down device that presses the product  10  against the channel  14  and/or belts  24 , and simultaneously propels the product  10  along the length of the channel  14  into engagement with the wheel  12 . As evident from  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the arrangement of the slicing wheel  12  and hold-down device  16  necessitates that the hold-down device  16  comprises at least two belts  18 , at least one of which is to either side of the slicing wheel  12  so that the wheel  12  is able to rotate within a gap  20  between the belts  18  without interference from either belt  18 . Suitable tensioning devices can be used to ensure proper operation of the hold-down device  16  in relation to the wheel  12  and channel  14 . 
         [0014]    From  FIGS. 1 through 3 , it can be seen that the speeds and positions of the slicing wheel  12  and hold-down device  16  can be synchronized by mounting the wheel  12  to one of the spindles  28  on which the belts  18  are mounted. With this configuration, the product delivery speed of the hold-down device  16  can be synchronized to the rotational speed of the wheel  12 , and the slicing depth of the wheel  12  can be synchronized with the position of the hold-down device  16  as the latter applies a downward force to the product  10  and the product  10  is sliced by the wheel  12 . The hold-down device  16  thereby serves to help maintain the correct speed of the product  10  as it travels through the wheel  12  and maximize product contact with the belts  18 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the belts  18  of the hold-down device  16  are sized for the particular product  10  so as to also apply pressure to the entire length of the product  10  as it is being sliced with the wheel  12 . In this manner, curvature in the product  10  during the slicing operation can be minimized if not substantially eliminated, thereby promoting the ability of the wheel  12  to proportionately halve the product  10  along its entire longitudinal length. The hold-down device  16  also effectively serves as a stripper plate to hold the product  10  in place as it is being sliced by the wheel  12 . 
         [0015]    The term “halve” is used above to reflect the orientation and positioning of the slicing wheel  12  as shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , in which the slicing wheel  12  roughly bisects an angle defined by the legs of the V-shaped support surfaces defined by the channel  14  and/or belts  24  (or other suitable moving and/or stationary structures) so as to roughly halve the product  10  lengthwise. However, it should be understood that the wheel  12  could have different angular orientations relative to the channel  14 . Further processing can be performed on the product downstream of the wheel  12 , such as with cutting knives similar to the type employed by the TRANSLICER® series of machines. Additional possible features of the apparatus can be appreciated from  FIGS. 1 through 3 . 
         [0016]    In view of the above description and  FIGS. 1 through 3 , it will be apparent that the invention further enables a process by which a food product  10  may be sliced by delivering or otherwise locating the food product  10  on the channel  14 , and rotating the belts  18  and  24  on or alongside the channel  14  to deliver the food product  10  to the rotating wheel  12  for slicing. During this operation, the belts  18  of the hold-down device  16  are adapted to apply pressure to the food product  10 , preferably along the entire length thereof, as the food product  10  is being sliced by the slicing wheel  12 , so that the entire length of the food product  10  is firmly and entirely supported by the channel  14  during the slicing operation. 
         [0017]    While the invention has been described in terms of a specific embodiment, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. For example, the slicing apparatus and its individual components could differ in appearance and construction from the embodiment shown in the Figures, and the stationary channel  14  could be replaced by a conveyor or other moving delivery device. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.