Abstract:
The invention relates to a device for dividing a continuous sausage into portions, in particular sausage links. The invention includes at least one pair of opposing clamps which can be moved towards one another by actuation means in order to crush the sausage. Each clamp includes at least a first plate ( 141, 151 ) and a second plate ( 142, 152 ), each of said plates having front clamping edges ( 141   a,    151   a;    142   a,    152   a ) and being arranged such that the front edge of the first and second plates form respectively first ( 181 ) and second ( 182 ) variable-cross-section passages. The invention also includes at least one blade associated with the pair of clamps, which can be moved transversely to the plates between the first passage and the second passage in order to cut the sausage.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a device for portioning a continuous strand in order to form individual portions, especially a device for portioning comprising at least one pair of pliers associated to a cutting blade, particularly for producing sausages from a continuous strand constituted of minced meat or fish and/or vegetables, covered by a skin or casing. 
     There has been known from patent document EP 1 434 490, portioning devices for producing sausage-type products, comprising a pair of opposite pliers able to be moved towards one another by actuation means from an open position to a closed position in order to pinch the strand, and cutting means comprising one blade associated to the pair of pliers able to be actuated by actuation means to cut the strand when the pliers are in a closed position. Each plier comprises one plate provided at the end with a front pinching edge, substantially V-shaped, with the two pliers being shifted in relation to one another in such a way that during their displacement towards the closed position, the plates overlap like shears, and form by their front edge a passage or diaphragm whose cross-section decreases progressively. The two pliers are arranged and moved in such a way that a passage remains in the closed position. The blade may be mounted on one of the two pliers and be actuated by a jack to cut the strand just upstream or downstream from the plates. 
     This plier system ensures a progressive pinching around the strand, limiting risks of casing tearing. Meanwhile, in the event of producing sausages from a strand obtained by coextrusion of the casing and a food product, the shearing efforts applied by the pliers on the casing that has just been formed, for example by gelling, may be too important, and lead to a breaking of the casing. Furthermore, the cutting being realized just upstream or downstream from the pliers, the food product tends to come out of the casing by the end of the sausage formed on the side of the blade. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is aimed to provide a portioning device that overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks and that makes it possible to obtain a clear and precise cutting of portions, particularly in the case of sausages having a coextruded casing. 
     With this regard, the object of the present invention is a device for portioning a continuous strand for producing portions, especially sausages, comprising
         pinching means comprising at least one pair of opposite pliers able to be moved towards one another by first actuation means from an open position to a closed position to pinch the strand, with each plier of the pair comprising at least one plate provided at the end with a front pinching edge, for example substantially V-shaped, with the two pliers being shifted in relation to one another in such a way that during their displacement towards the closed position, the plates overlap such as shears and form by their front edge a passage or diaphragm whose cross-section decreases progressively, said passage having a non null minimal section in the closed position of the pliers, and   cutting means comprising at least one blade associated to the pair of pliers, mounted for example on one of said pliers, able to be actuated by second actuation means to cut the strand when the pliers are close to their closed position or in their closed position,       

     characterized in that each pliers of said pair comprises at least one first plate and a second plate arranged such that, during the displacement of the pliers towards their closed position, the first plates and second plates respectively form via their front edge a first passage and a second passage with a variable cross-section, said blade associated to said pair of pliers being able to be moved transversally to the plates between the first passage and second passage to cut the strand. 
     According to the invention, in the event of producing sausages from a strand formed from a food product wrapped in a casing, the dual-plate plier system makes it possible to progressively pinch the continuous strand and to progressively drive out the food product from the casing between the first passage and the second passage, also called first and second diaphragms, to form between them a squashed flattened portion, of restricted cross-section, possibly substantially without food product, the cutting being then carried out at this flattened portion. 
     According to a feature, said pliers are arranged in such a way that their plates are positioned in alternation in the closed position of the pliers, two adjacent plates not belonging to the same pliers. 
     According to an embodiment, said first actuation means are able to bring pliers closer together and to bring pliers further apart according to a back-and-forth movement in the orthogonal direction as well as in the direction parallel to the transport direction of the strand, the displacement speed of the pliers being substantially equal to the transport speed of the strand when the pliers are in contact with the strand for pinching and cutting operations, and variable outside pinching and cutting operations to carry out a portioning of variable length. 
     Advantageously, the pliers of each pair are mounted in rotation on two rotatable discs, preferably around axes substantially parallel to the axes of rotation of the rotatable discs, and perpendicular to the transport direction of the strand, the discs being driven in rotation by at least one variable speed motor. Advantageously, the rotation of each rotatable disc leads via a gear system, to the rotation in the opposite direction of the plier(s) mounted thereon. 
     According to another embodiment, the pliers are mounted pivoting in relation to each other around an axis, the pliers being able to be maneuvered by cams between their closed position and their open position. 
     According to a feature, the blade is mounted pivoting between the two plates of a first plier, said second actuation means being able to make the blade pivot between a retracted position and an active cutting position. 
     According to another feature, the blade is solicited by elastic return means towards its retracted position, the second actuating means for actuating the blade being mounted on the second plier of the pair. Said second actuation means advantageously comprising a finger mounted on the upper portion of the second plier and able to come in abutment with a pivoting arm whereon the blade is mounted to handle the blade towards its active position against the elastic return means. 
     In the event of pivotally mounted pliers, the blade is advantageously mounted on a pivoting arm able to cooperate with a cam to handle the blade between its two positions. 
     The invention will be better understood, and other objects, details, characteristics and advantages will become more apparent in the following detailed explanatory description of two currently-preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective schematic view of a device for portioning according to a first embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective schematic view of two pairs of pliers on the rotatable discs of  FIG. 1 , the pliers of a first pair arriving in contact with the continuous strand; 
         FIGS. 3 and 4  are similar views to  FIG. 4 , on a small scale showing the pliers of the first pair in various angular positions, respectively just before the alignment of the axes of rotation of the pliers with the axes of rotation of the disks, then during the spacing of the pliers from each other; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective schematic view of pliers; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged perspective schematic view of the first pair of pliers on  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective and cross-sectional longitudinal view of the pair of pliers in  FIG. 6 , showing the pivoting mounting of the blade on the first plier; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the first pair of pliers when the axes of rotation of the pliers and the axes of rotation of the discs are aligned, that is to say when the passages have reached their minimal cross-section, the blade in active position; 
         FIG. 9  is perspective schematic view of constitutive elements of the device in  FIG. 1 , among which the rotatable discs equipped with the pairs of pliers and the recovering conveyor of sausages with their respective driving system; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the two rotatable discs illustrating the driving system in rotation of the two rotatable discs and the pliers; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective schematic view of a pair of pliers of a device according to a second embodiment; and, 
         FIG. 12  shows a partial cross-sectional schematic view of the pliers according to  FIG. 11  in closed position with the blade in retracted position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIGS. 1 to 10  show a first embodiment of a device for producing sausages from a continuous strand formed from a food product covered by a casing. The device is advantageously used for portioning a strand obtained by coextrusion of a food product coated by a starting base, comprising for example one or several hydrocolloids, which base is intended to form the skin by gelling in a bath downstream from the coextrusion device. 
     In this first embodiment, the pliers of each pair are mounted in rotation on rotatable discs to be moved according to a back-and-forth movement by circular translation. With reference especially to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the device comprising a support chassis  1  on the upper part from which are mounted a first rotatable disc  2 , of axis of rotation A, and a second rotatable disc  2 ′ of axis of rotation A′, both axes of rotation being arranged parallely to each other and substantially perpendicularly to the direction of advancement D of the strand to be portioned. A first pair  3   a  of pliers comprises a first plier  4  mounted pivoting on the first rotatable disc  2  around an axis of rotation C arranged parallel to axis of rotation A of the disc and at a distance from it, and a second plier  5  mounted in a similar manner on the second disc  2 ′ around an axis of rotation C′ parallel to the axis A′. 
     With reference to  FIG. 6 , the first plier  4  comprises a first plate  41  and a second plate  42  parallel to each other, and spaced apart from each other. Each plate exhibits at its front end a notch defining a front pinching edge  41   a ,  42   a  in a general V-shape, with two external points P 1  and P 2  on either side of a retracted internal point P 3 . The two pinching edges  41   a ,  42   a  exhibit substantially similar profiles. Alternatively, these profiles may be slightly different. Both plates are secured to a mounting part  46  whereby the pliers are mounted pivoting on the first disc, its plates being arranged parallel to the axis of rotation C. The plates and the mounting part are for example formed from a sole single piece. The second plier of the first pair are formed from a piece that is similar to that of the first piece. With reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , it comprises two plates  51  and  52  with pinching edges  51   a  and  52   a , and a mounting part  56 . 
     Such as shown on  FIG. 2 , the discs are driven in rotation around their axis A and A′ of opposite directions, such that the pliers move in the transport direction D of the strand when they are in contact with the latter, and at the same speed as that of the strand, and the pliers are driven in rotation on the discs around their axis C and C′ such as to remain constantly arranged perpendicularly to the transport direction D of the strand, and parallely to each other, with their front edge facing. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the first plier  4  are equipped with the cutting system  6 . The cutting system comprising a flat blade  61  moveably mounted on an arm  62 , said arm being mounted pivoting on a support  63  around an axis of rotation  64  perpendicular to the plates. The support is assembled on the top of the mounting part of the first plier, the blade being arranged between the two plates in parallel to them with its cutting edge  62   a  oriented towards the outside. The blade is closer to the first plate and may be placed against it. The blade is elastically solicited in a retracted position by a traction spring (not shown), housed in a housing  63   a  and connected by its ends to the arm  62  and at the bottom of the housing. In this retracted position shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the blade is arranged between the two plates, set back with respect to their pinching edge  41   a ,  42   a . On the side of its axis of rotation  64  opposite from the fixing point of the spring, the arm extends outside its support  63 , by a pin  62   a  able to cooperate with the free end  71  of an actuation finger  7  mounted on the second plier  5  to make the blade pivot counter to the spring towards an active position shown in  FIG. 8 . In this active position, the cutting edge  61   a  of the blade is arranged beyond the inner points P 3  of the front pinching edges of the plates  41 ,  42 ,  51 ,  52 . The actuation finger is mounted on the upper part of the second plier  5  and extends above the two plates  51 ,  52  with its free end  71  arranged at a distance and substantially in the perpendicularity of the external points P 1 , P 2  of the pinching edges  51   a  and  52   a . The first plier are equipped with a guiding piece  65 , formed by a rail  65  of inverted U-shaped transversal cross-section mounted on the support  63 , that extends above the plates  41 ,  42  to receive and guide the finger during the nearing of the two pliers to pinch and cut the strand. 
       FIG. 2  shows the angular position of the discs wherein the two pliers of the first pair come in contact with strand B to be portioned. Such as shown in  FIG. 1 , the device advantageously comprises in the inlet a guiding system, formed for example of two rollers arranged in a V-shape, to guide between the two discs the strand coming from the coextrusion device. From this angular position of the discs, the first plate  51  of the second plier comes to interpose between the two plates  41 ,  42  of the first plier, and the second plate  52  of the second plier comes to position itself in front of the first plate  41  of the first plier. The front edge  41   a  of the first plate of the first plier and the front edge  52   a  of the second plate of the second plier form a first passage or diaphragm  81  ( FIG. 8 ) whose section gradually diminishes, and the front edge  42   a  of the second plate of the first plier and the front edge  51   a  of the first plate of the second plier form a second diaphragm  82  ( FIG. 7 ), whose section gradually diminishes. The strand is thus progressively squashed between the two diaphragms  81  and  82 . In the shown position in  FIG. 3 , the actuation finger  7  abuts against the pin. From this position of  FIG. 3  to that of  FIG. 8 , wherein axes C and C′ of the pliers are aligned with axes A and A′ of the discs, the finger abutting against the pin progressively moves the blade between the second plates  42  and  52  of the pliers, from its retracted position towards its active position, its cutting edge  61   a  moving between the diaphragms, beyond the internal points P 3  of the plates  51  and  52  of the second plier to cut the squashed part of the strand. From this position shown in  FIG. 8 , the pliers are then spaced apart from each other, the blade returning to its retracted position under the effect of the elastic return of the spring. The sausages S that have just been cut are then recovered on the upper strand of an endless belt conveyor  12 , driven by a motor  121 , via a pulley, a belt and a gear system  122  such as shown schematically on  FIG. 9 . 
     As shown in figs, the rotatable discs may comprise a second pair  3   b  of pliers. On each disc, the pliers are arranged symmetrically on either side of the axis of rotation of the disc. 
     As previously stated, the discs  2  and  2 ′ are driven in rotation such that the pliers move at the same speed as the transport speed of the strand when the pliers are in contact with the strand. Outside this angular section whereon the pliers are in contact with the pliers, the rotational speed of the discs may be increased or reduced depending on the desired length of the sausages. The driving system of the discs and pliers is shown on  FIGS. 10 and 11 . The second disc  2 ′ is driven in rotation by a motor  21  around its axis of rotation A′. The motor is for example a motor typically called brushless motor, controlled by a variator programmed to make the rotational speed of the disc vary depending on the desired length of the sausage. The peripheral edge of the second disc is provided with teeth that enmesh with those of the first disc to drive it into rotation in the opposite direction, around its axis A′. Each plier are mounted on an axis that crosses the disc throughout, and which fixedly holds in its inner portion a pinion  22 . This pinion enmeshes with an intermediary pinion  23  rotatably mounted on the lower side of the disc. This intermediary pinion enmeshes with an axial pinion  24  that is fixedly mounted on the chassis and which surrounds the axis of rotation of the disc. Thus, the rotation of the second disc  2 ′ in one direction by the motor  21  drives the rotation of the first disc  2  in the opposite direction, as well as the rotation of each plier in the opposite direction of the rotation direction of the disc whereon it is mounted. 
       FIG. 9  shows a pair  103  of pliers according to a second embodiment, wherein the pliers  104 ,  105  each comprise as previously two plates  141 ,  142  and  151 ,  152  provided with an essentially V-shaped pinching edge  141   a ,  142   a  and  151   a ,  152   a , the two pliers being this time assembled to each other by their mounting part  146 ,  156  in a pivoting manner around an axis E perpendicular to the plates. 
     Several pairs of pliers are for example mounted in an endless belt arrangement parallel to the transport direction of the strand B. The pairs of pliers advance substantially at the same speed as the transport speed of the strand, the spacing between two successive pairs of pliers corresponding to the desired length of the sausage. 
     The mounting part of each pliers is equipped with two rollers  102 ,  102 ′ mounted idle, the rollers being able to cooperate with cams (not shown), for example in the form of a guiding rail passing between the two rollers, to handle the pliers between their open position and their closed position shown in  FIG. 12 . The cutting blade  161  is assembled to an arm  162  mounted pivoting around axis E, and equipped at its end with two rollers  162   a , said rollers cooperating with mechanical cams to move the blade between its active cutting position and its retracted position shown in  FIG. 11 , wherein the blade is between the plates of the second plier  105 , its cutting edge  161   a  set back from the front edges  151   a ,  152   a.    
     As previously, the strand is gradually squashed between the two diaphragms  181  and  182 , formed respectively by the front edge  141   a  of the first plate of the first plier and the front edge  152   a  of the second plate of the second plier, and the front edge  142   a  of the second plate of the first plier and the front edge  151   a  of the first plate of the second plier, the cutting being achieved between the first plates  141  and  151 . 
     Although the invention has been described in connection to two particular embodiments, it is to be understood that it is in no way limited thereto and that it includes all the technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations should these fall within the scope of the invention.