Dicing machines and methods of use

Machines and methods capable of producing diced products from a variety of materials. Such a machine includes a knife adapted to slice food product to produce slices, a circular cutter comprising knives that are adapted and arranged to cut the slices into strips, a cross-cutter comprising knives that are adapted and arranged to produce a cross-cut in the strips, and a shear plate that is at least partially between the circular cutter and the cross-cutter. The shear plate defines a first shear edge in proximity to the knives of the cross-cutter and is adapted to ensure dicing of the strips received by the cross-cutter from the circular cutter. A support bar supports the shear plate, and a feature is provide for adjusting the proximity of the first shear edge relative to the knives of the cross-cutter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to methods and machines for cutting solid and semisolid materials, including food products.

The Affinity® dicer is a machine manufactured by Urschel Laboratories and is particularly well suited for dicing various materials, notable but nonlimiting examples of which include cheeses and meats. The Affinity® dicer is well known as capable of high capacity output and precision cuts. In addition, the Affinity® dicer has a sanitary design to deter bacterial growth.

A nonlimiting representation of an Affinity® dicer is shown inFIG. 1. Product is delivered to a feed hopper (not shown) and enters a rotating impeller10, where centrifugal forces hold the product against an inner wall of a stationary case12equipped with a slicing knife14. The slicing knife14is disposed in an opening in the case12and typically oriented approximately parallel to the rotational axis of the impeller10. Paddles of the impeller10carry the product to the slicing knife14, producing slices that enter a dicing unit of the machine. Specifically, slices pass between a rotating feed drum16and feed roll18, then enter a rotating circular cutter20whose axis of rotation is approximately parallel to the rotational axes of the rotating feed drum16and feed roll18. The circular cutter20is equipped with knives oriented approximately perpendicular to the rotational axis of the circular cutter20and, therefore, such that the knives cut each slice into strips. The strips pass directly into a rotating cross-cutter22whose axis of rotation is approximately parallel to the rotational axis of the circular cutter20. The cross-cutter22is equipped with knives that, as shown, are oriented approximately parallel to the rotational axes of the cross-cutter22, and therefore transverse and preferably perpendicular to the knives of the circular cutter20, to produce final cross-cuts that yield a diced product. The rotational speed of the cross-cutter22is preferably independently controllable relative to the feed drum16, feed roll18and circular cutter20so that the size of the diced product can be selected and controlled. As evident fromFIG. 1, the rotational axes of the impeller10, feed drum16, feed roll18, circular cutter20, and cross-cutter22are all approximately parallel to each other.

FIG. 2schematically represents a longitudinal cross-section of the cross-cutter22(not to scale) showing a hollow spindle24adapted to be coaxially mounted on a second spindle or shaft (38inFIG. 3). The hollow spindle24defines a circumferential wall26in which slots28are formed for receiving knives30of the cross-cutter22.

FIG. 3is an exploded view showing individual components of the dicing unit ofFIG. 1, including the feed drum16, feed roll18, circular cutter20, and cross-cutter22and components associated therewith. As represented inFIG. 3, each of the feed drum16, feed roll18, circular cutter20, and cross-cutter22is configured to be individually coaxially mounted on a separate shaft or spindle. In the nonlimiting representation ofFIG. 3, the feed drum16and cross-cutter22are shown as being individually mounted on separate spindle shafts38and secured thereto with a retaining washer40and nut42, and the feed roll18and circular cutter20are shown as being individually mounted on separate spindle shafts44and secured thereto with bolts45.

FIG. 3further represents a stripper or shear plate32supported and secured with bolts36to a support bar34. The shear plate32has an upper shear edge47adapted to strip products (strips) from the circular cutter20prior to being diced with the cross-cutter22. Slots46are defined in a surface of the shear plate32to accommodate the knives of the circular cutter20. The slots46extend to the shear edge47, such that individual edges of the shear edge47between adjacent slots46are able to remove strips from between adjacent knives of the circular cutter20. A lower shear edge48of the shear plate32is in close proximity to the knives30of the cross-cutter22to ensure complete dicing of the strips delivered from the circular cutter20to the cross-cutter22. The feed drum16, feed roll18, circular cutter20, cross-cutter22, shear plate32, and support bar34are all shown as being cantilevered from a support structure50of the machine, for example, an enclosure, frame and/or other structures interconnected with the stationary case12and including drive systems operable to rotate the impeller10, feed drum16, feed roll18, circular cutter20, and cross-cutter22at the desired rotational speeds thereof.

From the above, it should be apparent that the feed drum16, feed roll18, circular cutter20, cross-cutter22, shear plate32, and support bar34must be securely and precisely positioned relative to each other, for example, to ensure that the circular cutter20, cross-cutter22and shear plate32do not move relative to each other to the extent that the knives of the circular cutter20, the knives30of the cross-cutter22, and the shear plate32do not interfere with each other. While completely adequate for many food processing applications, including cheeses for which the Affinity® is widely used, there is an ongoing desire for greater versatility in machines of this type, for example, in the ability to position the shear plate32relative to the cross-cutter22, and in particular the lower shear edge48of the shear plate32relative to the knives30of the cross-cutter22, to ensure complete dicing of the strips received from the circular cutter20.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides machines and methods capable of producing diced products from a variety of materials.

According to one aspect of the invention, a machine is provided that includes a knife adapted to slice food product to produce slices, a circular cutter comprising knives that are adapted and arranged to receive the slices from the knife and cut the slices into strips, a cross-cutter comprising knives that are adapted and arranged to receive the strips from the circular cutter and produce a cross-cut in the strips, and a shear plate that is at least partially between the circular cutter and the cross-cutter. The shear plate defines a first shear edge in proximity to the knives of the cross-cutter and is adapted to ensure dicing of the strips received by the cross-cutter from the circular cutter. A support bar supports the shear plate, and the machine further includes means for adjusting the proximity of the first shear edge relative to the knives of the cross-cutter.

According to another aspect of the invention, a machine is provided for dicing solid and semisolid materials. The machine includes a knife adapted to slice food product to produce slices, a circular cutter comprising knives that are adapted and arranged to receive the slices from the knife and cut the slices into strips, a cross-cutter comprising knives that are adapted and arranged to receive the strips from the circular cutter and produce a cross-cut in the strips, and a shear plate at least partially between the circular cutter and the cross-cutter and having slots that receive the knives of the circular cutter. The shear plate defines a first shear edge in proximity to the knives of the cross-cutter and adapted to ensure dicing of the strips received by the cross-cutter from the circular cutter. The shear plate further has a second shear edge comprising individual edges between adjacent pairs of the slots for removing the strips from between adjacent pairs of the knives of the circular cutter. A support bar supports the shear plate, and the machine further includes means for adjusting the proximity of the first shear edge relative to the knives of the cross-cutter.

Other aspects of the invention include methods of using machines comprising elements such as those described above. A particular but nonlimiting example is to use the machine to dice food products.

A technical effect of the invention is the ability to position the shear plate relative to the cross-cutter, and in particular the lower shear edge of the shear plate relative to the knives of the cross-cutter, to ensure complete dicing of strips received from the circular cutter. Such a capability promotes the use of the machine for dicing a variety of solid and semisolid materials of varying consistencies, textures, hardnesses, etc., including but not limited to food products such as meat with connective tissue.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 4 through 7depict a shear plate32and support bar34configured as components of a dicing unit adapted to be installed on a dicing machine, as a nonlimiting example, the Affinity® dicer represented inFIG. 1. The dicing unit is adapted to cut a sliced product in a direction transverse to the cut that produced the sliced product (a “cross-cut”) to achieve a dicing effect and produce a diced product. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the dicing unit and its benefits are not limited to such uses, nor limited to the Affinity® dicer.

As represented inFIGS. 4 through 7, the dicing unit comprises components, including the shear plate32and support bar34, that are similar to that shown for the Affinity® dicer inFIGS. 1 and 3. The terms “shear plate” and “support bar” will be used in reference to the shear plate32and support bar34represented inFIGS. 4 through 7, though it should be understood that these terms encompass other means capable of the functions of the shear plate32and support bar34, for example, means capable of stripping products (strips) from a first cutting device, means capable of ensuring complete cutting of the products from a second cutting device, and support means therefor. Furthermore, in the nonlimiting embodiment represented inFIGS. 4 through 7, the shear plate32and support bar34are configured to permit their use as part of a retrofit unit for the Affinity® dicer ofFIGS. 1 through 3, in that the dicing unit primarily comprises components that can be additional to or substituted for components shown inFIG. 1 through 3. However, it should be appreciated that the dicing unit could also be provided as original equipment on a dicing machine. Because of the similarities between the dicing unit and its shear plate32and support bar34(hereinafter collective referred to as a shear unit35) ofFIGS. 4 through 7and the dicing unit ofFIGS. 1 and 3, the following discussion ofFIGS. 4 through 7will focus primarily on aspects of the dicing and shear units ofFIGS. 4 through 7that differ from the dicing unit ofFIGS. 1 and 3in some notable or significant manner. Other aspects of the dicing and shear units ofFIGS. 4 through 7not discussed in any detail can be, in terms of structure, function, materials, etc., essentially as was described for the dicing and shear units ofFIGS. 1 and 3. Furthermore, consistent reference numbers are used in the figures to identify the same or functionally equivalent elements.

The shear plate32is at least partially between the circular cutter20and cross-cutter22, and is accurately positioned relative to the circular cutter20and cross-cutter22in order to remove products (strips) from the circular cutter20and its knives31(FIG. 7) prior to the strips being cut by the knives30of the cross-cutter22in a transverse direction to the cuts made by the knives31, resulting in what is termed herein as “dicing” to produce a “diced” product. In particular, upper and lower shear edges47and48of the shear plate32are disposed between the circular cutter20and cross-cutter22. As evident fromFIG. 7, the slots46in the shear plate32individually accommodate the knives31of the circular cutter20, so that individual edges of the upper shear edge47between adjacent slots46remove strips from between adjacent knives31. Furthermore, as evident fromFIG. 7, the lower shear edge48of the shear plate32is in close proximity to the knives30of the cross-cutter22to ensure complete dicing of the strips received from the circular cutter20.

The shear unit35ofFIGS. 4 through 7is intended to permit greater precision with respect to the placement and proximity of the lower shear edge48of the shear plate32relative to the knives30of the cross-cutter22to ensure complete dicing of strips received from the circular cutter20and its knives31. To enable adjustment of the distance between the shear edge48and knives30of the cross-cutter22,FIG. 4represents a pair of camming features52partially disposed between the support bar34and a back edge54of the shear plate32opposite its shear edges47and48. As evident fromFIG. 6, each camming feature52is configured to have a disk-shaped head on an axle60, both of which are received in complementary-shaped recesses in the support bar34. As depicted inFIGS. 4 through 6, the head of each camming feature52may have a frustoconical-shaped edge that defines a camming surface56(FIG. 5), which as seen inFIGS. 4 through 6bears against the back edge54of the shear plate32. The axial extent of the camming surface56gradually varies so that rotation of the camming feature52about an axis defined by its axle60causes displacement of the back edge54of the shear plate32relative to the support bar34. In turn, this movement of the shear plate32causes the shear plate32to tilt relative to the support bar34. As evident fromFIG. 7, increased tilting of the shear plate32in this manner causes the shear edge48of the shear plate32to move toward the cross-cutter22, thus reducing the distance (clearance) between the lower shear edge48of the shear plate32and the knives30of the cross-cutter22. As a nonlimiting example, movement of a distance (d1) of about 0.001 inch (about 25 micrometers) at the back edge54of the shear plate32may result in movement of a distance (d2) of about 0.002 inch (about 50 micrometers) at the shear edge48of the shear plate32. In preferred embodiments, the camming feature52is capable of causing movement of at least 0.015 inch (about 380 micrometers) at the shear edge48. Once a desired clearance is attained, a fastener58can be installed through one of several preformed through-holes62in the head of the camming feature52and, as depicted inFIG. 5, threaded or otherwise engaged with the support bar34to lock the rotational position of the camming feature52on the support bar34. The entire shear plate32is supported and secured to the support bar34, for example, with at least one bolt36shown inFIG. 6.

The ability to finely adjust the clearance between the lower shear edge48of the shear plate32and the knives30of the cross-cutter22as described above promotes the versatility of the shear unit35and a dicing unit in which it is installed. As a nonlimiting example, the adjustability of the lower shear edge48promotes the capability of producing diced products from a variety of solid and semisolid materials of varying consistencies, texture, hardness, etc., including but not limited to food products such as meat with connective tissue.

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 physical configurations of the dicing machine, dicing unit, shear unit35, and/or their components could differ from those shown, and various materials and processes could be used in their manufacture. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.