A MEAT CUTTING DEVICE

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for cutting meat. This kind of devices generally comprise a body part and a cutting means attached thereto, whereby the cutting of the meat is carried out by pushing a piece of meat either by hand or with a pushing means through the cutting means. In order to improve the cutting result, speed and safety, the meat cutting device comprises a feeding chute (D) defining for the meat a path (B) inclined towards cutting blades (C1-n), and a blade assembly (C) formed by a plurality of disc-like cutting blades (C1-n). Due to their combined effect the meat piece to be cut passes automatically through the cutting blades.

Description: A meat cutting device The invention relates to a device for cutting meat in particular. More specifically, it is concerned with a device for cutting meat by machine. Meat is generally cut manually e.g. in house¬ holds, shops- meat wholesale firms- etc. Self-evident¬ ly, this takes plenty of time and effort. Moreover, the size of the slices, strips or cubes so obtained varies, which easily leads to unsatisfactory results in cooking. Further, accidents at work are likely to occur particularly in connection with cutting on a larger scale. Therefore, attempts have been made to develop devices by means of which the cutting can be carried out by machine. A device in which a piece of meat is pressed by hand through rotating blades is intended mainly for domestic use. To avoid injuries, some kind of pushing means is used. The capacity of this kind of device is, of course, rather low, about 20 to 30 kg/h at the most. For industrial use, a device is developed in which meat is pressed by means of a pushing piston through cutting blades. In this case, too, the capac- ity is rather low and the result obtained by the press effect is not too satisfactory. The object of the present invention is to pro¬ vide a device by means of which the above drawbacks are avoided and the best possible cutting result and capacity are obtained. This object is achieved by means of a device which is characterized in that it comprises as a combination: - a feeding chute defining for the meat a path which is inclined towards cutting blades, and - a rotatably mounted blade assembly comprising a plurality of disc-like cutting blades. The basic idea of the device according to the invention is that a piece of meat, such as a joint, is drawn automatically towards the cutting blades and therethrough during the cutting operation, whereby the cutting is carried out rapidly and evenly, no pushing means damaging the meat and "the blades are needed, and accidents, such as injuries to hands or fingers, are avoided. Due to the simple structure of the device, it is easy to take to pieces and, accordingly, easy to maintain and clean, which is of importance especially for hygienic reasons. The "automatic" operation of the device also promotes safety at work, which is dis¬ cussed more closely below. The invention will be described in more detail in the following with reference to the figure of the attached drawing, which shows a schematic view of the device. In the meat cutting device of the figure, a feeding chute D comprises four walls D^_4. The cross- sectional area of the feeding chute is rectangular and tapers downwards so that, one side wall O only is inclined towards a blade assembly C. A shaft 4 of a feeding lid A is mounted rotatably in bearings at the top of the feeding chute. The feeding lid comprises four plates positioned perpendicularly to each other and extending substantially to the side walls of the . eeding chirte. " A shaft 3 of-'the blade assembly C is mounted rotatably in bearings in the lower portion of the feeding chute and it is connected to a squirrel cage motor E acting as a power source e.g. by means of V-belts. The walls of the feeding chute extend below the blade assembly. The shafts 3 and 4 are positioned substantially in the same vertical plane. Comb blades 1 and 2 are arranged within the feeding chute at the opposite side walls D^ and D3. The comb blade 1 is fastened to the side wall D3. by means of screws 5 at guide recesses 6 formed in the upper edge of the side wall. The comb blade 2 is fastened correspondingly to the side wall D3 by means of screws 7 at guide re¬ cesses (not shown) in the lower edge of the side wall. The planar teeth of the comb blade 1 form a ridge to¬ wards the blade assembly C, whereby they extend partly between cutting blades Cι_ n . The teeth of the comb blade 2 are bent upwards at the lower edge of the feeding chute towards the shaft 3 of the blade assembly C, whereby they are positioned substantially in parallel with the side wall Di and the comb blade 1 fastened thereto and extend substantially tangentially to the shaft 3 of the blade assembly C on the side of the side wall Di so that they reach between the cutting blades Cι_ n . The function of the guide re¬ cesses 6 is to make the installation of the comb blades 1 (and 2) easier so that the teeth of the comb blades do not touch the cutting blades Cι_ n at the in¬ stallation stage and damage these. The front wall D2 of the feeding chute D is de¬ tachable. Accordingly, both the feeding lid A and the blade assembly C are easily detachable for cleaning and other maintaining procedures. The individual cutting blades Cι_ n of the blade assembly C are like¬ wise detachable and their mutual spacing can be ad¬ justed by means of spacers according to the desired thickness of slices. The comb blades 1 and 2 are also easily detachable for cleaning. In the following the operation of the meat cutting device will be described in more detail, in which connection the function of the structural de¬ tails appears more clearly. A piece of meat, such as a joint, is placed on a plane of the feeding lid A adjacent to the inclined side wall D^- The feeding lid is rotated anticlockwise so that the meat is displaced within the feeding chute D. The meat is passed on along a path B inclining to- wards the blade assembly C and indicated with an ar¬ row. When the meat touches the cutting blades Cι_ n of the blade assembly rotating in the direction of motion of the meat, these in cooperation with the inclined inner wall automatically draw the meat through the blade assembly C, whereafter the meat is removed from the feeding chute in the form of slices into a meat collecting receptacle 6 called a "gastronomy recep¬ tacle". Thus the sliced meat, can be transferred to be cut again, which results in strips. A third cutting gives cubes as a result. The teeth of the comb blade 1 forming ridges between the cutting blades C±-_χ ensure that the meat is sliced throughout. The teeth of the comb plate 2 both guide the meat out of the feeding chute and prevent the displacement of the meat piece with the blade assembly to the other side of the feed¬ ing chute. The "automatic drawing through" described above results from the combined effect of the inclined path B and the blade angle of the cutting blades Cι_ n . In a preferred embodiment the angle of inclination of the path with respect to the vertical plane defined by the shafts 3 and 4 is about 15°, the tilt of the ridge of the teeth Of the comb blade 1 with respect to this vertical plane about 30°, and the angle of point of the symmetrically ground cutting blades Cι_ n about 12°. Furthermore, this automatic operation enables the realization of sa ety promoting structures. The feeding lid A acts both as meat feeding means and as a safety means. In connection with the proper feeding process as well as otherwise the feeding lid protects hands and fingers so they will not get into contact with the blade assembly C. In addition, a safety switch is provided at a point where the shaft 4 of the feeding lid is mounted in bearings so as to prevent the starting of the device when the feeding lid is not in place. Below the feeding chute there can also be provided a protective cover which is returnable by spring force and which is pushed aside when the meat collecting receptacle is positioned under the feeding chute D and which returns automatically when the re¬ ceptacle is removed, thus closing the opening below the feeding chute. ' In view of the maintenance and durability, it is advisable to make the structures of the present meat cutting device of a stainless material. Besides meat, other materials such as liver, sausage, veg¬ etables, etc., can also be cut by means of the de¬ vice. The drawing and the description related thereto are only intended to illustrate the idea of the inven¬ tion. In its details the device according to the in¬ vention may vary within the scope of the claims.

Claims: Claims : 1. A meat cutting device having a body part in which a cutting means is arranged for cutting meat, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the device com¬ prises as a combination: - a feeding chute (D) defining for the meat a path (B) inclined towards cutting blades (Cι_ n ), and - a rotatably mounted blade assembly (C) formed by a plurality of disc-like cutting blades (Cχ_ n ), whereby the meat is drawn automatically towards the cutting blades and therethrough. 2. A meat cutting device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the inclination of the path (B) of the meat is obtained in such a way that one side wall (Di) of the feeding chute (D) is arranged to incline downwards towards the blade assem¬ bly (C). 3. A meat cutting device according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that in connection with the side wall (D^) there is provided a comb blade (1) -the teeth of-which extend downwards and paxtly between the cutting blades (Cι_ n ) . 4. A meat cutting device according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that in connection with a side wall (D3) opposite to the side wall (Di) of the feeding chute (D) there is provided a comb blade (2) .the teeth :o± which extend upwards and partly between the cutting blades (C^_ n ) . 5. A meat cutting device according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the teeth of the comb blade (2) project upwards towards the shaft (3) of the blade assembly (C) "substantially in parallel with the side wall (D]_). 6. A meat cutting device according to claims 3 to 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the teeth of the comb blades (1, 2) are planar and the width there¬ of corresponds substantially to the spacing between the cutting blades (Cι_ n ) . 7. A meat cutting device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the cutting blades (C _ n ) of the blade assembly are arranged on the shaft (3) detachably and with an adjustable mutual spacing. 8. A meat cutting device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a feeding lid (A) is arranged rotatably in the feeding chute (D) above the blade assembly (C).

Inventors: AKRENIUS JARI, AKRENIUS, JARI
Applicants: FENDO KY
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A22C9
IPC codes: B26D1, B26D3, B26D7