Patent GB-998898-A (GB)
Title: Slab cutting apparatus
IPC: A21C15/04
Filed: 1961-07-18
Abstract: 998,898. Feeding blanks. FOOD MANUFACTURERS Inc. July 18, 1961 [July 18, 1960], No. 25959/61. Heading B5A. A machine for delivering to a mould cut portions of a slab material comprises a pair of octagonal drum units 30, 32 of similar construction having cutting heads A-H and a series of thin knife blades 50 mounted on each head. Above head A a platen 52 possessing a cushioning layer 54 is mounted in alignment with blades 50. Slabs of wafer material 16a, 16b in magazines 110, 112 are fed on to blades 50 by two pairs of slides 114, 118 and 114a, 118a, slides 114, 114a bridging the space between the magazines 110, 112 and the blades 50 with slides 118, 118a subsequently feeding the slabs on to the blades. Slabs 16a, 16b then abut a stop 94, resiliently mounted for heightwise movement in the platen 52, and are positioned by two fingers 171, 173 (not shown) driven by gear 175 and cam surface 188. The platen 52, mounted on ball bushings 56 (not shown), 58 and guided in the platen housing by pins 62, is reciprocated by two arms 70, 72 projecting through the housing and driven by a series of gears, links and cams. Platen 52 thus nips slabs 16a, 16b against blades 50, the cut pieces being forced into spaces between blades 50 which house cushioning pads 304, 306. Platen 52 is then raised, abutment 94 moving downwardly only to a limited extent, to allow drums 30, 32 to rotate through 45 degrees to bring head B into alignment with the platen. Drums 30, 32 are mounted on a shaft 246 indexed for 45 degrees rotation by a worm gear 242, the heads A-H being secured to a shaft 258 concentric with shaft 246 and slidable along it to allow the heads to take up certain selected positions widthwise of the machine by a cam 301. A head comprises a frame in which is slidably mounted an ejector bar 336 carrying a series of dogs 320, 322 which co-operate with the top face 326 and a recess 322 of pads 304, 306, guided on rods 308, 310. When a head is in its depositing position, i.e. head E, Fig. 3, dogs 320, 322 are aligned with a predetermined series of pads 304, 306 so that on reciprocation of bar 336 against springs 331 by eccentrics 344, 346, pieces of cut slab are fed to a mould positioned beneath the head. The heads are then moved axially with respect to ejector bar 336, so that, on the following reciprocation another series of cut slab are fed to the next mould. Drum 30 effects the filling of cavities a only and drum 32 cavities b. Moulds 20 are fed by a system of chains 602, 604, rails 620, 622, 624, 626 and associated pivoted dogs 602A, 602B, 604A, 604B. A pair of outer dogs 602B, 604B are actuated by engagement with rails 622, 626 so that they feed a mould 20 to drum 30 whence the rails are broken and the dogs pivot away from the mould. The mould is then positioned by spring-loaded, pivoted arms 654, 656 and pieces of cut slab are ejected into mould cavities a. A pair of inner dogs 602A, 604A actuated by rails 620, 624 then engage the mould 20 removing it to beneath drum 32 where the dogs are disengaged in similar manner to that of the outer dogs. Cavities b are then filled. A rotary brush 480 is provided at the depositing position to remove particles from blades 50 after the depositing operation. The machine is driven by a system of meshing gears, pawl operated, cam triggered clutches and links.