Patent EP-0138652-A1 (EP)
Inventor: MARCHAND BERNARD
IPC: A22C7/00
Filed: 1984-09-07
Abstract: 1. Machine for removing from moulds products, such as hams, each compressed in the pot (3, 13) of a mould (1, 11) by the lid (2, 12) of said mould, said lid engaging into the opening of the pot (3, 13) and being fitted in a detachable manner onto the pot (3, 13) by means of at least one cross-beam (5, 15) movably mounted on two columns (4, 14) of the lid (2, 12) and biased away from the lid by elastic means (6, 16), each cross-beam (5, 15) carrying two arms (7, 17) having a toothed rack closure, each of which arms is articulated at one end of the cross-beam (5, 15) and engages by one of the teeth of the rack beneath the external rim (8, 18) of the pot (3, 13) surrounding the opening of said pot, said machine comprising a frame (21) supporting, firstly, an extractor device for the lid (2, 12), this extractor device itself comprising a disengaging mechanism (37, 32, 33) for disengaging the toothed rack closure arms (7, 17) from the rim (8, 18) of the pot (3, 13) and a mechanism for lifting off (42, 47, 43, 52, 54) the lid (2, 12) by gripping of the cross-beam or cross-beams (5, 15), and, secondly, a device (56, 58) for the demoulding proper and removal of the products, each mould (1, 11) being introduced, closed and filled, parallel to the direction of a cross-beam (5, 15) and at the position, into a channel (24) of the machine, said channel having a substantially U-shaped, upwardly open cross-section, cooperating with the disengaging mechanism (32, 33, 37) and possessing inwardly projecting flanges (28) adapted for holding the pot (3, 13) of the mould (1, 11) by its external rim (8, 18) while its lid (2, 12) is lifted off by the extractor device, characterized by the fact that the machine comprises a single channel (24), removably mounted in a fixed position on the frame (21), said channel cooperating with a transverse stop (30) which arrests each mould (1, 11) in the position in which its lid (2, 12) is removed by the extractor device, said disengaging mechanism comprising a stirrup (32, 32') having a U-shape, which is upwardly open and each of the branches (33, 33') of which is slidably mounted in at least one guide (31) integrally fixed to the channel (24) and disposed beneath the base (26) of said channel and perpendicularly to said base (26), the guides (31) for the two branches (33, 33') of the stirrup (32, 32') being spaced apart along the length of the channel (24), the base (26) of said channel possessing two orifices (39) for the passage of the branches (33, 33') of the stirrup (32, 32'), said stirrup being mounted movable relative to the channel (24) and being displaced by an operating device (37) between two positions, of which one is a position in which the branches (33, 33') of the stirrup (32, 32') are retracted beneath and outside of the channel (24) in order to permit the placing of a closed and filled mould (1, 11) in the channel (24) and against the stop (30), and of which the other is a position in which the two branches (33, 33') of the stirrup (32, 32') are introduced into the channel (24) through the orifices (39) of the base (26) of same, the pot (3, 13) of the mould (1, 11) being centered, by its two sides against which the toothed rack closure arms (7, 17) engage, between the two branches (33, 33') of the stirrup (32, 32'), each of which branches is engaged between the pot (3, 13) and the toothed rack closure arm or arms (7, 17) which engage onto the pot (3, 13) at the corresponding side, in order to permit the disengaging of said arms (7, 17), the channel (24) and the stirrup (32, 32') constituting an interchangeable assembly adapted to a size and shape of mould (1, 11) to be handled and to the number of cross-beams (5, 15) of the lid (2, 12) of this mould (1, 11).