Patent GB-269913-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to slicing machines
IPC: B26D7/32
Filed: 1927-04-22
Abstract: 269,913. Maatschappij tot Vervaardiging van Snijmachines Volgens van Berkel's Patent en van Andere Werktuigen. April 22, 1926, [Convention date]. Cutting slices in succession. - A slicing- machine is provided with a suction device which receives the slices as they are cut and automatically transfers them to a slice receiver. As shown in Fig. 1, the disc knife 9 is carried on a vertical shaft 8 and cuts the meat which is carried by a carriage 13 reciprocated by a crank on a shaft 6 driven by bevel gearing from the hand-wheel shaft 1. The suction device comprises an arcuate box 19 connected by hollow arms 18 to a hollow shaft 17 which is in connection with a suction pump driven from the shaft 1. The outer face of the box 19 is perforated and is shrouded, in the position shown in Fig. 1, by a member 25. The shaft 17 and the box 19 thereon are rotated by a chain and sprocket drive from the shaft 6. The slice, as it is cut, falls on to the box 19 as it emerges from beneath the shroud 25, and is held against the perforated surface of the box 19 until it is positioned over the receiver 26. The slice is released by the piston of the vacuum pump uncovering a port in the cylinder wall, which breaks the vacuum. If the slice sticks, the return stroke of the piston creates pressure which blows off the slice. The box 19 may be arranged to oscillate instead of rotating continuously, the oscillations being in synchronism with the carriage 13. With this arrangement, the shroud 25 is dispensed with and the vacuum is preserved by means shown in Fig. 3. The perforations in the face 19<a> of the box are in communication with a series of compartments 30 having branch pipes 34 leading to the suction pump. Only one compartment 30 is shown in Fig. 3. The branch 34 contains a spring 32 acting on a ball valve 31 which seats against the end of the branch 34 when the perforations are uncovered and thus preserves the vacuum. The ball is guided by a pin 33. When the slice covers the perforations, the ball gradually rises from its seat and the vacuum acts on the slice. In a modification, the perforations in the box are in the form of circumferential slots and a compartment containing a ball valve preserves the vacuum, the lift of the valve being limited by pins projecting inwardly into the compartment. Independent means such as an ejector or motor driven pump may be used for discharging the slice from the box 19. Arrangements may be made for causing the pump to build up sufficient pressure to blow away any obstruction, such as grease, grit &c., from the perforated box. A rotary vacuum pump may be used and may be associated directly with the slice transferring mechanism, or a double acting pump may be used to generate a, vacuum at one end and pressure at the other, the pressure being admitted to the box when the slice is over the receiver 26. The box 19 may be slotted axially, or surface grooves may be provided leading from apertures, the action of the vacuum being thereby widely distributed. A yielding shroud 25 may be provided, maintained in position by a depending counterweight. A weighing-scale platform may be used as a slice receiver.