Patent Publication Number: US-10780602-B2

Title: Clamping assemblies and slicing machines equipped therewith

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/662,289 filed Apr. 25, 2018, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/682,386 filed Jun. 8, 2018. The contents of these prior applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to machines for cutting products, including but not limited to slicing food products. The invention particularly relates to clamping assemblies for securing knives to slicing machines, and to slicing machines equipped therewith. 
     Various types of equipment are known for slicing, shredding and granulating food products, as nonlimiting examples, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and meat products. Widely used machines for this purpose are commercially available from Urschel Laboratories, Inc., and include machines under the names Model CC® and Model CCL. The Model CC and CCL machines are centrifugal-type slicers capable of slicing a wide variety of products at high production capacities. The Model CC® line of machines is particularly adapted to produce uniform slices, strip cuts, shreds and granulations, and the Model CCL line is particularly adapted to produce slices or chips of a waffle or lattice type. Certain configurations and aspects of Model CC® machines are represented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,139,128, 3,139,129, 5,694,824 and 6,968,765, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Certain configurations and aspects of Model CCL machines are represented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,139,127 and 3,139,130, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIG. 1  schematically depicts a machine  10  representative of a Model CC® machine. The machine  10  includes a generally annular-shaped cutting head  12  equipped with cutting knives (not shown) mounted at its inner circumference. An impeller  14  is coaxially mounted within the cutting head  12  and has an axis  17  of rotation that coincides with an axis of the cutting head  12 . The impeller  14  is rotationally driven about its axis  17  through a shaft that is enclosed within a housing  18  and coupled to a gear box  16 . The cutting head  12  is mounted on a support ring  15  above the gear box  16  and remains stationary as the impeller  14  rotates. Products are delivered to the cutting head  12  and impeller  14  through a feed hopper  11  located above the impeller  14 . In operation, as the hopper  11  delivers products to the impeller  14 , centrifugal forces cause the products to move outward into engagement with the knives of the cutting head  12 . The impeller  14  comprises generally radially-oriented paddles  13 , each having a face that engages and directs the products radially outward toward and against the knives of the cutting head  12  as the impeller  14  rotates. Other aspects pertaining to the construction and operation of Model CC® machines, including improved embodiments thereof, can be appreciated from U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,139,128, 3,139,129, 5,694,824, 6,968,765, 7,658,133, 8,161,856, 9,193,086, 9,469,041, and 9,517,572 and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2016/0158953 and 2016/0361831. 
       FIG. 2  is an isolated view of the cutting head  12  of  FIG. 1 , and  FIG. 3  is a fragmentary bottom view of the cutting head  12 . The cutting head  12  is generally annular-shaped with cutting knives  20  mounted on its perimeter. Each knife  20  projects radially inward in a direction generally opposite the direction of rotation of the impeller  14 , and defines a cutting edge at its radially innermost extremity. The cutting head  12  shown in  FIG. 2  further comprises a lower support ring  22 , an upper support ring  24 , and circumferentially-spaced support segments, referred to herein as shoes  26 . The knives  20  of the cutting head  12  are individually secured with clamping assemblies  28  to the shoes  26 . Each clamping assembly  28  includes a knife holder  28 A mounted with fasteners  29  to the radially inward-facing side of a shoe  26 , and a clamp  28 B mounted on the radially outward-facing side of a shoe  26  to secure a knife  20  to the knife holder  28 A. The shoes  26  are represented as secured with fasteners  30  to the support rings  22  and  24 . The shoes  26  are equipped with coaxial pivot pins (not shown) that engage holes in the support rings  22  and  24 . By pivoting on its pins, the orientation of a shoe  26  can be adjusted to alter the radial location of the cutting edge of its knife  20  with respect to the axis of the cutting head  12 , thereby controlling the thickness of the sliced food product. As an example, adjustment can be achieved with an adjusting screw and/or pin  32  located circumferentially behind the pivot pins.  FIG. 2  further shows optional gate insert strips  34  mounted with fasteners  35  to each shoe  26 , which the food product crosses prior to encountering the knife  20  mounted to the succeeding shoe  26 . 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  show the knives  20  and clamps  28 B secured to their respective knife holders  28 A with fasteners  36 . Alignment of the knife  20  and clamp  28 B of each assembly  28  is achieved with pins  38  that protrude from the support surface of the knife holder  26 B. As better understood through the detail view of  FIG. 4 , the opposing surfaces of the knife holder  28 A and clamp  28 B result in the clamp  28 B applying a force to the knife  20  adjacent its cutting edge.  FIG. 5  shows an isolated exploded view of a shoe  26  and clamping assembly  28  of the cutting head  12  of  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  depict a quick-clamping assembly  40  that can be used in lieu of the fasteners  36  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The clamping assembly  40  comprises a knife holder  40 A and clamp  40 B, the latter of which may be similar if not identical to the clamp  28 B of  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The knife holder  40 A includes an insert  42  that supports the knife  20  near its cutting edge and serves to protect the edge of the knife holder  40 A from stones or other debris that are often accompany food products that undergo slicing. The knife holder  40 A and clamp  40 B are loosely assembled together with a fastener  44  that is installed in the knife holder  40 A, passes through the clamp  40 B, and is threaded into a clamping bar  46 . An eccentric clamping rod  48  is disposed within a recess  50  formed in a surface of the knife holder  40 A, and has a flat  52  defined on its otherwise cylindrical peripheral surface. The clamping rod  48  is situated between and contacts the knife holder  40 A and a proximal end of the clamp  40 B opposite the knife  20 . The rod  48  can be rotated between clamping and release positions, which serve to secure and release, respectively, the knife  20 . The clamping position is depicted in  FIG. 6  and results from the proximal end of the clamp  40 B being engaged by the cylindrical surface of the rod  48 , which forces the proximal end outward away from the knife holder  40 A and, with the clamping bar  46  serving as a fulcrum, forces the oppositely-disposed end of the clamp  40 B into engagement with the knife  20 . The force applied to the clamp  40 B by the rod  48  can be released by rotating the rod  48  so that its flat  52  faces the proximal end of the clamp  40 B. 
     While the Model CC® has performed extremely well for its intended purpose, further improvements are continuously desired and sought for slicing machines of the type represented by the Model CC®. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides modular units with clamping assemblies for securing knives to slicing machines, and slicing machines having a cutting head equipped with one or more modular units mounted thereto for securing knives to the cutting head. 
     According to one nonlimiting aspect of the invention, such a slicing machine has an annular-shaped cutting head having first and second structural members spaced apart in an axial direction of the cutting head and circumferentially-spaced cutting units between the first and second structural members. Each cutting unit includes a knife holder adapted for supporting a knife, a clamp overlying the knife holder and arranged to apply a clamping force to a knife disposed between the knife holder and the clamp, and a cam rod adapted to apply a clamping force to the clamp. The clamp has first and second upstanding flanges, each having a hole therethrough and a slot that engages a pivot, and the clamp, slots, and pivots are arranged so that the clamp both pivots and translates relative to the pivots as the cam rod rotates between clamping and release positions. 
     Other aspects and advantages of this invention will be appreciated from the following detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  schematically represents a side view in partial cross-section of a slicing machine known in the art. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view representing a cutting head of a type suitable for use with the slicing machine of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view showing a fragment of the cutting head of  FIG. 2 , and 
         FIG. 4  is a detailed view of a portion of a clamping assembly of the cutting head. 
         FIG. 5  is an isolated exploded view of a shoe and a clamping assembly of the cutting head of  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
         FIGS. 6 and 7  are side and cross-sectional views, respectively, of an alternative clamping assembly capable of use with the cutting head of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view representing a cutting head in accordance with a nonlimiting embodiment of the invention and configured for use with the slicing machine of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing in more detail a portion of the cutting head of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing in isolation a modular unit of the cutting head of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIGS. 11 through 13  are cross-sectional views of a modular unit of the type represented in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , and represent the movement of a clamp from a release position ( FIG. 11 ) at which a knife is released from the unit, to a clamping position ( FIG. 13 ) at which the knife is secured to the unit. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 8  represents a nonlimiting embodiment of a cutting head  62  that is capable of use with a variety of cutting machines, including the slicing machine  10  depicted in  FIG. 1 , and in some instances may be a modification or retrofit for such a machine.  FIGS. 9 through 13  contain various views of the cutting head  62  and modular units  76  thereof adapted to secure knives  70  to the cutting head  62 . The cutting head  62  will be described hereinafter in reference to the slicing machine  10  of  FIG. 1  equipped with an impeller  14  as described in reference to  FIG. 1 , and as such the following discussion will focus primarily on certain aspects of the invention, whereas other aspects not discussed in any detail may be, in terms of structure, function, materials, etc., essentially as was described in reference to  FIGS. 1 through 7 . However, it will be appreciated that the teachings of the invention are more generally applicable to other types of cutting machines. 
     To facilitate the description provided below of the embodiments represented in the drawings, relative terms, including but not limited to, “vertical,” “horizontal,” “lateral,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “forward,” “rearward,” “upper,” “lower,” “above,” “below,” “right,” “left,” etc., may be used in reference to the orientation of the cutting head  62  as it would be mounted in the machine  10  of  FIG. 1 . On the basis of a coaxial arrangement of the cutting head  62  and the impeller  14  of the machine  10 , relative terms including but not limited to “axial,” “circumferential,” “radial,” etc., and related forms thereof may also be used below to describe the nonlimiting embodiments represented in the drawings. All such relative terms are intended to indicate the construction and relative orientations of components and features of the cutting head  62 , and therefore are relative terms that are useful to describe the illustrated embodiments but should not be otherwise interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. 
     In the isolated view of  FIG. 8 , the cutting head  62  can be seen to be generally annular-shaped with cutting knives  70  mounted at its perimeter. Each knife  70  projects radially inward in a direction generally opposite the direction of rotation of the impeller  14  within the cutting head  62 , and defines a cutting edge at its radially innermost extremity. The cutting head  62  shown in  FIG. 8  further comprises lower and upper support rings  72  and ring  74  to and between which the circumferentially-spaced modular units  76  are mounted. The upper support ring  74  is represented as comprising a handle  116  defined by an opening in the ring  74  to facilitate lifting of the cutting head  62 , and the lower support ring  72  has an internal perimeter with circumferentially-spaced cut-outs  118  defined therein to reduce the weight of the cutting head  62 . 
     Each modular unit  76  comprises a clamping assembly  78  that secures an individual knife  70  to the modular unit  76 . As more readily evident in  FIGS. 9 through 13 , the clamping assembly  78  of each modular unit  76  includes a knife holder  80  mounted with fasteners  82  to and between a pair of mounting blocks  84 , which in turn are configured to be secured to the support rings  72  and  74  with fasteners  86 . Due to the positions of the rings  72  and  74  in the cutting head  62 , the mounting blocks  84  are spaced apart in an axial direction of the cutting head  62 . The fasteners  86  preferably rigidly secure the mounting blocks  84  to the rings  72  and  74 . Each clamping assembly  78  further includes a clamp  81  mounted between the mounting blocks  84  so that the clamp  81  is positioned on the radially outward-facing side of the holder  80  to secure the knife  70  thereto. As will be discussed below, the clamp  81  is pivotably mounted to the mounting blocks  84 . While various means could be used as pivots for the clamp  81 , in the embodiment shown the fasteners  86  that secure the mounting blocks  84  to the rings  72  and  74  extend through the blocks  84  to also define pivot pins  86 A for the clamp  81 . 
     The mounting blocks  84  are equipped with pins  88  that engage holes (not shown) in the support rings  72  and  74 . By appropriately locating the holes in the rings  72  and  74 , the orientation of the mounting blocks  84 , and consequently each knife  70 , knife holder  80 , and clamp  81  mounted thereto, can be used to alter the radial location of the cutting edges of the knives  70  with respect to the axis of the cutting head  62 , thereby providing relatively coarse control of the thickness of the sliced food product.  FIGS. 8 through 13  further show each modular unit  76  as comprising an adjustable gate  90  secured to the mounting blocks  84  with fasteners  92 . A food product crosses the gate  90  prior to encountering the knife  70  mounted to the succeeding modular unit  76 . To provide relatively fine control of the thickness of the sliced food product, the mounting blocks  84  are equipped with adjustment screws  94  that engage the gates  90  to alter the radial location of a trailing edge  96  ( FIGS. 10 and 11 ) of the gate  90  relative to the cutting edge of the succeeding knife  70 . 
     As more readily apparent from  FIGS. 10 through 13 , the knife  70  of each unit  76  is supported by a radially outer surface  80 A of the knife holder  80 , and the clamp  81  overlies the holder  80  so that the knife  70  is between the surface  80 A of the holder  80  and a radially inward surface of the clamp  81  that faces the holder  80 . Alignment of the knife  70 , holder  80 , and clamp  81  may be achieved with locating pins  98  that protrude from the knife holder  80  into complementary slots and/or holes in the knife  70  and clamp  81 . As evident from  FIGS. 10 through 13 , by forcing the clamp  81  toward the holder  80 , an extension  81 A of the clamp  81  will apply a clamping force to the knife  70  adjacent its cutting edge. 
     According to a preferred aspect of the invention, an eccentric cam rod  100  is used as a quick-clamping feature to apply the clamping force to the clamp  81 . The cam rod  100  is rotatably received in holes  102  in the mounting blocks  84  and passes through complementary holes  104  on upstanding flanges  81 B of the clamp  81  located at opposite ends of the clamp  81  to secure the clamp  81  to the mounting blocks  84  in combination with the pivot pins  86 A of the clamp  81  created by the fasteners  86 , which are shown as engaged by a slot  106  formed in each upstanding flange  81 B of the clamp  81 . The holes  104  are located adjacent the extension  81 A of the clamp  81  and the slots  106  are D-shaped and open at an end of each upstanding flange  81 B opposite the extension  81 A. 
     The cam rod  100  comprises a camming portion  100 A that engages and disengages the clamp  81  when the cam rod  100  is rotated between clamping and release positions, which serve to secure and release, respectively, the knife  70 . The release position is depicted in  FIG. 11  and results from the camming portion  100 A being disengaged from the clamp  81 , whereas counterclockwise rotation of the rod  100  (as viewed in  FIGS. 11 and 13 ) causes its camming portion  100 A to eccentrically move into engagement with the surface of the clamp  81 , forcing the clamp  81  into engagement with the knife  70 . The clamping force applied to the clamp  81  by the camming portion  100 A can be released by rotating the cam rod  100  in the clockwise direction. 
     As previously noted, the cam rod  100  is rotatably mounted to the mounting blocks  84  of the modular unit  76  as a result of having end portions thereof rotatably received in the holes  102  formed in the mounting blocks  84 , enabling the rod  100  to rotate within the holes  102  between the aforementioned clamping and release positions. The end portions of the cam rod  100  are preferably coaxial, whereas the camming portion  100 A between the end portions is eccentric to the end portions as well as the holes  102  in which the end portions are received, in other words, the axis of the camming portion  100 A is parallel but not coaxial with the end portions of the cam rod  100 . A handle  108  is provided at one end of the rod  100  to facilitate its rotation by hand. In the illustrated embodiment, the handle  108  is attached to the rod  100  so as to be disposed above the support ring  74  as seen in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . The clamping and release positions of the cam rod  100  are represented in  FIGS. 8 and 9  as being established by stops  112  and  114 , respectively, defined by the support ring  74 . The end portions of the cam rod  100  disposed within the holes  104  in the upstanding flanges  81 B of the clamp  81  have diameters roughly equal to the holes  104  so as not to translate within the holes  104  but instead remain substantially coaxial with the holes  104 , such that the cam rod  100  serves as a pivot for the clamp  81 . Because each end portion of the cam rod  100  is rotatably and eccentrically coupled with one of the blocks  84 , the clamp  81  both pivots and translates relative to its pivot pins  86 A as the cam rod  100  rotates between the clamping and release positions, with translation being enabled by the slots  106  of the clamp  81 . 
     The operation of the modular unit  76  will now be discussed in reference to  FIGS. 11 through 13 , which represent the knife  70  as having a straight cutting edge for producing flat slices. Knives having straight cutting edges will be referred to herein as “flat” knives. Knives of other shapes can be used to produce sliced, strip-cut, shredded and granulated products. 
     In  FIGS. 11 through 13 , the camming portion  100 A is represented as having a circular cross-sectional shape that defines an arcuate camming surface  110  that contacts the outer surface of the clamp  81  and forces the clamp  81  toward the knife holder  80 . In the clamping position ( FIG. 13 ), the camming portion  100 A is at its closest proximity to the knife holder  80  due to the eccentricity of the camming portion  100 A, with the result that the camming portion  100 A applies an increasingly greater force to the clamp  81  as the camming portion  100 A is rotated in the clamping direction (counterclockwise in  FIGS. 11 to 13 ). As a result, the knife  70  is clamped between the knife holder  80  and clamp  81 . 
     The nonlimiting embodiment of the camming portion  100 A shown in the drawings further comprises a planar surface  112 , represented as lying on a chord of the otherwise circular cross-sectional outline defined by the camming portion  100 A. As seen in  FIG. 12 , the planar surface  112  faces away from the clamp  81  when the camming portion  100 A in both the release and clamping positions ( FIGS. 11 and 13 , respectively). The planar surface  112  is preferably present on the camming portion  100 A to provide greater clearance for slices that travel over the knife  70  and the outer surface of the clamp  81  as the slices exit the cutting head  62 . 
     The result of rotating the camming portion  100 A of the rod  100  from its release position to its clamping position is depicted in  FIGS. 11 to 13 , the first of which shows the camming portion  100 A as releasing the clamping force that the camming surface  110  had applied against the clamp  81 . In the release position, which is represented in the drawings as the result of rotating the camming portion  100 A about ninety degrees from its clamping position in  FIG. 13 , the camming portion  100 A is at an intermediate distance from the knife holder  80  due to its eccentricity. From the transition from  FIG. 11  through  FIG. 12  to  FIG. 13 , the camming portion  100 A can be seen as remaining coaxial with the hole  104  in the clamp  81 , and the camming portion  100 A causes the clamp  81  to be shifted toward the cutting edge of the knife  70  (referred to herein as “forward”), with the result that the extension  81 A of the clamp  81  is disengaged from the knife  70 . As seen in  FIG. 11 , as result of the forward movement or shift of the clamp  81 , the pivot pin  86 A is spaced apart from the bottom of the slot  106  (the left end of the slot  106  as viewed in  FIG. 11 ), and instead is near the middle of the longitudinal length of the slot  106 , in other words, roughly midway between the bottom of the slot  106  and the opening of the slot  106  (the right end of the slot  106  as viewed in  FIG. 11 ). Though the camming portion  100 A remains in contact with the clamp extension  81 A in the release position, the clamping force applied by the camming portion  100 A has been sufficiently released to enable the knife  70  to be removed from the modular unit  76 . 
     During the clamping transition illustrated in  FIG. 12  and finally  FIG. 13 , rotating the camming portion  100 A to its clamping position causes the clamp  81  to shift away from the cutting edge of the knife  70  (referred to herein as “rearward”), with the result that the extension  81 A of the clamp  81  engages the knife  70 . As seen in  FIG. 13 , as a result of the rearward movement or shift of the clamp  81 , the pivot pin  86 A is at or at least nearer the bottom of the slot  106 , and therefore at a remote location from the opening of the slot  106 . During the transition between the release and clamping positions, the slots/holes in the knife  70  and clamp  81  engage and disengage their complementary locating pins  98  of the knife holder  80 . Notably, the rearward motion of the clamp  81  enabled by the slot  106  during the clamping transition shown in  FIGS. 11 through 13  helps to seat the knife  70  against the surface  80 A of the knife holder  80  and its locating pins  98 . 
     While the invention has been described in terms of specific or particular embodiments, it should be apparent that alternatives could be adopted by one skilled in the art. For example, the machine  10 , cutting head  62 , impeller  14 , modular units  76 , and their respective components could differ in appearance and construction from the embodiments described herein and shown in the drawings, functions of certain components could be performed by components of different construction but capable of a similar (though not necessarily equivalent) function, and various materials could be used in the fabrication of the machine  10 , cutting head  62 , impeller  14 , modular units  76 , and their respective components. As such, it should be understood that the above detailed description is intended to describe the particular embodiments represented in the drawings and certain but not necessarily all features and aspects thereof, and to identify certain but not necessarily all alternatives to the represented embodiments and described features and aspects. As a nonlimiting example, the invention encompasses additional or alternative embodiments in which one or more features or aspects of a particular embodiment could be eliminated or two or more features or aspects of different embodiments could be combined. Accordingly, it should be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to any embodiment described herein or illustrated in the drawings. It should also be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed above are for the purpose of describing the illustrated embodiment, and do not necessarily serve as limitations to the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.