Patent Publication Number: US-2002000146-A1

Title: Bread-cutting machine with crumb deflector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The present invention relates in a general way to machines for cutting bread into slices and in particular bread-cutting machines equipped with a cutting device comprising reciprocating cutting blades.  
       [0002] A bread-cutting machine of this type generally comprises a frame on which are mounted the housings supporting the cutting blades, the bread-inward and outward tables designed to support the bread before and after cutting, a bread-pushing carriage designed to push the bread toward the cutting blades to be cut and the drive and transmission members for operating the cutting blades and the bread pusher. All these parts are mounted on the machine frame in an arrangement which varies depending on the type of machine.  
       [0003] The drive members are housed inside the machine casing, beneath the loading table and cutting device. During the cutting of a loaf, crumbs are produced and are showered down on the mechanical drive and transmission members of the machine. Some bread-cutting machines are fitted with a drawer for collecting the crumbs at the bottom of the machine, but this does not prevent a shower of crumbs from falling on the mechanical members. It is an object of the invention to avoid this problem.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004] In accordance with the invention, there is provided a bread-cutting machine comprising a crumb deflector situated beneath the cutting device. The crumb deflector slopes down toward a collecting bin so that the crumbs falling from the cutting device while a loaf is being cut slide down toward this bin. The crumb deflector may form the bottom of a compartment that can be closed at the rear. The deflector or the rear wall of the compartment is advantageously extended so as to form a protective screen for the drive and transmission members of the machine, which are thus situated in a protected and always clean area of the machine. Crumbs produced during bread cutting fall onto the bottom of the receiving compartment which guides them on to the collecting bin.  
       [0005] The rear wall of the crumb-receiving compartment can be continued by a wall extending in such a way as to form a practically closed chamber for the drive and transmission members, thereby also helping to soundproof the machine.  
       [0006] The invention is described in greater detail below with the aid of the accompanying drawing. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
     [0007]FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic cross section through a bread-cutting machine in accordance with the invention. The embodiment illustrated is shown by way of an example, no limitation being implied. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT  
     [0008] Across the top of the casing  11  there extend a loading or bread entry table  12  and an unloading or bread exit table  13 . Between these two tables stands a cutting device  14  consisting of frames  15  supporting parallel cutting blades. Mounted on the loading table  12  is a bread-pushing carriage  17  capable of sliding along tracks to a cutting device, in a manner known per se. The drive and transmission members for operating the cutting device and moving the bread pusher are housed underneath the loading table  12  and cutting device  14 ; they are designated as a whole by the reference  18 .  
     [0009] Directly underneath the cutting device is a deflector  22  that forms the bottom of a compartment  20  and slopes down toward a crumb-collecting bin  19  positioned inside the machine frame. In this way, crumbs that fall from the cutting device  14  during the cutting of a loaf fall on to the bottom  22  of the receiving compartment  20  and are guided naturally to the collecting bin  19 . The latter may for example by located in the front part of the machine with hinge pivots  29  so that the collecting bin can be tilted forward to empty out the collected crumbs.  
     [0010] In the embodiment illustrated, the bottom  22  of the crumb-receiving compartment  20  is produced in the form of a metal sheet and is advantageously extended angularly by a rear wall  24  that closes the compartment  20  and separates it from the rear part  28  of the machine. In this way, the entire lower and rear part of the machine is a permanently crumb-free zone. The drive and transmission members  18  can be housed here and will never be exposed to showers of crumbs. The bottom  22  or the rear wall  24  of the crumb-receiving compartment can even be extended to form a practically closed chamber for the drive and transmission members of the machine.  
     [0011] A fan device can be installed to direct a stream of air at least part of the way along the bottom  22  of the compartment  20 . The part of the machine containing the electrical equipment and transmission members is also maintained at slightly above-atmospheric pressure.  
     [0012] A guard panel  23  located at the front of the machine, above the crumb-collecting bin, prevents direct access to the moving parts of the machine for user safety while the machine is running.  
     [0013] It will be understood that the shape of the crumb-receiving compartment is in no way limited to the shape shown in the drawing and that the design of the bread-cutting machine depicted with the provisions of the invention is only an example given without implying any limitation.