ES2552350T3 - Cutter assembly with removable blade for cutting machines or similar - Google Patents

Abstract

A cutter assembly (1) with removable blade for cutting machines or the like, comprising: - a support element (2), which extends around a main shaft (3) and can be operated with a rotary movement around said main shaft 3; - a sheet (4), which can be associated coaxially and separably with said support element (2); - at least two centering pins (7), which are associated with said support element (2), said centering pins (7) being angularly spaced from each other around said main axis (3) and being oriented parallel to said axis main (3); - at least two holes (8), which pass through said sheet (4) and can be hooked by said centering pins (7); - a closing element (9), which is associated with said sheet (4) near said at least two holes (8) and which can be moved from a closed position, in which it is engaged with said centering pins ( 7) inserted in said holes (8), to a release position, in which it is disengaged from said centering pins (7) and vice versa; characterized in that said support element (2) defines a support contact surface (10), which is substantially perpendicular to said main axis (3), for a first face (11) of said sheet (4), said centering pins (7) protruding, with one of its ends, from the second face (12) of said sheet (4), which is opposite to said first face (11), and having a shoulder (13) which is directed towards said support contact surface (10); said closing element (9), in said closing position, footwear being between said shoulder (13) and said second face (12) of the sheet (4) to close said sheet (4) against said support contact surface ( 10).

Description

DESCRIPTION

Cutter assembly with removable blade for cutting machines or similar

The present invention refers to a cutter assembly with removable blade for cutting machines or the like, (see for example WO-A-2007/103899).

As is known, cutting machines are provided with a cutter assembly comprising a support element, constituted by a pulley, which can be operated with a rotary movement around its own axis, and a blade, generally with a circular profile, which is coaxially associated with the pulley to be connected together there in the rotation around its own axis.

On machines of the professional type, the blade may be associated with the pulley in a removable manner so that it can be removed from the pulley during interventions for maintenance and / or for cleaning the machine.

In these types of cutting machine, the removable assembly between the pulley and the blade is provided by a conical coupling. More precisely, the pulley has a trunk type end with which a trunk type seat is matched which is defined in a hub element that is fixed, by screws, to the center of the blade. The pulley has, on the smaller end face of the trunk-type portion, which constitutes the axial end of the pulley to be mounted with the blade, centering pins that are parallel to the axis of the pulley and are mutually spaced around the pulley shaft The centering pins can be inserted into holes that pass correspondingly through the trunk-like portion fixed to the sheet. The centering pins have, in their portion that is designed to protrude from the face of the blade to be directed away from the pulley, a transverse groove and, near the holes, the trunk-type portion fixed on the blade has a ring closure which, when the blade is engaged with the centering pins, is located around the pins 25 centered on the transverse grooves of the centering pins. The closing ring has, on its inner side surface, mutually spaced gaps whose number is equal to the number of centering pins and holes. The closing ring, which is coaxial to the blade, can rotate around the axis of the blade relative to the blade to engage, with its portions comprised between two adjacent gaps, with the transverse grooves of the centering pins for tightening the conical coupling that exists between the blade and the pulley, or to arrange the gaps in the centering pins and in the holes in order to allow the extraction of the sheet from the centering pins and therefore the extraction of the sheet the pulley

Normally, the operation to extract the pulley blade and the subsequent return 35 of the blade to be mounted on the pulley is carried out by means of an adapted tool that hooks the blade, closing it before removing it from the pulley, and releases it only after

It has been correctly coupled to the pulley to protect the operator against the risk of injury.

The coupling system between the blade and the pulley currently in use in cutting machines of the known type has drawbacks.

The main drawback is the difficulty in obtaining, by means of the conical coupling 5 mentioned above, the perfect arrangement, in a plane at right angles to the axis of rotation, of the cutting edge of the blade for the precise operation of the cutting machine.

The correct arrangement of the blade, in cutting machines of the known type, can be obtained only with great difficulty and by extremely precise processes that greatly affect the production costs of the machines.

The objective of the present invention is to solve the problem described above, by providing a cutting assembly with removable blade for cutting machines or the like which, despite maintaining the practicality of cutting assemblies of the known type in terms of disassembly and turning To be mounted on the sheet, it can be produced in a considerably easier way and with clearly lower costs.

Within this objective, an object of the invention is to provide a cutting assembly that offers the greatest guarantees of safety and reliability in its use.

This objective and these and other objects that will be apparent better in the following are achieved by means of a cutting assembly with removable blade for cutting machines 20 or the like, comprising:

- a support element, which is extended around a main axis and can be operated with a rotary movement around said main axis;

- a sheet, which can be associated coaxially and separably with said support element; 25

- at least two centering pins, which are associated with said support element, said centering pins being angularly spaced from each other around said main axis and being oriented parallel to said main axis;

- at least two holes, which pass through said sheet and can be hooked by said centering pins; 30

- a closing element, which is associated with said sheet near said holes and can move from a closed position, in which it is engaged with said centering pins inserted in said holes, to a release position, in which it is disengaged from said centering pins and vice versa;

characterized in that said support element defines a support contact surface, which is substantially perpendicular to said main axis, for a first face of said sheet, said centering pins protruding, with one of its ends, from the second face of said sheet, which is opposite to said first face, and having a shoulder that is directed towards said contact surface 5 of support; said closing element, in said closing position, footwear being between said shoulder and said second face of the sheet to close said sheet against said support contact surface.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the cutter assembly according to the invention, illustrated by a non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the cutter assembly according to the invention, taken along a plane passing through the main shaft, with the closure element in the closed position; fifteen

Figure 2 is a sectional view, similar to Figure 1, of the cutter assembly according to the invention, with the closure element in the release position;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the support element, taken along a plane that passes through the main axis;

Figure 4 is a front elevation view of the cutter assembly; twenty

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the sheet, taken along the line V-V shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view of Figure 5, taken along line VI-VI, with the closure element in the closed position;

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view of Figure 6, taken along line VII-VII;

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view of Figure 5, taken as Figure 6, with the closure element in the release position;

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional view of Figure 8, taken along line IX-IX. 30

With reference to the figures, the cutter assembly according to the invention, generally designated by reference number 1, comprises a support element 2, which is extended around a main axis 3 and can be operated with a rotary movement around the main axis 3. The support element 2 may be constituted, as in cutter assemblies of the known type, by a pulley that is designed for

be connected to an electric actuator motor by means of transmission that are known per se and are not illustrated for reasons of simplicity.

The cutter assembly 1 further comprises a sheet 4, with an axis 5, which can be coaxially and detachably associated with the support element 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the sheet 4 has a circular plane shape, which is slightly 5 hollow on its face designed to be directed towards the product to be cut, but its shape may vary according to the requirements and the type of slicer that must be equipped. In the illustrated embodiment, in which the sheet 4 has a circular plane shape, the perimeter of this circular configuration constitutes the cutting edge 6 of the sheet 4.

The cutter assembly 1 comprises at least two centering pins 7, which are 10 associated with the support element 2. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment three centering pins 7 are provided, which are angularly spaced from one another in a regular manner around of the main shaft 3, but the number of centering pins 7 may vary according to the requirements. The centering pins 7 are oriented parallel to the main axis 3. 15

The sheet 4 has, in the same number as the centering pins 7, holes 8 that pass through the sheet 4 and are oriented parallel to its axis 5. The holes 8 are arranged to correspond with the arrangement of the centering pins 7 and each can be hooked, in a separable way, by a corresponding centering pin 7. 20

The cutter assembly 1 according to the invention also comprises a closing element 9, which is associated with the blade 4 near the holes 8 and can be moved from a closed position, in which it is engaged with the centering pins 7 inserted in the holes 8, to a release position, in which it is disengaged from the centering pins 7 and vice versa. 25

According to the invention, the support element 2 defines a support contact surface 10, which is substantially perpendicular to the main axis 3, for a first face 11 of the sheet 4. The centering pins 7 protrude, with one of their ends, of the second face 12 of the leaf 4, which is opposite to the first face 11, and each has a shoulder 13 that is directed towards the contact surface of support 10. The closure element 9, in the position of closure, is footwear between the shoulder 13 and the second face 12 of the sheet 4 to close the sheet 4 against the support contact surface 10.

Conveniently, the shoulder 13, in each of the centering pins 7, is defined by a transverse groove 14, which is provided, near the axial end of each centering pin 7 which is designed to protrude from the second face 12 of the blade 4, on the side of the side surface of each centering pin 7 that is directed away from the main shaft 3.

The closure element 9 comprises a closure ring 15, which is coaxially connected with the second face 12 of the sheet 4 and can rotate about its axis 5 with respect to the sheet 4.

The closing ring 15 is designed to be arranged around the centering pins 7 and has, along its internal perimeter, holes 16 that are angular and 5 mutually spaced around the axis 5 of the sheet 4. The number of holes 16 corresponds to the number of centering pins 7 and the closing ring 15 can rotate around its own axis, which coincides with the axis 5, with respect to the leaf 4 to pass from the closed position, in which the gaps 16 are angularly offset with respect to the centering pins 7 and the closing ring 15 is arranged so that one of its portions 17, located between two adjacent holes 16, is in a transverse groove 14 of the corresponding centering pin 7, to the release position, in which it is arranged with the recesses 16 in the centering pins 7 in order to allow the detachment of the sheet 4 from the centering pins 7 or to allow the coupling of the sheet 4 with the centering pins 7. 15

Conveniently, the centering pins 7 can move, with the corresponding shoulder 13, moving away from the support contact surface 10 in contrast to elastic means 18.

More precisely, each centering pin 7 has a substantially cylindrical shape and is coaxially inserted into passageways 19 that pass through the body of the support element 2 and are oriented parallel to the main axis 3. Sliding bushings 20 are interposed between the walls sides of the passageways 19 and the centering pins 7 and facilitate the axial sliding of the centering pins 7 with respect to the body of the support element 2. The axial end of the centering pins 7, which is opposite with respect to the axial end that can be inserted in the 25 holes 8 of the sheet 4, it is fixed, by screws 21, to a tension ring 22 that is coaxial to the support element 2 and is arranged in a receptacle 23 defined on the opposite side of the support element 2 with respect to the side that the sheet 4 should carry. The bottom of the receptacle 23 defines an axial stop 24 which is directed away from the contact surface d and support 10. The elastic means mentioned above 18 30 are preferably constituted by springs 25, which are interposed between the axial stop 24 and the traction ring 22. The possibility of axial sliding of the traction ring 22 and therefore of the centering pins 7 in relation to the support element 2 by means of the action of the springs 25 is delimited by struts 26 that are screwed into the body of the support element 2 and pass through the holes through passage 35 defined in the ring traction 22. A nut 28 is screwed into the end of the struts 26 which is opposite to the end threaded into the body of the support member 2 and defines a stop stop for the traction ring 22.

Advantageously, the closure ring 15 has, starting from the recesses 16, portions 29 that are inclined with respect to the axis 5 of the sheet 4 and are adapted to progressively increase the thickness of the portions 17 of the closure ring 15 that are interposed between the shoulder 13 of each centering pin 7 and the second face 12 of the blade 4 during the transition of the closing ring 15 from the release position to the closing position. In practice, the inclined portions 29 have the effect of progressively increasing the tightening of the blade 4 against the support contact surface 10, exerting traction on the centering pins 7 and therefore increasing the loading of the springs 25.

The closing ring 15 is interposed between a fixed ring 30 and the second face 12 of 10 the leaf 4. The fixed ring 30 is coaxial to the closing ring 15 and the leaf 4, and is connected, for example by screws 31, integrally to the second side 12 of sheet 4.

The fixed ring 30 and the closing ring 15 have, in their outer profile, safety notches 32, 33, which are mutually aligned when the closing ring 15 is in the closed position 15 and is angularly and mutually displaced around the axis 5 of the leaf 4 when the closing ring 15 is in the release position.

The safety notches 32, 33 have the function of allowing a tool of a known type or of a tool that is subject to a co-pending patent application in the name of the same applicant, under safety conditions, to be secured. in order to mount the sheet 4 on the support element 2 or disassemble the sheet 4 from the support element 2. In practice, tools of this type are provided with a rotating element that is provided with teeth that can be inserted into the notches safety 32, 33 and can be engaged in rotation about the main axis 3, with the closing ring 15 to act as a rotation for its transition from 25 the closed position to the release position or vice versa, simultaneously retaining the fixed ring 30 to constrict the blade 4 to the tool until the seal ring 15 is brought to the release position.

The support element 2 is supported, so that it can rotate around the main axis 3, by an axis 34, which is partially accommodated coaxially within the support element 2, by interposing bearings 35. The space between the axis 34 and the support element 2 that accommodates the bearings 35 is closed, at its axial end directed towards the sheet 4, by a joint 36.

Conveniently, means 37 are provided to delimit the rotation of the closure ring 15 relative to the sheet 4 in its transition from the closed position to the release position 35 and vice versa. The delimitation means 37, in the illustrated embodiment, are constituted by a pin 38 that is fixed to the fixed ring 30 and protrudes in the direction of the closing ring 15. The pin 38, which is oriented parallel to the axis 5 of

the sheet 4, hooks with a recess 39 that is extended along a pre-established extension arc around the axis 5, in the outer perimeter of the closure ring 15.

For reasons of integrity in the description, it should be noted that the fixed ring 30 has, in the holes 8 of the sheet 4 designed to be occupied by centering pins 7, holes 40. 5

The assembly and disassembly of the blade in the cutting assembly according to the invention is carried out as follows.

The sheet 4, preferably with the aid of a suitable tool of the type described in the previous summary, is coaxially arranged to the support element 2 with the holes 8 aligned with the centering pins 7. In this condition, the sheet 4 is retained 10 by the tool with the locking ring 15 in the release position. The sheet 4 is then axially moved towards the support element 2 so that the centering pins 7 enter the holes 8 of the sheet 4 and protrude with their axial end of the second face 12 of the sheet 4. In this way, the blade 4 rests with its first face 11 against the bearing contact surface 10 and the centering pins 7 are arranged 15 with the transverse groove 14 in the closure ring 15. At this point, preferably by the tool mentioned above, the closing ring 15 is rotated around its own axis, that is, around axis 5 of sheet 4, with respect to sheet 4, in order to bring it to the closed position. This rotation of the closure ring 15 engages the inclined positions 29 against the shoulders 13 defined by the transverse grooves 20 of the centering pins 7, progressively loading the springs 25 and therefore increasing their tightening of the first face 11 of the blade 4 against the support contact surface 10.

At this point, the sheet 4 is correctly associated with the support element 2 and the tool can be extracted from the sheet 4, which remains stably engaged with the support element 2 and arranged with its cutting edge in a plane that is perpendicular to the main axis 3.

In practice it has been found that the cutting assembly according to the invention fully achieves the objective and the intended objects, since the particular pairing between the sheet and the support element ensures greater precision in the arrangement of the sheet with its edge Shear on a plane that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the blade, achieving a higher quality of cut and reducing the production costs of the cutting assembly with respect to the cutting assemblies of known type.

Another advantage of the cutting assembly according to the invention is that you can use tools of a known type for the disassembly and reassembly of the blade. 35

The cutting assembly conceived in this way is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined

by the appended claims. All details can also be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the dimensions, can be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.

Where the technical elements mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs have no limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by example by such reference signs.

10

Claims (9)

1. A cutter assembly (1) with removable blade for cutting machines or the like, comprising: - a support element (2), which extends around a main axis (3) and can be operated with a rotary movement around said main axis 3; 5 - a sheet (4), which can be associated coaxially and separably with said support element (2); - at least two centering pins (7), which are associated with said support element (2), said centering pins (7) being angularly spaced from each other around said main axis (3) and being oriented parallel to said axis main 10 (3); - at least two holes (8), which pass through said sheet (4) and can be hooked by said centering pins (7); - a closing element (9), which is associated with said sheet (4) near said at least two holes (8) and which can be moved from a closed position, in which it is engaged with said centering pins ( 7) inserted in said holes (8), to a release position, in which it is disengaged from said centering pins (7) and vice versa; characterized in that said support element (2) defines a support contact surface (10), which is substantially perpendicular to said main axis 20 (3), for a first face (11) of said sheet (4) , said centering pins (7) protruding, with one of its ends, from the second face (12) of said sheet (4), which is opposite to said first face (11), and having a shoulder (13) that it is directed towards said support contact surface (10); said closing element (9), in said closing position, footwear being between said shoulder (13) and said second face 25 (12) of the sheet (4) to close said sheet (4) against said support contact surface (10) 2. The cutting assembly (1) according to claim (1), characterized in that said shoulder (13) is defined by a transverse groove (14), which is provided on the side surface of each of said pins centering (7), on its directed side 30 away from said main axis (3). 3. The cutting assembly (1) according to claims (1) and (2), characterized in that said closing element (9) comprises a closing ring (15), which is coaxially connected to said second face (12) of the sheet (4) and can rotate about its axis (5) with respect to said sheet (4); said closure ring (15) being designed to be arranged around said centering pins (7) and having, along its internal perimeter, gaps (16) that are angularly and mutually spaced around the axis (5) of the sheet (4); said closing ring (15) being rotatable about its own axis (5) with respect to said sheet (4) in order to pass from said closing position, in which said recesses (16) are angularly offset with respect to said pins of centering (7) and said closing ring (15) is arranged so that one of its portions 5 is located between two adjacent gaps (16) in a transverse groove (14) of a corresponding centering pin (7), a said release position, wherein said closure ring (15) is arranged so that said recesses (16) are in said centering pins (7) to disengage said sheet (4) from said centering pins (7) or to pair said sheet (4) with said centering pins (7). 10 4. The cutting assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said centering pins (7) can move with the corresponding shoulder (13) away from said support contact surface (10) in contrast with elastic means (18). 5. The cutting assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said centering pins (7) are connected with their opposite end with respect to the end that can be inserted into said holes (8) of the sheet (4), to a traction ring (22), which is coaxially accommodated in said support element (2), said elastic means (18) comprising springs (25) that are interposed between said traction ring (22) and an axial stop (24), which is defined by said support element (2) and is directed away from said support contact surface (10). The cutting assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said closing ring (15) has, starting from said recesses (16), portions (29) that are inclined with respect to the axis ( 5) of the sheet (4) 25 and are adapted to progressively increase the thickness of the portions (17) of said closure ring (15) that are interposed between said shoulder (13) of each centering pin (7) and said second face (12) of the sheet (4) in the transition of said closure ring (15) from said release position to said closed position. 7. The cutting assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said closing ring (15) is interposed between said second face (12) of the sheet (4) and a fixed ring ( 30), which is integrally connected to said second face (12) of the sheet (4), said fixed ring (30) and said closure ring (15) having, in its outer profile, safety notches (32, 33) , which are mutually aligned when said closure ring (15) is in said closing position and are angularly and mutually displaced around the axis (5) of the sheet (4) when said closure ring (15) is in said position of release. 8. The cutting assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least two centering pins (7) comprise three centering pins (7) that are regularly and mutually spaced around said axis main (3). 9. The cutting assembly (1) according to one of the preceding claims, 5 characterized in that it comprises means (37) for delimiting the arc of rotation of said closing ring (15) around the axis (5) of the sheet (4) in the transition from said closed position to said release position and vice versa.  10  fifteen  twenty  25