JPH0283199A - Device for giving size to slender food piece - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To automatically cut an elongated meat block in a predetermined size by arranging a longitudinal bar in a first cylindrical member, arranging a cutting blade, which cooperates with the longitudinal bar so as to cut an elongated food piece, in a second cylindrical member, and arranging a conveyor device feeding the elongated food piece onto the first cylindrical member. CONSTITUTION: From a feed conveyor 40, a meat block is dropped and fed onto the surface of a carrier-drum (a first cylindrical member) 11 so that the longitudinal axis line of the elongated meat piece is set orthogonally to the axial line of a longitudinal bar 16 arranged in the carrier-drum 11. Subsequently, by means of cooperation between a cutting blade 25 arranged in a cutting drum (a second cylindrical member) 12 and the longitudinal bar 16 in the carrier drum 11, this meat block is cut by a desired length. A food piece cut in a predetermined length is dropped to an unloading conveyor 42 through a clearance in the longitudinal bar 16.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention subjects a mixture of randomly sized food pieces to an apparatus for sizing a mixture of randomly sized food pieces into food pieces having a predetermined maximum length. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for separating strips of food product from a mixture of randomly sized food pieces and cutting the strips to a desired maximum length.

In recent years, methods have been developed to produce food products that resemble natural meat loaves in appearance and texture. Such simulated meat loaves, typically made from meat ingredients and/or vegetable proteins, are considered an alternative to more expensive natural meat loaves from the standpoint of aesthetics and consumer appeal. Desirable as human food and animal food. Such simulated meat loaves could be produced by methods such as extrusion through the orifice of a die, which would result in the formation of food pieces with relatively uniform dimensions. The recent size distribution has a random size distribution, i.e. the meat has a length dimension from about 1.25 CI+ or less to about 100
Methods have been developed to make chunks of or more natural meat simulants. While such randomly sized chunks are advantageous in that they more accurately simulate natural meat chunks, creating elongated chunks, i.e., chunks with a length of about 51 cm or more, , making it difficult to accurately fill bulk into conventional packaging such as canned goods in high speed commercial packaging operations. As such, elongated lumps are difficult to process with conventional container filling equipment, and the presence of such elongated lumps makes accurate weight control of filled cans very difficult.

The present invention separates elongated simulated meat loaves from smaller randomly sized chunks and cuts the elongated loaves into food pieces of predetermined maximum length in high speed commercial production operations. is directed towards. This device consists of a pair of cylindrical members,
That is, it includes a carrier drum and a cudding drum mounted for rotation on parallel shafts connected to each other for rotation in opposite directions. The carrier drum has a plurality of longitudinal bars mounted equidistantly around its periphery. The longitudinal bars are separated from each other by a distance equal to the desired maximum length of the meat piece to be processed. The cutting drum is mounted above the carrier drum and has a plurality of cutting blades secured around its periphery, the blades being separated by a distance equal to the spacing between the longitudinal bars of the carrier drum. far from each other. Rotating the drum brings each cutting blade close to the longitudinal bar of the rear drum without contacting it.

Randomly sized pieces of meat are dropped onto the surface of the carrier drum from a feed conveyor mounted above the carrier drum. The conveyor then has several longitudinal partitions at its discharge end, so that the longitudinal axis of the mh meat mass is centered almost parallel to its direction of transition. The meat chunks fall between the bars with a length less than the spacing between adjacent longitudinal bars of the carrier drum and onto a take-off conveyor installed below the gear drum. to fall. Slender meat loaves, i.e., where the chunks extend across two or more adjacent bars and have a length greater than the spacing between adjacent bars, are located on the outer surface of the longitudinal bars of the carrier drum. It is held on top of ゛. The thick mass is introduced into the gap between the drums, where it is cut to the desired maximum size by cutting blades with the cooperation of longitudinal bars. Once cut to the desired length, the food pieces fall between the bars and onto a pick-up conveyor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the accompanying drawings, the food sizing apparatus of the present invention includes a support frame 10 having a carrier drum 11 and a cutting drum 12 mounted thereon. Carrier drum 11 and cutting drum 12 are supported at their axes on parallel horizontal shafts 14 and 15, respectively. The shafts 14 and 15 are secured to the side plates 13 of the frame. The carrier drum 11 is mounted in spaced relation around the periphery of a pair of opposing circular end plates 17 and 18 to which the longitudinal bars are mounted, with the longitudinal bars extending substantially parallel to the shaft 14. The longitudinal bars 11 are mounted equidistantly around the periphery of the end branch, separated by a distance equal to the maximum desired length of the food mass to be dimensioned. For example, if the maximum length of the meatball is 51, the longitudinal bars are spaced 5α apart in the center around the perimeter of the end plate. The radius A of the carrier drum 11 is such that an even number of bars 16 are provided around the drum, the number of bars being determined by the desired capacity and output of the device.

Carrier drum 11 is driven by motor 19 via sprocket 20 keyed to shaft 21 and sprocket 22 keyed to shaft 14. Sprockets 20 and 22 are connected by a drive chino 23. The motor 19 is equipped with a standard variable speed reducer 24 which rotates the carrier drum at the desired operating speed.

The cutting drum 12 is mounted perpendicularly above the carrier drum 11 and has a plurality of equally spaced cutting blades 25 mounted around the periphery of circular end plates 26 and 27 and a central support plate 28. and the end plates and support plates all have the same radius and the cutting edges of the blades 25 are spaced apart from each other in the same way as the longitudinal bars 16 on the carrier drum. The cutting blade 25 is connected to the support plate 26.27.
and 28 in spaced notches 29 and secured to the plate by wedges 30 and countersunk screws (not shown), the cutting edge of the blade extending beyond the peripheral surface of the plate.

The radius of the imaginary cylinder formed by the cutting edge of the blade 7 is illustrated at B.

A blade 25 is mounted parallel to the shaft 15' so as to cover almost the entire length of the bar 16, the blade 25 being used to cut the elongated mass above the upper surface of the bar into the gap between the drums ( It is centered to cooperate with the bar 16 when rotating the drum in the opposite direction (as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3). Preferably, each cutting edge of the blade 25 has a cutting edge relative to the axis of the shaft 15.
The drum is slightly tilted in the direction of rotation. The cutting drum 12 is centered with the carrier drum 11 so that the cutting blades do not impinge against the longitudinal bar when the drum rotates in the opposite direction. In other words, the leading edge of each cutting blade is slightly rearward of the trailing edge of the corresponding longitudinal bar, e.g.
It passes through 0.155aII from the 375 value.

The cutting φ drum 12 is rotated by a drive chino 32 extending around a sprocket 33 mounted on the carrier drum shaft 14, idler sprockets 34 and 35, and a sprocket 36 mounted on the shaft 15. drum 12
is rotated in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the carrier drum 11. According to a preferred embodiment, the circumference of the support plates 26, 27 and 28 is such that the number of cutting blades mounted on the plates is half the number of longitudinal bars on the carrier drum 11; The cutting drum 12 is driven at a circumferential speed twice that of the carrier drum 11.

1: The conveyor 40 is mounted adjacent to the upper portion of the carrier drum with the longitudinal axis of the conveyor perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal bar 16 on the gear drum. A mixture of randomly sized meat blocks delivered from a hopper (not shown) is dropped onto the upwardly rotating portion of the carrier V drum.

The vibratory conveyor 40 has a plurality of longitudinal dividing members 41 at the discharge end of the conveyor, which are separated at a distance equal to the maximum desired length of the meat in the mixture to be dimensioned. Separated from each other, such elongated blocks are centered with their longitudinal axes parallel to the direction of transition of the blocks on the conveyor, as indicated by the arrows in FIG.

In this way, the centered elongated mass discharged from the conveyor 40 is placed on the surface of the rotating carrier with the longitudinal axis of the elongated mass perpendicular to the axis of the longitudinal bar, so that The elongated mass extends across two or more adjacent bars. The smaller sized chunks of the mixture fall through the spaces between adjacent bars and through the carrier drum. In the preferred case, the upstream end of the divider member 41 avoids bridging of 1 m long chunks across adjacent dividers when the randomly sized mixture is conveyed along the conveyor. so that the lengths are uneven.

A take-off conveyor 42, such as a commonly used endless belt or suitable gathering device, is mounted below the carrier drum 11 to collect the small pieces falling through the longitudinal bars as well as the cutting drum 12. Accepts an elongated mass that is cut to the desired maximum length by the operation. The mass placed on the conveyor 42 is conveyed to suitable processing equipment, such as a commonly used filling machine or to a storage facility.

4. RfA simple explanation of rotation FIG. 1 is a top plan view from above of the @ position giving the dimensions of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1; and FIG. 1
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a portion of the illustrated device;

In the figure, 11... first cylindrical member, 12... second cylindrical member, 14.15--shaft, 16...Longitudinal bar 25...cutting blade, 40... Vibration conveyor, 41...divider member, 42...Take-out conveyor.

Claims (11)

[Claims] (1) A device for sizing a mixture of randomly sized food pieces into food pieces of a predetermined maximum length, the device being mounted on parallel shafts and having opposite sides. a first cylindrical member and a second cylindrical member connected to each other for rotation in a direction in which the first cylindrical member is mounted at equal intervals around the periphery of the first cylindrical member; the second cylindrical member has a plurality of axially parallel longitudinal bars spaced apart by a distance equal to the desired maximum length of the food piece given the desired maximum length of the second cylindrical member; a plurality of axially parallel elongate cutting blades mounted at equal intervals around the periphery and spaced apart by a distance equal to the spacing between the vertical bars on said first member; A mixture of randomly sized food pieces, including elongated food pieces having lengths exceeding a predetermined maximum length, are placed on top of the first cylindrical member with the longitudinal axis of said elongated food pieces. a conveyor device disposed above the first cylindrical member substantially perpendicular to the axis of the longitudinal bar; rotating in opposite directions at a predetermined speed in cooperation with a longitudinal bar for cutting an elongated food piece conveyed between the rotating members over the first cylindrical member; Apparatus for giving dimensions to food pieces, characterized in that the apparatus comprises: (2) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conveyor device has a longitudinal axis of the conveyor approximately relative to a longitudinal axis of a longitudinal bar on the first cylindrical member. Apparatus for sizing food pieces characterized in that the device includes a vibrating conveyor mounted vertically and proximate to a first cylindrical member. (3) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a plurality of longitudinal divider members are mounted on said conveyor, said divider members being spaced apart a distance equal to a desired maximum length of food pieces. A device for giving dimensions to a food piece, characterized in that it is attached at the discharge end of the food piece. 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the upstream ends of the dividers are longitudinally arranged irregularly relative to each other. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first cylindrical member includes a pair of spaced apart circular support plates mounted on an axial shaft and the longitudinal bar A device for giving dimensions to a food piece, characterized in that the device is mounted between support plates which are approximately parallel to the shaft around its periphery. 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that an even number of bars are mounted on the first cylindrical member. (7) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second cylindrical member includes a plurality of spaced circular support plates mounted on an axial shaft, and the cutting blade is A device for giving dimensions to food pieces, characterized in that it is secured around the periphery of the support plate, which is almost parallel to the shaft. (8) In claim 7, the circumference of the first cylindrical member is twice the circumference of the second cylindrical member, and the cutting blade is located on the second cylindrical member. The number of
Apparatus for giving dimensions to food pieces, characterized in that the number of longitudinal bars on the cylindrical member is 1/2. (9) The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the second cylindrical member is rotated at twice the rotational speed of the first cylindrical member. A device that gives (10) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second cylindrical members are such that when they rotate, the leading cutting edge of each cutting blade passes slightly behind the trailing edge of the longitudinal bar. A device for giving dimensions to food pieces, characterized in that: (11) An apparatus for sizing food particles according to claim 1, in which a second conveyor device is provided below the first cylindrical member for receiving the food particles passing through the first cylindrical member. A device for giving dimensions to a piece of food, characterized in that it is attached to.