Tobacco slicer with vertical and transverse splitting function and control method

Abstract

The invention discloses a vertical and transverse two-way cutting tobacco slicing machine and a control method, and belongs to the technical field of tobacco processing machinery. The slicing machine comprises a rack, a vertical cutter device, a feeding conveying belt, a material pushing device, a material blocking device, a transverse cutting mechanism integrated on the material blocking device and a discharging device. Through a collaborative process of transverse shallow cutting and vertical cutting, namely, before vertical cutting, the transverse cutting mechanism performs shallow pre-cutting on the tobacco blocks to form weakening lines, so that the problem that cold blocks are generated due to adhesion and stacking of cut tobacco sheets is effectively solved. And the pushing device is driven by a screw rod motor, so that the pushing and positioning precision is ensured. And during unloading, the overturned supporting plate is matched with the fixed baffle to form a flow guide channel, so that the tobacco flakes slide down in order, and the impact on downstream equipment is avoided. The invention further provides a corresponding automatic control method, automation of the whole process from feeding, positioning, pre-cutting, cutting to discharging is achieved, and the slicing quality, the equipment reliability and the production safety are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tobacco processing machinery technology, specifically to a tobacco slicing machine and control method that performs vertical and horizontal bidirectional slicing. Background Technology

[0002] In tobacco processing, slicing is a crucial step in cutting compressed tobacco blocks (or tobacco cakes) into sheets of a specified thickness. Currently, the tobacco slicing machines commonly used in the industry primarily employ a single vertical downward cutting or horizontal transverse cutting method. These machines have revealed several technical problems that urgently need to be addressed in actual operation: Firstly, regarding the quality of the tobacco slices, unidirectional cutting force easily leads to adhesion and stacking between the sliced ​​tobacco sheets. When these stacked tobacco sheets enter the subsequent loosening and rehydration process, the central part is difficult to be fully penetrated by steam, resulting in a large number of "cold sheets" or "cold lumps". The presence of cold sheets not only affects the uniform rehydration and quality of the tobacco, but also easily causes blockages in downstream equipment (such as loosening and rehydration rollers, vibrating troughs, etc.) during transportation or processing, and in severe cases, may even require shutdown for cleaning, affecting continuous production.

[0003] Secondly, in terms of equipment reliability, the existing technology has two prominent problems: First, the traditional dual-cylinder driven feeding device has poor synchronization and uneven thrust, resulting in inaccurate material feeding and positioning, which directly affects the uniformity of slice thickness; Second, the transverse insertion mechanism that is partially driven by cylinders is constrained by the stability of the air source and is prone to failure when retracting and resetting, resulting in insufficient reliability and affecting the continuity of production.

[0004] In summary, existing tobacco slicing machines have significant technical shortcomings in achieving high-quality, high-looseness cutting of tobacco sheets, ensuring the precision and reliability of feeding and auxiliary cutting actions, and achieving orderly output of tobacco sheets to avoid damage to downstream equipment. Therefore, a completely new slicing solution is urgently needed, involving systematic innovation in cutting mechanisms, actuators, and discharge methods to fundamentally solve these problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a tobacco slicer and control method for vertical and horizontal bidirectional slicing, so as to solve the shortcomings mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a tobacco slicing machine for vertical and horizontal bidirectional slicing, comprising a frame, a vertical cutting device disposed on the upper part of the frame, a feeding conveyor belt and a pushing device located on the feeding side of the vertical cutting device, and a blocking device located on the discharging side of the vertical cutting device, characterized in that it further comprises: A transverse cutting mechanism is movably mounted on the material stop device; A discharge device is disposed below the material blocking device; The movement direction of the transverse cutting mechanism, the cutting direction of the vertical cutting device, and the flipping and unloading direction of the unloading device are perpendicular to each other, and the cutting depth of the transverse cutting mechanism is less than the single cutting thickness of the vertical cutting device.

[0007] Preferably, the pushing device includes: A pusher plate is disposed above the end of the feeding conveyor belt; A drive motor fixedly connected to the frame; A lead screw is connected to the output end of the drive motor and is rotatably supported by a support base fixed on the frame. Nut 1, which is threadedly connected to the lead screw 1; A horizontally positioned fixing plate is fixedly connected to the lower end of the first nut; The tilting cylinder has its cylinder body fixedly mounted on the bottom of the fixed plate; A connecting seat, which is hinged to the piston rod of the tilting cylinder; The top end of the pusher plate is hinged to one end of the fixing plate, and its bottom end is hinged to the connecting seat. The drive motor is configured to drive the lead screw to rotate, thereby causing the nut, the fixing plate and the components mounted thereon to move as a whole along the axial direction of the lead screw, thereby realizing the material pushing function; The tilting cylinder is configured to drive the connecting seat to extend and retract, thereby causing the pusher plate to rotate about its hinge point with the fixed plate, thus switching the pusher plate between a pushing position perpendicular to the feeding conveyor belt and a clearance position parallel to the feeding conveyor belt.

[0008] Preferably, the material blocking device includes: The frame-shaped base is supported by pulleys located inside the frame and can reciprocate in the horizontal direction; An electric push rod, the output end of which is connected to one end of the frame-shaped base, is used to drive the frame-shaped base to move; A baffle is fixedly installed at the other end of the frame-shaped base; The pulleys are configured in at least two sets, which are respectively fixed to the upper and lower positions inside the frame by mounting bases. The corresponding side of the frame-shaped base is provided with guide rails or grooves that roll with the pulleys, so that the frame-shaped base is suspended or supported on the frame by the rolling support of the pulleys. The tail end of the cylinder of the electric push rod is hinged to the frame via a fixed support, and its output end is hinged or fixedly connected to the corresponding end of the frame seat via a connector. The electric push rod is configured to: drive the frame seat and the baffle forward as a whole, so that the baffle tightly abuts against the front side of the tobacco material to be cut to form a cutting reference surface; or drive the whole assembly to retract and reset after slicing.

[0009] Preferably, the frame-shaped base has an internal mounting cavity; the transverse cutting mechanism is disposed within the mounting cavity and includes: The speed reducer is fixedly installed inside the mounting cavity; A ball screw is horizontally positioned and is connected to the output end of the reducer; the ball screw is rotatably supported by a support seat fixed in the mounting cavity. Nut 2 is threaded onto the ball screw; A connecting push block is fixedly connected to the second nut. A blade holder is fixedly connected to the inner side of the baffle facing the mounting cavity, and has several through holes thereon; Several conical inserts, each of which is inserted into a through hole in the insert holder, and the tail end of all the conical inserts is fixedly connected to the connecting push block; The speed reducer is configured to drive the ball screw to rotate, thereby causing all the tapered cutters to move forward or backward synchronously in a direction perpendicular to the baffle plate surface via the second nut and the connecting push block.

[0010] Preferably, the unloading device includes: The pallet is located directly below the material blocking device and at the end of the feeding conveyor belt, and is at the same level as the bearing surface of the feeding conveyor belt; one end of the pallet is rotatably connected to the frame or fixed to the support frame of the frame via a hinge; The unloading cylinder has its tail end hinged to the frame via a first hinge seat; A connecting seat, which is fixedly connected to the end of the piston rod of the unloading cylinder; The connecting seat is hinged to the bottom surface of the support plate away from its hinge end via a second hinge seat. The unloading cylinder is configured such that when its piston rod extends, it drives the pallet to rotate around its hinge end to a horizontal position to receive the cut tobacco sheets; when its piston rod retracts, it drives the pallet to flip downward around its hinge end to an inclined unloading position, causing the tobacco sheets to slide off.

[0011] Preferably, the unloading device further includes a photoelectric detection switch disposed on the frame, the photoelectric detection switch being configured to detect whether there are smoke sheets on the pallet and feed back the signal to the controller.

[0012] Preferably, it further includes a material detection device, wherein: The material detection device includes photoelectric switches located in front of and behind the vertical cutter device. Each photoelectric switch is mounted on the frame via an independent support and is configured to detect whether the tobacco material has reached the cutting station and whether it has been sliced. The vertical cutting device includes a drive motor, a drive sprocket driven by the drive motor, a driven sprocket mounted on the top of the frame via a transmission shaft, a toothed chain meshing between the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket, and a cutter seat and blade fixedly mounted on the toothed chain. The drive motor is fixedly connected to the frame via a motor mounting base, and its output shaft is coaxially fixed to the drive sprocket via a key connection or flange connection; both ends of the transmission shaft are rotatably supported on the top of the frame via bearing seats; the blade is suspended above the cutting space between the feeding conveyor belt and the material blocking device via the cutter seat.

[0013] Preferably, in the transverse cutting mechanism, the cutting depth of the tapered insert is configured to be one-third of the single-cut thickness of the vertical cutting device.

[0014] Preferably, it further includes a human infrared detector, wherein: The human infrared detector includes a detector body and a support for mounting the detector body; The bottom end of the support is fixedly connected to the frame, and the detector body is installed on the top end of the support; The support and the detector body are configured as two sets, respectively installed at the material inlet of the frame and above the front of the vertical cutter device; The human infrared detector is configured to use an infrared grating monitoring method to perform safety protection monitoring on the material inlet area and the operating area in front of the vertical cutter device.

[0015] A control method for a tobacco slicer that performs vertical and horizontal bidirectional slicing includes the following steps: S1: Material feeding: The tobacco material is conveyed to the predetermined station below the vertical cutter device by the feeding conveyor belt; S2: Pushing and positioning: Control the flipping cylinder of the pushing device to drive the pushing plate to flip to the pushing position perpendicular to the feeding conveyor belt; then, start the drive motor to drive the lead screw to rotate, and drive the pushing plate to move along the axis of the lead screw through the nut and the fixing plate, pushing the tobacco material to the precise cutting position. S3: Formation of material blocking and reference surface: Control the electric push rod of the material blocking device to drive the frame seat and the baffle fixed thereon to move forward as a whole until the baffle is in close contact with the front side of the tobacco material to form a cutting reference surface; S4: Horizontal shallow cut: Start the reducer of the horizontal cutting mechanism to drive the ball screw to rotate. Through nut two and connecting push block, drive all the conical inserts to move forward synchronously and make a horizontal cut into the tobacco material against the baffle. The cutting depth is less than the single cutting thickness of the vertical cutter. S5: Vertical slicing: At the same time or after the conical insert begins to retract, the drive motor of the vertical cutting device is activated, and the blade is driven to descend through the toothed chain to vertically cut the tobacco material that has been weakened laterally, thus completing the slicing. S6: Orderly unloading: Control the unloading cylinder of the unloading device to drive the pallet to flip downward to an inclined position, so that the cut tobacco sheets slide down the baffle plate in an orderly manner to the downstream equipment; S7: System Reset: Control the blade of the vertical cutter device to rise, the pallet of the unloading device to flip back to the horizontal position, the baffle of the blocking device to retract, and the pusher plate of the pushing device to flip to the avoidance position and return to the initial position, completing one work cycle; Steps S to S' are automatically controlled and executed by the controller based on the signals fed back by the material detection device and the photoelectric detection switch.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. In this invention, the problem of tobacco sheet adhesion and stacking is effectively solved by the synergistic effect of shallow horizontal cutting and vertical cutting. This invention creatively uses a horizontal cutting mechanism with a cutting depth less than the thickness of a single slice to perform shallow horizontal cutting (pre-cutting) on ​​the material before vertical cutting. This operation forms a predetermined horizontal weakening line inside the tobacco block, so that when the subsequent vertical cutter falls, the tobacco sheet can be more easily separated along this weakening line, which greatly reduces the stacking phenomenon caused by adhesion of the cut tobacco sheet and improves the looseness of the slice.

[0017] 2. This invention utilizes inclined unloading and baffle guidance to achieve orderly and stable output of tobacco sheets, protecting downstream equipment. The unloading device adopts a flip-type pallet design, which cleverly cooperates with the baffle: during slicing, the baffle serves as the reference surface for vertical cutting; during unloading, the pallet flips downward, and the cut tobacco sheets slide down the baffle surface under gravity. This design naturally forms a material drop channel between the baffle, the vertical cutter, and the horizontal pallet, giving the baffle the dual functions of positioning and blocking material and guiding unloading; the tobacco sheets change from a flat state to sliding out orderly along the side of the channel, fundamentally avoiding the phenomenon of stacking of cut tobacco sheets and direct impact of whole tobacco leaves. This not only significantly reduces the impact on the rake nails inside the downstream loose rehydration drum, effectively preventing equipment damage and the risk of material blockage, but also greatly reduces large cold lumps caused by tobacco sheet adhesion, significantly improving the uniformity and quality stability of subsequent processing.

[0018] 3. The combination of precise material pushing and positioning with the formation of a guide plate ensures the consistency and stability of cutting dimensions. The material pushing device accurately pushes the material to the predetermined position, and then the guide plate moves forward to make the baffle tightly press against the material to form a stable vertical cutting reference. This positioning combination ensures that the position of the material is fixed during each cut, thereby making each slice of tobacco uniform in thickness and improving the stability of product quality. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the material pushing device in this invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the unloading device in this invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the material blocking device and the transverse cutting mechanism in this invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the vertical cutting device in this invention.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Unloading device; 2. Lateral cutting mechanism; 3. Feeding conveyor belt; 4. Pushing device; 5. Human infrared detector; 6. Material detection device; 7. Vertical cutting device; 8. Frame; 9. Material blocking device; 10. Photoelectric detection switch; 101. Unloading cylinder; 103. Connecting seat; 104. Support plate; 401. Drive motor; 403. Fixing plate; 404. Tilting cylinder; 405. Lead screw; 406. 407. Push plate; 408. Connecting seat; 409. Nut 1; 7001. Drive sprocket; 702. Driven sprocket; 703. Toothed chain; 704. Cutter holder; 705. Blade; 901. Frame seat; 902. Pulley; 903. Electric push rod; 904. Baffle; 905. Reducer; 906. Ball screw; 907. Nut 2; 908. Connecting push block; 909. Insert knife holder; 910. Conical insert knife. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the specific embodiments described in this section are only for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] Please see Figures 1 to 5 This invention provides a specific implementation of a tobacco slicing machine and control method for vertical and horizontal bidirectional slicing.

[0023] Example 1: This example provides a tobacco slicer that cuts tobacco in both vertical and horizontal directions. Its core design concept is to systematically solve the problems of tobacco sheet adhesion and stacking, large discharge impact, inaccurate positioning and poor reliability of auxiliary mechanisms mentioned in the background technology through a collaborative process of shallow horizontal pre-cutting, precise vertical slicing, and orderly guided unloading.

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, the equipment mainly includes a frame 8, a feeding conveyor belt 3, a pushing device 4, a vertical cutting device 7, a blocking device 9, a transverse cutting mechanism 2 integrated within the blocking device 9, a discharging device 1, and supporting components such as a material detection device 6, a human infrared detector 5, and a photoelectric detection switch 10. The frame 8 serves as the overall support frame, and the feeding conveyor belt 3 is responsible for transporting the tobacco blocks to the cutting station. Its basic workflow is as follows: after the tobacco blocks are in place by the conveyor belt 3, they are precisely positioned by the pushing device 4. Then, the blocking device 9 moves forward to form a cutting reference. Subsequently, the transverse cutting mechanism 2 performs shallow pre-cutting, the vertical cutting device 7 completes the final slicing, and finally, the discharging device 1 operates, causing the cut tobacco slices to slide out orderly along the surface of the baffle 904.

[0025] Specifically, in order to solve the problems of material skewing and inaccurate positioning caused by poor synchronization and uneven thrust in traditional dual-cylinder pusher devices, this invention designs as follows: Figure 2 The electromechanical composite pushing device 4 shown abandons the traditional dual-side cylinder drive and adopts a single drive motor 401 combined with a screw and nut mechanism to achieve linear pushing, which fundamentally ensures the uniformity of the pushing force and the linear accuracy of the moving path.

[0026] Specifically, the drive motor 401 is fixed to the frame 8, and its output end is connected to the lead screw 405 via a coupling. The lead screw 405 is rotatably supported by the support base. The nut 408 is threadedly engaged with the lead screw 405, and the horizontally positioned fixing plate 403 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the nut 408. To ensure that the pusher plate 406 can automatically return to its original position after the material is pushed, thus avoiding interference with subsequent material conveying, a tilting mechanism consisting of a tilting cylinder 404 and a connecting seat 407 is provided. The top end of the pusher plate 406 is hinged to one end of the fixing plate 403, and its bottom end is hinged to the connecting seat 407. The connecting seat 407 is hinged to the piston rod of the tilting cylinder 404.

[0027] Its working principle is as follows: When material needs to be pushed, the piston rod of the tilting cylinder 404 extends and pushes the bottom of the pusher plate 406 through the connecting seat 407, causing it to rotate around the top hinge point to a vertical pushing position perpendicular to the conveyor belt 3. Then, the drive motor 401 starts, driving the lead screw 405 to rotate, which drives the nut 408, the fixing plate 403, and the entire component mounted on it to move along the lead screw axis (i.e., the pushing direction), thereby pushing the smoke block to the precise position by the pusher plate 406. After the material is pushed, the drive motor 401 reverses to drive the pusher plate 406 to retract, and at the same time, the tilting cylinder 404 retracts, pulling the pusher plate 406 to a clearance position parallel to the conveyor belt 3, making room for the next round of feeding.

[0028] Specifically, in this embodiment, the core functions of the material blocking device 9 are twofold: first, to provide a stable and accurate vertical reference plane during cutting; and second, to serve as a carrier for the transverse cutting mechanism 2.

[0029] like Figure 4 As shown, to address the need for a stable and adjustable reference surface that can integrate a lateral motion mechanism, the stop device 9 employs a movable frame structure. The frame seat 901 is supported by at least two sets of pulleys 902 positioned at the upper and lower inner sides of the frame 8. The pulleys 902 engage with guide rails or grooves on the side of the frame seat 901, enabling it to reciprocate with low resistance in the horizontal direction. The tail of the cylinder of the electric push rod 903 is hinged to the frame 8, and its output end is connected to one end of the frame seat 901, driving the entire frame seat 901 and the baffle 904 fixed to its other end to move forward or backward.

[0030] Its working principle is as follows: When the smoke block is pushed to the predetermined position, the electric push rod 903 extends, pushing the frame seat 901 forward as a whole until the baffle 904 is in close contact with the front end face of the smoke block. This face forms the precise reference surface for subsequent vertical cutting. After the slicing is completed, the electric push rod 903 retracts, driving the baffle 904 to move backward and reset.

[0031] Specifically, in order to weaken the tobacco block before vertical cutting to improve the slice quality and solve the reset failure problem caused by unstable air supply when the cylinder drives the transverse inserter, this invention innovatively integrates the transverse cutting mechanism 2 into the frame-shaped seat 901 of the baffle device 9. The frame-shaped seat 901 has an installation cavity inside, and the reducer 905 is fixed inside the cavity. Its output end is connected to a horizontally arranged ball screw 906 via a coupling. The ball screw 906 is rotatably supported by a second support seat, and a second nut 907 cooperates with the ball screw 906. A connecting push block 908 is fixed to the second nut 907. An inserter seat 909 is fixed inside the baffle 904, and it has several through holes. Several tapered inserters 910 are respectively inserted into these through holes, and the tail ends of all tapered inserters 910 are fixedly connected to the connecting push block 908.

[0032] Its working principle is as follows: When the baffle 904 presses against the tobacco block, the reducer 905 starts, driving the ball screw 906 to rotate. Through the linear movement of the nut 907 and the connecting push block 908, all the tapered inserts 910 move forward in a direction perpendicular to the baffle 904 (i.e., laterally), penetrating the tobacco block to a certain depth (preferably one-third of the single slice thickness). This shallow lateral pre-cut forms regular weakening lines inside the tobacco block. Subsequently, the reducer 905 reverses, and through the precise transmission of the ball screw 906, ensures that all the tapered inserts 910 can stably and reliably retract and fully reset into the insert holder 909, unaffected by external air pressure fluctuations.

[0033] Specifically, in this embodiment, to address the problem of disordered stacking and falling of cut tobacco sheets, which easily damages the downstream drum rake nails due to impact, the present invention designs as follows: Figure 3 The guide-type tilting unloading device shown.

[0034] The core of this device is to transform the free fall of the tobacco sheets into an orderly slide along a fixed guide surface. The pallet 104 is located directly below the baffle device 9 and at the end of the feeding conveyor belt 3, with its bearing surface flush with the surface of the conveyor belt 3. One end is connected to the frame 8 or support frame via a hinge. The tail of the unloading cylinder 101 is hinged to the frame 8 via a first hinge seat, and the end of its piston rod is hinged to the side of the bottom surface of the pallet 104 away from the hinge end (via a second hinge seat) via a connecting seat 103. The photoelectric detection switch 10 is installed on the frame 8 to detect whether there are tobacco sheets on the pallet 104.

[0035] Its working principle is as follows: During slicing, the piston rod of the unloading cylinder 101 extends, driving the pallet 104 to a horizontal position to receive the cut tobacco sheets. When the photoelectric detection switch 10 detects that slicing is complete, the controller issues a command, the piston rod of the unloading cylinder 101 retracts, and pulls the pallet 104 to tilt downwards around its hinge end. At this time, the cut stack of tobacco sheets, under the action of gravity, presses its sides tightly against the baffle 904, which is in a fixed position, and slides down the baffle in an orderly and stable manner to the downstream equipment. The baffle 904 acts as a guide plate in this process, forming a drop channel together with the vertical cutting device 7 and the horizontal pallet 104, effectively eliminating the direct impact of the entire stack of tobacco sheets.

[0036] This embodiment is specific, such as Figure 5 As shown, the vertical cutting device 7 is responsible for performing the final slicing process. It adopts a chain drive, which has the advantages of stable structure and smooth transmission. The drive motor (not separately labeled in the figure, usually mounted on the motor mounting base) is fixed to the frame 8. Its output shaft drives the drive sprocket 701. The driven sprocket 702 is mounted on the top of the frame 8 through the transmission shaft. The toothed chain 703 meshes between the drive sprocket 701 and the driven sprocket 702. The cutter holder 704 is fixed on the toothed chain 703, and the blade 705 is mounted on the cutter holder 704.

[0037] Its working principle is as follows: After the horizontal pre-cutting is completed, the drive motor of the vertical cutting device 7 starts, driving the drive sprocket 701 to rotate. Through the toothed chain 703, the cutting seat 704, which is equipped with blades 705, is driven to make a vertical downward cutting motion along the chain track. When the blades 705 fall, they vertically cut the tobacco block that has been weakened by the horizontal conical insert 910. Since there are pre-made horizontal weakening lines inside the tobacco block, the vertical cutting resistance is reduced, the tobacco sheets are easier to separate, and the adhesion and stacking after cutting are significantly reduced. After the cutting is completed, the drive motor reverses, driving the blades 705 to rise and reset.

[0038] In this embodiment, to ensure the reliability and safety of automated operation, the equipment is equipped with corresponding detection and safety devices.

[0039] The material detection device 6 typically employs a through-beam or reflective photoelectric switch. Its working principle involves a transmitter emitting modulated infrared light, which is received by a receiver. When the tobacco material arrives at or leaves the detection position, it blocks or reflects the light, causing a change in the intensity of the received light signal, thus generating a switching signal output to the controller. This device is positioned at the front (feeding side) and rear (discharge side) of the vertical cutting device 7. The front photoelectric switch detects whether the tobacco block has accurately reached the pre-cutting station; its signal is the trigger condition for initiating the pushing and positioning process and subsequent cutting. The rear photoelectric switch detects whether the cut tobacco sheet has completely left the cutting area; its signal is a key criterion for confirming unloading completion and allowing the system to reset for the next cycle. Through dual-point detection at both ends, precise closed-loop control of the entire material flow process is achieved, improving the reliability and rhythm control accuracy of the automated process.

[0040] The human infrared detector 5 employs an active infrared grating monitoring method. Its working principle involves a set of transmitting units emitting multiple parallel, invisible infrared beams, which are simultaneously received by corresponding receiving units, forming one or more "infrared light curtains" as a virtual safety barrier in front of the equipment's hazardous area. When a person's limb enters the monitoring area and blocks any beam of infrared light, the receiving unit immediately detects an interruption in the light path, and the detector sends an emergency stop signal to the equipment's main controller. In this embodiment, two sets of detectors are installed: one set is located at the material inlet of the frame 8 to prevent personnel from approaching the feeding area while the equipment is running; the other set is located above and in front of the vertical cutting device 7 to provide focused protection for the hazardous area directly in front of the blade's movement. This achieves real-time monitoring of the hazardous area without blind spots, improving the inherent safety level of the equipment, without affecting the normal production process.

[0041] Example 2: Based on the above structure, this example provides a control method for a tobacco slicer that performs vertical and horizontal bidirectional slicing, executed by a programmable logic controller (PLC). The specific steps are as follows: S1: Material feeding: The tobacco material is conveyed to the predetermined station below the vertical cutter device 7 via the feeding conveyor belt 3; S2: Pushing and positioning: Control the operation of the tilting cylinder 404 of the pushing device 4 to drive the pushing plate 406 to tilt to a pushing position perpendicular to the feeding conveyor belt 3; then, start the drive motor 401 to drive the lead screw 405 to rotate, and drive the pushing plate 406 to move axially along the lead screw 405 through the nut 408 and the fixing plate 403, pushing the tobacco material to the precise cutting position; S3: Formation of material blocking and reference surface: The electric push rod 903 of the material blocking device 9 is controlled to move, driving the frame seat 901 and the baffle 904 fixed thereon to move forward as a whole until the baffle 904 is tightly against the front side of the tobacco material to form a cutting reference surface. S4: Horizontal shallow cut: Start the reducer 905 of the horizontal cutting mechanism 2 to drive the ball screw 906 to rotate. Through the nut 2 907 and the connecting push block 908, drive all the conical inserts 910 to move forward synchronously and make a horizontal cut into the tobacco material that is against the baffle 904. The cutting depth is less than the single cutting thickness of the vertical cutter. S5: Vertical slicing: At the same time or after the conical insert 910 begins to retract, the drive motor of the vertical cutting device 7 is activated, and the blade 705 is driven to descend through the toothed chain 703 to vertically cut the tobacco material that has been weakened laterally, thus completing the slicing. S6: Orderly unloading: Control the unloading cylinder 101 of the unloading device 1 to drive the pallet 104 to flip downward to an inclined position, so that the cut tobacco sheets slide down the surface of the baffle 904 in an orderly manner to the downstream equipment. S7: System Reset: Control the blade 705 of the vertical cutting device 7 to rise, the pallet 104 of the unloading device 1 to flip back to the horizontal position, the baffle 904 of the blocking device 9 to retract, and the pusher plate 406 of the pushing device 4 to flip to the avoidance position and return to the initial position, thus completing one work cycle. Steps S2 to S7 are automatically controlled by the controller based on the signals fed back by the material detection device 6 and the photoelectric detection switch 10. The core logic is as follows: Process start-up: The controller will only start the material pushing and positioning S2 when the photoelectric switch in front of the material detection device 6 detects that the material has arrived. Action chain: The push positioning S2 completion signal triggers the material stop forward S3; the material stop completion signal triggers the lateral shallow cut S4; Cutting sequence: After the horizontal shallow cut S4 is in place, the controller synchronously drives the conical insert knife 910 to retract and starts the vertical slicing S5, so that the two actions overlap; Unloading conditions: The controller will trigger orderly unloading S6 only when all three conditions are met: vertical slicing S5 is completed and the blade is reset; the photoelectric switch behind the material detection device 6 detects that the smoke sheet has left; and the photoelectric detection switch 10 detects that there is material on the pallet 104. Safety and Reset: After unloading is completed, the system resets S7 sequentially. The signal from the human infrared detector 5 has the highest interrupt priority and can immediately stop all actions.

[0042] The controller can be programmed according to the above logic, and the specific programming and parameter configuration are known and can be implemented by those skilled in the art.

[0043] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A tobacco slicing machine for vertical and horizontal bidirectional cutting, comprising a frame (8), a vertical cutting device (7) disposed on the upper part of the frame (8), a feeding conveyor belt (3) and a pushing device (4) located on the feeding side of the vertical cutting device (7), and a blocking device (9) located on the discharge side of the vertical cutting device (7), characterized in that, Also includes: A transverse cutting mechanism (2) is movably mounted on the material stop device (9); The unloading device (1) is located below the material blocking device (9); The movement direction of the transverse cutting mechanism (2), the cutting direction of the vertical cutting device (7) and the flipping unloading direction of the unloading device (1) are perpendicular to each other, and the cutting depth of the transverse cutting mechanism (2) is less than the single cutting thickness of the vertical cutting device (7).

2. The tobacco slicing machine for vertical and horizontal bidirectional slicing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding device (4) includes: Push plate (406) is set above the end of the feeding conveyor belt (3); A drive motor (401) is fixedly connected to the frame (8). The lead screw (405) is connected to the output end of the drive motor (401) and is rotatably supported by a support seat fixed on the frame (8); Nut 1 (408) is threadedly connected to the lead screw 1 (405); A horizontally positioned fixing plate (403) is fixedly connected to the lower end of the nut (408); A tilting cylinder (404) has its cylinder body fixedly mounted on the bottom of the fixed plate (403); A connecting seat (407) is hinged to the piston rod of the tilting cylinder (404); The top end of the pusher plate (406) is hinged to one end of the fixing plate (403), and its bottom end is hinged to the connecting seat (407). The drive motor (401) is configured to drive the lead screw (405) to rotate, thereby causing the nut (408), the fixing plate (403) and the components mounted thereon to move along the axial direction of the lead screw (405) to achieve the pushing function. The tilting cylinder (404) is configured to drive the connecting seat (407) to extend and retract, thereby causing the pusher plate (406) to rotate about its hinge point with the fixed plate (403), thereby switching the pusher plate (406) between a pushing position perpendicular to the feeding conveyor belt (3) and a clearance position parallel to the feeding conveyor belt (3).

3. A tobacco slicing machine for vertical and horizontal bidirectional slicing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material blocking device (9) includes: The frame-shaped base (901) is supported by pulleys (902) located inside the frame (8) and can reciprocate in the horizontal direction; An electric push rod (903) has its output end connected to one end of the frame-shaped base (901) for driving the frame-shaped base (901) to move; A baffle (904) is fixedly disposed at the other end of the frame-shaped base (901); Among them, the pulleys (902) are configured in at least two sets, which are respectively fixed to the upper and lower positions inside the frame (8) by mounting bases. The corresponding side of the frame seat (901) is provided with a guide rail that rolls with the pulleys (902), so that the frame seat (901) is suspended or supported on the frame (8) by the rolling support of the pulleys (902). The tail of the cylinder of the electric push rod (903) is hinged to the frame (8) through a fixed support, and its output end is hinged or fixedly connected to the corresponding end of the frame seat (901) through a connector.

4. A tobacco slicing machine for vertical and horizontal bidirectional slicing according to claim 3, characterized in that, The frame-shaped base (901) has an internal mounting cavity; the transverse cutting mechanism (2) is disposed within the mounting cavity and includes: The speed reducer (905) is fixedly installed in the mounting cavity; A ball screw (906) is horizontally arranged and is connected to the output end of the reducer (905) for transmission; the ball screw (906) is rotatably supported by a support seat two fixed in the mounting cavity; Nut 2 (907) is threaded onto the ball screw (906); Connecting push block (908), which is fixedly connected to the second nut (907); The inserter seat (909) is fixedly connected to the inner side of the baffle (904) facing the mounting cavity, and has several through holes. Several conical inserts (910), each of the conical inserts (910) is inserted into one of the through holes of the insert holder (909), and the tail end of all the conical inserts (910) is fixedly connected to the connecting push block (908); The speed reducer (905) is configured to drive the ball screw (906) to rotate, thereby driving all the tapered cutters (910) to move forward or backward synchronously in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the baffle (904) via the second nut (907) and the connecting push block (908).

5. A tobacco slicing machine for vertical and horizontal bidirectional slicing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unloading device (1) includes: The pallet (104) is located directly below the baffle device (9) and at the end of the feeding conveyor belt (3), and is on the same horizontal plane as the bearing surface of the feeding conveyor belt (3); one end of the pallet (104) is rotatably connected to the frame (8) or fixed to the support frame of the frame (8) by a hinge. The unloading cylinder (101) has its tail end hinged to the frame (8) via a first hinge seat; A connecting seat (103) is fixedly connected to the end of the piston rod of the unloading cylinder (101); The connecting seat (103) and the bottom surface of the support plate (104) away from their hinge end are hinged by a second hinge seat. The unloading cylinder (101) is configured such that when its piston rod extends, it drives the pallet (104) to rotate around its hinge end to a horizontal position to receive the cut tobacco sheets; when its piston rod retracts, it drives the pallet (104) to flip downward around its hinge end to an inclined unloading position, so that the tobacco sheets slide off.

6. A tobacco slicing machine for vertical and horizontal bidirectional slicing according to claim 5, characterized in that, The unloading device (1) also includes a photoelectric detection switch (10) mounted on the frame (8).

7. A tobacco slicing machine for vertical and horizontal bidirectional slicing according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a material detection device (6), wherein: The material detection device (6) includes photoelectric switches located in front of and behind the vertical cutter device (7). Each photoelectric switch is mounted on the frame (8) via an independent support and is configured to detect whether the tobacco material has reached the cutting station and whether the slicing has been completed. The vertical cutting device (7) includes a drive motor, a drive sprocket (701) driven by the drive motor, a driven sprocket (702) mounted on the top of the frame (8) via a transmission shaft, a toothed chain (703) meshing between the drive sprocket (701) and the driven sprocket (702), and a cutter seat (704) and a blade (705) fixedly mounted on the toothed chain (703). The drive motor is fixedly connected to the frame (8) via a motor mounting base, and its output shaft is coaxially fixed to the drive sprocket (701) via a key connection or flange connection; the two ends of the transmission shaft are rotatably supported on the top of the frame (8) via bearing seats; the blade (705) is suspended above the cutting space between the feeding conveyor belt (3) and the material blocking device (9) via the cutter seat (704).

8. A tobacco slicing machine for vertical and horizontal bidirectional slicing according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the transverse cutting mechanism (2), the cutting depth of the conical insert (910) is configured to be one-third of the single cutting thickness of the vertical cutter device (7).

9. A tobacco slicing machine for vertical and horizontal bidirectional slicing according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a human infrared detector (5), in which: The human infrared detector (5) includes a detector body and a support for mounting the detector body; The bottom end of the support is fixedly connected to the frame (8), and the detector body is installed on the top end of the support; The support and the detector body are set as two sets, respectively installed at the material inlet of the frame (8) and above the front of the vertical cutter device (7); The human infrared detector (5) is configured to use an infrared grating monitoring method to perform safety protection monitoring on the material inlet area and the operating area in front of the vertical cutter device (7).

10. A control method for a vertically and horizontally bidirectional tobacco slicing machine, employing a vertically and horizontally bidirectional tobacco slicing machine as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: The tobacco material is conveyed to the predetermined station below the vertical cutter device (7) by the feeding conveyor belt (3); S2: Control the operation of the flipping cylinder (404) of the pushing device (4) to drive the pushing plate (406) to flip to the pushing position perpendicular to the feeding conveyor belt (3); then, start the drive motor (401) to drive the lead screw (405) to rotate, and drive the pushing plate (406) to move axially along the lead screw (405) through the nut (408) and the fixing plate (403) to push the tobacco material to the precise cutting position; S3: Control the electric push rod (903) of the material blocking device (9) to move, drive the frame seat (901) and the baffle (904) fixed thereon to move forward as a whole until the baffle (904) closely abuts against the front side of the tobacco material to form a cutting reference surface; S4: Start the reducer (905) of the transverse cutting mechanism (2) to drive the ball screw (906) to rotate. Through the second nut (907) and the connecting push block (908), all the conical inserts (910) move forward synchronously to cut the tobacco material against the baffle (904) laterally. The cutting depth is less than the single cutting thickness of the vertical cutter. S5: At the same time or after the tapered insert (910) begins to retract, the drive motor of the vertical cutter device (7) is activated, and the blade (705) is driven to descend through the toothed chain (703) to vertically cut the tobacco material that has been weakened laterally, thus completing the slicing. S6: Control the unloading cylinder (101) of the unloading device (1) to operate, drive the pallet (104) to flip downward to the inclined position, so that the cut tobacco sheets slide down the baffle (904) in an orderly manner to the downstream equipment. S7: Control the blade (705) of the vertical cutting device (7) to rise, the pallet (104) of the unloading device (1) to flip back to the horizontal position, the baffle (904) of the blocking device (9) to retract, and the pusher plate (406) of the pushing device (4) to flip to the avoidance position and return to the initial position to complete one work cycle; Steps S2 to S7 are automatically controlled and executed by the controller based on the signals fed back by the material detection device (6) and the photoelectric detection switch (10).

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