Device for cutting food into cubes, strips, sticks or slices

Abstract

Cutting gates in which the wear elements (3) can be permanently and easily removed and installed and ensure a firm fit and easy cleaning during operation, characterized in that the gate frames (1) have insertion grooves (2) for inserting the wear elements (3), in which there is a defined, minimal, positive distance between the frame and the wear elements (3).

Description

The invention relates to an apparatus for cutting food, such as meat, sausage, cheese, vegetables, fruit, fish, etc., into cubes, strips, sticks or slices.The application of the invention relates to so-called multipurpose or cube or speck cutters.The known dice cutters consist of a box-shaped magazine for the material to be cut, which magazine is arranged in a frame. A piston is guided in the magazine for the advancing movement of the material to be cut. In front of the magazine opening opposite the plunger, two gate blade arrangements and then one knock-off blade are mounted in a drivable manner one behind the other. During the advancing movement of the material to be cut, the gate blades (7) first cut the material to be cut vertically several times and then horizontally, so that only slices of material to be cut and then strips of material to be cut are produced. The knock-off blade performs one revolution during a continuous feed movement of the piston or a clocked feed interruption transversely to the feed movement and in the process cuts the strips into cubes. With a change in the feed speed of the piston or the cycle times, cubes or strips of different lengths can also be cut. The cross section of the strips or the size of the cubes is predetermined by the knife distances of the gate knives (7). The knives are therefore interchangeably supported in a gate frame (1) in the gate knife arrangement. The gate frame (1) has slots in which the gate knives (7) are guided. In cutting with the gate blades (7), the material to be cut is pressed by the parallel gate blades (7), the material to be cut being compressed according to the thickness of the blade. In addition to the cutting pressure, a flank pressure is thus also produced on the gate blades (7). In order to lower the cutting pressure and to increase the cutting quality, it is common to drive the gate blades (7) in an oscillating manner. This leads to an increased flank friction on the gate knives (7) and a pressure on the slots in the gate frame (1) in which the gate knives (7) are guided. This results in material abrasion in the slots in the gate frame (1), which leads to wear of the gate frames (1). For small strip or cube cross sections, small knife distances are required. The cutting and flank pressure increases with an increasing number of knives but also with an increasing hardness of the material to be cut, so that the abrasion in the slots in the gate frame (1) increases. These must then be frequently renewed.Corresponding known cutting machines have, for example, hardened gate frames (1) to reduce wear in the gate blade slots. The methods for producing such gate frames (1) are complicated and cost-intensive. However, these gate frames (1) can also wear or the webs between the knife slots can break. Then, the user needs to replace the entire gate frame (1), which increases its cost. This problem has been solved in known cutting machines in that the areas of the gate frames (1) in which the gate knives (7) are guided are designed to be replaceable. For this purpose, corresponding wear elements ( 3) are pressed into the frames. However, these are only to a limited extent replaceable and must be pressed out of the frame with high force. With each replacement of the wear elements (3), the opposite sides in the gate frame (1) wear away. After repeated replacement of the wear elements (3), it is no longer possible to ensure that the wear elements (3) and their fixed seats in the gate frame (1) are pressed in, so that the latter then has to be renewed, which in turn increases the costs of the user. In addition, there is the risk that the wear elements ( 3) will separate or move during operation, which can lead to restrictions on the cutting quality and to damage to the machine and the cutting gate. Because the wear elements ( 3) cannot be removed as standard for cleaning, particles which are located in the gaps between gate frame ( 1) and wear elements ( 3) during operation are also not completely removed, which can lead to microbiological contamination in the long term. With the principle of pressing in, it is also possible to use only a limited number of materials for the wear elements ( 3). Cutting gates are also known in which the wear elements (3) are inserted loosely. Since they are not seated firmly in the gate frame (1), they move during cutting, which can lead to restrictions on the cutting quality. In addition, the wear elements (3) can fall out of the frame during the removal and installation of the cutting gates. Furthermore, cutting gates are known in which the wear elements (3) are built between the front and rear cutting gates. However, this solution is complicated and cost-intensive.The problem underlying the stated invention is to create a cutting gate with reasonable production effort, which reduces the effort and the costs during operation and at the same time ensures repeated, effective cleaning and a flexible material use and a firm fit of the slotted regions in the gate frame ( 1).This problem is solved by the features listed in the claims.The advantage achieved with the invention is in particular that the wear elements ( 3) are firmly connected to the frame and can simultaneously be removed and reinserted without increased effort. The insertion grooves (2) in the frame and the wear elements (3) also have hygienic rounded portions and chamfers. The aforementioned points allow the individual parts of the cutting gate to be effectively cleaned, so that microbiological contamination is prevented. In addition, virtually no wear of the insertion grooves ( 2) for the wear elements ( 3) takes place within the framework, so that the wear elements ( 3) can be changed virtually infinitely often. Replacement of the frame due to worn insertion grooves (2) for the wear elements (3) is thus practically no longer necessary, so that the costs for the user are reduced. Furthermore, more and different materials can be used for the wear elements ( 3), which extends the applicability of the cutting gate. The use of hardened steel can significantly increase the service life of the wear elements ( 3). The fact that the wear elements ( 3) are inserted into the frame from behind effectively prevents them from becoming detached during operation or entering the material to be cut. In addition, these regions are thereby covered and not accessible during operation, due to the elements lying behind them, so that contamination cannot take place.An embodiment of the invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a cutting gate with a gate blade arrangement and wear elements FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the gate frame and gate frame with installed wear elements FIG. 3 Gate frames without wear elements FIG. 4 shows a wear elementFIG. 1 shows a cutting gate with a gate blade arrangement and installed wear elements ( 3).FIG. 2 shows a gate frame (1) in which the wear elements (3) are inserted and fastened with screws (5). The wear elements ( 3) ideally end flush with the gate frame ( 1) at the front and rear sides.FIG. 3 shows the gate frame ( 1) with removed wear elements ( 3). The insertion grooves (2) for the wear elements (3) are made in the gate frame (1) longitudinally to the cutting direction. The gate frame (1) contains bores with internal threads for fastening the wear elements (3).FIG. 4 shows wear elements ( 3) which have lateral guide webs for insertion into the gate frame ( 1) and noses ( 6) with openings ( 4) for screws ( 5) for fastening to the gate frame ( 1).List of reference characters1 Rack frame 2 Insertion grooves 3 Wear element 4 Opening 5 Screw 6 Nose 7 Rack knife

Claims

Cutting gate in which the wear elements (3) can be removed and installed permanently, without problems and ensure a firm fit and a problem-free cleaning during operation, characterized in that insertion grooves (2) for inserting the wear elements (3) are present in the gate frame (1), in which grooves a defined minimum, positive spacing exists between frame and wear elements (3).Cutting gate according to claim 1, characterised in that the wear elements have noses (6) which abut the rear side of the gate frames (1).Cutting gate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wear elements (3) have, towards the rear side of the gate frame (1), an opening (4), through which they are firmly connected to the gate frame (1) by means of a removable fastening element, for example a screw (5), which in turn has a bore, for example with internal threads, at the same point.Cutting gate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wear elements (3) end flush with the front and rear sides of the gate frame (1).Cutting gate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gate frame (1) and the wear elements (3) are provided with hygienic rounded portions and chamfers.Cutting gate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wear elements (3) can consist of hardened stainless steel, which have a high hardness and wear resistance.Cutting gate according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wear elements (3) can consist of any other materials. These can be, inter alia, stainless steel, brass, aluminum and their alloys, plastic.

Images