Overlapping unit for laterally overlapping portions transported in a longitudinal direction

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device and a method for laterally overlapping portions transported in a longitudinal direction, each portion comprising at least one slice separated from a food product.

[0002] Lateral overlapping of portions may be necessary, for example, when several adjacent food products, such as sausage or cheese loaves, are sliced ​​simultaneously by means of a slicing device, e.g. by means of a high-speed slicer, and thus a single portion is produced from one or more food slices in each lane. In In practice, it is often desired, for example, to form total portions from two such individual portions, each of which is to be placed in a packaging intended for sale at a downstream packaging device and presented therein in the form of laterally overlapping individual portions.

[0003] To date, portions have usually been overlapped laterally using relatively long conveyor systems, which can be 3 to 4 m long, for example. Known overlappers comprise two continuously separated belt conveyors arranged one above the other at different levels. On the input side, each of which has a so-called rocker mechanism. This rocker mechanism directs some of the incoming portions to the upper conveyor level and others to the lower conveyor level. At the end of the upper conveyor level, a portion from the upper conveyor level is then deposited onto a portion transported on the lower conveyor level. Each of the two conveyor levels is equipped with at least one of its own drive units so that the conveyor speeds can be adjusted accordingly. A further drive unit is required for the separate rocker mechanism assigned to the input side.

[0004] Known overlappers ,Such conveyors, such as those in EP 0 274 ​​229 A2, not only require a lot of space due to their length, but also have a complex and expensive design, since at least three independent belt conveyors, including the two conveyor levels and the rocker, must be provided and equipped with independent drives. For large throughput volumes, such an effort is appropriate and suitable, especially when the overlap function is used continuously.

[0005] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a device and a method of the type mentioned at the outset which enable a lateral overlapping of portions in the simplest and most cost-effective manner possible and, in particular, are as versatile as possible.

[0006] This object is achieved by the features of claim 1 and in particular by providing at least one overlapping unit which comprises a belt conveyor with at least two tracks, wherein an upper track and a lower track are deflected on the inlet side around a common input axis and on the outlet side around two output axes located at different height levels.

[0007] According to the invention, two adjacent incoming portions can be brought to different heights and then stacked on top of each other without the aid of additional equipment. Since the two tracks are deflected around a common input axis on the inlet side, the overlapping unit according to the invention can connect directly to a preceding conveyor without the need for a rocker.

[0008] The two tracks of the belt conveyor can be guided in such a way that the different height levels are reached within a comparatively short conveying distance in the longitudinal direction. The overlapping unit according to the invention therefore requires only a comparatively short installation length. It has been shown that less than half the installation length required for known overlapping units is sufficient for an overlapping unit according to the invention.

[0009] The belt conveyor preferably comprises a plurality of conveyor belts for each of the two tracks, running side by side at a distance from one another. The conveyor belts are preferably round belts with a circular, oval, or elliptical cross-section, although other cross-sectional shapes are also possible, and so-called trapezoidal belts or T-belts, for example, can also be used. Such conveyor belts, and thus the tracks formed by them, can be easily and reliably guided and deflected as desired, both by changing their pitch (i.e., in height) and by changing their direction in the transverse direction.

[0010] A particular advantage of the invention is that, to implement a specific overlap concept—i.e., to generate a specific placement pattern for the portions conveyed by the two tracks—no components of the overlap unit need to be adjusted during overlap operation. The type of overlap, i.e., the placement pattern, only needs to be determined once at the beginning by adjusting the course of the two tracks.

[0011] Furthermore, both tracks can be driven jointly. Particularly preferably, a joint drive is provided via the common input axis. Consequently, it is possible to operate the overlap unit according to the invention with just a single drive.

[0012] The invention thus makes it possible to provide overlap units that require relatively little space, are comparatively simply constructed, and are very cost-effective. This in turn, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, creates the advantageous possibility of implementing a cassette or module concept in which the overlap unit is designed as a module that can be handled as a whole and can, for example, be removed and reinserted as a whole from a substructure or frame. A stationary substructure to which the cassette can be coupled can be provided for such an overlap cassette. On the one hand, this essentially makes it possible to provide any number of differently configured overlap units that can be optionally inserted into the respective system by the user in order to implement a desired, application-specific overlap concept with a correspondingly configured overlap cassette.Furthermore, it is possible to use several overlapping units, each configured in a particularly coordinated manner, in succession in order to implement overlapping concepts with corresponding overlapping processes that occur successively one after the other. Furthermore, it is possible to integrate one or more overlapping units into a higher-level functional unit, in particular into a high-speed slicer. For example, an overlapping unit can be integrated into the so-called portioning system of a food slicer and, in particular, coupled to the slicer frame. The overlapping unit can be used, for example, instead of a so-called control belt, which is arranged downstream of a portioning belt of the slicer, on which the portions are formed from the slices cut off by the slicer's cutting blade.

[0013] The device according to the invention thus provides a large range of variations for a plant operator, so that even smaller batches with different deposition patterns can be processed.

[0014] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the inlet-side and / or outlet-side deflection position can be changed in the transverse direction for at least one of the tracks. In this way, for example, the track spacing between the upper and lower tracks can be adjusted. Furthermore, the track spacing and the track positions in the transverse direction can be adapted to an upstream conveyor over which the portions enter. On the outlet side, the degree of lateral overlap can be adjusted by changing the deflection positions.

[0015] In general, it is possible according to the invention to configure the overlap unit such that the degree of overlap on the outlet side is zero, meaning that the two tracks are adjacent to each other in the transverse direction on the outlet side. In certain applications, an overlap unit configured in this way may be necessary, for example, to enable a mere "passage" of portions without lateral overlap. Portions can be brought together or separated, thus reducing or increasing their lateral spacing. Overlap-free passage of portions does not necessarily require straight-ahead travel parallel to the longitudinal direction. Overlap-free travel may, for example, be desired within a conveyor line comprising several modules, which is intended to enable both applications with and without overlap and which includes a plurality of locations for interchangeable conveyor modules.The overlapping unit according to the invention can therefore, if required, also be used as a pure conveyor module with tracks running parallel or diagonally away from or towards each other without portion overlap, given the corresponding adjustability of the tracks.

[0016] In general, the overlap unit according to the invention can therefore be freely configurable with regard to track guidance, either manually or motor-driven via an associated control system, in order to offer a wide variety of applications.

[0017] As already mentioned above, both tracks of the overlapping unit can be assigned a common drive. The drive can be provided via the common input shaft. For example, it is possible to provide a single drive shaft as the common input shaft for both tracks and to set it in rotation using a single drive motor. This drive shaft can be equipped with non-rotatably coupled deflection pulleys or deflection sleeves for the conveyor elements of the two tracks, for example, with grooved sleeves for conveyor belts, with the shape of the grooves adapted to the cross-section of the belts.

[0018] Alternatively, the two tracks can also be driven on the outfeed side via the two output axes. Each output axis can be assigned its own drive, allowing the conveyor speeds of the two tracks to be adjusted independently of each other by controlling the two drives accordingly.

[0019] Alternatively, independent control of the conveyor speeds of the two tracks can also be achieved on the inlet side of the common input axis, for example, by providing a so-called "shaft in shaft" concept with two concentric, nested drive shafts, each with its own drive. Such a concept can be particularly advantageous if the overlapping unit has a plurality of track pairs, each with an upper track and a lower track, arranged alternately in the transverse direction. If only a single track pair with a single upper track and a single lower track is provided, the common input axis can be split and equipped with a left-side drive for one track and a right-side drive for the other track.

[0020] The invention is not limited to creating a lateral overlap of the portions. It is also possible to create a longitudinal offset between the two portions by appropriately adjusting the conveying speeds of the two tracks. A comparatively simple option for regulating the conveying speeds accordingly, requiring two drives, is provided if each of the two tracks has its own drive. If, on the other hand, a common drive is provided, for example, on the common input axis, the conveying speeds of the two tracks can be adjusted relative to one another by ensuring different conveying lengths in the two tracks. This can be achieved, for example, by the two tracks differing from one another with regard to the deflection path on the input axis and / or on the output axes.Different lengths of deflection paths can be achieved, for example, by using deflection pulleys or deflection sleeves with different diameters.

[0021] In general, therefore, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that a longitudinal offset of the portions conveyed in the tracks can be adjusted to a predetermined amount by adjusting the conveying speeds of the tracks relative to one another.

[0022] If no longitudinal offset between the portions is desired and the conveyor lengths of the two tracks differ due to the selected track guidance, this conveyor length difference can be compensated for by setting the conveyor speeds of the two tracks differently. If only a common drive is provided, for example, on the common input axis, such compensation can be achieved by using different deflection paths, for example, on the input axis or on the output axes.

[0023] The effects of different conveying speeds when overlapping the portions on the outlet side can be neglected.

[0024] If the two tracks have different conveying speeds, then in the case of a conveyor immediately upstream of the overlapping unit, it can be provided that the conveying speed of this conveyor lies between the conveying speeds of the two tracks.

[0025] The alignment of the two tracks determines the degree of lateral overlap of the portions conveyed by the tracks, as well as the transverse position of the total portion formed by the overlapping portions at the outlet side. Either only one track can contribute to the transverse offset of the portions relative to each other required for lateral overlap, or both tracks can contribute.

[0026] Accordingly, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, both the upper track and the lower track run obliquely to the longitudinal direction. Both tracks run obliquely toward each other.

[0027] A particularly advantageous guidance of the two tracks, which in particular enables a short overall length and at the same time ensures uninterrupted portion transport, can be realized between the input axis and the output axes by a correspondingly clever deflection of the tracks.

[0028] In particular, an intermediate deflection is provided for the upper track between the input axle and the output axle, which preferably comprises two deflection axes that are both longitudinally spaced apart and located at different height levels.

[0029] An intermediate deflection can be used to ensure, in particular, that the two tracks have a sufficiently large height distance on the outlet side so that portions conveyed on the lower track are not affected by the lower or returning run of the upper track.

[0030] Accordingly, according to an embodiment of the invention, the intermediate deflection can be effective in changing the gradient in such a way that the upper track runs in an output-side region with both strands above the lower track.

[0031] Furthermore, the intermediate deflection can ensure that the upper track, and in particular its returning lower run, quickly gains height to avoid interference with the portions on the lower track in an inlet-side area. An intermediate deflection can also be implemented, in particular, in the transverse direction to prevent or reduce lateral overlap of the two tracks, i.e., to keep the two tracks laterally separated until a sufficiently large clearance is reached between the tracks for the portions conveyed via the lower track.

[0032] Accordingly, the intermediate deflection can be effective in changing the direction in such a way that the lower run of the upper track in an input-side area encloses a different angle with the longitudinal direction than the upper run of the upper track.

[0033] Furthermore, the intermediate deflection can prevent or reduce lateral overlap between the lower run of the upper track and the upper run of the lower track until a specified clearance between these two runs is reached. This prevents the two runs from touching and / or a portion resting on the upper run of the lower track from coming into contact with the lower run of the upper track.

[0034] In particular, it can be provided that an intermediate deflection for the lower run of the upper track is effective both in changing the gradient and in changing the direction, in particular that the lower run of the upper track is pulled both upwards and to the side.

[0035] The intermediate deflection can, for example, comprise one or more deflection axes running parallel to the input axis and the output axes, on which, for example, deflection rollers or deflection sleeves are freely rotatably arranged, the transverse positions of which can be adjusted or set according to the desired track guidance. The position of one or each deflection axis relative to the input axis and / or at least one of the output axes can be adjustable in order to adapt the overlapping unit to a particular application and, in particular, to the height of the portions to be conveyed.

[0036] In one possible embodiment, an intermediate deflection is provided exclusively for the upper track. The two strands of the lower track can each run in a straight line between the input and output axles.

[0037] As already described above, the overlapping unit can comprise either a single track pair or several track pairs arranged side by side in the transverse direction, each with an upper track and a lower track. This allows for a wide variety of overlapping concepts and storage patterns for entire portions. All track pairs can be assigned a common drive, e.g., in the form of a common drive shaft forming the input axis.

[0038] As also already mentioned above, the overlapping unit can be designed as a cassette, namely as a module which is coupled during operation to a stationary substructure and which can be removed and reinserted as a whole, comprising a base for coupling to the substructure and the belt conveyor carried by the base.

[0039] One or more drive motors for the cassette can be integrated into the substructure and remain on the substructure when the cassette is removed. With such a concept, only the component that needs to be configured differently to implement specific applications can be replaced in a simple and cost-effective manner.

[0040] In one embodiment, the overlapping device according to the invention can comprise several overlapping units which are connected in series in the longitudinal direction.

[0041] The overlapping device according to the invention, which comprises one or more overlapping units of the type disclosed here, can be part of a system, also referred to as a production line, which is arranged downstream of at least one slicing device for food products. The overlapping device according to the invention can also be a complete production line including one or more high-speed slicers and a downstream system.

[0042] If multiple overlapping units are provided, they can be arranged directly one after the other and in a corresponding, i.e., coordinated, manner, although this is not mandatory. Pure through-passage sections or through-passage modules without overlapping functions can be provided between overlapping units according to the invention.

[0043] As already mentioned above, according to an embodiment of the invention, an overlap unit can be configured or configurable in such a way that no overlap occurs and the two lanes run continuously next to each other or lead towards or away from each other, ie such an overlap unit according to the invention can, if required, also be used as a pure drive-through module or as a merging or diverging module.

[0044] Several successive overlapping units according to the invention can be configured differently in such a way that, viewed in the longitudinal direction, the respective desired final total portion is formed successively by overlapping processes taking place one after the other on each of the overlapping units.

[0045] The invention also relates to an overlapping unit per se, which does not comprise any additional upstream or downstream devices. Consequently, protection is also independently claimed for an overlapping unit for laterally overlapping portions transported in a longitudinal direction, each of which comprises at least one slice separated from a food product. The overlapping unit comprises a belt conveyor with at least one upper track and at least one lower track, which are deflected on the inlet side around a common input axis and on the outlet side around two output axes located at different heights.

[0046] The overlapping unit can be designed as a cassette, namely as a module coupled to a stationary substructure during operation, which can be removed and reinserted as a whole and comprises a base for coupling to the substructure and the belt conveyor supported by the base. The substructure can be a slicer frame, so that an overlapping unit according to the invention can be integrated into a slicer.

[0047] The invention further relates to a method for forming total portions, each comprising at least two laterally overlapping portions, each comprising at least one slice severed from a food product, wherein in the method the two portions are fed in adjacent tracks to an overlapping unit which comprises a belt conveyor assigned to the two tracks and having an upper track leading to an upper height level and a lower track leading to a lower height level, and wherein an upper portion is conveyed by means of the upper track over a lower portion conveyed by means of the lower track and then placed on the lower portion. The upper track and the lower track lie next to one another on the inlet side and laterally overlap one another on the outlet side at different height levels.

[0048] In In one possible embodiment of this method, the total portions can be formed successively by means of several overlapping units arranged one after the other in the longitudinal direction, by overlapping processes taking place one after the other at each of the overlapping units.

[0049] Furthermore, the method can provide for a longitudinal offset of the portions conveyed in the tracks to be set to a predetermined value by adjusting the conveying speeds of the tracks relative to one another.

[0050] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the method, a conveying length difference between the two tracks is compensated by setting the conveying speeds of the two tracks differently.

[0051] The individual portions conveyed by the at least two tracks of the belt conveyor of the overlapping unit according to the invention can be identical, although this is not mandatory. The portions can also be produced from different product types, so that the total portions formed on the outlet side are then each so-called mixed portions.

[0052] Preferably, the portions each comprise several product slices arranged in a shingled manner in the longitudinal direction. However, this is not mandatory. In principle, stacked portions can also be overlapped laterally. As already mentioned above, the portions can also each comprise only a single slice. A total portion formed by the overlapping unit according to the invention then comprises, for example, two individual slices overlapping each other laterally.

[0053] The invention is described below by way of example with reference to the drawings. They show: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an overlapping unit designed as a cassette according to an embodiment of the invention, Figs. 2 and 3 are each a side view of the overlapping unit of Fig. 1 , Fig. 4 a plan view of the overlap unit of Fig. 1 , Fig. 5 to 9 each show partial views of the overlap unit of Fig. 1 , and Figs. 10 to 13 each show a possible application according to the invention with several specifically configured overlap units according to the invention.

[0054] The illustrated overlapping unit 15 according to the invention is designed as a cassette that can be coupled to a substructure (not shown), for example, a frame of a slicer or a frame forming part of a conveyor line. For this coupling, the overlapping unit 15 is provided with a frame-like base 16. The illustrated overlapping cassette 15 can therefore be handled as a whole and thus forms a module that can be removed and reinserted as a whole from a respective substructure or frame.

[0055] The base frame 16 carries a belt conveyor which, in the illustrated embodiment, comprises two pairs of tracks, each comprising an upper track 17 and a lower track 19, which are arranged alternately next to one another in the transverse direction.

[0056] This belt conveyor defines a longitudinal direction T between an inlet-side input axis 21, designed as a common drive shaft for all tracks 17, 19, and two passive rod-shaped output axes 27, 29.

[0057] Each track 17, 19 comprises several conveyor belts which are deflected on the inlet side around the common input axis 21 and on the outlet side around the output axes 27, 29 which are located at different height levels and approximately vertically one above the other.

[0058] The guidance of the upper tracks 17 is additionally determined by two passive, rod-shaped deflection axes 23, 25, which form an intermediate deflection for the respective upper track 17, which will be discussed in more detail below. The two deflection axes 23, 25 are attached to a common rocker 43, which is pivotable about the common input axis 21. The position of the intermediate deflection for the upper tracks 17 formed by the two deflection axes 23, 25 can thereby be changed relative to the base 16 and thus relative to the input axis 21 and to the output axes 27, 29, which are mounted on the base 16.

[0059] Each pair of tracks 17, 19 serves to transport two incoming portions 11, which here each comprise a plurality of slices 13 arranged in a shingle in the longitudinal direction T and separated from a food product by means of a slicer, in the longitudinal direction T and to place them on top of one another with a respective predetermined transverse offset, i.e. a respective predetermined lateral overlap. In this case - viewed in the longitudinal direction T - a left-hand portion 11 is conveyed by means of the lower track 17 and a right-hand portion 11 by means of the upper track 17, so that at the outlet end of the overlapping unit 15 both portions 11 are at different heights. The left-hand portion 11 is conveyed by means of the upper, incoming run of the lower track 19 and the right-hand portion 11 by means of the upper, incoming run of the upper track 17.

[0060] Grooved deflection sleeves are used to deflect the conveyor belts forming tracks 17, 19, which are described below in conjunction with the Fig. 5 bis 8 will be discussed in more detail and are arranged on the respective axis. The deflection sleeves on the two output axes 27, 29 and the two intermediate deflection axes 23, 25 are freely rotatable, whereas the inlet-side deflection sleeves are rotationally fixedly coupled to the drive shaft 21 forming the input axis.

[0061] When the overlapping cassette 15 shown is coupled to the above-mentioned substructure, the drive shaft 21 is connected to a drive motor (not shown), for example via a belt or gear drive, whereby the drive shaft 21 can be rotated to jointly drive the conveyor belts of the individual tracks 17, 19.

[0062] The transverse position of the individual deflection sleeves is adjustable. The deflection sleeves can be fixed in a preset transverse position. This will be discussed in more detail below.

[0063] In this way, the overlap unit 15 according to the invention can be quickly and easily reconfigured to adapt to a desired application.

[0064] The side views of the Fig. 2 and 3 In particular, the guidance of the strands 17a, 17b of the upper track 17 and the strands 19a, 19b of the lower track 19 can be seen.

[0065] The two strands 19a, 19b of the lower track 19 each extend in a straight line between the input axis 21 and the corresponding output axis 29, with the upper strand 19a lying at least substantially in a horizontal plane during operation. The diameter of the output axis 29 is smaller than the diameter of the input axis 21.

[0066] The intermediate deflection formed by the intermediate deflection axes 23, 25 is arranged approximately one-third of the longitudinal extent of the overlap unit 15—as seen in the longitudinal direction T—between the input axis 21 and the output axes 27, 29. The upper deflection axis 23, located closer to the output axes 27, 29, is above the output axis 27 of the upper track 17, as well as above the lower intermediate deflection axis 25, located closer to the input axis 21 and at approximately the same height as the output axis 27 of the upper track 17.

[0067] This achieves two things: Firstly, both strands 17a, 17b of the upper track 17 run sufficiently far above the upper strand 19a of the lower track 19 for the remaining conveying distance up to the output axis 27. Secondly, it is ensured that in the inlet-side area, the lower strand 17b of the upper track 17 is, so to speak, "pulled upwards" and thus reaches a height level sufficiently far above the upper strand 19a of the lower track 19 earlier than without this intermediate deflection, whereby the "pulling up" of the upper strand 17a of the upper track 17 by means of the other intermediate deflection axis 23 ensures that in the inlet-side area, the upper strand 17a remains above the lower strand 17b of the upper track 17.

[0068] The input-side, lower intermediate deflection axis 25 also causes an offset of the lower run 17b of the upper track 17 in the transverse direction, which will be discussed in more detail below.

[0069] The diameters of the two output axes 27, 28 and their vertical distance are selected such that a portion 11 conveyed on the upper run 19a of the lower track 19 is not obstructed, but at the same time a clean depositing of a portion 11 conveyed by means of the upper run 17a of the upper track 17 onto a portion conveyed by means of the lower track 19 is ensured.

[0070] Fig. 3 In particular, the rocker arm 43 carrying the intermediate deflection axes 23, 25 can be seen, which is provided with a scale 51 on which the position of the intermediate deflection axes 23, 25 relative to the base 16 can be read. In Fig. 3 Also shown on the outlet side is a portion 11 located on the upper run 19a of the lower track, the height of which is smaller than the vertical distance between the lower run 17b of the upper track 17 and the upper run 19a of the lower track at the outlet end of the overlap unit 15.

[0071] Fig. 4 It can be seen in particular that, viewed in the longitudinal direction T, for each pair of tracks, the lower track 19 and the upper track 17 run obliquely to the longitudinal direction T and thus in the longitudinal direction T from an inlet-side, side-by-side arrangement to an outlet-side, laterally overlapping, one above the other arrangement towards each other.

[0072] Fig. 5 , which shows a perspective partial view approximately in the longitudinal direction T, the difference in the course of the upper run 17a to the lower run 17b of the upper track 17 and this in relation to the course of the upper run 19a of the lower track 19 can be seen. By means of the grooved deflection sleeve 26 of the lower intermediate deflection axis 25, an input-side transverse offset of the lower run 17b relative to the upper run 17a in Fig. 5 to the right. This ensures that the lower run 17b of the upper track only laterally overlaps the upper run 19a of the lower track when the height above the upper run 19a of the lower track specified by the lower intermediate deflection 25 is reached. In other words, on the input side, the lower run 17b is "held away" laterally from the upper run 19a of the lower track in order to ensure sufficient clearance or passage height for a portion 11 resting on the upper run 19a of the lower track.

[0073] This lateral holding away of the lower run 17b of the upper track also has the advantage that the restoring force of the conveyor belt deflected by the holding away pushes the grooved deflection sleeve 26 in the opposite direction, in Fig. 5 i.e., to the left. Consequently, to fix the transverse position of the deflection sleeve 26, fixation is only required on one side, in this case the left side. In the illustrated embodiment, this fixation is provided in the form of a clamping ring 45, which can be fixed in the desired transverse position, for example, by means of a screw on the rod forming the deflection axis 25.

[0074] Also Fig. 6 It can be seen that on the input side up to the first, lower intermediate deflection axis 25, seen in the longitudinal direction T, the lower run 17b of the upper track 17 does not run parallel to the upper run 17a, but slightly obliquely to the longitudinal direction T in the opposite direction to the upper run 17a, so that the lower run 17b on the input side remains outside the area above the upper run 19a of the lower track 19.

[0075] Furthermore, Fig. 6 It can be seen that the deflection sleeves 47, 49 for the two tracks 17, 19 of each track pair, which are arranged in a rotationally fixed manner on the common drive shaft 21, have a different diameter, which is smaller for the upper track 19 than that for the lower track 17. Due to this larger deflection path on the drive shaft 21 for the upper track 17, the conveyor belts of the upper track 17 run at a higher conveying speed than those of the lower track 19. The difference in diameter is dimensioned such that the resulting difference in the conveying speeds of the two tracks 17, 19 just compensates for the difference in conveying length between the two tracks 17, 19, which is caused by the different course of the upper track 17 relative to the lower track 19.This ensures that in the total portions formed, the portion 11 from the lower track 19 on the one hand and the portion 11 from the upper track 17 on the other hand do not have any offset in the longitudinal direction T.

[0076] As explained in the introductory part, alternatively, a desired longitudinal offset between the portions 11, which is different from zero, can be specifically specified by selecting the diameter difference on the common drive shaft 21 or at another location accordingly, thus generally causing a conveying length difference between the two tracks 17, 19 corresponding to the desired longitudinal offset.

[0077] For such adjustments, other and / or additional deflections for at least one of the two tracks 17, 19 and / or additional adjustment options for the deflections provided in the illustrated embodiment can also be provided.

[0078] Also Fig. 7 , which shows a front view of the overlap unit 15 according to the invention in a direction opposite to the longitudinal direction T, is, among other things, the transverse offset of the lower run 17b of the upper track - here in Fig. 7 to the left - opposite the upper run 17a in the inlet side area.

[0079] Furthermore, Fig. 7 By comparing the transverse positions of the deflection sleeves 30 of the lower output axis 29 and the deflection sleeves 28 of the upper output axis 27, it can be seen that with the transverse positioning of these deflection sleeves 28, 30 selected here, a lateral overlap is set which corresponds approximately to the transverse distance between two conveyor belts running directly adjacent to one another.

[0080] Fig. 8 shows, in particular, a cross-section through the common drive shaft 21 at the input end of the overlap unit 15. As already mentioned elsewhere, the cross-sectional shape of the grooves of the deflection sleeves 47, 49 is adapted to the cross-section of the conveyor belts 31. This cross-section is circular in the embodiment shown here, although other cross-sectional shapes are also possible.

[0081] The transverse fixation and the rotationally fixed coupling of the deflection sleeves 47, 49 on the drive shaft 21 are carried out for each deflection sleeve 47, 49 by a clamping screw 33, which engages through an opening in the casing of the deflection sleeve 47, 49 into a transverse groove of the drive shaft 21. This type of releasable fixation and thus adjustability of the deflection sleeves 47, 49 in the transverse direction on the drive shaft 21 is also shown in the sectional partial view of the Fig. 9 can be found.

[0082] Based on the Fig. 10 bis 13 In the following, some possible applications according to the invention will be explained purely by way of example, in which several overlapping units 15 according to the invention, as described above in connection with the Fig. 1 bis 9 described, wherein the overlap units 15 are arranged directly downstream of a conveyor 35, which can in particular be the so-called first control belt of a high-speed slicer for the simultaneous slicing of several bar-shaped or loaf-shaped food products arranged next to one another. The overlap units 15 can form a component of the so-called portioning system of the slicer, which includes, among other things, the conveyor 35 shown. The overlap units 15 can each be designed in the form of a cassette and integrated into a frame belonging to the slicer. Installation is preferably carried out at the position of a control belt.

[0083] In In each of the applications shown, at the outlet end of the last overlapping unit 15 as seen in the longitudinal direction T, there is a total portion 12 which has been formed from two or more individual portions 11 which have been produced by means of the slicer (not shown).

[0084] This "cascade" of overlapping units 15 arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction T is followed by a further device 41 of any design, by means of which the total portions 12 formed by the overlapping unit 15 can be further transported or processed. For example, formats from one or more total portions 12 can be formed on the device 41. The further transport of the total portions 12 or the formats formed from them can, for example, take place perpendicular to the longitudinal direction T or further in the longitudinal direction T.

[0085] In application according to Fig. 10 35 portions 11 are fed via the conveyor into four tracks arranged side by side. For the sake of simplicity, each portion 11 is shown here in the form of a circular disc. Each portion 11 can, for example, be arranged as shown in Fig. 1 comprise a plurality of panes arranged in shingles in the longitudinal direction T.

[0086] By means of a first overlapping unit 15, the two outer portions are first overlapped laterally, after which these two overlapping portions are brought together by means of a second overlapping unit 15, after which the two inner individual portions are finally overlapped by means of a third overlapping unit 15, thus completing the desired total portion 12. For example, portions consisting of slices with a diameter (caliber) of approximately 60 mm can be laterally overlapped to form a total portion 12 with a total portion width of approximately 160 mm.

[0087] In application according to Fig. 11 The portions 11 only enter in two lanes, with the first two overlapping units 15 being configured for "through" only, and thus the transverse positions of the portions 11 are not changed by these first two overlapping units 15. Only by means of the third and last overlapping unit 15 is the desired total portion 12 formed by lateral overlap. In the application according to Fig. 11 It is therefore sufficient if the overlapping units 15 each have only one pair of tracks with a lower track and an upper track, whereas in the application according to Fig. 10 the overlapping units 15 each have two such track pairs.

[0088] By applying according to Fig. 11 For example, portions with a diameter (caliber) of 100 mm or 90 mm can be overlapped laterally to form a total of 12 portions with a total portion width of 160 mm each.

[0089] The application according to Fig. 12 shows that portions 11 arriving in an odd number of tracks can also be handled in accordance with the invention. The three portions 11 arriving side by side in this application are guided in such a way that the two left-hand portions 11 are initially overlapped laterally by means of the first overlapping unit 15, whereas the right-hand portion 11 only passes through in the longitudinal direction T. Subsequently, the overlapping portion and the right-hand portion are brought together by means of the second overlapping unit 15, whereupon the respective total portion 12 is formed by means of the third and final overlapping unit 15, in which the portion 11 originally arriving on the far right lies with a lateral overlap on the middle individual portion.

[0090] By applying according to Fig. 12 For example, portions 11 with a diameter (caliber) of 55 mm can be overlapped laterally to form a total portion 12 with a total portion width of approximately 110 mm.

[0091] In general, according to the invention, the total portions 12 can be formed successively by means of several corresponding overlapping units 15 connected in series in the longitudinal direction T, by overlapping processes taking place one after the other at each of the overlapping units 15, wherein, if necessary, one or more of the overlapping units 15 can either only bring about a lateral merging without an overlapping effect or a mere passage without changing the relative transverse position.

[0092] Fig. 13 Finally, it shows that several overlapping units 15 arranged one behind the other need not be used for either lateral overlapping or lateral merging, but can each be configured "for passage." The total portion 12 then corresponds to the inlet-side arrangement of the two individual portions 11.

[0093] Furthermore, Fig. 13 an option whereby conventional tape cassettes can be used for simple straight-ahead transport instead of the overlapping cassettes according to the invention. Bezugszeichenliste

[0094] 11 Portion 12 Total portion 13 Disc 15 Overlap unit 16 Base of the overlap unit 17 Upper track 19 Lower track 21 Common input axle, drive shaft 23 Intermediate deflection 24 Deflection sleeve 25 Intermediate deflection 26 Deflection sleeve 27 Upper output axle 28 Deflection sleeve 29 Lower output axle 30 Deflection sleeve 31 Conveyor belt 33 Clamping screw 35 Conveyor 41 Device 43 Swing arm 45 Clamping ring 47 Deflection sleeve for upper track 49 Deflection sleeve for lower track 51 Scale TLongitudinal direction, transport direction

Claims

1. An overlapping unit for the lateral overlapping of portions (11) which are transported in a longitudinal direction (T) and which each comprise at least one slice (13) cut off from a food product, comprising a belt conveyor having at least two tracks (17, 19), wherein an upper track (17) and a lower track (19) are deflected at the incoming side about a common input axle (21) and at the outgoing side about two output axles (27, 29) disposed at different height levels, wherein the upper track (17) and the lower track (19) are each formed by a plurality of conveyor belts (31) which extend next to one another and at a spacing from one another and which are deflected at the incoming side about the common input axle (21) and at the outgoing side about the respective output axle (27, 29), and characterized in that an intermediate deflection unit (23, 25) is provided for the conveyor belts (31) forming the upper track (17) between the input axle (21) and the output axle (27).

2. An overlapping unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the output axles (27, 29) are arranged at least substantially vertically above one another and / or in that the deflection position at the incoming side and / or at the outgoing side can be varied in a transverse direction for at least one of the tracks (17, 19).

3. An overlapping unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a common drive is associated with both tracks (17, 19) and / or in that the common input axle (21) of the two tracks (17, 19) can be driven.

4. An overlapping unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a longitudinal offset of the portions (11) conveyed in the tracks (17, 19) can be set to a predefined measure by setting the conveying speeds of the tracks (17, 19) relative to one another, and / or in that, as a compensation for a conveyor length difference between the two tracks (17, 19), their conveying speeds are or can be set differently, and / or in that the two tracks (17, 19) differ from one another with respect to their deflection path at the input axle (21) and / or at the output axles (27, 29), and / or in that a conveyor (35) is connected directly upstream of the overlapping unit (15) and its conveying speed lies between the conveying speeds of the two tracks (17, 19).

5. An overlapping unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that both the upper track (17) and the lower track (19) extend obliquely to the longitudinal direction (T).

6. An overlapping unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the intermediate deflection unit (23, 25) is active in an inclination-varying manner such that the upper track (17) extends in a region at the output side with both runs (17a, 17b) above the lower track (19), and / or in that the intermediate deflection unit (25) is active in a direction-varying manner such that the lower run (17b) of the upper track (17) includes a different angle with the longitudinal direction (T) in a region at the input side than the upper run (17a) of the upper track (17), and / or in that the intermediate deflection unit (25) avoids or reduces a lateral overlap between the lower run (17b) of the upper track (17) and the upper run (19a) of the lower track (19) until a predefined clear height between these two runs (17b, 19b) is reached.

7. An overlapping unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the intermediate deflection unit (25) for the lower run (17b) of the upper track (17) is active both in an inclination-varying manner and in a direction-varying manner, and / or in that both runs (19a, 19b) of the lower track (19) each extend in a straight line between the input axle (21) and the output axle (29).

8. An overlapping unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the overlapping unit (15) comprises a plurality of track pairs which are arranged next to one another in the transverse direction and which each have an upper track (17) and a lower track (19).

9. An overlapping unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the overlapping unit (15) is configured as a cassette, namely as a module which is coupled in operation to a stationary substructure, which is removable and reinsertable as a whole and which comprises a base (16) for coupling to the substructure and the belt conveyor supported by the base (16), with in particular a drive motor for the cassette being integrated into the substructure and remaining at the substructure with a removed cassette.

10. An apparatus for the lateral overlapping of portions (11) which are transported in a longitudinal direction (T) and which each comprise at least one slice (13) cut off from a food product, said apparatus comprising a plurality of overlapping units (15), each according to any one of the preceding claims, which are connected after one another in the longitudinal direction.

11. An apparatus for slicing food products, in particular a high-speed slicer, comprising an overlapping unit according to any one of the claims 1 to 9, wherein the overlapping unit (15) is integrated into a rack of the slicing apparatus.

12. A method for forming total portions (12) which each comprise at least two laterally overlapping portions (11) which each comprise at least one slice cut off from a food product, in which the two portions (11) are supplied in tracks disposed next to one another to an overlapping unit (15) according to any one of the claims 1 to 9 which comprises a belt conveyor associated with the two tracks and having an upper track (17) leading to an upper height level and a lower track (19) leading to a lower height level; and in which an upper portion (11) is conveyed by means of the upper track (17) above a lower portion (11) conveyed by means of the lower track (19) and is subsequently placed onto the lower portion (11), wherein the upper track (17) and the lower track (19) are disposed at different height levels next to one another at the incoming side and laterally overlapping at the outgoing side.

13. A method according to claim 12, characterized in that the total portions (12) are each formed by means of a plurality of overlapping units (15) connected after one another in the longitudinal direction (T) successively by overlapping procedures taking place after one another in time at a respective one of the overlapping units (15), and / or in that a longitudinal offset of the portions (11) conveyed in the tracks (17, 19) is set to a predefined measure by setting the conveying speeds of the tracks (17, 19) relative to one another, and / or in that a conveyor length difference between the two tracks (17, 19) is compensated by the conveying speeds of the two tracks (17, 19) being set differently.