Slicing machine with cross transfer device for loading outside the machine and loading method for a slicing machine

Description

I. Area of ​​application

[0001] Slicing machines for cutting product pieces made of elastic material such as sausage or cheese into slices are mainly required in the food industry. II. Technical background

[0002] The material to be cut can be meat or fish or other food.

[0003] A distinction must be made between On the one hand, elongated pieces with a cross-section that remains constant over their length, so-called calibers or strands, in which sausage or cheese is produced, and on the other hand, elongated product pieces in which the cross-section changes over their length, such as product pieces made from grown meat.

[0004] In order to produce slices of approximately the same volume and thus the same weight, a uniform caliberonly always be moved forward by the same feed distance to cut off a slice of the same thickness, for which so-called slicers are known, which cut off the slices at a very high clock frequency.

[0005] At uneven In the prior art, this is achieved in product pieces by first pressing the product piece into a shaped tube with an internal cross-section that remains constant over its length, so that it fills this shaped tube cross-section as completely as possible, so that the product piece in this pressed state has a known cross-section that is the same over its length, even in its end regions.

[0006] Then, by specifying the slice thickness and pushing it forward out of the forming tube and cutting off this excess by one slice thickness at a time, slices of approximately the exact weight can be cut off.

[0007] The problem is that while the product pieces may have similar dimensions within a batch, these dimensions can vary significantly from batch to batch. Dimensions can vary even more depending on the origin of the piece of meat on the animal or even the species of animal.

[0008] It is therefore known that the forming tube has a cross-section that can be changed in at least one transverse direction in order to be able to insert and press product pieces with different cross-sections.

[0009] In addition to the longitudinal pressing punch that can be inserted into the circumferentially closed forming tube in the longitudinal direction, the width of the forming tube channel can be changed and / or a transverse pressing punch that can be inserted into the forming tube channel from its open longitudinal side can be used for transverse pressing, which then of course requires different sized or variable sized longitudinal pressing punches and / or transverse pressing punches, which are kept in the machine, for example, in the form of corresponding punch revolvers.

[0010] Furthermore, it is known to provide a plurality of shaped tubes of different sizes and / or shapes in terms of their cross-section in a shaped tube revolver, which can be used selectively and which, in addition, with two identical shaped tubes each, additionally enables loading of one of the two identical shaped tubes while slices are currently being cut from the other shaped tube.

[0011] However, pressing not only in the longitudinal direction but also in the transverse direction of the product piece on a forming tube turret with several forming tubes is difficult to achieve.

[0012] Often, regardless of the various designs described above, the cutting unit of such slicing machines is located at working height, and the forming tube extends diagonally upwards from there, sometimes even above head height. This makes manual loading of the open forming tube, i.e., the forming tube chute, very difficult.

[0013] Adjusting the loaded forming tube to the position of the longitudinal pressing punch and, if applicable, the transverse pressing punch, but also relative to the cutting plane in which the knife moves, can also cause difficulties.

[0014] The document DE10 2004 041915 A1 discloses a slicing machine according to the preamble of claim 1 and the preamble of claim 11.

[0015] Furthermore, reference is made to the documents DE 10 2016 107849 A1 and WO 2020 / 212475 A1. III. Description of the invention a) Technical task

[0016] It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a loading device for a generic slicing machine which minimizes the problems mentioned despite a simple and cost-effective construction of the loading device, as well as a method for operating such a slicing machine. b) Solution to the task

[0017] This object is achieved by the features of claims 1 and 11. Advantageous embodiments emerge from the subclaims.

[0018] A generic slicing machinecomprises a base frame and a longitudinally extending shaped tube channel attached to the base frame with an open long side and a channel cavity open on both sides at the front for receiving a product piece.

[0019] The open longitudinal side can be closed by a transverse pressing punch which can be moved tightly into the open longitudinal side in a first transverse direction, the transverse pressing direction, to form a circumferentially closed, frontally open forming tube, wherein a longitudinal pressing punch is present which can be moved tightly into the rear end of the forming tube cavity in the longitudinal direction for pushing forward and longitudinally pressing the elastic product piece located therein - which consists of a food product - in the feed direction towards the cutting end of the forming tube.

[0020] When cross-pressing and cutting, the upright longitudinal center plane of the cross-pressing punch in use must also be located centrally between the two inner surfaces of the side walls of the forming pipe trough so that the cross-pressing punch sits centrally and, in particular, tightly in the forming pipe trough.

[0021] The slicing machine further comprises a loading device for loading the forming tube channel through the open longitudinal side, and of course a cutting device with a knife which moves in a transverse direction in a knife plane perpendicular to the feed direction and cuts off the excess product piece which protrudes from the front end, the cutting end, of the forming tube and which has been pressed to a uniform caliber.

[0022] According to the inventionthe loading device comprises a transfer device which carries the forming tube trough (1U) and is designed such that it is able to transfer the forming tube trough (1U) from a loading position further away from the upright longitudinal center plane (10") of the transverse pressing punch (5.1 - 5.6) in the use position outside the base frame (12) of the machine in the transverse direction to the feed direction (10) to a slicing position in which the longitudinal center plane (10") runs between side walls (1U1, 1U2) of the forming tube trough (1U), in particular centrally between the inner surfaces thereof.

[0023] Since the transfer can take place in a horizontal transverse direction, in particular, the loading of the forming tube trough is facilitated by the fact that no loading through the rear end of the forming tube or the forming tube trough is necessary, which is very high due to the upright position.

[0024] Preferably, the transfer device comprises a base carriage which is displaceable in the transfer direction, preferably the second transverse direction - which is perpendicular to the first transverse direction, the transverse pressing direction on the one hand and the longitudinal direction on the other hand - which also carries the forming tube channel which is a component of the transfer device, in particular of the base carriage, and can accordingly be transferred from the loading position to the slicing position.

[0025] This allows the operator to place the product piece into the easily accessible forming tube chute in the loading position, and to check the position of the product piece in the chute and correct it if necessary, which is not possible if the product piece falls into the open long side or an open front side of the forming tube chute only when it is in the cutting position within the machine.

[0026] In order to be able to adjust the width of the shaped pipe gutter, the distance between the side walls in the second transverse direction is adjustable, preferably in steps.

[0027] This can be achieved either by arranging an additional carriage, which carries a first side wall, on the base carriage so that it can move in the transfer direction and by having the other, second side wall adjustable relative to it, i.e. relative to the additional carriage and thus also to the first side wall, in the transfer direction.

[0028] Since the adjustment can be carried out by a simple movement and the fixing in a certain transverse position can be carried out by inserting a locking bolt into a locking opening, this results in a very simple construction.

[0029] However, during transverse pressing and cutting, i.e., when the transverse pressing ram is immersed, the two side walls must be positioned symmetrically to the upright longitudinal center plane of the transverse pressing ram, which is precisely midway between its two longitudinal edges running in the feed direction. Therefore, for each of the possible predefined widths of the forming tube chute—for which there is also a transverse pressing ram with this width—on the one hand, the additional carriage is positioned accordingly in the transverse direction, particularly in the transfer direction, to the base carriage and secured by means of a first locking device. On the other hand, the second side wall of the additional carriage is similarly secured by means of a second locking device.

[0030] Alternatively, a first side wall can be fixedly arranged directly on the base carriage in the transverse direction, and the second side wall can be movable and fixed relative to the first side wall in this transverse direction, in particular by means of a first locking device. However, different slicing positions for the base carriage in the transverse direction then exist, for example, realized by a transverse stop for the base carriage, preferably adjustable in steps, in particular lockable relative to the base frame by means of a second locking device, to ensure that the longitudinal center plane of the transverse pressing die always runs in the center between the inner surfaces of the side walls when the forming tube channel is in the slicing position.

[0031] All of this is not necessary if the shaped pipe trough is constructed in such a way that the two side walls can only be adjusted in counter-synchronous manner towards or away from this longitudinal plane, which is located in the middle between the side walls, regardless of whether this is done continuously or in steps and with fixing in the respective step, in particular form-fitting fixing.

[0032] This can be done by means of separate drives, such as synchronized electric motors, or with the help of just a single drive and a corresponding counter-synchronous mechanism, such as a threaded spindle with two sections with circumferential threads on it in two sections, one of which is a left-hand thread and the other a right-hand thread, matching corresponding internal circumferential threads in a spindle nut, which is arranged in each of the side walls.

[0033] Furthermore, it is important that the forming tube channel is positioned exactly axially when it reaches the cutting position, i.e. relative to the knife plane in which the cutting edge of the knife rotates.

[0034] This can be achieved with a guide shoe that runs in the transfer direction with very little play in a corresponding guide rail that is attached to both sides of the guide shoe, with one of these two parts being attached to the base carriage or additional carriage and the other being fixed to the base frame.

[0035] In the transfer direction, these two parts are arranged in such a way that they only engage with each other towards the end of the movement path in the direction of the cutting position, with an insertion bevel on one of the two parts to facilitate insertion into each other.

[0036] The transfer path up to this point and beyond can be covered on rollers that roll on rails running in the transfer direction, whereby the rollers are preferably arranged on the base carriage and the rails are fixedly attached to the base frame.

[0037] In particular, the guides, especially the base guides on which the base carriage runs by means of rollers, are dimensioned in such a way that they can bend when the forming tube trough is loaded in the first transverse direction, in particular due to the transverse pressing of a product piece located therein.

[0038] However, when the shaped tube trough is not under load, i.e. when no transverse pressing is taking place, there is a support body on the base frame at a very short distance below the base slide, so that when the shaped tube trough is under load and the base guides bend, the base slide moves towards the support body and sits on it and is supported by it.

[0039] This allows the base guides and their attachment to the base frame to be dimensioned relatively weakly, which reduces the weight of the machine.

[0040] If the respective carriage is offset in the longitudinal direction when the guide rail and guide shoe run into each other, then either the roller must be able to be displaced slightly in this direction relative to the rail on which it runs or has run previously, or the additional carriage must be able to be displaced relative to the base carriage or the base carriage relative to the rollers with which it runs on the rails, in particular by means of floating bearings.

[0041] In this way, the shaped tube trough is again positioned axially exactly to the knife plane or cutting plane after each new loading.

[0042] For exact positioning in the slicing position in the transfer direction, preferably the second transverse direction, a third locking device is provided so that the base carriage cannot move out of its slicing position during the slicing operation.

[0043] This 3rd locking device can be deactivated by the operator and the operator side, in particular by pulling a release rod which releases this locking device, whereupon the base carriage moves from the slicing position into the loading position.

[0044] In particular, an end position sensor is provided which detects whether the transfer device, in particular the base carriage, in particular the forming tube chute, is in the slicing position, because the slicing operation must not be started beforehand.

[0045] When pulling out the transfer device, in particular the base carriage, in particular the forming tube chute in the transfer direction from the cutting position to the loading position, the cross punch must no longer be located within the forming tube chute.

[0046] Therefore, a cross-punch sensor is provided which detects whether the cross-punch is inside or completely outside the forming tube chute and displays this and / or reports it to the control system.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, controlled drives are provided for adjusting and in particular positively fixing, in particular locking, the transfer device and / or the base carriage in the slicing position and / or the additional carriage, in particular the second side wall relative to the base carriage and / or the second side wall in the transverse direction to the additional carriage.

[0048] This means that, supplemented by appropriate sensors, the entire loading device can be largely automated.

[0049] Regarding the ProcedureFor slicing a product piece with a slicing machine which comprises a shaped tube chute for receiving the product piece and feeding it in a feed direction to the cutting unit, in particular the knife, of the machine, as well as a loading device for the shaped tube chute - which can in particular be a slicing machine as described above - the existing object is achieved in that the product piece is transferred from a loading position to a slicing position, wherein the slicing position is closer to or in particular on the longitudinal center plane of the cross-pressing punch than the loading position.

[0050] In this way, it is possible to provide the loading position in a location that is easily accessible to the operator and clearly visible into the forming tube chute, which makes it much easier to place a product piece in the correct position in the forming tube chute.

[0051] Located on the longitudinal median plane means that the longitudinal median plane runs between the two side walls of the U-shape in the cutting position, in particular exactly in the middle between the two inner surfaces of the two side walls.

[0052] According to the invention, the product piece is transferred in that the forming tube trough itself is transferable between a loading position or a slicing position and thus the product piece can be inserted into the forming tube trough at the easily visible loading position.

[0053] Before the slicing operation begins, the forming tube chute loaded with a new product piece is not only transferred to the slicing position, in particular moved, but also locked there, in particular positively locked, since damage to the machine could occur if the forming tube chute moves away from its slicing position during the slicing operation.

[0054] In the longitudinal direction of the forming tube channel, it is finely adjusted relative to the knife plane during transfer to the slicing position or shortly thereafter.

[0055] The side walls of the shaped pipe gutter can be fixed in their distance from each other and / or to the longitudinal center plane, in particular they can be fixed in a form-fitting manner in order to correctly maintain the transverse pressing.

[0056] If the loaded forming tube trough shifts its position in this first transverse direction due to the material elasticity of the machine when loaded in the transverse pressing direction, it is supported after a short distance by a support body of the base frame arranged there. c) Examples of implementation

[0057] Embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below by way of example. They show: Figure 1a: one acquaintanceSlicing machine in a cut along the longitudinal center plane with press rams attached to the press drives for longitudinal pressing and transverse pressing, Figure 1b: a view analogous Figure 1a , but with both press rams already in the forming pipe groove, Figure 1c: a view of the slicing machine of the Figure 1a , b from above in the direction of the longitudinal pressing direction, i.e. at the level of the cutting plane C - C in Figure 1b , Figure 2: the slicing machine of the Figures 1a -c cut along the section plane II - II, Figure 3a, b: a first design of a loading device according to the invention viewed in the longitudinal pressing direction, as a detail enlargement of the Figure 2 in the known machine marked area, in different functional positions, Figure 4: a sectional view cut along the line IV - IV in Figure 3a , Figure 5a, b:a sectional view cut along the line V - V in the Figure 4 , in various functional positions, Figure 6: a second design of a loading device according to the invention in an analogous representation to Figure 3a .

[0058] The Figures 1a , b show a slicing machine with a base frame 12 - but without operating unit - according to the State of the art in the side view, cut along its longitudinal center plane 10" and reveal their basic principle: A product piece 100 with an irregular cross-section over its length is first placed in a very steeply positioned, longitudinally 10 running, shaped pipe channel 1U, from which in Figure 1a primarily the side wall 1U2 is visible and has an upward and forward facing open long side, inserted according to Figure 1a .

[0059] Figure 1c and Figure 2reveal as loading device 16 a support plate 9 which extends laterally to the outside of the base frame 17 of the machine and is also steeply inclined in the longitudinal direction 10, which protrudes laterally towards the operator side from the base frame 12 of the machine, onto which a product piece 100 can be placed outside the machine and can be pushed into the machine by means of a slider 2 in the 2nd transverse direction 11.2 over the upper end of one side wall 1U1 of the forming tube trough 1U, so that the product piece 100 falls into the forming tube trough 1, albeit in an uncontrolled manner.

[0060] Subsequently, the open longitudinal side of the forming pipe channel 1U is closed circumferentially to form a forming pipe 1, e.g. by inserting a precisely fitting transverse pressing punch 5.1 in the transverse direction 11.1 to the longitudinal direction 10, the transverse pressing direction 11.1, by means of a transverse pressing drive 7 according to Figure 1b .

[0061] At the same time or subsequently, in accordance with Figure 1b a longitudinal pressing ram 4.1 is moved from the rear, upper end into the forming tube 1 by means of a longitudinal pressing drive 6 and presses the product piece 100 as it continues to move forward in the longitudinal direction 10.

[0062] Longitudinal pressing and transverse pressing together cause the deformation of the irregularly shaped product piece 100 in the forming tube 1 to a caliber 100* with a uniform cross-section in the longitudinal direction 10.

[0063] For cutting, this caliber 100* is pushed forward under the control of the longitudinal press ram 4.1 beyond the front, lower open end, the cutting end 1a, of the forming tube 1 up to a stop plate 14 arranged at a distance in front of it, the stop surface of which defines the stop plane 14'.

[0064] By moving the cutting edge 3a of a knife 3 rotating around a knife axis 3', which runs parallel to the longitudinal direction 10, in a transverse direction to the longitudinal direction 10, here also the transverse pressing direction 11.1, this excess of the caliber 100* is cut off as a disc 101, falls onto a discharge conveyor 8 and is conveyed by this out of the base frame 12 of the machine.

[0065] How best to Figures 1a , b and 2 show, the shaped pipe channel 1U consists of two side walls 1U1, 1U2, and a base 1U3, wherein the side walls 1U1, 1U2 can be adjusted in their clear transverse distance, the width B, to one another by moving, in particular along the base 1U3, in the second transverse direction 11.2, which runs transversely, in particular in each case at a 90° angle, to the axial direction 10 and the first transverse direction 11.1.

[0066] In this design, the side walls 1U1, 1U2 are always located symmetrically to the longitudinal center plane 10", which is spanned by the first transverse direction 11.1 and the longitudinal direction 10 and which runs stationary parallel to the inner surfaces of the side walls 1U1, 1U2 and / or perpendicular to the surface of the base 1U3, and occupies the same distance B / 2 on both sides to the inner surfaces of the two side walls 1U1, 1U2 of the forming tube trough 1U in the cutting position, and / or especially occupies the same distance B / 2 on both sides to the two lateral longitudinal edges of the transverse pressing punch 5.1.

[0067] The side walls 1U1, 1U2, more precisely the inner surfaces of the side walls, preferably run parallel to each other in order to be able to insert a cross-pressing stamp 5.1 with a fixed width precisely between them.

[0068] For this purpose, the side walls 1U1, 1U2 can be moved to certain, fixed transverse distances from each other and thus to the longitudinal center plane 10", and for each of these defined widths B, i.e. inner free widths, of the shaped pipe channel 1U, a transverse pressing punch 5.1 to 5.6 with an analogous width is available, since the transverse pressing punches are not variable in width.

[0069] For this purpose, the cross-pressing punches 5.1 to 5.6 are held in a cross-pressing punch turret 15 - as best shown in the Figures 1a-cvisible - whose axis of rotation or switching axis 15' runs parallel to the longitudinal direction 10, but is offset from the forming tube trough 1U in such a way that the cross-pressing punch 5.1 facing and closest to the forming tube trough 1U is still located radially and axially outside the extension of the forming tube trough 1U, and from there the appropriate cross-pressing punch can be pulled downwards out of the cross-pressing punch turret 5 and pulled onto the cross-pressing drive 7 and locked there.

[0070] For the thus gradually changing free inner width of the forming tube 1, different longitudinal pressing punches 4.1 are used, which are held in a longitudinal punch turret 13, the switching axis 13' of which runs parallel but offset to the switching axis 15' of the transverse punch turret 15.

[0071] From there, the appropriate longitudinal press ram 4.1 can also be automatically selected and attached to the longitudinal press drive 6.

[0072] Figure 2shows only the longitudinal pressing punch 4.1 in use, since this section is located above this longitudinal pressing punch 4.1 which has already been inserted into the forming tube 1, but already below the longitudinal pressing punch turret 13, on which the other longitudinal pressing punches 4.1 - 4.6 are located.

[0073] Therefore, in addition to the shaped tube 1, the circular disk-shaped knife 3 can also be seen, as well as the stop plate 14 arranged next to it, the functional edge of which is convexly curved and runs parallel to the outer circumference of the peripheral edge, the cutting edge 3a of the knife 3, usually at a small radial and usually also axial distance therefrom.

[0074] Figure 2 further shows the actuating devices for the two side walls 1U1 and 1U2 in order to move them along the base 1U3 and thus to adjust the width B of the forming tube channel 1U to a predetermined value corresponding to the width of one of the transverse pressing punches 5.1 - 5.6.

[0075] The selection of the punches to be used for pressing and cutting can be partially or fully automated in that the machine itself analyses, in particular measures, the still irregular, unpressed product piece 100 to such an extent that the machine control system can automatically select the correct transverse pressing punch and longitudinal pressing punch, for which the product piece 100 must generally first be in the machine in order to be analysed by corresponding sensors.

[0076] The Figure 3a shows in the slicing position and the Figure 3b in the loading position, the transfer device 17, which carries the forming pipe trough 1U and is part of the loading device 16.

[0077] With this transfer device 17, the U-shape 1U can be moved laterally outside the base frame 12 of the machine, as shown in Figure 3bvisible, and in this loading position, an operator can insert a product piece 100 into the steeply positioned but upwardly open forming tube trough 1U in a way that is easily visible and correctable with regard to its position.

[0078] How best Figure 3a As can be seen, the transfer device 17 consists of at least one base carriage 18, which is movable in the second transverse direction 11.2, the transfer direction 17', along carriage rails 27, of which in the direction of view of the Figures 3a , b two are provided one behind the other and on which the base carriage 18 can be moved with rollers 18b.

[0079] Since the carriage rails 27 are approximately horizontal, the operator can grasp the steeply positioned base carriage 18 by a handle 18a arranged on the operator side B and pull it out until the shaped tube channel 1U is outside the base frame 12, of which the two side frames or side plates are shown here, according to Figure 3b , For this purpose, a sufficiently large opening must, of course, be provided in one wall of the base frame 12. A safety door can be provided on the inside or outside of this opening, which stops the slicing machine as soon as it is opened during slicing.

[0080] The forming channel 1U must be in a fixed cutting position according to Figure 3aat least in the transverse direction, in particular such that the longitudinal center plane 10" of the transverse pressing punch 5.1 is simultaneously the longitudinal center plane 10" between the inner surfaces of the side walls 1U1 and 1U2.

[0081] Since, in addition, the width of the shaped tube channel 1U, i.e. the mutual distance between the inner surfaces of the two side walls 1U2 and 1U1, is to be variable in steps, an additional carriage 19, which carries one side wall 1U1, is displaceable in the transfer direction 17' on the base carriage 18 and can be positively locked in certain transverse positions relative to the base carriage 18 by means of a locking device 21.

[0082] Since, depending on the setting, the side wall 1U is at a certain distance from the longitudinal center plane 10", the other side wall 1U2 must also be adjusted to this new distance on the other side of the longitudinal center plane 10", which is why this other side wall 1U2 in turn sits on the upper side of the additional carriage 19 and can be locked in various transverse positions relative to it in the transfer direction 17', in particular with a second locking device 22.

[0083] The locking device 21 consists of a through hole in the plate-shaped additional slide 19, which is preferably simultaneously the bottom 1U3 of the forming tube trough 1U or includes this bottom, but the through hole is in the transfer direction 17' away from the forming tube trough 1U on the operator side.

[0084] In the base slide 18 there are recesses, here through holes, at predetermined distances from one another, whereby the through opening in the additional slide 19 can be brought into alignment with each of these recesses in the base slide 18 in the transfer direction 17' and a locking bolt 21a can be pushed through the additional slide 19 into the base slide 18, which has a slight radial play to the diameters of the bores and recesses.

[0085] Analogously, the locking device 21 comprises a through hole in the plate-shaped extension, which extends from the lower end of the side wall 1U2 away from the molding channel 1U and is braced relative to this side wall to form a supplementary slide 32, but the through hole is arranged in the transfer direction 17' away from the molding tube channel 1U.

[0086] In the additional slide 19 there are recesses, here blind holes, at predetermined distances from one another, whereby the through opening in the plate-shaped extension of the supplementary slide 32 can be brought into alignment with each of these recesses in the additional slide 19 in the transfer direction 17' and a locking bolt 22a can be pushed through the plate-shaped extension into the additional slide 19, which has a slight radial play to the diameters of the bores and recesses.

[0087] In Figure 3aFor reasons of clarity, no product piece is shown in the forming tube channel 1U, which in this case is already closed on the open long side, which can be done according to the right half of the illustration by a suitable transverse pressing stamp e.g. 5.1, which has the same width as the inner free width currently set free width of the forming tube channel 1U and can be moved tightly into this in the first transverse direction, the transverse pressing direction 11.1, in order to also press the product piece located therein in the transverse direction 11.1.

[0088] If this is not desired, a cover 5* is sufficient, which can be placed over the upper ends of the two side walls 1U1, 1U2 along the open long side.

[0089] The setting and adjustment of the transverse position of the additional slide 19 to the base slide 18 and also of the supplementary slide 32 takes place before loading and preferably outside the base frame 12 of the machine in the loading position according to Figure 3b .

[0090] In the cutting position of the Figure 3a It is essential that the base carriage 18 is located and remains exactly in the slicing position in the transverse direction 11.2, whereby this is ensured on the one hand by a transverse stop 33 on the base frame 12, against which the base carriage 18 can be moved, and on the other hand by a locking device 20, which prevents retraction from this stop 33 and thus the slicing position in the locked state.

[0091] For this purpose, a locking projection 28, which in this case projects downwards, is formed on the base frame 12, behind which a locking lug 29 projecting upwards from below can engage. The locking lug 29 is pivotably attached to the base carriage 18 between a locked and unlocked position. The pivotable locking lug 29 is connected to the operator side by means of a pull rod 31, which extends from the locking device 20 arranged on the anti-operator side under the base carriage 18 and can be grasped there, in particular outside the base frame 12, by an operator to unlock it in order to be able to pull the base carriage 18 out into the loading position for reloading the forming pipe trough 1U.

[0092] For this purpose, of course, no transverse pressing ram 5.1 may be located inside the forming tube channel 1U, but must be moved out of it in the opposite direction to the transverse pressing direction 11.1, which can be checked by means of a sensor or also a locking device (not shown).

[0093] An end position sensor 26 is provided on the locking device 20, which detects the engaged state of the locking nose 29 behind the locking projection 28, preferably without contact, and is connected to the control system of the machine by signaling, so that without a base carriage 18 in the slicing position, the slicing operation cannot be started.

[0094] Not shown is a stop for the inserted product piece 100 at the lower open end of the forming tube trough 1U, which is very steep, which would otherwise slip out of the lower open end face of the forming tube trough 1U.

[0095] This stop can be fixed to the base frame 12 and can extend close to the Figures 1a to Figure 2 shown, connected to the knife 3, reach the stop plate 14 in the transverse direction 11.2.

[0096] The Figures 4 as well as Figure 5a , b show how the base carriage 18 can be adjusted very precisely to the knife plane 3" in the slicing position in the longitudinal direction 10: Figure 4 shows, viewed in the transfer direction 17', the transverse direction 11.2, the base carriage 18, which rolls with left-hand rollers 18A in this viewing direction on a left-hand carriage rail 27A and with right-hand rollers 18B on a right-hand carriage rail 27B.

[0097] While the right-hand rollers have a slightly spherical circumferential surface in cross-section and roll on a flat support surface of the carriage rail 27B, the left-hand rollers 18A have a circumferential groove into which the left-hand carriage rail 27A partially dips, whereby the roller 18A rests against the circumference of the carriage rail 27A with both flanks of its groove, i.e. on both sides of the longitudinal center plane 18A" of this roller 18A, which is transverse to its rotational axis 18'.

[0098] As a result, the roller 18A is held in a form-fitting manner on the plunging carriage rail 27A in the longitudinal direction, the longitudinal pressing direction 10, especially since the base carriage 18, in addition to each roller that rests on the upper side of the respective carriage rail 27A, 27B, has a respective counter roller 18A* or 18B* on the opposite side of the respective carriage rail 27A, 27B, which is necessary because of the very steep rotation axis 18' of the rollers 18A, B in reality.

[0099] In order to allow temperature expansion of the base carriage 18 in the longitudinal pressing direction 10, only the rollers 18A on one side of the base carriage 18 are designed to be form-fitting with respect to the carriage rail 27A as described - regardless of whether on the left or right side of the base carriage 18 viewed in the transfer direction 17' - while the rollers 18B on the other side can move in the longitudinal direction 10 with their circumferential surface which is crowned in cross section on the running surface of the carriage rail 27B which is less crowned in the longitudinal direction 10 and is in particular flat.

[0100] In the case of the rollers 18A, the groove could represent a prism and the part of the cross-section of the roller 27A facing towards it could also represent a prism.

[0101] In the illustrated design, however, the groove in the roller 18A has in its outer edge region a circumferential surface 18A1 which is straight in cross-section and at an angle to each other, the inclination of which corresponds to a tangent to the round cross-section of the carriage rail 27A at this circumferential point of the carriage rail, against which it thus rests.

[0102] The central cross-sectional area 18A2 of the groove has a smaller radius of curvature than the round cross-section of the slide rail 27A and adjoins the inner ends of the circumferential surfaces 18A1 and is therefore not in contact with the slide rail 27A.

[0103] Axially on both sides away from the groove, the rollers 18A have an annular, cylindrical circumferential surface 18A3, the diameter of which corresponds in particular to the largest diameter of the rollers 18B.

[0104] Figure 4further shows that on the underside of the base carriage 18, a guide rail 24 runs in the transfer direction 17', which runs in the longitudinal pressing direction 10 with very close tolerances in a guide shoe 23 which is fastened to the base frame 12 of the machine, which also carries the two carriage rails 27A and 27B.

[0105] Figure 5a shows in the top view of the base carriage 18 that the guide shoe 23 with a groove is only present in the last section of the transfer path from the loading position to the slicing position, i.e. the guide rail 24 present on the base carriage 18 only dips into the guide shoe 23 on the last part of this transfer path, approximately the last 20 cm, before the base carriage 18 reaches the cross stop 33, i.e. the slicing position.

[0106] The groove of the guide shoe 23 has an inlet slope at the end from which the guide rail 24 enters.

[0107] Since the guide shoe 23 guides the base carriage 18 in the longitudinal pressing direction 10, i.e. in particular relative to the knife plane 3", more precisely than the positive connection between the rollers 18A and the carriage rail 27A partially immersed therein, the immersion of the guide rails 24 into the groove of the guide shoe 23 can lead to a slight offset of the base carriage 18 in the longitudinal pressing direction 10, i.e. to a one-sided lifting of the rollers 18A from the carriage rail 27A.

[0108] To avoid this, from the position in the transfer direction 17', in which the introduction slope 23a merges into a constant groove width of the groove in the guide shoe 23, the carriage rail 27A can end with its convex running surface and a flat running surface of a carriage rail 27A1 can adjoin it at such a height that the at least frontmost roller 18A in the direction of the transverse stop 33 can continue to roll with its cylindrical circumferential surfaces 18A3 thereon to the transverse stop 33 without being displaced in the transverse direction 11.1, as in Figure 5b The same applies to the counter roller 18A* and the running surface on the underside of this carriage rail 27A1.

[0109] Figure 6 shows a view analogous to Figure 3a ,However, the transfer device 17 is designed in a second configuration such that the side walls 1U1 and 1U2 can only move counter-synchronously, i.e., due to the initially equal distance B / 2 to the longitudinal center plane 10", they always assume the same distance to the left and right of the longitudinal center plane 10" due to a corresponding counter-synchronous mechanism. This distance can again be adjusted in stages - according to the available widths of the various transverse press rams 5.1 to 5.6, however, in this way the base of the shaped pipe trough can be fixedly attached to the base slide 18 or be a component of this base slide, so that the additional slide can be omitted and only the two side walls which are individually movable relative to the base 1U3 with the counter-synchronous mechanism - here a threaded spindle with two counter-rotating threaded sections one behind the other and spindle nuts axially fixedly connected to the two side walls - must be present, as well as on one of the two additional slides a locking device analogous to the locking device 21 or 22 from . Figure 3a , b. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0110] 1Forming tube 1'Forming tube cavity 1UForming tube trough 1U'Trough cavity 1U1,1U2Side wall 1U3Bottom 1aCutting end 2Slide 3Knife 3'Knife axis 3'Knife plane 3aCutting edge 4.1 - 4.5Longitudinal pressing ram 5.1 - 5.6Cross pressing ram 6Longitudinal pressing drive 7Cross pressing drive 8Discharge conveyor 9Support plate 10Axial direction, longitudinal direction, longitudinal pressing direction 10Longitudinal center plane 11Cross direction, radial direction 11.1First cross direction, cross pressing direction 11.2Second transverse direction 12Base frame 13Longitudinal punch turret 13'Rotation axis, indexing axis 14Stop element, stop plate 14'Stop plane 14aFunctional edge 15Transverse punch turret 15Indexing axis 16Loading device 18A, BRoller, slide roller 18A"Longitudinal center plane 18A1First running surface 18A2Central area 18A3Cylindrical circumferential surface 17Transfer device 18Base slide 18aPull handle 19Additional slide 20Locking device 21Locking device 22Locking device 23Guide shoe 24Guide rail 25Axial positioning device 26End position sensor 27A, BSlide rail 28Locking projection 29Locking nose 30Pivoting lever 31Pull rod 31aHandle 32Supplementary slide 33Cross stop . 100Product piece 100*Caliber 101Disc ADistance BWide shaped pipe gutter

Claims

1. A slicing machine for slicing a product piece (100) from a foodstuff into slices (101), comprising: - a base frame (12), - a forming tube channel (1U) fastened to the base frame (12) and extending in the longitudinal direction (10), with an open longitudinal side and a channel cavity (1U') open at both ends, - at least one cross press stamp (5.1-5.6) which can be inserted into the open side of the forming tube channel (1U) in a first transverse direction (11.1) to form a circumferentially closed forming tube (1), - at least one longitudinal press stamp (4.1-4.5) which can be inserted into the forming tube (1) from the rear end (1b) for advancing as well as longitudinally pressing the product piece (100) located therein in the feeding direction in the direction to the cutting end (1a) of the forming tube (1), - a cutting device with a blade (3) which is arranged in front of the cutting end (1a) of the forming tube (1) and is displaceable in a transverse direction (11) relative to the forming tube (1), - a loading device (16) for loading the forming tube channel which is open on the longitudinal side (1U), characterised in that - the forming tube channel (1U) has a variable width, and - the loading device comprises a transfer device (17) which supports the forming tube channel (1U) and which is capable of transferring the forming tube channel (1U) from a loading position further away from the upright longitudinal center plane (10") of the cross press stamp (5.1-5.6) in the operating position, outside the base frame (12) of the machine, in transverse direction to the feed direction (10) to a slicing position in which the longitudinal center plane (10") runs between side walls (1U1, 1U2) of the forming tube channel (1U).

2. Slicing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that - the transfer device (17) comprises a base slide (18) displaceable in the transfer direction (17'), in particular in the 2nd transverse direction (11.2), which is preferably perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (10) and the first transverse direction (11.1) of the transverse press direction (11.1), - the transfer device (17), in particular the base slide (18), carries the forming tube channel (1U), which is displaceable by means of the transfer device (17) between a loading position outside the machine and a slicing position in the slicing machine.

3. Slicing machine according to claim 2, characterised in that - the side walls (1U1, 1U2) of the forming tube channel (1U) are adjustable relative to each other in the 2nd transverse direction (11.2), - either by a first side (1U1) wall being fixedly fastened in the transfer direction (17') to an additional slide (19), which is arranged on the base slide (18) so as to be displaceable in the transfer direction (17'), and the other, second side wall being adjustable relative to the additional slide (19), in particular the first side wall (1U1) - or in that a first side wall (1U1) is fixedly fastened to the base slide (18) in the transfer direction (17') and the other, second side wall (1U2) is adjustable relative to the base slide (18), in particular the first side wall (1U1), whereby the base slide (18) can move to several different slicing positions in the transfer direction(17'), which can be specified in particular by an adjustable end stop and are positioned such that, depending on the distance between the two side walls (1U1, 1U2) to each other, the longitudinal center plane (10") lies centrally between the inner surfaces of the side walls (1U1, 1U2), - or in that both side walls (1U1,1U2) are synchronously adjustable towards or away from each other, in particular either by means of individual synchronized electric motors or by means of a single drive via a synchronous mechanism.

4. Slicing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that - the position of the additional slide (19) relative to the base slide (18) can be fixed in the transverse direction by means of a first latching device (21) and / or - the position of a transverse stop (33) relative to the base frame (12) of the machine can be fixed by means of a first latching device (21) in the transverse direction and / or the position of the second side wall (1U2) relative to the additional slide (19) or to the base slide (18) can be fixed in the transverse direction by means of a second latching device (22).

5. Slicing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that - an axial positioning device (25) is provided, with the aid of which the forming tube channel (1u) can be positioned axially in the cutting position, in particular relative to the cutting plane (3") or to the stop plate (14), - in particular with a guide shoe (23) at, in particular the underside, of the additional slide (19), as well as a guide rail (24) which is positioned exactly in the feed direction (17') and runs in the transfer direction and into which the guide shoe (23) moves at the end of the movement path in the direction of the cut-open position, - wherein in particular the additional slide (19) is movable to a limited extent in the feed direction (10) relative to the base slide (18) and / or base slide (18) relative to the slide elements or rollers (18a, b) carrying it, in particular by floating mounting.

6. Slicing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that an end position sensor (26) is provided, which detects the reaching of the cutting position by the transfer device (17), in particular the base slide (18), in particular the forming tube channel (1U).

7. Slicing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a latching device (20) is provided for locking the transfer device (17) in the transfer direction (17') in the slitting position.

8. Slicing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a transverse stamp sensor (27) is provided for detecting whether the transverse stamp (e.g. 5.1) is located outside the forming tube channel (1U).

9. Slicing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that - controlled drives are provided for movement and / or adjustment and in particular also positive fixing, in particular latching - of the transfer device (17), in particular the base slide (18), relative to and in the cutting position and / or - of the additional slide (19) in transverse direction to the base slide (18)and / or - of the second side wall (1U2) in transverse direction to the additional slider (19).

10. Slicing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that - the base slide (18) runs, preferably by means of rollers, on base guides extending in the transfer direction (17'), - the base guides are embodied in such a way that the base slide, which is in the cutting position, deflects the base guides when the forming tube channel is loaded in the first transverse (11.1) direction by the transverse pressing, - a support body is arranged on the base frame under the base slide in the cutting position in such a way that it maintains a distance therefrom in the unloaded state and reaches the support body and is supported by the latter when loaded by the transverse pressing.

11. A method for slicing a product piece (100) with a slicing machine which has a forming tube channel (1U) for receiving the product piece (100) and feeding it in a feeding direction (10) to a blade (3) and a loading device, in particular a slicing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the product piece (100) in the forming tube channel (1U) from a loading position further away from the upright longitudinal center plane (10") of a cross press stamp (5.1-5.6), in particular outside the base frame (12) of the machine, is transferred in a transfer direction (17'), transversely to the feeding direction, to a slicing position in which the longitudinal center plane (10") extends between side walls (1U1, 1U2) of the forming tube channel (1U), and, the product piece (100) is transferred by loading the forming tube channel (1U) with the product piece (100) in the loading position outside the base frame of the machine and the loaded forming tube channel (1U) is transferred into the interior of the slicing machine to a slicing position of the forming tube channel (1U).

12. Method according to claim 11, characterised in that the product piece (100) is transferred by loading the forming tube channel (1U) in a loading position outside the base frame of the machine with the product piece (100) and transferring the loaded forming tube channel (1U), in the transverse direction to the feeding direction (10), into the interior of the slicing machine to a slicing position of the forming tube channel (1U).

13. Method according to one of the preceding method claims, characterised in that the loaded forming tube channel (IU) is fixed, in particular positively locked, in the cutting position before the start of the cutting operation.

14. Method according to one of the preceding method claims, characterised in that - the loaded forming tube channel (IU) is finely adjusted in the longitudinal direction (10) relative to the blade plane (3') during the transfer and / or - the side walls (1U1, 1U2) of the forming tube channel (1U) are fixed in their distance in transverse direction relative to each other and / or relative to the longitudinal center plane (10"), in particular are positively fixed.

15. Method according to one of the preceding method claims, characterised in that - the loaded forming tube channel (1U), when loaded in the 1st transverse direction (11.1), contacts a support body which is arranged under the underside forming tube channel (1U) due to the material elasticity of the machine and is supported by the latter.