Multi-track slicing machine with individually positionable grippers and control method therefor

Abstract

To enable the gripper whose caliber it holds to remain stationary during the cutting process, while the other grippers move forward to cut the other calibers they hold, a hydraulic cylinder unit (25.1 - 25.4) is arranged between each gripper and the gripper carriage. This unit is either depressurized on the track of the fully cut caliber or hydraulically connected to the other hydraulic cylinder units (25.1 - 25.4) to allow the transfer of hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic cylinder unit (e.g., 25.4) of the fully cut caliber, which moves forward during further cutting, to the other hydraulic cylinder units (e.g., 25.1 - 25.3).

Description

I. Area of ​​application

[0001] The invention relates to slicing machines, in particular so-called slicers, which are used in the food industry to slice strands of a product that is only slightly compressible, such as sausage or cheese. II. Technical Background

[0002] Since these strands can be produced with a cross-section that is well-shaped and dimensionally stable along their length, i.e., essentially constant, they are called product calibers.

[0003] In this process, several parallel product calibers are usually cut simultaneously by cutting off a slice from each caliber in one pass using the same knife, which moves transversely to the longitudinal direction of the product calibers.

[0004] The product calibers are pushed forward by a feeder of a feeding unit towards the knife of the cutting unit, usually on a downwardly inclined feeder, and are guided through the product openings of a plate-shaped, so-called cutting frame, at the front end of which the part of the product caliber protruding beyond is cut off by the knife immediately in front of the cutting frame as a disc.

[0005] The discs usually fall onto a conveyor of a conveying unit, by means of which they are transported away for further processing.

[0006] During the cutting process, each product caliber is usually held at its rear end, away from the cutting frame, by a gripper which is equipped with appropriate gripper claws for this purpose.

[0007] The slicing machines are often designed with multiple lanes, which means that several adjacent product calibers, each held at the rear end by a gripper, are fed from the feed unit to the cutting unit, which, with one working cycle of the single knife, cuts off a slice from each of the product calibers, virtually simultaneously.

[0008] The grippers are, as a rule, all attached to a gripper slide extending transversely to the feed direction, which is movable in the feed direction, which is why the grippers can essentially only be moved synchronously, and as a rule only a very small distance in the feed direction relative to each other can be moved in order to compensate for production inaccuracies of the product calibers with regard to length.

[0009] However, this is not sufficient if either significantly different length calibers are to be cut side by side on the individual tracks and / or the calibers are completely cut at different times, for example because the calibers are cut with different disc thicknesses, since for this the grippers must be able to move relatively large distances relative to each other in the feed direction and the grippers must remain on the already completely cut caliber when cutting the remaining calibers.

[0010] At the same time, however, drive motors for the grippers on the gripper carriage should be avoided in order to keep its moving mass as low as possible.

[0011] WO 2005037501 A2 discloses a multi-lane slicing machine for slicing product calibers into slices, comprising a cutting unit, a feed unit with a feeder for supplying the calibers to the cutting unit, a gripper per lane, a gripper carriage carrying the grippers, a carriage guide along which the gripper carriage can be moved in the feed direction, and a control system for controlling the moving parts of the slicing machine, wherein a pneumatic cylinder unit acting in the feed direction is provided between each gripper and the gripper carriage, which is mechanically connected on one side to the respective gripper and on the other side to the gripper carriage, wherein the length of the pneumatic cylinder unit is variable in the feed direction.

[0012] WO 00 / 59689 A1 discloses a multi-track slicing machine for slicing product calibers into slices, comprising a base frame, a cutting unit, a feed unit with a motor-driven feeder for feeding the calibers to the cutting unit, comprising a gripper per track, a gripper carriage carrying the grippers, a motor-driven carriage guide along which the gripper carriage can be moved in the feed direction, and a control system for controlling the moving parts of the slicing machine. III. Description of the invention a) Technical task

[0013] The object of the invention is therefore to provide a slicing machine, in particular a slicer, whose gripper unit can solve this problem, as well as a suitable control method for this purpose. b) Solution of the task

[0014] This problem is solved by the features of claims 1 and 9. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

[0015] Regarding the method for controlling the product grippers attached to a gripper slide of a multi-track slicing machine according to the invention, in which a hydraulic cylinder unit with a lockable working chamber connection, in particular a pressure medium connection, which is variable in length in the feed direction, is located between each product gripper and the gripper slide, the existing problem is solved as follows: When the individual grippers each hold a product caliber, i.e., in particular during normal slicing operation, in which a slice is cut off from each of the calibers present next to each other in each slicing operation, the working chamber connections, in particular pressure medium connections, are held locked, i.e., the hydraulic cylinder units have a fixed length, so that the calibers are moved forward synchronously with the forward movement of the gripper slide in the feed direction.

[0016] If the multiple calibers held against the gripper, which are to be cut simultaneously, are not all completely cut open at the same time – that is, down to the point where the remaining caliber cannot be cut any further – the problem arises that the gripper holding a completely cut caliber must not move forward while cutting the other calibers, i.e., while the gripper carriage moves forward further, as it would otherwise be damaged, for example by the knife.

[0017] To prevent this, after a caliber has been completely cut open, and especially immediately after, a connection to the working chamber of the hydraulic cylinder unit that holds that caliber via the gripper is opened. This allows the hydraulic cylinder unit to shorten as the gripper carriage continues to advance to cut the remaining calibers, due to the piston retracting into the cylinder. This keeps the attached gripper stationary while the grippers of the not yet fully cut calibers continue to move forward, driven by the gripper carriage.

[0018] As soon as the next caliber is fully cut open, the working space of its associated working cylinder unit is also opened.

[0019] As a result, as the gripper carriage moves further forward, the grippers of the uncut calibers move further forward, while the grippers of the two already cut calibers remain stationary, reducing the lengths of their hydraulic cylinder units.

[0020] For this purpose, it must first be detected whether a caliber is completely cut open, which according to the invention is done by an end position sensor with respect to the corresponding gripper, which reports when the gripper has reached its maximum permissible position, foremost in the feed direction, which can be achieved very simply by a simple mechanical stop against which the gripper, in particular its gripper body, runs.

[0021] One first possibility,The fact that the grippers of the fully cut calibers remain stationary, especially at the end position stop, consists of hydraulically connecting the pressure medium connections of the hydraulic cylinder units to each other.

[0022] Then the pressure medium connections will be all Hydraulic cylinder units open as soon as the first caliber is fully cut. This allows the gripper, which is particularly against the end-position stop and is attached, for example, to the piston rod of the corresponding hydraulic cylinder unit, to move the piston into the cylinder when the gripper slide moves forward, thus maintaining its position unchanged.

[0023] This causes the piston to expel pressure medium from its working chamber and transfer it into the working chambers of the other hydraulically connected working chambers of the other hydraulic cylinder units, e.g. via a connecting line, thereby extending their piston rods out of their cylinders by a corresponding fraction of the travel distance of the piston of the fully cut first caliber.

[0024] To compensate for this, the gripper carriage is moved forward with a shorter travel distance between individual cutting operations from the moment all pressure medium connections are opened, in order to maintain a uniform disc thickness.

[0025] Typically, identical working cylinder units are used for all grippers, so with n hydraulic cylinder units and only one gripper at the stop, the travel distance, which usually corresponds to the disc thickness, must be reduced by the (n-1)th part for further cutting.

[0026] If two grippers are already at their end stop and should not be moved further or cannot be moved further, this travel distance of the gripper carriage is reduced by the (n-2)th part of the normal travel distance, i.e. when no caliber is yet completely cut open and no gripper is yet at its stop, etc.

[0027] As a rule, the hydraulic cylinder units will be hydraulic cylinders that can only be actuated from one side, in which there is only one working chamber that can be actuated with pressure medium, which is located on the side of the piston in the cylinder facing away from the piston rod, or in the case of a plunger solution, the space between the plunger and the cylinder.

[0028] In this way, a work order can be completed without complex controls and separate drives, especially electric motors on the individual grippers, in which the individual calibers to be cut simultaneously are completely cut at different times.

[0029] With a secondThe possibility that the grippers, which no longer move with the gripper slide and are particularly close to the end stop, may influence the length of the other working cylinder units during further cutting can be avoided by having the working chambers of the hydraulic cylinder units have, in addition to the pressure medium connection, another pressureless connection that can be locked or unlocked in a controlled manner.

[0030] A pressureless connection is generally understood to be a connection that can be opened to the environment and thus to the ambient pressure, or to a pressure chamber with a lower pressure than the ambient pressure po, for example down to a vacuum, i.e. p = zero.

[0031] However, the pressureless connection will usually be an open drain at ambient pressure p0, leading, for example, to a tank for the pressure medium, which is also at ambient pressure, i.e., p0.

[0032] In such a configuration, immediately after the first caliber has been completely cut open, i.e., when the end position sensor, in particular the end position stop, has detected the end position of the corresponding gripper, only in this The hydraulic cylinder's additional connection, in particular a pressureless connection, is opened.

[0033] Immediately afterwards means that this takes place before the first separation process after the first caliber has been completely cut open, i.e., after the first gripper has reached its final position.

[0034] Since the hydraulic fluid from this hydraulic cylinder does not flow into the other hydraulic cylinders and does not affect their piston position, the gripper carriage can continue to move forward from this point on with an unchanged travel distance between the cutting operations, i.e., usually corresponding to the desired disc thickness.

[0035] Whether the pressure medium connections on the individual hydraulic cylinder units are hydraulically coupled and pressurized by a common hydraulic pump, or are not connected and are pressurized by individual hydraulic pumps, is irrelevant in this context.

[0036] However, each of the additional connections requires its own controllable shut-off valve.

[0037] Since the calibers to be cut in parallel also have different initial lengths , Therefore, before the cutting process begins, the hydraulic units are brought into a starting position in which, preferably, the piston rods are all extended to the same length, but the pistons are neither in the front nor the rear end position, i.e., at the respective stop, but are located in particular in the middle 50% of the length of the cylinder.

[0038] For this purpose, a compression spring can preferably be arranged between the piston and the end of the cylinder on the side of the piston facing away from the working chamber, or it can be a double-acting hydraulic cylinder in which a working chamber is formed on both sides of the piston, both of which can be actuated with the same working pressure to assume the starting position.

[0039] The gripper carriage is then moved forward so that the grippers successively contact and grasp the caliber lying on their track, starting with the longest caliber and ending with the shortest caliber.

[0040] Two possible variations of this procedure are described in more detail using the figures, depending in particular on the design of the respective slicing machine.

[0041] Once all calibers are gripped, all working chamber connections, especially the pressure medium connections, of the individual cylinders are locked. This creates a constant-length connection between the grippers and the gripper carriage, ensuring that all calibers gripped by the grippers are advanced synchronously with the gripper carriage for the cutting process.

[0042] Preferably, the pressure prevailing in the working space of the hydraulic cylinder can be used to activate the gripper, i.e., to move the gripper tines forward relative to the gripper body into the caliber, particularly before the pressure medium connections are locked and after the gripper has made contact with the respective caliber.

[0043] A multi-lane Slicing machine The process for slicing product calibers into slices is known to include... a base frame, a cutting unit with a knife, a feed unit with a feeder for supplying the calibers to the cutting unit, a control system for controlling the moving parts of the slicing machine.

[0044] Each caliber can be cut off almost simultaneously by means of a single, usually rotating, knife extending transversely across all tracks, with one slice being removed in each cutting process.

[0045] The feed unit includes one gripper per track for grasping and holding one caliber each, a gripper carriage to which all grippers are attached, a carriage guide along which the gripper carriage can be moved in the feed direction.

[0046] One InventoryA slicing machine, particularly suitable for carrying out the method described above, further comprises a hydraulic cylinder unit between each gripper and the gripper slide. This unit is effective in the feed direction, meaning its length can change in the feed direction by extending or retracting the piston into or out of the cylinder. This unit is mechanically connected to both the respective gripper and the gripper slide.

[0047] Each hydraulic cylinder unit, i.e., its working space between piston and cylinder, has a pressure medium connection that can be opened or closed by means of a controllable shut-off valve.

[0048] Furthermore, a stationary end position sensor is provided in the movement path of the gripper or the part of the hydraulic cylinder unit connected to the gripper, which indicates when the gripper, and in particular its base body, has reached its foremost permissible position, the front end position, in the feed direction.

[0049] Preferably, the end position sensor is a mechanical end position stop for the gripper body, but it could also be a non-contact sensor, which would then at least be in signal communication with the control system.

[0050] This makes it possible to automatically open the corresponding shut-off valve in the hydraulic cylinder's pressure medium connection, or even all shut-off valves, via the control system when a gripper reaches its end position. With a mechanical end-position stop, this is achieved through a mechanical connection between the gripper body's stop and the corresponding valve(s). With an end-position sensor that doesn't detect the end position, at least one valve actuator is required, which can be controlled by the control system.

[0051] This allows the slicing machine to handle work orders where the calibers being sliced ​​in parallel are finished at different times.

[0052] Preferably, the pressure medium connections of the, in particular all, hydraulic cylinder units are hydraulically connected to each other via a connecting line, so that with open shut-off valves at the individual pressure medium connections, the same pressure prevails in all working chambers of the different hydraulic cylinders.

[0053] This applies to the corresponding working spaces of the hydraulic cylinder units, if the working cylinder units have several, for example two, working spaces, i.e., if they are working cylinders that can be actuated in both directions.

[0054] Preferably, however, these will be hydraulic cylinders that can only be actuated in one direction, i.e., on one side, and in particular identical hydraulic cylinders, such that their respective working chambers are connected to each other via the connecting line. This working chamber is preferably located on the side of the piston facing away from the gripper.

[0055] In particular, it is irrelevant whether the gripper is operatively connected to the piston rod and piston or to the cylinder.

[0056] Preferably, each working cylinder unit has a spring whose spring force opposes the direction of movement of the piston when pressure is applied to the working chamber. This allows the piston to be set to a starting position in the middle of the cylinder, rather than at one of its end positions, before the calibers are engaged.

[0057] Because when the gripper is connected to the respective piston rod and all pistons are in the foremost, maximally extended position, i.e., in particular in contact with the end face of the cylinder, both in the starting position and when calibers are gripped, these pistons can no longer extend further, which is necessary when the first caliber is completely cut open because of the pressure medium transferred from this cylinder to the other hydraulic cylinder units.

[0058] In contrast, for the implementation of the invention it is irrelevant whether the individual hydraulic cylinder units can be pressurized via a common connecting line from a common hydraulic pump or whether each unit has its own hydraulic pump that fulfills this requirement.

[0059] In one second designAccording to the invention, each hydraulic cylinder unit additionally has a drain line containing a drain valve, through which the working chamber can be connected to a low-pressure space, in particular a tank for the pressure medium or an open drain.

[0060] Additionally, a pressure medium connection is of course also available to pressurize at least one work area.

[0061] However, the discharge line makes it possible for the discharge valve in the discharge line to be opened after a caliber has been completely cut open, thus depressurizing the working chamber, and allowing the gripper to remain stationary on this remaining caliber, i.e., the completely cut caliber, despite the gripper carriage continuing to move forward in the feed direction.

[0062] This allows both the drain valve and the shut-off valve of the pressure medium connection to be closed during normal cutting operation - when no caliber has been fully cut yet.

[0063] At both designs The gripper can have extendable gripper tines extending from the gripper base body, as well as a tine drive for such movement of the gripper tines.

[0064] Preferably, the respective hydraulic cylinder unit can then be used as the tine drive, for example by connecting the respective piston rod to the gripper tines in such a way that a forward movement of the piston rod relative to the gripper body, for example after contact of the caliber by the gripper body, causes the piston rod to extend the gripper tines progressively. c) Examples of implementation

[0065] Embodiments according to the invention are described in more detail below by way of example. The figures show: Figures 1a, b: A cutting machine in the form of a slicer according to the state of the art in different perspective views, with the feed belt folded up into the cutting position, Figure 2a: A side view of the slicing machine with the cover parts removed so that the various conveyor belts are more clearly visible, but loaded with a product of a certain caliber. Figure 2b: a side view according to Figure 2a , but with the feed belt folded down into the loading position and the product caliber cut open to a caliber remnant, Figure 3: a first embodiment the invention in the overhead view of the slicing machine of the Figure 1a , b , viewed perpendicularly to the feed belt folded up into the cutting position, Figures 4a - f:different states of movement when grasping newly inserted calibers of different lengths with this first embodiment, Figures 5a - c: different states of motion during the complete cutting of the calibers, which occurs at different times, with this first embodiment, Figures 6a - f: different states of movement when grasping newly inserted calibers of different lengths with this second embodiment, Figures 7a - c: different states of motion during the complete cutting of the calibers, which occurs at different times, with this second embodiment,

[0066] The Figure 1a , 1bFigures 1 show different perspective views of a multi-lane slicer 1 for the simultaneous slicing of several product calibers K on separate lanes SP1 to SP4 next to each other and depositing in shingled portions P consisting of several slices S with a general flow direction 10* through the slicer 1 from right to left.

[0067] Figure 2a Figure 1 shows a side view of slicer 1 – with and without the inserted caliber K – omitting covers and other parts not relevant to the invention, which, like all other units, are attached to the base frame 2, so that the functional parts, especially the conveyor belts, are more clearly visible. The longitudinal direction 10 is the feed direction of the caliber K to the cutting unit 7 and thus also the longitudinal direction of the caliber K lying in slicer 1.

[0068] It can be seen that the basic structure of a slicer 1 according to the prior art consists in the fact that several, in this case four, product calibers K lying next to each other on a feeder 4 with spacers 15 of the feeder 4 between them are fed by this feeder 20 to a cutting unit 7 with a knife 3 rotating about a knife axis 3', e.g. a sickle knife 3, several, in this case four, lying transverse to the feed direction 10 next to each other on a feeder 4, from the front ends of which the rotating knife 3 with its cutting edge 3a cuts off a slice S in one operation, i.e. almost simultaneously.

[0069] For cutting the product caliber K, the feeder 4 is located in the Figures 1a - 2aThe depicted, obliquely cut-open position in the side view with a low-lying, cutting-side, front end and a high-lying, rear end, from which it can be folded down about a pivot axis 20' extending in its width direction, the first transverse direction 11, which is located near the cutting unit 7, into an approximately horizontal loading position, as shown in Figure 2b is shown.

[0070] The rear end of each caliber K lying in the feed unit 20 is according to Figure 2a Each gripper 14a - d is positively locked in place by gripper claws 16. These grippers 14a - 14d, which can be activated and deactivated with respect to the position of the gripper claws 16, are attached to a common gripper slide 13, which can be moved along a gripper guide 18 in the feed direction 10.

[0071] The feed of both the gripper slide 13 and the feeder 4 can be driven in a controlled manner. However, the specific feed speed of the calibers K is determined by a similarly controlled drive, so-called upper and lower product guide 8, 9, which engages the top and bottom of the calibers K to be cut in their front end regions near the cutting unit 7. The front ends of the calibers K are each guided through a product opening 6a-d of a plate-shaped cutting frame 5. The cutting plane 3" runs directly in front of the front, downward-sloping end face of the cutting frame 5. The knife 3 rotates in this plane with its cutting edge 3a, thus cutting off the excess material of the calibers K from the cutting frame 5 as a disc S. The cutting plane 3" runs perpendicular to the upper run of the feeder 4 and / or is spanned by the two transverse directions 11, 12 to the feed direction 10.

[0072] The inner circumference of the product openings 6a - d serves as a counter-edge for the cutting edge 3a of the knife 3.

[0073] Since both product guides 8, 9 can be driven in a controlled manner, in particular independently of each other and / or possibly separately for each track SP1 to SP4, these determine the - continuous or pulsed - feed rate of the caliber K through the cutting frame 5.

[0074] The upper product guide 8 is displaceable in the second transverse direction 12 – which runs perpendicular to the surface of the upper run of the feeder 4 – to adapt to the height H of the caliber K in this direction. Furthermore, at least one of the product guides 8, 9 can be pivotable about one of its deflection rollers in order to be able to change the direction of the run of its guide belt in contact with the caliber K to a limited extent.

[0075] The discs S, which are positioned at an angle in space during separation, fall onto a conveying unit 17 that begins below the cutting frame 5 and extends in the direction of travel 10*, and which in this case consists of several conveying units 17a, b, c arranged one behind the other in the direction of travel 10* with their upper runs approximately aligned, of which the first conveying unit 17a in the direction of travel 10 can be designed as a portioning belt 17a and / or one can also be designed as a weighing unit.

[0076] The discs S can hit the conveying unit 17 individually and spaced 10* apart from each other in the direction of travel, or, by appropriate control of the portioning belt 17a of the conveying unit 17 - whose movement, like almost all moving parts, is controlled by the control 1* - shingled or stacked portions P can be formed by stepwise forward movement of the portioning belt 17a.

[0077] Below the feed unit 20 there is usually a roughly horizontal residual conveyor 21, which begins with its front end below the cutting frame 5 and directly below or behind the discharge unit 17 and with its upper run transports residuals falling there to the rear by means of the drive of one of the discharge conveyors 17 against the flow direction 10.

[0078] Figure 3 The top view of the feed unit 20 and the cutting unit 7 shows how, in a four-track slicing machine, four new, ideally equally long, calibers K1 to K4 lie side by side on the individual tracks SP1 to SP4 - separated by the spacers 15 - on the upper run of the feed belt 4 and with their front end in the feed direction 10 rests against a stop not shown, for example the knife 3.

[0079] The gripper carriage 13, on which a gripper 14.1-14.4 is attached above each track SP1 to SP4, is guided on one side of the feed belt 4 along a gripper guide 18 in the feed direction 10 - the longitudinal direction 10 - and can be driven in the feed direction 10 by means of a symbolically represented carriage drive 22.

[0080] Each gripper, e.g. 14.1, is attached to the piston rod of an associated hydraulic cylinder unit 25.1, wherein the piston rod and the piston 25.1B are movable in the feed direction 10 relative to the cylinder 25.1A in this.

[0081] The pistons are shown in the same longitudinal position within the cylinders as the starting position, and thus the grippers 14.1 - 14.4 are also in the same longitudinal position, since the piston rods are supposed to be the same length.

[0082] These are hydraulic cylinders 25.1 - 25.4 that can only be pressurized on one side, each with only one working chamber, e.g. 25.1a, between piston and cylinder on the side of the piston 25.1B facing away from the gripper 14.1.

[0083] The individual working chambers 25.1a - 25.4a each have a pressure medium connection, which are connected to each other outside the cylinders via a connecting line 24, so that the working chambers 25.1a - 25.4a can be pressurized jointly by a hydraulic pump 29 connected to it.

[0084] Each of the pressure medium connections 25.1a - 25.4a can be closed by means of a shut-off valve 26.1 - 26.4, which is located between the pressure medium connection and the connecting line 24.

[0085] This means that in Figure 3 The starting position before the individual calibers K1 to K4 are grasped by the grippers 14.1 - 14.4 which are not yet in contact with them is shown.

[0086] The Figures 4a - f From this starting position, in different functional positions, they first show the grasping of the calibers K1 - K4 - which are now realistically not depicted as being exactly the same length: According to Figure 4a is from the starting position according to Figure 3 The carriage 13, with the hydraulic cylinders 25.1 - 25.4 attached to it, moved forward longitudinally 10 until one of the grippers located in the same longitudinal position reached and made contact with the longest caliber. This is the case here on track SP2.

[0087] Then according to Figure 4b This first contacting gripper 14.2 is activated, i.e., its gripper claws 16 are extended into the caliber K2, thereby gripping it.

[0088] Depending on the design of the claw drive, this may require a slightly further extension of the piston rod of the corresponding hydraulic cylinder unit – as shown in the enlarged image due to space constraints. Figure 4c As shown: With the base body 23 of the corresponding gripper stationary, approximately in contact with the caliber, the piston rod, which has inclined surfaces at its front end that are angled to the extension direction, can enter the base body 23 or move along it and thereby move the claws 16 of this gripper along a guide, in particular a cam guide, with its inclined surfaces into the extended position engaging the caliber.

[0089] At the latest before the sled 13 continues to move forward according to Figure 4cThe locking valves 26.1 - 26.4 are all opened, so that the gripper 14.2, which is already in contact with the caliber K2, along with the piston rod to which it is attached, remains stationary despite the slide 13 and the corresponding cylinder 25.2A continuing to move forward relative to the piston rod 25.2B, and thereby pressure medium from its working chamber 25.2a is transferred via the connecting line 24 into the other working chambers 25.1a, 25.3a, 25.4a.

[0090] For workspaces with identical cross-sections, this means – as in Figure 4b shown - that when the piston rod of the working cylinder unit 25.2 is retracted by the offset distance V1, the other, in this case three, piston rods are each extended by 1 / 3 of V1 from their cylinders.

[0091] This occurs during the forward movement of the sled 13, which continues until the second longest caliber is contacted by the gripper there, in this case the caliber K1 on track SP1 by gripper 14.1 according to Figure 4c .

[0092] Subsequently, the gripper claws 16 of this gripper 14.1 are extended and the caliber K1 is grasped according to Figure 4d .

[0093] Following the same procedure, after the sled 13 has moved further forward, the third longest caliber K3 is also picked up according to Figure 4e as well as the last, shortest caliber K4 according to Figure 4f .

[0094] Afterwards, the locking valves 26.1 - 26.4 are all closed before the simultaneous cutting of the calibers K1 - K4 begins, with further - stepwise or continuous - forward movement of the slide 13, as in Figure 4f indicated by the filled arrows.

[0095] The Figures 5a to 5cThe figures show the end of the cutting operation, with calibers K1 - K4 being completely cut open at different times.

[0096] According to Figure 5a The first part to be fully cut open is the caliber K4, so that the gripper 14.4 holding it with its base body 23 rests against the end position stop 27.4 present on all tracks and cannot be moved further forward.

[0097] This triggers the opening of all shut-off valves 26.1 - 26.4 and, as the carriage 13 moves forward, the cutting operation continues with the remaining calibers K1 - K3, because the gripper 14.4 with the caliber K4 can no longer move forward.

[0098] This will be done until according to Figure 5b the next caliber is completely cut open, i.e. the base body 23 of the gripper holding it strikes the end position stop arranged on this track, which according to Figure 5bThis is the case for both calibers K1 and K3 simultaneously.

[0099] During this forward movement of the sled 13, the piston rod on track SP4 moved into the cylinder there, while the piston rods on the remaining tracks SP1 to SP3 were extended proportionally by 1 / 3 of this offset distance V1, as already shown. Figure 4b explained.

[0100] This must be taken into account by correspondingly shorter travel distances of the sled 13 between the separation processes from the standstill of the first gripper 14.4 and its fully cut caliber K4.

[0101] Now according to Figure 5bOnce three grippers 14.1, 14.3, 14.4 with their base body 23 are in contact with their respective end position stops, the not yet fully cut caliber K2 can be cut further by further advancing the gripper carriage 13, still with the locking valves 26.1 - 26.4 open, until it too is in contact with its end position stop 27.2 according to Figure 5c .

[0102] In this case, the piston rods of the stationary grippers 14.1, 14.3, 14.4 move synchronously into their cylinders, thereby extending the piston rod of the not yet fully cut caliber K2 by three times this insertion length, which in turn must be taken into account in the controlled forward movement of the slide 13 in order to continue to achieve the usually constant desired disc thickness.

[0103] After all calibers K1 to K4 have been completely cut open and all base bodies and grippers are in contact with their respective end position stops, the grippers are deactivated, i.e., their claws 16 are moved out of the calibers and, in particular, these caliber remnants are discarded, all locking valves 26.1 - 26.4 are moved into the locking position and the slide 13 then moves back to its starting position.

[0104] The Figures 6a to f The illustrations show – for reasons of space in the drawing only for a three-lane cutting machine, which is irrelevant for the procedure according to the invention – the grasping of newly inserted calibers K1 – K3 of different lengths.

[0105] This further design of the cutting machine differs from the design described so far in that each working chamber 25.1a - 25.3a can be optionally connected to the hydraulic pump 29 or to a low-pressure chamber with a lower pressure than in the working chamber, in particular to a tank T at ambient pressure or to a drain.

[0106] In the inlet to tank T, a throttle, preferably adjustable, or a pressure-holding valve, preferably adjustable, may be provided in order to maintain a low residual pressure in the associated working space even when open to tank T.

[0107] In the case shown, the optional blocking or connection with hydraulic pump 29 or tank T is realized by the fact that a shut-off valve 26.1 - 26.3 is located at the pressure medium connection of each working chamber 25.1a - 25.3a, which now has three connections and three valve positions each, i.e., a 3 / 3 valve each.

[0108] On the cylinder side, there is a valve connection on the valve, which is hydraulically connected to the respective working chamber of the hydraulic cylinder; on the side opposite the cylinder, there are two valve connections, one of which, here the right one, is connected to the hydraulic pump 29 via a corresponding connecting line that hydraulically couples all cylinder connections.

[0109] The left-hand valve connection is connected to the unpressurized tank T via a different connecting line.

[0110] However, each workspace 25.1a - 25.3a could also have two separate connections, one of which can be connected to the hydraulic pump 29 via a shut-off valve and the other to the low-pressure space, in particular the tank T, via a shut-off valve.

[0111] Figure 6aThe figure shows the state when the gripper carriage 13, with grippers 14.1-14.3 in the starting position (where they are in the same longitudinal positions) and valves 26.1-26.3 in the locking position, has moved forward in the feed direction 10 to such an extent that the longest caliber, here K2, is contacted at its rear end by the gripper 14.2 approaching on this track, and the gripper claws 16 of this gripper 14.2 are activated and extended into the caliber K2 and hold it.

[0112] Then according to Figure 6b This shut-off valve 26.2 - here they are each spool valves with three switching positions - is switched, i.e. shifted, so that the working chamber 25.2a of the corresponding hydraulic cylinder 25.2 is connected to the tank T.

[0113] The carriage 13 can then be moved further forward, whereby the piston of the hydraulic cylinder 25.2 retracts into the cylinder due to the gripper 14.2 being stationary. The carriage 13 continues to move forward until the next shorter caliber K1 is contacted by the corresponding gripper 14.1 and the gripper claws 16 are activated according to Figure 6c is seized.

[0114] Then according to Figure 6c This shut-off valve 26.1 was also switched to the connection between the working chamber 25.1a and the tank T, and then the carriage 13 with all hydraulic cylinders was moved further forward according to Figure 6d , until the gripper 14.3 arranged on the corresponding track contacts the next shorter, here the last, caliber K3, and its gripper 14.3 is activated by extending the gripper claws 16 according to Figure 6e .

[0115] Then all shut-off valves 26.1 - 26.3 are moved into the closed position, here the middle position of the slide valve, so that the pressure medium connection of all working chambers 25.1a - 25.3a is closed and a fixed longitudinal distance is fixed between the gripper carriage 3 and the respective gripper.

[0116] With this cutting position of the locking valves 26.1 - 26.3, the calibers K1 to K3 are then cut open until the first caliber is completely cut open and the base body 23 of the gripper holding it has reached the corresponding end position stop.

[0117] This condition is in Figure 7a shown, wherein the base body 23 of the right gripper 14.3 is the first to strike the right end position stop 27.3, since the right caliber K3 is the first to be completely cut open.

[0118] This then triggers the right shut-off valve 26.3 to open to flow to tank T and, while the slide 13 moves forward, the cutting operation continues with the other calibers K1, K2, because the gripper 14.3 with the caliber K3 can no longer move forward.

[0119] This will be done until according to Figure 7b The next caliber K1 is fully cut open, meaning that the base body 23 of the gripper 14.1 holding it abuts the end-position stop 27.1 located on this track. Then the shut-off valve 26.1 on this track SP1, where the stop has been reached, is also switched to connect to the tank T.

[0120] The gripper carriage 13 can be moved forward with the same step size as in normal cutting operation, i.e. when no caliber has yet been completely cut.

[0121] Now according to Figure 7bSince two grippers 14.1, 14.3 with their base body 23 are already in contact with their respective end position stops 27.1, 27.3, the not yet fully cut caliber K2 can be cut further by moving the gripper carriage 13 forward until it too is in contact with its end position stop 27.2 according to Figure 7c .

[0122] After all calibers K1 to K4 have been completely cut open and all base bodies and grippers are in contact with their respective end position stops, the grippers are deactivated, i.e., their claws 16 are moved out of calibers K1 - K3 and these caliber remnants are discarded.

[0123] Then the gripper carriage 13 is moved back to its starting position and all shut-off valves 26.1 - 26.4 are switched to the shut-off position. REFERENCE MARK LIST

[0124] 1 Slicing machine, slicer 1*Control 2Base frame 3Blade 3Rotation axis 3"Blade plane, cutting plane 3aCutting edge 4Infeed conveyor, feed belt 5Slicing frame 6a - dProduct opening 7Slicing unit 8.1, 8.2Upper product guide, upper guide belt 8aCutting frame-side deflection roller 8bCutting frame-offside deflection roller 9Lower product guide, lower guide belt 9aBezel-side deflection roller 9bBezel-offside deflection roller 10Feed direction, longitudinal direction, axial direction 10'Longitudinal center 10*Direction of passage through machine 111. Transverse direction (width slicer) 122. Transverse direction (height-direction caliber) 13, 13a, bGripper unit, gripper carriage 13.1 - 13.4Gripper unit, Gripper carriage 14, 14 a - d Gripper 15 Spacer 16 Gripper claw 17 Discharge unit 17a, b, c Portioning belt, discharge 18a, b Gripper guide 19 Height sensor 20 Feed unit 21 Remnant conveyor 22a, b Carriage drive 23 24 Connecting line 25.1, 25.2 Hydraulic cylinder unit 25.1p, 25.2pPressure medium connection 25.1o, 25.2oPressureless connection 25.1A, 25.2ACylinder 25.1B, 25.2BPiston 25.1a, 25.2aWorking chamber 26.1, 26.2Shut-off valve 27.1, 27.2End position sensor, mechanical stop 28Spring 29Hydraulic pump 30Tank 31.1, 31.2Drain line 32.1, 32.2Drain valve 33Tangular drive 34Gripper tine 35Gripper body 36. Caliber, Product Caliber, Remaining Piece, Disc, Portion, Packaging Element

Claims

1. A multi-lane slicing machine (1), in particular slicer (1), for slicing product logs (K) into slices (S), having - a base frame (2), - a slicing unit (7), - a feeding unit (20) with a feeding conveyor (4) for feeding the logs (K) to the slicing unit (7) comprising - one gripper (14.1 - 14.4) per lane (SP1 - SP4), - a gripper carriage (13), which carries the grippers (14.1 - 14.4), - a carriage guide (18) along which the gripper carriage (13) can be moved in a controlled manner in the feed direction (10), - a controller (1*) for controlling the moving parts of the slicing machine (1), wherein - there is a hydraulic cylinder unit (25.1 - 25.4) acting in the feed direction (10) between each gripper (14.1 - 14.4) and the gripper carriage (13), which cylinder unit is mechanically operatively connected to the respective gripper (14.1 - 14.4) on the one hand and to the gripper carriage (13) on the other, wherein a length of the hydraulic cylinder unit (25.1 - 25.4) is changeable in the feed direction (10), - the pressure medium connection (25.1 p - 25.4p) of each hydraulic cylinder unit (25.1 - 25.4) has a shut-off valve (26.1 - 26.4), - there is a stationary end-position sensor (27.1 - 27.4) in the blade-side end area of the movement path of each gripper (14.1 - 14.4) or of the part of the hydraulic cylinder unit (25.1 - 25.4) connected to the gripper (14.1 - 14.4), which is configured to indicate when a gripper (14.1 - 14.4) has reached its forwardmost permissible position in the feed direction (10).

2. Slicing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that - the hydraulic cylinders (25.1 - 25.4) are operatively connected hydraulically via a connecting line (24), - in particular the end-position sensor (27.1 - 27.4) is a mechanical stop (27.1 - 27.4) for the gripper (14.1 - 14.4), in particular its base body (35), or of the part of the hydraulic cylinder unit (25.1 - 25.4) connected to the gripper (14.1 - 14.4).

3. Slicing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that - the corresponding working chambers (25.1a - 25.4a) of the hydraulic cylinders (25.1 - 25.4) are hydraulically coupled.

4. Slicing machine according to any of the preceding claims 2, or 3 when dependent on 2, characterised in that - the hydraulic cylinder units (25.1 - 25.4) are single-acting hydraulic cylinder units (25.1 - 25.4), each with only one pressurizable working chamber (25.1a - 25.4a), which are hydraulically effectively connected via the connecting line (24), - this working chamber (25.1a - 25.4a) is in each case located at the end of the piston (25.1 B - 25.4B) facing away from the gripper (14.1 - 14.4).

5. Slicing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that - a spring (28) is present at the end of the piston (25.1 B - 25.4B) opposite the working chamber (25.1a - 25.4a), - in particular a compression spring (28) supported between the respective piston (25.1 B - 25.4B) and the end of the cylinder (25.1 A - 25.4A).

6. Slicing machine according to any of the preceding claims 2, 3 when dependent on 2, 4 or 5, characterised in that - each hydraulic cylinder unit (25.1 - 25.4) is connected individually or via the common connecting line (24) to a hydraulic pump (29).

7. Slicing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that - each hydraulic cylinder unit (25.1 - 25.4) is individually connected to a tank (30) for the pressure medium or to an outlet via a drain line (31.1 - 31.4) containing a drain valve (32.1 - 32.4).

8. Slicing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that - the grippers (14.1 - 14.4) each have gripper prongs (34) extendable from the gripper base body (35) and a prong drive (33) for the extension, - the prong drive (33) is the respective hydraulic cylinder unit (25.1 - 25.4), - in particular in that the respective piston rod (25.1B - 25.4B) is operatively connected to the gripper prongs (34) in such a way that a forward movement of the piston rod (25.1B - 25.4B) in the direction of the gripper base body (35) increasingly extends the gripper prongs (34) out of the gripper base body (35).

9. Method for controlling the product grippers of a slicing machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, each attached to a hydraulic cylinder unit (25.1 - 25.4) with a closable pressure medium connection, characterised in that - the pressure medium connection (25.1p - 25.4p) of the hydraulic cylinder units (25.1 - 25.4) is closed during slicing operation, - at least one connection of the working chamber (25.1a - 25.4a) of the hydraulic cylinder unit (25.1 - 25.4) arranged in the lane of this log (K) is opened when the first log has been completely sliced, - the gripper carriage is moved forward for the further slicing of the remaining logs while retracting the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder unit (25.1 - 25.4) in the lane of the completely sliced log, - the procedure is followed analogously for the next completely sliced log.

10. Method according to claim 9, characterised in that for hydraulically connected pressure medium connections - in the case of a completely sliced first log, all pressure medium connections (25.1p - 25.4p) of all hydraulic cylinder units (25.1 - 25.4) are opened, - from this time on, the gripper carriage is moved forward with a shorter travel distance between the slicing operations to compensate for the additional extension distance of the other hydraulic cylinder units (25.1 - 25.4) caused by the retraction of the hydraulic cylinder unit (25.1 - 25.4) in the lane of the completely sliced first log, - in particular, the gripper carriage for n hydraulic cylinder units (25.1-25.n) and a normal path d between two separating processes is reduced by d:(n-1) corresponding to the thickness of the slices to be separated.

11. Method according to claim 9, characterised in that - for hydraulic cylinder units (25.1 - 25.4) whose working chamber (25.1a - 25.4a) has an additional connection, in particular a pressureless connection (25.1o - 25.4o), - in the case of a completely sliced first log, only the additional connection, in particular the pressureless connections (25.1o - 25.4o) of the hydraulic cylinder unit (25.1 - 25.4), in the lane of the completely sliced log (K) is opened to a pressureless surrounding environment, in particular a tank or an open outlet, - from this time on, the gripper carriage is moved forward between the separation processes with an unchanged travel path.

12. Method according to any of the preceding method claims, characterised in that to grip the logs - the hydraulic cylinder units are each subjected to working pressure, preferably jointly, and their piston rods are extended over a portion of their maximum extension length, in particular until the piston rests against a compression spring in the cylinder, - the gripper carriage is then moved forward until the grippers, one after the other, each contact and grip the log lying in their lane, - before slicing begins, the pressure medium connections (25.1p - 25.4p) of the hydraulic cylinders (25.1 - 25.4) are closed.

13. Method according to claim 12, characterised in that for gripping the logs before the closure of the pressure medium connections (25.1p - 25.4p) of the hydraulic cylinder units (25.1 - 25.4) and after the contacting of the respective log (K) by a gripper base body, the pressure in this hydraulic cylinder (25.1 - 25.4) is used to extend the gripper prongs (35) of the contacting gripper base body (35).

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