Continuous feed slicing machine

Abstract

To provide a slice device of a continuous feeding type capable of suppressing flapping of a food product raw wood at the time of slicing.SOLUTION: In a raw wood supply station 2 that transfers a food product raw wood, first inclination adjustment means 24 and second inclination adjustment means 25 are provided in a tail pulley 211 side of an upper belt conveyor 21. By actuating the first inclination adjustment means 24 and the second inclination adjustment means 25, a gap between a head pulley 212 side of the upper belt conveyor 21 and a raw wood reception surface of a lower belt conveyor 22 matches a thickness of a cutting edge vicinity part of a food product raw wood, so that flapping is prevented.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a slicing device for slicing food logs such as ham and bacon, and a driving method thereof, and particularly to a continuous feeding type slicing device for slicing while continuously feeding a food log.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, slicing devices are roughly classified into two types according to the feeding method of food logs. In the first type, a gripper with claws attached to its tip grips the rear end of a long food log, and the gripper is transferred toward the cutting surface of the food log using a linear actuator (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the second type, a food log is continuously supplied between conveyor belts by sandwiching the food log with upper and lower belt conveyors and transferring it toward a cutting blade (see Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, as a food log, block bacon has one surface in the thickness direction that is almost smooth in terms of manufacturing, but the other surface in the thickness direction inevitably becomes uneven, so there may be a case where there are parts with different thicknesses in the longitudinal direction of the food log. On the other hand, in the continuous feeding slicing device described in Patent Document 2, of the two types mentioned above, the log-holding surface of the upper conveyor and the log-receiving surface of the lower conveyor are arranged to be parallel. Therefore, when attempting to slice food logs that do not have a uniform thickness as described above, the distance between the upper and lower conveyors is adjusted to match the thicker parts of the food log during slicing.

[0006] However, as described above, if the log-holding surface of the upper conveyor and the log-receiving surface of the lower conveyor are made parallel, and the gap between the log-holding surface and the log-receiving surface is adjusted to match the thickness of the food log, then when a thin portion of the food log comes near the cutting blade, the food log will not be firmly held between the upper and lower conveyors near the cutting blade. Furthermore, if food logs are cut with a cutting blade without being properly secured, the impact of slicing and the rotation of the blade can cause the logs to flap around, potentially resulting in variations in the thickness and precision of the slices.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional invention, and aims to provide a slicing device that can prevent fluttering during cutting by the cutting blade even when the thickness of the food log changes in the longitudinal direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the slicing apparatus according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the slicing apparatus of the present invention") comprises a log supply station equipped with a feeding mechanism for feeding long food logs, and a slicing station that slices the food logs fed from the log supply station using a cutting blade. The feeding mechanism includes an upper feeding section that runs along the upper surface of the food log and has the function of feeding the food log toward the slicing station, and a lower feeding section that receives the lower surface of the food log and has the function of feeding the food log toward the slicing station, wherein the upper feeding section is equipped with a flapping prevention means that moves at least the end of the food log in the feeding direction toward the lower feeding section to prevent flapping of the food log near the cutting blade during slicing. A slicing device, The drive mechanism that moves the anti-flapping means toward and away from the lower feeding section is provided in a position that does not intersect with the upper feeding section and the lower feeding section when viewed from a vertical direction. It is characterized by the following.

[0010] In the slicing apparatus of the present invention, the upper feeding section and the lower feeding section are not particularly limited, but examples include belt conveyors, chain conveyors, roller conveyors, and combinations thereof. Examples of means to prevent flapping include, in the case of an upper feeding section being a belt conveyor, a tilt adjustment means that allows the tilt of the food log holding surface of the belt conveyor to be changed, and a flapping prevention roller or flapping prevention plate that is provided adjacent to the rear end of the belt conveyor and in contact with the log receiving surface of the lower feeding section.

[0011] The slicing apparatus of the present invention is an upper belt conveyor in which the upper feeding section comprises a head pulley, a tail pulley, a frame section that rotatably supports the head pulley and the tail pulley, and an endless belt stretched between the head pulley and the tail pulley, and the flapping prevention means can be configured as an upper conveyor tilt adjustment means comprising a first drive arm, one end of which is fixed to the tail pulley side end of the frame section of the upper conveyor and the other end of which is provided to be rotatable about the central axis of the tail pulley, and the first drive arm rotation drive means for rotating the first drive arm. In other words, with the above configuration, flapping can be suppressed simply by adjusting the inclination of the upper conveyor.

[0012] Furthermore, the tilt adjustment means may also be configured to further include a second drive arm, one end of which is pivotally supported on a fixed shaft so as to be rotatable, and the other end of which is pivotally supported on a shaft coaxial with the pivot shaft of the tail pulley of the first drive arm, and a second drive arm driving means for rotating the second drive arm around the fixed shaft. In other words, with the above configuration, the inclination range of the upper conveyor can be increased.

[0013] In the slicing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the upper conveyor and the lower conveyor are supported on one side in the width direction thereof, and that the tilt adjustment means is provided so that the tilt can be adjusted only from the support side of the upper conveyor and the lower conveyor. In other words, since there are no obstacles on the other side in the width direction of the upper and lower conveyors, maintenance and cleaning can be easily performed.

[0014] In the slicing apparatus of the present invention, the slicing station preferably comprises a plate-shaped regulating disk having a circumferential portion centered on a first axis and an opening formed by cutting out a part of the circumferential portion, and supported so as to be rotatable about the first axis; a disc-shaped cutting blade positioned to enter the opening, and supported so as to be rotatable about a second axis that is parallel to the first axis and eccentric with respect to the first axis; a first disk drive mechanism for rotating the regulating disk; and a second disk drive mechanism for rotating the cutting blade in the opposite direction to the rotating disk. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] As described above, the slicing apparatus of the present invention comprises a log supply station equipped with a feeding mechanism for feeding long food logs, and a slicing station that slices the food logs fed from the log supply station using a cutting blade. The feeding mechanism includes an upper feeding section that runs along the upper surface of the food log and has the function of feeding the food log toward the slicing station, and a lower feeding section that receives the lower surface of the food log and has the function of feeding the food log toward the slicing station, wherein the upper feeding section is equipped with a flapping prevention means that moves at least the end of the food log in the feeding direction toward the lower feeding section to prevent flapping of the food log near the cutting blade during slicing. A slicing device, The drive mechanism that moves the anti-flapping means toward and away from the lower feeding section is provided in a position that does not intersect with the upper feeding section and the lower feeding section when viewed from a vertical direction. Therefore, the area near the cutting blade of the food log can be kept clamped between the end of the upper feeding section and the lower feeding section. Therefore, even if the thickness of the food log differs along its length, the fluttering of the log will cause the slurring. This minimizes variations in the thickness and precision of the chair pieces. Furthermore, contaminants such as lubricating oil from the drive mechanism do not fall onto the upper and lower feed sections. Therefore, the upper and lower feed sections can be kept clean, and cleaning and maintenance are improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a front view showing the basic configuration of a slicing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2]It is a front view of the main part explaining the configuration and operation of the inclination adjustment means of the slicing device in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1(a), it represents the normal state in which the upper conveyor is inclined so that its log pressing surface and the log receiving surface of the lower conveyor are parallel. In FIG. 1(b), it represents the state in which the inclination of the log pressing surface of the upper conveyor is increased using the first inclination adjustment means so as to match the tip thickness of the food log with a reduced tip thickness. In FIG. 1(c), it represents the state in which the inclination of the log pressing surface of the side conveyor is further increased using the second inclination adjustment means. [Figure 3] It is a front view showing the configuration of the slicing station of the device. [Figure 4] It is a front sectional view of the same part. [Figure 5] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the slicing device. [Figure 6] It is a front view explaining the driving method of the slicing device in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] It is a diagram explaining the conveyance form of the sliced pieces.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, a continuous feeding type slicing device (hereinafter abbreviated as "slicing device") according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] (Embodiment 1) First, referring to FIG. 1, the basic configuration and functions of the slicing device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described.

[0019] The slicing device 1 is composed of a log supply station 2, a slicing station 3, a conveyance station 4, and a chassis 10 according to their functions. Note that the main body of the controller 5 for controlling the operation of the slicing device 1 is housed inside the chassis 10, and a touch panel type display 51 for data input to the controller 5 and confirmation of the input data is attached to the support column 12. The chassis 10 supports a drive box 26 described later.

[0020] First, the general operation of the slicing device 1 will be described. The log W, sandwiched between the upper belt conveyor 21 (which serves as the upper feeding section) and the lower belt conveyor 22 (which serves as the lower feeding section) of the log supply station 2, is transported towards the cutting blade 31 of the slicing station 3, as indicated by the arrows, and sliced ​​to a certain thickness. The sliced ​​pieces S fall onto the belt conveyor 41 of the transport station 4, are then transferred to a belt conveyor (not shown), and transported to a packaging machine installed downstream. Each station will be described in detail below.

[0021] The log supply station 2 consists of a total of three conveyors: one roller conveyor 23, and two conveyors located downstream of it: an upper belt conveyor 21 as an upper feeding section and a lower belt conveyor 22 as a lower feeding section. As shown in Figure 1, these three conveyors 21-23 are installed with the right side facing upwards when viewed from the perspective of the paper, and the roller conveyor 23 and the lower belt conveyor 22 are arranged in a straight line.

[0022] The roller conveyor 23 transports logs by its own weight and is fixed to the chassis 10 by support columns (not shown). On the other hand, as shown in Figure 2, the upper belt conveyor 21 is equipped with a head pulley 212, a tail pulley 211, and a deflection roller 214, which are rotatably arranged on the frame 210 at predetermined intervals, and an endless flat belt 213 is stretched over the head pulley 212, the tail pulley 211, and the deflection roller 214.

[0023] In the upper belt conveyor 21, the deflection roller 214 causes the gap between the flat belt 213 from the tail pulley 211 side to the deflection roller 214 and the flat belt 223 of the lower belt conveyor 22 to be wider on the tail pulley 211 side and gradually narrow towards the deflection roller 214 side. In other words, the upper belt conveyor 21 has a wider gap between it and the lower belt conveyor 22 towards the tail pulley 211, so that the food logs W can be smoothly inserted between the lower surface of the flat belt 213 between the deflection roller 214 and the head pulley 212 of the upper belt conveyor 21, which serves as the log holding surface, and the upper surface of the flat belt 223 of the lower belt conveyor 22, which serves as the log receiving surface.

[0024] Although not shown in the diagram, the tail pulley 211 is designed to rotate using the driving force of a drive motor connected to its rotating shaft. The flat belt 213 is rotated by the rotational drive of the tail pulley 211 so that the lower end surface of the flat belt 213 moves toward the head pulley 212.

[0025] Furthermore, the upper belt conveyor 21 is equipped with a first tilt adjustment means 24 and a second tilt adjustment means 25 as means for preventing flapping. The first tilt adjustment means 24 comprises a plate-shaped first drive arm 24a and a first drive arm rotation drive means 24b.

[0026] The first drive arm 24a has one end fixed to the frame 210 of the upper belt conveyor 21, and the rotation axis (not shown) of the tail pulley 211 is pivotally supported at this end. The first drive arm 24a has a first drive arm rotation drive means 24b connected to its other end.

[0027] The first drive arm rotation drive means 24b includes a plate-shaped first drive transmission arm 241, a plate-shaped second drive transmission arm 242, a third drive transmission arm 243, and a first electric cylinder 244. The first drive transmission arm 241 has one end pivotally supported on the other end of the first drive arm 24a, and the other end pivotally supported on the upper end of the second drive transmission arm 242. The lower end of the third drive transmission arm 243 is fixed to the lower end of the side of the second drive transmission arm 242 facing the drive box 26.

[0028] The third drive transmission arm 243 is located inside the drive box 26, and its upper end is pivotally supported at the tip of the piston rod 244b of the first electric cylinder 244. The first electric cylinder 244 is located inside the drive box 26, with one end of the cylinder body 244a fixed to it, and the piston rod 244b moves back and forth relative to the cylinder body 244a.

[0029] The first tilt adjustment means 24 is as described above, and the tilt of the log-holding surface of the upper belt conveyor 21 can be adjusted as follows. In other words, as shown in Figure 2(a), if the thickness of the tip end of the food log W becomes thin and the tip is not sandwiched between the upper belt conveyor 21 and the lower belt conveyor 22, as shown in Figure 2(b), the piston rod 244b of the first electric cylinder 244 retracts, the third drive transmission arm 243 rotates around the other end of the second drive transmission arm 242, and the first drive arm 24a rotates around the rotation axis of the tail pulley 211 by the first drive transmission arm 241. At this time, since one end of the first drive arm 24a is fixed to the frame 210 of the upper belt conveyor 21, the upper belt conveyor 21 rotates around the rotation axis of the tail pulley 211 so that the end on the head pulley 212 side follows the upper surface of the food log W.

[0030] The second tilt adjustment means 25 comprises a second drive arm 25a and a second drive arm rotation drive means 25b. The second drive arm 25a is pivotally supported at one end on the rotation axis of the tail pulley 211 and at the other end on a fixed shaft 251 provided on the operating box 26 side.

[0031] The second drive arm rotation drive means 25b includes a drive transmission arm 252 and a second electric cylinder 253. The drive transmission arm 252 is located inside the drive box 26, with one end fixed to the other end of the second drive arm 25a, and is pivotally supported on the fixed shaft 251 so as to be rotatable.

[0032] The second electric cylinder 253 is located inside the drive box 26, with one end of the cylinder body 253a fixed inside the drive box 26, and the piston rod 253b moves back and forth relative to the cylinder body 253a. The piston rod 253b has its tip pivotally supported by the pivot shaft at the other end of the drive transmission arm 252.

[0033] The lower belt conveyor 22 is equipped with a head pulley 222 and a tail pulley 221 that are rotatably arranged on the frame 220 at predetermined intervals, and an endless flat belt 223 is stretched between the head pulley 222 and the tail pulley 221. The tail pulley 221 described above is rotated by the driving force of a drive motor (not shown) located in a drive box 26 connected to its rotating shaft 221a.

[0034] Furthermore, the flat belt 223 is rotated by the rotational drive of the tail pulley 221 so that the upper surface of the flat belt 223, which serves as the log receiving surface, moves toward the head pulley 222.

[0035] Next, with reference to Figures 1 and 2, the operation of the log supply station 2 and the effects of the first tilt adjustment means 24 and the second tilt adjustment means 25 will be described. First, as shown in Figure 1, if the thickness of the food logs W is uniform, the log supply station 2 receives the lower surface of the food logs W with the log receiving surface of the lower belt conveyor 22. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2(a), the log pressing surface of the upper belt conveyor 21 and the log receiving surface of the lower belt conveyor 22 are made parallel to the thickness of the food logs W, and the food logs W are transported toward the cutting blade 31 of the slicing station 3, allowing for continuous slicing.

[0036] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 2(a), if the height of the log W decreases towards the front, and the log-holding surface of the upper belt conveyor 21 and the log-receiving surface of the lower belt conveyor 22 remain parallel, the log will only be held down by the rear end of the belt conveyor 21, causing flapping during slicing. However, since the first tilt adjustment means 24 is provided, the operator can activate the first tilt adjustment means 24 to firmly hold the thinner portion of the food log W that has been transported to the vicinity of the cutting blade 32 (described later) between the end of the upper belt conveyor 21 on the head pulley 212 side and the log-receiving surface of the lower belt conveyor 22, as shown in Figure 2(b). Therefore, even in the thinner parts of the food log W, the fluttering during cutting by the cutting blade 32 can be minimized.

[0037] Furthermore, since a second tilt adjustment means 25 is provided, as shown in Figure 2(c), the tilt of the log-holding surface of the upper belt conveyor 21 can be further increased by retracting the piston rod 253b of the second electric cylinder 253 of the second tilt adjustment means 25. In other words, it can also handle cases where the thickness is even thinner.

[0038] Furthermore, since the log supply station 2 does not have a first tilt adjustment means 24 and a second tilt adjustment means 25 above the upper belt conveyor 21 and the lower belt conveyor 22, lubricating oil and the like do not drip onto the upper belt conveyor 21 and the lower belt conveyor 22, making it superior in terms of hygiene. Furthermore, in this log supply station 2, if no new logs are supplied when the slicing of the log W is finished, the piston rod of the cylinder 26 retracts, as shown in Figure 5(c), causing the upper belt conveyor 21 to rotate further and stop with the tip of the upper belt conveyor 212 in contact with the tip of the lower belt conveyor 222. Furthermore, although the log W shown in Figure 2 has a gradually decreasing thickness towards the tip, even when the log exhibits a more complex shape, the effect of suppressing flapping can be maintained by adjusting the inclination of the belt conveyor 21 during slicing.

[0039] Next, with reference to Figures 3 and 4, the regulating disk 31 and cutting blade 32, which are the main components of the slicing station 3, will be described. As will be described later, the regulating disk 31 is an essential component of a continuous feed type slicing device.

[0040] The slicing station 3 comprises a plate-shaped regulating disc 31 rotatably supported around a first axis A1, and a disc-shaped cutting blade 32 rotatably supported around a second axis A2. The regulating disc 31 is disc-shaped overall, but by cutting out a part of its outer circumference in an arc shape, it has a circumferential portion 311 centered on the first axis A1 and an opening 312 formed by cutting out a part of the circumferential portion 311. The axis of the opening 312 lies on the second axis A2.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, the inner diameter of the opening 312 is set to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the cutting blade 32, and the cutting blade 32 is positioned so that it fits into the opening 312. Due to this arrangement, the second axis A2 is eccentric with respect to the first axis A1. The disc-shaped cutting blade 32 functions as a sharp cutting edge on its outer diameter, slicing the log W to a certain thickness.

[0042] As shown by the arrows in Figure 3, the slicing station 3 rotates the regulating disc 31 around the first axis A1 (hereinafter referred to as "revolution") when slicing a long log W. Simultaneously, the cutting blade 32 rotates around the second axis A2 at a higher speed than the regulating disc 31, in the opposite direction to the rotation of the regulating disc 31 (hereinafter referred to as "rotation").

[0043] As shown in Figure 4, the drive case 33 houses a first drive mechanism 36 that rotates the regulating disc 31 and the cutting blade 32 around the first axis A1, and a second drive mechanism that rotates the rotating blade 32 around the second axis A2.

[0044] Furthermore, a drive box 34, which houses a motor for rotating the regulating disc 31 and the cutting blade 32, is installed on the right side of the drive case 33, and the drive case 33 and the drive box 34 are connected by a transmission case 35 that houses an endless belt for rotational transmission.

[0045] The first drive mechanism 36 consists of a first drive shaft 361, a bearing case 362, a pulley 363, and an endless belt 364. The first drive shaft 361 is supported by the bearing case 362, which is attached to the drive case 33, and rotates around the first shaft A1. The pulley 363 is fixed to the first drive shaft 361, and the rotation of a motor (not shown) housed in the drive box 34 is transmitted to the pulley 363 via the endless belt 364.

[0046] As mentioned above, the pulley 363 is fixed to the first drive shaft 361 and rotates about the first shaft A1. Therefore, the rotation of the motor housed in the drive box 34 is transmitted to the first drive shaft 361 via the belt 364 and pulley 363, causing the regulating disc 31 and cutting blade 32 to rotate about the first shaft A1.

[0047] On the other hand, the second drive mechanism 37 consists of a drive block 371 in which the second drive shaft is housed on the inside and a bearing case is positioned on the outside, a pulley 372 attached to the end of the drive block 371, a pulley 373 attached coaxially to the first drive shaft 361, an endless belt 374 stretched between the pulleys 372 and 373, and an endless belt 375 that transmits the rotation of a motor (not shown) housed in the drive case 33 to the pulley 373.

[0048] Pulley 373 is coaxial with the first drive shaft 361, but is configured to rotate freely relative to it. Therefore, the rotation of the motor housed in the drive case 33 is transmitted to pulley 373 via belt 375, and further transmitted to the second drive shaft of the cutting blade 32 via belt 374 and pulley 372.

[0049] In the first drive mechanism 36 described above, the rotational force of the first drive shaft 361 is transmitted to the regulating disk 31 via the bearing case 362 by driving a motor (not shown) housed in the drive box 34, causing the regulating disk 31 to revolve around the first shaft A1.

[0050] Furthermore, by driving a motor (not shown) housed in the drive case 33, the rotational force of the second drive shaft (inside the drive block 371) is transmitted to the cutting blade 32 via a belt transmission mechanism (belt 375, pulley 373, belt 374, pulley 372) inside the drive case 33, causing the cutting blade 32 to rotate on its own axis. The cutting blade 32 rotates on its own axis and revolves together with the regulating disc 31 to slice the log W.

[0051] The restricting disc 31 has a restricting surface on the side facing the cut end of the log W. The cutting blade 32 is positioned slightly offset towards the log relative to the restricting surface of the restricting disc 31, corresponding to the thickness of the slice.

[0052] By arranging the logs in this way, when slicing the log W, the log W is in contact with the surface of the regulating disc 31 and its position is fixed, and then slicing is performed by the cutting blade 32. As a result, the distance between the regulating surface of the regulating disc 31 and the cutting blade 32 becomes the slice thickness of the log W.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown by the arrows in Figure 3, when slicing the log W, the rotation direction of the regulating disc 31 and the rotation direction of the cutting blade 32 are opposite. Therefore, the force acting on the log W due to the rotation of the regulating disc 31 and the force acting on the log W due to the rotation of the cutting blade 32 cancel each other out, suppressing any change in the position of the log W.

[0054] Next, the transport station 4 will be described with reference to Figures 1, 5 to 7. As shown in Figure 1, the transport station 4 is equipped with a belt conveyor 41 that receives the sliced ​​pieces S from the cutting blade 32 at the point where the sliced ​​pieces fall and transports them to the downstream conveyor.

[0055] In Figure 1, the transport station 4 is shown as consisting of a single belt conveyor 41, but typically, two or more belt conveyors are installed in sequence. The sliced ​​pieces S that fall onto the belt conveyor 41 are then transferred to a belt conveyor (not shown) installed downstream, and their position is adjusted in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. In a packaging machine (not shown), the sliced ​​pieces S are fed into pockets of packaging film formed at equal intervals in the conveying direction, and then packaged. Therefore, after their position is adjusted in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction on the belt conveyor installed downstream of the belt conveyor 41, they are transported to the packaging machine.

[0056] Figure 5 shows the configuration of the control system for the slicing device 1. The operation of each component, the log supply station 2, the slicing station 3, and the conveying station 4, is controlled by a program stored in the memory of the controller 5. As shown in Figure 5, the controller 5 adjusts the operating timing of the motors 63 and actuators 64 that drive each component based on the output signals of the position sensors 61 and rotation sensors 62 attached to each component, thereby achieving the above-mentioned operation.

[0057] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the slicing device 1 is equipped with an optical sensor 65 that detects the end of the food log W. When the optical sensor 65 detects the end of the log W by eliminating reflection from the log W, a detection signal is transmitted to the controller 5. The controller 5 then uses the data of the distance from the end detection position of the food log W detected by the optical sensor 65 to the cutting blade 32 to calculate the end position of the log W. Based on this data, the controller 5 predicts the transport speed of the food log W by the upper belt conveyor 21 and the lower belt conveyor 22, as well as the timing when the stem portion H, which will be described later, will be sliced, and controls the transport speed of the belt conveyor 41 as follows.

[0058] In other words, the belt conveyor 41 transports the normal sliced ​​pieces S at a steady speed while they are being cut, but just before the stem portion H is received by the belt conveyor 41, the transport speed of the belt conveyor 41 is temporarily increased to a speed faster than the steady speed, and then returned to the steady speed while the stem portion H is being sliced. Then, after all the stem portions H have been received by the belt conveyor 41, the conveying speed becomes high again, and can be controlled to return to a steady speed just before the normal slice pieces S are received by the belt conveyor 41. Furthermore, the memory unit of the controller 5 stores distance data between the optical sensor 65 and the cutting blade 31, and the conveyor belts 21 and 22 are set to transport the log W at a predetermined speed. Therefore, the time at which the stem portion H, described later, is sliced ​​can be calculated from the time when the optical sensor 65 detects the end of the log W and the transport speed of the belt conveyors 21 and 22.

[0059] By controlling the conveying speed of the belt conveyor 41 as described above, the following effects can be expected. In other words, as shown in Figure 7(a), there is a product configuration in which slicing is performed while the conveyor belt 41 of the transport station 4 is in motion, and the sliced ​​pieces are arranged on the conveyor belt with some overlapping. On the other hand, as the slicing of the food log W by the slicing device 1 progresses and the end of the food log W reaches the vicinity of the cutting blade 32, it becomes difficult to slice the food log W while it is firmly supported by the upper belt conveyor 21 and the lower belt conveyor 22. As a result, it becomes difficult to produce uniform slices, and a portion of the log H that cannot be offered as a product is generated.

[0060] In such cases, if the conveying speed of the belt conveyor 41 is not controlled as described above, normal slices and slices with the stem portion H will be mixed together, as shown in Figure 7(a). Therefore, it will be necessary for workers to manually separate the slices with the stem portion H from the normal slices, which may reduce the production efficiency of sliced ​​products. However, as described above, by controlling the conveying speed of the belt conveyor 41, the timing of when the stem portion H will be sliced ​​can be predicted, and as shown in Figure 7(b), the sliced ​​pieces that will be sliced ​​at that time, i.e., the stem portion H, and the normal sliced ​​pieces S can be separated on the belt conveyor 41. Subsequently, a conveyor belt installed downstream separates the sliced ​​pieces S with the stem portion H from the normal sliced ​​pieces S. In this way, only the normal sliced ​​pieces, from which the stem portion H has been removed, are transported to the packaging machine.

[0061] Furthermore, when a log W is transported alone, the log may become unstable when slicing the stem portion H, preventing proper slicing. Therefore, as shown in Figure 6(b), after the detection of the rear end of the log W is completed, a new log is placed on the roller conveyor 23 and brought into contact with the rear end of the log being sliced. In this state, the rear end of the log being sliced ​​is pushed by the added log W, so the log does not become unstable during slicing.

[0062] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, in the above embodiments, the flapping prevention means included a first tilt adjustment means and a second tilt adjustment means for adjusting the tilt angle of the log-holding surface of the upper belt conveyor, but the first tilt adjustment means alone may suffice. Furthermore, the upper feeding section may consist of a retaining roller located behind the head pulley of the upper belt conveyor, and the retaining roller may be moved closer to or further away from the food log according to its thickness using a driving means such as an electric cylinder, thereby preventing flapping.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the tilt adjustment means was provided on the tail pulley side, but the rotation axis on the tail pulley side may be fixed in a fixed position, and the tilt adjustment means may be provided such that the rotation axis of the head pulley rotates around the rotation axis of the tail pulley. In the above embodiment, electric cylinders were used to drive the first tilt adjustment means and the second tilt adjustment means, but air cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, or a combination thereof may also be used, or a servo motor and rack and pinion may be used.

[0064] Furthermore, while an optical sensor was used in the above embodiment to detect the end of the log W, it goes without saying that other sensors may also be used to detect the end. In the above embodiment, the worker visually checked the condition of the food log and activated the first tilt adjustment means and the second tilt adjustment means. However, a thickness sensor may be provided, and the control means may automatically activate the flapping prevention means based on the results measured by the thickness sensor.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the method for separating the stem portion slices from the normal slices was to change the conveying speed of the belt conveyor as described above. However, the belt conveyor could also be reversed, or rotated vertically, allowing the stem portion to fall into the storage box through the gap created when the conveyor is facing upwards. The choice of method should be made by comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each method. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] S slice W Food Log 1 Slicing device 10 Chassis 2 Log supply station 21 Upper belt conveyor (upper dispensing section) 210 frames 211 Tail Pulley 212 Head Pulley 213 Flat belt 214 Deflection Roller 22 Lower belt conveyor (lower dispensing section) 220 frames 221 Tail Pulley 222 Head Pulley 223 Flat belt 23 Roller conveyor 24. First tilt adjustment means (flapping prevention means) 24a First drive arm 24b First drive arm rotation drive means 241 First drive transmission arm 242 Second drive transmission arm 243 Third drive transmission arm 244 First Electric Cylinder 244a Cylinder body 244b Piston rod 25. Second tilt adjustment means (flapping prevention means) 25a Second drive arm 25b Second drive arm rotation drive means 251 Fixed axis 252 Drive transmission arm 253 Second Electric Cylinder 253a Cylinder body 253b Piston rod 26 Drive Box 3 Slicing Station 31 Restricted Disc 311 Circumference 312 Opening 32 Cutting blade 33 Drive Case 34 Drive Box 35 Transmission Cases 36. First drive mechanism 37. Second drive mechanism 4. Transport Station 41 Belt conveyor 5 Controllers 61 Position Sensor 62 Rotation Sensor 63 Motor 64 Actuators 65 Light Sensor

Claims

1. A log supply station equipped with a feeding mechanism for sending out long food logs, The facility includes a slicing station that slices the food logs sent from the log supply station using a cutting blade, The feeding mechanism includes an upper feeding section that runs along the upper surface of the food log and has the function of feeding the food log toward the slicing station, and a lower feeding section that receives the lower surface of the food log and has the function of feeding the food log toward the slicing station. The slicing apparatus is equipped with a flapping prevention means that prevents flapping of the food log near the cutting blade during slicing by bringing at least the end of the food log in the feeding direction toward the side of the lower feeding section, A slicing apparatus characterized in that the drive mechanism for moving the anti-flapping means toward and away from the lower feeding section is provided in a position that does not intersect with the upper feeding section and the lower feeding section when viewed from a vertical direction.

2. An upper belt conveyor comprising an upper feeding section comprising a head pulley, a tail pulley, a frame section that rotatably supports the head pulley and the tail pulley, and an endless belt stretched between the head pulley and the tail pulley, The slicing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flapping prevention means is an upper conveyor tilt adjustment means comprising a first drive arm, one end of which is fixed to the tail pulley side end of the frame portion of the upper conveyor and the other end of which is provided to be rotatable about the central axis of the tail pulley, and the first drive arm rotation drive means for rotating the first drive arm.

3. The slicing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the tilt adjustment means comprises a second drive arm, one end of which is pivotally supported on a fixed shaft and the other end of which is pivotally supported on a shaft coaxial with the pivot shaft of the tail pulley of the first drive arm, and a second drive arm driving means for rotating the second drive arm about the fixed shaft.

4. The slicing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the upper conveyor and the lower conveyor are supported on one side in the width direction thereof, and the tilt adjustment means is provided so as to be able to adjust the tilt only from the support side of the upper conveyor and the lower conveyor.

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