Multi-lane slicing machine with individually positionable grippers and control method therefor
AssigneeMultivac Sepp Haggenmueller SE & Co. KG
InventorChristoph Thalmeier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To ensure that, during slicing, a gripper can remain stationary when a log which it is holding has been completely sliced while other grippers move forward for the slicing of the other logs they are holding, a hydraulic cylinder unit is arranged between each gripper and a gripper carriage, which unit is either switched pressureless in a lane of the completely sliced log or is hydraulically connected to the other hydraulic cylinder units in order to allow the displacement of hydraulic medium from the hydraulic cylinder unit of the completely sliced log, which retracts during further slicing, into the other hydraulic cylinder units.
Claims18
A multi-lane slicing machine for slicing product logs into slices, the multi-lane slicing machine comprising:
- a base frame;
- a slicing unit;
- a feeding unit comprising a feeding conveyor for feeding the product logs to the slicing unit, the feeding unit having a plurality of lanes and comprising
- a plurality of grippers, each associated with one of the plurality of lanes,
- a gripper carriage for carrying the grippers,
- a carriage guide, wherein the gripper carriage is moveable along the carriage guide in a controlled manner in a feed direction, and
- a controller for controlling movement of the gripper carriage;
- a plurality of hydraulic cylinder units for acting in the feed direction between the plurality of grippers and the gripper carriage, wherein each hydraulic cylinder unit of the plurality of hydraulic cylinder units is mechanically operatively connected to a respective one of the plurality of grippers and to the gripper carriage;
- a pressure medium connection for each hydraulic cylinder unit, wherein each pressure medium connection has a shut-off valve;
- and
- a plurality of stationary end-position sensors in a blade-side end area of a movement path of each gripper of the plurality of grippers or of a part of each hydraulic cylinder unit connected to each gripper,
- wherein
- the hydraulic cylinders are operatively connected hydraulically via a connecting line, and
- each end-position sensor of the plurality of stationary end-position sensors is a mechanical stop for its respective gripper or of the part of the hydraulic cylinder unit connected to the gripper.
A slicing machine for slicing product logs into slices, the slicing machine comprising:
- a slicing unit;
- a feeding unit comprising a feeding conveyor for feeding the product logs to the slicing unit, the feeding unit having a plurality of lanes and comprising
- a plurality of grippers, each associated with one of the plurality of lanes, and
- a gripper carriage for carrying the grippers;
- a plurality of hydraulic cylinder units between the plurality of grippers and the gripper carriage, wherein each hydraulic cylinder unit of the plurality of hydraulic cylinder units is mechanically operatively connected to a respective one of the plurality of grippers and to the gripper carriage;
- and
- a plurality of position sensors in an area of a movement path of each gripper of the plurality of grippers or of a part of each hydraulic cylinder unit connected to each gripper,
- wherein
- the hydraulic cylinders are operatively connected hydraulically via a connecting line, and
- each position sensor of the plurality of position sensors is a mechanical stop for its respective gripper or of the part of the hydraulic cylinder unit connected to the gripper.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.