Rotatable manifold cutter for use in portioning
AssigneeJohn Bean Technologies Corporation
InventorGeorge R. Blaine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Portioning system 10 includes a scanner 200 for scanning work products 13 being carried on the conveyor 12. A cutter system 17 includes an array or manifold cutter 18 and single cutter 19 for cutting the work products into desired sized end pieces. The cutter assemblies 18 and 19 are carried on respective carriages 16 and 26 to move the cutters as required along predetermined cutting paths as controlled by control system 220.
Claims21
A method of cutting a workpiece, comprising:
- moving a workpiece along a travel path;
- supporting a first array cutter above the workpiece to emit an array of cutter beams toward the workpiece;
- moving the first array cutter in a controlled manner transversely across the width of the travel path of the workpiece to accommodate the orientation of the workpiece relative to its travel path;
- and
- simultaneously rotating the first array cutter about a rotational axis extending in the direction of cutter beams, to alter the overall width of the array defined by the array cutters, to correspond to the overall width of the workpiece being cut.
A method of cutting a chicken breast into multiple portions, comprising:
- moving the chicken breast along a path of travel;
- supporting a first array cutter above the moving chicken breast to emit first and second cutter beams toward the chicken breast;
- adjusting the position of the first array cutter transversely relative to the length of the keel of the moving chicken breast, to position the first and second cutter beams relative to each other across the width of the chicken breast keel;
- and
- rotating the first array cutter about an axis parallel to the direction of the emitted cutter beams to adjust the overall width separating the first and second cutter beams in the direction of movement of the chicken breast, wherein the first and second cutter beams define a cutting width that corresponds to the width of the chicken breast keel.
A method of cutting a variable width food piece into a plurality of longitudinal sections, comprising:
- moving an array cutter longitudinally and transversely along the food piece while emitting a plurality of cutter beams from the array cutter towards the food piece, the cutter beams defining a cutting pattern extending across the width of the food piece with the outermost cutter beams of the cutting pattern disposed closest to the margins of the food piece;
- and
- simultaneously rotating the array cutter about an axis aligned with the direction of the cutter beams in response to change in the width of the food piece, whereby the overall width of the cutting pattern formed by the cutter beams is adjusted to correspond to changes in the width of the food piece as the food piece is being cut by the array cutter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.