Adjustable roll slicing system

A machine for slicing rolls between the tops and bottoms thereof while arranged in clusters of a predetermined number of separably adjoined rolls by cutting into one side of the rolls in such clusters along but spaced from a longitudinal joint between adjacent rolls in said clusters, said machine comprising:

• a. a machine frame adapted to be supported horizontally and including rotatable means adjacent opposite ends thereof around which an endless flexible horizontal conveyor extends to support clusters of rolls upon the upper span of said conveyor,
• b. power means operable to drive said conveyor in a direction to move the upper span thereof from a loading end to a discharge end,
• c. a cutter head assembly supported by said machine frame above said conveyor and substantially coextensive in width therewith, said assembly comprising in combination,
• d. a cutter head frame having side members between which a plurality of parallel guide rods are fixed to extend in parallelism to said conveyor,
• e. a plurality of bearing blocks mounted upon said guide rods in adjustable longitudinally spaced relationship to each other, each bearing block having a bearing extending perpendicularly to the plane of said conveyor,
• f. a spindle shaft rotatably mounted in each bearing and supporting a disc knife on the end nearest said conveyor,
• g. power means operable to drive said spindle shafts and knives in unison to slice rolls in clusters inward from one side edge of each roll, in combination with:
• h. adjustment means connected to each bearing block and operable to move the same adjustably upon said guide rods in opposite longitudinal directions to space said knives in desired positions for slicing rolls according to the sizes and shapes thereof, said adjustment means comprising a threaded shaft extending stationarily between the side members of said cutter head frame and a worm gear rotatably carried by each bearing block and threaded upon said threaded shaft, means on each bearing block preventing axial movement of said worm gear relative to said block, a worm carried rotatably by each bearing block and meshing with said worm gear on said block, and each bearing block having an actuating shaft connected at one end to the worm on said block and the opposite ends of each of said shafts extending forwardly from said cutter head frame toward the loading end of said conveyor, and
• i. individual actuating means for each adjustment means interconnected thereto and including manually engageable means for each actuating means extending commonly from said cutter head frame for convenient manual engagement and actuation while said machine is operating or idle.

A machine for slicing rolls between the tops and bottoms thereof while arranged in clusters of a predetermined number of separably adjoined rolls by cutting into one side of the rolls in such clusters along but spaced from a longitudinal joint between adjacent rolls in said clusters, said machine comprising:

• a. a cutter head frame having side members and a plurality of parallel guide rods extending horizontally between said side members to comprise a rigid frame,
• b. a conveyor beneath said guide rods and parallel thereto and supported for movement in a direction to support and feed clusters of rolls in a feeding direction parallel to said side members and transverse to said rods,
• c. a plurality of bearing blocks supported upon said rods and respectively and rotatably supporting spindle shafts extending perpendicularly above said conveyor and provided with circular disc knives on the ends thereof nearest said conveyor,
• d. power means operable to rotate said spindle shafts and knives simultaneously to slice rolls in clusters as the same are moved past said knives by said conveyor,
• e. an elongated arm connected to and projecting forwardly from each of said bearing blocks and provided with a supporting shaft, roll breaking units pivotally supported respectively by said elongated arms upon said supporting shafts thereon forwardly of said spindle shafts in said bearing blocks relative to the direction of feed of said rolls by said conveyor, said breaking units being in longitudinal alignment with said spindle shafts for said knives and mounted for operation immediately above the plane in which said knives rotate and operable to break apart pairs of rolls along the joints therebetween above the slice made in each roll by said knives to provide a clearance for passage of said spindle shafts of said knives between said pairs of rolls incident to said rolls being sliced from end to end, and
• f. roll breaking units each comprising a pair of rotatable shafts mounted within bearings in supplemental blocks supported upon said supporting shafts in said elongated arms, means normally urging said supplemental blocks and rotatable shafts of said units toward said operative positions thereof relative to said knives, and tension spring means connected to said supplemental blocks of said units and operable to move the same toward the inoperative positions and hold the same in said inoperative positions.