US 5,109,936 A · Dynamic weight control system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dynamic weight control system for a slicing machine, used to slice bacon or other food products, that has both primary and secondary weighing systems. The slicing machine has a slicing blade and a feed mechanism for feeding a food product (e.g., a bacon slab) into the slicing blade at a controlled rate. The primary weighing system controls primary slicing and weighing of multi-slice drafts of the sliced products so that each draft is an approximation of a prescribed control weight. The secondary weighing system checks draft weights and supplies data to a computer that computes an average weight for those drafts that are within an acceptable weight range; it also computes the pass ratio of acceptable weight drafts for a sample group of drafts. The pass ratio computation is ueed to make incremental adjustments in a target weight and the second system then computes a dynamic weight correction based on the adjusted target weight; the weight correction is fed back into the primary weighing system where it is used to adjust the control weight, with no operator intervention required, to reduce weight giveaway.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A method of controlling the slicing of a food product comprising the following steps:

A. recording a target weight and a related control weight for a multi-slice draft of the product;
B. advancing a food product into a slicing station at a predetermined feed rate;
C. slicing the food product, in the slicing station, to produce a series of multi-slice product drafts;
D. adjusting the feed rate of step B, when necessary, during slicing of each draft, to maintain the total weight of most of the drafts within a preselected permissible weight range above and below the control weight;
E. weighing each draft after its completion;
F. counting the number N of acceptable drafts, in a predetermined sample number of S drafts, that are within an acceptable weight range above and below the target weight;
G. computing an actual pass ratio N/S;
H. adjusting the target weight downwardly by a target weight reduction increment when the actual pass ratio of step G exceeds a pre-recorded desired pass ratio;
I. determining the average weight of the actual acceptable drafts in the sample of step F;
J. comparing the adjusted target weight of step H with the average weight of step I to determine the difference therebetween;
and
K. adjusting the control weight in accordance with the difference from step J.

9 more elements

A dynamic weight control system for a slicing machine of the kind comprising a slicing station for slicing a food product to produce a series of multi-slice product drafts, feed means for feeding a food product into the slicing station at a given feed rate, control weight means for recording a control weight for a product draft, and a primary weight control, including primary weighing means, for controlling the feed means to maintain the weights of most of the drafts in a predetermined permissible weight range above and below the control weight, the dynamic weight control system comprising:

secondary weighing means for weighing each draft after its completion;
computer means, connected to the secondary weighing means, for:
(a) recording a target weight for a product draft, which target weight is related to the control weight;
(b) determining the number N of acceptable drafts, in a predetermined sample number S of drafts, that are actually within a predetermined acceptable weight range above and below the target weight;
(c) computing an actual pass ratio N/S;
(d) comparing that actual pass ratio with a pre-recorded desired pass ratio;
(e) adjusting the target weight downwardly by a target weight reduction increment when the comparison indicates that the actual pass ratio exceeds a pre-recorded desired pass ratio;
(f) determining the average weight of the acceptable drafts in the sample;
(g) and comparing the adjusted target weight of step (e) with the average weight of step (f) to generate a weight difference signal indicative of the difference therebetween;
and
control weight adjustment means, connected to the computer means and to the control weight means, for adjusting the control weight in accordance with the difference signal.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dynamic weight control system

Life of this patent

Dynamic weight control system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30