Clamping assemblies and slicing machines equipped therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10780602-B2
Application number	US-201916394048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2019
Priority date	Apr 25, 2018
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

Slicing machines having a cutting head equipped with one or more cutting units mounted thereto for securing knives to the cutting head. The cutting head has structural members spaced apart in an axial direction of the cutting head and circumferentially-spaced cutting units between the structural members. Each cutting unit includes a knife holder adapted for supporting a knife, a clamp overlying the knife holder and arranged to apply a clamping force to a knife disposed between the knife holder and clamp, and a cam rod adapted to apply a clamping force to the clamp. The clamp has upstanding flanges, each having a hole therethrough and a slot that engages a pivot, and the clamp, slots, cam rod, and pivots are arranged so that the clamp both pivots and translates relative to the pivots as the cam rod rotates between clamping and release positions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A slicing machine having an annular-shaped cutting head comprising:
first and second structural members spaced apart in an axial direction of the cutting head;
circumferentially-spaced cutting units between the first and second structural members, each of the cutting units comprising:
a knife holder adapted for supporting a knife;
a clamp overlying the knife holder and arranged to apply a clamping force to a knife disposed between the knife holder and the clamp, the clamp having first and second upstanding flanges each having a hole therethrough and a slot that engages a pivot; and
a cam rod adapted to apply a clamping force to the clamp;
wherein the clamp, the slots, the cam rod, and the pivots are arranged so that the clamp both pivots and translates relative to the pivots as the cam rod rotates between clamping and release positions, and wherein the cam rod has first and second end portions each received in a corresponding one of the holes in the first and second upstanding flanges of the clamp, the first and second end portions each having a diameter equal to the corresponding one of the holes and does not translate within the corresponding one of the holes.

2. The slicing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the slots in the first and second upstanding flanges are D-shaped and are open at an end of each the first and second upstanding flanges.

3. The slicing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the hole in each of the first and second upstanding flanges is located adjacent an extension of the clamp and the slot in each the first and second upstanding flanges is located at an end of each the first and second upstanding flanges opposite the extension of the clamp.

4. The slicing machine according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second structural members comprises mounting blocks that mount the cutting units to the first and second structural members and comprise the pivots.

5. The slicing machine according to claim 4 , wherein each of the cam rods secures a corresponding one of the clamps to a pair of the mounting blocks.

6. The slicing machine according to claim 5 , wherein at least portions of the cutting units are removable from the cutting head by disassembling the cutting units from the mounting blocks without removing the mounting blocks from the cutting head.

7. The slicing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the cam rod is rotatably and eccentrically coupled to the cutting unit such that a camming portion thereof is closer to the knife holder in the clamping position and is farther from the knife holder in the release position.

8. The slicing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second structural members comprise support rings that are spaced apart in the axial direction of the cutting head.

9. The slicing machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a first stop that prevents rotation of the cam rod beyond the clamping position and a second stop that prevents rotation of the cam rod beyond the release position.

10. The slicing machine according to claim 9 , wherein the first and second stops are defined by one of the first and second structural members.

11. The slicing machine according to claim 1 , wherein at least the first structural member comprises a handle defined by an opening in the first structural member.

12. The slicing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first structural member is disposed above the second structural member, and the second structural member is a support ring having an internal perimeter with circumferentially-spaced cut-outs defined therein.

13. The slicing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the slicing machine further comprises an impeller coaxially mounted within the cutting head for rotation about an axis of the cutting head in a rotational direction relative to the cutting head, the impeller has paddles for delivering food products radially outward toward the cutting head, and the knife extends radially inward toward the impeller in a direction opposite the rotational direction of the impeller.

14. A slicing machine having an annular-shaped cutting head and an impeller coaxially mounted within the cutting head for rotation about an axis of the cutting head in a rotational direction relative to the cutting head, the cutting head comprising:
first and second structural members spaced apart in an axial direction of the cutting head, each of the first and second structural members comprising circumferentially-spaced mounting blocks that define pivots;
circumferentially-spaced cutting units between the first and second structural members and mounted thereto by the mounting blocks, each of the cutting units comprising:
a knife holder;
a knife supported by the knife holder;
a clamp overlying the knife holder so that the knife is between the knife holder and the clamp, the clamp comprising first and second upstanding flanges and an extension therebetween adapted and arranged relative to the knife to apply a clamping force to the knife, the first and second upstanding flanges each comprising a hole therethrough and a slot that engages one of the pivots of the mounting blocks, the hole in each of the first and second upstanding flanges being located adjacent the extension of the clamp and the slot in each the first and second upstanding flanges being open at an end of each the first and second upstanding flanges opposite the extension of the clamp, the clamp, the slots, and the pivots being arranged so that the clamp both pivots and translates relative to the pivots associated therewith;
a cam rod adapted to apply the clamping force to the clamp, the cam rod having first and second end portions and a camming portion therebetween, the camming portion being arranged for contacting the clamp, each of the first and second end portions of the cam rod being disposed within a corresponding one of the holes in the first and second upstanding flanges of the clamp and having a diameter equal to the corresponding one of the holes so as not to translate within the corresponding one of the holes, each of the first and second end portions of the cam rod being rotatably and eccentrically coupled with a corresponding one of the first and second structural members, the cam rod being rotatable to have a clamping position and a release position, the camming portion applying the clamping force that clamps the clamp against the knife holder when the cam rod is in the clamping position, the camming portion releasing the clamping force against the clamp when the cam rod is in the release position, the clamp both pivoting and translating relative to the pivot associated therewith as the cam rod rotates between the clamping and release positions.

15. The slicing machine according to claim 14 , wherein each of the cam rods secures a corresponding one of the clamps to a pair of the mounting blocks.

16. The slicing machine according to claim 14 , wherein at least portions of the cutting units are removable from the cutting head by disassembling the cutting units from the mounting blocks without removing the mounting blocks from the cutting head.

17. The slicing machine according to claim 14 , wherein the first and second structural members comprise support rings that are spaced apart in the axial direction of the cutting head.

18. The slicing machine according to claim 14 , wherein at least the first structural member comprises a handle defined by an opening in the first structural member.

19. The slicing machine according to claim 14 , wherein the first

Assignees

• Urschel Laboratories Inc

Inventors

• Gereg Dustin Joseph
• Jacko Michael Scot

Classifications

• B26D7/2614 Primary

  Means for mounting the cutting member · CPC title

• B26D1/03 Primary

  with a plurality of cutting members · CPC title

• B26D7/0691

  by centrifugal force · CPC title

• B26D2210/02

  for cutting food products, e.g. food slicers · CPC title