Dual cutter head portioning and trimming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022016743-A1
Application number	US-202117305800-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 14, 2021
Priority date	Jul 15, 2020
Publication date	Jan 20, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A conveyance system 14 carries food products 12 past the scanning system 16 for scanning the food products and generating data pertaining to various parameters of the food products. Thereafter, the food products 12 are transported past a processing station 18 for cutting, trimming, portioning, etc. using a cutting apparatus 20 in the form of a robotic actuator 22 onto which is mounted a dual headed cutter assembly 24 capable of independently and simultaneously cutting/trimming/portioning two separate food products 12 , for example, located in side-by-side lanes on the conveyance system or capable of independently and simultaneously cutting/trimming the opposite sides of the same food product.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1 . An apparatus for independently cutting the opposite sides of a workpiece or two separate workpieces as the workpiece(s) is(are) being conveyed on a conveyance device, the conveyance device defining a transport plane for supporting the workpiece being conveyed by the conveyance device, the apparatus comprising:
(a) a cutter assembly comprising:
a mounting bridge;
beam cutters mounted at spaced apart locations on the mounting bridge to direct cutting beams toward the transport plane;
(b) an actuator for supporting and moving the mounting bridge above the support plane; and (c) a control system for controlling the operation of the conveyor assembly, the actuator and the beam cutters to move the beam cutters relative to the workpiece and to operate the beam cutters to independently cut a singular workpiece along two spaced apart cutting paths relative to the workpiece or independently cut separate workpieces along spaced apart cutting paths, while the workpiece(s) is being transported on the conveyance device.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the beam cutters are selected from the group consisting of water jet cutters and laser cutters.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cutter assembly further comprises:
an activator for switching the cutter beam between an activated condition and a deactivated condition; and wherein the control system controls the operation of the activator.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:
the beam cutter is a water jet cutter; and the activator is selected from the group consisting of a blocker for blocking the water jet, and a valve for preventing flow of water to the water jet.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control system controlling the operation of the actuator in one or more of the following manners:
to position one of the beam cutters ahead of the other beam cutter relative to the upstream direction of the conveyor; to hold one of the cutters stationary while the other cutter is operational to cut the workpiece; to cause one of the cutters to reverse its direction of travel relative to the cutting direction of the cutter while the other cutter is operational to cut the workpiece.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a first arm having a proximal end pivotable about an upright axis relative to a base and a distal end extending from the base, a second arm having a first end pivotable about the distal end of the first arm and a second end, a mounting attachment disposed at the second end of the second arm for rotation about an upright axis as well as for movement in the upright direction toward and away from the transport plane.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a scanner for scanning the workpieces being transported on the conveyor and for generating data with respect to the physical parameters of the scanned workpieces.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the control system utilizes the data generated by the scanner to determine cutting paths along the workpieces for the beam cutters.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the actuator supporting and moving the mounting bridge above the transport plane along the length of the conveyance device, across the conveyance device, and rotatably about an upright axis relative to the transport plane.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator supporting the mounting bridge for movement toward and away from the transport plane.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of beam cutters are located at at least one of the space-apart locations on the mounting bridge.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the control system controlling the beam cutters so that at least two beam cutters follow the same path.

13 . A cutter assembly for cutting workpieces being conveyed on a conveyance device, the cutter assembly adapted to be supported above the conveyance device by an actuator for moving the cutter assembly relative to the conveyance device, the cutter assembly comprising:
a mounting bridge; beam cutters mounted at spaced apart locations on the mounting bridge to direct cutting beams toward the conveyance device; an activator carried by the mounting bridge for switching at least one of the beam cutters between an activated condition and a deactivated condition.

14 . The cutter assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the beam cutters are selected from the group consisting of water jet cutters and laser beams.

15 . The cutter assembly according to claim 13 , wherein multiple beam cutters are mounted at at least one of the spaced apart locations on the mounting bridge.

16 . The cutter assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the multiple beam cutters are positioned relative to each other laterally of the length of the mounting bridge.

17 . The cutter assembly according to claim 13 , further comprising a control system for controlling the operation of the conveyance device, the activator, and the beam cutters to determine cutting paths for the beam cutters along the workpieces and to move the beam cutters relative to the workpiece and to operate the beam cutters to independently cut a singular workpiece along two spaced apart cutting paths, or independently cut two separate workpieces along spaced apart cutting paths, while the workpiece(s) (are) is being transported on the conveyance device.

18 . The cutter assemble according to claim 13 , wherein
the beam cutter is a water jet cutter; and the activator is selected from the group consisting of:
a blocker for blocking the water jet; and
a valve for preventing water from reaching the beam cutter.

19 . The cutter assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the control system controls the operation of the activator in one or more of the following ways:
to position one of the beam cutters ahead of the other beam cutter relative to the upstream direction of the conveyance device; to hold one of the cutters stationary while the other beam cutter is operational to cut the workpiece; to cause one of the beam cutters to reverse its direction of travel relative to the cutting direction of the beam cutter while the other beam cutter is operational to cut the workpiece; and to cause at least two beam cutters to follow the same cutting path.

Assignees

• John Bean Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Blaine George R

Classifications

• B26D3/10

  Making cuts of other than simple rectilinear form (cutting-out B26F) · CPC title

• B26D7/0625

  by endless conveyors, e.g. belts · CPC title

• B26D5/007

  Control means comprising cameras, vision or image processing systems · CPC title

• B26F3/004 Primary

  by means of a fluid jet (methods for use of abrasive blasting for cutting B24C1/045; guns for abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; perforating by non-mechanical means, e.g. by fluid jet B26F1/26) · CPC title

• B24C1/045 Primary

  for cutting (energy dissipating devices therefor B26F3/008) · CPC title