System for cutting and unloading portions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9778651-B2
Application number	US-201414161522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2014
Priority date	Jan 22, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A system (100) for cutting work product (104) into portions (P) and unloading the portions includes a conveyance system (102) for carrying the workpieces and portions, as well as a scanner (110) for scanning the work products. A cutter system (120) composed of cutter assemblies (122) carried by carrier systems (124) may be arranged in an array or series along the conveyance system for cutting, trimming, and portioning the work products (104) into end pieces (P) of desired sizes or other physical parameters. An unloading system (130) composed of one or more unloading assemblies/units/apparatus (132) are carried by the same carrier systems (124) used to carry the cutter assemblies (122) to pick up the portioned pieces (P) and either move them to a different location or replace the portioned workpieces back onto the conveyance system after the trim of the workpiece has been removed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for cutting portions from a workpiece based on desired physical specifications of the cut portions resulting in one or more cut portions and remaining trim, and then unloading the cut portions to separate the cut portions from any remaining workpiece trim, comprising:
(a) a conveyance system for conveying the workpiece;
(b) a scanning system for scanning the workpiece and generating data pertaining to physical specifications of the workpiece and to the location of the workpiece on the conveyance system;
(c) a cutting system for cutting one or more portions from the workpiece;
(d) at least one carrier system for supporting and moving the cutting system laterally and longitudinally of the conveyance system along cutting paths to cut the workpiece into portions per desired physical specifications;
(e) at least one powered unloading system operatively associated with the at least one carrier system, said unloading system operable to grasp the cut portions, lift the cut portions off the conveyance system to remove the cut portions from the conveyance system, and deposit the cut portions at desired locations; and
(f) a control system processor operable to:
(i) process the scanning data and the desired physical specifications of the portions to determine the cutting paths required to cut the workpiece to achieve the desired physical specifications for the portions;
(ii) direct the cutting system to perform the required cuts; and
(iii) direct the at least one powered unloading system to pick up the cut portions from locations on the conveyance system as determined by the scanning data and and deposit the cut portions at desired locations.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one carrier system comprises an X-Y gantry system disposed over the conveyance system.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein said X-Y gantry system comprises a powered carriage on which the cutting system is mounted for moving relative to the conveyance system.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one powered unloading system is mounted on the same carriage on which the cutting system is mounted.

5. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one powered unloading system is supported and moved by the X-Y gantry system.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting system is carried by a rotatable and extendable actuator located alongside the conveyance system.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one powered unloading system is operatively associated with the actuator used to carry the cutting system.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one powered unloading system is carried by the same type of actuator used to carry the cutting system.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one powered unloading system is carried by the same type of actuator used to carry the cutting systems.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier system comprises an automated, multi-directional actuator system capable of moving at least along, across, and diagonally relative to the conveyance system.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the multi-directional actuator system is also capable of moving upward and downward relative to the conveyance system.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the multi-directional actuator system comprises a plurality of sets of powered arm pairs, said arm pairs having upper ends and lower ends, the upper ends of the arm pairs are connected to a power pivot arm which in turn is connected to a powered rotor actuator, and the lower ends of the arm pairs are connected to a hub to which is mounted the cutting system.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one powered unloading system is carried by the same hub used to carry the cutting system.

14. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one powered unloading system is carried by the same type of hub used to carry the cutting system.

15. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one powered unloading system is operably associated with the actuator system used to carry the cutting system.

16. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting system is selected from the group consisting of high-speed fluid jets, high-speed water jets, laser beams, knives, and saws.

17. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one powered unloading system comprises at least one vacuum-operated actuator for attaching to the cut portions.

18. A system for cutting portions from a workpiece based on desired portion physical specifications resulting in one or more cut portions and remaining trim, and then unloading the cut portions to separate the cut portions from the remaining workpiece trim, comprising:
(a) a conveyance system for conveying the workpiece;
(b) a scanning system for scanning the workpiece and generating data pertaining to physical attributes of the workpiece;
(c) a cutting system for cutting portions from the workpiece;
(d) a carrier system for moving the cutting system laterally and longitudinally of the conveyance system along cutting paths to cut the workpiece into desired shapes and/or sizes:
(e) an unloading system operatively associated with the carrier system used to carry the cutting system, said unloading system operable to remove the cut portions from the conveyance system;
(f) a control system processor operable to:
(i) process the scanning data and portion physical specifications to determine cutting paths required to achieve desired portion physical specifications for the workpiece;
(ii) direct the cutting system to perform the required cuts; and
(iii) direct the unloading system to pick up the cut portions from the conveyance system and deposit the cut portions in desired locations based on the known location of the cut portions as determined by scanning and cutting the workpiece; and

(g) wherein the at least one unloading system comprises at least one vacuum-operated actuator for attaching to the cut portions, the at least one vacuum-operated actuator comprising:
(i) a vacuum head for attaching to the cut portions and connectable to a vacuum stream in flow communication with the vacuum head;
(ii) a separation screen between the vacuum head and the vacuum stream; and
(iii) a source of pressurized fluid to direct pressurized fluid at the separation screen in a direction toward the vacuum head.

19. The system according to claim 18 , further comprising an actuator system connected to the vacuum head to raise and lower the vacuum head.

20. The system according to claim 19 , comprising a plurality of vacuum actuators disposed in sets for unloading a plurality of cut portions from the conveyance system.

21. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one powered unloading system comprises a suction head connectable in suction flow communication with a source of suction, said suction head having an inlet of a minimum width large enough to enable entry of the cut portions through the suction head for removing the cut portions from the conveyance system.

22. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one carrier system comprises a traveling head movable laterally and longitudinally relative to the conveyance system and adapted to carry one or both of the cutting system and the at least one powered unloading system.

23. The system ac

Assignees

• John Bean Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Strong John R
• Blaine George R
• Pfarr Craig E

Classifications

• G05B2219/35162

  Determine workpiece placement, nesting in blank, optimize, minimize loss material · CPC title

• A22C17/002

  Producing portions of meat with predetermined characteristics, e.g. weight or particular dimensions · CPC title

• A22C17/0086

  Calculating cutting patterns based on visual recognition · CPC title

• A22C17/0093

  Handling, transporting or packaging pieces of meat · CPC title

• G05B19/4185 Primary

  characterised by the network communication · CPC title