Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
- " ~ol~2573
The present invention relates to the mounting,
fixing and balancing of blades used in machines provided
to cut, crush, hash and reduce to soft paste food pro-
ducts, and particularly in machines usually used in pork-
butchery or similar butchery to cut and hash meat by means
of a certain number of blades having substantially a
crescent shape mounted on a same shaft but angularly
off-set in order of obtaining, on a certain length, a
positioning of a plurality of blades which cut, crush and
1 10 hash the considered products.
Most of the known machines are constituted by
a vat in the shape of a half-tore in which rotates, at
high speed, a certain number of blades mounted on a shaft
of generally horizontal extension. On the same vat can
be mounted, in some cases, several shafts, each of them
supporting sets of blades. ~esides, the vat rotates
slowly around its vertical axis.
In modern machines, the rotation speed of the
;l blades has always been increasing and, whereas originally
the blades rotated at about 1 000 rpm, now they rotate
at nearly 3 000 and 4 000 rpm, and sometimes at 10 ~00 rpm.
This development of the technology has given a conside-
rable importance to some phenomena which, in the original
l machines, were negligible.
'~he centrifugal force generated by an extremely
fast rotation of the blades tends to move the same, and
~ometimes succeeds in doing so, with all the disastrous
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consequences that can be thought : breakage of the blades,
deep scratches in the vat, products under treatment becoming
unusable due to the presence therewith of metal chips
and which have to be thrown away ; yet it is frequent to
treat at one time several hundreds of kilograms of pro-
ducts. ~-
Vibrations also appear if the blades are not
carefully balanced which is often the case due to the
difficulty to realize this balance. hctually, if the
weight of new blades is relatively regularly balanced,
substantial differences appear rapidly and progressively
at each sharpening, said difrerences can reach several
tens of grams.
'~he vibrations which are thus caused lead to a
~; 15 fast deterioration of the balls of the shaft supporting
the blades, which involves high repair costs, a general
fatigue of the material and also, nearly permanently,
.~ a deafening noise when the machine operates.
.~ .
The present invention copes with said disadvan-
~0 tages by creating a simple means for blocking the blades
on the intermediate washers thus enabling the correct
placing and tightening of the blades on the rotative
shaft while ensuring the fool-proof position thereof.
.
Besides, the present invention also copes with
the disadvanbages caused by the unbalancing, in creating
a device enabling to position balancing components which
; are easy to adjust and with which can be realized sets of
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balanced blades mounted on sheaths which can be placed
directly on the drive shaft of the machine used to cut,
crush, hash ; these sets after havinK being positioned
being tightened on the shaft by usual means.
~ccording to the invention, each blade comprises
a part which penetrates in an arcuate channel of a
washer, said part ensuring a correct locking of the
blade with respect to the washer, which permits, after
piling up of the blades and washers on a shaft rotatin~
either directly or with interposition of a sheath, the
locking of the so made unit by means of conventional
tightening means such as nuts or counter-nuts screwed
on the threaded end portion of the driving shaft of the
blades.
According to another feature of the invention,
; each blade is slipped on an intermediate sheath and
first receives a brace washer or an adjusting washer
then a counterweight washer placed near the central
area of the blade and then a washer for adausting the
~0; counterweight washer, the counterweight washer compri- -
-` sing a lug cooperating with an arcuate aperture bent
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in spiral and suitably bored in the adjusting washer of
the counterweight washer, being noted that the counter-
; weight washer has in its center an opening of an elonga-
i 25 ted shape enabling to engage it on the intermediate sheath
; without the counterweight washer being able to rotate
on the sheath.
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According to still another feature of the in-
vention, the washer for adjusting the counterweight
washer is bored in its center with a circular boring
at least equal to the larger diameter of the sheath.
Various other features of the invention are
shown in the following detailed description.
Embodiments of the object of the invention are
shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawin~s,
wherein :
i ~ Fig. 1 is a partial perspective view of an ap-
paratus provided to cut, crush and hash pieces of meat,
r, showing the radial arrangement of various blades, said
blades being separated by one or several washers.
Fig. 2 is a plane view of a blade with the washer
, 15 permitting to adjust the blade.
; Fig. ~ is a sectional view substantially taken
along the line III-III of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is an elevation view, partly in cross
section, of the device of the invention, mounted on an
intermediate sheath.
Fig. 5 is a plane view of a blade.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the sides of
a washer used in the invention.
Fig. '~ is a perspective view of a counterweight
washer.
~`ig. ~ is a perspective view of the other side
of the washer of Fig. 6 when used as an adjusting washer.
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Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the adjustin~
tool of the counterweight washer.
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the intermediate
sheath on which are mounted the blades and the various
washers.
In Fig. 1 there is partialiy shown a vat 1 of an
apparatus provided to cut, crush, hash meat by means of
blades 2 (of which only one is fully shown) the other
blades being only shown by their axes radially placed
with respect to the rotating shaft 3 mounted above the
vat 1 and rotatively driven in direction of the arrow
F1 (Fig. 2) by a motor (not shown)~
~he blades 2 are of a conventional type for such
machines and have, as it can be seen both in Fig. I and
in Fig. 2, a crescent shape of which the end portion 2a
is substantially cylindrical, while the end portion 2b
becomes thirmer and the edge 2c is sharp having been
suitably sharpened. ~he central shaft 3 comprises a stop
; means (not shown) for limiting the position of the first
blade, then this shaft, of a polygonal shape, receives a
' plurality of blades 2 of which the circular portion ~a,
bored with a polygonal elongated aperture 4, permits to
correctly place each two blades 2 on the shaft ~. Bet_
ween each blade there is mounted at least one washer 5
of a cylindrical shape also bored in its center with an
appropriate opening 6 enabling to place it on the shaft ~.
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As shown in Figs. 2 and j, the considered blade -2
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lV8ZS73
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comprises a lug 16 placed in the back portion of the
blade, nearly in prolongation of the polygonal elongated
aperture 4. An arcuate opening 15, in the shape of a
suitable spiral, is machined in the washer 5 to receive
the lug 16 of the blade 2. After slipping the blade 2 and
; washer 5 on the driving shaft 3 of the machine, the bla-
dè 2 is positioned by more or less rotating the washer 5
(by means of a pin inserted in a hole 10 of the washer),
which causes a translation motion of the lug 16 of the
blade 2 and consequently a translation motion of the
blade 2 itself thereto. ~ince this translation motion
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can occur only if the washer 5 can rotate on itself, the
blade is held in an unchanging position as soon as the
assembly of the blades and washers is tightened in a
well known way on the shaft 3, for example by means of
; a nut.
; '~he correct positioning of the lugs l~ ensures
the final locking of the blades 2 in spite of the stress
applied thereon by the centrifugal force due to the high
- 20 rotation speed of the shaft 3.
his device for a relative holding of the blades
with respect to the driving shaft is simple, not costly
and safe.
In Fig. 4 there has been shown a sub-assembly
under mounting :
'~he right portion of the drawing diagrammatically
shows a support ~1 in which are placed ball-races 22
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108~S73
holding a shaft 23 freely rotating in a support 21; this shaft
23 has the same characteristics as to the shape and the size
as that of the drive shaft 3 of the machine. A sheath 24 (Fig. 10)
is slipped on the ~haft 23 and has two similar elements 24a and c
24b each of them composed of a cylindrical portion 25 having two
diametrically opposite flat portions 26, 27, and at one end a
collar or flange 28. Two diametrically opposite channels 29,
30 are bored in the element 25 which is, lastly, bored in its
center with a polygonal channel 31. The element 25a is similar
to the element 25, but its collar or flange 28a i8 fixed onto
its other end. While the channels 29, 30 are threaded, the
channels bored in the element 25a are smooth and are used as
guides for long screws 32, 33 to be screwed in the threaded
channels 29, 30 by rotating the heads 32a and 33a of the screws
32, 33.
In Fig. 5, there has been shown a blade 40 similar to
the blade 2 of Fig. 2 and which has the shape of a crescent
with a cutting edge 40a. This blade is ended by a substantially
cylindrical portion 40b bored in its center with an aparture 41
enabling it to be mounted on the element 25 or 25a of the sheath
24 while letting the possibility of a certain clearance
perpendicularly to the axis of the sheath 24 while not enabling
its rotation, with respecteto the sheath 24.
In Fig. 6, there has been shown a brace washer 42
bored in its center with a channel 43 having at least the
diameter of the central cylindrical portion 25, 25a of the sheath
24. Be~ides a recess 43a is provided, on one side of the washer
42, for housing one of the collars 28 or 28a when said washer is
; mounted onto the sheath. The blade 40 and the brace washer 42
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can, in some cases, compri~e components enabling to adjustably
hold in a ~afe way the blade in a certain position on the sheath
24. Then the brace washer ~2 becomes an adjusting washer.
In that case, according to a possible embodiment of
the invention, the side of the washer 42 non viewable in Fig. 6
; is as shown in fig. 8, that is it comprises an arcuate aperture
bent according to a suitable spiral, and similar in their respect
to the washer 5 of Figs. 1-30
- In Fig. 7, there is shown the counterweight washer
45 bored with an elongated aperture 46 of a side size slightly
greater than the side size of the central portions 25, 25a of
the ~heath 24 in order not to be able to rotate with respect
to this sheath, but to be able to slightly move tran~versally
through sliding. The counterweight washer 45 comprises a lug
or a piece 47 whose position i5 selected to penetrate into the
; spiral channel 48 bored in one of the sides of a washer 49 for
; the adjustment of the counterweight washer.
In Fig. 8 there has been shown a brace washer 42 or
an adjusting washer 49 on the ~ide where i8 bored an arcuate
aperture 48 bent according to a ~uitable spiral, provided to
re¢eive either the lug 16 of a blade 2 in order to ensure the
.
unchangeable positioning and fixing of the blade, or the lug
47 of a counterweight washer 45 in order to ensure the
unchangeable positioning and fixing thereof~ This washer 49
comprises in its center a circular bore 50 of a dia~eter equal
to the cylindrical outer diameter of the portions 25, 25a of
the sheath 24. Beside~, the holes 52 are bored in the sides of
the washers 49 at egual distance from each other.
In Fig. 9 there has been shown a tool in the form of
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1082S73
a pin 55 comprising a rod ended by an operating button 56, the
end 55a of thi~ rod being able to easily penetrate in the holes
52 bored in the sides of the adjusting washers 49.
When, for instance, it is desired to mount two blades
on the sheath 24, the two elements 24a, 24b are first separated
by unscrewing the long screws 32, 33. On the element 25 there
is placed, at first, a brace washer 42 or an adjusting washer
49, directed in such a way that the recess 43a will mate the
collar 28 (see Fig. 4). There is then placed a blade 40, for
example in downwardly directing its cutting portion 40a, there
is then mounted behind the first blade 40 a counterweight washer
45 comprising a lug 47. On the portion 25a of the sheath is
placed a brace washer 42 or an adjusting washer 49, directed in
Auch a way that the recess 43a will mate the collar 28a, then
another blade 40 of which the cutting edge is upwardly directed,
and then a new adjusting washer 49 for adjustment of the counter-
weight washer 45. Then the two elements 25 and 25a are brought
close to each other by means of the screws 32, 33 while
tightening very slightly the assembly, but sufficiently for the
same to become an integral unit and for the lug 47 of the counter-
weight washer 45 to penetrate only in a point of the spiral
channel 4~ bored in one of the sides of the adjusting washer
49 placed against the counterweight washer 45.
The sheath 24 is then slipped on the outer portion 23a
of the shaft 23~ Since the shaft 32 is freely mounted in the
support 21, the whole unit can easily rotate and, if an untrue
balance exists, the assembly will stop with the heaviest blade
40 of said assembly bein~ directed downward-~, and it is then
possible, by means of the tool 55 inserted into the holes 52 of
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the adjusting washer 49 to rotate more or less or throw off
center the counterweight washer 45 since the same is driven in
the throwing off motion by its lug 47 placed in the spiral
channel 48 of the adjusting washer 49: it is thus proceeded by
tri;al and error, up to when the unit is balanced, with all the
blades then ~topping in an undetermined position after rotation
of the assembly.
The assembly i~ then tightened by suitably rotating
the screws 32, 33 and is ready to be used on the rotating shaft
of a machine provided to cut, crush, hash, etc.
Generally, the adjustment of the assembly balancing
is made after a previous setting of the length of the blades,
realized in using a stop member (not sh~wn) which i8 set in
relation with the shaft 23.
In some cases, according to the type of the machine
used or according to the work to be performed, it is possible
to mount only one blade on a sheath 24. There are then used
two or three of these sheaths 24 entirely mounted but each of
them having only one blade which have to be positioned on an
adjusting shaft to balance the unit.
It is also possible to provide groups of more than
two blades on a sheath 24, but then it is preferred that the
sheath will have a polygonal outer shape enabling arrangments
ensuring, on one hand, a perfect locking of the blades with
respect to this sheath and, on the other hand, the balancing of
the blades.
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