Patent Application
20060042434
The present invention relates, generally, to methods and apparatus for slicing food products and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for slicing a block of material to facilitate splitting of slices of the block of material.
Conventionally, food product processing lines that slice food items are configured to slice a block or bulk quantity of the food product, and then stack the resulting slices prior to packaging. Cheese is one type of product that such processing lines are often used. As used herein, the term “cheese” is intended to embrace natural cheese, processed cheese, cheese food products, imitation cheese, and the like. Other types of food products may be meat products, such processed meats which typically include Bologna, Salami, and Pastrami, for example.
One such process uses cheese harps. Typically, cheese harps use thin wires stretched across a stainless steel frame. In another arrangement, a cheese log, block, or rectangular section is pushed through a single solid blade to completely severe the cheese block or log into two fully distinct halves or pieces.
For targeted consumptions, at specific food service establishments for example, it is desirable to have the slices of cheese form the cheese log or block pre-cut in half. This cheese pre-cutting step makes it easier and more efficient for a food service employee to use such half slices on a sandwich, for example. Pre-cutting the slices removes the need for the employee to cut the slices in half as this has been done in a more efficient manner at the food processing lines described above.
In the types of cheese processing lines described above, typically the block or log of cheese is first separated in longitudinal halves before slicing. However, the separate longitudinal halves may move relative to one another with later handling causing difficulty in cross-sectional slicing both separate halves simultaneously. Further, the movement of the cheese halves may render subsequent separation of slices difficult.
Thus, in view of the above discussed problems it would desirable to provide an arrangement which facilitates the ability to maintain cheese log or block in its original shape after being sliced longitudinally. This arrangement results in an improved transversal slicing of the cheese block or log at a later stage of the cheese slicing process.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus and method for slicing cheese blocks or logs which facilitates subsequent separation in sections, for example, of the stacked slices.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for slicing a block of material comprises a harping unit having at least one blade. A feed unit that moves the block of material relative to the at least one blade. The at least one blade slices the block of material and leaves uncut a longitudinal tab of material.
In another aspect a harping unit having a pair of blades is provided. The feeding direction of the feeding unit is substantially parallel to a plane defined by the pair of blades. The pair of blades defines a gap therebetween to slice the block of material in the feeding direction without splitting the block of material into two separate pieces.
In another aspect, a block of cheese is cut into a plurality of slices along its transverse direction. A slit is formed along the longitudinal direction of the block of cheese and a tab of cheese is defined adjacent to the slit to thereby define first and second halves of the block of cheese joined by the tab.
Further aspects and advantages of the invention are described below in conjunction with the present embodiments
The invention, together with the advantages thereof, may be understood by reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying figures, which illustrate some embodiments of the invention
a-2c are illustrating views of harping blades used in accordance with an embodiment of the invention using the harping apparatus of
a-3e are schematic perspective views illustrating a longitudinal harping process of the cheese log in accordance with an embodiment of the invention using the harping apparatus illustrated in
a-5g illustrate end views and a side view of the cheese log after the longitudinal harping process carried out in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
a-7b are perspective views of a cylindrical and a rectangular cheese log, both having cross-shaped slit configurations and transversally sliced in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and
While the present invention may be embodied in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described some exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.
In this application, the use of the disjunctive is intended to include the conjunctive. The use of definite or indefinite articles is not intended to indicate cardinality. In particular, a reference to “the” object or “an” object is intended to denote also one of a possible plurality of such objects.
Referring to
Prior to harping, the cheese blocks may be cooled to a suitable slicing temperature. Preferably, the cheese blocks provided for the harping process may exhibit a cooled temperature between about 35 to about 38 degrees Farenheit.
The cheese harping apparatus 10 includes a feeding unit (not shown) adapted to feed the cheese logs on the support feed tray 11 forwardly to a pair of harping blades 13 adaptively attached to a fixed frame 14. In the disclosed embodiment, the pair of blades 13 is configured with opposing angled sides 15, terminating at one distant end from the feed tray 11 into a respective tip 19. The respective and opposite tips 19 of the opposing angled sides 15 define a gap 16 therebetween.
Referring to
Referring back to
Upon the desired movement of the cheese log on the feeding tray 11, the harping apparatus 10 performs a partial harping (cutting) of a longitudinal length of cheese using the two opposing angle shaped blades 13 with the gap 16 between them. The log (not shown) is cut along a longitudinal axis but the cheese block is not completely severed. As shown in
Alternatively, the blades 13 can be moved in relation to the cheese log which can remain relatively fixed, or there can be a combination of relative movement between the blades 13 and the cheese block.
With respect to
Preferably, the blades 13 are configured to be adjustably affixed to the frame 14, thereby allowing a width of the gap 16 to be increased or decreased as desired. The width of the gap 16 is preferrably determined so as to minimize undesirable tearing of the cheese slices during a separation of the corresponding half slices. As an example, the width of the gap 16 may be about 1/16 of an inch to about ½ of an inch. The width of the gap 16 is preferably about ⅛ of an inch.
The fixed frame 14 is further provided with an opening or cut-out 17, on either side of which the blades 13 are secured to the fixed frame 14 via bolts, screws 18 or the like. The fixed frame opening 17 may be of any suitable length that can at least accommodate a diameter or a width of the cheese log. As an example, the length of the fixed frame example may be equal to twice the diameter or width of the cheese log. In addition, a vertical height of the fixed frame opening 17 is configured to substantially match a desired location of the harping of the cheese log. As such, the fixed frame 14 may be adjustable in a vertical direction in relation to the feed tray 11. As an example, the vertical height of the fixed frame opening 17 is such that the desired harping location of the cheese log substantially matches a relatively vertical midpoint of the cheese log.
The gap 16 defined between the blades 13 creates or leaves uncut a small connection of cheese or tab between the partially split longitudinal halves of the cheese log. That is, the slits and tab formed by the harping apparatus 10 enables the log of cheese to stay substantially intact in its original shape for further handling without coming apart into two separate longitudinal halves. The result is improved slicing of the cheese block at a later stage in a cheese slicing process. The small tab connecting the first and second longitudinal halves of the cheese block enables operations on the cheese block without negatively impacting subsequent handling of the cheese block. For example, the tab helps to improve the speed of a cross-sectionnal slicing apparatus, and an improved stacking and packing of the finished slices. As the blades 13 are adjustably affixed to the frame 14, the small connection or tab of cheese created longitudinally within the cheese log may be positioned at any predetermined height of the cheese log.
Now referring to
Alternately, the contact surface of the feeding tray 11 may include intermittent conveyor rollers as the cheese contact surface. Typically these rollers are set to idle, but may also be driven to support the feeding unit in the pushing motion of the cheese log 101 towards the cutting blades 13. The feeding unit 102 may be driven or be biased against the fixed frame 14.
Referring to
Now referring to
In an aspect, as illustrated in
Referring to
Hence, the connecting tab 502 enables the cheese log 101 to stay substantially intact in its original shape for further handling without coming apart into two separate longitudinal halves. The width of the tab 502 can be varied according to the adjustable width of the gap 16. The width of the tab 502 can thus be adjusted to any desirable value, but is preferably approximately ⅛ of an inch. The width of the tab 502 may vary in relation to a density, water content, or a type of the cheese block or other item (such as meat) being considered for harping. Alternatively, it will be recognized that the tab may be formed in any suitable position along the length of the cheese block by changing the position of the blades 13.
In another aspect, the harping apparatus 10 is also configured to longitudinally slice a rectangular cheese log 101. As shown in
Referring back to
After the cross-sectional cheese slices are produced or cut from the sliced cheese block 101, the SHIWA machine is also configured to introduce or place a suitable separator between the cheese slices. The suitable slice separator may be waxed parchment, or the like. The SHIWA machine is further configured to stack the separated individual cheese slices, prior to handing off the cheese stacks to a wrapping machine.
Alternately, the individual cheese slices can be stacked without separators, for example when a low moisture content of the cheese slices minimizes a potential sticking of adjacent cheese slices.
Referring to
Alternatively, the harping apparatus may include a plurality of pairs of blades 13 with a corresponding plurality of feed trays 11. As such, a plurality of blocks of cheese 101 can be pushed through the plurality of blades 13 simultaneously by a single push of the feed unit 102, whereupon the feed unit 102 is retracted to allow additional blocks of cheese 101 to be placed on the plurality of feed trays 11. Further, another plurality of cheese logs 101 may be placed in series on a single feed tray 11 to slice them serially by a single push of the feed unit 102, whereupon the feed unit 102 is retracted to make room for placing additional blocks of cheese 101 between the feed unit 102 and the harping blades 13.
Another aspect is to provide a harping apparatus with two pairs of harping blades. The two pairs of harping blades 13 may be positioned such that one plane formed by a first pair of blades 13 is substantially perpendicular to another plane formed by the second pair of blades 13. As shown in
Still another aspect is to provide a harping apparatus 10 with at least two pairs of blades 13 configured to progressively slice the cheese log 101 at two different respective depths along the correspondingly formed longitudinal slits. These two pairs of blades 13 are positioned downstream from one another along the feeding direction. As such, when the cheese log 101 is pushed by the feed unit 102 relative to the two sets of blades 13, the first pair of blades 13 is configured to slice the cheese log to a first radial or cross-sectional depth, thereby creating two longitudinal slits 501. Then, as the cheese log 101 reaches and is pushed through the second pair of blades 13, the second pair of blades 13 is configured to further slice the cheese log 101 by deepening the created longitudinal slits 501 to a second cross sectional depth. One would recognize that additional pair of blades 13 may be suitably used with increasingly deeper slicing capabilities to form the connecting tab 502 with a desirable thickness.
Now referring to
Once sliced by the harping apparatus 10, the cheese log 101 comprises at least one slit formed trough a length of the cheese log in the longitudinal direction, and a tab of cheese formed adjacent the at least one slit to define a first longitudinal half log of cheese and a second longitudinal half log of cheese. The first and second halves logs of cheese are joined along the longitudinal direction by the tab of cheese. The first and second halves logs of cheese are then divided into a plurality of cheese slices along a transversal direction. Thus, each of the plurality of cheese slices comprises two half portions joined by a corresponding transversal section of the longitudinal tab.
While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, it should be understood that the invention is not so limited, and modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example, the harping blades may have undulating cutting sides which reduce a contact surface of two adjacent slices, to minimize a sticking of the two adjacent cheese slices. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, and all devices that come within the meaning of the claims, either literally or by equivalence, are intended to be embraced therein.
