WO1990001273A1

WO1990001273A1 - Shaping apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1990001273A1
Application number: PCT/AU1989/000322
Authority: WO
Inventors: Brian Peter Saxby
Original assignee: MORRIS FRANK LESLIE; MORRIS LENORE; SAXBY BRONWYN ELIZABETH
Current assignee: MORRIS FRANK LESLIE; MORRIS LENORE; SAXBY BRONWYN ELIZABETH
Priority date: 1988-07-29
Filing date: 1989-07-31
Publication date: 1990-02-22
Anticipated expiration: 1991-01-29
Also published as: GB2229085A; GB9007094D0

Abstract

Shaping apparatus for shaping the surface of articles is provided, the shaping apparatus including a cutting chamber assembly (12) , a feed hopper assembly (13) and a feed conveyor assembly (14), all mounted on a frame (11). An article support assembly comprising a pair of clamp plates (26, 30) are adapted for supporting a selected article for rotation about a shaping axis, rotation being provided by rotator motor (32). Nozzles (41) direct high pressure jets of water capable of shaping the surface of the article, usually a vegetable such as potato. A profile plate (40) determines the shape of the final product in concert with the other movable elements such as the cutter assembly (33). Control of the relative motions of the movable elements is preferably provided by logic control means housed in control cabinet (15).

Description

SHAPING APPARATUS

This invention relates to shaping apparatus. This invention has particular but not exclusive application to the shaping of fruit and vegetables, and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to such application. However, it is to be understood that this invention could be used in other applications, such as shaping plastics materials.

There is a demand for fruit and vegetable portions formed into novelty shapes, or into shapes which will more readily pack into containers of certain shapes. Where the desired shapes are prismatic, it is possible to produce them by passing a shaped die over the unshaped vegetable. Hitherto, however, it has not been possible to produce shapes which vary in three dimensions by an automatic process, and expensive hand cutting has been necessary.

The present invention aims to alleviate the above disadvantages and to provide shaping apparatus which will be reliable and efficient in use. Other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter become apparent.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in shaping apparatus including:- article support means adapted for supporting a selected article for rotation about a shaping axis; and shaping means having a shape-forming head, said shape-forming head being moveable for positioning in a desired position.

Preferably, the shaping head is moveable for positioning within a profile plane substantially parallel to the shaping axis.

Preferably, the shaping head is in the form of a water- jet cutting nozzle such that high cutting speeds may be achieved in soft materials without requiring large supporting forces. Of course, if desired, other forms of shaping head, such as a rotary cutter rotated by a motor may be used.

The shaping means may be controlled for movement to a desired position within the profile plane by any suitable means including by positional servomechanisms. However, it is preferred that the shaping means include head actuator means and a guide member engageable with a guide plate such that operative movement of the actuator may guide the shaping head along a cutting path defined by the guide plate.

The article support means may be of any desired form, and may include a spike engageable with one end of an article for support thereof. It is preferred, however, that the article support means include a pair of clamp plates between which the article may be clamped. Suitably, one clamp plate is attached to a linear preload actuator adapted for movement at substantially-constant force along the shaping axis, and the second clamp plate is attached to support actuator means adapted to control movement of the second clamp plate along the shaping axis, and for rotation of the second clamp plate about the shaping axis such that an article supported between the clamp plates may be moved along the shaping axis and rotated thereabout.

The head actuator means and the support actuator means may be operated independently, or one at a time. Suitably, however, the actuator means are controlled by actuator control means for interactive movement whereby a desired three-dimensional shape may be imparted to an article.

The shaping apparatus may include article feed apparatus for feeding articles to be shaped to the article support means as desired. The article feed means may include article storage means for maintaining a store of articles, article selection means for selecting articles according to desired characteristics such as size or shape, and article orientation means for placing an article in a desired orientation relative to the article support means. In a further aspect, this invention resides broadly in shaping or peeling apparatus for shaping or peeling vegetables and the like articles, said shaping apparatus including:- article support means for supporting a selected article for shaping; water jet shaping means for directing a water jet towards the article to be shaped, and positioning means for determining the operative relative positioning between the water jet and the article support means. Again, the shaping means may be controlled for movement to a desired position relative to the support means within a profile plane by positional servomechanisms. Alternatively the shaping head may be fixed and the support means may move relative thereto. Of course more than one water jet may be utilised and for example a plurality of water jets may extend at different angles through an article travel path so as to shape the article during passage through said travel path. However, it is still preferred that the shaping means include head actuator means and a guide member engageable with a guide plate such that operative movement of the actuator may guide the shaping head along a cutting path defined by the guide plate.

The article support means in respect of these embodiments of the present invention may again be of any desired form, and may include a spike engageable with one end of an article for support thereof. Alternatively it may be in the form of a basket or cradle.

In a further aspect, this invention resides in a method, of shaping articles including:- providing article support means adapted for supporting a selected article for rotation about a shaping axis; providing shaping means having a shape-forming head, said shaping means being moveable for positioning said shape- forming head in a desired position within a profile plane substantially parallel to said shaping axis; supporting an article to be shaped on said article support means; and operating said shaping means for shaping the article.

In particular embodiments of the present invention, soft water is supplied at a nominal pressure to a pressure multiplier or high pressure pump to a pressure of from 30,000 to 70,000 kPa to provide water cutting jets suitable for the processing of, for example, potatoes. In one embodiment, this pressure is provided by a three cylinder piston pump running at 300 rpm under power from a 7.5 kw electric motor. The pressurized water is in this embodiment supplied to wear resistant synthetic or native sapphire cutting nozzles of 0.3 mm diameter mounted in the cutting head above a cutting chamber. A cutting profile is provided at the top of the chamber which controls the shape of the cut, in conjunction with pneumatic or hydraulic control of the relative orientation of any of the cutting chamber, the nozzles, the cutting profile or the support means. The pneumatic or hydraulic controls may also be coordinated in control by means of a programmable logic controller. An embodiment of the invention also includes a preliminary sizing operation prior to water jet processing of the vegetables. Such presizing may be accomplished by any suitable means such as passage of the vegetable through a slicing machine having slicing elements of predetermined separation.

The cutting chamber may embody several additional features such as one in which the vegetable or other article to be cut is fed from a predetermined position outside the chamber, for example, by two opposing cylinders which position the article axially in the cutting chamber. In response to the shape of the cutting profile and relative programming of the controlling circuitry preferred, the cutting nozzles can be positioned to cut the desired shape as they move across the profile form. A second pair of opposed cylinders mounted at 90° to the first pair may be employed to prevent continuous rotation of the article about the axis of the first pair. Programmed rotation of the article may be effected by a clutch cylinder. A programmable logic controller may again be employed to effect control of the two pairs of opposed cylinders, the clutch cylinder and cutting nozzles mounted as part of the cutting head. A mechanical diverter may also be provided to effect positive ejection of the shaped product, as well as effecting waste control. Product and waste may be directed from the chamber to their various receptacles, after diversion, by the use of shutes. Externally of the cutting chamber, any suitable means may be employed to deliver the articles to the nozzles. In one embodiment, a first conveyor may extract individual articles from a bulk supply hopper. The bulk supply hopper may comprise fixed and movable side walls to impart a particular orientation on the articles. The first conveyor preferably moves with an indexed motion to delivery onto a second conveyor, which may further align the articles and delivers the articles to the cutting chamber. Preferably, the motion of the second conveyor is indexed to the first.

Preferably, the conveyors utilize rollers of self lubricating plastic, removing the need for metal bushes or ball bearings which are subject to excessive wear and/or corrosion in the environment within which apparatus in accordance with the present invention is to operate.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the conveyor means is provided by a carousel type conveyor, the movement of the carousel being indexed to the cutting cycle of the apparatus. The carousel may draw articles continuously from a supply hopper, or alternatively the carousel may be supplied from a presizing and/or article orienting stage. As the articles are conveyed into the cutting chamber, through which the carousel preferably passes, the cutting jets process the articles as desired. The carousel may of itself provide the article supporting means or alternatively any previously described supporting means may be employed.

In order that this invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:-

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show the assembled shaping apparatus;

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the cutting chamber of the shaping apparatus;

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the feed hopper for the shaping apparatus;

FIGS. 8 and 9 show the feed conveyor for the shaping apparatus; FIG. 10 shows the indexing system for the conveyors;

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram for the water jet cutter; and

FIG. 12 illustrates the carousel delivery system described.

The shaping apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 has a frame 11 which supports a cutting chamber assembly 12, a feed hopper assembly 13, and a feed conveyor assembly 14 which transfers articles to be shaped between the feed hopper assembly 13 and the cutting chamber assembly 12. A control cabinet 15 and a high-pressure water pump 16 driven by an electric motor 17 are also supported by the frame 11. The discharge end of the feed conveyor assembly 14 is located adjacent the intake aperture 20 of the cutting chamber assembly 12 and transfer actuators 21 and 22 are aligned across the feed conveyor assembly 14 and the cutting chamber assembly 12. A discharge chute 23 is provided for discharging shaped articles from the cutting chamber assembl 12.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cutting chamber assembly 12 includes an open-topped chamber 24 with a discharge gate 25 in the base between the chamber 24 and the discharge chute 23. A slave clamp plate 26 is attached to a linear clamp cylinder 27 and a master clamp plate 30 is attached to a support actuator 31. The actuator 31 and the cylinder 27 are rotatable about a common support axis, and a rotator motor 32 rotates the support actuator 31 through a chain drive 28.

The cutter assembly 33 pivots about a cutter pivot 34 and its movement is controlled by cutter actuators 35. Guide bars 36 project from the cutter assembly 33 and engage with guide apertures 37 -in a profile plate 40 placed across the upper portion of the chamber 24. Jet nozzles 41 are attached to the ends of the guide bars 36 and spray towards the common support axis. The nozzles 41 are joined to the pump 16 by hoses 42. The feed hopper 13 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 has a housing 50 through the lower portion of which a selection conveyor 51 passes. A selector plate 52 is mounted vertically along the selection conveyor 51 and may be moved transversely to the selection conveyor 51 to exclude the selection of articles above a pre-determined size. An indexer 53 drives the selection conveyor.

The feed conveyor 14 is driven by an indexer 54, and supports above its conveying surface an orienting assembly 55 comprising a pair of inwardly-biassed pivoting frames 56 and 57 which assist in orienting an incoming article with its longest dimension along the direction of travel. Article sensing switches 60 control the feed of articles from the feed hopper 13 according to demand.

The indexer 53 or 54 shown in FIG. 8 consists of a drive wheel 80 having a flange 81 from which four pins 82 project. A linear actuator 83 has its operating rod 84 formed as a ratchet engageable with the pins 82 to rotate the wheel 80 by a quarter-turn for each extension and retraction of the rod 84. In use, articles to be shaped are placed in the feed hopper 13 and withdrawn by the selection conveyor 51 and the feed conveyor 14 one at a time. The transfer actuators 21 and 22 first clamp an article held adjacent the inlet aperture 20 on the feed conveyor 14, then pass it into the chamber 24, where it is clamped between the clamp plates 26 and 30. The support actuator 31 rotates and translates the article while the nozzles 41 spray water in a pattern determined by the motion of the guide bars 36 moving in the guide apertures 37, producing an article shaped in a three- dimensional pattern.

FIG. 12 illustrates a carousel 90 disposed for indexed rotation between the cutting chamber assembly 12 and the feed hopper assembly 13. The carousel 90 is open at its centre such that it may pass through the cutting chamber assembly 12. The carousel 90 is provided with individual sections 91 each adapted to transport individual articles to the cutting chamber 12. In this particular embodiment the carousel 90 is divided up into 36 individual sections 91 each having a radial pitch of 10° . The size and number of the individual sections 91 are adjustably determined by the positioning and thickness of adaptor plates 92 removably attached to the carousel 90.

Apparatus in accordance with the present invention exhibit clear advantages over the prior art of producing shaped vegetable or fruit products, including the advantages of precision and cleanliness in cutting above the stated object of providing shaping or cutting in three dimensions. It will of course be realised that the above has been given only by way of illustrative example of the present invention and that all such modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as is herein defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. Shaping apparatus including:- article support means adapted for supporting a selected article for rotation about a shaping axis; and shaping means having a shape-forming head, said shape formin head being moveable for positioning in a desired position, within a profile plane substantially parallel to said shapin axis.

2. Shaping apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the shaping head is moveable for positioning within a profile plane substantially parallel to said shaping axis.

3. Shaping apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the shaping head is in the form of a water-jet cutting nozzle.

4. Shaping apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the shape forming head is in the form of a rotary cutter rotated by a motor.

5. Shaping apparatus in accordance with any one of Claims 1 to 4 , wherein the shape forming head is controlled for movement to a desired position within the profile plane by positional servomechanisms.

6. Shaping apparatus in accordance with any one of Claims 1 to 4 , wherein the shape forming head is controlled for movement to a desired position within the profile plane by head actuator means and a guide member engageable with a guide plate such that operative movement of the head actuator means may guide the shape forming head along a cutting path defined by the guide plate.

7. Shaping apparatus in accordance with any one of Claims 1 to 6 , wherein the article support means comprises a spike engageable with one end of an article for support thereof.

8. Shaping apparatus in accordance with any one of Claims 1 to 6 , wherein the article support means comprises a pair of clamp plates between which the article may be clamped.

9. Shaping apparatus in accordance with Claim 8, wherein one of said pair of clamp plates is attached to a linear preload actuator adapted for movement at substantially constant force along the shaping axis, and wherein the secon of said pair of clamp plates is attached to support actuator means adapted to control movement of the second clamp plate along the shaping axis, said second clamp plate being mounted for rotation about the shaping axis such that an article supported between the clamp plates may be moved along the shaping axis and rotated thereabout.

10. Shaping apparatus in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein said head actuator means and said support actuator means are jointly controlled by actuator control means for interactive movement whereby a desired three-dimensional shape may be imparted to an article.

11. Shaping apparatus in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, and including article feed apparatus for feeding articles to be shaped to the article support means.

12. Shaping apparatus in accordance with Claim 11, wherein the article feed means includes article storage means for maintaining a store of articles, article selection means for selecting articles according to desired characteristics such as size or shape, and article orientation means for placing an article in a desired orientation relative to the article support means.

13. Shaping or peeling apparatus for shaping or peeling vegetables and the like articles, said shaping apparatus including:- article support means for supporting a selected article for shaping; water jet shaping means for directing a water jet towards th article to be shaped, and positioning means for determining the operative relative positioning between the water jet and the article support means.

14. Shaping or peeling apparatus in accordance with Claim 13, wherein the water jet shaping means is fixed in position and the article support means is adapted to move relative thereto .

15. Shaping or peeling apparatus in accordance with Claim

14, wherein said water jet shaping means includes a pluralit of water jets extending at different angles.

16. Shaping or peeling apparatus in accordance with Claim

15, wherein said plurality of water jets are directed through the travel path of an article retained by said article support means so as to shape the article during passage through said travel path.

17. Shaping or peeling apparatus in accordance with Claim 15, wherein said article support means takes the form of a basket or cradle.

18. A method of shaping articles including:- providing article support means adapted for supporting a selected article for rotation about a shaping axis; providing shaping means having a shape-forming head, said shaping means being moveable for positioning said shape- forming head in a desired position within a profile plane substantially parallel to said shaping axis; supporting an article to be shaped on said article support means; and operating said shaping means for shaping the article.

19. Shaping or cutting apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

20. Methods of shaping and cutting substantially as hereinbefore described.