A CHOPPER /SHREDDER FOR FOOD PRODUCTS AND TOBACCO

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a system for mass chopping / shredding of food, tobacco and tobacco by-products, which are carried by vacuum, with fixed and moving blades in the desired size during the mass production process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For the mass production process a system is created, in which the food, tobacco and tobacco by-products that transported by vacuum can be cut to a desired size with the help of fixed and movable blades with a specially designed thickness of at least 2 millimeters and a sharpening angle of the cutting edge between 8 and 45 degrees. It comprises a fixed blade wedge on the main body which comprises 6 blades and allow the blades to be installed at desired intervals and 5 movable blades on the bearing shaft.

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. General View of the Chopper /Shredder System

Figure 2. Exploded View of the Chopper /Shredder System

Figure 3. Upper View of the Chopper /Shredder System

Figure 4. Front Overall View of the Fixed Blades

Figure 4.1 First Fixed Blade

Figure 4.2 Second Fixed Blade

Figure 4.3 Third Fixed Blade

Figure 4.4 Fourth Fixed Blade

Figure 4.5 Fifth Fixed Blade

Figure 4.6 S ixth Fixed Blade

Figure 4.7 Section View of the Fixed Blades

Figure 5. Overall View of the Movable Blades

Figure 5.1 First Movable Blade

Figure 5.2 Second Movable Blade

Figure 5.3 Third Movable Blade

Figure 5.4 Fourth Movable Blade F igure 5.5 F ifth Movable Blade

F igure 5.6 S ection View of the Movable Blades

Figure 6. Detailed Upper View of the C hopper / S hredder System

The corresponding parts of the numbers given in the figures are:

1. Product E ntrance

2. Product Exit

3. Drive Motor

4. Main Body

5. Bearing S haft

6. Main Body Wedge

7. S eparator

8. Fixed Blades

8.1 . First Fixed Blade

8.2. S econd F ixed Blade

8.3. Third F ixed Blade

8.4. Fourth F ixed Blade

8.5. Fifth Fixed Blade

8.6. S ixth F ixed Blade

9. Movable Blades

9.1 . First Movable Blade

9.2. S econd Movable Blade

9.3. Third Movable Blade

9.4. Fourth Movable Blade

9.5. Fifth Movable Blade

DE TAIL E D DE S C RIPTION OF THE INVE NTION

In the whole cigarette sector, large pieces of tobacco products in processed tobacco which should not enter the cigarette are separated and discarded due to cigarette making machine stoppage and bad quality of the cigarette. This ratio is 0.6- 0.8% of the total amount of tobacco. To give a detailed description; in the production of cigarettes made with 1000 kg of tobacco, the amount of food, tobacco and tobacco byproducts excluding from production for being a large piece tobacco is between 6-8 kg-

The system subject to patent application, allows the tobacco, which is out of production as 6-8 kg, to be operated next to the machine and to be used again in the production at the time of processing.

It is clear that product reliability is the most important issue in the cigarette industry. In a cigarette factory, different tobacco mixes are produced for different brands. C ollection vacuums which are connected to the cigarette making machines operating in cigarette factories are a centralized system. This type of products collected from all the machines will risk the trademark safety. It is really important to process large-scale food, tobacco and tobacco by-products of each machine and fed back to the machine at the time of processing.

The system which chops / shreds the food, tobacco and tobacco byproducts in the desired sizes carried by a vacuum during mass production is operated by a speed adjustable drive motor (3) and comprises six fixed blades (8) located on the wedge (6) which is placed on the main body (4) and five movable blades (9) positioned on the bearing shaft (5) designed for the chopping / shredding. S ince the number of blades, measurements and shape can be changed according to the type of product, the product can be chopped in desired quantities and in desired measurements without depending on the vacuum speed.

The fixed blade wedge (6) mounted on the main body (4) ensures that the fixed blades (8) are mounted on the body at the specified angle. In order to mount the fixed blades (8) with equal spaces on the main body wedge (6), the separators (7) having a thickness of at least 7 millimeters are used and these separators (7) can be changed depending on the kind of the product to be shredded and the desired thickness. The fixed blades (8) are manufactured at a certain angle and are mounted in a certain order together with the separators (7) on the housing inside the main body (4).

The design and installation sequence of fixed blades (8) and movable blades (9) does not allow the product to pass through the chopper unit without touching any blades. Both the fixed blades (8) and the movable blades (9) have a thickness of at least 2 mm (millimeters) and the sharpening angle of the cutting edge is between 8 and 45 degrees.

In the mass production process, the tobacco pieces with large portions and high specific weight which are transported by the vacuum in the system, can be divided into 2 to 5 parts according to their dimensions by means of the arranged and ordered fixed blades (8) and movable blades (9) seen in the figures. The difference of the system mentioned in our invention is; it does not require the fixed blades (8) and movable blades (9) to wait for the incoming product to shred them. Because the lining, shape and speed of the fixed blades (8) and the movable blades (9) ensure that the each incoming product are shredded at least once. T obacco fragments whose volume are changed (arrived at the desired level) can be fed into the system and included in the production.

Types of the F ixed B lades (8) and their F eatures :

8.1 . F irst F ixed B lade

Three cutting edges are placed at equal angles in 360 degrees.

8.2. S econd F ixed B lade

Three cutting edges are placed at equal angles in 360 degrees. The positioning is started by rotating 60 degrees (x) according to the main body wedge (6).

8.3. Third F ixed B lade

S ix cutting edges are placed at equal angles in 360 degrees. They are placed by rotating 30 degrees (y) according to the main body wedge (6).

8.4. F ourth F ixed B lade

S ix cutting edges are placed at equal angles in 360 degrees.

8.5. F ifth F ixed B lade

Nine cutting edges are placed at equal angles in 360 degrees.

8.6. S ixth F ixed B lade

Nine cutting edges are placed at equal angles in 360 degrees. They are placed by rotating 20 degrees (z) according to the main body wedge (6).

In the system to provide maximum product shredding, the fixed blades (8) are arranged as; the first fixed blade (8.1 ), the second fixed blade (8.2), the first fixed blade (8.1 ), the third fixed blade (8.3), the fourth fixed blade (8.4), the third fixed blade (8.3), the fifth fixed blade (8.5), the sixth fixed blade (8.6), the fifth fixed blade (8.5).

The movable blades (9) are manufactured at a certain angle and are mounted in a certain order together with the separators (7) on the bearing shaft (5). The design and arrangement of the movable blades (9) provides cutting the product in 3 stages, large to small that passes through the chopping unit. These blades have a thickness of 2 mm (millimeters) and the sharpening angle of the cutting edge is 45 degrees. Types of the Movable B lades (9) and their F eatures :

9.1 . F irst Movable B lade

Two cutting edges are placed at equal angles in 360 degrees.

9.2. S econd Movable B lade

Two cutting edges are placed at equal angles in 360 degrees. They are placed by rotating 90 degrees according to the bearing shaft (5).

9.3. Third Movable B lade

Three cutting edges are placed at equal angles in 360 degrees.

9.4. F ourth Movable B lade

Four cutting edges are placed at equal angles in 360 degrees.

9.5. F ifth Movable B lade

Four cutting edges are placed at equal angles in 360 degrees. They are placed by rotating 45 degrees according to the bearing shaft (5).

In the system to provide maximum product shredding, the movable blades (9) are arranged as; first movable blade (9.1 ), second movable blade (9.2), first movable blade (9.1 ), third movable blade (9.3), third movable blade (9.3), third movable blade (9.3), fourth movable blade (9.4), fifth movable blade (9.5), fourth movable blade (9.4).

The food product or tobacco / tobacco by-product which is conveyed from the product entrance (1 ) to the machine production line and transported with vacuum is separated by the fixed blades (8) located on the main body wedge (6) first. Then, the product to be chopped / shredded by means of the movable blades (9) located in the bearing shaft (5) is divided into thin pieces in three stages. The stages shown in FIG . 6 and FIG . 8 are narrowed as they progress, thereby providing products to stay together and pass them through the blades. These stages are also preventing them from coming out of the production line without touching any blades. E ach stage comprises a chopping/shredding area which is higher than the previous stage.