FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to a sausage cutting apparatus.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a sausage cutting apparatus including: a support base defining a feed path along which a sausage to be cut is supported and displaced; a first cutting assembly located at one side of the feed path, including an elongate continuous carrier member and a plurality of longitudinally-spaced first cutting devices which are hingedly connected to the carrier member, each first cutting device having a cutting blade and an adjacent abutment formation which is spaced therefrom; a second cutting assembly located at an opposite side of the feed path, including an elongate continuous carrier member and a plurality of longitudinally-spaced second cutting devices which are hingedly connected to the carrier member, each second cutting device having a single cutting blade; and a guide system for guiding displacement of the first and second cutting devices along arcuate paths adjacent the feed path in an arrangement wherein each of the first cutting devices is associated with a particular one of the second cutting devices such that during a cutting operation, the associated first and second cutting devices are initially displaced inwardly towards one another until the cutting blade of the second cutting device is at least partially received within the space defined between the cutting blade and the abutment formation of the first cutting device so as to sever the sausage and thereafter displaced in a direction away from one another.

The cutting blade of the first cutting device may define a V-shaped recess within which a side portion of the sausage to be cut, is received.

The first cutting device may include a sausage forming die which is disposed in the space between the cutting blade and the abutment formation, the sausage forming die defining a concave rounded shoulder formation within which a side region of the sausage to be cut, is received.

The cutting blade of the second cutting device may define a V-shaped recess within which an opposite side portion of the sausage is received.

The second cutting device may include a sausage forming die which is disposed adjacent a side of the cutting blade and the abutment formation, the sausage forming die defining a concave rounded shoulder formation within which a side region of the sausage to be cut, is received.

The sausage forming dies may be operatively disposed opposite one another when the cutting blade of the second cutting device is received in the space defined between the cutting blade and the abutment formation of an associated one of the first cutting blades, for supporting and holding opposite side regions of the sausage when the sausage is cut.

The guide system may comprise a first guide sub-system for guiding displacement of the first cutting device and a second guide sub-system for guiding displacement of the second cutting device.

Each guide sub-system may comprise an elongate groove extending along an arcuate path and each cutting device may include a guide formation at a lower end thereof which is received in the groove for guided sliding displacement along the groove.

The carrier member of each cutting assembly may be in the form of a continuous flexible toothed belt.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further features of the invention are described hereinafter by way of a non-limiting example of the invention, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional view of sausage processing equipment including a sausage cutting apparatus in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 shows a three-dimensional view of the sausage processing equipment of Figure 1 , with the top covers of the cutting assemblies removed; Figure 3 shows a top plan view of the sausage processing equipment of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 shows a top plan view of the cutting assemblies of the sausage cutting apparatus of Figure 1 ; Figures 5A-5C show three-dimensional views of the cutting assemblies of Figure 4, illustrating, in sequence, the manner in which the cutting devices of the cutting assemblies are displaced relative to one another;

Figure 6 shows a sectional end view of the cutting assemblies of Figure 4, sectioned along section line V-V of Figure 4;

Figure 7 shows a three-dimensional view of a first cutting device of the first cutting assembly of the cutting assemblies shown in Figure 3, as seen from one side;

Figure 8 shows a three-dimensional view of the first cutting assembly of Figure 7, as seen from an opposite side; Figure 9 shows a side view of the first cutting device of Figure 7;

Figure 10 shows an opposite side view of the first cutting device of Figure 7;

Figure 1 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a second cutting device of the second cutting assembly of the cutting assemblies shown in Figure 4, as seen from one side;

Figure 12 shows a three-dimensional view of the second cutting device as seen from an opposite side; Figure 13 shows a side view of the second cutting device of Figure 1 1 ;

Figure 14 shows an opposite side view of the second cutting device of Figure 11 ;

Figures 15A-15E show schematic fragmentary, three-dimensional views of the cutting assemblies of Figure 4, illustrating, in sequence, the manner in which a sausage is cut by the cutting devices; Figure 16 shows a bottom plan view of the top cover plate of the one of the cutting assemblies;

Figure 17 shows a three-dimensional view of the underside of the top cover plate of Figure 16; and

Figure 17A shows enlarged detail B of Figure 17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the drawings, a sausage cutting apparatus in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The sausage cutting apparatus is adapted for severing a sausage which is provided in an elongate continuous form, into separate sausage portions.

The sausage cutting apparatus forms part of sausage processing equipment 12 which includes a stand 14 and a top processing structure 16 mounted on the stand. The processing structure includes an extrusion head 18 for co-extruding a sausage filler emulsion which is fed into the extrusion head via a pipe (not shown) connected to pipe fitting 19, together with a gel sausage casing which is supplied to the extrusion head along feed pipe 20. The gel casing is initially provided in a flowable form but after extrusion, sets around the filler under the action of a suitable catalyst to form a casing therefor. The filler is thus co-extruded with the gel sausage casing and the extruded sausage 22 is conveyed and supported along a channel 24 along a rectilinear path towards the sausage cutting apparatus 10 for cutting the extruded sausage into smaller portions.

The sausage cutting apparatus 10 comprises, broadly, a support base 26, a first cutting assembly 28 including a plurality of first cutting devices 30, a second cutting assembly 32 including a plurality of second cutting devices 34 and a guide system for guiding displacement of the first and second cutting devices during a sausage cutting operation.

The support base 26 defines a rectilinear feed path 36 along which the extruded length of sausage 22 to be cut, is supported and slideably displaced.

The first cutting assembly 28 is located at one side of the feed path 36 while the second cutting assembly 32 is located at an opposite side of the feed path with the sausage 22 being displaced along the feed path between the first and second cutting assemblies. The first cutting assembly 28 includes an elongate continuous carrier member in the form of a flexible belt 38 to which the cutting devices 30 are connected in an arrangement wherein the cutting devices are spaced along the length of the belt. The belt 38 has a plurality of teeth defined on an inner side thereof. The cutting assembly 28 includes three toothed pinions 40, at least one of which is driven by an electric motor, which engage the teeth of the belt for displacing of the belt and thereby the cutting devices mounted thereto. More specifically, the first cutting devices 30 are hingedly mounted to the belt 38 via hinge pins 42 which provide for hinged displacement of the cutting devices relative to the belt. Each of the cutting assemblies has a top cover plate 41 , the underside of which defines a continuous guide slot 41.1 along which the cutting assembly is displaced.

Each cutting device 30 has a cutting blade 44, a sausage forming die 45 and an abutment plate 46. The cutting blade 44 defines a wear abutment formation 46 at a lower end thereof, which slides across the support base 26. The cutting blade 44 defines a V-shaped recess 47 in which a side portion of the sausage to be cut, is received. A cutting edge 44.1 is defined along a side of the cutting blade 44. The sausage forming die 45 includes a concave rounded shoulder formation 45.1 within which a side region of the sausage is received and held when it is cut by the cutting blade. The forming die 45 maintains the rounded shape of the sausage when it is cut by the cutting blade 44. The abutment plate 46 has a concave rounded recess 46.1 within which a side region of the sausage is received, the abutment plate acting as a stop which prevents lateral displacement of the sausage during and immediately after the sausage is cut. A lower end region of the abutment plate 46 defines an angled scoop formation 46.2 which lifts and guides the sausage into the concave recess 46.1 .

The cutting blade 44 is spaced a predetermined distance from the abutment plate 46, with the sausage forming die being located in the space between the cutting blade 44 and the abutment plate 46. The second cutting assembly 32 is similar to the first cutting assembly with the only difference being that the cutting devices 34 have different configurations to the cutting devices 30 of the first cutting assembly. The second cutting assembly 32 includes an elongate continuous carrier member in the form of a flexible belt 38 to which the cutting devices 34 are connected in an arrangement wherein the cutting devices are spaced along the length of the belt. The belt 38 has a plurality of teeth defined on an inner side thereof. The cutting assembly 32 includes three toothed pinions 40, at least one of which is driven by an electric motor, which engage the teeth of the belt for displacing the belt and thereby the cutting devices mounted thereto. More specifically, the second cutting devices 34 are hingedly mounted to the belt 38 via hinge pins 42 which provide for hinged displacement of the cutting devices relative to the belt.

Each cutting device 34 has a cutting blade 48 which has a similar configuration to that of the cutting blade 44 and a sausage forming die 49. The cutting blade 48 defines a wear abutment formation 50 at a lower end of the cutting blade, which slides across the support base 26. The cutting blade defines a V-shaped recess 52 in which a side portion of the sausage to be cut, is received. A cutting edge 48.1 is defined along a side of the cutting blade 48. The sausage forming die 49 includes a concave rounded shoulder formation 49.1 within which a side region of the sausage is received and held when it is cut by the cutting blade. The forming die maintains the rounded shape of the sausage when it is cut by the cutting blade 48. The sausage forming die 49 is located adjacent a side of the cutting blade 48. Each of the first cutting devices is associated with a particular one of the second cutting devices, with the cutting blade 48 of each second cutting device being configured to be received within the space defined between the cutting blade 44 and the abutment plate 46 of the first cutting device, with which the second cutting device is associated. The cutting edges 44.1 and 48.1 of the cutting blades 44 and 48, respectively, slide past one another in a shearing action for cutting the sausage. The sausage forming dies 45 and 49 of a pair of associated cutting devices 30, 34, hold the sausage at opposite sides thereof and maintain the rounded shape and structural integrity of the sausage as it is cut by the shearing action of the cutting blades 44, 48. The shearing action of the cutting blades tends to displace portions of the sausage in opposite directions. As such, the abutment plate 46 of the cutting device 30 resists such lateral forces applied to the sausage such that cut sausage portions continue along a rectilinear feed path after cutting.

The guide system of the sausage cutting apparatus comprises a first guide sub-system for guiding displacement of the first cutting devices 30 and a second guide sub-system for guiding displacement of the second cutting devices 34. More specifically, the first guide sub-system comprises the guide slot 41.1 in the top cover plate 41 and a guide plate 43 which is disposed at an upper end of each of the cutting device 30 and which is received in the guide slot 43 for guided sliding displacement along the guide slot. The guide plate 43 is in the form of an elongate plate which is mounted to an upper end of the cutting device 30 in an arrangement wherein the guide plate can swivel relative to the cutting blades. The guide slot defines a generally arcuate path adjacent a side of the feed path for initially displacing the cutting devices 30 towards a sausage to be cut and after the sausage is severed, for displacing the cutting devices away from the feed path along which the severed sausage portions are conveyed.

The second guide sub-system similarly comprises the guide slot 41.1 in the top cover plate 41 and a guide plate 43 which is disposed at an upper end of each of the cutting devices 34 and which is received in the guide slot for guided sliding displacement along the guide slot. The guide slot defines a generally arcuate path adjacent a side of the feed path for initially displacing the cutting devices 34 towards a sausage to be cut and after the sausage is severed, for displacing the cutting devices away from the feed path along which the severed sausage portions are conveyed.

The displacement of the belts 38 of the first and second cutting assemblies is synchronised such that each cutting device 30 is associated with a corresponding cutting device 34 in an arrangement wherein, during a cutting operation, associated cutting devices 30, 34 are initially displaced inwardly towards one another for cutting the sausage 12 between them. More specifically, the associated cutting devices are displaced towards one another until the cutting blade 48 of a particular one of the cutting devices 34 is received within the space defined between the cutting blade 44 and the abutment plate 46 of the cutting device 30 associated therewith, thereby severing the sausage in a shearing action. The cutting edges 44.1 and 48.1 of the cutting blades 44 and 48, respectively, are defined along opposing faces of the cutting blades.

The hinged mounting of the cutting devices 30, 34 to the belt 38 and the configuration of the cutting devices 30, 34 wherein the cutting blade 48 of a cutting device 30 is received within a space defined therefor between the cutting blade 44 and the abutment plate 46 of an associated cutting device 34, provide for accurate alignment and intersection of the cutting blades.