Device and method for producing stacks of slices

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for producing stacks of slices ( 10 ) from slices ( 14 ) packed individually in film, in particular cheese slices, wherein a dispensing roller ( 1 ) is provided between the cutting unit ( 2 ) and the slice feeding unit ( 3, 4 ), first dispensing the slices ( 14 ) packed individually in film by the cutting unit ( 2 ) transverse to the horizontal main conveyor direction ( 15 ), and then transferring said slices to at least two slice conveyor elements ( 5 ) of the slice collecting and stacking unit ( 5 - 9 ) by means of two separate conveyor belts ( 3, 4 ) of the slice feeding unit ( 3, 4 ). The invention further relates to a method for producing stacks of slices ( 10 ) from slices ( 14 ) packed individually in film, particularly cheese slices, wherein a plurality of slices ( 14 ) packed individually in film are first collected on a dispensing roller ( 1 ) and dispensed transverse to the horizontal main conveyor direction ( 15 ), that is, in the transverse conveyor direction ( 17 ) after exiting the cutting device ( 2 ), and are then transferred in parallel to a plurality of separate transport belts ( 3, 4 ) and conveyed thereon to one each of the vertical transport and collecting chutes ( 5 ). The aim of the invention is to refine a simple and inexpensive device for producing stacks of slices ( 10 ) from slices ( 14 ) packed individually in film, such that the product performance, that is, the number of slices transported through the device per unit of time, can be increased substantially.

1 . A device for producing stacks of slices ( 10 ) from slices ( 14 ) packed individually in film, in particular cheese slices, containing a cutting unit ( 2 ), which cuts the slices ( 14 ) packed individually in film from a film belt with separated slices ( 13 ) located in serial sequence, and containing a slice feeding unit ( 3 ,  4 ) for a slice collecting and stacking unit ( 5 - 9 ), which has a vertical slice conveyor element ( 5 ) and a vertical slice stacking element ( 8 , 9 ), at which a delivery unit ( 11 ) joins, which conveys the stack of slices ( 10 ) dispensed by the slice stacking element ( 8 , 9 ) to external packaging equipment, characterized in that a dispensing roller ( 1 ) is provided between the cutting unit ( 2 ) and the slice feeding unit ( 3 ,  4 ) which first dispenses the slices ( 14 ) packed individually in film by the cutting unit ( 2 ) transverse to the horizontal main conveyor direction ( 15 ), that is, in the transverse conveyor direction ( 17 ) and then transfers said slices to two slice conveyor elements ( 5 ) of the slice collecting and stacking unit ( 5 - 9 ) by means fo two separate conveyor belts ( 3 , 4 ) of the slice feeding unit ( 3 , 4 ). 
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the at least two conveyor belts ( 3 , 4 ) of the slice feeding unit ( 3 , 4 ) as well as the associated at least two slice conveyor elements ( 5 ) of the slice collecting and stacking unit ( 5 - 9 ) are arranged offset, laterally transverse to the horizontal main conveyor direction ( 16 ), that is, in the transverse conveyor direction ( 17 ), to one another and by an amount (Δy). 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the transverse offset (Δy) in the transverse conveyor direction ( 17 ) amounts to somewhat more than the width of the slices ( 14 ) packed individually in film transverse to the horizontal main conveyor direction ( 15 ), e.g. 10%-20% more than the width of the slices ( 14 ). 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the at least two slice conveyor elements ( 5 ) of the slice collecting and stacking unit ( 5 - 9 ) are arranged offset to one another by an amount (Δx) along the horizontal main conveyor direction ( 15 ). 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 4 , characterized in that the longitudinal offset (Δx) in the main conveyor direction ( 15 ) is about twice as large as the transverse offset (Δy) in the transverse conveyor direction ( 17 ). 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 4 , characterized in that the at least two conveyor belts ( 3 , 4 ) of the slice feeding unit ( 3 , 4 ) as well as the associated at least two slice conveyor elements ( 5 ) of the slice collecting and stacking unit ( 5 - 9 ) are arranged along the horizontal main conveyor direction ( 15 ) by an amount (Δx) and in the transverse conveyor direction ( 17 ) by an amount (Δy), continuously arranged offset to one another in a direction (either plus or minus direction of x or y). 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the at least two slice conveyor elements ( 5 ) of the slice collecting and stacking unit ( 5 - 9 ) exhibit an upper insertion height different from the at least two conveyor belts ( 3 ,  4 ) of the slice feeding unit ( 3 ,  4 ) by an amount (Δz) for the individually packed slices ( 14 ). 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the conveyor belts ( 3 , 4 ) of the slice feeding unit ( 3 ,  4 ) run horizontally and/or at an acute angle (α) between 5° and 15° to the horizontal. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the slice stacking element ( 8 ,  9 ) exhibits a pre-separation ( 8 ) and a main separation ( 9 ) downstream from it for the stack of slices ( 10 ). 
     
     
         10 . A method for producing stacks of slices ( 10 ) from slices ( 14 ) packed individually in film, in particular cheese slices, wherein a film belt with separated slices ( 13 ) located in serial sequence is supplied to a cutting device ( 2 ) which cuts the slices ( 13 ) from the film belt and feeds the slices ( 14 ) packed individually in film generated therewith to a vertical transport and collection chute ( 5 ), in which the slices ( 14 ) packed individually in film are conveyed vertically downward to a collection device ( 8 ,  9 ) in which the stack of slices ( 10 ) is formed which are transferred to a joint delivery belt ( 11 ), which feeds the stack of slices ( 10 ) to an external packaging unit, characterized in that after leaving the cutting device ( 2 ) several slices ( 14 ) packed individually in film are first collected on a dispensing roller ( 1 ) and distributed transverse to the horizontal main conveyor direction ( 15 ) by an amount (Δy), that is in the transverse conveyor direction ( 17 ) and after that transferred to several parallel separated transport belts ( 3 ,  4 ) and conveyed on said transport belts to one of the vertical transport and collection chutes ( 5 ). 
     
     
         11 . The device according to any  claim 2 , characterized in that the at least two slice conveyor elements of the slice collecting and stacking unit are arranged offset to one another by an amount along the horizontal main conveyor direction. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the at least two slice conveyor elements of the slice collecting and stacking unit are arranged offset to one another by an amount along the horizontal main conveyor direction. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 5 , characterized in that the at least two conveyor belts of the slice feeding unit as well as the associated at least two slice conveyor elements of the slice collecting and stacking unit are arranged along the horizontal main conveyor direction by an amount and in the transverse conveyor direction by an amount, continuously arranged offset to one another in a direction. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the at least two slice conveyor elements of the slice collecting and stacking unit exhibit an upper insertion height different from the at least two conveyor belts of the slice feeding unit by an amount for the individually packed slices. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the at least two slice conveyor elements of the slice collecting and stacking unit exhibit an upper insertion height different from the at least two conveyor belts of the slice feeding unit by an amount for the individually packed slices. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 4 , characterized in that the at least two slice conveyor elements of the slice collecting and stacking unit exhibit an upper insertion height different from the at least two conveyor belts of the slice feeding unit by an amount for the individually packed slices. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 5 , characterized in that the at least two slice conveyor elements of the slice collecting and stacking unit exhibit an upper insertion height different from the at least two conveyor belts of the slice feeding unit by an amount for the individually packed slices. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 6 , characterized in that the at least two slice conveyor elements of the slice collecting and stacking unit exhibit an upper insertion height different from the at least two conveyor belts of the slice feeding unit by an amount for the individually packed slices. 
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the conveyor belts of the slice feeding unit run horizontally and/or at an acute angle between 5° and 15° to the horizontal. 
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the conveyor belts of the slice feeding unit run horizontally and/or at an acute angle between 5° and 15° to the horizontal.