Cutting apparatus

Abstract

A cutting apparatus for cutting off or slicing meat products, in particular bacon or fresh meat products, comprises a product feed that is configured to guide at least one first product and at least one second product simultaneously into a cutting region, which includes a first rotating blade and a second rotating blade for cutting off or slicing the products into smaller pieces. In this respect, the product feed has a first conveying means for guiding the at least one first product into the cutting region and a second conveying means for guiding the at least one second product into the cutting region, wherein the first blade is associated with the first conveying means and is provided for cutting off or slicing the at least one first product, and wherein the second blade is associated with the second conveying means and is provided for cutting off or slicing the at least one second product.

1 . A cutting apparatus for slicing food products having a product feed that is configured to guide at least one first product and at least one second product simultaneously along a feed direction (Z) into a cutting region in which slices and/or pieces are cut off from the products by a first rotating blade and by a second rotating blade, wherein the product feed has a first conveying means for guiding the at least one first product into the cutting region and a second conveying means for guiding the at least one second product into the cutting region, wherein the first blade is associated with the first conveying means and is provided for cutting off slices and/or pieces from the at least one first product, and wherein the second blade is associated with the second conveying means and is provided for cutting off slices and/or pieces from the at least one second product. 
     
     
         2 . The cutting apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the first conveying means and the second conveying means extend next to one another offset in parallel along the feeding direction (Z). 
     
     
         3 . The cutting apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the product feed comprises a common support structure for the first and second conveying means, in particular with the support structure being fixedly connected to a frame supported on the ground. 
     
     
         4 . The cutting apparatus in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein the support structure has a center support that extends in the feed direction (Z) and that is arranged between the first conveying means and the second conveying means, with the first conveying means and the second conveying means being held at the center support. 
     
     
         5 . The cutting apparatus in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the first conveying means and the second conveying means comprise respective base parts that are selectively connectable to or releasable from the center support. 
     
     
         6 . The cutting apparatus in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the center support has at least one first mandrel which extends perpendicular to the feed direction (Z) and onto which the first conveying means can be plugged, and wherein the center support has at least one second mandrel which extends perpendicular to the feed direction (Z) and opposite to the first mandrel and onto which the second conveying means can be plugged. 
     
     
         7 . The cutting apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the product feed comprises a first drive for the first conveying means and a second drive for the second conveying means, by means of which drives the first conveying means and the second conveying means are drivable independently of one another. 
     
     
         8 . The cutting apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the product feed for the first conveying means and/or for the second conveying means comprises at least one respective product holder that is configured to hold the first product and/or the second product in a rear product section during the guidance into the cutting region. 
     
     
         9 . The cutting apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the feed direction (Z) extends at least substantially horizontally, and wherein the blades define a respective vertically oriented cutting plane (S). 
     
     
         10 . The cutting apparatus in accordance  claim 1 , wherein the first blade is held in a first blade mount, and wherein the second blade is held in a second blade mount, with the first blade mount and the second blade mount configured to rotate in opposite directions. 
     
     
         11 . The cutting apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the first blade and the second blade are formed as one-armed blades having narrow curved knife blades. 
     
     
         12 . The cutting apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the first blade and the second blade have a respective blade edge that is at least sectionally of spiral shape, in particular with the blade edge extending at least sectionally in the shape of an Archimedean spiral and/or extending at least sectionally in the shape of a logarithmic spiral. 
     
     
         13 . The cutting apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein a control device is provided for controlling the rotational speeds of the rotating blades, with the control device being configured to accelerate and/or decelerate the rotations of the blades during a revolution for cutting off a slice and/or a piece. 
     
     
         14 . The cutting apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein a blade guide is arranged in the cutting region and has a respective peripheral gap for the blades that is defined by a front boundary with respect to the feed direction (Z) and by a rear boundary with respect to the feed direction (Z). 
     
     
         15 . A method of slicing and/or dividing meat products, wherein at least two products are fed along a feed direction (Z) into a cutting region of a cutting apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , in which slices and/or pieces are cut off from each of the at least two products by the respective rotating blade. 
     
     
         16 . The method in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein the at least two products are guided into the cutting region by means of respective conveying means arranged offset in parallel with one another. 
     
     
         17 . The method in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein the products are guided along a horizontal direction (Z) into the cutting region, with the blades rotating in a respective vertically oriented cutting plane (S). 
     
     
         18 . The method in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein the blades are accelerated and/or decelerated during a rotation for cutting off a slice and/or a piece. 
     
     
         19 . The method in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein portions that comprise at least one slice and/or one piece are formed from the cut-off slices and/or from the cut-off pieces, in particular with the formed portions being conveyed onward by means of a conveying device arranged downstream. 
     
     
         20 . A cutting apparatus for cutting off or slicing food products having a product feed that is configured to guide the food products along a feed direction (Z) into a cutting region including a first rotating blade and a second rotating blade for cutting off or slicing the food products into smaller pieces,
 wherein the product feed has a first conveying means for guiding a first food product into the cutting region and a second conveying means for guiding a second food product into the cutting region, wherein the first rotating blade is associated with the first conveying means and is provided for cutting off or slicing the first food product, wherein the second rotating blade is associated with the second conveying means and is provided for cutting off or slicing the second food product,   the first conveying means and the second conveying means supported on a common support supported on a ground surface.