Apparatus and methods for cutting cheese
US6549823B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 17, 1999 |
| Grant date | Apr 15, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 17, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T83/182
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Apparatus for cutting cheese blocks (1) into portions (13) conveys the cheese along a linear processing path. Longitudinal cutters (6,7) for dividing the depth and width of the cheese block, with separation of layers when the depth is divided, create sets (120) of longitudinal sticks (12) conveyed side-by-side. These are presented to a guillotine cutter (8) which, on the basis of measured length and weight of the set (120), makes successive transverse cuts dividing the stick set (120) into successive sets (130) of portions (13) which are then separated from one another for packaging. A control processor (CP) uses measured block weight and dimensional information to determine an optimal disposition of cuts taking account of product standard criteria (e.g. maximum permissible deviation from and maintenance of an average portion weight) together with minimized wastage. A refinement takes into account weight and/or dimensional data from other blocks in order to further reduce wastage by allowing one block's deviation from the norm to compensate for another block's deviation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.