GB2030463A - Mixer for meat and food products in general - Google Patents

Abstract

The mixer comprises intersecting blade assemblies (7, 8) comprising shafts (9, 10) mounting blades (11, 12), which are rotated in opposite directions inside adjacent, laterally communicating troughs (2,3), which are situated at different levels. A discharge aperture (4) provided with a closure door is provided at the end of the lower trough (3) towards which the processed product is conveyed by the blade assemblies (7,8). The mixer is particularly for the preparation of paste-like products intended for filling into skins. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Mixer for meat and food products in general This invention relates to a mixer for meat and food products in general, particularlyforthe preparation of paste-like products intended for filling into skins.

A type of mixer is already known, which uses a pair of blade assemblies of which the blades intersect, and which are rotated in opposite directions about horizontal parallel axes at the same level inside two equal troughs provided one at one end and the other at the other end with respective discharge apertures closed by sliding doors. Suitable belt or screw conveyors pass below these apertures to receive the product which is discharged from the respective troughs after processing, and to transfer it to the next station, where for example a skin filling machine operates.

This known mixer is completely satisfactory with regard to the quality of the mix obtained but because of the distant location of the discharge apertures, considerable complications arise in the construction and arrangement of the conveyors. Due to the use of sliding doors, sealing problems arise if the troughs are to be put under vacuum, as is sometimes done to obtain an improved product free from air, and with the phosphates and other additives better amalgamated.

Another known mixer comprises bladed assemblies of which the blades do not intersect, and this enables the motion of one of them to be reversed during the discharge stage so that the discharge apertures can be placed at the same end of the two troughs, and thus close to each other. This arrangement has the beneficial effect of facilitating the conveying of the discharged product, but the quality of the mix is undesirably worsened due to the fact that the blades do not intersect.

The object of the present invention is to provide a mixer which combines good mix quality with a satisfactory solution to the problem of discharging and conveying the processed product.

According to the invention this object is attained by a mixer comprising a pair of blade assemblies, the blades of which intersect and are of the same inclination, these blade assemblies being rotated in opposite directions about parallel horizontal axes inside adjacent troughs which communicate laterally with each other, wherein said troughs are situated at different levels, the trough at the lower level being provided with a discharge aperture and its closure door, at that end towards which the respective blade assembly conveys the processed product.

It is apparent that this structure comprising two troughs at different levels but with a single discharge aperture means that in the mixer according to the invention, the processed product, which is of excellent quality due to the fact that the blades of the two blade assemblies intersect, is compelled to follow a well defined path when being discharged, by which the product contained in the upper trough passes into the lower trough and from here is conveyed towards the single discharge aperture disposed at the end of this latter trough. As there is only one aperture, the problem of conveying the discharged product is greatly simplified, particularly if the discharge aperture is disposed in the front wall of the end, as is preferable.In this latter case, it is also possible to use a closure door of the hinged flap type, which can give a better seal if the troughs are put under vacuum. Generally, it can be said that the mixer according to the invention combines the merits of the two known mixers (excellent quality of mix and ease of conveying), while avoiding their defects.

The characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter of one embodiment illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure lisa plan view of a mixer according to the invention; Figure 2 is an axial section through said mixer on the line ll-ll of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-section through said mixer on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section through said mixer on the line IV-IV of Figure 2.

The mixer shown on the drawings comprises a support frame 1 within which there are provided two upperly open adjacent troughs 2 and 3 which communicate with each other laterally, the former being at an upper level and closed at both ends, and the latter being at a lower level and provided at its front end with a discharge aperture 4 which is normally closed by a hinged flap door 5 controlled by a pneumatic cylinder 6.

Respective mixing blade assemblies 7 and 8 are rotated inside the two adjacent troughs 2 and 3, and comprise respective shafts 9 and 10 of parallel horizontal axes (obviously situated at different heights) and respective sets of blades 11 and 12 which are equally inclined and intersect as shown in Figure 3.

On the extensions 17 and 18 of the two shafts 9 and 10 there are mounted respective gears 13 and 14 which engage with each other as shown in Figures 4, and are driven by a pinion 15 which engages only with the gear 13. The pinion 15 is driven by a drive unit 16 (Figures 1 and 2).

During operation, the drive unit 16 rotates the two blade assemblies 7 and 8 in opposite directions (arrows A and B in Figure 3) by way of the pinion 15 and the interconnected gears 13 and 14, and this enables their intersecting blades 11 and 12 to mix the product which is fed from above into the two troughs 2 and 3. Because of the similar inclination of the two sets of blades, the higher blade assembly 7 moves the mix from right to left with reference to Figure 1, whereas the lower blade assembly 8 moves it from left to right, these two movements combine to create a circular motion as indicated by the arrow F by the automatic displacement of the product from one trough to the other (the door 5 is obviously suitably closed during mixing).

At the end of processing, the door 5 is opened as shown in Figures 1 and 2 by suitably operating the cylinder 6. This means that the processed product after travelling through the upper trough 2 from right to left (Figure 1), then passing into the lower trough 3 and travelling through the lower trough 3 from left to right, does not return to the upper trough 2 but instead emerges through the discharge aperture 4.

Suitable conveyors then transfer it to another station.

Claims (4)

1. A mixer for meat and food products in general, comprising a pair of blade assemblies, the blades of which intersect and are of the same inclination, these blade assemblies being rotated in opposite directions about parallel horizontal axes inside adjacent troughs which communicate laterally with each other, wherein said troughs are situated at different levels, the trough at the lower level being provided with a discharge aperture and its closure door, at that end towards which the respective blade assembly conveys the processed product.

2. A mixer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said discharge aperture is disposed in the front wall of said end of the trough of lower level.

3. A mixer as claimed in claim 2, wherein said closure door is of the hinged flap type.

4. A mixer for meat and food products in general substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawing.