Automatic slicing controls

Claim 1

IN AN AUTOMATIC SLICING MACHINE PROVIDED WITH A ROTARY KNIFE BLADE ATTACHED TO A SHAFT DRIVEN AT CONSTANT SPEED BY A SOURCE OF ROTARY POWER, A HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED FEED RAM FOR FEEDING THE ITEM TO BE SLICED INTO THE PATH OF THE SAID KNIFE BLADE, FEED RATE CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE FORWARD SPEED OF SAID RAM, STOP-START CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE STOPPING AND STARTING OF SAID RAM; AN AUTOMATIC WEIGHT COMPENSATING MECHANISM FOR SENSING THE HEIGHT OF THE ITEM TO BE SLICED AND PROVIDING AN OUTPUT PROPORTIONAL TO SAID HEIGHT; AND TRANSMISSION MEANS CONNECTING THE OUTPUT OF SAID WEIGHT COMPENSATING MECHANISM TO SAID FEED RATE CONTROL MEANS WHEREBY THE FORWARD SPEED OF SAID RAM IS CONTROLLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE HEIGHT OF THE ITEM TO BE SLICED; THE COMBINATION COMPRISING AN AUTOMATIC FEED CONTROL MECHANISM INCLUDING A COUNTING MEANS PROVIDING OUTPUT SIGNALS REPRESENTING ALTERNATE FEED AND STOP INTERVALS, PROBE MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID SLICING MACHINE FOR SENSING THE ARRIVAL OF THE LEADING EDGE OF THE ITEM TO BE SLICED AT A SELECTED POSITION AHEAD OF THE SAID KNIFE BLADE AND FOR PROVIDING AN OUTPUT SIGNAL REPRESENTING SUCH ARRIVAL, MASTER CONTROL MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE OUTPUT SIGNAL OF SAID PROBE MEANS FOR STOPPING THE RAM AND RENDERING SAID START-STOP CONTROL MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE OUTPUT SIGNALS OF SAID COUNTING MEANS WHEREBY FURTHER FORWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID RAM PROCEEDS UNDER DIRECT CONTROL OF SAID COUNTING MEANS; AND A SYNCHRONIZING MECHANISM OPERABLY CONNECTING THE SAID COUNTING MECHANISM TO THE SHAFT OF SAID KNIFE BLADE SO THAT ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT DRIVES SAID COUNTING MECHANISM, SAID SYNCHRONIZING MECHANISM PROVIDING FOR ROTATION OF SAID COUNTING MECHANISM RELATIVE TO THE SAID SHAFT WHEREBY THE START-STOP MOVEMENT OF THE FEED RAM IS SYNCHRONIZED WITH THE ORIENTATION OF THE ROTARY KNIFE BLADE.