Slicing machine having automatic controls for producing groups of preselected weight

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY EFFECTING THE PRODUCTION OF GROUPS OF SLICED PRODUCT OF A DESIRED FINAL WEIGHT; WHICH APPARATUS COMPRISES A SLICER; PRODUCT FEED MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ADVANCING SAID PRODUCT TO SAID SLICER; SCALE MEANS FOR RECEIVING SLICES OF SAID PRODUCT AS SAID FEED MECHANISM ADVANCES SAID PRODUCT TO SAID SLICER; AND CONTROL MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SCALE MEANS AND SAID PRODUCT FEED MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY DICTATING THE OPERATION THEREOF, SAID CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR SENSING THE ACCUMULATION ON SAID SCALE MEANS OF A PARTIAL PRODUCT GROUP HAVING AT LEAST A PRESELECTED WEIGHT AND FOR PRODUCING A SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO THE ACCUMULATION OF AT LEAST SAID PRESELECTED WEIGHT, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID RESPONSIVE MEANS FOR INTERRUPTING THE OPERATION OF SAID PRODUCT FEED MEANS IN RESPONSE TO A SIGNAL FROM SAID RESPONSIVE MEANS, MEANS ACTUATED BY THE SIGNAL FROM SAID RESPONSIVE MEANS FOR EFFECTING AN ACCURATE WEIGHT MEASUREMENT OF SAID PARTIAL PRODUCT GROUP AFTER A PRESELECTED PERIOD OF DELAY, MEANS FOR CONVERTING SAID ACCURATE WEIGHT MEASUREMENT INTO A CONTROL SIGNAL, AND MEANS FOR ACTUAT-