Slicing machine

Claim 2

In a slicing machine for meat and similar products having a slicing blade mounted on one end of a rotatable supporting shaft, an elongate product supporting table portion, said blade supporting shaft being mounted at opposite ends on the opposite ends of said table portion, an extension on the end of said table portion which is remote from said slicing blade and a reciprocating carriage for feeding a product to be sliced along said table extension and the table portion to the blade, guide means for said carriage extending the length of said table portion and said table extension, means on said carriage adapted for engaging the trailing end of said product, a rotatable drive means extending along the length of said table portion and said extension, which drive means has a connection with said carriage for reciprocating said carriage, plural electrical sensing means spaced along said table and the table extension, which are actuated in response to movement of said carriage between a fully retracted position or a partially retracted position and a position adjacent said slicing blade, one of which sensing means is selectively energized, a hydraulic system having control valves actuated by said electrical sensing means, and said hydraulic system including a hydraulic motor connected in driving relation with said rotatable drive means so as to advance said carriage for slicing a product held by said product engaging means and to return said carriage to a retracted or a partially retracted position according to the actuation of said preselected sensing means for repeating the cycle of operation.

Claim 3

In a slicing machine as set forth in claim 1, and said rotatable drive means for reciprocating said carriage comprising a rotatable screw member extending parallel with the path of said carriage and a nut mounted on said screw member and connecting said carriage with said screw member.

Claim 4

In a slicing machine for meat and similar products, said machine having a horizontally disposed product supporting table, a slicing blade mounted on the end of a rotatable supporting shaft disposed above said table, said table having an extension at the infeed end of the machine for supporting an extra long product, and a carriage mounted for reciprocating movement along the table and said end extension in a path toward and from the blade, guide means for said carriage mounted at one end adjacent said slicing blade and at the other end on said table extension, grippers on said carriage for engaging the trailing end of said product, means comprising a screw mounted along one side of said table and said end extension and having a traveling nut thereon which is connected with said carriage with reciprocating said carriage, a plurality of proximity switches mounted in spaced relation along the path of said carriage which are actuated by movement of said carriage past the same, one of said proximity switches being at each end of said carriage guide means and a third proximity switch being intermediate said aforementioned proximity switches and said proximity switches which are remote from said slicing blade being selectively energized, a hydraulic system having control valves actuated by operation of said proximity switches, said hydraulic system including motor drive means connected to said screw to reciprocate said carriage so as to advance said carriage for slicing a product and to return said carriage to a fully retracted or a partiaLly retracted position according to actuation of said control valves by said preselected proximity switches for repeating the cycle of operation.

Claim 5

In a slicing machine for meat and similar products, said machine having a horizontally disposed product supporting table, a slicing blade mounted on the end of a rotatable supporting shaft disposed above said table, said table having an extension at the infeed end of the machine for supporting an extra long product, and a carriage mounted for reciprocating movement along the table and said end extension in a path toward and from the blade, guide means for said carriage mounted at one end adjacent said slicing blade and at the other end on said table extension, grippers on said carriage for engaging the trailing end of said product, means comprising a screw mounted along one side of said table and said end extension and having a traveling nut thereon which is connected with said carriage with reciprocating said carriage, a plurality of proximity switches mounted in spaced relation along the path of said carriage which are actuated by movement of said carriage past the same, one of said proximity switches being at each end of said carriage guide means and a third proximity switch being intermediate said aforementioned proximity switches and said proximity switches which are remote from said slicing blade being selectively energized, a hydraulic system having control valves actuated by operation of said proximity switches, said hydraulic system including motor drive means connected to said screw to reciprocate said carriage so as to advance said carriage for slicing a product and to return said carriage to a fully retracted or a partiaLly retracted position according to actuation of said control valves by said preselected proximity switches for repeating the cycle of operation.