Vegetable cutting and slicing machine

Claim 1

A machine for cutting slices of various desired thicknesses and shapes from vegetables comprising in combination: a housing; a driven shaft vertically positioned within said housing; a pivot means concentrically and rotatably mounted near the base of said shaft; a cylindrical cage having ball bearing means therein and concentrically and rotatably mounted above said pivot means on said shaft; a circular tray mounted above said cylindrical cage and in a concentric, reciprocative and rotatable manner with respect to said shaft; an elongated member rotatably mounted at its medial point above said circular tray on said shaft, said member having groups of upstanding blades symmetrically located with respect to said medial point; a platform mounted in a concentric, reciprocative and rotatable manner with respect to said shaft and including substantially quadrant shaped coplanar portions symmetrically arranged about said shaft, said platform having a series of notches along the edge of each of said quadrant portions, said notches corresponding to and operatively receiving said upstanding blades for passage therethrough; a concentrically arranged tray member mounted above said platform and in a concentric and rotatable manner with respect to said shaft, said tray member including substantially quadrant shaped coplanar plates symmetrically arranged about said shaft, one radial edge of each of said plates forming a cutting blade; means including a lever for axially reciprocating said platform between said elongated member and said tray member, said lever being eccentrically mounted with respect to said shaft and operatively connected in a pivotal manner to said pivot means; and means associated with said tray member for depositing therein the vegetables to be sliced.