Slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like

Claim 2

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like comprising, a carriage rotatably mounted for rotation in a substantially horizontal plane about a substantially vertical central axis, a plurality of circular knives roTatably carried by the carriage eccentrically of said central axis and arranged in a substantially horizontal plane above the carriage and gyrated about said central axis upon rotation of said carriage, means for rotating said carriage for gyrating said knives about said central axis, means for rotating said knives so that they may be rotated about their axes as they are gyrated about said central axis by rotation of said carriage, a feed chute for the food product or the like arranged substantially vertically above the plane of said knives and eccentrically of said central axis in alignment with the path of gyration of said knives, feeding means including means in said feed chute for positively suspending the food product or the like in said feed chute and for incrementally lowering the food product or the like each time that a slice is sliced from the food product or the like by the rotating and gyrating knives, and slice collecting means below the plane of said knives in substantial alignment with said feed chute for receiving and collecting slices of the food product or the like as they are sliced by the rotating and gyrating knives.

Claim 3

A slicing machine for slicing a food produce or the like as defined in claim 1 wherein said knives are slightly tilted rearwardly in their path of gyration so that the trailing edges of the knives are slightly lower than the leading edges thereof to provide clearance between the trailing edges of the knives and the food product or the like in the feed chute.

Claim 4

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 1, including means for adjusting the relative speeds of rotation of said knives and said carriage for regulating the draw speed of said knives with respect to their speed of penetration into the food product or the like.

Claim 5

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 1, wherein said feeding means includes means for adjusting the extent of said incremental lowering of the food product or the like for regulating the thickness of the slices sliced from the food product or the like by the rotating and gyrating knives.

Claim 6

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 1, wherein said slice collecting means includes a belt conveyor having a portion thereof in substantial alignment with said feed chute for directly receiving slices of the food product or the like as they are sliced by the rotating and gyrating knives, and means for advancing the belt conveyor at a substantially constant speed for shingling the slices on the belt conveyor.

Claim 7

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 1, wherein said slice collecting means includes at least one stacking fork in substantial alignment with said feed chute for receiving and stacking slices of the food product or the like sliced by the rotating and gyrating knives, means for incrementally lowering said at least one stacking fork each time that a slice is sliced from the food product or the like and stacked thereon a distance of at least the thickness of each such slice, and means for adjusting the extent of said incremental lowering of the food product or the like in said feed chute and for adjusting the extent of the incremental lowering of said at least one stacking fork for regulating the thickness of the slices sliced from the food product or the like and for accommodating the stacking of the slices of regulated thickness on the stacking fork.

Claim 8

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 1, wherein said slice collecting means includes a multiple belt conveyor having a portion thereof in substantial alignment with said feed chute, at least one tined stacking fork above said multiple belt conveyor adapted to be laterally extended into position between said feed chute and said multiple belt conveyor for receiving and stacking slices of the food product of the like as they are sliced by the rotating and gyrating knives, To be lowered in said extended position, to be laterally retracted from said extended position when lowered, and to be raised when retracted, transfer means below said portion of the multiple belt conveyor having a plurality of upwardly extending projections adapted to be raised upwardly through the multiple belt conveyor and the stacking fork when lowered and to be lowered downwardly below the multiple belt conveyor, and means for sequentially raising said stacking fork, extending said raised stacking fork to receive and stack slices of the food product or the like thereon, lowering the stacking fork as the slices are received and stacked thereon, raising the upwardly extending projections of the transfer means for supporting the stack of slices when the stacking fork is in a lowered position, retracting the lowered stacking fork, and lowering the upwardly extending projections of the transfer means to deposit the stack of slices on the multiple belt conveyor.

Claim 9

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 1, wherein said slice collecting means includes a multiple belt conveyor having a portion thereof in substantial alignment with said feed chute, a pair of tined stacking forks above said multiple belt conveyor adapted alternately to be laterally extended from opposite sides of the multiple belt conveyor into position between the said feed chute and said multiple belt conveyor for receiving and stacking slices of the food product or the like as they are sliced by the rotating and gyrating knives, to be lowered in said extended position, to be laterally retracted from said extended position when lowered, and to be raised when retracted, transfer means below said portion of the multiple belt conveyor having a plurality of upwardly extending projections adapted to be raised upwardly through the multiple belt conveyor and the stacking forks when lowered and to be lowered downwardly below the multiple belt conveyor, and means for alternately and sequentially raising said stacking forks, extending said raised stacking forks to receive and stack slices of the food product or the like thereon, lowering the stacking forks as the slices are received and stacked thereon, raising the upwardly extending projections of the transfer means when the stacking forks are in a lowered position, retracting the lowered stacking forks, and lowering the upwardly extending projections of the transfer means to deposit the stacks of slices on the multiple belt conveyor.

Claim 10

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 7, wherein said last mentioned means includes means for incrementally lowering said at least one stacking fork each time that a slice is sliced from the food product or the like and stacked thereon a distance of at least the thickness of each such slice, and means for adjusting the extent of said incremental lowering of the food product or the like in said feed chute and for adjusting the extent of the incremental lowering of said at least one stacking fork for regulating the thickness of the slices sliced from the food product or the like and for accommodating the stacking of the slices of regulated thickness on the stacking fork.

Claim 11

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 8, wherein said last mentioned means includes means for incrementally lowering said stacking forks each time that a slice is sliced from the food product or the like and stacked thereon a distance of at least the thickness of each such slice, and means for adjusting the extent of said incremental lowering of the food product or the like in said feed chute and for adjusting the extent of the incremental lowering of said stacking forks for regulating the thickness of the slices sliced from the food product or the like and for accommodating the stacking of the slices of regulated thickness on the stacking forks.

Claim 12

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 1, wherein said Slice collecting means includes a belt conveyor having a portion thereof in substantial alignment with said feed chute, a stacking mechanism above said portion of the belt conveyor and including a pair of platforms adapted to be moved toward each other for receiving and stacking slices of the food product or the like as they are sliced by the rotating and gyrating knives and to be moved away from each other for depositing the stacks of slices of the food product or the like on the belt conveyor, and means responsive to the slicing of a predetermined number of slices of the food product or the like for moving said platforms away from each other to deposit a stack of slices on the belt conveyor and for immediately moving said platforms toward each other for receiving and stacking slices thereon.

Claim 13

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 1, wherein said slice collecting means includes a belt conveyor having a portion thereof in substantial alignment with said feed chute, and a stacking mechanism above said portion of the belt conveyor for receiving and stacking slices of the food product or the like as they are sliced by the rotating and gyrating knives and for depositing stacks of such slices on the belt conveyor.

Claim 14

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 1, wherein said feed chute is substantially rectangular in cross-section and includes a pair of adjacent fixed sides which are traversed last by the rotating and gyrating knives, a pair of adjacent movable sides which are traversed first by the rotating and gyrating knives, and means for adjustably positioning said pair of adjacent movable sides with respect to said pair of adjacent fixed sides for accommodating different sizes of the food product or the like, and wherein said feeding means includes a plurality of substantially vertically arranged movable belts on said pair of adjacent fixed sides having teeth extending inwardly in the feed chute for engaging the food product or the like to positively suspend and incrementally lower the same in the feed chute.

Claim 15

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 1, including a knife sharpener carried by the machine adjacent the plane of the plurality of knives, means for selectively positioning the knives adjacent the knife sharpener and engaging the knife sharpener with them, means for rotating the selectively positioned knives for sharpening the same, and means for preventing rotation of the carriage as the knives are being sharpened.

Claim 16

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 1, including means for individually adjustably raising and lowering the knives with respect to the carriage to compensate for changes in position of the cutting edges of the knives occasioned by sharpening the same.

Claim 17

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like comprising, a rotatably mounted carriage rotatable about a central axis, a plurality of circular knives rotatably carried by the carriage eccentrically of said central axis and gyrated about said central axis upon rotation of said carriage, means for rotating said knives and for rotating said carriage for gyrating the rotating knives, feeding means for positively supporting the food product or the like and for incrementally advancing the food product or the like toward said knives each time that a slice is sliced from the food product or the like by the rotating and gyrating knives, slice collecting means adjacent the rotating and gyrating knives for receiving and collecting slices of the food product or the like as they are sliced by the rotating and gyrating knives, and means for adjusting the extent of said incremental advance of the food product or the like for regulating the thicknesses of the slices sliced therefrom by the rotating and gyrating knives.

Claim 18

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like comprising, a rotatably mounted carriage rotatable about a central axis, a plurality of circular knives rotatably carried by the carriage eccentrically of said central axis and gyrated about said central axis upon rotation of said carriage, means for rotating said knives and for rotating said carriage for gyrating the rotating knives, feeding means for positively supporting the food product or the like and for incrementally advancing the food product or the like toward said knives each time that a slice is sliced from the food product or the like by the rotating and gyrating knives, slice collecting means adjacent the rotating and gyrating knives for receiving and collecting slices of the food product or the like as they are sliced by the rotating and gyrating knives, and means for adjusting the extent of said incremental advance of the food product or the like for regulating the thicknesses of the slices sliced therefrom by the rotating and gyrating knives.

Claim 19

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 16, including means for adjusting the reLative speeds of rotation of said knives and said carriage for regulating the draw speed of said knives with respect to their speed of penetration into the food product or the like.

Claim 20

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like comprising, a carriage rotatably mounted for rotation in a substantially horizontal plane about a substantially vertical central axis, at least one knife carried by the carriage eccentrically of said central axis and arranged in a substantially horizontal plane above the carriage and gyrated about said central axis upon rotation of the carriage, means for rotating said carriage for gyrating said at least one knife about said central axis, a feed chute for the food product or the like arranged substantially vertically above the plane of said at least one knife and eccentrically of said central axis in alignment with the path of gyration of said at least one knife, feeding means including means in said feed chute for positively suspending the food product or the like in said feed chute and for incrementally lowering the food product or the like by said at least one gyrating knife, slice collecting means below the plane of said at least one knife in substantial alignment with said feed chute for receiving and collecting slices of the food product or the like as they are sliced by said at least one gyrating knife, and means for adjusting the extent of said incremental lowering of the food product or the like for regulating the thickness of the slices sliced from the food product or the like by said at least one gyrating knife.

Claim 21

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like comprising, a carriage rotatably mounted for rotation in a substantially horizontal plane about a substantially vertical central axis, at least one knife carried by the carriage eccentrically of said central axis and arranged in a substantially horizontal plane above the carriage and gyrated about said central axis upon rotation of the carriage, means for rotating said carriage for gyrating said at least one knife about said central axis, a feed chute for the food product or the like arranged substantially vertically above the plane of said at least one knife and eccentrically of said central axis in alignment with the path of gyration of said at least one knife, feeding means including means in said feed chute for positively suspending the food product or the like in said feed chute and for incrementally lowering the food product or the like by said at least one gyrating knife, slice collecting means below the plane of said at least one knife in substantial alignment with said feed chute for receiving and collecting slices of the food product or the like as they are sliced by said at least one gyrating knife, and means for adjusting the extent of said incremental lowering of the food product or the like for regulating the thickness of the slices sliced from the food product or the like by said at least one gyrating knife.

Claim 22

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 18, wherein said slice collecting means includes at least one stacking fork in substantial alignment with said feed chute for receiving and stacking slices of the food product or the like sliced by said at least one gyrating knife, means for incrementally lowering said at least one stacking fork each time that a slice is sliced from the food product or the like and stacked thereon a distance of at least the thickness of each such slice, and means for also adjusting the extent of said incremental lowering of said at least one stacking fork for accommodating the stacking of the slices of regulated thickness of the food product or the like on said at least one stacking fork.

Claim 23

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 18, wherein said feed chute is substantially rectangular in cross section and includes a pair of adjacent fixed sides which are traversed last by said at least one gyrating knive, a pair of adjacent movable sides which are traversed first by said at least one gyrating knife, and means for adjustably positioning said pair of adjacent movable sides with respect to said pair of adjacent fixed sides for accommodating different sizes of the food product or the like, and wherein said feeding means includes a plurality of substantially vertically arranged movable belts on said pair of adjacent fixed sides having teeth extending inwardly in the feed chute for engaging the food product or the like to positively suspend and incrementally lower the same in the feed chute.

Claim 24

A slicing machine for slicing a food product or the like as defined in claim 18, wherein said at least one knife is rotatably carried by said carriage, means for rotating said at least one knife so that it may be rotated about its axis as it is gyrated about said central axis by rotation of said carriage, and means for adjusting the relative speeds of rotation of said at least one knife and said carriage for regulating the draw speed of said at least one knife with respect to its speed of penetration into the food product or the like.