Slicing apparatus having variable thickness control

• Main Author: PEDI; MARIO J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 21.04.1981
• Subjects: COMPONENTS OR ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING,CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HAND CUTTING TOOLS; NAILING OR STAPLING MACHINES IN GENERAL; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SAWS FOR WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL; SEVERING; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OR PRESERVING WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL

Improved apparatus for automatically cutting multiple slices from a block of frozen food material includes a repositionable block-guiding fence whose position relative to a saw blade determines the thickness of the slices. A programmable controller is preset before a slicing sequence to produce a desired number of thin slices before actuating a fence-repositioning mechanism, thereby increasing the thickness of the slices cut from the remainder of the block. The controller is recycled automatically and the fence returns to its initial position before a new block is sliced. A slice-restraining arm mounted on the fence prevents a completed slice from being reinserted between the fence and the saw and from interfering with the return movement of the fence.