US2165047A

US2165047A - Slicing and weighing machine

Info

Publication number: US2165047A
Application number: US162709A
Authority: US
Inventors: John C Gualdoni
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1937-09-07
Filing date: 1937-09-07
Publication date: 1939-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 1956-07-04

Description

Ju y 4, 1939. J. c. GUALDONI 2,155,047

SLICING AND WEIGHING MACHINE Filed Sept. 7, 1937 Patented duly 4, 193 9 g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,165,047 SLICING AND WEIGHING MACHINE John C. Gualdoni, Brentwood, Mo. Application September I, 1937, Serial No. 162,709

4 Claims. (Cl. 249-62) This invention relates in general to certain new 1 and for purposes presently more fully appearand useful improvements in slicing machinery ing. and has for its principal object the provision of Mounted rigidly upon the upwardly presented a slicing machine which will automatically receive face of the base A, is an electrical motor B con- 5 the substance slices and simultaneously weigh nected in any conventional manner to a suitable 5 them, giving a continuous indication of the agsource of electric power, the latter not being gregate weight of substance slices delivered by shown. Also mounted rigidly on the upwardly the machine in any one cutting operation. presented face of the base A, is a conventional My invention also has for an object the proviprotectively housed rotary slicing knife mechalO sion of a slicing machine which may be set for nism C operatively connected to the drive shaft 1) n any predetermined aggregate weight of substance of the motor B and having a circular or disk-like slices and will automatically discontinue the sliccutting blade 3, a gauge plate D being mounted ing operations as soon as the predetermined on the base A in upstanding alignment with the weight has been reached, preventing any further circular cutting blade 3 for regulating the thickdelivery of substance slicesabove such predeterness of the substance slices, as well as for pro- 15 mined weight. tecting the user against accident.

My invention has for a further object the pro- Likewise mounted rigidly on the upwardly prevision of a slicing machine of the type stated sented face of the base A in suitable juxtaposiwhich is extremely simple and economical in contion to the cutting blade 3 and the gauge plate struction, maintenance, and operation costs; and D for receiving the substance slices as they are 20 which is otherwise highly emcient and satisfaccut by the cutting mechanism C, is the weighing tory in the performance of its intended objects. mechanism E having a flat slice-receiving weigh- And with the above and other objects in view, ing platform 4 operably mounted for vertically my invention resides in the novel features of shiitable movement responsive to the weight of 26 form, construction, arrangement, and combinathe substance slices deposited thereon, and being tion of the several parts presently described and connected by any suitable weighing system of pointed out in the claims. springs or levers to an indicating hand 5 rotatably In the accompanying drawing, mounted on a small shaft or pin 5' for swingable Figure 1 is a perspective view of a slicing mamovement in front of a graduated indicating 30 chine. constructed in accordance with and emscale 6. The indicating hand 51s provided inter- 30 bodying my present invention; mediate its ends with an electrical contact point Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view I connected to a flexible lead wire 8. Also rotatof the slicing machine, partly broken away and ably mounted on the small shaft or pin 5' for in section for more detailed illustration of the swingable movement over the indicating scale 6 weighing and setting mechanism; in a plane spaced from the plane of movement 35 Figure3isafragmentary vertical sectional view of the indicating hand 5, is a setting arm 9 of the weighing and setting mechanism, taken provided at its lower end with an arcuate or approximately along the line 3-3, Figure 2; segmental rack 10, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional Journalled in and extending through the side view of the slicing machine, taken approximately wall of the weighing mechanism E, is a setting 40 along the line 4-4, Figure 1; knob shaft ll provided at its outwardly extend- Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of the slicing ing end with a setting knob H and at its inmachlne, partly broken away and in section, for wardly extending end with a pinion i2 arranged more detailed illustration of the carriage lock for operative meshing engagement with the segmechanism; and mental rack ID of the setting arm 9. The set- 45 Figure 6 is a schematic view of the wiring diating arm 9 is further provided intermediate its gram of the slicing machine. ends'with an electrical contact member [3 con- Referring now more in detail and by reference nected to a flexible lead H. The contact member characters to the drawing, which illustrates a 13 is so positioned along the setting arm 9 as to preferred embodiment of my invention, A desigcontactingly engage theelectrical contact mem- 5O nates' a flat preferably rectangular base having her 1 of the indicating hand 5 when the indicatsuitable downwardly presented supporting legs I ing hand 5 and the setting arm 9 are in overand being provided with a rectangular opening lying registration, all as best seen in Figures 2 2 formed inwardly of and parallel to a lengthand 3 and for purposes presently more fully apwise margin of the base A, as best seen in Figure peering. 55

Rigidly mounted in the base A and extending transversely across the aperture 2 thereof, is a pair of laterally spaced parallel slide rods I5. Shiftably mounted on the slide rods l5 for reciprocation past the cutting wheel 3 of the cutting mechanism C, is a substance carrier F which may be of any conventional character and design, although for purposes of illustration I have shown a substance carrier of the V-shaped manually operable type.

Mounted rigidly on the drive shaft 1) of the motor B interiorly of the housing of the cutter mechanism C, is a brake drum It provided with an encircling brake band H, which is, in turn, actuated through a suitable lever and link mech- ..anism, as at l8, to the shiftable core IQ of a fixed solenoid 28, which is, in turn, rigidly mounted upon the base A. The lever and link mechanism i8 is suitably provided witha tension spring 2| for normally maintaining the brake band I! and the brake actuating mechanism out of engagement with the drum I 8, all as best seen in Figure 4 and for purposes presently more fully appearing.

Pivotally mounted on the under side of the base A adjacent the inner lengthwise margin of the base aperture 2 is a bell crank member 22 having a horizontally extending arm 22' for optional engagement with the base portion of the substance carrier F, the bell crank member being so positioned on the base A with respect to the cutting knife 3 as to prevent movement of the substance carrier F toward the cutting knife 3 for further slice-cutting operation when the bell crank arm 22' is in substance carrier engaging position. The other bell crank arm 22" is provided with a pin 23 for disposition in the slot 24 of an actuator bar 25. The actuator bar 25 is at its one end rigidly connected to a tension spring 26 and at its other end is rigidly connected to the shiftable core bar 21 of a solenoid 28 rigidly mounted on the machine base A. The actuator bar 25 is further provided with an outwardly presented pin 29 for' supporting engagement with one end of a tension spring 38, which is, in turn, at its other end, mounted on the pin 23 of the bell crank arm 22", all as best seen in Figure 5 and for purposes presently more fully appearing.

Also operatively mounted on the under side of the base A, is a double pole relay 3! of any conventional design and a toggle member 32 having a manually operable arm 33 extending outwardly beyond a marginal edge of the base A for convenient manual operation.

Referring now to the wiring diagram in Figure 6, it will be evident that the indicator arm contact member I is connected through the flexible lead 8 to one side of the secondary winding of a conventional transformer G, the primary of the transformer G being connected across the main power lines p, p. The other side of the secondary winding of the transformer G is connected to one terminal of the winding on the relay 3|, the other relay winding terminal being connected through the flexible lead M to the setting arm contact point 53. One magnetic pole of the relay 3| is disposed in juxtaposition to the switch bar 34, which is, in turn, swingably mounted and provided with a preferably integral extension 34 pivotally connected to the inner end of the toggle arm 33, the switch bar 34 being arranged for circuit completing engagement with a switch terminal 35, which is, in turn, connected to one terminal of the motor B, the other cutting stroke.

erative juxtaposition to a pivotally mounted switch blade 36, which is arranged for circuit completing engagement with a switch terminal 31 and is connected through the lead 38 to the power line p. The terminal 3'! is connected through the lead 39 to one terminal of the solenoid 20 and also to one terminal of the solenoid 28, the other terminals of the

solenoids

20 and 28 being each connected directly to the power line p.

In operation, the setting arm 9 is moved to any predetermined position corresponding to the particular weight of material desired to be sliced. Since, at this moment, no slices have been as yet delivered onto the platform 4, the indicating arm will remain at zero and the contact point 'I thereof will accordingly be out of engagement with the contact point l3 of the indicating arm 9. Under these conditions, the circuit through the transformer to the winding of the relay 3| will be incomplete and the relay will accordingly be inoperative. Since the relay is inoperative, the switch blade 36 will also be out of engagement with the terminal 31 and the circuit to the

solenoids

28 and 28 will likewise be incomplete. The toggle arm 33 may then be swung or pivoted to bring the switch blade 34 into operative engagement with the terminal 35, thus completing the circuit to the motor B and setting the cutting mechanism in operation. Since the circuit to the

solenoids

28 and 28 is incomplete, the motor brake band I! will be disengaged from the motor brake drum l6 and the carriage locking bell crank member 22 will likewise be in disengaged position, permitting free movement of the substance carrier F. The operator thereupon may reciprocate the substance carrier F to and fro past the cutting knife for slicing operation. As the slices are cut, they will drop of their own weight upon the platform 4 of the weighing mechanism E and cumulatively swing the indicator hand 5 toward the setting arm 8; As soon as a suflicient number of slices have been cut to bring the indicating arm up to the desired weight, the contact point 7 thereof will be brought into engagement with the contact point 53 of the setting arm 9, thereby completing the circuit neously swing the switch blade 34 out of operative engagement with the terminal 35 and swing the switch blade 36 into operative engagement with the terminal 33, thereby breaking the circuit to the motor B and completing the circuit to the

solenoids

20, 28. The

solenoids

28 and 28 will each thereupon become energized and the brake band i! will be moved into braking engagement with the motor brake drum I6 and the carriage locking bell crank member 22 will be moved upwardly into carriage locking position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5. The carriage may then be moved backwardly over the bell crank arm 22, which will swing downwardly against the action of the spring 30, allowing the carrier F to clear, but will then swing upwardly for latch-like engagement and prevent further movement of the substance carrier F for a subsequent substance At the same time, by reason or the braking action of the brake band H, the entire cutting mechanism will be brought to rest. As soon as the operator removes the substance slices from the platform 4, the indicating hand 5 will swingbackwardly again to zero and the con- :act member 1 thereof will again be moved out of engagement with the contact member ll of the setting arm 9, whereupon the relay II will become de-energized and the switch blade 36 will be released, breaking the circuits to the solenoids I0, 28, and accordingly releasing both the motor braking and carriage locking mechanisms. The switch blade 34, however, although released from the relay, will nevertheless be maintained out of engagement with the terminal 35 by means of the toggle arm 33 and the machine will be restored to original inoperative position.

It will be evident that by my invention I have provided a slicing machine which is extremely unique in its convenience and usefulness in connection with a variety of commercial uses. For instance, in a delicatessen or butchershop, the clerk in slicing meat, cheese, or the like may set the machine to the weight desired by the particular customer and slice the substance directly onto the receiving platform. As soon as the desired weight has been reached, the machine will automatically be stopped without cutting other slices, thus eliminating the necessity of slicing a certain quantity of the substance by guesswork, removing it to a remote scale or weighing mechanism, and-then cutting a few additional slices provided the desired weight has not been attained. In addition to this, the present invention prevents the cutting of slices over and beyond the desired weight. Previously if more of the substance was sliced than the desired amount, the extra slices were retained until the next customer came along. In this interim, the slices usually dried out and became unsalable. It will further be evident that the present invention can be with equal facility applied to entirely automatic slicing machines equipped with power driven feeding mechanism, in which event the clerk may set the machine to the weight desired by the customer, start the machine in operation, and leave it to wait on another customer or supply additional needs of the same customer, leaving the machine unattended during the slicing operation, since the machine will automatically discontinue slicing operations when the desired weight of substance has been sliced.

, It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the slicing machine may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without de parting from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. "In a slicing machine having a substance slicer, an electric motor for driving the slicer, a

substance carrier, a shiftably mounted platform for receiving the substance slices, and limit switch means operatively connected to the platform for actuation responsive to movement thereof, control means'comprising a toggle switch connected in series with the electric motor and having a l manually operable armJor throwing the switch into circuit-closing position, a-relay controlled by the limit switch for moving the switch into circuit-openingposition, brake means operably mounted on the substance slicer for arresting further movement thereof, solenoid-actuated brake-operating means connected to the brake means, and a second switch connected in series with the brake-actuating solenoid for selectively completing and breaking the circuit thereto, said i switch being mounted {or actuation by the relay.

2. In a slicing machine having a substance slicer, an electric motor for driving the slicer, a substance carrier, 9. shiftably mounted platform for receiving the substance slices, and limit switch means operatively connected to the platform for actuation responsive to movement thereof, control means comprising a toggle switch connected in series with the electric motor and having a manually operable arm for throwing the switch into circuit-closing position, a relay controlled by the limit switch for moving the switch into circuit-opening position, brake means operably mounted on the substance slicer for arresting further movement thereof, solenoid-actuated brake operatingmeans connected to the brake means, and a second switch connected in series with the brake-actuating solenoid for selectively completing and breaking the circuit thereto, said switch being adapted for movement into circuitcompleting position by the relay when the latter is energized and for movement into circuit-interrupting position when the relay is deenergized.

3. In a slicing machine having a substance slicer, an electric motor for drivingthe slicer, a substance carrier, a shiftably mounted platform for receiving the substance slices, and limit switch means operatively connected to the platform for actuation responsive to movement thereof, control means comprising a toggle switch connected in series with the electric motor and having a. manually operable arm for throwing the switch into circuit-closing position, a relay controlled by the limit switch for moving the switch into circuit-opening position, a carrier lock operably mounted on the substance carrier for arresting further movement thereof, solenoid-actuated operating means connected to the carrier lock, and a second switch connected in series with the lock-actuating solenoid for selectively completing and breaking the circuit thereto, said switch being adapted for movement into circuit-completing position by the relay when the latter is energized and for movement into circuit-interrupting position when the relay is de-energized.

4. In a slicing machine having a substance slicer, an electric motor for driving the slicer, a substance carrier, a shiftably mounted platform for receiving the substance slices, limit switch means operably connected to the platform for actuation responsive to movement thereof control means comprising a toggle switch connected in series with the electric motor and having a manually operable arm for throwing the switch into circuit-closing position, a relay controlled by the limit switch for moving the switch into circuit-opening position, brake means operably mounted on the substance slicer for arresting further movement thereof, solenoid actuated brake operating means connected to the brake means, a carrier lock operably mounted on the substance carrier for, arresting further movement thereof, solenoid-actuated operating means connected to the carrier lock, and a second switch connected in series with the brake-actuating solenoid and the lock-actuating solenoid for simultaneously completing and breaking the circuits thereto, said switch being adapted for movement into circuit-completing position by the relay when the latter is energized and for movement into circuit-interrupting position when the relay is de-energized.

JOHN C. GUALDONL