GB516778A - Improvements relating to slicing machines - Google Patents

Abstract

516,778. Slicing-machines. BERKEL & PARNALL'S SLICING MACHINE MANUFACTURING CO., Ltd., and THOMAS, H. July 7,1938, No. 20097. [Class 28 (ii)] The substance to be sliced is supported so that its advance and rear portions are mutually inclined and merge gradually into one another through a curved intermediate portion, the substance being fed stepwise across the slicing plane. As shown, the invention is embodied in an attachment 16 which replaces the feed table and is slidable in the usual guides of the feed table and is operated by the usual feed mechanism. The attachment has a steeply inclined substance-support 19, and an auxiliary substance holder 22 which is slidable down the support 19 by auxiliary feed mechanism. The attachment carries also an additional clamp 27 mounted on a member 28 slidable on guides 29, 291 and locked thereon by a tilting clutchring 30 which is releasable by swinging an arm 31 away from the slicing plane A-A. In operation,'the material is placed on the machine with the thin end on the inclined support 19 and thick end on the main substance support 20, which is perpendicular to the plane A-A. The thick part of the meat is thus cut squarely, the square cutting continuing under the action of the main feed gear until the bent piece of meat between the horizontal and inclined supports is cut, this bent piece being, of course, cut slightly obliquely to compensate for the diminishing thickness of the meat. The arm 31 contacts with a fixed abutment 33 and is swung to release the ring 30 immediately before the bent piece of meat is sliced, the clamp 27 thus being released. During the further operation of the main feed, the freed clamp 27 rises on the guides 29, 29<1> and becomes inoperative. The auxiliary feed comes automatically into operation as follows. The auxiliary feed screw 23 is actuated by a pinion 26 having a free-wheel connection therewith and driven by a reciprocating rack 25. The rack is operated by an oscillating lever 36, 37 and a returning- spring 44, the lever being pivoted on a block 38 vertically slidable on a rod 39 and 'normally retained in raised position by a spring 40, in which position the end 36 of the lever is above the level of a fixed adjustable striker 35. When the attachment reaches the end of the main feed movement, the peg 43 strikes the arm 42 of a bell-crank, the other link 41 of which is connected to the block 38 which is thus depressed against the spring 40 and brings the lever end 36 into co-operation with the striker 35. The meat is thus fed downwards over the stationary surface 19 and the resultant slices from the thin end of the meat are cut on the incline. The clamp 27 may be spring-pressed against the meat when in operation. In a modification, the inclined surface 19 is formed as a permanent part of the feed table, it being hinged to 'a sliding extension thereof to lie flat on the table when square cutting is to be effected, and supported in its inclined position by a pivoted strut when inclined cutting is to be effected. The feed of the clamp 22 is effected by a coupling with the usual clamp post. When the main feed is in use, the feed table and the extension, being frictionally locked together, move towards the cutting- plane as a unit, the slices being thus cut squarely. The sliding extension is then arrested by a stop, the continuation of the feed thus moving the clamp 22 down over the inclined support 19.