US1947897A - Slicing machine - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 20, 1934. w. J. CAMPBELL SLICING MACHINE Filed Dec. 4. v1931 3 Sheets- Sheet 1 I72 yeizfar Feb. 20, 1934- w. J. CAMPBELL SLICING MACHINE Filed Dec. 4. 1951 3 Sheets- Sheet 2 MM WZI SLICING MACHINE Filed Dec. 4. 1951 3 Sheets- Sheet 3 4? FJM MIQ Patented Feb. 20, 1934 SLICING MACHINE William Campbell, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to American Slicing Machine Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Application December 4, 1931. Serial No. 579,003

1 Claim. (o1..14e-1o2) My invention relates to an improvement in slicing machines and has for one object'the provision of a manually operable slicing machine for slicing bread, meat or the like. One object is the provision of a light, efficient fully manual ma chine. Another object is the provision of a machine having an actuating member orcarriage for moving or conveying the work past the cutting edge of the knife, associated with means for driving the knife in response to movement of the actuating or work supporting member. Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the specification and claim.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings,

wherein- Figure 1 is a sideelevation;

Figure 2is a plan view,.with parts in section;

Figure 3 is an end elevation with parts in section;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 3; V

Figure 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure .25 5; and

Figure '7 is a-view similar to, Figure 4, illustrating a slight variation. I p I Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, A generally indicates any suitable base member having supports A which may be of yielding material. Mounted in any suitable fashion on the base A is the slice receiving member A.

B indicates a gauge plate mounted for example on any suitable supporting member B adapted, in response to rotation of the manual control knob B to move the gauge plate toward and away from the cutting plane. Any suitable connection may be employed between the knob B and the support B the details of which do not of themselves form part of the present invention.

C is a bearing housing mounted in any suitable fashion upon the base A. Mounted for rotation within it is the knife shaft C which may rotate for example in roller or ball bearings 0 The knife shaft carries at one end any suitable knife C herein shown as having a flat forward surface 0* lying substantially in the cutting plane. The

5 0 knife is rearwardly beveled as at C and may be secured to any suitable plate C the plate in turn being mounted upon the end of the shaft C The opposite end of the shaft may carry a sprock et C about which passes a flexible driving mem- -5 ber C herein shown as a chain. Introduced between the end of the knife shaftC and the sprocket is any suitable over-running clutch or one-way driving member, whereby uni-directional rotation may be imparted to the knife shaft. I illustrate for example a generally crossshaped clutch member C which may be keyed to the shaft C} and which is provided with recesses C in which are positioned balls or rollers C opposed to the inner face C of the sprocket. Springs C urge the ball C against the surface I C It will be clear from Figure 5 that the parts are so shaped or proportioned that counter clockwise movement of the sprocket will tend to pinch the ball C between the clutch members C and the opposed inner faceC of the sprocket, effecting a driving connection. If the relative rotational direction of the-sprocket and knife shaft is reversed, the sprocket-will simply over-ride the clutch, the balls moving against the spring C out of clutching or locking position.

D D indicates supporting or guiding tracks mounted for example on supports D Slidably mounted on these tracks is any suitable carriage structure D with a downward extension D op- .posed to the lower track D D indicates a work supporting trough. I may illustrate any, suit able handle member. for thecarriage D but I indicatehereina pin D which may be manually grasped. '5

Extending forwardly from the front of the 86 base A are studs or projections E, upon which are mounted pins E which rotatably receive sprockets 11'] about which passes a flexible member, for example the chain. E Associated with one of said sprockets is a shaft E to which the;90 sprocket isfixed. The shaft E carries at its" opposite end a second sprocket E about which passes the chain C.

To provide a driving connection between the carriage and the chain E I illustrate the follow-, ing structure mounted upon the carriage. G G are guides or abutment members, moving with the carriage and underlying the upper and lower bights of the chain respectively. Pivoted above these guides for movement with the carriage 3165100 the pawls or thrust members G G, each of which l is notched as at G to engage the chain rollers or cross bars and is normally downwardly urged as by the spring G It will be clear as from Figure 4 that the members G G are so positioned;-,;l05 that when one is in driving engagement with the chain, the other over-rides the chain. For example, referring to the structure of Figure 4, when the carriage is moved to the right, a clockwise rotation is given to the sprocket E. On the; il

contrary, when the carriage is moved to the left the lower member G is in locking engagement with the chain but the upper member G overrides the chain. Thus reciprocation of the carriage D imparts uni-directional movement of the chain E and through the sprocket .E the sprocket E the chain C and the clutch member C imparts uni-directional rotation to the knife.

Referring to Figure 7, I illustrate a variant structure in which a plurality of pawls are opposed to each bight of the chain.

It will be realized that whereas I have described and shown a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes maybe made in. size, shape, proportion and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative, rather than limiting me to my precise showing. For example, the details.

or material actuating means may be widely varied. Whereas I illustrate the chains as driving members, it will be realized that other suitable driving members may be used. The details of the over-running driving connections may also be widely varied.

It will be also understood that whereas I have shown an over-running clutch between the knife and the sprocket driving the knife, such overrunning clutchmay under some circumstances-be omitted. For example when employing the pawl driving connection shown in Figures 4 or 7 I may rely on it alone in order to actuate the knife. On the other hand, if I eliminate the pawl connection, for example by securing one night of the chain to the carriage I would find it necessary to employ the over-running clutchconnection. In other words, I may use either the oven-running clutch connection or the pawl connection or both, depending upon the needs of the particular machine.

The use and: operation of my invention are as follows:

I illustrate a relativel y'light but efiicient ma chine which is particularly useful as a substitute for electric or power driven machines; For example, it may be employed at places where power is not available or where electric pow-er is sufficiently expensive to warrant the employment or a fully manual machine.

In the operation of the device, the material to be sliced may be placed on the trough D and moved manually against the gauge plate B which is adjusted to determine the thickness of the slice. The operator then manually reciprocates the carriage D past the cutting edge and across the face of the knife C The forward thrust of the carriage moves the flexible driving member E and imparts a cutting rotation to the knife. The rearward movement of the carriage continues this cutting rotation, for example through the locking efiect of the member G The over-running clutch illustrated in Figure 5 is effective to permit the knife to spin during the intervals when the carriage is at rest, for example at the end of the cutting excursion. The knife may be made of such weight as to have sufficient momentum to hold' its speed of rotation sufficiently steady for practical purposes. If desired, the knife may be weighted or the member C may be made of suffici entdiameter to serve as a fly wheel. The cutting edge of the knife may be protected by any suitable guard means, for example the peripheral guard indicated as J. The gauge plate B also serves as a guard when it is positioned in closed or'neutralposition as shown in Figure 2.

I' claim:

In a slicing machine, a knife, a manually operable carriage adapted to support the material to be sliced, means for actuating the carriage inrelation to'the cutting edge of theknife, driving means between carriage and knife adapted, in response to manual movement of the carriage to-aetuatethe knife, said driving means including an endless. chain, a plurality of pawls, mounted on the carriage, opposed to said chain. one of said pawls being adaptedto overrun one bight of said chain, another of said pawls being adapted to override another bight of said chain, the pawl engaging one bight being inclined oppositely tothe pawl engaging the other bight. and means for preventing unintended recession of said chain from said pawls in response to thrust of the pawls against the chain, said means including an abutment element mounted on the carriage adjacent each said: pawl and adapted to-engag'e th'esid'e of the chain opposite to the pawl.

WIILILAM- J. CAMPBELL.

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