US2407525A - Food handling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 10,1946. j 'e. R. wooD 2,407,525

FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS I Filed April 12, 1943 INVENTOR. GEORGE R. WOOD Patented Sept. 10, 1946 George It. Wood,

Montreal, Quebec, Canada, assignor to Toledo Scale Company, Toledo, Ohio,

a corporation of New Jersey Application April 12, 1943, Serial No. 482,765

This invention relates to food handling apparatus of the type in which a' commodity to be sliced is reciprocated past the edge of a circular rotary knife, being slid along the face of a gauge plate which is substantially parallel to'the plane of the edge of the knife and is adjustable in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto to vary the thickness of the slice severed during eachwstroke, and more particularly to the commodity-carrying member of such a machine and to means forholding commodities in place on such a commodity-carrying -member.

The commodity-carrying member of a slicing machine, usually called the commodity tray or trough, comprises a trough-like structure which is .mounted for reciprocation on a" slicing machine base to carry themain piece of commodity past the exposed edgeof the knife. A commodity tray is usually provided with a commodity clamp which may be fed transversely across the commodity tray toward the plane of the knife by means of a spring to force the commidity against the gauge passes over the edge of the knife. Such a clamp has'avertical forward face which is substantial-- ly parallel to the face of the gauge plate and the plane of the knife and serves its purpose excellently when the commodity has a substantial cross section soithat itcan be pushed from the rear. A clamp of this typemay also have commodity-engaging prongs on its lower edge which can be forced downwardly into a flat commodity, such as 2, bacon slab, to feed the commodity toward the knife. such as bologna, liver sausage, thuringer, and others, have a length substantially greater than their cross section and cannot be fed by pressure at the rear because they would buckle and not remain flush against the face of the gauge plate. Neither can they be fed by engagement with the commodity engaging prongs, used for feeding a commodity such as bacon because, since many of themare round in cross section, they would not be held stationary.

Itis an object of this invention to provide a commodity clamp having commodity engaging members, which will serve to hold a small cylindrical-shaped commodity firmly in place so it may be fed by spring action.

It is another object of this invention to provide a commodity clamp having commodity engaging members located to pierce and hold a commodity of small cross section in the angular intersection of the faces of a trough-shaped plate as it approaches and,

However, many commodities,

2 Claims. (Cl. 146- 102) 2' commodity tray .and to feed such commodity toward the knife blade. v

It no, further object of this invention to provide a commodity clamp having a section which can be frictionally. engaged with the surface of a commodity of small circular cross section to hold the commodity stationary and to permit it to be fed manually toward the gauge plate.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a commodity clamp for use in manual feeding' of commodities of small circular or other,

cross section which will'assist in holding the commodities firmly and will also protect the hands of the operator. I

More specific objects and advantages are apparent from the description, in which reference is had tothe accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred form of device embodying the invention.

In the drawing: v

Fig; I is a view, in elevation, of a slicing ma chine employing a commodity clamp embodying the invention.

Fig. II is a fragmentary enlarged view; in elevation, of a commodity clamp embodying the invention and in a 'diiferent operating position than that shown in Fig. I.

Fig. III is an enlarg d vertical sectional view,

takenfsubstantially on the line III-III of Fig. I.

1 The specific drawing and the specific description that follows merely disclose and illustrate the invention and are not intended to impose limitations upon the claims.

A slicing machine, which is adapted to employ a commodity clamp embodying the invention, comprises a base it) on which is erected driving andijournaling means for a rotary circular knife H which is guarded by means of a knife guard l2, also mounted on the base, and a gauge plate l3 mounted on the base with its face in a plane parallel to theplane of the edge of the knife H and with its edge closely adjacent the edge of the knife II. The gauge plate 13 is adjustable on a line perpendicular to the plane of its face by means of a gauge plate adjusting and indicating w front of the base I5 is mounted for knob M which is located at the ID, A commodity tray carriage "reciprocation on the base l0 past the edge of the the tray Ii. An angular commodity clamp arm 20 is slidably mounted on the rod I8 for movement transversely across the commodity tray I! on a line perpendicular to the face of the gauge plate I3. A spring 2i surrounds the shaft I8, being engaged between one of the ears I9 and the portion of the arm 20, which surrounds the shaft I8, both to urge the rm toward the knife and to swing it in a counterclockwise direction (Figs. I and II) downwardly toward the commodity tray IT.

A commodity clamp 22, which comprises a stamped plate having two turned-over ends 24 and 25 and a turned-over flange 26, is swivelably mounted in a hub 21 formed on the end of the arm 29 with the face of the plate 23 in a plane parallel to the gauge plate I3 and knife I I. The clamp 22 is swivelecl in the hub 27 by means of a pin 28, the head of which fits into an aperture 29 in the plate 23 and which serves as an axis for a disk 30 which is riveted to the rear face of the plate 23 and located in a counterbore 3i in the hub 21. The pin 28 is forced into the hub 21 and thus remains stationary, permitting the disk 3e, and plate 23 riveted thereto, to revolve. A plurality of commodity engaging points 32 are riveted to the forward face of the plate 23 to engage the rear of commodities to be pushed against the face plate I3 and knife I I. A U shaped, pronged member 33 is riveted to the urned-over flange 25 of the'plate 23 and two slide 34, which extend below the points of the pronged member 33, are riveted to the end 24 and 25 of the plate 33 at the ends of the flange The pronged member 33, when the commodity clamp 22 is swiveled slightly more in a clockwise direction than shown in Fig. I, serves to engage the upper surface of commodities, such as bacon, and to feed such commodities toward the gauge plate. The slides 3.4 hold the commodity clamp with the points of the pronged member 33 out of engagement with the bottom plate of the commodity tray I! to prevent damage to the points of the pronged member 33 or to the commodity tray.

At the lower portion of the turned-over side 25 of the plate 23 there is located a series of commodity engaging prongs 35 which are shown in I as engaged in a sausage-like commodity 35. The action of the spring I8 forces the arm in a counterclockwise direction inserting the prongs 35-into the commodity 36 and also pushes the arm '29, commodity clamp 22 and engaged commodity toward the gauge plate I3 while holding the commodity in the corner of the commodity tray Il Thus the commodity clamp holds the commodity against rotation, forces it firmly into the corner of the commodity tray to prevent its buckling, and feeds it against the face of the gauge plate to insure even, parallel slices being severed.

In Fig. II the commodity tray is shown swung through 180 with the warped or turned-over end 24 of the plate 23 shown located in position to hold a commodity 31 having a circular cross section in the corner of the commodity tray II. This is particularly useful when the commodity is too small in diameter to enable the use of the prongs 35, or when it is too soft to be fed forward by the engagement of the prongs 35 therein (in an xc ed n y soft c mm d ty, th p s would merely rip the commodity rather than feed it). In this event the clamp 22 is used only to hold the commodity 31 in the corner of the tray to prevent its buckling and the commodity is fed forward manually, the plate 23 serving as a guard for the operators fingers.

Because the arm 28 is resiliently forced in a counterclockwise direction, and the commodity clamp 22 is swivelable, the two ends 24 and 25 with their respective commodity engaging surfaces, or members, may be adapted to hold commodities of various cross sections for proper slicand feeding-either automatic or manual.

The embodiment of the invention that has been disclosed may be modified to meet various eq irem nts- Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Commodity feeding means for a slicing machine having a commodity carrier with two angularly intersecting sides comprising a pusher plate and means for moving said plate across said carrier, said plate having a face lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of said, plate and having iommodi y engaging members extending from its edges in at least two different directions, all of said ena in m m e s l ng n su ta tia y e m p a e, said p te bein sw velably mounted on. a aXis substantially parallel to its direction of movement and having at least one smooth surf ced r l ev d orner hav ng a s a e of su stantial width parallel to the sides of the carrier positionable inthe corner formed by the intersecting sides of said commodity carrier to form wi s i sides a gui e r ugh which a com- 7 modity of small cross section may be fed and resilient, means fo urging said plate toward such corner.

2. A commodity clamp for a slicing machine having a V-shaped commodity carrier, comprising a generally rectangular pusher plate fitted w th omm di y n gi embe s. o s ace and some of its edges and mounted for reciprocation along said V-shaped carrier with its face perpendicular to its path of movement, said plate being rotatable topresent any of its edges to the surface of said carrier and having one of its edges formed with a smooth warped surface of substantial width adapted to cooperate with the corner of said V-shaped carrier to form a funnel shaped guide through which commodities may be manually fed.

GEORGE R. WOOD.

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