US3002543A

US3002543A - Folding slicing machines

Info

Publication number: US3002543A
Application number: US6812A
Authority: US
Inventors: Weiner Harry
Original assignee: GENERAL SLICING MACHINE CO Inc
Current assignee: GENERAL SLICING MACHINE CO Inc
Priority date: 1960-02-04
Filing date: 1960-02-04
Publication date: 1961-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 1978-10-03

Description

Oct. 3, 1961 wElNER 3,002,543

FOLDING SLICING MACHINES Filed Feb. 4, 1960 INVENTOR, HARRY WEINERI ATTORNEY Fatented Oct. 3, 1961 3,002,543 FOLDING SLICING MACHINES Harry Weiner, Newburgh, N .Y., assignor to General Slicing Machine Co., Inc, Walden, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed F eh. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 6,812 3 Claims. ((11.1.46-402) The present invention relates to portable food slicing machines of the class having a slidably mounted carriage on track rods along which a food mass on'the carriage is transported to and fro past a cutting blade and more particularly to the type which can be compactly folded when not in use.

Heretofore, in folding slicing machines, it was common to have a base of two parts in hinged relation. One part carried the blade and its housing and a gage plate with :a means for regulating the position of said gage plate in relation to the plane of the blade so as to adjust for slice thickness. The other base part carried the track rods. To fold, said second base part was swung upward a quarter turn. This produced an unstable structure because of the incident raising of the center of gravity or compelling a rather heavy and high mass to be supported on a rather narrow base when the machine was in folded condition. Then again, when feet or vacuum cups serving as feet were provided, six of them were required, id est, four for the base part on which the folding machine did rest and two on the other base part which was swung upward from the supporting surface on which the contrivance stood.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a novel and improved folding slicing machine whose base is a unitary structure. In use or when folded, the whole machine will stand on its full base.

A further object thereof is toprovide a novel and improved folding slicing machine in which the base supporting the machine is a rigid structure.

Another object thereof is to provide a folding slicing machine of novel and improved construction, in which when folded, its center of gravity is lower than when in use condition.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved folding slicing machine in which the cooperative means used .to secure the parts of the machine in proper positioned relation for bringing the machine into use condition, serve not only. to lock the parts in true operative relation, but act as stop means to establish such relation.

In folding slicing machine of the kind used heretofore, to fold, one base part was swung up. Its resulting condition was rather unstable, because a slight movement of the swung-up part would make it fall.

It is therefore another object of this invention to provide a novel and improved construction by which even an appreciable accidental movement of the swung part, will not bring the machine into use condition, because the accidentally moved part would automatically shift back so that the machine again would assume its collapsed condition.

A further object thereof is to provide a novel and improved folding slicing machine of the character described, having the attributes mentioned, which is reasonable in cost, easy to manipulate and which is efficient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For one practice of this invention, there is a unitary base frame comprising end members in spaced relation, supporting parallel track rods which span them to one side of the middle of such assembly. Said end members may have suction cups depending from them, one at each side end thereof respectively. On an auxiliary base, to the side of and extending parallel to the track rods, substantially to the inner surfaces of said end members, there stands the blade housing with the cutting blade mounted thereon as usual, in advance of which housing is the usual gage plate associated with a suitable means to change the position of said plate; the planes of said blade and plate being parallel to each other and to the track rods. Said auxiliary base and its appurtenances, I will refer to hereafter as the unitary swingable structure, because same is swingably mounted on the frame structure aboutan axis whose line is parallel to the track rods and positioned sufficientlyabove the resting plane of the machine to permit said unitary swingable structure to oscillate freely, but said axis line is .low enough so that when said unitary swingable structure is swung to rest on at least one of the track rods which acts as a stop therefor, the plane of the blade shall be substantially horizontal. Suitable means are provided to lock said unitary swingable structure into use position on the unitary base frame, with provision that assure true relative position of all the parts of the machine as is necessary for use condition.

In hand-operated machines, if the crank handle is not foldable, it is removable. In many slicers made by one company, the food carriage is removable. I contemplate in the machine I have chosen to explain this invention so as to make a compact package when the machine is collapsed to be put away. I will also set forth how the food carriage may remain. 1 V

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of slicing machine. embodying the teachings of this invention. The machine here, is shown in use condition.

PEG. 2 is a perspective view showing the unitary base frame structure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of what I call herein, the unitary swingable structure, in the embodiment shown.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the machine of FIG. 1 in collapsed condition; the operating handle and the food carriage having been previously removed.

PEG. 5 shows a parts-positioning and locking screw employed in the embodiment illustrated.

In the drawing, the numeral 15 designates generally a food slicing machine consisting of a unitary base. frame structure denoted generally by the numeral 16 and a unitary swingable structure indicated generally by the numeral 17. The base frame structure 16 comprises a pair of spaced

end members

18, 19, which to one side of middle, are spanned by the

track rods

20, 21 on which a food carriage 22 is slidably mounted. The swingable structure 17 comprises an elongated, comparatively narrow auxiliary base 23, which carries the knife housing 24 for the rotary disc blade 25, and the slice regulator means 26 associated with the gage plate 27. Said swingable structure is swingably mounted on the frame structure about an axis line determined by the aligned axis pins 28, 28'. The operating handle 29 can be screwed from off the drive shaft 30. It is preferred that the food carriage be detachable from off the

track rods

20, 21, as for instance of the types shown in the Gilbert et a1. Patent No. 2,807,301 of September 24, 1957, and in the allowed Gilbert patent application, Serial No. 639,252, Patent No. 2,931,406, filed February 11, 1957. The mounting of the swingable structure 17 on the

axis pins

28, 28 may be afforded by the

angular brackets

31, 33 which are secured to the ends of the auxiliary base member 23. The height of the axis line determined by the

axis pins

28, 28, above the supporting surface of the machine, determined by the common plane of the mouths of the vacuum cups as 14 3 which serve as feet on the base frame 16, should permit the swingable structure 17 to swing so that blade 25 can lie horizontally or nearly so, over the track rods 20, 2] and yet low enough that the gate plate 27 shall come to rest on the track rods, or the carriage platform 22, if the carriage is not removable.

The

end members

18, 19 may be of any suitable perimetral form; the particular one shown. being for appearance sake. As an example of suitable locking structure, the end member 19 has a key-hole shaped opening which in the embodiment illustrated may be the notch indicated generally at 34; the enlargement 34' thereof, being towards the

track rods

20, 21. A headed, stepped locking screw denoted generally as 35, has its end shank portion 35' which is the smallest in diameter threaded and its tip engaged in a threaded hole 36 in the bracket 33. Such threaded portion is through the opening 34 and is laterally slidable therein. When the intermediate shank part 35" is entered into the enlargement 34' of the key-hole notch and the screw 35 is tightened, the swingable structure 17 is securely fixed in position to and on the base frame structure 16. so that the machine is in proper use condition; said enlargement 34' being so located on the end member 19 to effect this condition when engaged by the screw part 35". If desired, a spring-biased detent 37 may be provided on the bracket 31 for engagement with a slot 38 in the base end 18, to further sturdy the machine when in use condition.

To place the machine from its use condition shown in FIG. 1, to folded condition shown in FIG. 4, if the carriage 22 is removable. detach it. Also remove the handle 29. Loosening the locking screw 35 and disengage at 37, whereupon the unitary swingable structure 17 is swung so that the gate plate 27 shall overlie and rest on t-e track rod it meets. How to reset to use condition is plainly evident without any further explanation. If the carriage 22 is not of the removable type, then remove its prong pusher member 32, then shift the carriage against the end member 18, so that in folding, the gage plate 27 will clear the upright wall of the carriage and said gage plate will come to rest atop the food platform 22'. Of course dimensions are made to suit to give the clearance A and that the platform 22 may be very near the track rods 29. 21.

In folding the machine, its center of gravity is lowered. The machine is supported by the full rigid base structure 16 standing on its four feet 34 which encompass a considerable area, when it is in use condition and when it is in non-use folded condition. Accidental upward movement of the unitary swingable structure 17 up to a considerable extent from its folded condition and then let go, will only cause it to fall back again. In previous structures, accidental shift of some, but comparatively slight extent, would cause the machine to become fully open. Where the base is foldable as has been common heretofore, six legs were necessary if legs were included. In the machine set forth herein, only four are required. Also heretofore, where the base was foldable, the base area encompassed by the folded machine was but a fraction of that encompassed when in use condition, and coupled with the fact that when in folded condition, its center of gravity remained in constant position or was raised, any accidental movement would unbalance it or undo the fold. All these objectionable features have been avoided by my present invention.

Without further pictorial illustration, it is readily understandable that the teaching of this invention is applicable to powered machines of this class.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiment shown herein shall be deemed merely illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific showing and description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a portable food slicing machine, a first unitary structure comprising an elongated, comparatively narrow auxiliary base member, a cutting blade supported for movement at a predetermined position atop said auxiliary base member and a gage plate mounted atop said auxiliary base member in advance of said blade, a main rigid unitary comparatively wide base frame structure presenting a track member along said auxiliary base member, for supporting a food carriage for slidable movement therealong, to and fro past the cutting edge of said blade; said first unitary structure being swingably mounted on said main base frame structure about an axis parallel to the line of said track member and directly above said auxiliary base member; the center of gravity of said swingable structure, being always within and over the confines of said main base structure; the planes. of said blade and gage plate being upright and parallel to each other and to said track member, means releasably securing said swingable structure against swinging movement; said swingable structure when released, being capable of being swung to a position Where said blade and gage plate lie substantially horizontally over at least the major part of said main base frame structure and means on said main base frame structure for supporting said swingable structure when it is so swung; such supporting means being at a region away from saidauxiliary base member.

2. A slicing machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the mentioned securing means also serves to locate said swingable structure at its proper upright position in relation to the base frame structure, in which position said swingable structure is to be secured against swinging movement.

3. A slicing machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the main base frame structure includes two end members; said track member spanning such end members and wherein the auxiliary base member includes two end brackets; said end members and brackets extending upwardly; the pivotal connections for the swingable structure being at the upper ends of said end members and brackets and wherein the releasably securing means is provided by having a threaded hole through one of said brackets and a notch in the adjacent end member of the main base frame structure; said brackets being between said end members and including a three-stepped screw, having the end shank portion thereof, threaded and engaged in said threaded hole; said notch being enlarged at its closed end and extending in the direction away from the blade and towards the track member; the intermediate shank portion of said screw being in slide fit in said enlarged part of said notch; said enlarged notch part being so positioned that when said screw shank part is entered therein, the swingable structure will be in proper upright position on the base frame structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS