US3099305A - Food slicer - Google Patents

Description

K. ZYSSET FOOD SLICER July so, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 25, 1959 K. ZYSSET FOOD SLICER July 30, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25, 1959 K. ZYSSET FOOD SLICER July 30, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 25, 1959 Y [AWE/V70? 41m. ,ZYS'SET United States Patent 3,099,305 FOOD SLICER Karl Zysset, Hauptstrasse 31, Lyss, Switzerland Filed Sept. 25, 1959, Ser. No. 842,510 Claims priority, application Switzerland Oct. 1, 1958 3 Claims. (Cl. 146-103) My present invention relates to improvements in household food slicers.

Various such slicers are known, of which the cutting disk is rotated by power means, in most cases power means also being provided for stepwise feeding the objects or goods to be cut. Such known machines are rathel expensive and are practically used only in retail shops and large-size kitchens of restaurants and the like.

An object of the present invention is to improve a slicer of known type in which a manually operable swing arm is pivoted to a supporting frame, and a cutting disk is journaled to said arm, and in which a drive connection is normally provided between said disk and said frame for rotating said disk about its own axis when actuating said arm, a gauge plate or abutment plate being movably mounted on said frame to position the goods to be sliced.

it is also an object of the invention to mount the gauge plate or abutment plate on the stationary supporting frame on the same axis as the swing arm, and to make the plate adjustable in the direction of said axis to which its abutment face stands at right angles.

One form of the invention is shown, by way of example, in the drawings, in which- FIG. 1 is an elevation,

FIG. 2 is a top plan view, and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sections on the lines II IIII and IV-IV respectively of FIG. 1.

The slicer shown comprises a supporting frame 1 suitably die-cast of plastic, which for reinforcement has partitions 1a and which is provided with rubber legs 40. In its intermediate portion, frame 1 has a raised saddle with a horizontal platform 2 which is parallel to the frame base. A vertical web 3 extends from that edge of said saddle which in FIG. 1 is situated on the left, across the entire width of the frame, and serves for guiding the object 4 to be sliced, which in FIGS. 1 and 2 is indicated by dash-and-dot lines. The platform 2 and the guiding face formed on web 3 are parallel to the axis 5 (FIG. 1) of a hollow cylindrical frame portion =1b (FIG. 3) which at one end is stepwise enlarged. At its front side, frame 1 has a projecting tail on the left end (FIGS. 1 and 2,) for widening its base. The major portion of the front wall or end face 1a respectively of the supporting frame extends at right angles to platform 2, web 3 and axis 5.

In the hollow cylindrical frame portion 1b is fitted a thin-walled metallic bushing 9 in which is rotatably mounted a hollow shaft 6 (FIG. 3) made of brass for example. On that end of shaft 6 which projects from the front of the supporting frame, is fixed the portion 7a of a swing arm 7 which is adjacent to the frame. The rear end of the hollow shaft 6 is provided with an exterior annular groove in which is inserted a spring ring 8 which abuts against the rear end of bushing 9 and thereby prevents shaft 6 from moving forwardly.

A pinion 12 is rotatably mounted on swing arm 7 by means of a pivot or pin 10 which has a head 10a and is secured in place by a nut 11 screwed thereon. To pinion '12 is secured a coaxial cutting disk 13 by means of countersunk rivets 41, and the cutting edge 14 of said disk is formed as shown in FIG. 1. Disk 13 is slidably supported on a plurality of studs 15 inserted in swing arm 7. The latter covers the greater part of the cutting disk 13, and at the point where the cut-off slices are stripped it has on the front side a recessed frustro-conical face 16.

In the hollow shaft 6 is mounted rotatable and axially movable the thicker portion 17a of a solid shaft or pin 17. To that end of portion 17a which projects from hollow shaft 6, is fixed the hub-shaped portion 18a of a stop, abutment or gauge plate 18. The entire rear face 19 (FIG. 2) of gauge plate 18 facing frame '1, stands at right angles to the common axis of rotation 5 of swing arm 7 and of stop plate 18 and serves as abutment face for the object '4 to be cut in slices. The thickness of the slices cut is controlled by the spacing between said face 19 and the plane of the knife edge 14 of cutting disk '13. To make possible the adjustment of this spacing which is readable from a scale 45 provided on swing arm 7, so as to vary the thickness of the slices cut, a nut 20 is adjustable on the externally threaded rear end of the thinner shaft portion 17b. The nut abuts the rear end of hollow shaft 6 which is provided with an enlarged interior portion 6 a, under the influence of a compression spring 21 inserted with pre-tension between said portion 6a and the annular shoulder between the shaft portions 17a and 17b.

The abutment or gauge plate 18 which in elevation is substantially crescent-shaped, is coupled at its upper end to swing arm 7 in a non-rotatable relationship, but is movable in the direction of axis 5. This is accomplished by means of a nose 7b provided on arm 7 and adapted to be engaged in a groove 22 which is parallel to the axis of rotation 5 and which is provided on the upper end of plate 18. Vice versa, the groove could be provided on the swing arm, and the nose could be provided on the abutment plate.

Arranged on the front side of plate 18 is a cast, substantially radial rib 18b which serves as a handle and of which the upper side is provided with a plate 24 made of plastic.

Between cutting disk 13 and supporting frame 1 is disposed a drive connection through which, when swing arm 7 is actuated, disk 13 is rotated about its own axis. Said drive connection comprises a link 26 pivoted by a pin 25 to frame 1, a spring 42, a toothed segment 28 pivoted by a pin 27 to arm 7 and further pivoted at 29 to link 26, and a pinion 1'2 fixed to disk 13 and having teeth continuously meshing with those of a toothed segment 28. Spring 42, which is made of steel wire, is mounted with a couple of turns on pin 25, is supported through a short leg on frame portion 1; and is engaged through its long leg in a hole provided in link 26.

In the drawing, swing arm 7 with plate 18 connected thereto is shown in one of its terminal positions in which it abuts against a bumper 43 made of rubber or the like and inserted in frame portion 1 From this position, the members 7 and .18 as a unit may be swung counterclockwise (FIG. 1) through about 55 by actuating the handle 18b, 24 until plate 18 comes to rest on a bumper 44 inserted in frame portion 10. The exposed portion of knife edge 14, i.e. the portion which is not covered by arm 7, moves in front of the space situated above platform 2, which space is partly occupied by the object 4. Pin 27 on which toothed segment 28 is turnable travels with swing arm 7. Since one end portion of segment 28 is connected to the supporting frame through link 26, the segment has to turn on pin 27. Such turning movement is transmitted through pin-ion ,1 2 to cutting disk 13 which, therefore, performs a movement of about one and a third revolution in the sense of arrow A (FIG. 1) about its bearing pin 10 when the members 7, 18 are swung counterclockwise through 55 for the cutting stroke. When said members 7, 18 are swung back, the cutting disk 13 is turned back through the same angle. The actuating arm 18b, 24 is moved downwardly during a cutting stroke and upwardly during a return stroke, and not in a horizontal direction, which will assist in avoiding undesirable movements of the slicer on the table top. Furthermore, the force to be exerted on the actuating arm 18b, 24 for swinging same back is substantially reduced by spring 42 which tends to turn link 26 clockwise (FIG. 1) about pin 25, and the tension of which is increased during downward cutting strokes.

- The objects 4 to be out are fed by hand towards the abutment face 19 of plate 18. The operator actuates the arm 18b, 24 with his right hand and at the same time puts the thumb of his left hand on web 3 while the other fingers of his left hand bear down directly on the rear end of the goods or objects 4. As soon as only little is left of the goods, the operator swings a slider 32 (which so far has not been used) away from its rest position shown in FIG. 1 by dash-and-dot lines, about a bar 31 which is parallel to the axis of rotation and is held retractable in projections 1e of frame 1, the slider 32 being moved to the position of use shown in FIG. 1 by dash lines and in FIGS. 2 and 3 by solid lines. The operator may now urge the remainder of the goods towards the abutment face 19 by means of slider 32. In the position of use, slider 32 rests on the upper edge of web 3 across its entire width.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a food slicer, in combination, a stationary supporting frame having a platform having a cutting region for an object to be sliced; a hollow shaft rotatably mounted on said frame; a swing arm fixedly secured to said hollow shaft; a cutting disc turnably mounted on said swing arm; a pin passing through said hollow shaft in coaxial relationship and being turnable and axially shiftable in the same, said pin having one end portion projecting from said hollow shaft in the region of said swing arm; a gauge plate fixedly secured to said projecting portion of said pin; manually operated means mounted on said frame and located at the other end portion of said pin for axially shifting said pin in said hollow shaft for adjusting the distance between said gauge plate and said cutting disc; and connecting means for connecting said gauge plate with said swing arm for turning movement about said axis and for relative movement in axial direction so that the axial spacing between asid disc and said guage plate can be adjusted at a point spaced from said cutting region, said swing arm, and said cutting disk.

2. In a food slicer, in combination, a stationary supporting frame having a platform having a cutting region arm and at the other end a thinner threaded portion;

spring means located in said hollow shaft abutting the same and said thicker portion of said pin for urging said pin to move in axial direction out of said hollow shaft; and manually operated nut means threaded on said threaded portion and abutting said hollow shaft for limiting movement of said pin under the action of said spring; a gauge plate fixedly secured to said projecting portion of said pin so that the distance between said gauge plate and said cutting disc can be adjusted by operation of said nut means; and connecting means for connecting said gauge plate with said swing arm for turning movement about said axis and for relative movement in axial direction so that the axial spacing between said disc and said gauge plate can be adjusted at a point spaced from said cutting region, said swing arm, and said cutting disk.

3. A food slicer as set forth in claim 2 and including a manually operated member fixedly connected to said gauge plate so that by operation of said manually operated member said gauge plate and said swing arm with said cutting disc are moved toward said platform; and drive means operatively connecting said cutting disc with said frame and operated by movement of said swing arm relatiVe to said frame to effect rotation of said cutting disc during movement of said swing arm toward said platform.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 970,680 Burkhardt Sept. 20, 1910 2,119,660 Varley June 7, 1938 2,224,557 Van Berkel Dec. 10, 1940 2,286,648 Rogers June 16, 1942 2,851,074 Talge et al. Sept. 9, 1958 2,901,014 Coons et al. Aug. 25, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,581 Great Britain 1903

Claims (1)

1. IN A FOOD SLICER, IN COMBINATION, A STATIONARY SUPPORTING FRAME HAVING A PLATFORM HAVING A CUTTING REGION FOR AN OBJECT TO BE SLICED; A HOLLOW SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME; A SWING ARM FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID HOLLOW SHAFT; A CUTTING DISC TURNABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SWING ARM; A PIN PASSING THROUGH SAID HOLLOW SHAFT IN COAXIAL RELATIONSHIP AND BEING TURNABLE AND AXIALLY SHIFTABLE IN THE SAME, SAID PIN HAVING ONE END PORTION PROJECTING FROM SAID HOLLOW SHAFT IN THE REGION OF SAID SWING ARM; A GUAGE PLATE FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID PROJECTING PORTION OF SAID PIN; MANUALLY OPERATED MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND LOCATED AT THE OTHER END PORTION OF SAID PIN FOR AXIALLY SHIFTING SAID PIN IN SAID HOLLOW SHAFT FOR ADJUSTING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID GAUGE PLATE AND SAID CUTTING DISC; AND CONNECTING MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID GUAGE PLATE WITH SAID SWING ARM FOR TURNING MOVEMENT ABOUT SAID AXIS AND FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT IN AXIAL DIRECTION SO THAT THE AXIAL SPACING BETWEEN SAID DISC AND SAID GUAGE PLATE CAN BE ADJUSTED AT A POINT SPACED FROM SAID CUTTING REGION, SAID SWING ARM, AND SAID CUTTING DISK.

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