US1952838A - Slicing machine - Google Patents

Description

Mareh 27, 1934. w. J. CAMPBELL 1,952,838

sLIcING MACHINE Filed oct. 28, 1929 2 sheets-sheet 1 March 27, 1934. w, J, QAMPBELL.v

SLICING MACHINE Filed Oot.- 28. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 #Hof/@y1 Patented Mar. 27, 1934 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLICING MACHINE 'Application october 2s, 1929, serial No. 402,880

11 claims. (o1. 14s-102) My invention relates to a slicing machine and is particularly applicable to slicing machines of the type in which a circular knife is rotated by a power source, for example, an electric motor. One object of my invention is the provision of effective scraping means for scraping lard, grease, juices and particles from the face of the knife. Another object is the provision of scraping means effective for the rear of the knife. Ano-ther object is the provision of improved guard means for the rear of the knife. Another object is the provision of an improved slice support for supporting the work and the slice adjacent the actual cutting zone. Other objects will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein-i v Figure l is a front elevation;

Figure 2 is a partial horizontal section;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of part of the structure shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a rear elevation;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 4; and

Figure 'l is a perspective view of the slice or work supporting element.

Like parts are indicated. by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings. Referring to the drawings, A generally indicates any suitable base, mounted for example upon the pads A1. Mounted upon said base is any suitable motor B with the motor shaft B1 and the pulley B2 driving the belt B3 which passes about the pulley B1, the knife shaft B5 and thereby rotates the circular knife B6.

Referring for example to Figures 1, 2 and 3 a guard plate C is positioned forwardly of the knife B6 and is provided with an arcuate edge portion Cl penetrating the front aperture B7 of the knife. It will be understood that the knife axis lies in a horizontal plane, but is somewhat tilted, in order to bring the cutting arc of the knife into or forwardly of the plane of the guard plateC. Exposed exteriorly of the arcuate edge C1 of the plate C is the forward and generally -flat front face B8 of the knife. Mounted upon the base o r frame A is a scraper support generally-indicated as C2. One end thereof is apertured as at C3 C3 to receive the securing screws C1 C4, whereby the support is secured to the base or frame. Associated therewith is the lateral extension C5 which terminates in a boss C6 having the convex ball surface C". Opposed to this ball surface is the concave ball portion C8 of the scraper element C15. C9 is a clamping washer and C1o a screw adapted to secure the washer against the scraper C15 and to clamp the assembly together. It will be seen, as in Figure 2, that the member C11 is provided with a central aperture C11 of substantially greater diameter than the diameter of the screw C10, whereby universal adjustment of the scraper C15 in relation to the boss C6 is permitted, within the limits of the relative sizes of the screw and aperture. C12 indicates the scraper vblade preferably more exible, or of lighter gauge than the scraper member C15. Y It is the element C12 which actually engages the face B8 of the knife,`and its great flexibility and its narrow width permit it to conform accurately and quickly to the vibrations of the knife and to the irregularities of the knife surface. C13 indicates a strengthening'rib of the member C2 and C1l1 an aperture. l

The guard plate C is adjustably mounted on the base or frame A of the slicing machine in the following manner. Adjustable abutments D, with its screwthrealed stems D1, are screwthreaded into the frame as at D2. D3 indicates any suitable lock nut, whereby the member D may be set at any desired adjustment. The member D is screwthreaded as at D1 to receive the screw stem D5, controlled by the knurled thumb handle D6, whereby the guard plate C is held against the abutment D. D7 D7 indicate any suitable washers which may be of flexible or resilient material. Note that one of the abutments D is in line with and passes through the aperture C14 of the member C2.

E indicates a gauge plate mounted upon the supporting structure E1. It will be understood that any suitable means may be employed for moving the gauge plate and supporting structure toward and'away from the cutting plane of the knife. interposed between the gauge plate E and its support E1 is the knife edge guard generally indicated as E2 which includes the plane portion E3, through which may pass the securing screws E1. Projecting rearwardly from the cutting plane and inwardly toward the knife axis is the guard portion proper generally indicated as E5 and provided with the bent or rolled back lower corner E6.

G generally indicates a work supporting VcarriageVV traveling on the tracks K K1 which guide it along a path past the cutting edge-and across the face of the guard plate C. Its inner edge G1 is somewhat spaced away from the gauge plate, as shown in Figure 5 and in order to bridge the gap between it and the gauge plate, which is increased as the gauge plate is rearwardly withdrawn from the cutting plane, I provide a work and slice support G2, which underlies the lower edge of the gauge plate. I find it desirable to form anelevation above the normal level of the support G2, adjacent the actual cutting edge of the knife. I indicate this member, for example in Figure '2, as at G3. The portion G0 is in that figure indicated as forming part of a separate block or piece G4, the forward edge as at G5, conforming to the cutting arc of the knife. It will be understood, however, that I do not wish to be limited to any specific form or means of assembly of such device. To the rear of the hump or projection G3 the member G2 is milled down or recessed `or concaved as at G15, this milled-out portion providing a downwardly and rearwardly more or less rounded surface or clearance zone for the lower edges of the slices as they are severed from the work by the knife and discharged, over the member G2, to the rear of the knife. The member G2 is further recessed, as at G5 in order to receive the lower edge G2 of the scraper G7 which conforms generally to the rear face of the knife. It will be seen, as in Figure d that the forward or actual scraping edge G9 of the member G7 contacts the top of the support G2 at a point within the periphery of the knife. In the form of knife herein shown the exposed rear face is concave, the edge G0 being more or less arcuately formed in orer to conform to it. rIhis concavity of the knife is shown in Figure 6 as atBg. The member G7 is indicated as adjustable, it being provided with a portion G10 opposed to the upward extension G11 of the frame A. The portion G10 is provided with slots or apertures G12 to receive the screws G13. rlJhe apertures are of greater diameter than the stems of the screws, to permit adjustment. The upward projection G11 from the frame is indicated as extending into the rear cavity B10 of the knife, as shown in Figure 6. Y K

C20 indicates an outward extension or offset at the bottom of the plate C which extends outwardly above or overlies the scraper C15.

Underlying the knife and the two scrapers is any suitable drip pan, shown for example in Figure 5, and indicated as I'I. This pan is removable and is shown as masked by the slice receiving element H1. In the form herein shown, the slice receiving element I-Il may be removed to give access to the member H, which may then be lifted upwardly out of the base of the slicing machine. It will be understood that the frame is cut away above it to permit material scraped olf by the scraping edges G0 or C12 to drop downwardly therein.

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

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

One of the major problems of a slicing machine of the type herein shown, is to clear from the cutting edge the fragments of material, grease,

lard, juices and the like, which tend to gather on the knife as it is rotated rapidly through the work being sliced. For example, in slicing ham or bacon, the frictional heat tends to cause larding or trying out of the grease. If this lard is permitted to adhere to the knife it will be carried with the knife into the interior housing of the slicing machine and may be there discharged centrifugally. The result, apart from damage to the transmission, is the gathering of material which rapidly causes an unsam'tary condition unless removed. This creates a constant and difficult cleaning problem, if the material is permitted to pass into the interior of the housing.

In order to clear the material from the front of the knife I provide the scraper illustrated in detail in Figures 2 and 3. The universal or ball and socket adjustment therein shown, including the boss C5, permits the adjustment of the scraper edge C12 toward and away from the knife and also permits it to be adjusted up and down in the general plane of the knife. I nd it advantageous to support this scraper independently of the guard plate C for several reasons. In the rst place, if it were placed on the guard plate C, it would be likely to be damaged when the guard plate is removed, or would add to the danger of handling the guard plate. In the second place, every time the guard plate were removed the adjustment of the scraper would be likely tc be disturbed. I therefore mount the scraper upon the scraper support C2 which, in turn, may be directly screwed to the base or frame of the slicing machine.

I have apertured the member C2, as at C14, in such fashion that it does not interfere with the supporting means for the plate C. Whatever lard or refuse is scraped from the front portion B8 of the knife drops into the pan H. The guard plate C itself protects a great body of the knife from contact with the work and, since it seats in the front recess of the knife, there is very little tendency of the material to travel inwardly within the periphery of the arcuate edge C1 of the plate.

The `offset portion C10 serves as a species of overhang or protection for the knife or scraper C15.

In clearing material from the rear of the knife I employ the scraper generally indicated as G1, the arcuate edge G0 of which engages the hollow round rear face B9 of the knife. It also discharges the material which it scrapes into the receiver I-I. Its lower edge enters the recess G0 of the member G2 and the member G2 is itself so closely approached to the knife face, as shown in Figure 6, as to serve as an additional or supplemental scraping means.

The projection G3, by raising up the edge of the work, and by supporting the slice at the point of severance, reduces the tendency of the work to be dragged with the knife edge and face. This reduces the heat generated as a result of frictional contact, and therefore reduces the tendency for fat meats, like ham or bacon, to deposit lard or grease on the kife. The milledaway portion G15 makes the escape of the slice over the edge of the member G2 easier and quicker.

The rear guard E5, which cverlies the cutting edge from the rear, is outwardly bent as at E5, to provide ample clearance for the slices as they pass rearwardly to the receiving element H1.

I claim:

1. In a slicing machine having a rotary knife and means for rotating it, a work carriage and means for guiding said carriage across the face and past the cutting arc of the knife, a guard plate positioned forwardly of said knife lying in a plane generally parallel with the path of movement of said carriage, and a scraper opposed to the edge portion of the knife, said scraper being mounted independently of said guard plate, the guard plate being provided with an oifset portion extending outwardly above said scraper.

2. In a slicing machine having a rotary knife and means for rotating it, a work carriage and means for guiding said carriage across the face and past the cutting arc of the knife, a gauge plate lying in a plane generally parallel with the path of movement of the carriage, a slice support adjacent the edge of the carriage, the top of said slice support lying in a plane generally parallel with the top of the carriage and extending both forwardly and rearwardly of the cutting plane, an upward projection from said support adjacent the cutting edge of the knife and a scraper opposed to the peripheral portion of the rear face of said knife the bottom of said scraper extending to a level lower than, and being masked by said upward projection.

3. In a slicing machine having a rotary knife and means for rotating it, a work carriage, a gauge plate, a slice support adjacent the edge of the carriage, said slice support extending within the periphery of the knife, and a scraper opposed to the peripheral portion of the rear face of said knife, said scraper overlying said slice support.

4. In a slicing machine having a rotary knife and means for rotating it, a work carriage, a gauge plate, a slice support adjacent the edge of the carriage, said slice support extending within the periphery of the knife, and a scraper opposed to the peripheral portion of the rear face of said knife, said scraper overlying said slice support, the slice support being recessed to receive it.

5. In a slicing machine having a rotary knife and means for rotating it, a work carriage, a gauge plate, a slice support adjacent the edge of the carriage, said slice support extending within the periphery of the knife, and a scraper opposed to the peripheral portion of the rear face of said knife, said scraper overlying said slice support, a guard, associated with the gauge plate, extending outwardly and rearwardly from the edge of the gauge plate and being adapted to overlie the edge of the knife at all normal positions of the gauge plate.

6. In a slicing machine having a rotary knife and means for rotating it, a work carriage, a gauge plate, a slice support adjacent the edge of the carriage, said slice support extending within the periphery of the knife, and a scraper opposed to the peripheral portion of the rear face of said knife, said scraper overlying said slice support, a guard, associated with the gauge plate, extending outwardly and rearwardly from the edge of the gauge plate and being adapted to overlie the edge of the knife at all normal positions of the gauge plate, the portion of said guard adjacent said scraper being outwardly ared away from said scraper.

7. In a slicing machine having a rotary knife and means for rotating it, a work carriage, a gauge plate, a scraper opposed to the peripheral portion of the rear face of said knife, a guard, associated with the gauge plate, extending outwardly and rearwardly from the edge of the gauge plate, and being adapted to overlie the edge of the knife at all normal positions of the gauge plate, the portion of said guard adjacent said scraper being outwardly flared away from said scraper.

8. In a slicing machine having a rotary knife and means for rotating it, a work carriage, a slice support adjacent the edge of the carriage, said slice support extending within the periphery of the knife, and a scraper opposed to the peripheral portion of the rear face of said knife, said slice support being recessed to receive an edge of said scraper.

9. The structure of claim 8 characterized in that the intersection of the scraping edge of said scraper with said slice support is within the periphery of the knife.

10. In a slicing machine having a rotary knife and means for rotating it, a work carriage, a gauge plate, a guard, associated with the gauge plate, extending outwardly and rearwardly from the edge of the gauge plate, and being adapted to overlie the edge of the knife at all normal positions of -the gauge plate, the lower portion of said guard, adjacent the lower edge of the gauge plate, being outwardly flared in excess of the flare of the rest of said guard.

l1. In a slicing machine having a rotary knife and means for rotating it, a work carriage, and a slice support adjacent the edge of the carriage, extending within the periphery of the knife, said slice support having a generally horizontal upper surface and being formed, near its opposition to the cutting edge of the knife, with a hollow extending downwardly and rearwardly away from the cutting plane and below the normal plane of the top of said support, and a scraper opposed to the rear face of said knife, said scraper overlying the ltop of said slice support and engaging said slice support adjacent said hollow.

WILLIAM J. CAMPBELL.

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