GB565819A - Stackers for slicing machines - Google Patents

Abstract

565,819. Slicing-machines. WAAGE, J. J. March 31, 1943, No. 5161. Convention date, March 28, 1942. [Class 28 (ii)] In a slicing-machine in which the substance holder 12 is reciprocated by hand against a rotating disc knife 10 and has an adjustable gauge plate 11 regulating the thickness of slices, a slice receiving plate 16 reciprocates with the holder and is lowered step-by-step one slice thickness to receive and stack each slice, such lowering being controlled and coupled to the usual adjustment of the slice thickness plate, the receiving plate being maintained level by means of a pantograph-like mechanism. A finger 23 assists in straightening each slice on the stacker. The substance holder 12 is pushed to and fro by a handle 15 and slides on guide shafts 13 and 14. The receiving plate 16 is mounted on an arm 18 pivoted at 19 on a reciprocal hanger post 20 slidable on guide shafts 13 and 14 by the handle 15. Hand turning of the knob 35 to adjust the thickness gauge plate 11 also operates through a gear quadrant 33, Fig. 3, and link 30, to raise or lower a cam 36, 36a. This cam 36 is engaged by a roller 42 of a lever 40 which is coupled to, and so rotates, a cam 37 one step at a time. The cam 37 holds up the arm 18 carrying the slice receiving tray 16. The lever 40 is so coupled through a locking member 39 to a bearing race formed in the cam 37 to rotate the cam around one step at a time, whereby the stacker plate arm 18 resting on the cam can descend by gravity. The slice straightening finger 23 is pivoted on a stationary boss 24 on the concealing apron 24a and is operated by a cam 27 through a reciprocating link 25a, Fig. 15 (not shown), and a bellcrank lever 25, the sheet metal cam 27 moving concurrently with the movement of the food holder. The cam is arranged to delay the sweep of the finger 23 until a portion of the cut slice descends from the knife. When sufficient slices have been stacked and removed, the stacker is raised again by manually lifting the free end of the arm 18 from the cam, whereby cam noses 44 rotate the rocker arm 43, Fig. 6, to disengage the cone clutch 45, 46 so permitting the cam 37 to be rotated back to initial position by a spring 48b anchored at one end to the hanger 20 and at the other end to the cam itself. The receiving plate 16 descends proportionately and progressively to the set of the thickness gauge plate through rotation .of the clutch 45 rotating the cam 37. The pantograph mechanism for maintaining the receiving plate 16 horizontal comprises rods 55 and 65 which press on the flange 54 of the plate supporting mount, pivoted at 17, whereby descent of the arm 18 causes the rods 55 and 65 to become straighter and therefore longer, so that the flange 54 is pushed a little around the pivot 17. A spring 67 holds the flange 54 in contact with the end of the rod 55. An adjusting screw 66 is used to initially set level the plate 16. The receiving plate 16 can be entirely removed from the machine to allow, for example, cabbages to be cut and fall on the base by removing entirely the outer half of the arm 18. This is done by releasing a finger trigger 64 to disengage the hooked latch 59, Fig. 9 (not shown), from its keeper pin 60, whereby the outer half of the arm can be removed.