High speed slicing machine

A food article slicing machine, comprising:

• a slicing station comprising a knife blade and a knife blade drive driving the blade along a cutting path in a cutting plane;
• a food article loading apparatus including a lift tray assembly moveable between a staging position and an elevated position, the elevated position being a position where food articles disposed within the lift tray assembly are in a food article feed path;
• a food article feed apparatus disposed above the food article loading apparatus and having an upper conveyor assembly with independently driven endless conveyor belts,
• wherein each of the conveyor belts is used in cooperation with an independently driven and controlled food article gripper for moving a food article along the food article feed path when the food article gripper is in a closed position in which the food article gripper seizes a food article;
• and
• a food article stop gate disposed upstream of the slicing station that forms a portion of the food article feed path,
• wherein the food articles are supported in position along the food article feed path by at least the food article stop gate when the lift tray assembly is moved from its elevated position, the food articles passing over the food article stop gate when the food articles move along the food article feed path, and
• wherein the food article stop gate also serves as a door for the removal of food article end portions.