High speed slicing machine

A slicing line comprising:

• a first machine configured to slice food articles, the first machine including
• a lower food article loading apparatus having a lift tray assembly which is configured to move food articles from a staging position to an elevated position in line with a food article feed path,
• an upper food article feed apparatus having an upper conveyor assembly above and in line with the lower food article loading apparatus, wherein the upper conveyor assembly includes independently driven endless conveyor belts and independently driven food article grippers configured to move the food articles along the food article feed path with independency of feed rate, wherein the independently driven endless conveyor belts are used in cooperation with the independently driven food article grippers,
• a food article gate that acts as a gate, bridge, and door, and
• a cutting blade at an end of the food article feed path, the cutting blade being configured to slice the food articles;
• and
• a second machine coupled with the first machine.

A slicing machine for slicing food articles comprising:

• a slicing blade and a slicing blade drive driving the slicing blade along a cutting path in a cutting plane;
• a food article feed apparatus configured to advance food articles along a food article feed path and into the cutting plane, wherein said food article feed path comprises plural lanes and the food article feed apparatus advances plural food articles along the lanes of the food article feed path, plural food article grippers configured to advance along respective lanes of the food article feed path at independent rates, and plural endless conveyor belts which are independently driven and are configured to circulate at independent rates
• a food article gate that acts as a gate, bridge, and door;
• and
• a food article loading apparatus, wherein the food article loading apparatus has a first position for receiving food articles, the first position being a position where food articles disposed within the food article loading apparatus are laterally aligned with the lanes of the food article feed path, and the food article loading apparatus has a second position, the second position being a position where food articles disposed within the food article loading apparatus are in the lanes of the food article feed path.