Feeding of products in food slicers
AssigneeThurne-Middleby Ltd
InventorsAnthony Hodge, James Wakefield
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A food processing machine (10) and a method of cutting slices or portions from a food product (60) in a food processing machine are described. The food processing machine comprises an end gripper (40) for gripping a trailing end (62) of a food product travelling along a food product flow path towards the cutter. A gripper drive assembly (41) is arranged to move the end gripper from stowed position below the food product flow path to a raised position in the food product flow path after a food product has passed over the end gripper and then bring the end gripper into engagement with the trailing end of the food product.
Claims24
A food processing machine comprising:
- a cutter for cutting portions from a leading end of a food product;
- an end gripper for gripping a trailing end of a food product travelling along a food product flow path towards the cutter;
- and
- a gripper drive assembly for driving the end gripper,
- wherein the gripper drive assembly is arranged to move the end gripper from a stowed position below the food product flow path to a raised position in the food product flow path after a food product has passed over the end gripper and then bring the end gripper into engagement with the trailing end of the food product.
A method of cutting portions from a food product in a food processing machine in which food products travel along a food product flow path towards a cutter, the method comprising the steps of:
- placing an end gripper in a stowed position below a food product flow path with a top surface of the end-gripper generally co-planar with upper surfaces of adjacent product feeders in the food product flow path, wherein a food product that travels along the food product flow path moves above the top surface of the end gripper when the end gripper is in the stowed position;
- raising the end gripper from the stowed position to a raised position in the food product flow path after a food product has passed over the end gripper;
- and then bringing the end gripper into engagement with the trailing end of the food product.
A food processing machine comprising:
- a cutter disposed in conjunction with a feeder, the cutter configured to interact with a food product disposed upon the feeder and to selectively cut through a leading end of the food product;
- an end gripper movably mounted with respect to the feeder, the end gripper movable between a stowed position and a raised position for gripping a trailing end of a food product disposed upon the feeder;
- and
- a gripper drive assembly operatively connected with the end gripper, wherein movement of the gripper drive assembly causes end gripper motion between the stowed and raised positions,
- wherein the gripper drive assembly is arranged to move the end gripper from the stowed position, which is below the food product flow path, to the raised position, which is in the food product flow path, and wherein the gripper drive assembly urges the end gripper to the raised position after the food product has passed over the end gripper such that the end gripper when reaching the raised position engages a trailing end portion of the food product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.