Product clamp for food slicing machine
AssigneeJ. E. Grote Company, Inc.
InventorsThomas P. Mathues, William J. Locascio
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A clamping mechanism for a food slicing machine having a product holder that is driven cyclically through a food slicing blade along an arcuate or linear path. The clamping mechanism is driven by the drive means that drives the product holder, thereby assuring the timing of the clamping during the cutting portion of the stroke. A drive rod extends from the drive means, which can be a driveshaft, and extends to a plate that is pivotably mounted to the product holder. The plate pushes plungers through the sidewall of the holder to seat against and clamp the food product against the sidewall of the holder.
Claims13
A product clamping apparatus for a slicing machine having at least one holder with a sidewall defining an elongated product-receiving barrel, said at least one holder being cyclically driven by a rotatable driveshaft to displace a product in the holder through a slicing blade during a portion of a holder stroke, the clamping apparatus comprising:
- (a) a drive rod having a driveshaft end and a plate end, the driveshaft end drivingly linked to the driveshaft at a position radially offset from the driveshaft's axis of rotation for reciprocatingly driving the drive rod;
- (b) a plate pivotably mounted to the holder at a hinge and pivotably mounted to the plate end of the drive rod at a position radially offset from the hinge for being driven by the drive rod about the hinge;
- and
- (c) a first plunger drivingly linked to the plate, the first plunger having a product end that extends through an aperture formed in the holder for seating against the product and clamping the product against the holder sidewall during a portion of the holder stroke.
A product clamping apparatus for a slicing machine having at least one holder with a sidewall defining a product-receiving barrel, said at least one holder being cyclically driven by drive means to displace a product in the holder through a slicing blade during a portion of a holder stroke, the clamping apparatus comprising:
- (a) a drive rod having a drive means end and a plunger end, the drive means end drivingly linked to the drive means for reciprocatingly driving the drive rod;
- and
- (b) at least one plunger drivingly linked to the plunger end of the drive rod, the plunger having a product end that extends through an aperture formed in the holder for seating against the product and clamping the product against the holder sidewall during a portion of the holder stroke.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.