Band-type roll slicing machine

A band type roll slicing machine comprising a substantially horizontal endless conveyor supported for movement in a direction to support and feed a plurality of rolls simultaneously in a predetermined direction, an endless band type knife supported adjacent said conveyor and one section of said knife being disposed transversely and parallel to said conveyor in spaced relationship above the upper surface thereof a predetermined distance between the top and bottom surfaces of rolls to be sliced thereby, and power means to drive said conveyor and knife in operative directions;

• in combination with pressure means mounted above and substantially in vertical alignment with said section of said knife and supported for limited yieldable movement away from said conveyor, means engaging said pressure means and exerting relatively light pressure thereon toward said conveyor, said pressure means comprising a series of relatively narrow rollers operable upon axes extending transversely to the direction of movement of said conveyor and spaced apart axially relatively short distances to form a nested arrangement of said rollers to permit a plurality of said rollers simultaneously to engage the upper surfaces of rolls upon said conveyor in locations both transverse and longitudinal to and extending substantially in parallel relationship to the path of movement of said conveyor, and friction means on the peripheries of said rollers engaging the upper surfaces of said rolls with light pressure as carried by said conveyor into contact with said section of said knife to minimize lateral movement of said rolls from said path of movement thereof while being sliced and also hold said rolls in frictional engagement with said conveyor without unduly compressing or deforming the upper surfaces of rolls and thereby also maintain the upper and lower portions of rolls in superimposed vertical relationship when the same have the slicing thereof into said upper and lower portions completed.