Food processing apparatus

Apparatus comprising first conveyor means for sequentially moving pastry shells along a first path extending through a food processing station, blade means at said food processing station, means for supporting a body of foodstuff at said food processing station, means for moving said body of foodstuff toward said blade means from a location spaced from said blade means and into engagement with said blade means to sever slices of the foodstuff from the body of foodstuff, second conveyor means for engaging the body of foodstuff as it is moved toward said blade means from the location spaced apart from said blade means, for receiving slices severed from the body of foodstuff by said blade means, and for moving the slices of the foodstuff away from said blade means along a second path toward a location at which the severed pieces of foodstuff are associated with a pastry shell disposed along said first path on said first conveyor means, said second conveyor means including surface means engageable with a portion of the body of foodstuff during at least a portion of the time the body of foodstuff is being moved toward said blade means, and drive means for moving said surface means toward said blade means at substantially the same speed as said means for supporting the body of foodstuff is moved toward said blade means and while said body of foodstuff is in engagement with said first surface means, said surface means being movable along at least a portion of said second path to apply a force to the slices of foodstuff severed from the body of foodstuff to positively move the slices of foodstuff along said second path away from said blade means.

Apparatus comprising first conveyor means for sequentially moving pastry shells along a first path extending through a food processing station, blade means at said food processing station, means for supporting a body of foodstuff at said food processing station, means for moving said body of foodstuff toward said blade means from a location spaced from said blade means and into engagement with said blade means to sever slices of the foodstuff from the body of foodstuff, second conveyor means for engaging the body of foodstuff as it is moved toward said blade means from the location spaced apart from said blade means, for receiving slices severed from the body of foodstuff by said blade means, and for moving the slices of the foodstuff away from said blade means along a second path toward a location at which the severed pieces of foodstuff are associated with a pastry shell disposed along said first path on said first conveyor means, said second conveyor means including surface means engageable with a portion of the body of foodstuff during at least a portion of the time the body of foodstuff is being moved toward said blade means, and drive means for moving said surface means toward said blade means at substantially the same speed as said means for supporting the body of foodstuff is moved toward said blade means and while said body of foodstuff is in engagement with said first surface means, said surface means being movable along at least a portion of said second path to apply a force to the slices of foodstuff severed from the body of foodstuff to positively move the slices of foodstuff along said second path away from said blade means, said second conveyor means comprising a belt conveyor movable along a continuous path and having a continuous outer surface defining said surface means, said blade means including a circular cutting edge rotatable about an axis which is disposed in a fixed positional relationship with said second conveyor means, means for guiding said outer surface of said belt conveyor for movement along a path having an arcuate configuration corresponding to the curvature of the circular cutting edge and disposed substantially adjacent the outer periphery of said cutting edge.

Apparatus comprising first conveyor means for sequentially moving pastry shells along a first path extending through a food processing station, blade means at said food processing station, means for supporting a body of foodstuff at said food processing station, means for moving said body of foodstuff toward said blade means from a location spaced from said blade means and into engagement with said blade means to sever slices of the foodstuff from the body of foodstuff, second conveyor means for engaging the body of foodstuff as it is moved toward said blade means from the location spaced apart from said blade means, for receiving slices severed from the body of foodstuff by said blade means, and for moving the slices of the foodstuff away from said blade means along a second path toward a location at which the severed pieces of foodstuff are associated with a pastry shell disposed along said first path on said first conveyor means, said second conveyor means including surface means engageable with a portion of the body of foodstuff during at least a portion of the time the body of foodstuff is being moved toward said blade means, and drive means for moving said surface means toward said blade means at substantially the same speed as said means for supporting the body of foodstuff is moved toward said blade means and while said body of foodstuff is in engagement with said first surface means, said surface means being movable along at least a portion of said second path to apply a force to the slices of foodstuff severed from the body of foodstuff to positively move the slices of foodstuff along said second path away from said blade means, said second conveyor means comprising a belt conveyor movable along a continuous path and having a continuous outer surface defining said surface means, means for moving said first conveyor means continuously along said first path, means for moving said belt conveyor continuously along said continuous path and at a speed which varies as a function of variations of the speed at which said first conveyor means is moved along said first path.

Apparatus comprising first conveyor means for sequentially moving pastry shells along a first path extending through a food processing station, blade means at said food processing station, means for supporting a body of foodstuff at said food processing station, means for moving said body of foodstuff toward said blade means from a location spaced from said blade means and into engagement with said blade means to sever slices of the foodstuff from the body of foodstuff, second conveyor means for engaging the body of foodstuff as it is moved toward said blade means from the location spaced apart from said blade means, for receiving slices severed from the body of foodstuff by said blade means, and for moving the slices of the foodstuff away from said blade means along a second path toward a location at which the severed pieces of foodstuff are associated with a pastry shell disposed along said first path on said first conveyor means, said second conveyor means including surface means engageable with a portion of the body of foodstuff during at least a portion of the time the body of foodstuff is being moved toward said blade means, and drive means for moving said surface means toward said blade means at substantially the same speed as said means for supporting the body of foodstuff is moved toward said blade means and while said body of foodstuff is in engagement with said first surface means, said surface means being movable along at least a portion of said second path to apply a force to the slices of foodstuff severed from the body of foodstuff to positively move the slices of foodstuff along said second path away from said blade means, pressure applicator means for pressing slices of foodstuff against said surface means as the slices of foodstuff are moved by said surface means along said second path, said pressure applicator means comprising a substantially rigid elongated rod member, means for supporting said rod member at a distance from said surface means which is equal to or less than the thickness of a slice of foodstuff.

Apparatus comprising first conveyor means for sequentially moving pastry shells along a first path extending through a food processing station, blade means at said food processing station, means for supporting a body of foodstuff at said food processing station, means for moving said body of foodstuff toward said blade means from a location spaced from said blade means and into engagement with said blade means to sever slices of the foodstuff from the body of foodstuff, second conveyor means for engaging the body of foodstuff as it is moved toward said blade means from the location spaced apart from said blade means, for receiving slices severed from the body of foodstuff by said blade means, and for moving the slices of the foodstuff away from said blade means along a second path toward a location at which the severed pieces of foodstuff are associated with a pastry shell disposed along said first path on said first conveyor means, said second conveyor means including surface means engageable with a portion of the body of foodstuff during at least a portion of the time the body of foodstuff is being moved toward said blade means, and drive means for moving said surface means toward said blade means at substantially the same speed as said means for supporting the body of foodstuff is moved toward said blade means and while said body of foodstuff is in engagement with said first surface means, said surface means being movable along at least a portion of said second path to apply a force to the slices of foodstuff severed from the body of foodstuff to positively move the slices of foodstuff along said second path away from said blade means, said means for supporting a body of foodstuff including a carriage, said carriage including means for supporting a plurality of elongated bodies of pepperoni, means for moving said carriage in a first direction to bring said elongated bodies of pepperoni into engagement with said blade means to sever pieces of pepperoni from a plurality of said elongated bodies, said second conveyor means including a plurality of belt conveyors movable along respective continuous paths, said surface means being disposed in said plurality of belt conveyors each of the bodies of pepperoni being disposed in engagement with one of said belt conveyors during at least a portion of the movement of the body of pepperoni by said carriage.

An apparatus comprising main conveyor means for sequentially moving pastry shells along a main path extending through a food processing station, a carriage at said food processing station and including means for supporting a body of foodstuff, first cutting means at said food processing station, means for moving said carriage in a first direction relative to said first cutting means to bring said body of foodstuff into engagement with a first portion of said first cutting means for cutting elongated pieces from the body of foodstuff, means for moving said carriage in a second direction relative to said first cutting means for bringing said body of foodstuff into engagement with a second portion of said first cutting means for cutting elongated pieces from the body of foodstuff, second cutting means at said food processing station for cutting elongated pieces of foodstuff produced by engagement of said body of foodstuff with either of said first or second portions of said first cutter means into relatively short lengths of foodstuff, and means for guiding the short lengths of foodstuff toward a location at which the short lengths of foodstuff are associated with a pastry shell as it is moved through said food processing station under the influence of said main conveyor means, said first and second portions of said first cutting means each including a plurality of fixed cutting edges and said second cutting means includes a plurality of movable cutting edges disposed to engage severed elongated pieces of foodstuff from said fixed cutting edges to sever the elongated pieces of foodstuff into relatively short lengths of foodstuff, means for rotating at least certain ones of said moveable cutting edges in response to movement of said carriage in said first direction and means for rotating at least certain other ones of said moveable cutting edges in response to movement of the carriage in said second direction.