Guarded tomato slicer

A guarded tomato slicer comprising a flat table, a rack of parallel spaced horizontal blades having sharp edges mounted on the table, a pusher having a parallel array of planar segments for insertion in the spaces between the blades, slide means mounting the pusher on the table for movement back and forth, the slide means being disposed at shallow cutting angle relative to the mid-region of the rack of blades for movement of the pusher through the sharp edges, the pusher being constructed and arranged to urge a tomato through the sharp edges of the rack of blades for slicing it, a loading area disposed substantially between the pusher and the sharp edges of the rack of blades when the pusher is withdrawn away from the blades for receiving the tomato, a swinging gate having a vertical axis of rotation disposed in front of the loading area to shield the sharp edges of the blades as a tomato is inserted into the loading area remote from the pusher end of the swinging gate, resilient stop means reacting against the swinging gate holding it poised outwardly in front of the loading area, and the gate and pusher being short enough to clear each other when the pusher is retracted and a tomato is pushed into the loading area against and through the swinging gate with the gate disposed towards the sharp edges of the rack of blades to guard them.