Cheese cutter wherein last slice is not smaller than desired minimum

Apparatus for cutting a block of a soft non-granular substance into a plurality of portions, the apparatus comprising a platen to receive a block to be cut;

• drive means for advancing the platen from a starting position in steps to a fully advanced position;
• first cutter means for cutting into the block along the direction of advance of the block on the platen;
• second cutter means for cutting the block in a direction transverse to the cuts produced by the first cutter means whereby operation of the first and second cutter means produces a layer of portions cut from the block, and control means for controlling the size of the steps in which the platen is advanced by the drive means, and thus the thickness of the layer of portions produced, such that the block is completely divided over its entire length, first, into a plurality of layers of specified thickness, each of said layers being of equal thickness and second, into at least one remainder layer having a thickness which is less than the sum of the specified thickness and a minimum thickness but not less than said minimum thickness, said minimum thickness being chosen without reference to said specified thickness, the latter being greater than said minimum thickness, said control means determining whether said remainder layer can be cut into two layers of equal thickness both greater than the minimum thickness, and in the event that the remainder can be so cut, said control means advances the platen for the remainder to be cut accordingly, but if the remainder cannot be cut into two equal layers both greater than said minimum thickness then said control means advances said platen to its fully advanced position without said remainder being so cut.