Animal fiber cutting machine

In a machine for cutting tough, fibrous animal tissue into pieces, the combination comprising

• (a) a frame,
• (b) slicer means including slicers carried by the frame to rotate for slicing the tissue into elongated strands fed along parallel paths of widths determined by spacing of the slicers, said slicer means comprising an elongated shaft, and said slicers comprise parallel slicer discs which are spaced apart along the length of the shaft,
• (c) rotary cutter means including cutters carried by the frame to rotate and intercept the strands fed along said paths, and for cutting the strands crosswise thereof and at intervals predetermined by rotary spacing of said cutters, thereby to form said pieces having predetermined sizes, said rotary cutter means comprising an elongated shaft carrying said cutters which are spaced apart circumferentially of the shaft, said cutters extending helically along and about an axis defined by the cutter means shaft,
• (d) and including a back-up roller spaced from and parallel to the cutter means shaft so that tips defined by the helical cutters intercept a cylinder defined by the outer surfaces of the back-up roller;
• the back-up roller having helical grooves that receive said cutter tips as the roller and cutter means shaft rotate, and including gearing operatively connected with the roller and cutter means shafts to control synchronized rotation thereof,
• (e) and including slot roller means having slots positioned to receive outer portions of the slicer discs as the discs are rotated, and also having peripheral teeth to engage to drive the strands, said teeth projecting between said slicer discs.