Slicing blade for concurrently slicing a plurality of product loaves disposed in a side-by-side relationship

In a slicing machine for slicing at least first and second product loaves disposed in a lateral side-by-side arrangement using a single slicing blade to produce two groups of stacked or shingled slices corresponding to the first and second product loaves, a vertical midway passing axis passing midway between the first and second product loaves in a plane containing the blade, a slicing blade arrangement comprising:

• a slicing blade having a slicing edge with a profile defined by a plurality of constant radius sections, each constant radius section having a section center defining the center of the constant radius for that constant radius section, each constant radius section having a section center differing from the section center of an adjacent constant radius section;
• a center of rotation;
• said slicing edge having a curved shape such that a single rotation of the slicing edge about the center of rotation results in a penetration gradient into each of the first and second product loaves that diminishes in magnitude over the single rotation;
• a loaf guide for guiding said first and second product loaves along preselected feed paths as the first and second loaves are sliced into slices by said slicing blade, said feed paths arranged along respective lengths of said first and second loaves;
• the slicing blade being mounted in the slicing arrangement with respect to said loaf guide so that the center of rotation is displaced from the midway passing axis;
• a receiving surface located below said feed paths, adjacent the slicing blade, said receiving surface horizontally disposed in a lateral direction, said receiving surface arranged to receive slices cut from said first and second loaves in two stacks, the vertical clearances between each of said first and second loaves, adjacent the slicing blade, and the receiving surface being substantially equal and set such that each slice touches said receiving surface before being separated completely from the respective loaf;
• and
• at slice completion, the slicing edge generating adjacent, substantially equal penetration vector angles through the first and second product loaves measured in opposite rotational direction from the midway passing axis.