Shear mechanism for a slicing machine

A slicing machine comprising:

• a food loaf delivery path arranged in a longitudinal direction;
• a cutting assembly arranged in the delivery path, the cutting assembly comprising:
• a housing,
• a first frame supporting a longitudinal first blade, said first blade extending in a first direction, said first frame carried on said housing and guided for reciprocation with respect to said housing in said first direction to reciprocate said first blade therewith in said first direction, wherein substantially the entire first frame moves unitarily in said first direction,
• a linear moving device mounted to said housing and directly coupled to said first frame for reciprocating the first frame,
• a second frame carried on said housing and guided for reciprocation with respect to said housing in a second direction, wherein substantially the entire second frame moves unitarily in said second direction, the second frame supporting at least one longitudinal second blade for reciprocation therewith in said second direction, said second blade extending in said second direction and at an angle to said first blade,
• at least one slot arranged on one of said first and second frames and at least one follower arranged on the other of said first and second frames and located within said slot, said slot having an inclination to the first direction for reciprocating the second frame in said second direction, whereby the reciprocating movement of said first frame causes the reciprocating movement of said second frame,
• wherein the first and second blades are arranged to cut a product through intersecting planes;
• and
• a slicing knife arranged in the delivery path downstream of the cutting assembly, the slicing knife arranged to slice food loaves transversely to the longitudinal direction of said delivery path in a transverse cutting plane;
• said housing located between said cutting plane and the reciprocating first blade, said housing having at least two voids therethrough for guiding two food loaves into the transverse cutting plane, wherein said first blade spans across said two voids and acts to substantially simultaneously cut two food loaves in a first longitudinal cutting plane perpendicular to said transverse cutting plane,
• said first blade driven independently from said slicing knife.

A cutting assembly, comprising:

• a housing;
• a first frame supporting a longitudinal first blade, said first blade extending in a first direction, said first frame carried on said housing and guided for reciprocation with respect to said housing in said first direction to reciprocate said first blade therewith in said first direction, wherein substantially the entire first frame moves unitarily in said first direction;
• a linear moving device mounted to said housing and directly coupled to said first frame for reciprocating the first frame;
• a second frame carried on said housing and guided for reciprocation with respect to said housing in a second direction, wherein substantially the entire second frame moves unitarily in said second direction, the second frame supporting at least one longitudinal second blade for reciprocation therewith in said second direction, said second blade extending in said second direction and at an angle to said first blade;
• at least one slot arranged on one of said first and second frames and at least one follower arranged on the other of said first and second frames and located within said slot, said slot having an inclination to the first direction for reciprocating the second frame in said second direction, whereby the reciprocating movement of said first frame causes the reciprocating movement of said second frame;
• wherein the first and second blades are arranged to cut a product through intersecting planes.