Slicing device comprising a product gripper

A slicing device comprising:

• a cutting blade separating slices from a front end of a food product,
• a support on which the food product rests,
• an endless belt conveying the food product in a direction of the cutting blade and/or pressing the food product against the support, and
• a gripper,
• wherein the gripper is arranged on the endless belt, the gripper is conveyed with the endless belt in a direction of a rear end of the food product to grip the rear end of the food product,
• wherein the slicing device includes a cylinder that extends from the endless belt, the cylinder extends from the endless belt in a direction that is generally perpendicular to a conveying direction of the endless belt, the cylinder is connected to the gripper,
• wherein after the gripper grips the rear end of the food product and after the endless belt contacts the food product, the gripper is displaced along a length of the cylinder such that spacing between the gripper and the endless belt is reduced while spacing between the gripper and the support remains constant, and
• wherein the endless belt comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion is arranged closer to the cutting blade than the second portion, the first portion is arranged generally parallel with the support, the second portion is arranged at an angle relative to the first portion.