Patent ID: 7721637
Filing Date: 2010-05-25
Classification: B26D,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. Food slicing apparatus including circularly spaced, radially extending knives, said knives supported and arranged for movement about a central axis of rotation and having cutting edges at the leading edges of the knives disposed in a cutting plane extending perpendicular to the central axis, said knives each including a rearward facing gauging surface facing in a direction from which food products to be sliced are supplied to the knives, said gauging surface terminating at a terminal end of the gauging surface, said terminal end disposed opposite the cutting edge of the knife, and with each knife terminating at a terminal edge located at a terminal extremity of the knife opposite the cutting edge, with said terminal end of the gauging surface located adjacent the terminal edge of the knife, and wherein the terminal ends of the gauging surfaces of the knives are disposed in an axially forward or downstream axially spaced relationship relative to the direction of motion of food products sliced by the knives and relative to the cutting edges of the next adjacent knives in a trailing direction relative to knife movement direction with the terminal ends of the gauging surfaces extending substantially parallel with the next trailing cutting edges, to thereby define gate openings that correspond to slice thickness of food products sliced by the knives, and throat spaces defined by uniform spaces between the terminal ends of the gauging surfaces and the cutting edges of the next adjacent knives in a trailing direction, wherein the ratio of throat dimension to slice thickness is 1 to 1.7; wherein the terminal end of the gauging surface of each knife is connected to the terminal edge of the knife by a surface extending in a forward or downstream direction relative to sliced food product movement between the terminal end of the gauging surface and the terminal edge of the knife; and wherein said surface is defined by a bevel at the terminal edge of the knife.