Patent ID: 6763748
Filing Date: 2004-07-20
Classification: B26D,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A slicing and conveying system for arranging slices from two separate slicing machines, comprising:a first slicing machine having a rotating slicing blade operable in an effective first cutting plane, and a loaf feed introducing a first loaf into said first cutting plane to form a succession of first slices; a first output conveyor beneath said first slicing machine for receiving said first slices collected in a succession of shingled first drafts each of first slices, each said first draft being spaced in a longitudinal direction from a preceding first draft and a subsequent first draft; a second slicing machine having a rotating slicing blade operable in an effective second cutting plane, and a loaf feed introducing a second loaf into said second cutting plane to form a succession of second slices; a second output conveyor beneath said second slicing machine for receiving said second slices collected in a succession of shingled second drafts of second slices, each said second draft being spaced in a longitudinal direction from a preceding second draft and a subsequent second draft; a pass-through conveyor receiving said first drafts from said first output conveyor and transferring said first drafts to said second output conveyor, wherein each said second draft is added to one of said first drafts to form a succession of first combined drafts; wherein one of said first and second slicing machines comprises a third loaf feed for introducing a third loaf into one of said first and second cutting planes to form a succession of third slices collected on one of said first or second output conveyors in a succession of shingled third drafts of third slices, each said third draft being spaced in a longitudinal direction from a preceding third draft and a subsequent third draft; and an overlap conveyor arranged downstream of said second output conveyor, wherein each said first combined draft is transferred onto said overlap conveyor and combined with a third draft on said overlap conveyor to form a succession of elongated combined drafts; a first length sensor for determining a length of at least one first draft from said first slicing machine; a second length sensor for determining a length of at least one second draft from said second slicing machine; a third length sensor for determining a length of at least one third draft; and a control receiving input from said first, second, and third length sensors and outputting a control signal to said first and second output conveyors to control the length of subsequent first, second and third drafts.