Patent GB-1347486-A (GB)
Title: Food slicing machine
IPC: B26D1/153
Filed: 1970-07-07
Abstract: 1347486 Slicing-machine C B METCALFE FOOD MACHINERY Ltd 6 July 1971 [7 July 19701 32805/70 Heading A4C A slicing-machine for slicing bacon, bread, &c. comprises a fence-plate 12, a rotatable knife 10, a table 14, a base member 18, Fig. 2, having supports 64 for the fence-plate, knife and table, and a housing 16, Fig. 1, detachably secured to the base member. The fence-plate, which is arranged in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the knife, and the supports 64 comprise parallel, upwardly projecting rods 66 on which an inverted, substantially U-shaped block 68 is slidable. A cam 70 is secured to a shaft 72 in a block 74, the shaft extending through a housing 16 and being provided with a control knob 80 which when rotated causes a pin 76 to slide along a groove 78 to move the U-shaped block along rods 66 and hence displace the fence-plate in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the knife 10 and thus adjust the slice thickness. The fence-plate is releasably secured to its supports 64 by means of a non-circular lug 84 on its underside engageable in a recess (86), Fig. 4, (not shown), of the block 68, and a bore through the lug to receive a bolt 88 co-operable with a threaded bore (90), Fig. 4, (not shown), in the base of the recess such that disengaging of the bolt releases the fence-plate allowing it to be cleaned. The knife 10 is secured to a pulley 44 which is itself connected via a belt to a pulley 60 on the shaft of an electric motor 58. A safety device (not shown) serves to cut out the motor 58 when a spindle 24 is displaced longitudinally, and takes the form of a micro-switch. Thus, should a centre-plate 52, which forms a knife guard, be displaced outwardly from the knife the motor automatically trips. Furthermore, if the centreplate is removed the motor 58 cannot be started. Since the housing 16 does not itself support any of the components but merely serves as a cover it can be formed from a light-weight material such as fibre glass. The housing is detachably secured to and covers a base member 18 on which the spindle 24 is carried in blocks 26, with a  runner 28 slidably journalled on to the spindle and provided with a guide 30 engaging a guide rail 32. The guide 30 may be provided with a roller (not shown) to run on the rail 32. Extending from the front of the runner 28 is a support leg 36 which may be provided with a handle to assist in manual operation of the table 14. Coil springs 38 at each end of the spindle serve as buffers to arrest the end movements of the runner. The table 14, which is reciprocable in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the knife, is provided with a weight 92 slidable along a rod 94 to aid gravity feeding of the foodstuff, a detachable transparent extension to partially enclose the foodstuff may also be provided. The non-corrosive, aluminium alloy fabricated surfaces of the fence-plate, centre-plate and table are provided with corrugations in order to assist feeding and slicing of the foodstuff. Modifications may include the combination of the on/off switch 62 with a neon lamp for added safety, and the provision of two drive belts for the knife.