Patent ID: 7546789

Claim:
A whole muscle slicer and separator assembly comprising: a frame for supporting a cutter assembly; a cutter assembly mounted on said frame and including a rotatable cutting roller having multiple proximately spaced apart radially extending circular cutting blades along the length of the cutting roller and a rotatable pinch roller having multiple proximately spaced apart radially extending circular ribs along the length of the pinch roller, where the pinch roller is oriented such that each of the ribs extend into spaces between the circular blades for pulling a whole muscle product into engagement with the cutting roller and where the cylindrical axis of the cutting roller and the cylindrical axis of the pinch roller lie in a first common plane; said cutter assembly is mounted on said frame such that said first common plane is not horizontal or vertical for optimally receiving a whole muscle product; and a finger bar comb mounted on said frame and having a first set of spaced apart finger members having a first bend that addresses the cutting roller at a first point by extending into a first set of alternate spaces between the cutting blades for diverting a first set of alternate product slices and said finger bar comb further having a second set of spaced apart finger members that addresses the cutting roller at a second point by having a second bend different from the first bend and extending into a remaining second set of alternate spaces between the cutting blades for diverting a remaining second set of alternate product slices, and a first take-away conveyor positioned proximate the first point where the first set of finger members address the cutting roller for receiving and conveying away the first set of alternate product slices.