Patent ID: 7748303

Claim:
An apparatus for slicing food products into pieces comprising: a housing defining a cutting station and a passageway; a first stop member actuatable between a stop position in which the first stop member obstructs the passageway and a retracted position in which the food product is free to pass through the passageway, the first stop member serving to temporarily stop movement of the food product through the passageway and retain the food product in a substantially stationary position during cutting; at least one cutting blade actuatable between a retracted position outside the passageway and an extended position in which the at least one blade substantially transversely spans the passageway; a support member to support the at least one blade at a predetermined longitudinal distance from the stop member; and an actuation system for actuating the first stop member to obstruct the passageway, after a time delay and while the stop member remains stationary subsequently actuating the at least one cutting blade to slice the food product into pieces as it rests against the first stop member, and then after a further time delay actuating the first stop member and the at least one cutting blade to move to their respective retracted positions to open the passageway and allow the pieces to leave the cutting station, wherein the first stop member and the at least one cutting blade are in their respective retracted positions when the pieces leave the cutting station.