Patent ID: 7096769

Claim:
An automatic top slice removal device comprising: a frame; a lower conveyor belt having a forward end and a rearward end, said lower conveyor belt mounted on said frame; an upper conveyor belt adjustably mounted on said frame and extending generally parallel with and spaced from said lower conveyor belt; said lower conveyor belt and said upper conveyor belt cooperating to engage and compress a meat product therebetween and transport the meat product through said automatic top slice removal device towards said rearward end of said lower conveyor belt; meat product slicing means including blade means, said blade means interposed between said upper conveyor belt and said lower conveyor belt operative to separate a top slice from the remainder of the meat product; a top slice separator plate adjustably mounted on said frame interposed between said upper conveyor belt and said lower conveyor belt and positioned generally rearwardly adjacent and aligned generally coplanar with said blade means, said top slice separator plate extending rearwards to maintain separation of the top slice and the remainder of the meat product; and a top slice removal conveyor belt positioned below and partially rearwards of said top slice separator plate below said upper conveyor belt operative to receive the top slice thereon when the top slice separates from engagement with said upper conveyor belt and said top slice separator plate to remove the top slice from the remainder of the meat product.