Interleaver system for high speed slicing machine

1. A sheet interleaver system for a slicing machine that provides a slicing plane for slicing an elongated food product and for slicing a sheet of web material beneath the elongated product, the sheet interleaver system comprising:

a supply of web material;

a drawing station having a first driver for drawing web material from the supply;

a feed station having a second driver for receiving web material from the drawing station and for driving the web material through a cutting nip into the slicing plane;

an accumulation station having an accumulation zone, wherein a slackened length of web material is formed between the drawing station and the feed station, wherein the slackened length of web material has a first surface, and a second surface on a side of the web material opposite the first surface, wherein the slackened length of web material defines a curve, and wherein the first surface of the slackened length of web material is defined as a concave side of the curve;

a sensor located at a first lateral side of the slackened length of web material;

a reflector located at a second lateral side of the slackened length of web material, the second lateral side opposite the first lateral side of the slackened length of web material;

the sensor including a source configured to emit a horizontal beam toward the second surface of the web material, and the reflector configured to receive and reflect the horizontal beam emitted by the sensor;

a nozzle configured to direct a stream of air toward the first surface of the slackened length of web material;

a first tensioning station located between the drawing station and the supply of web material, the first tensioning station having a pivotally mounted first dancer roller configured to exert a pre-selected force on a first sheet of the web of material across a first range of travel;

a second tensioning station adjacent the first tensioning station, the second tensioning station having a pivotally mounted second dancer roller configured to exert a pre-selected force on a second sheet of the web of material across a second range of travel; and

wherein the slackened length of web material has a length that is greater than a straight line distance of web material spanning the drawing station and the feed station.

2. The sheet interleaver system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to receive the horizontal beam reflected by the reflector when the slackened length of web material does not block a path defined between the sensor and the reflector.

3. The sheet interleaver system of claim 2 , wherein the slackened length of web material does not contact the reflector at any point.

4. The sheet interleaver system of claim 1 , wherein the source and the reflector are disposed on opposite lateral sides of the accumulation zone, respectively.

5. The sheet interleaver system of claim 1 , wherein a lowest point of the slackened length of web material is in a plane perpendicular to the horizontal beam.

6. The sheet interleaver system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is positioned below both the feed station and the drawing station.

7. The sheet interleaver system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor senses the presence or absence of the horizontal beam.

8. The sheet interleaver system of claim 1 , wherein a speed of a motor in the drawing station is decreased when the horizontal beam is not sensed.

9. The sheet interleaver system of claim 1 , wherein a speed of a motor in the drawing station is increased when the horizontal beam is sensed.

10. A sheet interleaver system for a slicing machine that provides a slicing plane for slicing an elongated food product and for slicing a sheet of web material beneath the elongated product, the sheet interleaver system comprising:

a supply of web material having an inner surface, and an outer surface on a side of the web material opposite the inner surface;

a drawing station having a first driver for drawing web material from the supply;

a feed station having a second driver for receiving web material from the drawing station and driving the web material through a cutting nip into the slicing plane;

an accumulation station having an accumulation zone wherein a slackened length of web material between the drawing station and the feed station has a length that is greater than a straight line distance of web material spanning the drawing station and the feed station, wherein the slackened length of web material defines a curve, and wherein the inner surface of the slackened length of web material is defined as a concave side of the curve;

a sensor located at the accumulation station configured to emit a beam downwardly toward the inner surface of the slackened length of web;

a nozzle configured to direct a stream of air toward the inner surface of the slackened length of web material proximal a vertex of the slackened length of web material;

a first tensioning station located between the drawing station and the supply of web material, the first tensioning station having a pivotally mounted first dancer roller configured to exert a first pre-selected force on a first sheet of the web of material across a first range of travel; and

a second tensioning station adjacent the first tensioning station, the second tensioning station having a pivotally mounted second dancer roller configured to exert a second pre-selected force on a second sheet of the web of material across a second range of travel.