High speed slicing machine
A food article slicing machine includes a food article loading apparatus with a lift tray assembly for moving food articles from a staging position to an elevated position at a beginning of a food article feed path, a food article feed apparatus disposed over the food article loading apparatus having an upper conveyor assembly with an independently driven endless conveyor belt used in cooperation with a food article gripper for moving the food articles along the food article feed path, a food article stop gate that forms part of the food article feed path and opens to drop food article end portions, and a slicing station at an end of the food article feed path with a knife for slicing the food articles.
1. A food article slicing machine, comprising:
a food article loading apparatus with a lift tray assembly for moving food articles from a staging position to an elevated position at a beginning of a food article feed path;
a food article feed apparatus disposed over the food article loading apparatus having an upper conveyor assembly with a driven endless conveyor belt used in cooperation with a food article gripper for moving the food articles along the food article feed path;
a slicing station at an end of the food article feed path with a knife for slicing the food articles; and
a food article stop gate disposed upstream of the slicing station that forms a portion of the food article feed path,
wherein the food articles are supported in position along the food article feed path by at least the food article stop gate when the lift tray assembly is moved when in its elevated position, and
wherein the food article stop gate also opens to drop food article end portions.
2. The food article slicing machine of claim 1 , wherein movement of the conveyor belt is coordinated with movement of the food article gripper.
3. The food article slicing machine of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor belt is used in cooperation with the food article gripper for moving the food articles along the food article feed path when the gripper seizes a food article.
4. The food article slicing machine of claim 1 , wherein the food article gripper is driven and controlled when the gripper seizes a food article.
5. The food article slicing machine of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor belt is mechanically connected to the food article gripper.
6. The food article slicing machine of claim 1 , wherein the food article gripper is mounted to a bottom run of the conveyor belt.
7. The food article slicing machine of claim 1 , wherein the food article gripper is clamped to a belt joint and guide assembly by a fixture.
8. The food article slicing machine of claim 1 , wherein the food article stop gate is configured to pivot.
9. A food article slicing machine, comprising:
a slicing station comprising a knife blade and a knife blade drive driving the blade along a cutting path in a cutting plane;
a food article loading apparatus including a lift tray assembly moveable between a staging position and an elevated position, the elevated position being a position where food articles disposed within the lift tray assembly are in a food article feed path;
a food article feed apparatus disposed over said food article loading apparatus and having a conveyor assembly with independently driven endless conveyor belts,
wherein each of the conveyor belts is used in cooperation with an independently driven and controlled food article gripper for moving a food article along the food article feed path, and
wherein the conveyor assembly is an upper conveyor assembly; and
a food article stop gate disposed upstream of the slicing station that forms a portion of the food article feed path,
wherein the food articles are supported in position along the food article feed path by at least the food article stop gate when the lift tray assembly is moved when in its elevated position, the food articles passing over the food article stop gate when the food articles move along the food article feed path, and
wherein the food article stop gate also serves as a door for the removal of food article end portions.
10. The food article slicing machine of claim 9 , wherein movement of each of the conveyor belts is coordinated with movement of the food article gripper.
11. The food article slicing machine of claim 9 , wherein each of the conveyor belts is used in cooperation with the food article gripper for moving the food articles along the food article feed path when the gripper is in a closed position in which the gripper seizes a food article.
12. The food article slicing machine of claim 9 , wherein the food article gripper is independently driven and controlled when the gripper is in a closed position in which the gripper seizes a food article.
13. The food article slicing machine of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the conveyor belts is mechanically connected to the food article gripper.
14. The food article slicing machine of claim 9 , wherein the food article gripper is mounted to a bottom run of the conveyor belts.
15. The food article slicing machine of claim 9 , wherein the food article gripper is clamped to a belt joint and guide assembly by a fixture.
16. The food article slicing machine of claim 9 , wherein the food article stop gate is configured to pivot.