Abstract: A slicing apparatus particularly suitable for slicing livers. A plurality of adjacently spaced apart blades are mounted within a drum rotatable about the blades. The blades are disposed toward one side of the drum in close proximity to the peripheral wall thereof to form a cutting zone. Pockets are provided in the peripheral wall of the drum, the pockets being formed with gaps which align with the blades. As the drum and the pockets rotate through the cutting zone, the blades pass through the pockets and slice livers therein. The cutting zone is positioned in a lower quadrant of the drum and, with respect to the drum's rotational direction, immediately before lower dead-center thereof. Thus as a pocket enters the cutting zone it is being inverted and on exiting the cutting zone a pocket has been completely inverted. On exiting the cutting zone the sliced contents are deposited into a tray provided on a packaging tray conveyor positioned adjacently beneath the drum.

Abstract: A switching device enabling an electric fence generator to be controlled by a D.C. pulse supplied to the fence from a separate handpiece. The handpiece comprises a battery with the negative terminal connected to an earth probe. D.C. voltage isolation means are provided between the fence and its generator. The fence is also connected via generator pulse restriction and reduction means to a D.C. detector feeding a multivibrator which via switches controls the main supply to the generator. A D.C. pulse is applied to a fence with the touching of the positive terminal of the handpiece thereto. Shorting of the control pulse to earth via the generator is prevented by the forward voltage factor of the isolation means. Thus, the control pulse triggers the detector to alter the state of the multivibrator and thus switch the generator ON and OFF as the case may be. A storage capacitor delays the state of the multivibrator in the case of inadvertent switching-off of the generator.