Abstract: An elongated bending beam and an elongated flexure strap are supported in substantially parallel, spaced-apart relationship by end cantilever blocks one of which is secured to a scale base and the other of which mounts a food receiving platform for movement vertically with respect to the scale base. First and second pairs of matched strain sensing resistors are bonded to the opposite faces of the bending beam adjacent the opposite ends thereof and are connected electrically to form a balanced Wheatstone bridge, the output voltage of which is utilized to operate a digital read-out unit for indicating the weight of a small portion of sliced food deposited upon the scale platform from a food slicer, and is also utilized to turn off the food slicer when the desired weight of food is deposited on the scale platform.

Abstract: A slicing system for automatically controlling the weight of individually sized portions of a sliced food product includes an automatic electric slicer and a scale operably associated therewith for weighing slices of a food product cut by the slicer. A photoelectric element disposed adjacent the path of the movable pointer on the scale detects the proximity of such pointer at a preselected location corresponding to a preselected weight of food product being received upon the receiving platform of the scale and opens the circuit to the slicer to stop the same. Adjusting means are provided to establish the relative position of the photoelectric element and the scale pointer for causing the circuit to break at such selected position.