Abstract: A roll slicing mechanism includes a conveyor which moves in a first direction and supports a roll cluster having a pair of joined rolls spaced in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A rotatable shaft perpendicular to the conveyor has at an end nearest the conveyor a disk knife parallel to the conveyor, and a roll breaking arrangement spaced opposite the first direction from the shaft in feeding alignment therewith breaks apart a portion of the joint. A spreader arrangement spaced opposite the first direction from the roll breaking arrangement in feeding alignment therewith positions and spreads the rolls of the pair prior to engagement of the rolls with the roll breaking arrangement. In a preferred embodiment, the spreading arrangement includes two rotatably supported wheels oriented to converge toward the conveyor and opposite the first direction, the wheels being supported for movement toward and away from the conveyor and being resiliently urged toward the conveyor.

Abstract: A conveyor includes two spaced guide rails over an upwardly facing support surface which can slidably support an article to be conveyed, the support surface having a plurality of parallel slots. Two movably-supported chains below the support surface support a plurality of pushing assemblies each having several central fingers which can project upwardly above the support surface through respective slots and having two outermost fingers which can move between positions projecting above the support surface through respective slots and disposed below the support surface. An arrangement responsive to the positions of the guide rails automatically positions the outer pushing fingers in one of the two positions thereof.

Abstract: A roll slicing machine includes an endless conveyor belt moving in a first horizontal direction and having rolls thereon, a pressure applying arrangement spaced above the conveyor which can engage the tops of the rolls, and a roll slicing knife provided vertically between the conveyor and the pressure applying arrangement. The pressure applying arrangement includes an endless belt movably supported by two spaced rollers, and a pair of rollers rotatable about horizontal axes are movably supported above the lower reach of the belt and biased downwardly into engagement with the lower reach of the belt. The rollers engage the belt at locations which are approximately aligned with each other in the direction of movement of the belt portion and are approximately adjacent each other in a direction transverse to the belt portion.

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus includes two space guide members over an upwardly facing support surface which can slidably support an article to be conveyed, and a pushing assembly supported for horizontal movement about the surface and having a plurality of pushing fingers which can engage the article and slide it across the surface. The pushing assembly is designed to permit movement of the outermost pushing fingers between a downwardly projecting position and a horizontally projecting position spaced above the surface and the guide members. A mechanism responsive to movement of the guide members toward each other is provided to automatically move the outermost fingers of the pushing assembly from the downwardly projecting position to the horizontally projecting position.

Abstract: A conveyor and work station operable to support and convey elongated bakery products such as hot dog rolls and rotate them from one position upon the conveyor to another position thereon to deliver them more suitably to be received in packages, the rotation being effected by a disc-like pad or plurality of similar pads which are supported for rectilinear movement and, when engaging the products, the pads move longitudinally in the same direction and speed as the conveyor and the rotation of the pads is 90.degree. about the axis of the pads during such longitudinal movement relative to the conveyor.

Abstract: A band type roll slicer comprising a conveyor to feed rolls along a path to an endless band type knife having one section supported above said conveyor and parallel thereto, power means to drive said knife to move said section continuously between opposite sides of said conveyor, and a yieldable pressure unit mounted above said section of said knife and engageable with the upper surfaces of rolls upon said conveyor to apply limited pressure thereto while being sliced by said knife entirely through said rolls in parallelism with the bottom surfaces thereof so that the top and bottom sections of the rolls when completely sliced therebetween will be superimposed in vertical registry and the bottom sections will be of uniform thickness throughout the entire area thereof.

Abstract: A machine for slicing rolls between the tops and bottoms thereof while arranged in clusters of a predetermined number of separably adjoined rolls by cutting into one side of the rolls in such clusters along but spaced from a longitudinal joint between adjacent rolls in said clusters. The slicing is effected by a plurality of disc type knives supported on the lower ends of vertical spindle shafts supported in a cutter head frame mounted above a conveyor which feeds clusters of rolls to said knives, said spindle shafts being rotatably supported within bearings in a plurality of bearing blocks adjustable between opposite sides of said cutter head frame by coengaging worm and worm gear means operable readily by manually-engageable members supported adjacent the forward end of said cutter head frame.

Abstract: A roll slicing machine in which disc knives are fixed to one end of vertical shafts inserted in driving sleeves supported in bearing blocks on the machine is provided with a chuck unit connected to the upper end of the driving sleeves, above the bearing blocks, and said chuck units each comprise a head secured to the upper end of said driving sleeves and having a bore complementary to the upper ends of the knife shafts. The upper ends of the knife shafts are provided with a notch in one side thereof which is wider and deeper at one end than the other and said heads are provided with a transverse bore which receives a plug for axial movement of a frusto-conical section on said plug into and out of wedging engagement with said notch in said knife shaft with which said secton is substantially complementary in shape. Several embodiments of actuating structures are provided for moving said plug into and out of said wedging engagement of the frusto-conical sections with said notches in said knife shafts.