Abstract: A bacon slicing or skinning machine has a housing for a set of conveyors including a traction wheel located beneath an elongated path for the products which are to be skinned or sliced. A blade holder is pivotably mounted at a level above the path adjacent the traction wheel on the heads of two independently movable arms which flank the path and carry a pivot bearing for the holder. The bearing is located in front of a device which limits the extent of movement of the holder and its blade from a starting position to a working position in response to engagement of the cutting edge of the blade by an oncoming product. Such device can comprise a pintle which extends with play into recesses of the arms, or an eccentric on at least one of the arms, such eccentric being tracked by a rearwardly extending follower of the holder. Springs are provided to permanently pull the arms downwardly so as to urge the holder to the starting position.

Abstract: A bacon skinning machine wherein the knife is movable with reference to the traction wheel by a support having two arms which carry the knife holder. The arms are movable lengthwise and are pivotable by two eccentrics mounted on a shaft which is rotatable by a single lever. The lever can move the support to a position in which the holder and the knife can be detached from the arms, to a position in which the holder automatically conforms its position to the thickness of the rind on a slab of bacon, and a starting position. The arms are biased in a direction to urge the knife toward the periphery of the traction wheel, and such arms engage pivot pins in the machine frame in that position of the support when the holder can be detached from the arms.

Abstract: A skinning machine for bacon has a transporting conveyor which advances successive slabs into a passage between the discharge end of the conveyor and a pivotably mounted hold-down roller. The slabs which advance beyond the passage are engaged by the peripheral surface of a driven traction wheel which advances the slabs into the range of the skinning knife. The discharge end of the conveyor is movable up and down and moves downwardly to place the passage into register with a larger portion of the peripheral surface of the traction wheel when the conveyor advances a relatively thick slab of bacon. At the same time, the hold-down roller moves forwardly and downwardly toward the traction wheel. The hold-down roller is mounted on a lever which is pivotable about an axis located at a level below and rearwardly of the discharge end of the conveyor, as considered in the direction of advancement of slabs toward and into the passage.

Abstract: A bacon slicing machine wherein the product is placed onto the exposed horizontal supporting surface of a table which is movable between an extended and a retracted position. The front portion of the table overlies the cutting edge of the knife and the apex of a rotary feeding wheel in the extended position of the table to thus prevent injury to the hands of an attendant. A spring biases the table to the extended position, and a bar is provided at the rear end of the table to be depressed by the hips of an attendant standing behind the table in order to move the table to the retracted position in which the product can be pushed along the supporting surface, along an upwardly or downwardly inclined platform which forms part of the front portion of the table, and into the range of the feeding wheel. The supporting surface of the table and the cutting plane of the knife make an acute angle of between 15.degree. and 50.degree..