Abstract: A rotary slicing tool for a food processor has a horizontal disc-like member with an opening therein and a cutting blade positioned at an elevated location above the opening relative to the horizontal top surface of the disc-like member providing a cut having a thickness determined by the vertical elevation between the cutting blade and the horizontal top surface. A removable cover disc having the same general configuration and proportion as the disc-like member is mounted on the cutting member for changing the thickness of the slices as determined by the thickness of the cover disc. The cut of the rotary slicing tool may therefore be varied by using removable and replaceable cover discs of different thicknesses without necessitating the complete removal and replacement of the rotary tool in the food processor. Certain cover discs may include auxiliary blades for converting the slicing tool into a French fry slicer or Julienne slicer.

Abstract: The machine includes a horizontal base plate on which a plurality of vertical tubes are mounted, apertures in said plate being disposed beneath said tubes so food products are free to pass down through the tubes and the plate. Stop means below the plate limit the distance which food products can extend out of the tubes. A blade assembly is rotatable below the plate on a vertical axis between the tubes. A blade assembly includes a freely rotatable circular blade at its outer end which passes under the tubes in sequence and cuts corresponding food products into predetermined length chunks.

Abstract: A bacon slicing machine having a rotating slicing blade and a feed bed adjacent said blade across which it moves forwardly into the path of the blade by a conveyor arrangement; a hold down device laterally disposed above said bed and send product when thereon comprising rotatable grippers biased toward said bed into engagement with the upper surface of the product during operation to provide for a controlled feed of the product adjacent the blade, compensating for the pull of the blade, with the rotation of the gripper sychronized with the feed of the product via the conveyor arrangement.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making split lock washers consists of an automated machine wherein the diameter and gap of a lock washer can be accurately controlled. The apparatus includes a drive mechanism for driving the cutter and a transmission unit driven by the drive mechanism which can be adjusted to correlate the feed speed of the wire with the cutter to produce washers of different diameters. After the correlation speed has been set the production speed can be increased or decreased and the synchronized relation of the feed and cutter speeds will remain the same.

Abstract: A rotary slicing tool is provided for a food processor having a hub with a horizontal disc-like member carrying an elevated slicing blade. The disc-like member has a horizontal area with an arcuate slot extending from the hub out to the periphery. The slicing blade is mounted on an elevated arcuate rim behind the slot with the cutting edge projecting forward and elevated above the horizontal area facing forward above the slot for slicing food items, with the slices passing down through the slot. For avoiding smashing or shredding of slices, a gradually sloping shoulder joins the horizontal area with the elevated platform having the rim where the slicing blade is mounted. Both ends of the blade are contoured to conform with the rotational direction of travel; the outer end conforming with the periphery of the disc-like member, and the inner end conforming with the hub, and the cutting edge is spaced well forward of the shoulder near both ends of the slicing blade.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for breaking off the wire-like or strip-like consumed electrode in electro-erosion machines for the processing of workpieces. At a delivery side of the device the consumed electrode is moved by feed rollers into a gap between the surface of an anvil and a multi-edge bit which rotates in front of this surface and is driven by the feed rollers. The rotating bit edges groove the electrode on the anvil surface to cut it into small pieces which fall into a collector container.

Abstract: A rotary food processing tool is provided for use in a food processor of the type including a housing containing an electric motor drive, a bowl mountable on the housing for enclosing the tool, said tool being rotated by said motor drive, and a removable cover on the bowl with a feed tube for feeding food items onto the rotating tool and into the bowl. The rotary tool has an elongated hub with a head on one end and coupling means adapted to be coupled to the electric motor drive. The head of the hub is offset from the coupling means such that it revolves around the axis of rotation of the coupling means. The tool includes a horizontal disc-like member mounted on the hub head at a location radially offset from the center axis of the disc-like member. Cutting means on the disc member extends from near the axis to the periphery.

Abstract: An ice cream dispensing apparatus allows the dispensing of half-gallon boxes of ice cream purchased at a supermarket. The dispenser is mounted in the home freezer portion of a refrigerator and each block of ice cream is placed in a special canister. The dispenser may be opened from the front, the ice cream inserted, and by pressing a switch, the ice cream is dispensed into a bowl or cone. The ice cream in the dispenser is pushed from one end while being cut from the other. The pushing mechanism and the cutting mechanism are driven by the same motor. The unit is easily removable from the freezer for cleaning.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for disintegrating foodstuffs especially fruit and vegetable foodstuffs including a casing, a spindle supported rotatably in said casing and extending axially therethrough and driven by a motor. A disintegrating member, e.g. in form of a cutting disc is connected with said spindle and there is further a feeding hopper mounted concentrically on said casing and above said cutting disc. There is a pressing member for feeding foodstuffs in direction towards said cutting disc, the inner of said hopper being provided with radially directed members forming a number of sector shaped spaces.

Abstract: The horizontal platform between the feed roll nip and the rotary cutter pelletizing nip in a dicer is arranged to feed soft, limp webs of plastic without crumpling, buckling or sidewise movement by providing a multiplicity of closely spaced ribs and grooves on both the platform and on the hold down fingers, extending in the direction of feed. Friction is thus reduced in the feed direction while sidewise control is maximum for a given feed resistance. To prevent the soft plastic from wrapping around the lower feed roll it is formed with a multiplicity of small diamond protuberances separated by channels.

Abstract: A looper comprising a looper main body of steel and a blade of cemented carbide alloy. The looper main body includes a mounting portion, a vertical portion provided at the right end of the mounting portion, a horizontal portion extending from the upper end of the vertical portion horizontally rightward and a tip portion extending downward from the right end of the horizontal portion. The blade is attached to a continuous hook-shaped recessed portion formed in the main body and defined by the inner edges of the vertical portion, the horizontal portion and the tip portion. The looper is highly resistant to wear, flexible, inexpensive to manufacture and capable of efficiently cutting chemical fibers which are difficult to cut.

Abstract: A machine for continuously conveying slabs of meat, such as bacon, to a revolving blade and slicing same into accurate, weight controlled groupings, preferably by control of the conveying system. The machine has a plurality of longitudinally spaced, generally transversely extending rollers and a plurality of finger means mounted on the front roller that is adjacent to the blade, but rearward of the front roller, to apply downward and rearward forces to the conveyor supported slab to positively control the slab travel to, and particularly adjacent, the blade.

Abstract: A drive shaft of the gumming and folding section of an envelope machine rotates at a preselected speed and is drivingly connected through meshing gears to the input shaft of a variable speed drive mechanism. The input shaft is connected to an output shaft through a differential transmission so that the output shaft is driven at a preselected ratio relative to the speed of the input shaft. The output shaft is drivingly connected to a web feeding apparatus that conveys a continuous web of material from a supply roll at a preselected speed. Thus, the web feeding apparatus is driven at a predetermined ratio relative to the speed of the drive shaft. A web cutting apparatus is drivingly connected to the input shaft so that a cut off knife is rotated at a fixed speed relative to the drive shaft to cut the continuous web at preselected intervals to form envelope blanks having a bottom flap connected to a closure flap.

Abstract: An improved cutting device of the type having rotary vane knives, which cerate with stationary knives, for making patterned cuts in the edges of paper webs, particularly for the preparation of envelopes or envelope blanks, is provided. The device includes at least one cooperating knife pair, comprising one rotary knife and one stationary knife, disposed for cooperative engagement for making patterned cuts in the edges of paper webs moving therepast. The blades are made of materials differing from one another in hardness to an extent such that the softer knife can have material removed from it without damage to the latter, and at least one of the knives of the cooperating knife pair, is mounted for feeding movement toward its associated cooperating knife, while the cutting device is operated.

Abstract: An opening and closing mechanism for the casing of a machine, especially a tobacco cutting machine is provided, having a pair of meshing gears mounted on one machine part, which by way of a link-mechanism are adapted to rotate when the casing is opened. A shock absorber is mounted between the gears to enable the opening movement to have a first phase which is relatively unimpeded and a second phase is damped.

Abstract: A pair of rotatable cutter mechanisms are positioned on opposite sides of a moving web and are arranged upon rotation of the cutter shafts to cut notches in the side edges of the moving web. The cutter shafts are rotatably driven by a drive mechanism that includes a pair of endless timing belts connected to the cutter shafts. One of the timing belts is reeved about a drive pulley that is non-rotatably connected to a helical gear. The main drive shaft has a helical gear that meshes with the helical gear connected to the pulley. The pair of timing belts are drivingly connected to each other by means of a pair of meshing helical gears connected to separate pulleys associated with the respective timing belts. Phase adjustment of both of the cutter mechanisms is accomplished by axially moving the helical gears connected to the pulley and main drive shaft while the helical gears remain in meshing relation with each other.

Abstract: Strand granulation apparatus characterized by cutter bearing rotors and strand passages wherein the strands are passed through generally cross-sectionally circular shear bushings at the exit end of which they are engaged and severed by the rotating cutters are improved by employing shear bushings having noncircular cross-sections so disposed as to provide random positioning of strands when engaged by the cutters.

Abstract: A shaft for a cutter mechanism having a cutter blade secured to the periphery thereof is rotatably mounted in a frame mechanism. A driven pulley is nonrotatably secured to the end of the cutter shaft and is connected to a pair of drive pulleys by a flexible timing belt that transmits rotation to the cutter shaft and the cutter blade. Rotation of the cutter blade cuts notches in the side edges of a moving web. A plate member is pivotally connected to the frame mechanism and includes an aperture through which the cutter shaft extends. An adjusting cam is eccentrically mounted to the frame mechanism and is secured to the plate member. A pair of idler shafts are secured to the plate member and extend outwardly therefrom. A pair of idler pulleys are rotatably positioned on the idler shafts respectively and engage the timing belt to maintain a preselected tension thereon.

Abstract: A device for eliminating filamentary winders from the surface of a rotating working roller of the type commonly utilized in the textile industry. A runner carrying a cutting means is provided which moves traversely over the surface of the working roller and parallel to its axis. The runner may be driven by either a guide groove formed in the surface of the working roller or a separate reverse-winding roller which is linked to the working roller. The cutting means may comprise a wedge-shaped blade edge facing the running direction of the working roller which has a blunted projecting portion which extends slightly below the surface of the working roller and which initially engages any winder encountered thereon. In addition an electrical means for detecting, counting and/or allocating winders to discrete length sections of the working roller may be provided which is operated by the cutting means.

Abstract: An automated envelope opener receives a stack of unopened envelopes of varying sizes, types and shapes, and feeds these envelopes individually to a cutting station. An edge of each envelope is automatically aligned with a reference surface, whereby each such aligned envelope edge can be cut at the cutting station by a rotating multi-toothed cutter and stationary anvil which are also aligned with the reference surface. In a preferred embodiment, means are additionally provided for shingling and stacking the envelopes after they have been cut open.

Abstract: A blade mounting device for a rotary cutting machine in which the blade is formed with a groove or shoulder to receive a locating element which acts to hold the blade readially in a groove of a cutting cylinder and also adjusts the position of the blade in a perpendicular direction. The locating element is adjusted by means of an eccentric mounted on a pivot, the eccentric having a hexagonal head for adjustment purposes, and a clamping screw to fix the eccentric in position. The locating element may itself be provided with several abutment surfaces for varying the radial position of the blade. A resilient backing strip is inserted on the opposite side of the blade.

Abstract: An iron piece shearing machine which comprises in combination an iron strip supply source from which at least one continuous length of iron web or strip is payed out, a pair of upper and lower feed rollers positioned midway of the passage of said iron strip extending from said supply source and having a nip defined therebetween, a pair of upper and lower spaced stationary blades positioned downstream of said feed rollers in the passage of the iron strip and having an iron strip guide clearance defined therebetween, and a high speed rotary shearing cutter assembly positioned adjacent to the distal ends of said stationary blades to shear small pieces having a small square cross-section area off the remaining portion of said iron strip in cooperation with the stationary blades.