Abstract: A mechanism and method is provided for controllably loading multiple food loaves into the slicing station of a continuous slicing machine. The parallel loaves that are engaged by a common loaf feed drive or side-by-side, independent loaf feed drives are engaged by the loaf feed drive or drives simultaneously such that the interface or seam between a preceding loaf and a trailing loaf in different loaf feed paths are located substantially at the same location during slicing of two side-by-side loaf streams. A clamp device is provided that clamps multiple food loaves when loaded to move along the parallel food loaf paths together, wherein the clamp device can be released once the multiple food loaves are simultaneously engaged by the loaf feed drive.

Abstract: A cheese slice product and a method of making such a cheese slice product are disclosed wherein the cheese slice product contains an array of relatively smaller pieces which are linked together by one or more unslit connecting segments, with the method being directed to incising a standard cheese loaf and subsequently slicing the incised cheese slice loaf into such an array of smaller pieces. Incision patterns are applied to a typical cheese loaf prior to the loaf entering the slicer and line conveying systems. After slicing the incised cheese loaf, an unslit portion in each slice holds the multiple segments in the slice in the dimensional shape of the cross section of the loaf.

Abstract: A device for dicing a potato or other foodstuff. The foodstuff is pushed through a first assembly of cutters to form foodstuff segments having the shape of french fries. The segments are then pushed through a second assembly of cutters to form foodstuff portions in the shape of cubes. A lever or handle is operated to successively push the foodstuff through the first cutter assembly then push the foodstuff segments through the second cutter assembly.

Abstract: A food slicer is provided having a support member including a base portion and an upstanding portion integrally formed with the base portion. The upstanding portion includes a rotating cutting blade secured thereto for slicing food product and at least one motor positioned within the upstanding portion for rotating the cutting blade. An adjustable gage plate also is provided for determining the thickness of a food product to be sliced by the cutting blade. The base portion includes a food product table slidably secured thereto and is movable across the cutting blade for holding product while it is being sliced by the cutting blade. The food product table has at least one peripheral reinforcement along an edge thereof where the reinforcement has a hollow channel therein.

Abstract: A food processor appliance for cutting food articles into a desired form, includes a housing having a feed chute; a pusher member for pushing food articles through the feed chute into the housing; a cutter device within the housing mounted for reciprocatory movements transversely across the outlet end of the feed chute for cutting food articles fed therethrough into the desired form; and an electrical drive unit including an electrical motor removable from the housing to facilitate cleaning the cutting device. The electrical drive unit includes an interlock electrical switch normally disabling the drive unit but actuatable to enable it, and the feed chute includes an actuator laterally thereof for actuating the interlock electrical switch, and thereby the drive unit, when the drive unit is located in its proper position the top wall of the housing.

Abstract: A system for cutting blocks of cheese or other food product into chunks includes conveyors for moving the blocks along an automated, continuous, in-line processing path. A block cutter cuts the blocks longitudinally and or vertically to provide one or more stacks of slabs which are destacked by a vacuum transfer apparatus. A transverse cutter cuts the individual slabs to create chunks of cheese or other food product. The conveyors include a stack conveyor located in the processing path for conveying successive stacks of slabs from the block cutter to the product destacking apparatus in succession, and a slab conveyor located in the processing path for conveying successive slabs from the product destacking apparatus to the transverse cutter. A trim cutting module includes a rotating mechanism that rotates a block during the trim operation, allowing trim to drop to a trim disposal conveyance.

Abstract: An apparatus for slicing food products having a machine housing. A cutting head housing with a rotatably driven blade is bonded to the machine housing by an adjustment device. The adjustment device includes a frame which is only moveable in a Y direction relative to the machine housing while the cutting head housing is literally moveable in the X direction relative to the frame.

Abstract: A device for slicing the tip from an elongated food product having an elongated housing with a longitudinally extending channel open at one end and closed at its second end. The channel is dimensioned to receive the food product through the first open end of the housing. A plunger assembly is slidably mounted to the housing adjacent the second end of the housing and in the direction transverse to the channel axis. The plunger assembly includes a blade moveable between a retracted position in which the blade is retracted from the channel and an extended position in which the blade extends across the channel.

Abstract: A machine for slicing food products, including a supported table surface with aperture for the passage therethrough of product slices; a power-driven cutting device having a horizontal blade extending above the table surface at a distance substantially corresponding to the slice thickness required; a guided horizontally sliding platform spaced above the cutting device; a power-driven reciprocating lateral thruster attached to the horizontal sliding platform for the purpose of moving the platform both to produce slices of food product and to clear the cutting device in the case it is jammed; and a vertical tube-shaped open-ended hopper rigidly supported by the horizontally sliding platform for containing a stack of food product items, the lowest item in the stack resting on the table surface and being pushed by the hopper into contact with the cutting device to produce a slice.

Abstract: A food slicer is provided having a support member including a base portion and an upstanding portion integrally formed with the base portion. The upstanding portion includes a rotating cutting blade secured thereto for slicing food product and at least one motor positioned within the upstanding portion for rotating the cutting blade. The base portion includes a food product table slidably secured thereto and is movable across the cutting blade for holding product while it is being sliced by the cutting blade. An adjustable gage plate also is provided for determining the thickness of a food product to be sliced by the cutting blade. A product fence for assisting in holding and stabilizing food product during slicing is included where the fence is removably secured to a portion of the food product table by frictional engagement therebetween.

Abstract: A slicing device includes a base for supporting a foodstuff to be sliced and a repositionable knife or blade having a pair of bosses disposed at one end of the blade that extends outwardly away from the blade. The pair of bosses of the blade is coupled to a blade holding rack that acts as a pivot or fulcrum for the blade. The pivot or lever action of the blade permits a user to easily cut through large or hard foodstuff. In one embodiment, the blade is adjustable in the rack to permit a user to lower the blade to make successively deeper slices into and eventually through the foodstuff.

Abstract: Apparatus for dividing medicinal tablets is disclosed. Such apparatus may include a plurality of tablet dividing members disposed along a common axis, a tablet retention mechanism adapted to hold a plurality of oral solid medicinal tablets, and a controller that causes the tablet retention mechanism to move relative to the tablet dividing members. Each medicinal tablet may have a respective initial dosage of an active constituent. The tablet dividing members may be disposed relative to one another along the common axis to divide each of the medicinal tablets into a respective plurality of tablet portions. The partial dosages of all the tablet portions may be equal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for cutting fruit and vegetables, in particular onions, having a cutter member (3) that has a plurality of blades (2) and having a counterpart element (4) against which the cutter member (3) is pressed for cutting the material to be cut, wherein the counterpart element (4) has a punch (5) which presses the material to be cut through the cutter member (3), or the blades (2) thereof. For receiving the cut material, a container (6) is releasably disposed on the cutter member (3), on its side remote from the counterpart element (4), in the region of the blades (2).

Abstract: A drive unit for a food slicer has a housing and a bearing plate inside the housing. The bearing plate carries a transmission which transfers the rotation of a drive motor coupled to the mechanism to a circular blade that is rotatably mounted in a first bearing. The bearing plate has the first bearing for the circular blade, and the housing is provided with an opening through which the first bearing can be accessed from outside the housing. The slicer has the advantage of being especially quiet.

Abstract: This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.

Abstract: A cheese slicer having a bottom plate on which a block of cheese can be placed, a vertical guide rod mounted on the bottom plate having an external thread on which a slicing arm with a slicing string, and a roundel with an internal thread, which is received on the external thread. The slicer also has a holding arm, which holds the upper part of the block of cheese in position during the slicing operation. The holding arm includes a second roundel, which is coupled to the slicing arm roundel, and which has an internal flush bore such that the holding arm is slidably mounted on the guide rod below the slicing arm roundel and moves vertically. The holding arm prevents tilting of the cheese and the cutting of slices not of uniform thickness.

Abstract: A system and method for tracking and controlling the food product carriage of a food product slicer is described.

Abstract: A manual multi knife cutting device for vegetables and other material of similar structure wherein: the knives are mounted directly in a base guide containing slots and fulcrum bolt for the knives, and an enclosure platform for the vegetables right next to the knife fulcrum. The enclosure location close to the fulcrum reduces cutting loads and it's closed design prevents vegetable sliding. The guides which make up the base using spacers and connecting bolts at the bottom fully support the knives throughout the cutting stroke enabling a smooth cut. Slots extending below the platform enable the knives to go past the cut pieces for a clean cut.

Abstract: A food processing apparatus comprises a first and second shaft and first, second, third and fourth subsets of blades. The first and second subsets of blades are mounted to the first shaft. The blades of the first subset of blades are separated by a first displacement. The blades of the second subset of blades are separated by a second displacement differing from the first displacement. The third and fourth subsets of blades are mounted to the second shaft. The blades of the third subset of blades are separated by the first displacement. The blades of the fourth subset of blades are separated by the second displacement. The first and third subset of blades form a first cutting region for cutting food to a first dimension and the second and fourth subset of blades form a second cutting region for cutting food to a second dimension.

Abstract: A food slicer having a blade is disclosed having a runway for supporting food prior to cutting by the blade and a landing for supporting the blade and the food after being cut. The runway and landing are adjustable for selecting a thickness of a food slice. The runway and landing are simultaneously adjusted, by a single mechanism, so that the blade and runway are maintained generally parallel with respect to each other. The adjusting mechanism includes a plurality of rotatable cam portions that engage with respective portions on the runway and landing so that each of the runway and landing may be oppositely pivoted around an end to maintain the parallel relationship. The food slicer also includes on-board storage for inserts, such as julienning or cubing inserts. The storage is located on a bottom of the runway, which is pivoted upward for storage.

Abstract: A clamping mechanism for a food slicing machine having a product holder that is driven cyclically through a food slicing blade along an arcuate or linear path. The clamping mechanism is driven by the drive means that drives the product holder, thereby assuring the timing of the clamping during the cutting portion of the stroke. A drive rod extends from the drive means, which can be a driveshaft, and extends to a plate that is pivotably mounted to the product holder. The plate pushes plungers through the sidewall of the holder to seat against and clamp the food product against the sidewall of the holder.

Abstract: A housing with at least one elongate chamber for a hot dog, a series of transverse blades for slicing the hot dog laterally into a number of disc sections, and at least one longitudinal blade for slicing the hot dog lengthwise, for example into quarters. The housing includes two parts that rotate or otherwise move relative to each other to make the transverse slices. Preferably, the first part of the housing includes a hopper with a retainer surface and the second part of the housing includes a series of transverse blades that rotate to transversely slice the hot dog. Furthermore, the two parts preferably include alignable openings permitting the transversely sliced hot dog to fall into the chamber for longitudinal slicing. Preferably, a plunger pushes the hot dog into the longitudinal blade to slice the hot dog lengthwise.

Abstract: A loaf end trimming station for a high speed food loaf slicing machine, includes a frame, a first knife and a second knife spaced apart along the frame and oriented in positions corresponding to a lead end trimming location and a trailing end trimming location of a food loaf. The trimming station includes a loaf cutting support for receiving the loaf, and a motive mechanism to move the loaf cutting support toward the knives to trim ends off of the loaf. The trimming station includes a loaf staging support, wherein the loaf cutting support deposits the loaves on the loaf staging support after being trimmed by the knives. The loaf staging support is tiltable between a staging position to collect trimmed loaves and a loading position to deliver trimmed loaves to the high speed food loaf slicing machine.

Abstract: A slicing machine includes a machine frame having a food loaf delivery path arranged in a longitudinal direction, and a cutting assembly arranged in the delivery path. The cutting assembly has two longitudinally directed reciprocating blades facing upstream in the delivery path. In operation, the loaf is pressed through the cutting assembly which cuts the loaf into quarter sections. A slicing blade is arranged in the delivery path downstream of the cutting assembly, the slicing blade arranged to slice the sectioned food loaf transversely to the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A cutting device holds an article to be cut stationary while a blade is traversed along a curved guide to peel or slice away material from the article. The article may be rotated using an indexing mechanism to realign the article with respect to the blade. The cutting device is especially configured to cut complex shapes, such as a seven-sided tourné. Portions of the cutting device may be separated for storage or travel, and a storage container may be provided to protect the device as well as to keep the separated pieces together.

Abstract: A pill splitter splits a pill in quarters along a major axis and a minor axis The pill splitter has a lower body, and an upper body, integrally affixed to the lower body. A rotating bed receptacle is rotatingly affixed in the pill splitter, and contains a bed substantially conforming to the pill shape. A membrane, disposed below the bed, contains a cruciate cutout into which are formed a major axis slit and a minor axis slit. A long, thin cutting blade is disposed below and in proximity to the bed receptacle. In use the, receptacle is rotated to a position so that the cutting blade is disposed beneath the one axis slit and beneath the corresponding axis of the pill. A blow struck to a plunger aligned with the blade by plunger slots and guides cuts the pill along the chosen axis.

Abstract: A loaf reload mechanism for a slicing machine that includes a loaf-loading position wherein during a loading operation a loaf is placed in the loaf-loading position to be engaged by a gripper and driven into a cutting plane. The loaf reload mechanism includes a loaf-staging position located over the loaf-loading position, the loaf-staging position having a lowering mechanism to position a loaf from the loaf-staging position to the loaf-loading position. The reload mechanism also includes a loaf-ready position located laterally adjacent to the loaf-staging position, and a sweep mechanism configured to laterally move a loaf from the loaf-ready position into the loaf-staging position.

Abstract: A removable, lubrication free plain bearing plate constructed food-table is assembled on the food slicer to reduce the operating friction while increasing the unique quality of the sliced food product as well as labor-efficiency.

Abstract: An apparatus for slicing fruit or other items is provided. The apparatus includes a top interlocking blade, a middle interlocking blade, and a bottom interlocking blade, each having an apex and two downward sloping edges of approximate equal length. The blades have slots at each side that fit into slots in a circumferential ring. The blades form a cutting surface within the circumferential ring that allows a lime or other item to easily cut into equal-sized sections.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for cutting food products, in which the products are fed single-file by gravity through a cutting device comprising one or more cutting elements. The apparatus makes use of a device for contacting and positioning the products as they drop through a feed passage prior to encountering the cutting device so as to produce size-reduced products of more uniform size.

Abstract: A knife blade in a fixture is provided for cutting vegetable products particularly such as potatoes, wherein the knife fixture includes a grid of knife blades adapted for producing product strips defined by rough-textured cut surfaces. Each knife blade includes a sharp cutting edge for smooth-surface cutting of products propelled hydraulically through the knife fixture. Each knife blade further includes opposed side faces each incorporating an array of shallow channels having an upstream end positioned rearwardly from the associated cutting edge and extending generally in the direction of product travel. These shallow channels disrupt and roughen the cut product surfaces to produce rough-textured cut surfaces. In French fry potato strips, this roughened surface texture results in enhanced surface crispness after frying, or alternately enhances batter pick-up and/or crispness characteristics in a batter-coated French fry product. Enhanced finished product hold time is also achieved.

Abstract: A slicer comprising a slicer body including a rotatable blade for slicing a product, and a tray mounted for reciprocal movement relative the slicer body and for supporting and moving the product relative the blade. The tray includes a tray body and a unitary handle. In another embodiment, the invention is a slicer including a slicer body having a rotatable blade for slicing a product and a tray for supporting the product and moving the product relative the blade. The slicer further includes a handle unitary with the tray, the handle providing a surface which a user may grip to manually move the tray.

Abstract: This invention relates to a food slicing apparatus, and in particular to an apparatus for slicing bread. The food slicing apparatus of the invention has an enclosure to support the food to be sliced. The enclosure features an access opening through which food can be introduced into the enclosure. A cover for the access opening can be provided, moveable relative to the enclosure from an open position to a closed position. A guide is provided within the enclosure for guiding a blade to slice food supported within the enclosure. A stop is also provided to at least partially obstruct the guide. The cover is connected to at least one of the guide and the stop to displace the guide and the stop relative to one another, so that when the cover is in an open position, the stop at least partially obstructs the guide. In the embodiment disclosed, the stop is connected to the cover and moveable relative to the guide to at least partially obstruct the guide when the cover is in the open position.

Abstract: A food chopping or slicing device preferably includes three primary components, including a lid, a blade tray, and a food reservoir. The lid and the food reservoir are pivotally connected to one another, with the blade tray being removably mounted within an upper rim of the reservoir. In some embodiments a reservoir bottom is removable and the device includes orthogonal volumetric markings.

Abstract: A device for separating disc-shaped bodies from an original body includes a separating device, a feeding device, an optical recognition device for determining the front face contour of the original body and lamps for illuminating the surroundings of the cutting surface. The recognition device detects the front face using the contrast between the surroundings of the front face and the original body in relation to the determined front face. The lamps are mounted in a tunnel and arranged in a planar manner along the longitudinal direction of the original body. The method includes the steps of guiding the source body in a tunnel, mounting a plurality of lamps in a planar fashion along the longitudinal direction of the source body in the tunnel, and illuminating the source body and the environment of the face of the source body with the plurality of lamps.

Abstract: A knife for a cutting wheel provided to slice food products including a knife holder having a recessed portion located along a leading side thereof, a clamp secured to the knife holder, and a cutting blade mounted between the clamp and knife holder along the leading side of the knife holder. A replaceable insert member with a wear surface is positioned within the recess of the knife holder, and this insert member is contiguous with the cutting blade and protrudes from the knife holder to provide a substitute leading edge therefore in close apposition to the cutting blade.

Abstract: A universal slicer contains a housing, a rotatably mounted revolving blade, a positioning plate which is provided with a bearing surface for a product that is to be sliced, and a mechanism regulating the width of cut by adjusting the positioning plate in relation to the revolving blade. In order to ensure that the slices are cut in a uniform manner, particularly when using universal slicers that have a simple configuration and are inexpensive to produce, the universal slicer is provided with a tensioning device, by which the positioning plate can be prestressed free from play counter to the mechanism regulating the width of cut.

Abstract: A portioning apparatus (10) includes a powered conveyor (12) for carrying workpieces (WP) past a scanning station (14) and past a cutting station (20). Information from the scanning station pertaining to physical parameters of the workpiece is transmitted to a control system (16) which then determines an optimal cutting strategy for the workpiece, which strategy is implemented at the cutting station (20). The length of time required to portion the workpiece is also determined, and this information is used to ascertain whether the speed of the conveyor (12) is optimal or should be changed.

Abstract: A vegetable chopper (10) includes a lower housing part (14), which has a knife (16) on its underside and receives a rotatable inner body with a chopping grid (20), the inner body (18) being fillable with the vegetable. Vegetable chopper (10) has an upper housing part (12) with a ram (26) which is disposed on a spindle (24) in the operating state plunges into the inner body (18) and upon rotation of the upper housing part (12) relative to the lower housing part (14) executes an axial motion counter to the chopping grid (20). Vegetable chopper (10) includes a coupling device (28), which in the operating state assure engagement with a thread of the spindle (24) and in the open state allows a free axial displacement of the spindle (24) and ram (26). The coupling device (28) is connected to the upper housing part (12), and the spindle (24) is guided for axial displacement relative to the upper housing part (12) and secured against rotation relative to the upper housing part (12) on the axial guide (34).

Abstract: A cutting device hygienically cuts a lemon into wedges with a crosscut for hanging the wedges on glasses as served with beverages, such as ice-tea, or cocktails in restaurants or bars. Simple mechanism: the cam mechanism and the gear-rack assembly are driven by two separate manually operated handles that attach to the machine to achieve the slicing actions. Cutting a lemon into wedges with crosscuts is accomplished by simply placing the lemon into the center of the machine and adding pressure in sequence to the two handles by the operator.

Abstract: A food slicer includes a frame with a food-receiving platform having an aperture therein. A reversible cutting blade has first and second cutting edges and is selectively removably mountable on the frame in first and second positions for respectively disposing the first and second cutting edges in the aperture for engagement with food being moved along the platform. Support legs are rotatably carried by the frame for movement between a stowed position disposed against the frame entirely between inner surfaces of side walls thereof and a use position extending from the frame and laterally outwardly of the inner surfaces of the side walls.

Abstract: A corrugated knife fixture is provided for cutting vegetable products or the like particularly such as potatoes, wherein the knife fixture includes one or more knife blades each having a cutting edge with a variable pitch and variable amplitude geometry. The knife fixture is particularly adapted for cutting whole potatoes into a plurality of wedge-shaped pieces each including a pair of wave-shaped cut surfaces which angularly intersect at a narrow cut tip located generally at a longitudinal centerline of the potato and diverge radially outwardly to an enlarged heel corresponding with the external surface of the potato which may remain unpeeled. The knife fixture, and the resultant wave-shaped cut surfaces of the potato wedges, is defined by the variable pitch and variable amplitude cutting edge wherein the pitch and amplitude increases from the cut tip of the wedge toward the heel or external surface thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a manual vegetable cutter, for selectively varied cutting. Furthermore, the cutter of the present invention does not expose the user to risks of serious cuts. The cutter includes a frame fitted with at least one cutting blade mounted transversely facing a slot through which the cut vegetables pass and also two side rails providing guidance in to and fro translational motion for a guide chamber equipped with a loading volume for the vegetables to be cut up and acting in conjunction with a press-down cap which the user grips in order to move the guide chamber to and fro along the guide rails while constantly exerting pressure on the vegetables contained in the loading volume so that they are pressed against the cutting blade or blades fitted to the frame and can be cut up by the blade or blades.

Abstract: An automatic top slice removal device includes a frame, a lower conveyor belt and an adjustably mounted upper conveyor belt extending generally parallel with and spaced from the lower conveyor belt. A meat product slicing device includes a blade interposed between the upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt to separate a top slice from the remainder of the meat product. A top slice separator plate is adjustably mounted between the upper conveyor belt and the lower conveyor belt and positioned rearwardly adjacent and vertically aligned with the blade and extends rearwards therefrom to maintain separation of the top slice and the remainder of the meat product between the belts. Finally, a top slice removal conveyor belt is positioned rearwards of the top slice separator plate and below the upper conveyor belt to remove the top slice from the remainder of the meat product.

Abstract: A cutter blade assembly that presents a sequential series of perpendicularly oriented cutting knife arrays which are attached to a frame. A first set of cutting knives is comprised of knives that are generally scalloped shaped. A second set of cutting knives is comprised of knives that are generally straight and are connected in general perpendicular orientation to the first set of strip knives. When a vegetable product such as a potato is forced through the cutter blade assembly, the first set of knives cuts the potato into a scalloped shaped slab. The second set of knives then cuts the slab into a scoop shaped potato piece emulating a portion of a cut stalk of celery.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for slicing a food product. The food product is moved in a conveying direction toward a rotary cutter driven in a cutting plane. A sensor detects the width of the food product and provides an output to an adjustment circuit which moves the food product in a direction transverse to the conveying direction.

Abstract: A housing with elongate chambers for hot dogs and transverse guide channels extending all the way through the chambers, a longitudinal blade assembly having sets of four radially arranged longitudinal blade sections positioned within the chambers and connected to each other so that the blades simultaneously slide longitudinally between a first position and a second position to slice the hot dogs longitudinally into quarters, and a transverse blade assembly having transverse blades that are received in the channels and connected to each other so that the blades simultaneously slide transversely between a first position and a second position to slice the hot dogs transversely into pieces.

Abstract: A method for optimizing yield from a slicing apparatus, includes scanning and weighing a carcass, slab or loaf upstream of a slicing head of the slicing apparatus. The carcass, slab or loaf weight is divided by a desired pre-selected portion weight to determine the number of slices to be made. A remainder portion is allocated to an intermediate position along the carcass, slab or loaf to be sliced from the carcass, slab or loaf before a butt end portion, gripped by a gripper of the slicing apparatus, reaches the slicing head. The butt end portion is pre-arranged to be the desired pre-selected portion weight or at least an acceptable pre-selected portion weight. The butt end portion can then be released by the gripper as a desired or acceptable weight portion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (10) for cutting a workpiece (38), mounted onto an elongate rod (36), into a spiral formation. The device includes a frame (12) defining a workspace (14), and a locating mechanism (34) for locating the rod longitudinally along the workspace. A chuck (40), rotatable about an axis of rotation, is located in the workspace for holding and rotating the work piece about an axis co-axial with the axis of the rod. A carriage (44) which is transportable longitudinally along the workspace releasably mounts a cutting tool (46) extending transversely to the workspace. The device includes also a transport mechanism (48) for transporting the carriage longitudinally along the workspace and a displacement mechanism (34) for displacing the locating mechanism, and hence in use the rod, longitudinally along the workspace. The device further includes a drive mechanism (52) for driving the transport mechanism, the displacement mechanism and rotatingly driving the chuck.

Abstract: A device and method for computerized product slicing are disclosed. The device includes a blade, an openable product holder capable of engaging/retaining therein the product and of communication with a product sensor, the product sensor which detects presence of product in proximity to the product holder and causes it to close upon the product, a slicing mechanism, and a weighing module designed and constructed to collect, retain and weigh slices of product and to communicate weight thereof to a CPU which accepts a data input from a user. The CPU is essentially responsible for control of the device and for display of data on a display included in the device. A method including the sequence of actions performed by the device is further disclosed.