Grouping and stacking attachment for slicing machine

Claim 2

A grouping and stacking attachment for a food slicer to receive food slices in groups or stacks as they are discharged from the slicer, wherein the food slicer includes a slicing knife and means for driving the knife and food to be sliced to make successive slices, said attachment including a two-sided flipper mounted to rotate on an axis parallel to the cutting plane of the slicing knife, said flipper including a core and a pair of slice supporting means extending from opposite sides thereof, and a hydraulic drive for intermittently cycling said flipper through 180* revolutions between slicing operations at a speed such that each of the slice supporting means is alternately presented into slice receiving position for receiving slices from the slicing machine and alternately discharges the slices received to a location therebelow.

Claim 3

The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the flipper includes a shaft and a plurality of fingers extending from opposite sides thereof, whereby the fingers on each side define a slice supporting means.

Claim 4

The combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said fingers are arcuate and present a convex surface for receiving food slices.

Claim 5

The combination as defined in claim 2, wherein the fingers include arcuate wire members arranged in parallel spaced relation to define a convex surface for receiving the food slices.

Claim 6

The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the flipper includes a shaft extending parallel to and adjacent the cutting plane of the slicing knife, two sets of fingers one extending from each side of the shaft and normal thereto and defining two slice supporting surfaces, whereby each set of fingers in slice receiving position is directly adjacent the slicing knife to receive slices as they are sliced.

Claim 7

The combination as defined in claim 5, wherein each set of fingers includes a plurality of fingers arranged in parallel spaced relation, and arcuately formed to define a convex slice receiving surface.

Claim 8

The combination as defined in claim 5, wherein each set of fingers includes a plurality of blade-shaped fingers to form a relatively inverted V-shaped slice receiving surface on one side and an arcuate surface on the other side, the same as a take away slice receiving surface arranged below the fingers, whereby the V-shaped surface facilitates receiving and catching the slices in stack relationship and the arcuate surface straightens the stack by engaging the top of the stack during cycling of the flipper.

Claim 9

The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the drive includes an oscillating vane motor for transmitting power to the flipper to intermittently drive it through 180* revolutions, and a reciprocating piston motor for coupling and decoupling the vane motor to the flipper.

Claim 10

The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said hydraulic drive includes a driven shaft, a drive shaft, a vane motor for oscillating the drive shaft through 180* revolutions, reciprocable coupling means for coupling and decoupling the drive and driven shaft, a piston motor for reciprocating said coupling means, a first fluid port and associated passageways for the piston motor and the vane motor through which pressurized fluid causes operation of said piston motor to couple the drive and driven shafts and operation of the vane motor to rotaTe the shafts through a 180* revolution in a first direction, and a second fluid port and associated passageways for the piston motor and vane motor through which pressurized fluid causes operation of said piston motor to decouple the drive and driven shafts and operation of the vane motor to rotate the drive shaft through a 180* revolution in a second and opposite direction, whereby continuous operation of said drive rotates the driven shaft intermittently through 180* revolutions in one direction.

Claim 11

A grouping and stacking arrangement for a food slicer to receive food slices in groups or stacks as they are discharged from the slicer, wherein the food slicer includes a slicing knife and means for driving the knife and food to be sliced to make successive slices, said attachment including a two-sided flipper mounted to rotate on an axis parallel to the cutting plane of the slicing knife, said flipper including a core and a pair of slice supporting means extending from opposite sides thereof, and a drive for intermittently cycling said flipper through 180* revolutions between slicing operations at a speed such that each of the slice supporting means is alternately presented into slice receiving position for receiving slices from the slicing machine and alternately discharges the slices received to a location therebelow.

Claim 12

A grouping and stacking arrangement for a food slicer to receive food slices in groups or stacks as they are discharged from the slicer, wherein the food slicer includes a slicing knife and means for driving the knife and food to be sliced to make successive slices, said attachment including a two-sided flipper mounted to rotate on an axis parallel to the cutting plane of the slicing knife, said flipper including a core and a pair of slice supporting means extending from opposite sides thereof, and a drive for intermittently cycling said flipper through 180* revolutions between slicing operations at a speed such that each of the slice supporting means is alternately presented into slice receiving position for receiving slices from the slicing machine and alternately discharges the slices received to a location therebelow.