Premark Feg L.l.c.

Timothy Allen Schrand

Richard P Scherch

Ellis G Short

Gongpu Yan

James Alan Shirk

Danny J Mitchell

An adjustable gauge plate for a food slicer comprising a front plate and a rear plate attached to the front plate, such that a cavity is defined between the plates, the rear plate having at least one hole therethrough. The gauge plate further comprises an indexing member attached to a slicer base, an adjustment plate mounted to the indexing member, the indexing member and adjustment plate being shaped to fit in the cavity between the front and rear plates, and a fastener shaped to be inserted in the hole in the rear plate and adjustably connected to the adjustment plate such that the gauge plate is capable of being adjusted relative to the adjustment plate and the gauge plate is capable of being adjusted relative to the food slicer.

Method and apparatus for adjusting a gauge plate of a food slicer and a

An interlock mechanism for a food product slicer that prevents the carriage support of a reciprocating carriage from being removed from the slicer housing unless the gauge plate of the slicer is closed and the carriage is positioned along a predetermined portion of the path of reciprocation of the carriage. The interlock mechanism includes a pivoting interlock plate and a stationary interlock bar. The pivoting interlock plate extends along the predetermined portion of the reciprocation path and the stationary interlock bar extends along the rest of the carriage's reciprocation path. The interlock plate is pivotally mounted on the housing and is movable from a blocking position, which it blocks pivoting and removal of a carriage support, to a free position, which it permits pivoting and removal of the carriage support. The interlock plate cooperates with the gauge plate adjustment control mechanism such that when the gauge plate is adjusted to an open position, the interlock plate is pivoted to the blocking position, and when the gauge plate is adjusted a closed position, the interlock plate is pivoted to the free position. Because the stationary bar is always in a blocking position, blocking the pivoting and removal of the carriage support, the carriage support can never be pivoted or removed when the carriage is positioned in the portion of the reciprocation path covered by the bar.

Food product slicer having an interlock mechanism

A food product slicing machine includes a coupling and associated interlock mechanism for connecting and disconnecting a carriage arm of the food slicing machine to and from a reciprocating carriage base mounted to the housing of the machine. The coupling includes a cylindrical mounting head which is rotatably mounted in the carriage base by a bracket. The mounting head contains a slot for slidably receiving a foot of the carriage arm, and the bracket also contains a slot with which the mounting head slot can be aligned through rotation of the mounting head within the bracket. The mounting head slot and bracket slot must be aligned in order to attach or remove the carriage arm's foot to or from the carriage base. The interlock mechanism is provided to prohibit the alignment of the slots when the gauge plate of the slicing machine is not in a safe position. Accordingly, the carriage arm may not be removed from the carriage base when the gauge plate is not in the safe position.

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Oregonia, OH, United States of America

Timothy Allen Schrand