Spiral meat slicer

Abstract

A spiral meat slicer is provided particularly for slicing ham, wherein a ham is mounted vertically on a slowly rotating spiked platform. A rotating, substantially horizontal disk blade is pivotally mounted on the meat slicer to permit the blade to be biased by spring means toward and into the ham to spirally cut the ham to the bone. A non-rotating arm is carried in bearings below the spiked platform, this arm reaching up above the ham and containing a spiked, rotatable top support that is pressed into the top portion of the ham to steady the ham against pressure of the cutting blade. The spiked platform is mounted on a vertical lead screw, that causes the ham to be lowered steadily as the ham rotates to produce a spiral cut around the ham bone. The weight of the ham aids in moving the ham down steadily, permitting the ham to be automatically sliced substantially from one end to the other, including around the aitch bone without requiring manual manipulation. Means are provided to keep the blade from entering the ham until a fractional nut has engaged into the lead screw thread and to disengage the blade from the ham and return the blade to start position upon the spiral having reached the top portion of the ham. Short or long hams are automatically gauged by the machine and only one motor is required to drive all the mechanisms in the spiral meat slicer. Upon the spiral cut ham being removed from the spiked platform, a release button may be pushed, causing the spiked platform to automatically move to its top position ready for a new ham to be placed thereon for slicing.