Variable Thickness Bread Slicer

摘要

A powered bread slicer capable of slicing successive loaves of bread to selected different slice thicknesses comprises a rotating circular bread slicing knife (24) which is mounted on a pivotal, reciprocal arm (28) for shifting the knife from a retracted position through slicing positions between and transverse to an infeed table (16) and an outfeed table (18), and return to the retracted position. The slice thickness is selected by control of a variable stepper motor (104) which incrementally advances a loaf pusher (60) one step at a time, the dimension of the step being of the selected slice thickness dimension. The distance by the travelled loaf pusher to reach the end of its travel is monitored to determine whether the bread heel is thick enough to slice once more. This decision is a function of the selected slice thickness dimension. A detector (19) sensing the leading end of the loaf initially activates the slicer knife drive and the support arm drive. A pusher detector (112a) adjacent the knife prevents knife advancement with presence of the pusher adjacent the knife, but then allowing the pusher to move past the knife to push the fully sliced loaf completely onto the discharge table (18), and then return to the infeed table.