A food article slicing machine includes a food article loading apparatus with a lift tray assembly for moving food articles from a staging position to an elevated position at a beginning of a food article feed path, a food article feed apparatus disposed over the food article loading apparatus having an upper conveyor assembly with an independently driven endless conveyor belt used in cooperation with a food article gripper for moving the food articles along the food article feed path, a food article stop gate that forms part of the food article feed path and opens to drop food article end portions, and a slicing station at an end of the food article feed path with a knife for slicing the food articles.

A safety system with a number of component devices that may be used alone or in combination to substantially reduce the risk of injury to the operator of the power cutting tool. The devices are designed for use with table saws, miter saws, jointers, routers, shapers and similar equipment. The devices secure a work piece against unanticipated movement and kickback while simultaneously protecting the operator's hands. The devices further enhance the capabilities of power equipment to make precise cuts safer, faster and easier. One such device includes a guide member for engaging a work piece and an adjustable alignment member for orienting the position of the guide member relative to a cutting blade.

A safety system with a number of component devices that may be used alone or in combination to substantially reduce the risk of injury to the operator of the power cutting tool. The devices are designed for use with table saws, miter saws, jointers, routers, shapers and similar equipment. The devices secure a work piece against unanticipated movement and kickback while simultaneously protecting the operator's hands. The devices further enhance the capabilities of power equipment to make precise cuts safer, faster and easier. One such device includes a guide member for engaging a work piece and an adjustable alignment member for orienting the position of the guide member relative to a cutting blade.

A cutting mechanism is provided for a dunnage conversion machine 10 that selectively cuts dunnage sheet stock drawable through the cutting mechanism. The cutting mechanism includes a frame and a pair of opposed cutting blades through which the sheet stock is drawable. The cutting blades include a driven blade and a biased blade, each supported relative to the frame for movement into and out of contact with one another. The driven blade is movable towards the biased blade to cut the sheet stock. The biased blade is biased against movement away from the driven blade to allow for self-adjustability to counter wear of one or both of the opposed blades. Contact of the opposed blades with one another causes the biased blade to be deflected away from the driven blade.

A cutting mechanism is provided for a dunnage conversion machine 10 that selectively cuts dunnage sheet stock drawable through the cutting mechanism. The cutting mechanism includes a frame and a pair of opposed cutting blades through which the sheet stock is drawable. The cutting blades include a driven blade and a biased blade, each supported relative to the frame for movement into and out of contact with one another. The driven blade is movable towards the biased blade to cut the sheet stock. The biased blade is biased against movement away from the driven blade to allow for self-adjustability to counter wear of one or both of the opposed blades. Contact of the opposed blades with one another causes the biased blade to be deflected away from the driven blade.

A circular cutter contains: a connection assembly having a first extension and a first fixing head. The first fixing head has a locking hole. The first extension has a cavity, a first groove, and a second groove. The cavity accommodates a protection assembly which has a second extension and a second fixing head, wherein the second extension has a projection and a flexible deformation section connecting with the projection, the flexible deformation section deforms, and the projection retains in the second groove of the connection assembly. An elongated section is defined between the flexible deformation section and the second fixing head and is fixed in the first groove, the second fixing head has a first orifice corresponding to the locking hole of the connection assembly, such that a fixing assembly is rotatably connected with a cutting blade and is fixed in the locking hole.

In a sheet processing apparatus including a guide member that rotates by contact with a sheet processing unit, collision of the sheet processing unit with the guide member in a rotating state is avoided. A sheet conveyance apparatus includes: sheet processing units that move along one movement path intersecting a conveyance direction of a sheet; guide members that each include a fixed end rotatable about a rotation center line and support the sheet from below; a biasing member that biases the guide member so as to return to an original orientation in which a part of the guide member is located on the movement path; and a collision determination unit that determines, before at least one of the sheet processing units is moved and based on a movement start position and a target position of a movement target sheet processing unit and a size and an orientation before start of movement of the guide member, whether or not there is a possibility of occurrence of collision of the movement target sheet processing unit with the guide member in a rotating state.

In a sheet processing apparatus including a guide member that rotates by contact with a sheet processing unit, collision of the sheet processing unit with the guide member in a rotating state is avoided. A sheet conveyance apparatus includes: sheet processing units that move along one movement path intersecting a conveyance direction of a sheet; guide members that each include a fixed end rotatable about a rotation center line and support the sheet from below; a biasing member that biases the guide member so as to return to an original orientation in which a part of the guide member is located on the movement path; and a collision determination unit that determines, before at least one of the sheet processing units is moved and based on a movement start position and a target position of a movement target sheet processing unit and a size and an orientation before start of movement of the guide member, whether or not there is a possibility of occurrence of collision of the movement target sheet processing unit with the guide member in a rotating state.

Power tools with conductive couplings used with active injury mitigation technology are disclosed. Conductive couplings are particularly relevant to table saws, hand-held circular saws, track saws, miter saws, and band saws with active injury mitigation technology. Conductive couplings provide a mechanism through which an electrical signal can be coupled or imparted to a blade, and then monitored for changes indicative of human contact with the blade. An exemplary conductive coupling includes a brush that establishes an electrical connection with a moving part of a power tool, and the brush maintains contact with the moving part of the power tool during at least 40 hours of cumulative time when the motor is spinning the arbor and blade without an interruption in the electrical connection sufficient to trigger the reaction system. A conductive coupling may be two-sided compliant. A conductive coupling may connect to a motor shaft to minimize electrical noise.

Power tools with conductive couplings used with active injury mitigation technology are disclosed. Conductive couplings are particularly relevant to table saws, hand-held circular saws, track saws, miter saws, and band saws with active injury mitigation technology. Conductive couplings provide a mechanism through which an electrical signal can be coupled or imparted to a blade, and then monitored for changes indicative of human contact with the blade. An exemplary conductive coupling includes a brush that establishes an electrical connection with a moving part of a power tool, and the brush maintains contact with the moving part of the power tool during at least 40 hours of cumulative time when the motor is spinning the arbor and blade without an interruption in the electrical connection sufficient to trigger the reaction system. A conductive coupling may be two-sided compliant. A conductive coupling may connect to a motor shaft to minimize electrical noise.