A manual food processor includes a base, a plurality of blades coupled to the base and extending from the base in a vertical direction, a rod coupled to the base and oriented at an acute angle relative to the vertical direction of the blade, and a carriage slidable along the rod from a top end of the rod to a bottom end of the rod. The carriage is configured to support a food item from below the food item and to push the food item from above the food item. The carriage is positioned entirely on a first side of the plurality of blades when at the top end of the rod and is intersected by the plurality of blades at the bottom end of the rod.

A vertical slicer includes a frame having a cover plate with a central opening and a hopper positioned over the opening. A carriage having a deck and a main cutting blade is attached to a spring-loaded plunger for reciprocating vertical movement within the frame. A tray collects food items cut by the main blade, which can be selectively adjusted to change a slicing thickness. A locking switch is configured to lock the plunger and carriage in a lowered locked position.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are presented herein for slicing a food topping for placing upon a food ingredient. A topping holder is configured to position a topping stock. A blade is configured to slice the topping stock via relative motion between the topping holder and the blade. A deflector is configured to force a leading edge of the sliced portion of the topping stock away from the blade as the sliced portion moves relative to the blade.

A cutting apparatus for slicing and/or dividing meat products, in particular bacon and/or fresh meat products, comprises a product feed that is configured to guide at least one first product and at least one second product simultaneously into a cutting region in which slices and/or pieces are cut off from the products by means of a first rotating blade and by means of a second rotating blade. In this respect, the product feed has a first conveying means for guiding the at least one first product into the cutting region and a second conveying means for guiding the at least one second product into the cutting region, wherein the first blade is associated with the first conveying means and is provided for cutting off slices and/or pieces from the at least one first product, and wherein the second blade is associated with the second conveying means and is provided for cutting off slices and/or pieces from the at least one second product.

A method for operating a first food machine and a second food machine, where a data set required to operate the first food machine is stored in a first storage unit of the first food machine, and the data set required to operate the first food machine is additionally stored in a second storage unit of the second food machine.

A food product forming machine is configured to slice food product into slices. A main frame mounts a load assembly which receives food product and moves the food product through an opening in the main frame, a feed assembly downstream of the load assembly which moves food product through the main frame, and a slicing assembly downstream of the feed assembly which slices the food product into slices. In a first embodiment, the load assembly is at a rear end of the main frame, and in a second embodiment, the load assembly is at a side of the main frame. The load assembly is pivotally mounted to the main frame.

Knife assemblies for securing knives to slicing machines, slicing machines equipped therewith, and methods of operating knife assemblies for securing knives to and releasing knives from slicing machines. Such a knife assembly includes a knife holder having a knife support surface, a knife supported on the knife support surface, and a clamp having a base portion adjacent a trailing edge of the clamp and a knife-engaging portion adjacent a leading edge of the clamp. The knife assembly applies a clamping load to the clamp to secure the knife to the knife holder. The clamp is prevented from translating relative to the shaped knife in a leading direction of the knife assembly as the clamping load is applied and/or permits removal of the clamp by being translated in the leading direction.

A manually-operated, foodstuff slicer includes a top plate and bottom plate coupled together and housing a cutting blade within a recess formed between the plates. The top plate and bottom plate include spaced, circular holes defined therethrough and axially aligned, respectively, and the planar cutting blade having a handle and a plurality of circular holes which correspond in size and shape to the holes defined through the top and bottom plates. The blade is slidably retained between the top and bottom plates and movable along a plane similar to the plates.

A method for processing food products (12) includes transporting the food products by a first conveyor (11), an X-ray unit (13) positioned between the intake end and the discharge end of the first conveyor to acquire a first set of product-specific data relating to the food product transported. At least one first optical camera (17), assigned to the first conveyor, is used to acquire a second set of product-specific data relating to the food product. A control unit (18) is used to receive and integrate the first and second data sets to analyze the composition of the food product and determine parameters for the food product. Based on the determined parameters of the food product, the food product is cut with a cutting unit, under the control of the control unit.

An improved detachable cutting assembly used in a food cutting machine includes a rotating disc with a window and a pivot hole. A flap is connected radially to the rotation axis of the cutting machine by its insert ring. The insert ring includes a fixing area in which at least one nut is embedded and on which there is at least one fastening hole coinciding with the at least one nut, and a lifting wedge on which a blade is partially embedded, leaving the cutting edge of the blade protruding on the upper face of the rotating disc through the window of the rotating disc. Existing in the fixing area of the rotating disc, there is at least one fastening hole coinciding with the at least one fastening hole and the at least one nut of the flap and capable of fixing the whole assembly by linking elements.