A food slicing system includes a hub fixedly secured to a drive shaft and configured to rotate with the drive shaft. The hub has a central pilot projection coaxial with the drive shaft, and flat, blade contacting surface surrounding the pilot projection. A counterweight is eccentrically mounted to the hub and rotatable between a first position and an second position relative to the hub. Wherein when the counterweight is in a first position, the counterweight is in axial alignment with pilot projection, and permits the blade to be attached to or removed from the hub via movement of the blade in the axial direction. When the counterweight is in the second position, the counterweight is eccentric to the pilot projection and is offset from the axis of rotation, to provide a predetermined amount of weight offset from the axis of rotation to counterbalance the weight of the blade.

A food product slicing apparatus is provided for slicing food products into slices. A frame mounts a drive assembly, a lower feed roller, a shear bar and a slicing blade. The drive assembly moves the food products onto the lower feed roller. The food product passes over the lower feed roller and through the shear bar for slicing by the slicing blade. At least one upper feed roller is mounted on the shear bar and is adjustable in position relative to the lower feed roller.

A food slicing system having a main frame includes a blade reciprocating assembly, which further includes a support frame, a rotating cutting blade mounted to the support frame, a motor mounted on the support frame, and a support shaft operatively coupled to the main frame at opposite ends thereof. The support shaft is coupled to an upper portion of the support frame and is configured to support the support frame and permit pivotal movement of the support frame. A drive shaft is operatively coupled to the main frame and is rotationally driven by an actuator. A plurality of linkage elements are configured to operatively couple the drive shaft to a lower portion of the support frame, where the linkage elements reciprocally move the blade reciprocating assembly between a slicing position and a clearance position, and where the support frame pivots about the support shaft during the reciprocal movement.

A food product slicing apparatus for slicing food products into slices is provided. A frame mounts a drive assembly which is configured to move the food products relative to the frame, a side strapping assembly which side straps a side of the food product, and a slicing blade configured to slice the food products into slices. The side strapping assembly is mounted to the frame proximate to the drive assembly. The side strapping assembly includes a releasable clamp which couples a blade of the side strapping assembly to the frame. The clamp can be released without the use of tools.

A food slicing includes a forward conveyor assembly located proximal to the blade assembly and a rearward conveyor assembly configured to transport the food product to the forward conveyor assembly. The rearward conveyor assembly is located immediately upstream from the forward conveyor assembly and gap is formed laterally between the forward conveyor assembly and the rearward conveyor assembly, in the longitudinal direction. An upper scanner unit proximal the gap scans an upper surface of the food product while a lower scanner unit located below the forward and rearward conveyor assemblies scans a lower surface of the food product as the food product passes across the gap, to obtain contour information of the lower surface of the food product.

A drive assembly for a food product slicing apparatus is provided which slices food products into slices. The drive assembly is mounted on a frame of the food product slicing apparatus and includes lower and upper conveyor assemblies coupled to the frame which move food products relative to the frame. The upper conveyor assembly is configured to move upward and downward relative to an upper plane defined by the lower conveyor assembly, and is further configured to pivot relative to the lower conveyor assembly to firmly grip the food products as they pass therebetween.

A printer configured to cut recording paper with a fixed blade and a movable blade has a blade unit including the movable blade and a slider to which the movable blade is attachable, and the slider includes: a contact part configured to contact the movable blade; a flexible part formed thinner than the contact part; and a first protrusion provided on the flexible part and configured to engage with a first opening provided in the movable blade.

A method for perforating a web with a perforating apparatus includes: rotating a cylinder about a longitudinal cylinder axis, wherein the cylinder comprises at least one shaped blade; operatively engaging a movable support with the cylinder; positioning an anvil disposed on the support so as to cooperate in contacting relationship with the shaped blade, wherein at least one of the blade and the anvil comprise a plurality of teeth, and wherein adjacent teeth are separated by a recessed portion; feeding a web between the cylinder and the support; and perforating the web as the anvil cooperates in contacting relationship with the shaped blade disposed on the rotating cylinder.

An underwater line cutting tool includes a cutter. The cutter includes a blade holder and a rotating manipulator arm. The blade holder includes two stationary arms in a V-shaped configuration including at least one blade attached to one of two stationary arms. The blade holder is attached to the rotating manipulator arm of a rotating manipulator that is attached to an underwater remotely operated vehicle.

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.