A slicing machine for slicing meat strands that have a cross section that varies over a longitudinal extension in large numbers and as quickly as possible into weight precise slices. In one embodiment, two meat strands are received adjacent to each other in a respective form tube and pushed against a respective separately adjustable stop plate independently from each other by a controlled longitudinal press plunger and compressed in the longitudinal direction. In addition, a cross section of the form tubes may be reduced in a first transversal direction jointly and in a second transversal direction independently from each other and thus the respective meat strand is transversally compressed to a constant cross section prior to slicing.

A slicing machine for slicing meat strands that have a cross section that varies over a longitudinal extension in large numbers and as quickly as possible into weight precise slices. In one embodiment, two meat strands are received adjacent to each other in a respective form tube and pushed against a respective separately adjustable stop plate independently from each other by a controlled longitudinal press plunger and compressed in the longitudinal direction. In addition, a cross section of the form tubes may be reduced in a first transversal direction jointly and in a second transversal direction independently from each other and thus the respective meat strand is transversally compressed to a constant cross section prior to slicing.

A soft good dispensing device includes a loading zone, one or more rollers, and a cutting mechanism. The loading zone is configured to receive a soft good supply. The one or more rollers are configured to automatically unwind a desired quantity of a soft good from the soft good supply. The cutting mechanism is configured to automatically separate the desired quantity of the soft good from the soft good supply. The cutting mechanism includes a rotary cutting blade and a rotatable blade adjustment mechanism. The rotary cutting blade is configured to cut the soft good as the rotary cutting blade travels relative to an unwound portion of the soft good. The rotatable blade adjustment mechanism is coupled to the rotary cutting blade and operable to extend the rotary cutting blade from the cutting mechanism and retract the cutting blade into the cutting mechanism.

A soft good dispensing device includes a loading zone, one or more rollers, and a cutting mechanism. The loading zone is configured to receive a soft good supply. The one or more rollers are configured to automatically unwind a desired quantity of a soft good from the soft good supply. The cutting mechanism is configured to automatically separate the desired quantity of the soft good from the soft good supply. The cutting mechanism includes a rotary cutting blade and a rotatable blade adjustment mechanism. The rotary cutting blade is configured to cut the soft good as the rotary cutting blade travels relative to an unwound portion of the soft good. The rotatable blade adjustment mechanism is coupled to the rotary cutting blade and operable to extend the rotary cutting blade from the cutting mechanism and retract the cutting blade into the cutting mechanism.

A food slicing machine is provided for slicing food products such as bacon, cheese or cooked meat for sale as groups of slices in separate packs. The food slicing machine includes a cutter for cutting slices from the food product and a controller for controlling the thickness of the slices. The machine cuts slices according to a first value of a slicing parameter until the controller determines when the amount of food product remaining to be sliced in an end portion of the food product is less than a predetermined group weight threshold. The controller causes a slice to be cut according to a second, different value of the slicing parameter from the end portion for addition to an under-weight group of slices, so that its weight at least equals the predetermined group weight threshold.

A food slicing machine is provided for slicing food products such as bacon, cheese or cooked meat for sale as groups of slices in separate packs. The food slicing machine includes a cutter for cutting slices from the food product and a controller for controlling the thickness of the slices. The machine cuts slices according to a first value of a slicing parameter until the controller determines when the amount of food product remaining to be sliced in an end portion of the food product is less than a predetermined group weight threshold. The controller causes a slice to be cut according to a second, different value of the slicing parameter from the end portion for addition to an under-weight group of slices, so that its weight at least equals the predetermined group weight threshold.

An apparatus for applying weight material onto a wheel may include a conveyor assembly, upper and lower severing-head assemblies, and upper and lower control arms. The severing-head assemblies may be mounted above and below the conveyor assembly and may include a housing, a severing device and a dispensing mechanism. The dispensing mechanism may position the weight material from a source relative to the severing device. The severing device may separate a predetermined amount of weight material from a source. The control arms may be movably mounted above and below the conveyor assembly and have weight-application tools configured to transfer the predetermined amounts of weight material from the severing-head assemblies to locations on the wheel.

An apparatus for applying weight material onto a wheel may include a conveyor assembly, upper and lower severing-head assemblies, and upper and lower control arms. The severing-head assemblies may be mounted above and below the conveyor assembly and may include a housing, a severing device and a dispensing mechanism. The dispensing mechanism may position the weight material from a source relative to the severing device. The severing device may separate a predetermined amount of weight material from a source. The control arms may be movably mounted above and below the conveyor assembly and have weight-application tools configured to transfer the predetermined amounts of weight material from the severing-head assemblies to locations on the wheel.

An industrial slicer (1) comprises a cutting station (T) that includes: a plurality of blades (21, 22, 23) for slicing a food product (2), the blades (21, 22, 23) being distanceable and nearable to one another in pairs at various reciprocal distances, so as to obtain slices having thicknesses corresponding to said distances; and adjustment means (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45) for adjusting said distances and comprising a plurality of adjustment devices (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35) that are adapted to act upon respective blades (21, 22, 23), of which at least two of said devices can be activated independently of each other.

The present disclosure relates to a method for processing food products, comprising the following steps: multi-track slicing of food products into individual food portions on a plurality of production tracks; detecting at least one feature of a food portion during and/or after slicing; multi-track conveying of the food portions on separate production tracks; moving the food portions 34 from a plurality of production tracks onto a reduced number of output tracks and/or moving them between different tracks and/or grouping them. According to the present disclosure, the position of the individual food portions is tracked by means of a controller, so that, for each food portion 16 which has been moved onto the output track, it will be known on which production track said food portion 16 has been produced. The disclosure further relates to a food processing system.