Meat slicing machine and method of use thereof
First Claim
1. The method of slicing a plurality of drafts from an elongated slab of meat product, comprising,laying a slab of product to be sliced on a supporting surface located upstream from a slicing blade wherein said slab has forward and rearward ends, opposite sides, and upper and lower surfaces,weighing said slab and measuring the length thereof while said slab is on said supporting surface,comparing the weight and length of said slab with historical data of known historical slabs having similar weights, lengths and density factors, and selecting an operational density factor from said historical data based upon historical slabs having weights and lengths similar to that of said slab,selecting a predetermined draft weight,selecting a predetermined number of slices for each draft to be sliced,calculating the volume of a first draft of said slab having said predetermined draft weight, andslicing said first draft into said predetermined number of slices of equal thickness.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A meat slicing machine has a frame having an inclined support surface with upper and lower ends. A slicing element is on the frame adjacent the lower end of the support surface. A weighing element on the frame is operationally connected to the support surface for weighing an elongated slab supported thereon. A measuring mechanism is provided on the frame for measuring the length of the slab before it is sliced. Stops are on the frame for stopping the slab of meat at the time it is weighed and the length is measured. Laser elements are provided on the frame for measuring the lateral width and the upper surface of the slab of meat as it is moved from the point of being weighed towards the slicing element. A computer is operatively connected to the weight and length measuring mechanism. The computer has a storage bank including known historical data on slabs of meat having known weights, lengths and density factors. The method of slicing meat entails the use of the slicing machine to weigh a slab of meat, measure its length, and comparing this data with historical data on known slabs of meat having similar weights, lengths and density factors.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. The method of slicing a plurality of drafts from an elongated slab of meat product, comprising,
laying a slab of product to be sliced on a supporting surface located upstream from a slicing blade wherein said slab has forward and rearward ends, opposite sides, and upper and lower surfaces, weighing said slab and measuring the length thereof while said slab is on said supporting surface, comparing the weight and length of said slab with historical data of known historical slabs having similar weights, lengths and density factors, and selecting an operational density factor from said historical data based upon historical slabs having weights and lengths similar to that of said slab, selecting a predetermined draft weight, selecting a predetermined number of slices for each draft to be sliced, calculating the volume of a first draft of said slab having said predetermined draft weight, and slicing said first draft into said predetermined number of slices of equal thickness.
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16. A machine for slicing an elongated slab of meat product into a plurality of drafts of substantial equal predetermined weights and the same predetermined number of slices with the slices in each draft having the same thickness, comprising,
a frame having an inclined support surface with upper and lower ends, a slicing means on said frame adjacent the lower end of said support surfaces, first means on said frame for weighing an elongated slab on said support surface, second means on said frame for measuring the length thereof before said slab is sliced, whereupon the length and weight of said slab can be measured while said slab is on said supporting surface to permit comparison thereof with historical data of known historical slabs having similar weights, lengths and density factors.
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27. A machine for slicing an elongated slab of meat product into a plurality of drafts of substantial equal predetermined weights and the same predetermined number of slices with the slices in each draft having the same thickness, comprising,
a frame having an inclined support surface with upper and lower ends, a slicing means on said frame adjacent the lower end of said support surfaces, first means on said frame for weighing an elongated slab on said support surface, second means on said frame for measuring the length thereof before said slab is sliced, a computer means operatively connected to said first and second means, said computer means having a storage bank therein including known historical data on slabs of meat having known weights, lengths, and density factors, means on said computer means for comparing the weight and length of said slab to said historical data for comparison with historical slabs of similar weight and length to permit identification of the density factor of such historical slabs.
Specification