US 12,441,021 B2
Blade assembly and counterweight mechanism for a high-speed food slicing apparatus, and methods associated with the same
Ryan Michael Torrenga, Bourbonnais, IL (US)
Assigned to PROVISUR TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Chicago, IL (US)
Filed by Provisur Technologies, Inc., Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Oct. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/045,904.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/271,459, filed on Oct. 25, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0127251 A1, Apr. 27, 2023
Int. Cl. B26D 7/06 (2006.01); B26D 1/00 (2006.01); B26D 1/06 (2006.01); B26D 5/00 (2006.01); B26D 5/22 (2006.01); B26D 5/42 (2006.01); B26D 7/01 (2006.01); B26D 7/26 (2006.01); B26D 7/32 (2006.01); B26D 1/28 (2006.01); B26D 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC B26D 7/2614 (2013.01) [B26D 1/0006 (2013.01); B26D 1/06 (2013.01); B26D 5/007 (2013.01); B26D 5/22 (2013.01); B26D 5/42 (2013.01); B26D 7/01 (2013.01); B26D 7/0608 (2013.01); B26D 7/0625 (2013.01); B26D 7/0633 (2013.01); B26D 7/0641 (2013.01); B26D 7/32 (2013.01); B26D 2001/0013 (2013.01); B26D 2001/0046 (2013.01); B26D 1/28 (2013.01); B26D 2007/0018 (2013.01); B26D 2210/02 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A food slicing system for a high-speed food slicing machine, comprising:
an involute blade configured for rotation about a rotational axis, and having a central mounting aperture;
a motor operatively coupled to a slicing assembly frame and configured to rotate a drive shaft;
a hub fixedly secured to a distal end of the drive shaft and configured to rotate with the drive shaft;
the hub having a central pilot projection coaxial with the drive shaft, and having a flat, blade contacting surface surrounding the pilot projection, wherein the pilot projection is configured to be received through the mounting aperture of the blade, to center the blade on the hub;
a counterweight mounted to the hub and rotatable between a first position and a second position relative to the hub;
wherein when the counterweight is in the 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 an axial direction and in a plane substantially parallel to a plane of the blade contacting surface; and
wherein when the counterweight is in the second position, the counterweight is eccentric to the pilot projection and is offset from the rotational axis, to provide a predetermined amount of weight offset from the rotational axis to counterbalance the weight of the blade.