SHARPENER FOR BLADES OF FOOD SLICERS

Abstract

A sharpener to sharpen the edge of a food slicer blade includes a non-planar abrasive surfaced rotatable disk mounted on a supporting structure. The supporting structure includes one or more surfaces designed to align with at least one of a push bar, thickness control plate and the surface of the food carriage of the food slicer when the abrasive surface of the disk is in contact with the edge of the slicer blade.

Description

THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a food slicer;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a food slicer blade;

FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of the portion of the food slicer blade circled in FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view taken through FIG. 2B along the line 2C-2C;

FIG. 3A is a view similar to FIG. 2B of an alternative form of food slicer blade;

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken through FIG. 3A along the line 3B-3B;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view partly in section of a food slicer sharpener in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 4A is a schematic side elevational view representation of the slicer blade and sharpener;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the sharpener shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 5A is a top plan view of a modified form of sharpener in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of the sharpener shown in FIGS. 4-5;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a control arm used in the sharpener of this invention; and

FIG. 9 also illustrates the control arm shown in FIG. 8.

Claims

1. A sharpener to sharpen the cutting edge of a rotating slicer blade designed to be positioned on the food carriage of a powered food slicer, comprising a non-planar rotatable abrasive surfaced sharpening disk, an abrasive surfaced deburring pad, and a supporting structure for said sharpening disk and said deburring pad, said support structure having a base which when sharpening rests on the food carriage and has at least two adjacent side walls, a first of said walls extending vertically from said base and positioned when sharpening in sliding contact with the slicer's thickness control plate and a second adjacent wall positioned in linear contact with the push bar of the food carriage, said supporting structure including a protective enclosure for one or more of the user's fingers that hold said sharpener in position against the thickness control plate and push bar when the slicer blade is being sharpened.

2. A sharpener to sharpen the cutting edge of a rotating slicer blade designed to be positioned on a powered food slicer comprising a non-planar rotatable abrasive sharpening disk, an abrasive surfaced de-burring pad and a supporting structure for said sharpening disk and said de-burring pad, where the rotational axis of said non-planar sharpening disk is designed to be positioned by said structure near but beyond the circumference of the slicer blade when said sharpening disk is in physical contact with the cutting edge facet of the slicer blade at contact point located along a radial line of the sharpening disk, the line being located in the range of 25 to 60 degrees from a line drawn through the rotational axis of the sharpening disk and the axis of the slicer blade, and the contact point being located in the range of ⅝ to ⅞ inch from the axis of said disk

3. A sharpener to sharpen the edge of a slicer blade of a food slicer including a non-planar abrasive surfaced rotatable disk to be mounted on the supporting structure of the sharpener, the supporting structure including one or more surfaces designed to align with at least one of the carriage push bar, thickness control plate, and the surface of the food carriage of a food slicer when the abrasive surface of said disk is in contact with the edge of the slicer blade, and the abrasive surface of said abrasive disk being a section of a truncated cone.

4. A sharpener to sharpen the edge of a slicer blade according to claim 3 where said abrasive surfaced disk contains diamond abrasive particles.

5. A sharpener to sharpen the edge of a slicer blade according to claim 3 where the vertical position of said non-planar abrasive surfaced disk on said supporting structure can be adjusted.

6. A sharpener to sharpen the edge of a slicer blade of a food slicer according to claim 3 where the center of the abrasive surfaced rotatable disk can be positioned approximately 0.4 to 0.6 inch below the horizontal center line of the food slicer blade when positioned on the food carriage or other structural member of the food slicer.

7. A sharpener according to claim 3 that has a recessed pocket to protect the user's fingers when sharpening.

8. A sharpener according to claim 3 where the sharpener supporting structure includes a projecting structure aligned parallel to a surface of the food carriage to make line contact with the inclined vertical surface of the push bar when the abrasive disk is held in contact with the slicer blade.

9. A sharpener according to claim 3 including a thumb operated lever that moves an abrasive covered deburring member into contact with the non-faceted face of the slicer blade.

10. A sharpener for sharpening the edge of slicer blades comprising a supporting structure, and an abrasive surfaced disk slidingly supported by said structure and restrained in position by a spring until displaced during sharpening by the force of contact of said disk with the edge of the slicer blade.