Article Slicer with Integral Pick and Placer

Abstract

Tomatoes ( 11 ) or other articles are placed over moving cutter blades ( 20 ) in article openings ( 46 ) of an article locator ( 44 ) of the article slicer ( 10 ). Article pushers ( 24 ) move downwardly and have downwardly extending pusher fins ( 26 ) for pushing the tomatoes through the cutter blades ( 20 ). The articles pushers ( 24 ) have laterally extending front openings ( 36 ) for receiving a high pressure fluid spray for cleaning the fins ( 26 ) and cutter blades ( 20 ) without disassembling the components of the slicer. The article pushers ( 24 ) are carried by a movable support plate ( 78 ) between retracted positions behind the cutter blades ( 20 ) and extended positions over the cutter blades ( 20 ). A pick and placer ( 76 ) is carried by the same movable support plate ( 78 ) and moves simultaneously in the same lateral directions as the article pushers ( 24 ), between positions over the oncoming line of tomatoes ( 11 ) on an entrance conveyor ( 64 ) and over the cutter blades ( 20 ).

1 . An article pusher for pushing articles through a plurality of blades in parallel planes with blade spaces between the blades, said article pusher comprising:
 an upper body portion,   a plurality of fins extending in a downward direction from said upper body portion,   said fins oriented parallel to one another and defining fin spaces between said fins for receiving said blades,   said fins including distal ends for passing through said blade spaces,   a passage defined by said upper body portion, including an entrance opening extending from outside said upper body portion to said fin spaces for passing fluid from outside said upper body portion to said fin spaces,   such that fluid may pass from outside said upper body portion and though said passage and move through said fin spaces and contact said fins.   
     
     
         2 . The article pusher of  claim 1 , wherein said entrance opening extends substantially parallel to said fins for directing a stream of fluid into said pusher generally parallel to said fins. 
     
     
         3 . The article pusher of  claim 1 , wherein said entrance opening comprises entrance openings on opposite sides of said pusher and extend substantially parallel to said fins for directing a stream of fluid into said pusher generally parallel to said fins. 
     
     
         4 . The article pusher of  claim 1 , wherein said fluid is selected from a liquid, a gas, and a liquid bearing gas. 
     
     
         5 . The article pusher of  claim 1 , wherein said fins include each include a lower end that contoured to collectively form a concave surface for bearing against the convex surface of an article to be sliced. 
     
     
         6 . The article pusher of  claim 1 , wherein said upper body portion includes an opening that forms a space in which nozzles can occupy when fluid is passed from outside said upper body portion to said fin spaces. 
     
     
         7 . The article pusher of  claim 1 , and further including means for applying fluid to said fins as the fins contact the articles. 
     
     
         8 . The article pusher of  claim 1 , and further including means for applying fluid to said fins when no articles are in the vicinity of the fins.