Sickle knife and slicing machine equipped with it

Abstract

Rotatable, plate-shaped or bowl-shaped, sickle knife (3) with a front side (3.1) and a back side (3.2), suitable for use in a slicer (1), with - a peripheral edge which is curved in plan view onto a knife plane (3") and which is formed over a cutting area (A) as a cutting edge (3a) which defines the knife plane (3"), wherein - on the back of the knife (3.2), a cutting surface (4) extending radially inwards and inclined at an angle to the knife plane (3") is connected to the cutting edge (3a), which is at an acute cutting angle (α) to the knife plane (3"), - wherein in the direction of progress (3a') along the cutting edge (3a) there are several regions (A1, A1.1, A1.2, A1.3) with increasing cutting angle (α), and - in the direction of progress (3a') along the cutting edge (3a) there are several areas (A2, A2.1, A2.2, A2.3) with decreasing cutting angle (α), characterized in that - several areas (A1.1, A1.2, A1.3) with varying degrees of increasing cutting angle (α) are present one after the other, and / or - several areas (A2.1, A2.2, A2.3) with different decreasing cutting angles (α) are present one after the other.

Description

I. Area of ​​application

[0001] The invention relates to sickle blades for slicers, in particular high-speed slicers, with which preferably products in the form of food strands or bars, also called product calibers, made of sausage, cheese are cut into slices which have a constant cross-section over their length. II. Technical background

[0002] The respective product caliber—or several calibers arranged in parallel, preferably synchronously—is advanced continuously or step by step on a product support. A rotating sickle blade cuts a slice from the front end. The blade pushes the slice away from the end of the strand, pushing it away from the end face of the strand so that it deposits as smoothly and wrinkle-free as possible on a support surface, e.g., in a tray located there. For this purpose, the strand support is designed to slope downwards toward the cutting end.

[0003] In the context of the present invention, a sickle knife is understood to mean a plate-shaped or bowl-shaped knife which is formed radially outwardly with a cutting edge which has a continuously, although not uniformly, increasing radial distance, i.e. radius, in a circumferential direction from its center, which is the axis of rotation when the knife is in use.

[0004] The shape of the cutting edge - which lies in a plane, the so-called knife plane - does not have to correspond to the strict mathematical criteria of a spiral.

[0005] The cutting edge is followed radially inwards on at least one of the two main sides of the plate-shaped or bowl-shaped knife by the cutting surface - which is strip-shaped in the circumferential direction - which is at a cutting angle of generally 20° to 30° to the knife plane and is reground if necessary.

[0006] Preferably, such slicers have a cutting surface only on one side of the knife, while the knife on the other side, the front, is flush with the knife plane or even recedes concavely from this towards the back of the knife, forming a bowl-shaped knife.

[0007] This minimizes the contact area between the front of the knife and the strand during cutting and thus the static friction that occurs between them, which, for example, causes the cutting surface on the product strand to heat up.

[0008] The size of the cutting angle has a major influence on the cutting result: The smaller the cutting angle, the easier the knife penetrates the product strand to be cut. The larger the cutting angle, the stronger the deflection effect on the cut slice across the knife plane and the lower the wear during knife operation.

[0009] In this context, it is known that the cutting angle along the cutting edge should not be kept constant, but rather varied.

[0010] For example, it is known from EP 2162266 B1 to continuously increase the cutting angle in the direction of progression of the increasing radial distance of the cutting edge, over the entire length of the cutting edge.

[0011] Furthermore, it is known from EP 2948279 B1, which represents the closest prior art, to carry out such an increase in the cutting angle in the direction of progression of the increasing radial distance of the cutting edge from the rotation axis of the knife only in sections, i.e. in partial areas, and to leave the cutting angle the same in between, but not to reduce it.

[0012] The changing of the cutting angle is carried out discontinuously, i.e. by means of an edge or even a step in the cutting surface along the direction of progress.

[0013] This is intended to facilitate production and regrinding compared to a continuous increase in the cutting angle, as proposed in the first cited document.

[0014] However, these solutions do not yet allow for optimal adaptation of the shape of the knife, especially the cutting angle, to the cutting process.

[0015] DE 10 2004 059 479 A1, which represents the closest prior art, discloses a sickle knife according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, reference is made to the documents DE 10 2007 040 350 A1, DE 10 2013 217 137 A1 and DE 10 2017 108 841 A1. III. Description of the inventiona) Technical problem

[0016] It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a sickle blade for slicers which further improves the working result.

[0017] It is furthermore the object of the invention to provide a slicing machine equipped therewith and an operating method therefor, with which an optimal cutting result and a correct storage of the separated slice can be achieved. b) Solution to the task

[0018] This object is achieved by the features of claims 1 and 8. Advantageous embodiments emerge from the subclaims.

[0019] A generic rotatable or rotating sickle knife is usually plate-shaped or slightly bowl-shaped and has on its circumference - viewed in the axial direction, i.e. on the main plane of the knife - a curved peripheral edge which is designed as a cutting edge, i.e., viewed in cross-section, tapers outwards, i.e. at an acute-angled cutting angle.

[0020] To create this cutting edge, the knife is usually sharpened only on one side, which is defined here as the back side. From the knife plane defined by the cutting edge, this regrindable cutting surface, which is part of the back side, rises at the cutting edge angle away from the knife plane.

[0021] In a state-of-the-art rotatable sickle knife, this cutting surface is followed radially inwards by a connecting surface, which is usually also at an acute connecting angle to the knife plane, but which is usually smaller than the cutting angle at which the cutting surface is inclined to the knife plane.

[0022] According to the invention, within the cutting area, in which the peripheral edge is designed as a cutting edge, there is at least one area in which the cutting angle decreases in the direction of advance of the cutting edge.

[0023] The direction of progression is understood to be the direction along the extension of the cutting edge in which the radial distance of the cutting edge from the axis of rotation - and the fastening device provided there - of the knife increases.

[0024] As the knife rotates, the radially inner area of ​​the cutting surface of the knife retreats from the surface of the cut-off disc due to a decreasing cutting angle, thereby usually taking up a distance from the disc, which reduces the size of the area in which sliding friction takes place between the back of the knife and the disc.

[0025] Such areas with decreasing cutting angle can also be present several times in succession, whereby this effect then occurs several times in succession in the direction of advance of the cutting edge.

[0026] There may also be one or more areas with increasing cutting angle in the cutting area, which can also alternate with areas with decreasing cutting angle, not only once but also multiple times.

[0027] This allows a pulsating axial displacement of the disc to be cut off and significantly reduces the total area where sliding friction exists between the disc and the back of the knife.

[0028] In the cutting area there can also be at least one area with a constant cutting angle in the direction of progress.

[0029] This serves to consolidate the relative position of the wheel to the cutting surface. Such a region with a constant cutting angle can, for example, be present between regions with a changing cutting angle, especially the previously mentioned regions with a decreasing cutting angle.

[0030] Such areas with a constant cutting angle can also be arranged in the direction of progress between alternating areas with increasing and decreasing cutting angles in order to establish the aforementioned consolidation between the areas with changing cutting angles.

[0031] Preferably, the transitions between the different areas, i.e. areas with decreasing and / or increasing and / or constant cutting angle, occur without a step or edge, preferably merging into one another without a step or kinks.

[0032] In a particularly preferred embodiment, in the direction of progress, there is an area with an increasing cutting angle in the initial area of ​​the cutting area - i.e. in the area with the smallest radial distance of the cutting edge to the knife axis - and / or an area with a decreasing cutting angle in the end area of ​​the cutting area.

[0033] This is useful, for example, for products that have a harder, firmer consistency on the outside, such as a shell, or in the case of meat, for example, a cooked ham.

[0034] The cutting angle, which is initially very small, is required in order to be able to easily penetrate this harder shell with the lowest possible cutting pressure without compressing the product caliber too much.

[0035] In the end area, however, the increasingly smaller and ultimately very small cutting angle is advantageous in order to produce a clean cut, especially when the cutting edge exits the product caliber, for example to avoid undesirable burr formation in the form of fraying on the disc.

[0036] Preferably, in the middle area, which can preferably make up more than half, in particular more than 70% of the length of the cutting edge, the cutting angle is constant and thus relatively large, which is advantageous in order to deflect the disc axially away from the knife in this middle area of ​​the cutting area due to the large cutting angle here, whereby a clean deposit can be easily achieved.

[0037] In particular, in the area of ​​a changing cutting angle, this can also change beyond the limit of 45°, i.e. from an acute to an obtuse cutting angle or vice versa, whereby a obtuse cutting angle in particular increases the service life of the knife on the one hand and the deflection effect on the disc is very high on the other.

[0038] If several consecutive areas with varying cutting angles exist in the direction of progression, these may either be interrupted by areas with a constant cutting angle, or the degree of increase in the individual areas with increasing cutting angles may vary. The same is also possible for areas with decreasing cutting angles.

[0039] For example, areas with a more rapidly increasing cutting angle can alternate with areas with a less rapidly increasing cutting angle, which overall results in a pulsating rejection effect across the areas with increasing cutting angle - even if there is an area with a constant cutting angle in between.

[0040] If, in this sense, several areas with decreasing cutting angles are arranged one after the other, i.e. interrupted by areas with a constant cutting angle or immediately adjacent to one another, but then with a cutting angle decreasing to different degrees, in particular alternating with a stronger and weaker decreasing angle, this achieves a pulsating detachment of the outer side of the knife from the disc.

[0041] In areas with changing cutting angle, this change may be continuous within the area, but by no means necessarily linear.

[0042] It is also advantageous if, in a knife according to the invention, the shape of the cutting edge viewed in the direction of the knife axis is selected such that when the knife plunges into the material to be cut, i.e. when the cutting edge first comes into contact with the material to be cut, the pull factor is at least 1:15.

[0043] This means that at the moment the knife first contacts the product caliber, the speed of the knife relative to the product caliber in the direction of the tangent to the cutting edge is at least 15 times greater than the penetration direction perpendicular to the cutting edge at this point.

[0044] A high pull factor results in a pronounced pulling cut, which allows the described effects of the alternating areas in the direction of progress to be particularly effective.

[0045] A slicing machine known per se comprises a cutting unit which has such a sickle knife according to the invention as described above.

[0046] Furthermore, as is known, there is a product support on which the product to be cut, i.e. the product caliber, is placed and fed to the cutting unit and pushed forward along the product support during slicing, wherein the support surface for the product caliber is preferably arranged at an angle downwards towards the cutting unit relative to the horizontal. c) Examples of implementation

[0047] Embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below by way of example. They show: Fig. 1a, b: a slicing machine in the form of a slicer according to the prior art in different perspective views, Fig. 1c: the slicing machine of the Fig. 1a, b in side view, Fig. 1d: a simplified vertical longitudinal section through the slicing machine of the Fig. 1a - c, i.e. in the same viewing direction as Fig. 1c, in which the different conveyor belts can be seen more clearly, Fig. 2a: a view in the longitudinal direction, of the rotation axis of the knife, of the outside of the sickle knife installed in the slicer, Fig. 2b: the same view of a slicing machine, for example for grown pieces of meat with a shaped tube as a product support, Fig. 3a: an analogous view of the well-known sickle knife alone, Fig. 3b: a section perpendicular to the knife plane and perpendicular to the direction of the cutting edge through the radially outer edge areas of the knife of the Fig. 3a, Fig. 4a - e: Views analogous to Fig. 3a on designs of a sickle knife.

[0048] The Fig. 1a, Fig. 1b show different perspective views of a slicer 1 for the simultaneous slicing of several product calibers K next to each other with a general flow direction 10* through the machine from left to right as well as Fig. 1c a side view of this slicer.

[0049] Fig. Fig. 1d shows a vertical section through such a slicer 1 in the longitudinal direction 10, the feed direction of the calibers K to the cutting unit 2 and thus the longitudinal direction of the calibers K located in the slicer 1, i.e. with the same viewing direction as Fig. 1c.

[0050] It can be seen that the basic structure of a slicer 1 according to the prior art consists in that several, in this case four, product calibers K are fed transversely to the feed direction 10 next to one another by a feed unit 20 to a cutting unit 2 with a rotating sickle knife 3, from the front ends of which the rotating sickle knife 3 simultaneously cuts off a slice S.

[0051] For this purpose, the feed unit 20 comprises a feed conveyor 22 in the form of an endless, circulating conveyor belt, the upper run of which can be driven at least in the feed direction 10 and also counter to this, wherein the calibers lying next to one another in the width of this feed conveyor 22 do not rest on the conveyor belt itself, but on cross bars 12 which are arranged at a distance across the width of the feed conveyor 22 and in the feed direction 10 and whose upper sides represent the support surface 12' for the individual calibers K. The upper sides of the cross bars 12 have recesses aligned with one another for each of the calibers K to be placed on, in this case four, in order to ensure sufficient lateral guidance.

[0052] For slicing the product caliber K, the feed conveyor 22 is in the inclined position shown in the figures with a low-lying cutting-side front end and a high-lying rear end, from which it can be folded down into an approximately horizontal loading position about a pivot axis 20' running in its width direction, the 1st transverse direction 11.1, which is located near the cutting unit 2.

[0053] The rear end of a caliber K located in the feed unit 20 - see in Fig. 1d - the first caliber K1 of the four calibers arranged one behind the other in this direction - is held by a gripper in a form-fitting manner by means of holding claws 26, of which a gripper 15a - 15d is provided for each of the insertable calibers K1 to K4. These grippers 15a - 15d, which can be activated and deactivated with respect to the position of the holding claws 26, are attached to a common gripper unit 16, which can be guided along a rod-shaped gripper guide 17 in the feed direction 10.

[0054] In this case, both the feed of the gripper unit 16 and the feed conveyor 22 can be driven in a controlled manner, whereby the actual feed speed of the calibers K is effected by a so-called upper and lower product guide 23, 24, which engage the upper side and lower side of the calibers K to be sliced ​​at the front end areas near the cutting unit 2: For the cutting process, the front ends of the calibers K are each guided through a so-called caliber opening 19a - d provided for each caliber, which is formed in a plate-shaped cutting caliber 14, which is a component of the cutting unit 2, in that the cutting plane 3" runs directly in front of the front, diagonally downward facing end face of the cutting caliber 14, in which the sickle knife 3 rotates with its cutting edge 3a and thus separates the excess of the caliber from the cutting caliber 14 as a disk. The cutting plane 3" runs perpendicular to the upper run of the feed conveyor 22 and / or is spanned by the two transverse directions 11.1, 11.2.

[0055] The inner circumference of the spectacle openings 19a - d of the cutting edge 3a of the knife 3 serves as a counter cutting edge.

[0056] The spectacle openings 19a - d of the interchangeable cutting spectacles are approximately adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the calibers to be cut, but since their cross-sectional size is subject to production-related fluctuations, the cross-section of the spectacle openings 19a - d is generally somewhat larger than the cross-section of the caliber K to be cut.

[0057] In order to still achieve a good cutting result and to be able to control parameters such as the contact force of the caliber K on the inner circumferential surface of the cutting opening and other parameters, the lower and upper product guides 23, 24 are provided, each consisting of an endlessly circulating conveyor belt, of which the lower product guide 23 with its upper run and the upper product guide 24 with the lower run of the corresponding conveyor belt rest force-fittingly on the underside or top side of the caliber K.

[0058] Since both product guides 23, 24 can be driven in a controlled manner, they determine the - continuous or timed - feed speed of the caliber K through the cutting frame 14.

[0059] In addition, at least the upper product guide 24 is displaceable in the second transverse direction 11.2—which runs perpendicular to the surface of the upper run of the feed conveyor 22—to adapt to the height of the caliber K in this direction. Furthermore, at least one of the product guides 23, 24 can be pivotable about one of its deflection rollers in order to be able to change the direction of the run of its conveyor belt adjacent to the caliber K to a limited extent.

[0060] The slices S, which are inclined in space according to the inclined position of the feed unit 20 and the cutting unit 2 during separation, fall onto a discharge unit 25 which begins below the cutting frame 14 and runs in the direction of travel 10* and which in this case consists of several discharge conveyors 25a, b, c arranged one behind the other with their upper strands approximately aligned in the direction of travel 10*, one of which can also be designed as a weighing unit.

[0061] The discs S either fall directly onto these conveyors 25 a - c, as in Fig. 1d, or onto packaging elements resting thereon, such as a carrier carton or a flat plastic tray. The slices S can fall onto the discharge conveyor individually and spaced apart from one another in the direction of flow 10*, or, by appropriate control of the discharge conveyor unit 25, form portions P there in which the slices S touch one another, for example, stacked or marked portions P.

[0062] Below the feed unit 20 there is also a horizontally extending scrap conveyor 21, also in the form of a continuously rotating conveyor belt, which begins with its front end below the cutting frame 14 and immediately behind the removal unit 25 and from there, with its upper run, transports scraps falling onto it backwards, counter to the throughput direction 10*. For this purpose, at least the first removal conveyor 25a in the throughput direction 10* can be driven with its upper run counter to the throughput direction 10*, so that a scrap piece falling onto it, for example, can be transported backwards and falls onto the lower-lying scrap conveyor 21.

[0063] In this regard, Fig. 2a a view of the outer side 3.2 of the knife 3 in the slicer 1, facing away from the product caliber K.

[0064] While in a slicer 1 the product calibers K are only fed lying on the support surface 12' of a product support 12, in the initial state irregularly shaped products such as a grown piece of meat are first pressed upstream of the cutting unit 2 in a forming tube 12 to a product caliber K with a cross-section that is uniform over the length of the product, as in Fig. 2b.

[0065] In this case, Fig. 2a shows the time of contact of the first product caliber K by the cutting edge 3a of the knife 3. The ratio of the relative speed between the knife 3 and the caliber K in the direction of the tangent 9 to the contact point relative to the speed perpendicular to it, i.e. in the penetration direction 8, is the pulling factor, which indicates the extent to which the cut is characterized as a pulling cut.

[0066] In both cases, a sickle knife 3 can be used to separate the slices S from the one or more product calibers K, as shown in the Fig. 1a - d can be clearly seen.

[0067] Such a sickle knife 3 according to the state of the art is in the same viewing direction as in the Fig. 2a, b separately in Fig. 3a and in a section through the edge area in Fig. 3b.

[0068] The cutting edge 3a, in which the rear side 3.2 facing away from the product caliber K meets its front side 3.1, and which defines the knife plane 3", has - according to the definition of a sickle knife - in its direction of advance 3a' over the entire cutting area A of the knife 3 a radial distance R from the rotation axis 3' of the knife 3 that increases.

[0069] As the sectional view of the Fig. 3b shows, the rear side 3.2 of the knife consists of the cutting surface 4 which is radially inwardly directly adjacent to the cutting edge 3a and which assumes a cutting angle α to the knife plane 3". This cutting surface 4, which runs in a strip-like manner in the direction of advance 3a', is adjoined radially inwardly by a likewise strip-shaped connecting surface 5 which is also inclined to the knife plane 3" at a connecting angle β, which is, however, smaller than the cutting angle α.

[0070] Towards the radial inside, this connection surface 5 is usually followed by a no 6, which runs parallel to the knife plane 3".

[0071] The front side 3.1 of the knife 3 can run flat along the knife plane 3" or have a concave depression 7 in the central area, which usually ends radially spaced from the cutting edge 3a, whereby a bowl-shaped knife 3 is formed, as in Fig. 3b.

[0072] In a knife 3, in particular a sickle knife 3, according to the state of the art, the Fig. 3b shown edge area of ​​such a knife 3 generally has the same cross-section over the entire cutting area A.

[0073] This is the case with designs of a sickle knife according to the Fig. 4a - 4b it is not the case that the cutting angle α changes in the direction of progress 3a':

[0074] Fig. 4a shows a design in which the cutting angle α in the direction of progress 3a' at the beginning of the cutting area A is constant in the area A3, preferably at a relatively low value, then increases in the area A1 and then is constant and relatively small in a further area A3, preferably over more than half the length of the cutting area A.

[0075] This is followed by an area A2 with decreasing cutting angle α, and in the direction of progress 3a' at the end the cutting angle α is again constant in a further area A3 with a low value of the cutting angle α, preferably with the same value as in the first area A3

[0076] The design according to Fig. 4b differs from that of the Fig. 4a in that the initial and final area with constant, especially small, cutting angle α is missing, so the sequence in the direction of progress 3a' is - Area A1 with increasing cutting angle α, - Area A3 with constant cutting angle α, preferably over a large, central area, which in this case represents more than half, even more than 2 / 3 of the length of the cutting area, - Area A2 with decreasing cutting angle α.

[0077] The inventive design according to Fig. 4c differs from that of the Fig. 4b in that the areas A1 and A2 with increasing or decreasing cutting angle α are again divided into sub-areas in which the increase or decrease is of different strengths: Thus, in sub-area A1.1 the increase in the cutting angle α can be small, in the subsequent sub-area A1.2 the increase can be somewhat greater and in the subsequent sub-area A1.3 the increase can be even greater, or the sequence can be exactly the other way round.

[0078] The same applies analogously to the sub-areas with decreasing cutting angle A2.1 to A2.3, with regard to the degree of decrease in the cutting angle α.

[0079] The design of the Fig. 4d is intended to cause a pulsating deflection of the disc. For this purpose, a region A1 with an increasing cutting angle α is always immediately followed by a region A2 with a decreasing cutting angle α, and between these pairs of regions A1 + A2, a region A3 with a constant cutting angle α is provided.

[0080] Accordingly, the cutting angle α in these areas A3 with constant cutting angle α is relatively small, and in contrast, at the transition between an area A1 and an area A2 it is larger.

[0081] However, an additional area A3 with a constant cutting angle α could also be provided between the areas A1 and A2.

[0082] In the present case, the cutting area A begins and ends with an area A3 with a constant cutting angle α, which, however, is not mandatory.

[0083] The design of the Fig. 4e differs from that of the Fig. 4d in that the areas with constant cutting angle α are missing, so that the cutting area A consists of a sequence of immediately consecutive areas A1 with increasing and A2 with decreasing cutting angle α.

[0084] In this case, the cutting area A begins and ends with an area A1 with increasing cutting angle α, which, however, is not mandatory. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 1 slicer, slicing machine 2 cutting unit 2a knife carrier 3 knives 3' knife axis, rotation axis 3" knife level 3.1 Front 3.2 Back 3a Cutting edge 3a' Direction of progress 4 Cutting surface 5 Connection surface 6 Central area 7 Deepening 8 Cutting edge tangent 9 Penetration direction 10 Feed direction, axial direction 10* Flow direction 11.1, 11.2 Transverse direction 12 Product support, shaped tube, crossbar 12' support surface 13 Base frame 14 Cutting goggles 15a-d gripper 16 Gripper unit 17 Gripper guide 18 Engine 19a-d Spectacle opening 20 feed unit 20' swivel axis 21 residue conveyors 22 feeders 23 lower product guide 24 upper product guide 25 discharge unit 25a, b, c discharge conveyor 26 Retaining claw α cutting angle β connection angle A cutting area A1 area with increasing cutting angle A2 area with decreasing cutting angle A3 area with constant cutting angle K Product caliber, cutting material P Portion R radial distance S disc

Claims

[1] Rotatable, plate-shaped or bowl-shaped, sickle knife (3) with a front side (3.1) and a back side (3.2), suitable for use in a slicer (1), with - a peripheral edge which is curved in plan view onto a knife plane (3") and which is formed over a cutting area (A) as a cutting edge (3a) which defines the knife plane (3"), wherein - on the back of the knife (3.2), a cutting surface (4) extending radially inwards and inclined at an angle to the knife plane (3") is connected to the cutting edge (3a), which is at an acute cutting angle (α) to the knife plane (3"), - wherein in the direction of progress (3a') along the cutting edge (3a) there are several regions (A1, A1.1, A1.2, A1.3) with increasing cutting angle (α), and - in the direction of progress (3a') along the cutting edge (3a) there are several areas (A2, A2.1, A2.2, A2.3) with decreasing cutting angle (α), characterized by , that - several areas (A1.1, A1.2, A1.3) with varying degrees of increasing cutting angle (α) are present one after the other, and / or - several areas (A2.1, A2.2, A2.3) with different decreasing cutting angles (α) are present one after the other. [2] Sickle knife (3) according to claim 1, characterized by , that - in the direction of progress (3a') along the cutting edge (3a) there are areas (A3) with a constant cutting angle (α). [3] Sickle knife (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that - in the direction of progress (3a') in the initial area of ​​the cutting area (A) there is an area (A1, A1.1) with increasing cutting angle (α), and / or - in the end area of ​​the cutting area (A) there is an area (A2, A2.3) with decreasing cutting angle (α), - in particular there is an area (A3) with a constant cutting angle (α) in between. [4] Sickle knife (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that - areas (A1) with increasing cutting angle (α) and areas (A2) with decreasing cutting angle (α) are present alternately, - especially without a paragraph in between. [5] Sickle knife (3) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the several areas (A1.1, A1.2, A1.3) with differently increasing cutting angles (α) are interrupted one after the other at most by areas (A3) with a constant cutting angle (α). [6] Sickle knife (3) according to one of claims 1 to 3 or claim 5, characterized by that the several areas (A2.1, A2.2, A2.3) with differently decreasing cutting angles (α) are interrupted one after the other at most by areas (A3) with a constant cutting angle (α). [7] Sickle knife (3) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat in a knife (3) with a finite, curved cutting edge (3a) and a knife axis (3') that is stationary during operation, the shape of the cutting edge (3a) is designed such that when the knife (3) is immersed in the product caliber (K), the cutting edge (3a) contacts the product caliber (K) with a tensile factor of at least 1:

15. [8] Slicing machine (1) with - a cutting unit (2) with a rotatable sickle blade (3), - a product support (12') for placing one or more product calibers (K), characterized by that the sickle knife (3) is designed according to one of the preceding claims.

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