Flow-propelled rotary knife

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10160132-B2
Application number	US-201514937271-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2015
Priority date	Sep 11, 2015
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A flow-propelled rotary knife system includes a housing, having an outlet end and walls defining a fluid passage, a rotatable blade holder, disposed at the outlet end and having a central aperture substantially aligned with the fluid passage, and at least one blade, extending diametrically across the central aperture of the blade holder. The blade holder is configured to rotate about a rotational axis passing through the central aperture, and the at least one blade has a twisted shape selected to rotationally propel the blade and the blade holder to rotate about the rotational axis when the blade is contacted by fluid flowing through the fluid passage and the central aperture in a flow direction, whereby objects propelled along the fluid flow path in the flow direction toward the outlet are helically cut by the rotating blade.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flow-propelled rotary knife system, comprising:
a housing, having an outlet end and walls defining a fluid passage;
a blade holder, disposed at the outlet end, having a central aperture substantially aligned with the fluid passage, and configured to rotate about a rotational axis passing through the central aperture; and
at least one blade, extending diametrically across the central aperture of the blade holder, the at least one blade attached to the blade holder, the at least one blade having a twisted shape selected to rotationally propel the blade and the blade holder to rotate about the rotational axis when the at least one blade is contacted by fluid flowing in a fluid flow path through the fluid passage and the central aperture in a flow direction, whereby objects propelled along the fluid flow path in the flow direction toward the outlet end are helically cut by the rotating of the at least one blade.

2. The flow-propelled rotary knife system of claim 1 , further comprising a bearing, disposed at the outlet end of the housing, having a circular bearing structure adapted to rotationally support an exterior of the blade holder for rotation about the rotational axis.

3. The flow-propelled rotary knife system of claim 1 , wherein the central aperture of the blade holder and the fluid passage of the housing are of a substantially common size.

4. The flow-propelled rotary knife system of claim 3 , wherein the central aperture of the blade holder and the fluid passage each have a diameter of about 2 to 3 inches.

5. The flow-propelled rotary knife system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one blade has a sharpened cutting edge at one side thereof and is twisted generally at a centerline thereof to define a pair of cutting edges presented generally in opposite-facing circumferential directions.

6. The flow-propelled rotary knife system of claim 5 , wherein opposite ends of the at least one blade are secured to diametrically opposite portions of the blade holder at a pitch angle defined by the formula: Pitch Angle=Arc Tan (2×Pi×Radius/Pitch Length), where Radius is a radial distance from a center of the central aperture of the blade holder, and Pitch Length is a distance the product travels during one full rotation of the blade.

7. The flow-propelled rotary knife system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one blade comprises at least two blades extending diametrically across the central aperture of the blade holder, and each of the at least two blades attached to the blade holder at longitudinally sequential positions relative to the rotational axis, and oriented at an angular offset with respect to each other relative to the rotational motion of the blade holder.

8. The flow-propelled rotary knife system of claim 7 , wherein the angular offset is one of 150°, 120° and 105°.

9. The flow-propelled rotary knife system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one blade has a corrugated cutting edge.

10. The flow-propelled rotary knife system of claim 1 , wherein the housing, the blade holder and the at least one blade comprise an integral unit, configured for selective installation in a cutting unit of a water knife system.

11. A system for cutting vegetable products, comprising:
a water knife system, including a water conduit configured for transporting vegetable products using a flow of water therethrough at a product speed in a flow direction;
a cutting unit, positioned along the water conduit; and
a flow-propelled rotary knife fixture, disposed in the cutting unit and coupled to the water conduit, the flow-propelled rotary knife fixture including
a housing, having an inlet end, an outlet end, and walls defining a central passage, the inlet end being in fluid communication with the water conduit and the central passage having a fluid flow axis;
a blade holder, disposed at the outlet end of the housing, having a ring with a central aperture that is substantially aligned with the central passage and the fluid flow axis, the ring being rotatable about the fluid flow axis; and
at least one blade, extending diametrically across the central aperture of the ring, the at least one blade being attached to the ring, the at least one blade having a twisted shape selected to rotationally propel the ring to rotate about the fluid flow axis when contacted by fluid flowing in a fluid flow path through the central passage and the central aperture in the flow direction, whereby objects propelled along the fluid flow path toward the outlet end can be helically cut by the rotating of the at least one blade.

12. The system for cutting vegetable products of claim 11 , wherein the flow-propelled rotary knife fixture is selectively removable from the cutting unit.

13. The system for cutting vegetable products of claim 11 , wherein the at least one blade has a sharpened cutting edge at one side thereof and is twisted generally at a centerline thereof to define a pair of cutting edges presented generally in opposite-facing circumferential directions, and opposite ends of the at least one blade are secured to diametrically opposite portions of the ring at a pitch angle defined by the formula: Pitch Angle=Arc Tan (2×Pi×Radius/Pitch Length), where Radius is a radial distance from a center of the central aperture of the ring, and Pitch Length is a distance the product travels during one full rotation of the blade.

14. The system for cutting vegetable products of claim 11 , wherein the at least one blade comprises at least two blades extending diametrically across the central aperture of the ring, and each of the at least two blades attached to the ring at longitudinally sequential positions relative to the fluid flow axis, and oriented at an angular offset with respect to each other relative to the rotational motion of the ring.

15. The system for cutting vegetable products of claim 11 , wherein the at least one blade has a corrugated cutting edge.

16. A method for cutting spiral pieces of an object, comprising
providing a flow of water through a water knife system in a flow direction, the water knife system having a knife fixture with a flow passage oriented along an axis;
causing the flow of water to impinge upon a rotatable blade of the knife fixture, the blade extending diametrically across the flow passage and having a twisted propeller-like shape with a sharpened cutting edge at one side thereof and being twisted generally at a centerline thereof to define a pair of cutting edges presented generally in opposite-facing circumferential directions, the flow of water causing the blade to rotate about the axis; and
introducing an object into the water knife system upstream of the knife fixture, whereby the object is propelled in the flow direction toward the knife fixture, the rotating blade cutting the object in a helical manner as the object passes through the knife fixture.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the water knife system includes multiple discrete flow passages, each flow passage having a respective knife fixture, each knife fixture having a rotatable blade that is rotationally propelled by the flow of water, each flow passage and knife fixture having a unique internal size, and further comprising:
segregating multiple objects into groups based on size; and
introducing the multiple objects each into a selected flow passage of the water knife system depending on the respective size, whereby the objects are propelled in the flow direction toward a respective knife fixture, the rotating blade of the respective knife fixture cutting the object in a helical manner as the object pass

Assignees

• Simplot Co J R

Inventors

• Walker David Bruce
• Neel Allen J

Classifications

• B26D2210/02

  for cutting food products, e.g. food slicers · CPC title

• B26D3/26

  specially adapted for cutting fruit or vegetables, e.g. for onions · CPC title

• B26D2001/006

  the cutting blade having a special shape, e.g. a special outline, serrations · CPC title

• B26D1/28

  and rotating continuously in one direction during cutting · CPC title

• B26D3/11

  to obtain pieces of spiral or helical form · CPC title