Machines and methods for cutting products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10632639-B2
Application number	US-201615180217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2016
Priority date	Jun 12, 2015
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

Machines and methods for cutting products. Such a machine includes an annular-shaped cutting head and at least one knife that is oriented axially at an inner circumference of the cutting head and extends radially inward into an interior of the cutting head. An impeller is coaxially mounted within the cutting head and has a base, a ring spaced axially from the base, an entrance to an interior of the impeller defined by the ring, and a unit for delivering products within the interior of the impeller toward the inner circumference of the cutting head as the impeller rotates within the cutting head. The delivering unit includes paddles that are circumferentially spaced within the interior of the impeller between the base and the ring. The outer circumference of the impeller has a diameter of greater than 35 centimeters.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A machine for cutting products, the machine comprising:
a cutting head having an annular shape that defines an axis of the cutting head, and at least one knife oriented axially at an inner circumference of the cutting head, the knife extending radially inward into an interior of the cutting head;
an impeller coaxially mounted within the interior of the cutting head so that the impeller has a rotational axis that coincides with the axis of the cutting head and has an outer circumference adjacent the inner circumference of the cutting head, the impeller being mounted for rotation within the cutting head about the axis of the cutting head in a rotational direction relative to the cutting head, the impeller comprising a base, a ring spaced axially from the base, an entrance to an interior of the impeller defined by the ring, and delivering means for delivering products within the interior of the impeller toward the inner circumference of the cutting head as the impeller rotates within the cutting head, the impeller having outward radial directions that coincide with radials of the impeller that pass through the axis of the cutting head, the delivering means comprising paddles that are circumferentially spaced within the interior of the impeller between the base and the ring and are sized and configured for delivering and forcing the products in the outward radial directions toward the at least one knife as the impeller rotates within the cutting head, the outer circumference of the impeller having a diameter of greater than 35 centimeters;
a housing enclosing the cutting head and the impeller; and
a feed hopper fixedly attached to the housing and a feeding apparatus fixed attached to the feed hopper to direct the products downward and then redirect the products radially outward toward the outer circumference of the impeller, the feeding apparatus comprising a chute that has a longitudinal axis that is coaxial with the rotational axis of the impeller, extends downward from the feed hopper, extends into the impeller through the entrance thereof and toward the base thereof, has a lowermost extent that is adjacent to the base of the impeller, and has an upper surface that defines a curved profile along the longitudinal axis of the chute from an upper end of the chute to the lowermost extent of the chute so that the chute is arcuately tapered from the upper end thereof to the lowermost extent thereof and the chute increases in diameter toward the base, the chute being configured so that the products traveling downward into the interior of the impeller are redirected radially outward by the upper surface of the chute toward the outer circumference of the impeller as the products enter the interior of the impeller.

2. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the impeller has a diameter of greater than fifty centimeters.

3. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the cutting head has at least twelve knives oriented axially at the inner circumference of the cutting head.

4. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the impeller has at least eight paddles.

5. The machine of claim 1 , wherein each of the paddles extends to the outer circumference of the impeller at an angle relative to a corresponding one of the radials of the impeller intersecting the paddle.

6. The machine of claim 1 , wherein each of the paddles as a length between radially innermost and radially outermost extents thereof of less than 20 percent of a radius of the impeller.

7. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the delivering means comprises grooves defined on faces of the paddles that face the rotational direction of the impeller.

8. The machine of claim 7 , wherein the grooves on each paddle are equi-spaced, substantially parallel to each other, orientated substantially parallel to the axis of the impeller, and continuous to an outward radial end of the paddle at the outer circumference of the impeller.

9. A method of using the machine of claim 1 , the method comprising:
rotating the impeller;
supplying products to the impeller with the feed hopper and the chute through the entrance defined by the ring, the upper surface of the chute redirecting the products traveling downward into the interior of the impeller radially outward toward the outer circumference of the impeller as the products enter the interior of the impeller;
causing the products to be delivered toward the inner circumference of the cutting head through action of rotating the impeller; and
slicing the products with the knife.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the products are food products.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the products have diameters greater than three inches.

Assignees

• Urschel Laboratories Inc

Inventors

• Fant James A

Classifications

• B26D2001/006

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

• B26D2210/02

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

• B26D7/0691 Primary

  by centrifugal force · CPC title

• B26D1/03

  with a plurality of cutting members · CPC title

• B26D7/2614

  Means for mounting the cutting member · CPC title