Abstract: Cutting wheels equipped with knife assemblies suitable for performing size reduction operations on products, methods of operating cutting wheels, knife holders for such knife assemblies, methods of manufacturing knife holders, and slicing machines capable of utilizing such cutting wheels. The knife assemblies each have a leading edge that faces a direction of rotation of the cutting wheel, a trailing edge oppositely disposed from the leading edge, and a cutting edge on the leading edge. Each knife assembly further has a knife holder having a first surface that faces the products advanced toward the cutting wheel in a feed direction and a registration surface formed in the first surface. The registration surface is defined by at least a first recessed planar surface that is recessed a distance relative to the first surface and defines with the first surface at least a first step therebetween.

Abstract: Cutting head for a centrifugal cutting apparatus, comprising cutting stations, each of which has a cutting element at a leading end and an inner wall extending from the leading end to a trailing end and forming a product sliding surface. The cutting stations are assembled adjacent one another with a gap between each pair of adjacent cutting stations, a rake-off angle ?R being defined as the angle that a product slice deviates upon being cut by one of the cutting elements and exiting the cutting head through the respective gap, said angle being measured relative to a tangent line to the product sliding surface at the trailing end of the respective preceding cutting element. A rear part of the product sliding surface at the trailing end is adapted such that the rake-off angle ?R is below 17°.

Abstract: A slitting machine for threading scrap material includes first and second arbors; rotary knives disposed on each of the first and second arbors; and a pair of notching modules positioned on opposite ends of the first and second arbors. The notching modules each has a pair of shear knives for making multiple cuts in a strip of material passing through the slitting machine forming notches to enable threading of material to scrap chutes from the slitting machine.

Abstract: A hollow fiber module (1, 1?) is made by inserting a bundle of hollow fibers (3) into a housing (2, 2?) that has an end closed by a cap (17). A fluid first component (27) that can assume a solid state is introduced into a space adjacent the cap (17) and forms a spacer into which ends of the hollow fibers (6, 7) project. A fluid curable second component (4) is introduced before the first component (27) via a second inflow (28) and is cured to form a sealing layer (9) that embeds the bundle of hollow fibers (3) and seals it with respect to the adjacent housing wall (29, 29?). The cap (17) is removed from the module housing (2, 2?) along with the first component (27) and ends of the hollow fibers (6) embedded in the first component (27).

Abstract: A device for producing pellets from a melt material. The device can have a perforated plate with nozzles from which a melt material emerges. Located opposite the perforated plate is a cutting chamber with a motor-driven cutter arrangement having a cutter head with at least one blade, and a cutter shaft. A coolant is introduced into the cutting chamber from an inlet apparatus. The inlet apparatus has a separate inlet chamber that circumferentially encloses the cutting chamber in the area of rotation of the at least one blade, and has an adjustable annular inlet nozzle arrangement. Coolant is introduced into the cutting chamber circumferentially and substantially radially inward from the outside. A substantially centripetal flow of the coolant is produced in the area of rotation, and the coolant and the pellets are conveyed to an outlet of the cutting chamber.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for slicing products. Such an apparatus has an annular-shaped cutting head equipped with knife assemblies located at a circumference of the cutting head, and interior surfaces each located in a circumferential direction of the cutting head relative to one of the knife assemblies such that each interior surface leads one of the knife assemblies and trails a different one of the knife assemblies. Each knife assembly has a flat knife that extends radially inward to define a gate opening. Each interior surface has continuous flow paths defined therein that extend across at least a majority of the interior surface from adjacent a leading edge thereof through a trailing edge thereof and are fluidically connected to one of the gate openings between the interior surface and the knife that trails the interior surface.

Abstract: A pelletizer, preferably in the form of an underwater pelletizer, having a cutter and/or grinding head and a tool carrier is provided. The tool carrier can rotatably be driven about a tool carrier axis of rotation, and at least one cutting and/or grinding tool, which is attached to the tool carrier and is spaced from the tool carrier axis of rotation, is used to knock off plastic melt emerging from a pelletizer die plate and/or for grinding the pelletizer die plate. In one embodiment, the cutting and/or grinding tool rotates together with the tool carrier about its tool carrier axis of rotation, and in another embodiment, the cutting and/or grinding tool can rotate about its own axis of rotation relative to the tool carrier.

Abstract: A cutter head holder for blades of an underwater granulator for granulating pellets from a plastic melt that emerges from a perforated plate into a process chamber of a housing of an underwater granulator.

Abstract: A continuous length of material of non-circular cross-section is pelletized to form discrete bits, by feeding the material to a cutting wheel with shaped cutters that form non-planar bits having non-circular axial projections and that are aligned with the material. The material is fed so as to maintain a rotational orientation with respect to the cutters, and so as to avoid buckling. Multiple banks of strands of material are severed simultaneously, thereby producing high volumes of shaped bits that are useful as filling and as filter material, and as friction-enhancing additives.

Abstract: Methods and machines for cutting solid and semisolid materials, including food products. The machine has a dicing unit that includes a feed drum, circular cutter, and cross-cutter each individually rotatably mounted to a support structure by cantilevered shafts. The machine further includes a knife for producing slices of a solid or semisolid material, circular knives on the circular cutter to cut the slices into strips, and cross-cut knives on the cross-cutter to dice the strips. The machine also includes a stripper plate for removing the strips from the circular cutter, and an outboard support assembly for supporting and radially centering outboard ends of the shafts of the feed drum, circular cutter, and cross-cutter and for supporting and securing the stripper plate relative thereto.

Abstract: Apparatus for cutting plural aligned ply strips includes plural knife blades disposed in a spaced manner such that each knife blade is aligned with and in closely spaced relation to an associated ply strip. The knife blades are pivotally mounted in a common housing and are coupled to a single rotational drive for allowing each knife blade to assume the same predetermined cutting angle relative to its associated ply strip, where the cutting angle may be varied between ±45°. The plural knife blades are coupled to a rotational drive by means of plural circular drive gears and are connected to a linear drive for displacing the knife blades into contact with the ply strips for cutting the strips at the predetermined angle. The severed edges of the aligned ply strips are formed in mutual linear alignment and do not include projecting triangular patterns, or crenelations.

Abstract: A die roll is disclosing have multiple alternating patterns. Cutting edges and non-cutting edges on the die roll are phased with cutting surfaces and relieved areas on the anvil, respectively. Multiple cut profiles are achieved from a single die/anvil combination.

Abstract: A device for cubing items such as fruits or vegetables is disclosed. A preferred example of the invention includes an inlet frame and an outlet frame, the inlet frame having a support plate that is supported from the inlet frame. A releasable advancement mechanism that uses a split nut is used to engage a threaded rod attached to a pressure plate. The inlet and outlet frames cooperate with a hollow elongated body to retain the pressure plate as it moves along the body in response to turning of the threaded rod. A cutting grid is supported from the outlet frame, so that movement of the pressure plate by turning the threaded rod forces a food item placed between the cutting grid and the pressure where the cutting grid cuts it as the food item is pressed against the cutting grid by the advancing pressure plate.

Abstract: Apparatus for cutting plural aligned ply strips includes plural knife blades disposed in a spaced manner such that each knife blade is aligned with and in closely spaced relation to an associated ply strip. The knife blades are pivotally mounted in a common housing and are coupled to a single rotational drive for allowing each knife blade to assume the same predetermined cutting angle relative to its associated ply strip, where the cutting angle may be varied between ±45°. The plural knife blades are coupled to a rotational drive by means of plural circular drive gears and are connected to a linear drive for displacing the knife blades into contact with the ply strips for cutting the strips at the predetermined angle. The severed edges of the aligned ply strips are formed in mutual linear alignment and do not include projecting triangular patterns, or crenelations.

Abstract: A food processor having a food processing path accessible through a slot in which is received at least one food processing tool removably received within the slot such that food passing along the food processing path is processed by the tool.

Abstract: A plate material cutting apparatus is provided, which includes a pair of rotators installed to be apart from each other in opposite directions to rotate in association with each other; a support holder installed to penetrate a center portion of the pair of rotators and having a slit formed thereon so that a plate material can pass through the slit; and a cutting member installed on the outside of the support holder to cut the plate material as rotating together with the rotators in a state where both ends of the cutting member are supported by the pair of rotators. According to the plate material cutting apparatus, the plate material can be cut with diverse cutting surface shapes, and the cutting quality can be improved.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cutter knife (8), a cutter head disk (1) and a system including the inventive cutter head disk and the inventive knife, wherein the cutter knife includes a longitudinal bore enabling only one cutter knife to be arranged on the cutter head disk, the longitudinal bore thereof being compatible with the pin. The scaling on the longitudinal bore makes it possible to verify the position of the cutter knife in relation to the cutter head disk.

Abstract: A multi-blade food processing apparatus having two independent blade assemblies, each of which blade assemblies having two opposed horizontal cutting blades, wherein the upper of two independent blade assemblies is selectively removable from the apparatus, the cutting blades are spaced apart in elevation, and are offset in orientation 90 degrees for improved cutting efficiency. The blade assemblies are positioned at 90 degrees from each other but may include additional positions for orienting the blades at any angle with respect to each other.

Abstract: A punching station for a web includes a web transport system that operates to advance the web in a first direction at a first rate. A clamp intermittently grips a portion of the web to advance the portion in the first direction at a second rate. A punch is coupled to the clamp such that the punch moves in the first direction together with the clamp. A punch block cooperates with the punch. The punch block is coupled to the clamp such that the punch block moves in the first direction in unison with the clamp. A punch actuator causes the punch to penetrate the web and then to be withdrawn from the web while the web is gripped by the clamp.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus and method wherein a blade holder includes two blades which are each designed for cutting web material (e.g., dry film photoresist) in a reverse manner prior to application of the material to a substrate (e.g., dielectric-conductor structure) designed for eventual usage as a printed circuit board or as part thereof (e.g., if laminated up with other, similarly formed substrate members).

Abstract: An apparatus for encrusting bean jam is provided wherein patterns for opening and closing movements and up and down movements of shutter members of a cutting apparatus can be readily changed. The encrusting apparatus includes a cutting apparatus (13) having a plurality of shutter members (11) to cut a bar-like food material that is supplied from a combining nozzle (9), a food-receiving apparatus (17) to receive a food material that is encrusted and that is cut by the cutting apparatus (13), a first control motor M1 to open and close the plurality of the shutter members, and a second control motor M2 to move the food-receiving apparatus (17) up and down. The reference position for the first control motor M1 is determined on the position of the shaft of it when the shutter members (11) are closed to have their front ends meet at the center, or when the position is shifted 180 degrees in phase.

Abstract: The utility kitchen tool is a multiple task tool used in the kitchen utilizing the force of a spring-loaded scissor action handle applied to a push plate mounted within an attaching interchangeable scoop or container allowing for the scoop to create formed measured amounts of dispensable foods, to prepare food for cooking, to slice food, chop foods or to create molded measured amounts of soft foods for baking or serving in a plurality of ornamental shapes. The scoop also provides either a straight forcing motion of the push plate or a spinning motion of the push plate depending on the present use of the scoop and also provides a attaching container to hold foods being chopped or minced.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a food product is disclosed which utilizes a cutting wheel having a plurality of knives extending between a hub and a rim in conjunction with other cutting knives to produce a multi-dimensional cut of the food product. The use of the additional cutting knives enables the apparatus to dice a thin layered or leafy food product (cut it into small pieces) as opposed to merely slicing the food product in a single dimensional cut. The additional cutting knives may include one or more julienne knives attached to each of the knives of the cutting wheel so as to extend approximately at right angles to the cutting plane defined by the cutting wheel knives. A circular knife may be located upstream of the cutting plane defined by the cutting wheel such that the rotary knife longitudinally cuts the food product before it passes through the cutting plane. The apparatus according to the invention also utilizes separate drive motors for the feed conveyor and for the cutting wheel.

Abstract: A fixed blade and a rotary cutter are mounted in a supporting frame of a wire cutting apparatus. A clearance not larger than a half of a diameter of the wire is provided between a tip of the fixed blade and a tip of the rotary cutter. The rotary cutter has a channel provided between each couple of cutting edges of the rotary cutter and inclined to its rotational shaft. The fixed blade may be disposed in each of opposing side walls of the supporting frame, the fixed blades being shifted from each other in an axial direction of the rotational shaft.

Abstract: A cutter for cutting helical vegetable strips comprising a circular disk-like plate having an upstream surface and an axis of rotation. The cutter has a knife blade extending radially from the axis of rotation, the blade edge being axially displaced from the upstream surface. The cutter also includes a plurality of slitter blades spaced apart and located at different distances from the axis of rotation and extending substantially perpendicular to the upstream surface. The slitter blades have different lengths and, therefore, extend to different heights above the upstream surface.