Abstract: A cutting wheel using knives with slice thickness gauging surfaces defining, with the knife cutting edges, a thickness dimension of sliced food products and a throat dimension measured perpendicular to the wheel cutting plane between each knife cutting edge and the terminal edge of the adjacent gauging surface, wherein the knives each have a single primary bevel extending practically tangent to the cutting plane on the side of the knife facing towards the cutting plane and a smooth transition area on the opposite side of the knife, and the ratio of throat dimension to slice thickness dimension is 1 to 1.7.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for reducing food products. The apparatus includes a casing, an impeller adapted for rotation within the casing, and a cutting device. The casing has axial and circumferential openings for product entering and exiting, respectively, the casing. The impeller includes a drum, paddles mounted to the drum, and pockets defined by and between adjacent pairs of paddles that are radially aligned with the circumferential opening of the casing as each pocket travels past the circumferential opening. The cutting device includes a knife disposed at the circumferential opening of the casing and oriented perpendicular to the axis of the impeller. The knife lies on a sector of the casing and has a cutting edge located within an interior of the casing so that the knife extends into the path of the paddles and passes through relief slots defined in the paddles as the impeller rotates.

Abstract: A cutting wheel using knives with slice thickness gauging surfaces defining, with the knife cutting edges, a thickness dimension of sliced food products and a throat dimension measured perpendicular to the wheel cutting plane between each knife cutting edge and the terminal edge of the adjacent gauging surface, wherein the knives each have a single primary bevel extending practically tangent to the cutting plane on the side of the knife facing towards the cutting plane and a smooth transition area on the opposite side of the knife, and the ratio of throat dimension to slice thickness dimension is 1 to 1.7.

Abstract: A furnace, a crucible for such a furnace, and a method for preparing and using the crucible. The crucible is formed of a nonmetallic refractory material to have side walls, a base wall, an opening in the base wall, and an interior cavity. A particulate refractory material is packed beneath the base wall and around the side walls of the crucible, and a gas diffuser is positioned beneath the crucible. A solid sintered porous barrier is formed within the opening in the base wall of the crucible and between the gas diffuser and the interior cavity of the crucible. The porous barrier is sufficiently porous to enable a gas exiting the diffuser to flow therethrough and enter the interior cavity of the crucible.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus having an annular-shaped cutting head and an impeller assembly coaxially mounted for rotation within the cutting head to deliver food products radially outward toward the cutting head. The cutting head has at least one knife extending radially inward toward the impeller assembly. The impeller assembly is equipped with paddles, each having a radially outer extremity adjacent the impeller assembly, a radially inner extremity, and a face therebetween facing the rotational direction of the impeller assembly. According to preferred aspects of the invention, removable posts radially extend from the radially outer extremity of each paddle, and/or the face of each paddle has grooves transverse to a radial of the impeller assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for slicing food products, and particularly soft, pliable food products susceptible to being deformed to the slicing process. The slicing apparatus includes a slicing wheel assembly and device for stabilizing the food product as it is being fed through the slicing wheel assembly. The slicing wheel assembly includes a hub, a rim circumscribing the hub so as to define an annular space therebetween, and arcuate blades extending between and removably attached to the hub and rim. The hub, rim, and blades lie in a cutting plane of the slicing wheel assembly. Each blade has an arcuate cutting edge on a convex portion thereof, with radially innermost and radially outermost extents of the blade that do not lie on the same radial of the slicing wheel assembly.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus having an annular-shaped cutting head and an impeller assembly coaxially mounted for rotation within the cutting head to deliver food products radially outward toward the cutting head. The cutting head has at least one knife extending radially inward toward the impeller assembly. The impeller assembly is equipped with paddles, each having a radially outer extremity adjacent the impeller assembly, a radially inner extremity, and a face therebetween facing the rotational direction of the impeller assembly. According to preferred aspects of the invention, removable posts radially extend from the radially outer extremity of each paddle, and/or the face of each paddle has grooves transverse to a radial of the impeller assembly.

Abstract: A pump assembly includes a cam member arranged to rotate about an axis, and a piston pump having a cylinder body with a biased piston drivingly displaceable within the cylinder body and engageable with the cam member such that rotation of the cam member corresponds to reciprocating movement of the piston. The pump assembly is arranged for use in a food cutting machine for transporting cooling fluid from a reservoir to at least one bearing arrangement provided to support a rotating shaft.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus having an annular-shaped cutting head and an impeller assembly coaxially mounted for rotation within the cutting head to deliver food products radially outward toward the cutting head. The cutting head has at least one knife extending radially inward toward the impeller assembly. The knife has a cutting edge at a radially innermost extremity and a radially outer face that defines a trajectory plane for slices removed from the products by the cutting edge. The knife is clamped to the cutting head with a clamping feature that provides clearance for slices when traveling the trajectory plane of the knife.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for cutting food products, in which the products are individually delivered to a cutting device by causing the products to free-fall through a feed passage and then free-fall completely through the cutting means uninterrupted and entirely under the force of gravity. The food products are contacted and positioned as they drop through the feed passage prior to encountering the cutting device so as to produce size-reduced products of uniform size.

Abstract: A cutting head mounting and supporting ring assembly having an interlocking joint arrangement for mounting the cutting head on a food slicing machine. The ring assembly includes a support ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially extending flange segments having a flange end portion inclined relative to the axis thereof, and a mounting ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially extending protrusions having a protrusion end portion inclined relative to the axis thereof. The flange and protrusion surfaces of the flange segments and the protrusions are complementary shaped and arranged to mutually engage face-to-face to define scarf type joint connections when they are interdigited.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for cutting food products, in which the products are fed single-file by gravity through a cutting device comprising one or more cutting elements. The apparatus makes use of a device for contacting and positioning the products as they drop through a feed passage prior to encountering the cutting device so as to produce size-reduced products of more uniform size.

Abstract: A knife for a cutting wheel provided to slice food products including a knife holder having a recessed portion located along a leading side thereof, a clamp secured to the knife holder, and a cutting blade mounted between the clamp and knife holder along the leading side of the knife holder. A replaceable insert member with a wear surface is positioned within the recess of the knife holder, and this insert member is contiguous with the cutting blade and protrudes from the knife holder to provide a substitute leading edge therefore in close apposition to the cutting blade.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting food product. The apparatus includes a cutting device and housing thereabove that defines a passage with an opening in proximity to the cutting device for delivering the food product to the cutting device. The apparatus is preferably adapted to cut food products in a substantially horizontal plane, and as such the cutting device is preferably oriented to make a substantially horizontal cut through a food product. A lower portion of the housing has a lower extremity that defines the opening of the passage. The apparatus is equipped with various features that improve the operation of the apparatus and the consistency of the sliced product, particularly if the delivered food product varies in shape and size and may contain embedded stones.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting food product so that the product is properly oriented and stabilized before and throughout the cutting operation to produce a sliced product of uniform thickness, even if the delivered food product varies in shape and size, such as when both round and elongate potatoes are used to produce potato chips. The apparatus includes a cutting device and housing thereabove that defines a passage with an opening in proximity to the cutting device, such that food product is delivered to the cutting device in a substantially vertical direction. To improve the stability of round product during the cutting operation, the housing has an upper portion and a flared lower portion immediately below the upper portion so that at least a portion of the opening of the passage is defined by the flared region and has a larger radius of curvature than the upper portion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus by which potatoes and other elongate food product can be properly oriented and stabilized during a slicing operation performed by a cutting device having a horizontal cutting plane. The apparatus includes a passage extending downwardly toward the cutting device and defining an opening in proximity to the cutting device, splines or other suitable features disposed along a first portion of the passage and oriented substantially parallel to the passage, and means for applying a force on a food product traveling downward through the passage so as to urge the product into contact with the splines during engagement with the cutting device.

Abstract: An improved cutting head for a food product on a slicing machine including upper and lower mounting rings, a plurality of cutter support segments connected to the mounting rings, a cutting blade attached to a front edge portion of each cutter support segment, and opposed first and second pivot pins extending from upper and lower portions of the cutter support segment and through the upper and lower mounting rings. Each of the pivot pins are positioned at a location closely adjacent to a forward edge of the cutter support segment and substantially near a cutting edge of the cutting blade.

Abstract: A food product cutting apparatus that makes a substantially horizontal cut through food product being delivered in a substantially vertical direction. The food product is delivered to a cutting device through an internal passage of at least one feed member above the cutting device. A force is applied to the food product traveling downward through the internal passage so as to push the food product against a first wall of the feed member. The apparatus is configured to improve product flow by configuring the passage of the feed member to have a cross-sectional shape defined by two offset, overlapping diameters. The apparatus is also configured for improved safety by ensuring that the cutting device is properly secured before electrical power is available for driving the cutting device.

Abstract: A transverse food slicer includes a generally horizontal conveyor for advancing food products to be sliced to a vertical cutting wheel having radially mounted cutting blades thereon rotating in a cutting plane that transversely slice the conveyed food products. Between the end of the conveyor and the cutting plane, an inclined support surface is provided to stabilize relatively round food products advanced to the cutting plane by the conveyor. The inclined support surface may cooperate with cutting blades having thickness determining gauging surfaces thereon facing towards the conveyor.

Abstract: A machine for cutting a food product includes a stationary structure with a food product guide surface for guiding a food product along a path of travel. A knife wheel support which rotatably supports the knife wheel and is pivotally attached to the stationary structure so as to pivot about a pivot axis extending substantially parallel to the knife wheel axis, such that the knife wheel axis is movable along an arcuate path about the pivot axis. A plurality of adjustable stripper plates extends between adjacent circular knives which slice the food product into a plurality of strips prior to the food product being cut by a cross-cut knife, the stripper plates having an adjustable attaching mechanism connecting them to the stationary structure to facilitate the adjustment of the distance between the stripper plates and the food guide surface so as to readily accommodate a food product having a variety of thicknesses.