Abstract: A cutter apparatus is disclosed for cutting elongated food products such as french fry potato strips, to cut them in two or to remove defects. The cutter apparatus includes two independently operated knives which are actuated by pneumatic cylinders controlled by solenoid valves that apply air pulses to such cylinders for fast operation. The valves are operated in response to control signals produced by light sensor means which senses the defect and causes a central processing unit of a computer to produce the control signals. The knife blades are each connected to the piston rod of the cylinder by a flexible resilient connector for causing the blade to move in a non-linear manner downward in response to linear movement of the piston rod for cutting the defect from the food product while such product is moving along a conveyor belt beneath such cutter, without arresting movement of the food product.

Abstract: The food product sensor and trimmer apparatus and method may be used to detect and remove defects from french fried potato strips or other elongated food products as they are conveyed in separate channels on a conveyor belt. Such apparatus comprises a defect sensor for each channel including a plurality of light detectors which detect two different wavelength light bands, such as visible light and infrared light, reflected from the surface of the food product to determine the length of the product, the size of the defect and the position of the defect on the product. Visible light and near infrared light are reflected from the product and sensed by different detectors and the ratio of detected visible light to infrared light determined to detect defects and locate them relative to the opposite ends of the product.