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.

Abstract: Machines and methods suitable for performing cutting operations on products to yield a reduced-size product, for example, slicing and strip-cutting elongate food products. Such a method includes simultaneously delivering products to annular-shaped cavities of a rotating impeller. The products are simultaneously delivered with a feed unit that has a feed chute extension that protrudes into an interior of the impeller. The feed chute extension defines feed chutes that are aligned with the annular-shaped cavities of the impeller and direct the products to circumferential series of pockets within the annular-shaped cavities. The products are held within the pockets by centrifugal force as the products are carried past a slicing knife to form a first longitudinal cut through each of the products during a rotation of the impeller and to produce therefrom a substantially longitudinally sliced product.

Abstract: Machines and methods adapted to process, for example, to reduce the size of, disperse, or homogenize, a variety of materials and compositions. Such methods and machines are capable of reducing the size of a material and dispersing the material in a liquid by cutting the material with knives located along a perimeter of an annular-shaped cutting head, causing the cut material to flow radially outward from the cutting head through gaps between the knives, and flowing a liquid through passages in the cutting head that cause the liquid to cascade around the knives of the cutting head in an axial direction of the cutting head.

Abstract: Machines and methods suitable for performing cutting operations on a product to yield a reduced-size product, for example, slicing and strip-cutting elongate food products. Such a method includes introducing a product into an impeller, rotating the impeller to form at least a first longitudinal cut through the product with a slicing knife and produce therefrom a sliced product, and producing strip-cut products from the sliced product by forming at least a second longitudinal cut that is substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal cut made with the slicing knife.

Abstract: Machines and methods capable of producing diced products from a variety of materials. Such a machine includes a knife adapted to slice food product to produce slices, a circular cutter comprising knives that are adapted and arranged to cut the slices into strips, a cross-cutter comprising knives that are adapted and arranged to produce a cross-cut in the strips, and a shear plate that is at least partially between the circular cutter and the cross-cutter. The shear plate defines a first shear edge in proximity to the knives of the cross-cutter and is adapted to ensure dicing of the strips received by the cross-cutter from the circular cutter. A support bar supports the shear plate, and a feature is provide for adjusting the proximity of the first shear edge relative to the knives of the cross-cutter.

Abstract: Machines and methods suitable for performing cutting operations on products to yield a reduced-size product, for example, slicing and strip-cutting elongate food products. Such a method includes simultaneously delivering products to annular-shaped cavities of a rotating impeller. The products are simultaneously delivered with a feed unit that has a feed chute extension that protrudes into an interior of the impeller. The feed chute extension defines feed chutes that are aligned with the annular-shaped cavities of the impeller and direct the products to circumferential series of pockets within the annular-shaped cavities. The products are held within the pockets by centrifugal force as the products are carried past a slicing knife to form a first longitudinal cut through each of the products during a rotation of the impeller and to produce therefrom a substantially longitudinally sliced product.

Abstract: Machines and methods adapted to process, for example, to reduce the size of, disperse, or homogenize, a variety of materials and compositions. Such methods and machines are capable of reducing the size of a material and dispersing the material in a liquid by cutting the material with knives located along a perimeter of an annular-shaped cutting head, causing the cut material to flow radially outward from the cutting head through gaps between the knives, and flowing a liquid through passages in the cutting head that cause the liquid to cascade around the knives of the cutting head in an axial direction of the cutting head.

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.

Abstract: Machines and methods suitable for performing cutting operations on a product to yield a reduced-size product, for example, slicing and strip-cutting elongate food products. Such a method includes introducing a product into an impeller, rotating the impeller to form at least a first longitudinal cut through the product with a slicing knife and produce therefrom a sliced product, and producing strip-cut products from the sliced product by forming at least a second longitudinal cut that is substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal cut made with the slicing knife.

Abstract: Machines and methods capable of producing diced products from a variety of materials. Such a machine includes a knife adapted to slice food product to produce slices, a circular cutter comprising knives that are adapted and arranged to cut the slices into strips, a cross-cutter comprising knives that are adapted and arranged to produce a cross-cut in the strips, and a shear plate that is at least partially between the circular cutter and the cross-cutter. The shear plate defines a first shear edge in proximity to the knives of the cross-cutter and is adapted to ensure dicing of the strips received by the cross-cutter from the circular cutter. A support bar supports the shear plate, and a feature is provide for adjusting the proximity of the first shear edge relative to the knives of the cross-cutter.

Abstract: A pull-to-close collet chuck for use with lathes equipped with servo-type bar loaders. The chuck is configured to be coupled to a lathe drawtube and translates linear movement of the drawtube to a work-gripping action to a collet. The chuck generally includes a ramp body surrounding a first portion of the collet and integral means for fixing the ramp body within a central bore of the chuck. A piston surrounds the collet and has a bearing surface adjacent a ramp surface of the ramp body, and a wedge is located between the ramp surface of the ramp body and the bearing surface of the piston. The wedge has multiple bearing surfaces through which the work gripping action is transferred from the piston to the collet as a result of radial inward movement of the wedge.

Abstract: A pull-to-close collet chuck for use with lathes equipped with servo-type bar loaders. The chuck is configured to be coupled to a lathe drawtube and translates linear movement of the drawtube to a work-gripping action to a collet. The chuck generally includes a ramp body surrounding a first portion of the collet and integral means for fixing the ramp body within a central bore of the chuck. A piston surrounds the collet and has a bearing surface adjacent a ramp surface of the ramp body, and a wedge is located between the ramp surface of the ramp body and the bearing surface of the piston. The wedge has multiple bearing surfaces through which the work gripping action is transferred from the piston to the collet as a result of radial inward movement of the wedge.