Abstract: A rotating mill for comminuting a product, such as a food product, is disclosed in which the shape and orientation of the impeller blades, as well as the increased peripheral speed of the impeller, produce a finely comminuted product that was heretofore only capable with a multi-stage production process. The impeller rotates within an annular array of knives and the product is fed into the center area of the impeller. Centrifugal force urges the product across the rotating impeller, and into contact with the impeller blades and the knife array. The impeller has a generally circular impeller body that is rotatable about a generally centrally located rotational axis and a plurality of impeller blades attached to the impeller body. Each of the impeller blades has a product directing surface that extends parallel to an axis extending in a generally chordal direction across the impeller body and a product impact surface.

Abstract: A machine for cutting slabs of fresh or frozen tempered meat into diced sections and defined by a conveyor assembly comprised of a feed belt and an associated spring-biased feed roll, a strip cutting assembly comprised of a first knife roll of circular knives and an associated feed drum, and a crosscut assembly comprised of a second knife roll of elongate knives and an associated stripper plate provided with a corresponding shear edge, with edge portions of the circular knives being intermested within slots formed in the stripper plate and peripheral grooves formed in both the feed roll and feed drum. The feed drum is configured to retard the movement of fresh meat slabs being conveyed through the strip cutting assembly during which the circular knives are rotated at a peripheral speed that is at least twice the peripheral speed of the feed drum.

Abstract: A rotary slicing machine including a cylindrical-shaped cutter assembly having at least one knife element and mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis is provided with an elongate feed chute within which the individual products to be sliced are supported in a linear array and consecutively fed under gravity into the path of the rotating knife element. The feed chute is provided with an elongate slot for permitting the manual positioning of the products within the chute.

Abstract: An impeller for use in a comminuting apparatus and defined by a base on which an even number of upwardly extending blades are supported, half of the blades sloping forwardly and half of the blades sloping rearwardly with respect to the axis of rotation, wherein the top and bottom ends of the blades are configured to collectively define an undulating path along which the product is caused to flow during rotation of the impeller.

Abstract: A method of comminuting a product within a tubular cylinder provided with a plurality of transverse passages and a plurality of corresponding cutting edges, wherein an impeller supported for rotation within the cylinder includes a plurality of even number blades, half of which slope forwardly and the remaining half of which slope rearwardly with respect to the direction of rotation to define an undulating path along which the product is caused to flow against the cutting edges for discharge through the transverse passages.

Abstract: The invention involves equipment comprising what may be referred to as a cutting head cylinder or unit provided with discharge passages and adjacent cutting edges and an improved impeller rotatable in the unit for directing a product or material introduced into the head tangentially against the cutting edges for comminuting or reducing the size of the product for flow outwardly through the passages. More particularly, the impeller structure embodies improved principles of design and construction and method of its operation whereby the product is presented substantially uniformly or evenly to the cutting edges and over the inside surface throughout the length of the cutting head or cylinder in order to substantially alleviate any concentration of the product in any localized areas within the confines of the head.

Abstract: The subject invention involves the design and construction of a tubular cylinder for use with other components and in which the wall of the cylinder is of a composite character made into a unitary structure and provided with a multitude of substantially radial holes in its periphery and a predetermined amount of a cylindrical surface of the wall is preferably cut away to fully open the holes whereby to provide passages through which a material to be processed and under pressure in the cylinder can be forced or extruded outwardly through the passages and thereby condition the material for its intended use.

Abstract: A tubular cylinder for use with other components and in which the wall of the cylinder is of a composite character made into a unitary structure and provided with a multitude of substantially radial holes in its periphery and a predetermined amount of a cylindrical surface of the wall is preferably cut away to fully open the holes whereby to provide passages through which a material to be processed and under pressure in the cylinder can be forced or extruded outwardly through the passages and thereby condition the material for its intended use.

Abstract: The subject invention involves providing a cast tubular cylindrical cutter head having wall structure provided with openings and inner cutting edges for use with an impeller adapted for rotation therein for directing a product against the edges for cutting the product into pieces for discharge outwardly through the openings, and surfaces or faces which extend outwardly to define the openings are disposed in a unique divergent relationship whereby to promote or facilitate the flow or discharge of the cut product therethrough.