Abstract: An apparatus for cutting dry pasta strands includes a frame and a guide rail mounted to the frame. A bucket is slidably mounted to the guide rail and linearly moves along the guide rail. The bucket has a stepped pasta-receiving channel including a cutting edge. A cutting blade is fixed to the frame for selective sliding engagement against the cutting edge to cut the pasta in half.

Abstract: An automatic packaging system for dry lasagna noodle product includes a vacuum drum which automatically lifts a top layer of lasagna noodle from a bottom layer. The layers are travelling on a conveyor belt. The vacuum drum replaces the top layer back onto the conveyor belt behind the bottom layer. A water knife cutter is disposed downstream from the vacuum drum. The water knife cuts the lasagna in half. An inspection/rejection station is disposed downstream from the water knife cutter. The inspection/rejection station inspects piece of lasagna to ensure that it is of uniform shape and satisfies a predetermined minimum quality standard. A swing conveyor is disposed downstream from the inspection/rejection station. The swing conveyor transmits the lasagna onto one of two travelling conveyors. The travelling conveyors transmits the lasagna onto a loading conveyor. The loading conveyors transmits the lasagna into a bucket in a bucket indexer station.