Abstract: A system for automatically forming chunks and spears at high speed from unpeeled fruit items is provided. The fruit is sliced into unpeeled wedges. The unpeeled wedges are conveyed into a plurality of staggered transverse chunking blades, wherein the flesh, but not the peel, is cut sequentially from the center of each wedge outwardly, flattening each wedge. A peel removal knife is located to sever the peel of each wedge from the center outwardly after the transverse chunk cutting blades have cut the flesh. Spears may be formed by deleting some of the transverse chunking blades.

Abstract: A system for automatically forming chunks and spears at high speed from unpeeled fruit items is provided. The fruit is sliced into unpeeled wedges. The unpeeled wedges are conveyed into a plurality of staggered transverse chunking blades, wherein the flesh, but not the peel, is cut sequentially from the center of each wedge outwardly, flattening each wedge. A peel removal knife is located to sever the peel of each wedge from the center outwardly after the transverse chunk cutting blades have cut the flesh. Spears may be formed by deleting some of the transverse chunking blades.

Abstract: A system for automatically forming chunks and spears at high speed from unpeeled fruit items is provided. The fruit is sliced into unpeeled wedges. The unpeeled wedges are conveyed into a plurality of staggered transverse chunking blades, wherein the flesh, but not the peel, is cut sequentially from the center of each wedge outwardly, flattening each wedge. A peel removal knife is located to sever the peel of each wedge from the center outwardly after the transverse chunk cutting blades have cut the flesh. Spears may be formed by deleting some of the transverse chunking blades.

Abstract: A system for automatically forming chunks and spears at high speed from unpeeled fruit items is provided. The fruit is sliced into unpeeled wedges. The unpeeled wedges are conveyed into a plurality of staggered transverse chunking blades, wherein the flesh, but not the peel, is cut sequentially from the center of each wedge outwardly, flattening each wedge. A peel removal knife is located to sever the peel of each wedge from the center outwardly after the transverse chunk cutting blades have cut the flesh. Spears may be formed by deleting some of the transverse chunking blades.

Abstract: An improved impeller which facilitates greater linear movement of a media with less torque; and which accordingly, consumes less power. A blade portion of the impeller has a front media accelerating face and substantially varying slopes which increase from the leading to the trailing edge portions of a media-accelerating front face thereof, to facilitate a gradual acceleration of the media as the impeller rotates. The slope of the front face of the blade portion also gradually increases moving outwardly along the intermediate blade portion, from the hub to the peripheral edge portion thereof. The blade portions have increasing slope to accelerate the media more axially, and less radially, as the impeller rotates. The leading and trailing edge portions of the blade portion each have an elongated forwardly extended peripheral portion, which culminates in a tip portion, which is most preferably bulbuous, to facilitate efficient penetration of the media by the blade portion.

Abstract: An improved impeller which facilitates greater linear movement of a media with less torque; and which accordingly, consumes less power. A blade portion of the impeller has a front media accelerating face and substantially varying slopes which increase from the leading to the trailing edge portions of a media-accelerating front face thereof, to facilitate a gradual acceleration of the media as the impeller rotates. The slope of the front face of the blade portion also gradually increases moving outwardly along the intermediate blade portion, from the hub to the peripheral edge portion thereof. The blade portions have increasing slope to accelerate the media more axially, and less radially, as the impeller rotates. The leading and trailing edge portions of the blade portion each have an elongated forwardly extended peripheral portion, which culminates in a tip portion, which is most preferably bulbuous, to facilitate efficient penetration of the media by the blade portion.