Abstract: A food processor includes a base and a bowl with a removable lid. Food items are advanced into the bowl through a feed tube formed in the lid where they are cut by a cutting assembly driven by a motor. The cutting assembly is adjustable to vary the thickness of the cut food items. An adjustment assembly positioned in the base is operable to adjust the cutting thickness of the cutting assembly while the cutting assembly is driven by the motor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composite blade module and cutting means using the same. The composite blade module comprises a blade and at least one elastic layer. The elastic layers are adhered to a part of cutting edge and/or a back of the blade selectively. The composite blade module is used by the cutting means to cut an object to be cut. The elastic layers may be used as a shock absorber to absorb the collision force acting on the blade, thus reducing the probability of breaking blade, during the cutting process. Furthermore, if the blade is broken unfortunately, the broken blade is still adhered to the elastic layers, in such a way that the broken blade is prevented from either being drawn into the cutting means and then damaging the means, or being ejected and then endangering the operator, leading to safety guarantee during cutting.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting food products. The apparatus includes a cutting device and housing thereabove that defines a passage with an opening in proximity to the cutting device for delivering the food product to the cutting device. The apparatus is preferably adapted to cut food products in a substantially horizontal plane, and as such the cutting device is preferably oriented to make a substantially horizontal cut through a food product. A lower portion of the housing has a lower extremity that defines the opening of the passage. The apparatus is equipped with various features that improve the operation of the apparatus and the consistency of the sliced product, particularly if the delivered food product varies in shape and size and may contain embedded stones.

Abstract: A cutter assembly and high volume submersible shredder pump. These are for reducing the size of solids within a liquid which is to be pumped by chopping, grinding, shredding or cutting. An improvement over prior designs employs cutting lobes having a grooved surface which mate with corresponding grooves of a circular plate cutter. As a result, many more cutting surfaces are provided which more effectively and quickly shred the solid materials within the liquid to be expelled.

Abstract: A device (1) for separating packages (2) from a carrier belt with successively arranged blister bubbles (5), which is connected to a cover layer (9). The device has a receiving element (3) with cavities (4) or recesses to accept the blister bubbles (5) of a carrier belt section (6) and supports (7) located lateral as well as between the cavities (4) or recesses for the flat side of the blister edges. An impinging roller (10) is arranged with a drive for rolling on the cover layer (9) of the carrier belt section (6) arranged in the receiving element (3).

Abstract: A cutter bar of a cutting device for producing pellets from strands of material that emerges from a perforated plate in one or more strands of material and is cut into individual pellets by the cutting device, having at least one cutting edge. The cutter bar can have a serration on at least one strand contact surface, and the serration can have a preferential direction that is inclined at an angle relative to the cutting edge.

Abstract: Saws (1) for cutting or sawing harder materials, such as concrete, concrete structures, brick and stone, have an endless cutting member (4) that is driven through a transmission assembly (11, 20) being supported in the saw and having a drive member and that is guidingly supported on a cutting member supporting portion (3). In such a saw a clamping member is provided that for providing a friction drive contact between the drive member, the clamping member and the cutting member is biased in a direction towards the drive member with driven parts (7) of the cutting member introduced there between, whereby an essentially reduced load on the actual saw, its parts and the cutting member is obtained as well as an improved functionality in the form of an increased flexibility and safety during operation of the saw. The invention also relates to a transmission assembly as well as a cutting member for such a saw.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rotary cutter for the pelletization of plastic extrudates, said rotary cutter being provided with knives projecting axially away from its end surface, said knives being individually affixed to supporting surfaces of the rotary cutter by means of fastening elements. The supporting surfaces are formed by the side walls of radial grooves in the peripheral surface of the rotary cutter and by radial transverse walls in the radial grooves, said radial grooves being limited by the radial transverse walls, the knives each being inserted in hook-like manner with a projecting portion into said radial transverse walls, wherein one side of the projecting portion forms an abutment for the fastening element, said fastening element penetrating a radial transverse wall and pressing on the abutment.

Abstract: A machine for cutting blocks of natural or similar types of stone includes a plurality of diamond-wire loops, wound about an assembly for the support and transmission of the cutting motion to said diamond-wire loops and at least one assembly for supporting, tensioning and guiding the diamond-wire loops; said assemblies move vertically in unison on the structure of the machine; and presents said supporting, tensioning and guiding assembly comprising a set of pulleys for the support and return of each diamond-wire loop, which are mounted and registered, for wire tensioning, on a movable tensioning means whose registration movement is actuated by a tensioning control means, independently of the movable tensioning means of contiguous diamond wires.

Abstract: A wire cutting device for an electrical discharge machining (EDM) machine with a wire draw-off device, which moves a wire electrode along a feed direction into a cutting zone of the EDM machine; and with a deflection unit in order to deflect the wire electrode running in the feed direction into the cutting zone from the feed direction into a cutting area, in which at least one cutting edge acts on the wire electrode in the cutting area in order to cut it.

Abstract: A rotary cutter (74) is rotated by a motor (76) through a drive and a belt (326) inside of a combination guard and belt tensioner assembly (260). The rotary cutter (74) includes a cutter head (82) having integral blade holders (92) which slideably receive knives (90) in a channel (230) each having a detent (236) which is received in an aperture (91) in the knife (90) so that no fasteners or moveable parts are provided for holding the knives (90) and adjustment of the knives (90) is not needed or allowed. Guard quarters (266, 314) and a guard half (268) are held in a closed position by a single latch (325). The guard half (268) includes an idler (300) which tensions the belt (326) in the closed position. The second guard quarter (314) mounted upon a pivotable cover (306) together with the mount (262) for the motor (76) defines an enclosure for the rotary cutter (74) and abuts with the guard half (268) in their closed positions.

Abstract: A knife for disk type chip cutter machines with a circular rotatable cutter disk (10) on its first axial side being provided with several knives running from the disk centre to its periphery. An opening (14) is provided in the disk in connection with each knife. The opening (14) has a chip guiding surface to guide separated chips to the other axial cutter disk side. The knife includes a knife carrier, on which the knife Is fixed between a first carrier part (18) provided essentially in line with the first axial cutter disk surface and second carrier part (16) extending downwards in the opening from said cutter disk surface into the cutter disk inside and being a part of the chip guiding device. The knife (12) is on its side facing the other carrier part provided with a chip breaking surface (22) passing the other carrier part (16) into the opening and protecting said carrier part from wear in that the separated chips by means of the chip breaking surface are guided in a direction away from the carrier part.

Abstract: A stump removal tool for boring around a stump at ground level. The stump removal tool includes an elongate member having a first end, a second end and outer peripheral wall extending between the first and second ends. The elongate member has a generally circular cross-section taken transversely to a longitudinal axis of the elongate member. A connecting portion is attached to and extends away from the first end of the elongate member. The connecting portion is removably coupled to a power tool. A plurality of teeth is attached to an outer surface of the peripheral wall. The teeth are spaced from each other and are positioned in a pattern extending from the first end to the second end. The elongate member is attached to the power tool and rotated such that the teeth may be used for boring through a stump.

Abstract: A protrusion on the side of the saw tooth rubs against the newly cut kerf surface as the tooth cuts. Pressure, friction and friction-generated heat are produced through this rubbing action. The confluence of this pressure, friction, and heat, performs a polishing action against the newly cut kerf surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a food product is disclosed which utilizes a cutting wheel having a plurality of knives extending between a hub and a rim in conjunction with other cutting knives to produce a multi-dimensional cut of the food product. The use of the additional cutting knives enables the apparatus to dice a thin layered or leafy food product (cut it into small pieces) as opposed to merely slicing the food product in a single dimensional cut. The additional cutting knives may include one or more julienne knives attached to each of the knives of the cutting wheel so as to extend approximately at right angles to the cutting plane defined by the cutting wheel knives. A circular knife may be located upstream of the cutting plane defined by the cutting wheel such that the rotary knife longitudinally cuts the food product before it passes through the cutting plane. The apparatus according to the invention also utilizes separate drive motors for the feed conveyor and for the cutting wheel.

Abstract: Improvements are provided in an apparatus and a method for shredding blocks of cheese. The apparatus includes an elongated cheese chamber having an open side face for the admission of a block of cheese, which is urged into the elongated cheese chamber by a loading piston, a longitudinally-extending side plate and a floor surface for slidingly-engaging a block of cheese. An extruding piston is provided to force the cheese downstream within the elongated cheese chamber. The improvement includes an extrusion grid plate which is fixed at the downstream end of the elongated cheese chamber having a plurality of elongated, parallel, horizontal and vertical, knife-edges constituting a plurality of rectangular openings. A rotatable shredder assembly including an overlapped disc is sited immediately downstream of, and is in longitudinal abutment with, the extrusion grid plate, to prevent undesired escape of the extruded cheese.

Abstract: An apparatus for rendering ovals of adjustable sizes and ellipticity upon various materials. An oval cutter comprises a clickerplate for adjusting the ellipticity of ovals in a single movement. The clickerplate can be rotated about a base using a knob mounted on the clickerplate. One embodiment of this invention comprises a storage compartment in the knob which can hold, for example, extra blades. A further embodiment of this invention comprises an arm that translates through the clickerplate and a swivel plate used for setting the overall size of the oval by locking the arm at a set length. In yet a further embodiment of this invention, ovals can be rendered in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction and an arrow can indicate the direction in which the apparatus is set to render ovals.

Abstract: The preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a pizza docking device having a pair of guides atop a pan and retaining a roller therein. Said roller has a plurality of pins thereon in spiral orientation. The device is dimensioned such that when an uncooked pizza crust is place on said pan, said roller may be traversed across said crust, docking it with perforations of a desired spacing and depth. A pair of shelves is provided in an elevated portion of said guides for placement of said roller up and away from said pan such that crusts may be placed and removed.

Abstract: An apparatus for rendering ovals of adjustable sizes and ellipticity upon various materials. An oval cutter comprises a clickerplate for adjusting the ellipticity of ovals in a single movement. The clickerplate can be rotated about a base using a knob mounted on the clickerplate. One embodiment of this invention comprises a storage compartment in the knob which can hold, for example, extra blades. A further embodiment of this invention comprises an arm that translates through the clickerplate and a swivel plate used for setting the overall size of the oval by locking the arm at a set length. In yet a further embodiment of this invention, ovals can be rendered in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction and an arrow can indicate the direction in which the apparatus is set to render ovals.

Abstract: A cutter disk is removably mounted in equipment that cuts potatoes into helical strips. A knife blade extends radially outwardly from the axis of rotation of the disk and is axially displaced from the front surface of the disk. A plurality of slitter blades is integral and one piece with a slitter plate. The slitter blades extend from and are perpendicular to the front surface of the plate. The slitter blades respectively extend through spaced slots in the disk located at different distances from the axis of rotation. A backing plate removably secures the slitter plate to the disk so that the slitter plate can be readily removed for maintenance without removing the disk from the equipment. Two spaced-apart projections on the backing plate constrain the slitter plate therebetween to minimize lateral movement.

Abstract: An apparatus for shredding cheese is disclosed which is capable of producing relatively precise square cross-section cheese shreds of a desired length. The apparatus is capable of simultaneously shredding multiple cheese blocks for high capacity cheese shredding. The length of the cheese shreds can be altered as desired, as well as the width and height to produce cheese shreds having a rectangular cross-section. A containment center is used to feed the blocks of cheese toward the cheese shredding apparatus. A series of horizontally mounted sectioning knives are at a front end of the containment center to section the cheese block into predefined lengths, thereby defining the length of each cheese shred. The cheese shredder includes multiple slicing and peeling assemblies mounted over a series of openings in a rotatable disk. Each slicing and peeling assembly includes a number of rakers having outwardly projecting slicing blades to vertically score a sectioned block of cheese.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a food product is disclosed which utilizes a cutting wheel having a plurality of knives extending between a hub and a rim in conjunction with other cutting knives to produce a multi-dimensional cut of the food product. The use of the additional cutting knives enables the apparatus to dice a thin layered or leafy food product (cut it into small pieces) as opposed to merely slicing the food product in a single dimensional cut. The additional cutting knives may include one or more julienne knives attached to each of the knives of the cutting wheel so as to extend approximately at right angles to the cutting plane defined by the cutting wheel knives. A circular knife may be located upstream of the cutting plane defined by the cutting wheel such that the rotary knife longitudinally cuts the food product before it passes through the cutting plane. The apparatus according to the invention also utilizes separate drive motors for the feed conveyor and for the cutting wheel.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus in one form comprises a base attachable to one surface of a sheet of drywall or the like. An elongate blade assembly is rotatably attached to the base to permit blade assembly rotation along the drywall. A cutting blade is attached to the distal end of the support member to cut into the drywall along a circular profile as the blade assembly is rotated. An advancer interconnects the base and the blade assembly along which the blade is advanced deeper into the drywall sheet as the blade assembly is rotated. The advancer may be a threaded shaft extending from the base onto which the blade assembly is rotatably threaded, so that the progressive advancement is proportional to the rotation of the blade assembly.

Abstract: Apparatus for processing chopped fibers from essentially continuous tows, each consisting of individual strands, comprises independently or selectively feeding at least two tows to a venturi pump and associated cutter mechanism where the tows are cut or chopped into relatively short lengths to form chopped fibers. The apparatus includes sensors for monitoring the movement of each of the tows to the pump and cutter mechanism, and a controller which adjusts the feed rate of the tows and the rate of operation of the cutter mechanism in the event movement of one of the tows varies from a predetermined feed rate.

Abstract: A slicing station for a high speed food loaf slicing machine that slices one, two, or more food loaves simultaneously using one cyclically driven knife blade; the slices are stacked or shingled in groups on a receiving conveyor located below the slicing station. Independent loaf feed drives are provided so that slices cut from one loaf may be thicker than slices from the other. The slicing station, enclosed by a housing except for a limited slicing opening, includes a knife blade having an elongated arcuate cutting edge and a drive that moves the knife blade at a predetermined cyclic rate along a closed cutting path through the slicing range, which range intersects the ends of food loaves fed at predetermined rates into the slicing station. A marker moving with the blade is sensed by a fixed sensor to establish a home position for the blade. There is a honing device to sharpen the cutting edge of one type of blade, with the blade in its home position.

Abstract: A cutter for cutting helical vegetable strips comprising a circular disk-like plate having an upstream surface and an axis of rotation. The cutter has a knife blade extending radially from the axis of rotation, the blade edge being axially displaced from the upstream surface. The cutter also includes a plurality of slitter blades spaced apart and located at different distances from the axis of rotation and extending substantially perpendicular to the upstream surface. The slitter blades have different lengths and, therefore, extend to different heights above the upstream surface.

Abstract: A machine to produce filled packages having transverse seals at the top and bottom thereof created by severing a seal area between formed packages by cutting blades the position of which can be adjusted during running of the machine to vary the heights of the transverse seals. The adjustment of seal is caused by movement of a sliding bar member which causes the chain drive of the cutting mechanism to rotate in one direction or the other to move the cutting point of the blade relative to the uncut seal between adjacent packages.

Abstract: A device for cutting threads in circular stocking knitting machines, which includes a circular saw having teeth on its periphery and at least one knife. Each tooth of the saw has a cutting zone away from and moved back with respect to the front part. The front part is intended for gripping and dragging along the thread towards the knife. Between the front part and the cutting zone of each tooth, there is provided a notch or step, which is intended for holding a piece of thread without being intercepted by the knife. The cutting zone interacts with the knife for cutting the thread away from the front part, when the thread rests on the cutting zone.

Abstract: An apparatus for trimming folded multi-sheet printed products along the bloom edge and along each of the opposite side edges of each product. The apparatus comprises a first cellular wheel (2) which is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and which receives the products in upwardly open cells and trims their bloom edges. A second cellular wheel (4) is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and receives the products from the first wheel in radially open cells and trims the products along their opposite side edges. Each wheel mounts first blade members (26;36) mounted along an edge of each cell, and a fixed counter blade (29;39) is provided which engages the first blade members upon rotation of the wheel. The wheel also includes an annular running surface (47), and the counter blade is connected to a guide member (46) which is positioned to engage the running surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for trimming folded multi-sheet printed products along the bloom edge and along each of the opposite side edges of each product. The apparatus comprises a first cellular wheel (2) which is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and which receives the products in upwardly open cells and trims their bloom edges. A second cellular wheel (4) is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and receives the products from the first wheel in radially open cells and trims the products along their opposite side edges. The second cellular wheel (4) is divided, in a plane (40) perpendicular to its rotational axis, into two cellular wheel halves (4', 4"), which are mounted on respective bearing elements (32). The two bearing elements (32) can be adjusted relative to each other along the central axis (5).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of making expanded foodstuffs which are extruded and cut, reduced pressure being applied at the nozzle outlet, said method being distinguished in that the cutting blades are set in such a manner that the surface of the cutting blades is configured in the manner of a ship's screw for generating reduced pressure at the point at which the extrudate emerges from the nozzle.

Abstract: A rotating cropping and sampling shear for rapidly running rolling stock, particularly for wire and/or bar steel is disclosed. The shear has a blade support rotatable in a shear housing and is constructed in a hollow-cylindrical manner. The shear has a ring blade whose cutting edge rotates at the hollow-cylindrical wall of the blade support, a blade drum which is axially spaced from the blade support and is rotatable in the same rotational plane and includes a ring blade arranged at the outer circumference whose cutting edge runs along the outer wall of the drum. The rolling stock is guided in the space between the blade support and the blade drum. The blade support or the blade drum can be displaced axially relative to one another and one inside the other by a displacing device.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing helical slices of an object, such as a potato. The apparatus includes a rotatably mounted knife assembly having one or more sets of knife blades arranged in a spiral pattern. Each set of knife blades produces a set of helically shaped potato slices. The spiral arrangement of each blade set reduces the torque needed to slice an object using the knife assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the inventive apparatus includes two sets of slicing blades, for producing two sets of intertwined helical product slices. A curved separator tube, which extends downward from the slicing blade area, disentangles the pair of intertwined slices having the smallest radius, as the blade assembly and the separator tube rotates as a unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for efficiently cutting food items, such as potatoes, into helical strips. The food items are provided seriatim to the cutting assembly from a conveyor system fed by a trough shaker or other singulator device. Food items on the conveyor are aligned longitudinally and are then impaled on small spikes protruding from the conveyor so that they maintain the longitudinal orientation during their travel to a feed roller portion of the system. The feed rollers firmly grip the food items by their peripheries and advance them into the rotary cutting assembly. This assembly includes a helically shaped cutting member defining at a leading edge thereof a slicing blade and supporting on its front surface a plurality of perpendicularly extending scoring blades. The helically shaped cutting member is mounted at its periphery by being threadedly received in a helical thread cut in an annular holder.

Abstract: An apparatus for slicing objects, such as potatoes, with a rotatably mounted knife assembly. Objects (such as potatoes) to be sliced are conveyed downward toward the knife assembly between a gripper chain and a feed chain. A pair of springs provide a biasing force which urges the chains together, thereby ensuring that the conveyed potatoes are fed positively and uniformly toward the knife assembly. Preferably, two feed rolls having teeth are mounted between the lower ends of the chains and the knife assembly (each feed roll at the end of a rotating, slidable shaft). The teeth of the rotating feed rolls grip each potato conveyed against them by the chains, and force each such potato downward against the rotating knife assembly. Preferably, a support and retaining plate is fixedly mounted to the feed mechanism to constrain vertical movement of the feed rolls as they rotate with a potato gripped between them.

Abstract: A slicing/shaving method includes the steps providing a slicing/shaving edge of a generally arcuate configuration, rotating the slicing/shaving edge along a circular path of travel with the slicing/shaving edge disposed at an angle other than parallel thereto, and guiding a food product along a food product feed path disposed generally transversely to the slicing/shaving edge whereby continuous rotation of the slicing/shaving edge along the circular path effects continuous slicing/shaving of the fed food product.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for efficiently cutting food items, such as potatoes, into helical strips. The food items are provided seriatim to the cutting assembly from a conveyor system fed by a trough shaker or other singulator device. Food items on the conveyor are aligned longitudinally and are then impaled on small spikes protruding from the conveyor so that they maintain the longitudinal orientation during their travel to a feed roller portion of the system. The feed rollers firmly grip the food items by their peripheries and advance them into the rotary cutting assembly. This assembly includes a helically shaped cutting member defining at a leading edge thereof a slicing blade and supporting on its front surface a plurality of perpendicularly extending scoring blades. The helically shaped cutting member is mounted at its periphery by being threadedly received in a helical thread cut in an annular holder.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for efficiently cutting food items, such as potatoes, into helical strips. The food items are provided seriatim to a cutter head assembly from a conveyor system. Food items on the conveyor system are aligned longitudinally and fed to the cutter head assembly. The cutter head assembly includes a cylindrical sleeve or tube having an open discharge end and an opposed cutting end to which a cutting member is attached. The sleeve is supportively carried by a cylindrical jacket having a pair of outer flanged members, a central drive-belt engaging member and fasteners coupling the outer members together to secure the central member therebetween. The sleeve is secured coaxially within the jacket by fasteners and the entire assembly rotated by a drive belt engaging the central member. The entire assembly is supported by idler rollers which ride in a circumferential track formed by the jacket and by thrust rollers which engage the discharge end of the cutter head assembly.

Abstract: A loaf slicing machine includes a cutting blade arranged to rotate about a center axis thereof while moving around an orbital axis to thereby cut the loaf cyclically, a feed member for intermittently advancing the loaf toward the cutting blade and extending perpendicularly to the cutting blade, and a guide member disposed between the feed member and a path of the cutting blade for guiding the loaf. In order to hold the loaf, an abutment plate is provided which has a surface spaced from the edge of the cutting blade toward a direction of advance of the loaf for permitting the end of the loaf to abut on that surface during each cutting cycle and of which rotational center is aligned with the orbital axis, the abutment plate being arranged to rotate sychronously with the cutting blade. An opening is formed through the abutment plate at a position adjacent the cutting blade for permitting slices as cut to be transferred through the opening.

Abstract: In order to further develop a disc cutter machine, in particular for cutting sugar beet, which is provided with a machine frame, a disc cutter having passages for the cut material, and blade receivers arranged in the region of the passages, in such manner that with the same disc cutter diameter a higher cutting output can be achieved, the blade receivers (18) are mounted on the flat upper surface (16) of the disc cutter (12) and the disc cutter is formed in the region of the blade receivers of radially extending and uniformly spaced inclined ribs (14).

Abstract: A tube cutoff machine for cutting a tube to precise lengths, which tube may be exiting from a tube mill at relatively high speeds. The tube cutoff machine includes a frame which supports a carriage for generally linear reciprocal movement parallel to the linear path of movement of the tube, the carriage in turn supporting a tube shearing apparatus. The carriage is reciprocated by a crank drive mechanism and additional connecting structure, which insures that the carriage will move at a constant linear speed for a duration of time sufficient to shear the tube as the carriage moves from a first location to a second location. The additional connecting structure includes a bell crank having an intermediate portion which is pivotally secured to the carriage, one end of the bell crank being secured to an end of a connecting rod of the crank drive mechanism, and the other end of the bell crank being provided with a cam follower which is caused to engage a stationary cam carried by the frame.

Abstract: A motor driven slicing machine for potatoes and the like is disclosed. The machine includes a circular fly wheel with a blade thereon which rotates across an exit port. Potatoes enter a feed tube at an entrance port and wedge against an outwardly tapered wall at the exit port so as the potato is sliced it is urged into the exit port by the slicing action against the tapered wall. Slices fall through an opening in the fly wheel to be collected or cooked.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting rod or strand-like products comprised of a rotary holder positioned adjacent the outlet end of a tube from which a water jet is discharged and in which the rod or strand-like products are entrained. The rotary holder includes a plurality of individually actuatable cutting blades movable between cutting and non-cutting positions. An optical scanner determines the presence of dark or discolored areas on the products and generates a signal timed to actuate a sufficient number of cutting blades which will cut through the product as it emerges from the tube and separate the discolored area from the acceptable areas. The cutting blades can be held inoperative by electromagnets and returned by a cam. Alternatively, the blades can include a deflection member and jet nozzles can be employed to pivot the blades in and out of the cutting position.

Abstract: A rotary food slicing tool is provided for use in a food processor of the type having a housing with a motor drive and a working bowl mountable on the housing which is adapted to encircle the food slicing tool. The tool has an elongated hub with a lower end coupling removably engageable with the motor drive for rotating the tool in the bowl about an axis of rotation. The rotary slicing tool in accordance with the present invention includes a disc-like member mounted on the upper end of the elongated hub. This disc-like member includes a raised rim having a skirt extending downwardly therefrom and an arcuate opening extending inwardly from the raised rim to a position near the center of the disc-like member. A raised platform on the disc-like member includes a rearwardly sloping arcuate shoulder and a leading edge which overhangs the trailing portion of the opening forming an elevated forward facing slot between the disc-like member and the raised platform.

Abstract: A high volume food load slicing machine comprising a pair of loaf feed belt conveyors that continuously advance a food loaf along a downwardly inclined path through a collar into a slicing station at which a rotating and orbiting knife slices the load includes a variable speed knife rotation drive independent of the main drive that orbits the knife and drives the loaf conveyors. A hydrostatic speed variator in the drive connection for the conveyors, with speed corrections made by a stepper motor, affords precision control of slice thickness. A split collar and associated sensor afford continuous sensing of the loaf cross section to provide effective slice thickness correction; the collar is of molded machinable resin so that the knife can cut a working surface on the collar to a precise contour. The collar includes vacuum means to hold the butt end of a loaf for slicing.

Abstract: A julienne cutter is provided having a hub removably engageable with the drive of a food processor and a disc-like member secured to the hub. The disc-like member has an opening extending from a region near the hub to a region near the periphery and there is an elevated portion on the member located behind the opening with respect to the direction of rotation of the disc-like member. A unitary cutting structure is positioned in the opening for producing multiple closely spaced cuts and is formed of sheet metal having an elongated lower portion and an elevated elongated upper portion secured to the underside and to the elevated portion of the disc-like member, respectively. A plurality of relatively closely spaced blades extend upwardly generally perpendicular to and are located between and are integral wiht the elongated lower and elevated upper portions of the cutting structure.

Abstract: Disclosed is a handle adapted for grasping by the hand of an operator for operating a pivotable machine part, comprising a thumb supporting member attached to the machine part for supporting the operator's thumb and a grip part connected to the machine part for gripping by the rest of the fingers of the operator's hand. Also disclosed is a microtome embodying this handle.

Abstract: A rotary slicing tool for a food processor has a horizontal disc-like member with an opening therein and a cutting blade positioned at an elevated location above the opening relative to the horizontal top surface of the disc-like member providing a cut having a thickness determined by the vertical elevation between the cutting blade and the horizontal top surface. A removable cover disc having the same general configuration and proportion as the disc-like member is mounted on the cutting member for changing the thickness of the slices as determined by the thickness of the cover disc. The cut of the rotary slicing tool may therefore be varied by using removable and replaceable cover discs of different thicknesses without necessitating the complete removal and replacement of the rotary tool in the food processor. Certain cover discs may include auxiliary blades for converting the slicing tool into a French fry slicer or Julienne slicer.

Abstract: Whole oriented items, such as onions, are sliced in a slicer by holding the items on a horizontal cutter-bearing plate and by rotating the plate to continuously remove slices from the lower ends of the items until they are fully sliced. The holding device include a box-like trap and cylinder-operated hold-down discs. The slicer knives are curved to effect a progressive, bias-type of cutting.

Abstract: A cutter for cutting helical vegetable strips comprising a circular disk-like plate having an upstream surface and an axis of rotation. The cutter has a knife blade extending radially from the axis of rotation, the blade edge being axially displaced from the upstream surface. The cutter also includes a plurality of slitter blades spaced apart and located at different distances from the axis of rotation and extending substantially perpendicular to the upstream surface. The slitter blades have different lengths and, therefore, extend to different heights above the upstream surface.