Abstract: A tension knife includes an elongate knife body with a thin, flat profile. The tension knife defines first and second mounting points at opposing ends of the knife body. The knife body has a characteristic width across a length of the knife body between the first and second mounting points. The characteristic width of the knife body defines a centerline between a leading edge of the knife body and a trailing edge of the knife body. One or more of the first and second mounting points has a focus between the centerline of the knife body and the leading edge. A frame can be configured to support and tension the tension knife to form a tension knife assembly. Clamp blocks can be used to mount the tension knife to the frame at the first and second mounting points, where one or more of the clamp blocks is configured to rotate with respect to the frame to tension the leading edge of the tension knife.

Abstract: An apparatus for slicing food products, in particular sausage, meat or cheese, includes a product support for at least one product, a cutting blade which is disposed after the product support and to which the product can be supplied along a conveying direction, and at least one product holder movable along the conveying direction and cooperating with the product at least at times during the slicing procedure, wherein the product support has a loading zone which is disposed between a starting position and an end position of the product holder and in which the product support can be loaded with the product and wherein the product holder is movable from the end position back into the start position while bypassing the loading zone.

Abstract: A pizza cutter includes at least one blade, a handle attached to the blade, and extenders for positioning the cutter in a pizza box to cut uniform slices of pizza. The blade may be a single blade or two blades forming a 90 degree “X”. The handle is attached across the top of the blade and may include slots to better grasp the handle. The extenders are attached to opposite ends of the cutter and may be fixed or rotating, and intersect opposite corners of the pizza box to align the blade to cut uniform slices.

Abstract: A food article feed apparatus for a food article slicing machine. The apparatus has conveyor with a drive belt for connecting a drive source to a drive roller, and a conveyor belt. The drive roller is for driving the conveyor. The drive roller has an outer diameter and a recessed diameter where the drive belt is connected around the recessed diameter and the conveyor belt is connected around the outer diameter. The drive belt operates within an area defined by the first conveyor belt.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for cutting food comprising a rack and a knife rest set on the rack and further comprising: a nipper for gripping food. A slideway is designed on the rack, provided with a slide rail and a guide rail that match each other between the slideway and the bottom of the nipper. The nipper for gripping food of the food cutter avoids sliding along the slideway with hands directly holding food to effectively prevent hands from being scratched by the knife rest and provide safer and more labor-saving use. Moreover, the slide rail and the guide rail that match each other between the slideway and the bottom of the nipper prevent the nipper from deviating when sliding along the slideway for more labor-saving use. This invention further discloses that it is a food cutter that can cut food into more shapes.

Abstract: A food processor having a dicing tool and a cleaning tool to clean out the dicing tool.

Abstract: A food slicer includes a frame for supporting a landing and a runway movable relative to the landing. A cutting blade is secured on an upstream end of the landing. A downstream end of the runway is spaced from an edge of the cutting blade. A separate cutting knife is moveably connected to the frame. An adjustment mechanism connected to the frame adjusts an offset between the cutting blade and the runway. The adjustment mechanism includes spaced apart first and second guide tracks provided on respective first and second movable side members. The guide tracks are configured such that a first movement of the adjustment mechanism moves the downstream end of the runway relative to the cutting blade to adjust a cutting thickness and a second movement of the adjustment mechanism lowers the downstream end of the runway and raises the cutting knife to a working position.

Abstract: A method for cutting a food strand into slices, including the steps of feeding the food strand forward to a cutting device including a rotating blade, successively cutting off slices, placing the cut off slices onto an intermediary storage device moveable transversal to the feed direction and in feed direction in order to form a portion, wherein a stacked or fish scaled slice arrangement with a total of n slices is generated and n is a natural number?3, transferring a non-finished portion including m slices, wherein m is a natural number and m<n, in its entirety from the intermediary storage device to a conveying device, wherein the slices are extracted through the conveying device, wherein the transferred portion after being transferred to the conveying device is completed by cutting off and adding at least one additional slice and is subsequently extracted.

Abstract: A mandoline slicer 10 for slicing a food product, the slicer 10 comprising a frame 12 having opposed sidewalls 14,16, a first support plate 18 and a second support plate 20 positioned between the opposed sidewalls 14,16, a slicing member 22 having a slicing edge 58 positioned between the first and said second support plates 28,20, and a slice thickness adjustment mechanism 26 having a lever 80 movable between a first position and a second position and configured to vary a vertical distance between the slicing edge 58 of said slicing member 22 and an edge 42 of said first support plate 16.

Abstract: The disclosure describes a method for cutting a food product into slices for producing portions by taking into account the target weight thereof. Information about a remainder of the food product to be sliced is used to control corresponding actuators for a successive food product to be sliced.

Abstract: A product cutter that includes a plurality of blades, a conveyer, a cutting adjustment assembly and a frame is provided. The plurality of blades are designed to cut an elongated product into a plurality of cut product portions having generally equal lengths. The plurality of blades includes a pair of outer blades and at least one inner blade positioned between the outer blades. The conveyor is used to move the elongated product to the blades. The cutting adjustment assembly is configured and arranged to adjust distances between the respective blades while maintaining cut product portions of generally equal lengths. The at least one inner blade is held stationary in relation to the conveyer during activation of the cutting adjustment assembly. The frame is configured and arranged to hold at least the plurality of blades and the cutting adjustment assembly.

Abstract: A lattice cutting or slicing machine includes a multi-knife lattice cutting plate mounted in-line along an hydraulic flow path through which vegetable products such as potatoes are propelled in single file by a hydraulic fluid such as water. The lattice cutting plate is orbitally driven for engaging in succession each of the multiple knives thereon with the vegetable product to form lattice cut slices wherein successive generally corrugated cuts are angularly oriented typically perpendicular to each other, and further wherein the depths or troughs of the corrugated cuts on opposite sides of each slice intersect in the preferred form to define a pattern of corrugations interrupted by small openings.

Abstract: A mandoline slicer includes a slicing blade and an adjustable slicing ramp. A series of julienne blades are selectively movable between a stowed and a deployed position above the ramp. At a distal end of the ramp, a portion of the ramp is pivotable between a first position for using the slicing blade and a second position covering the slicing blade and exposing a grating surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for simultaneously slicing a plurality of food products into portions including a plurality of product slices respectively is provided. The apparatus includes a cutting blade which rotates about a blade axis in a cutting plane and/or revolves about a center axis in a planetary motion and includes a multi-track product feed. The feed of the product in one track is respectively interrupted if the residual product remainder in the track is no longer sufficient for forming a complete portion and if the residual product remainder in at least one of the other tracks is still sufficient for forming at least one complete portion. The product remainders are sliced into incomplete part portions once the product remainders of all tracks have reached a dimension which is no longer sufficient for forming a complete portion. The incomplete part portions are completed by product slices of subsequent products.

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: Disclosed is a method for cutting pieces having a predefined length, i.e. sticks, out of a mass of cheese, in which a cheese bar is first cut into parallel longitudinal strips while being conveyed on a belt conveyer using a longitudinal cutting device. The longitudinal strips are then cut into pieces using a transverse cutting device having a transverse cutting knife, which is conveyed along with the cheese bar during the transverse cutting process.

Abstract: A slice blade assembly for various produce items is provided. A circular array of V-shaped blades is carried in an outer support ring. Each blade is held in place by a new non-welded block and nut which interlock with bent tabs formed at the tips of each blade. Each blade is adjustable since each blade is bendable at its apex. Each worn or damaged blade may be removed and replaced without replacing the block and nut that support the blade.

Abstract: A vegetable and fruit slicer for slicing vegetables and fruit comprising a knife part (1) and a cooperating anvil part (2). The knife part (1) comprises at least two sets of knives (3), where a set of knives (3) comprises at least two knives (4) arranged at predetermined lateral distances and predetermined level distances from each other forming a stair or a fan (3). Only one knife (4) of each set (3) is positioned at each level and the lateral distances between the knives (4) positioned at the same level are the same and constant for each level of knives (4). A method, wherein a first level of at least two knives (4) starts cutting the vegetable or fruit to be cut, followed by at least a second level of a preferably corresponding number of knives (4) and having the same internal distance in between the knives in every level.

Abstract: A blade clamp for use in an automated, high speed potato slicing apparatus to slice chips to a predetermined size for packaging purposes. The blade clamp includes a cutting head; a blade mount having a slot therein; a first knife element between the cutting head and the blade mount, the first knife element having a first cutting edge; and optionally a second knife element having a second knife edge, the second knife element extending from the slot of the blade mount, such that the first and second cutting edges are substantially orthogonal to each other.

Abstract: An apparatus for slicing food products includes a product feed, at least one cutting blade which rotates about a blade axis and/or revolves about a center axis and to which at least one product to be sliced can be fed in a product feed direction and a blade holder to which the cutting blade can be attached. An adjustment device is configured to deform the cutting blade.

Abstract: A food processing dicing method and assembly is disclosed. The food processing dicing assembly may comprise a dicing element having multiple dicing openings through which food may pass, a frame configured to selectively retain the dicing element, and a management tool having multiple projections sized to be received by the dicing openings, the management tool may include at least one coupling element for releasably coupling the management tool to at least one of the dicing element and the frame.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods are disclosed to manufacture a plurality of edible pieces in a continuous process where each piece is generally different in thickness, shape, size and/or texture from another piece, so as to create, in the aggregate product distribution, pieces of randomly varying thickness, size, shape and/or texture.

Abstract: A food processor defining a food processing path comprises a frame having a first compartment located within the food processing path and a second compartment located out of the food processing path and at least one dicing element configured to be received in both of the first and second compartments. When the dicing element is received in the first compartment, the dicing element dices food passing through the food processing path, and when the dicing element is received in the second compartment, the dicing element is stored out of the food processing path.

Abstract: A multi-function salad preparation unit is provided, including a salad bowl having an upper rim and a mandoline slicer. The mandoline slicer fits on the upper rim of the salad bowl and includes a main platform along which food is to be slid, and a cutting tool disposable in the main platform, with a space adjacent the cutting edge of the tool. When food is slid across the main platform, the cutting edge removes a quantity of the food which falls through the space and into the salad bowl. The mandoline slicer preferably includes a first slot with the cutting tool insertable into the first slot substantially co-planar with an upper surface of the main platform. A second slot is also preferably provided, disposed below the upper surface, for cutting tool storage. Multiple interchangeable cutting tools, e.g., slicer(s), dicer(s), grater(s), are selectively disposable in the first and second slots.

Abstract: An apparatus for portioning meat includes a base unit, controlling means, first drive means mounted on the base unit, a casing mounted on the base unit, second drive means that cooperates with the first drive means to rotate the casing, and a pressing member dividing the casing into at least two chambers, an in-feed chamber and a pressing chamber. The pressing member is rotatably mounted between the base unit and a top plate, so as to be off-center with respect to the casing, substantially closer to the pressing chamber than the in-feed chamber, such that the pressing member has freedom to move in direction substantially perpendicular to the off-center direction. The apparatus also includes an ejecting device mounted on the base unit, a portioning plate receiving the meat ejected from the pressing chamber, a position adjustable bottom piece, and a cutting means, positioned between the pressing chamber and the portioning plate.

Abstract: A sandwich holder and knife guide for cutting a sandwich while maintaining the ingredients in place includes a base, a pair of upwardly extending parallel walls with an aligned slit in each of the walls for guiding a knife through a sandwich, a transparent dome with a slit aligned with the slits in the walls, a knife, a support frame, a pair of tapes disposed on opposite sides of the slits and each of the tapes extending across the support frame in a parallel relationship with the slits and one end of each of the tapes is coiled upon a retractable coil for maintaining the tapes under tension so that the tapes when extended and placed on top of the sandwich retain the sandwich and its fillings in place when the sandwich is cut.

Abstract: A sectioning device including a frame having a cutter deck with an opening disposed therethrough; a removable insert having an opening disposed therethrough, the removable insert positioned above the opening of the cutter deck such that the opening of the removable insert and the opening of the cutter deck are concentrically aligned; a cutter removably positioned on the removable insert; a press assembly positioned on the frame for pushing an item against and through the cutter; and an activator moving at least one of the cutter and the press assembly between a neutral position and a sectioning position in a single continuous motion, the press assembly and the cutter configured such that the item is sectioned upon movement from the neutral position to the sectioning position.

Abstract: A system for trimming a lettuce head using a digital imaging system and cutting mechanism. The lettuce head is conveyed between a lower feed conveyor and an upper feed conveyor that is disposed a fixed distance over and substantially aligned with a lower feed conveyor. The digital imaging system is configured to capture an image of the lettuce head and determine a cutting profile using the image. The cutting mechanism is disposed over the lower feed conveyor and includes: a servo motor mechanically coupled to a drive shaft; an armature with a pivot end mounted to the drive shaft and a sweep end disposed a radial distance from the pivot end; a cutting nozzle, mounted to the sweep end of the armature, configured to trim the lettuce head; and servo-control circuitry configured to articulate the cutting nozzle through a cutting arc based on the cutting profile.

Abstract: A sectioning device for sectioning food and non-food items includes a frame, a cutter removably positioned on the frame and press means positioned on the frame for pushing an item against and through the cutter. The sectioning device also includes means for moving, in a single continuous motion, at least one of the cutter and the press means between a neutral position and a sectioning position. The press means and the cutter are configured such that an item to be sectioned, positioned between the cutter and the press means is sectioned in its entirety upon movement from the neutral position to the sectioning position.

Abstract: A system and method for slicing and separating a food product into two pieces is described, where the system and method employ a pneumatically controlled cutting mechanism to slice and separate the food product.

Abstract: Tomatoes are placed on parallel cutter blades (20) in article openings (46) of an article positioning plate (44). Alternate blades are oscillated in arcuate paths in opposite direction as article pushers (24) move downwardly, pushing the tomatoes through the parallel cutter blades (20). The end slices of the tomatoes are gathered separately in the collectors (96) and are later discarded, while the intermediate slices are received in a transfer plate (78). Gathering plates (100) urge the intermediate slices of the several tomatoes together in one accumulation of tomato slices, and the transfer plate (78) is lowered to a position immediately above the shipping containers (80) and opened to deposit the tomatoes in the shipping containers. A fluid spray nozzle (75) may be positioned to emit a spray of gas or liquid between the fins of the pushers and/or toward the cutter blades (20) and toward engagement with the tomatoes for sterilizing, cleaning, or other treatment of the tomatoes and the adjacent surfaces.

Abstract: The grape cutter includes a base and a cover overlying the base. The base includes a recess adapted to hold a plurality of foodstuffs therein. The cover also includes a recess adapted to accommodate and hold the foodstuffs between the cover and the base. Both the base and the cover include a respective surrounding flange that define a slicing gap when assembled so that a user may slide a knife through the slicing gap to cut the foodstuffs. The slicing gap may be adjusted to accommodate foodstuffs of various sizes.

Abstract: Tomatoes or other articles are placed over moving cutter blades (20) in article openings of an article locator of an article slicer (10). Article pushers (24) move downwardly and have downwardly extending pusher fins for pushing the tomatoes through the cutter blades. The article pushers are carried by a movable support plate (78) between retracted positions behind the cutter blades and extended positions over the cutter blades. A pick and placer (76) is carried by the same movable support plate (78) and moves simultaneously in the same lateral directions as the article pushers, between positions over the oncoming line of tomatoes on an entrance conveyor (64) and over the cutter blades.

Abstract: A cutting blade for machines for slicing food products, particularly for high-speed slicers, has a sickle-shaped blade rotating about a rotation axis during the slicing operation and has a cutting edge that deviates from a circular shape at the radially outer circumference thereof and revolves about the rotation axis, particularly in the manner of a spiral. The edge is positioned in a cutting plane extending perpendicular to the rotation axis, and the cutting edge forms the radially outer end of a cutting surface, which forms part of the blade back side facing away from a product to be sliced during the slicing operation and includes a blade angle together with the cutting plane. The size of the blade angle varies in the circumferential direction.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for cutting slices of food product from a larger portion of the food product, whereby the systems and methods can reduce down-time associated with some of the portions of the equipment during cleaning. Components of the system requiring more frequent cleaning can be readily disconnected from those components requiring less frequent cleaning. Further, substitute components can be connected to those components requiring less frequent cleaning to reduce their down-time while the other components are being cleaned.

Abstract: A smart food chopping or slicing device comprising at least two moveable blade sets arranged in a grid like configuration wherein the blade sets are configured orthogonally such that the cutting edges of both the blade sets remain substantially in the same plane. The movement of one set of blades is independent of the movement of another set of blades and can be independently controlled. The moveable blade sets are configured for lateral reciprocal movement. The plane of the lateral reciprocal movement of the cutting edges of the blade sets and the plane of the cutting edges of the blade sets are substantially the same or the same parallel planes. The blade sets are removeably mounted on a means capable of providing lateral reciprocal movement to the blade sets.

Abstract: A food article end location detecting system for a food article slicing machine. The system includes a sensor located so that each food article passes a sensing range of the sensor as the food articles are loaded onto a food article feed apparatus. The system has instructions for calculating the length of each food article based on a location value provided by the sensor. The system also comprises a food article end disposal mechanism. The disposal mechanism has a transport for receiving said food article ends and for removing said food article ends from said food article path. The disposal mechanism also has a paddle for displacing food article ends from the transport.

Abstract: A food product slicer includes a carriage assembly is mounted to the base for reciprocal movement back and forth past a cutting edge of a knife. An adjustable gauge plate provides variable slice thickness for food product carried by the carriage assembly. During automatic slicing, when the gauge plate is moved from the open position to the closed position, a slicer controller automatically shuts down the carriage drive in a controlled manner that causes the carriage to stop at its most forward position.

Abstract: The combination food cutting board includes removable cups for food items, and a waste compartment. An upper cutting board mates with a lower base. The upper cutting board includes an aperture aligned with a receptacle in the base for waste, and secondary apertures aligned with matching receptacles in the base for holding the cups food items. The base includes a lateral opening and a sliding drawer in the waste compartment, and may include a storage compartment under the upper cutting board.

Abstract: A sandwich holder and knife guide for cutting a sandwich in half while maintaining the ingredients in place includes a base, a pair of upwardly extending parallel walls with an aligned slit in each of the walls for guiding a knife through a sandwich, a transparent dome with a slit aligned with the slits in the walls, a knife, a support frame, a pair of stainless steel tapes disposed on opposite sides of the slits and each of the tapes extending across the support frame in a parallel relationship with the slits and one end of each of the tapes is coiled upon a retractable coil for maintaining the tapes under tension so that the tapes when extended and placed on top of the sandwich retain the sandwich and its fillings in place when the sandwich is cut in half.

Abstract: A food product slicer includes a carriage assembly is mounted to the base for reciprocal movement back and forth past a cutting edge of a knife. An adjustable gauge plate provides variable slice thickness for food product carried by the carriage assembly. During automatic slicing, when the gauge plate is moved from the open position to the closed position, a slicer controller automatically shuts down the carriage drive in a controlled manner that causes the carriage to stop at its most forward position.

Abstract: A food processor having a food processing path accessible through a slot in which is received at least one food processing tool removably received within the slot such that food passing along the food processing path is processed by the tool.

Abstract: A food processing tool particularly suited for processing garlic and the like generally includes a main body having a tray configured to allow garlic to be passed back and forth across the tray for processing as desired. The main body optionally includes a pair of opposing guides positioned on opposing lateral sides of the tray and a plurality of ribs provided along either a portion or the entirety of the tray to reduce friction and improve the sliding ability of the garlic along the ribs and therefore the tray. A main slicing blade and one or more pluralities of blades are provided to slice, mince, or julienne cut the garlic. A pusher and cap is configured to selectively allow or restrict rotational movement of the cap and garlic for different orientations when cutting.

Abstract: The present invention is a rail system cheese cutter comprised of an arched cutting surface, rail and cutting arm with a removable cutting wire and tension adjustment component which allows the user to adjust the tension of the wire. The rail has a milled portion where the cutting arm is to be attached to the rail. One end of the cutting arm has a rotational bearing with a slot and opening. The slot is slid around the milled portion of the rail until the rail rests in the opening of the rotational bearing. Once attached, the cutting arm can be pivoted around the rail and moved laterally along the rail allowing the user to uniformly cut or slice a food item without moving it.

Abstract: A system for cutting a three-dimensional portion from a foodstuff. The system includes a scanner for scanning the foodstuff, a computer coupled to the scanner for receiving information from the scanner to determine one or more cutting paths for the foodstuff, and a cutter for portioning the foodstuff according to the one or more determined cutting paths. The computer is configured to perform generally four steps: (i) receiving scan information of the foodstuff from the scanner; (ii) building a three-dimensional map of the foodstuff based on the received scan information of the foodstuff; (iii) fitting at least one desired shape, which is stored in memory of the computer, onto the three-dimensional map in the memory of the computer; and (iv) determining one or more cutting paths to be used in portioning the foodstuff so as to produce one or more portioned foodstuffs corresponding to the at least one desired shape.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus having an annular-shaped cutting head and an impeller assembly coaxially mounted for rotation within the cutting head to deliver food products radially outward toward the cutting head. The cutting head has at least one knife extending radially inward toward the impeller assembly. The knife has a cutting edge at a radially innermost extremity and a radially outer face that defines a trajectory plane for slices removed from the products by the cutting edge. The knife is clamped to the cutting head with a clamping feature that provides clearance for slices when traveling the trajectory plane of the knife.

Abstract: This invention includes a system for cutting food products, such as potatoes, into proportional length pieces. In a one embodiment, the system includes a cutting assembly, sensors upstream of the cutting assembly and a programmable logic controller. The cutting assembly preferably includes a housing defining a passageway, at least two separately actuatable stops extendable into the passageway to provide an abutment to hold the food product in place, and at least two separately actuatable blades for slicing the food product into pieces. The controller cooperates with the sensors to determine the length of each food product and, based on a length determinative algorithm, selectively actuate one of the stops and at least one of the blades to determine how many times the food product will be sliced and location of the cut(s) relative to the leading end of the food product.

Abstract: A layer cutting apparatus includes a tray having an interior defined by a bottom and sidewall. A sleeve is at least partially disposed in the interior of the tray, and a cutting line is attached to the sleeve. The cutting line is configured to be removed from the sleeve by pulling the line away from the tray at one point of the sidewall.

Abstract: A food processor defining a food processing path through which are movable a cutting tool and a dicing tool for processing a food item. The dicing tool has multiple dicing elements selectively movable through the food processing path, between the cutting tool and the receptacle, to dice the food cut by the cutting tool.

Abstract: A device for slicing food product having a conveyor which transports the food product toward a cutting edge. An air cushion is provided between an end of the conveyor and the cutting edge which elevates and guides the food product.