Abstract: An automatic food product cutting apparatus is provided that employs a continuously rotating table arranged with multiple cutter cups, each cup being aligned with a plunger that rotates with the table. The plungers are driven to force fruit through the cup and to withdraw from the cup by cam following rollers that follow a generally elliptical cam track. The cam track is concentric to but does not rotate with the table. With this arrangement, a single drive motor is used to power both the rotation of the table and the plunging force to push the food product through the cutter cups, thereby achieving smooth, continuous operation.

Abstract: This invention is a safe, effective, attractive apparatus for slicing bread products such as bagels, bulkie rolls, and English muffins into two approximately equal sections. The invention is comprised of two primary components. The base unit (1) is essentially a rectangular block with a narrow slot (5) on either side of a cavity (3) that is open at the top and shaped to receive and center a bread product (12). The second component is a unique separate top block (2) that has an inverted slot (6) on the underside to receive a knife so that it is recessed from the underside of the top block. A knife is placed into the slot of the top block, and together they are placed into the chamber of the base unit, with the knife now guided by the slots on either side of the base unit. The top block is used to hold down the bread product to keep it from rotating, while keeping fingers safely away from the knife blade. The user draws the knife back and forth, and is able to cut easily through the bread product.

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: A spiral meat slicing apparatus and method having a lower meat support assembly including a rotatively driven lower shaft and an upstanding lower spike for receiving the major longitudinal end of a cut of boneless meat, the lower spike being carried by the lower shaft. An upper meat support assembly is provided and includes a rotatively driven, vertically adjustable upper shaft and an upper spike for receiving the minor longitudinal end of a cut of boneless meat, the upper spike being carried by the upper shaft. The upper spike is in coaxial alignment with the lower upstanding spike to thereby define an axis of rotation for a cut of boneless meat supported therebetween. A vertically indexable knife is positioned relative to the axis of rotation so as to enable a continuous spiral cut to be made therein.

Abstract: A bacon slicing system (10) includes a conveying system (20). The conveying system (20) is mounted for sliding between a first and second lateral position. The conveyor belt (65) of the conveying system (20) is rotatable in a longitudinal direction which is generally perpendicular to the lateral movement of the conveying system (20).

Abstract: The invention relates to a lubrication device in a vertically functioning bread slicer having several blade bands (3), next to each other and a predetermined width of bread slice apart, continuously circulating crosswise around blade band rollers (2). Both sides of the blade bands (3) have a horizontal lubricating roller (6, 7) with an oil-impregnated felt envelope (63, 73) which lubricates the cutting surfaces (30) of the blade bands (3). At least one of the two lubricating rollers (6, 7) can pivot around a horizontal pivoting axis (6S) to a position (P1) a distance apart from the blade bands (3), the two lubrication rollers (6, 7) can each be displaced by a given length (A) lengthwise along the rollers (L) in relation to the band blades (3).

Abstract: A bagel slicer generally comprising a base, a flexible connector, a lid and a knife. The base has upwardly projecting bagel retention protrusions and two end walls attached to opposing ends of the base which define a bagel receiving space. Between the walls there is a first plurality of elongated side members in a parallel spaced relationship to each other, and a second plurality of elongated side members in a parallel spaced relationship to each other and to the first plurality of elongated side members. Each elongated member is engaged with the walls such that there remains slots between them to insert a knife. A flexible connector is attached to the lid and one of the walls.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting and shaping food products consisting of a filling and a crust from bar-shaped food material. The apparatus comprises shutter members, each having a convex cutting surface and a sliding surface, a holding member that bridges and holds two adjacent ones of the shutter members, shafts coupled to the shutter members, and a driver for synchronously rotating the shutter members in a horizontal plane by rotating the shafts.

Abstract: A carriage for a food slicer; wherein the carriage includes a tray for supporting a food product. The tray has a relatively flat portion and an upstanding side portion, a food gripping portion attached to the tray and at least one handle attached to the side portion of the tray for moving the tray in a reciprocating motion past the slicing blade. Preferably, the carriage includes a second handle such that the user can grasp either handle. The tray also includes a slide rod for slidably supporting the food gripping portion. The slide rod may be optionally mounted to either side of the tray, before or after the food product.

Abstract: The invention involves a method and apparatus for automatic portioning of objects. More specifically, the invention utilizes both weighing and imaging data in order to calculate an estimated weight distribution of objects being processed. One or more weighing units, which weigh one or more parts of the objects, are installed before and/or after a cutting unit to obtain the weighing data. A computer system controls cutting based on the imaging data and the weighing data.

Abstract: Method for producing individual dough pieces from a continuous line of dough, in which a row of separate, individually complete contours running diagonally or perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the line is cut out of the end section of the line of dough, which correspond to the dough pieces, these contours or dough pieces lying in a row next to one another are removed from the end of the line and delivered rotated or pivoted or otherwise positioned for further processing, with the cutting devices that are used to cut out the row of dough pieces at the end of the line being used as a whole or in part to remove and deliver or otherwise position, guide, hold, rotate, and/or displace the cut-out dough pieces, and with the cutting devices being returned to the end of the line after delivery for another cutting-out process.

Abstract: An apparatus for the stack formation is described, by means of which a practically continuous individual stack formation is possible from a stream of slices produced by means of a cutting apparatus. For this purpose a partial stack is formed by means of a stack receiver, and is transferred for the further stack formation to a portioning band, so that, during the continuation of the stack formation on the portioning band, a return guidance of the stack receiver can take place into a position from which it can be shot anew into the stream of slices for the formation of a next partial stack.

Abstract: A vegetable cutting device incorporating a turntable for placement thereon of the vegetables to be cut and chopped. The device includes a cutting board having a cutting board top surface and an aperture formed in a center thereof, a turntable having a shaft integrally formed perpendicularly to a center of a bottom surface, the shaft being receivable within the aperture, a cutting tool mounted upon the cutting board top surface and a basket having a perforated bottom shelf, the basket being hingedly attachable to the cutting board. In a stored position, the cutting board rests upon a top surface of the basket and the turntable and cutting tool are receivable within the basket.

Abstract: An apparatus for slicing a food product includes a housing having a food product inlet and a food product outlet and a food product path defined therebetween. A reciprocating cutter is positioned within the housing along the food product path between the food product inlet and the food product outlet. A pusher element is provided for pushing a food product along the food product path against the reciprocating cutter whereby the cutter slices the food product.

Abstract: A food cutting device for processing leafy vegetables such as collard greens having a groove roller and a cutting roller with discs which engage the grooves of the groove roller to cut the leafy vegetable longitudinally and a cam-actuated blade that cuts the leafy vegetable across the longitudinal cuts.

Abstract: This invention is a tray having a plurality of parallelly disposed open topped, open ended channels. These channels are filled with a mixture to be cooked and a cutting, shaping and dispatching knife is used to remove any excess mixture from the tops and ends of the channels. The knife is then turned over where the blade has a plurality of grooves formed therein to allow the knife to cut the mixture laterally in each channel simultaneously. The blade is then moved longitudinally toward the end of the channels to dispatch the cut mixture from the channels into a cooking medium. Indicia are included on the channels to allow even amounts of mixture to be dispensed each time such mixture is cut.

Abstract: A bread slicing machine having blade frames and blades readily removable without wrenches or other tools, clamps between the blade frames and drive mechanism for removably securing the blade frames to the drive mechanism, the clamps each comprising a T-shaped cam stud, a pivotal cam receiving the cam stud, and an actuator handle; cam-engaging members on the blade frames adjacent the cam studs and engaged by the pivotal cams, the actuator handles being shiftable to pivot the cams relative to the cam engaging members to cause the cam studs to secure or release the blade frames. The pivotal cams each have a vertical slot and a cross slot to receive the T-shaped cam stud.

Abstract: A method of dough processing for dividing dough sheets into separate decorative portions in which a continuous repetitive die cuts of interlocking shapes therein. A no waste shape cutting method in which a plurality of identical interlocking shapes are derived from processed dough strips. Each representation defines a portion of an adjacent identical shape thereby utilizing essentially all of the usable dough with little or no waste associated therewith.

Abstract: A gauge plate assembly for a food slicer includes a first plate including a food product contacting side and an attachment side. The attachment side has a plurality of fixed mount studs extending therefrom in an established arrangement, the mount studs attached to the first plate in a non-through manner. A support plate includes a mount side which faces the attachment side of the first plate and has a plurality of stud receiving openings in a mirror image of the established arrangement of the plurality of mount studs for alignment therewith. The attachment side of the first plate is positioned adjacent the mount side of the support plate with the plurality of mount studs inserted within the plurality of stud receiving openings. The studs are secured within the stud receiving openings in a press fit engagement in order to hold the two plate together. This arrangement provides an assembled gauge plate which does not require protruding fasteners to be machined or sealed and otherwise reduces assembly costs.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a replaceable blade cartridge and a compatible assembly for holding the cartridge wherein an old blade cartridge is slidably removed from the holding assembly and a new blade is slidably inserted into the holding assembly. Specifically, a replaceable blade cartridge for use in a compatible cutting head assembly of a centrifugal type slicer is disclosed.

Abstract: Cutting operation is performed on a bar-shaped food (F) which is delivered to the shutter mechanism (1) with laid on a take-in conveyor (2), a required portion of said food being cut at the shutter with its lying position intact while supported by said take-in conveyor (2) and a take-out conveyor (3) disposed as opposed to the former.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for cutting a piece of meat into a predetermined number of steaks. To allow the piece of meat to be cut in a rapid and simple manner with small losses of raw material, the piece of meat is placed in a mould whose bottom, cover and side walls substantially enclose the piece of meat, the piece of meat is subjected to a pressure in such a way that the bottom, the cover or at least one of the walls is movable and at least partly pressed into the mould until the piece of meat is so compressed as to fill substantially the entire space between the bottom, side walls and cover of the mould. The cutting elements are inserted into the mould through slots provided in the side walls, cover and/or bottom of the mould, whereby the piece of meat subjected to pressure is cut into a predetermined number of steaks by the cutting elements. The invention also relates to a cutting apparatus.

Abstract: An improved extended mounting bracket for a french fry press. The mounting bracket generally comprises a back plate with two opposing protruding side brackets. The side brackets are integrally attached along the opposing edges of the back plate by welding or the like. Both side brackets are formed with upper and lower notches adapted to slidably receive and anchor a conventional french fry press. The extended mounting bracket extends the french fry press over a proper waste receptacle such as a sink and thereby facilitates efficient waste disposal and cleanup. The bracket is rugged, durable, and it can be manufactured at nominal cost.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for spirally slicing boneless meat without the need for a center support rod. A slicing machine for the meat includes a rotatable base and an elevated chuck both having prongs for clamping the meat between them. Separate motors independently turn the base and chuck at the same rotational speed so that there is no twisting of the meat from top to bottom. A slicing blade is moved vertically on the machine as it slices the meat spirally about a solid meat core extending along the rotational axis.

Abstract: A food slicer for automatic operation having a staged dynamic brake for bringing the slicer carriage to rest at a predetermined location in a smooth manner. A sensor or system of sensors are utilized to detect the slicer carriage location. The sensor output is fed through a microprocessor which controls a dynamic brake which in turn acts upon the slicer carriage. The brake acts upon the carriage in two or more stages, so as to bring the carriage to rest in a smooth manner. The invention may also operate to as to bring the carriage to rest in a predetermined location.

Abstract: A conveyor moves food product, such as pies or cakes, within a cutting range of a knife positioning assembly. The knife positioning assembly supports an ultrasonic knife assembly which has a blade adapted for cutting the food product. The knife assembly is disposed above the conveyor and is moved to the food product in a cutting position therewith when the conveyor has the food product within the cutting range. The knife assembly is movable through at least two axes by the positioning assembly for positioning and cutting with the blade.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasound cutting device comprising an ultrasound generator having a given natural frequency, coupled to a cutting tool. The cutting tool is a disk that is driven in rotation, and the ultrasound generator is coupled to a central region of the disk by a coupling means, said central region being disposed on an amplitude antinode of the ultrasound vibration produced by the ultrasound generator.

Abstract: A rotary root vegetable slicer that is reliably held at an installed position even when water enters into the lower surface of the bed plate, and can be easily removed from the installed position. The rotary root vegetable slicer (1) includes a bed plate (2) of a nearly square shape as viewed on a plane, a blade-mounting member (5) erected at an end of the bed plate (2) for detachably mounting a plane blade (3) and a comb blade (4), a rotary piece-mounting member (6 ) on a portion on the other side of the bed plate (2) opposed to the blade-mounting member (5) so as to slide along the lengthwise direction of the bed plate (2), and a rotary piece (8) having many needle-like protrusions (7) arranged on the front surface thereof at an upper part of the rotary piece-mounting member (6) so as to rotate.

Abstract: A wedge cut cutter for food products is disclosed which includes one or more cutter sections mounted between a base plate and an end retainer. Each cutter section includes shoulders and clamping members for clamping each end of one or more elongate blades to the cutter section. Each blade is tensioned by an adjustment screw which bears against a roll pin which, in turn, urges a portion of the blade around a pair of anvils into a recess. The blades of each cutter section, or of adjacent cutter sections are radially offset to cut incoming items into wedge-shaped portions.

Abstract: An apparatus for decurling food material, such as slices severed from a food material supply, while the slices are being moved toward a transfer member includes a constriction positioned in close proximity to the slicing station and in general alignment therewith. The constriction is defined by opposing upper and lower surfaces; the upper surface is a stationary surface while the lower surface is a moving surface. The lower moving surface utilizes a plurality of flexible bands rotating around at least one roller, which are disposed proximate to the food material supply. The flexible bands are driven around a guide member having an arcuate profile that matches the curvature movement that the food material supply takes. The bands which form the lower moving surface are driven at a speed equal to or greater than the speed at which the slicer operates.

Abstract: A unitary tray and blade guide frame including longitudinal members extending from rigid, integral attachment with a back tray. An end frame member transversely, rigidly mounts to the longitudinal frame members and the back tray. A blade guide mounts to the back tray, with its upper surface flush with the upper surface of the back tray. A thickness tray slidably mounts in slots formed in the longitudinal frame members. An adjustment mechanism adjusts the position of the thickness tray. A food product workpiece extends downwardly from a reciprocatably displaceable workpiece retaining carriage, and rests on the upper surface of the thickness tray. The carriage advances the workpiece into a blade, which removes a slice from the workpiece. The lower surface of the remaining workpiece slides against the upper surface of the blade guide and the back tray.

Abstract: In an apparatus for the separating of curved sausages (2) from a sausages string (3) by means of a cutting device at a cutting place (31), the sausages string (3) is fed in an arc to the cutting place (31). In this connection, the arc is defined by at least one guide belt (8, 9) which rests at least partially against the sausage (2) or the sausages string (3).

Abstract: A machine and method for cutting plugs in the tops of baked products which serve as bread bowls when the plugs are removed. The products are conveyed in successive rows to a cutting station where they are stopped and centered beneath a row of cutters by a centering gate and clamped in place by a clamping gate. The cutters are rotated and lowered in unison to cut cylindrical plugs which remain in place on the bakery products for handling and packaging.

Abstract: An improved knife fixture is provided of the type having a plurality of knife blades for cutting food products, such as cutting potatoes into elongated French fry strips, wherein the knife fixture includes a detector system and method for promptly indicating breakage of a knife blade. The knife fixture generally comprises a fixture frame adapted to support the plurality of knife blades under tension during normal cutting operation, in accordance with the knife fixture disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,623. The detector system and method comprises, in one preferred form, mounting the knife blades for passage of an electrical current and monitoring the current level for abrupt changes indicative of a broken blade. In another preferred form, a strain gauge is provided on the fixture frame to measure the tension force applied to the knife blades, and to permit monitoring of abrupt changes in tension indicative of a broken blade.

Abstract: The apparatus of the present invention includes an indexing feeder for feeding the elongated food articles, a first slicing station and a second slicing station disposed along the indexing feeder for slicing the food articles into slabs, and a container conveyor system for delivering containers to receive the slabs. The articles are placed individually into winged troughs ("flights") carried by the indexing feeder and the feeder is advanced by two flight spacings in each slicing cycle. The second slicing station is displaced from the first slicing station by an odd number of flights. Each slicing station further includes an indexing turret with a number of self-centering chucks disposed around the periphery of the turret. The turret is rotated in such a way so as to allow a food article to be inserted into each chuck as the chuck rotates past the indexing feeder.

Abstract: A conveyor moves food product, such as pies or cakes, within a cutting range of a knife positioning assembly. The knife positioning assembly supports an ultrasonic knife assembly which has a blade adapted for cutting the food product. The knife assembly is disposed above the conveyor and is moved to the food product in a cutting position therewith when the conveyor has moved the food product within the cutting range. The knife assembly is movable through at least two axes by the positioning assembly for positioning and cutting with the blade.

Abstract: A food slicing machine including a housing and a disc-shaped knife which is mounted for rotation on the housing. An adjusting device moves a stop plate relative to the cutting plane of the knife to set the slice thickness. A food carriage reciprocates adjacent the knife and is pivotable between a slice cutting position and a fully retracted position. A locking disc is connected to the adjusting device and includes a slot of uniform width extending from the periphery in a generally radial direction. A locking element which is slightly smaller than the slot is arranged to enter the slot responsive to pivoting of the carriage out of the slice cutting position. Upon setting the adjusting device to a slice thickness of zero, the slot is aligned with the locking element. A relatively small amount of pivoting of the carriage from the slice cutting position toward the fully retracted position causes the locking element to enter the slot and prevent substantial rotation of the adjusting device in either direction.

Abstract: The top of bread-product can be removed by a process, wherein the bread-product is subjected to forces, so that a bread product with a bent profile is obtained and subjecting this bent product to a cutting under removal of the top of the product, resulting in a bread product with a cavity within upstanding rims of bread crust.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for quickly and easily cutting straight and uniform dessert bars is provided. The baker's cutting device consists of two parallel blocks connected perpendicularly by two parallel guide bars. The bottom of the front block is configured such that the block fits over one edge of the baking pan and the back edge of the block hangs over the edge of a table or counter top to hold the apparatus in place. The guide bars are in this manner suspended just over the top of a typical baking pan. Resting perpendicularly upon the guide bars is a sliding cutting bar, this cutting bar may be supplied with handles at each end. A plurality of cutting blades are attached to both the upper and lower sides of the cutting bar at various intervals.

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: Apparatus, device and method for improved slicing of large food sticks, loaves and the like are provided. A slicing blade which has a top flat surface or top flat land width along its cutting edge provides generally longitudinal forces on the food product being sliced, which forces are in a direction generally opposite to the direction through which the food products are fed through a slicing apparatus. The slicing blade includes a bottom primary bevel land width surface and an advantageous primary angle for imparting improved stack and slice uniformity and for controlling package overfill. The slicing blade also exhibits a long slicing blade surface which follows an Archimedean spiral. The invention is particularly important in improving handling of large luncheon meat sticks, especially non-frozen, high water content and reduced fat content luncheon meat sticks.

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: A produce slicer and chopper device (10) comprising a housing (12) having a large compartment (14) and a small compartment (16) in a side by side relationship. A first blade assembly (18) is mounted onto a top of the housing (12) to be manually operated to extend down into the large compartment (14), so as to vertically slice and chop vegetables, fruit and cheeses placed within the large compartment (14). A second blade assembly (20) is mounted onto the top of the housing (12) to be manually operated to extend down into the small compartment (16), so as to vertically slice and chop vegetables, fruit and cheeses placed within the small compartment (16). A third blade assembly (22) is mounted onto a side of the housing (12) to be manually operated to extend sideways into the large compartment (14), so as to horizontally slice and chop vegetables, fruit and cheeses placed within the large compartment (14), when the first blade assembly (18) is in an outwardly extended position.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting dough products fed by a conveyor assembly into a cutting section comprises a segmented, generally spiral-shaped straight cutting blade or three-dimensional or helical-shaped cutting blade having an angled blade edge, the blade attached to a shaft coupled to a motor operable to turn the blade to effect a cut of the dough products within the cutting section, with a feedback controller coordinating the blade turning rate with the dough feed rate.

Abstract: A device for hollowing out food products such as loaves of hemispherically shaped bread for the purpose of using the hollowed out loaf as a bowl for food. The device has a knife for cutting into the loaf and a loaf platform for holding the loaf of bread. The platform and knife are angled so that the cutting action removes a uniform sized conical section of bread from the central region of the loaf. The knife is mounted in restricted manner so that it will penetrate the loaf for cutting of the cone but will not pass through the loaf.

Abstract: A high speed slicing machine feeds two or more food loaves continuously along parallel loaf paths through an orifice member into a slicing station for slicing by one cyclically driven knife blade; the slices are stacked or shingled in groups on a receiving conveyor below the slicing station. There are two independent loaf feed drives; slices from one loaf may be thicker than slices from the others. Each loaf feed drive advances at least one loaf into the slicing station, partly by gravity and partly by a positive loaf feed drive. Each positive loaf feed drive comprises a pair of angularly converging "short" conveyors; adjustments and bias are provided for each set of "short" conveyors. In the slicing station, an arcuate blade is rotated along a closed cutting path that intersects the ends of food loaves fed into the slicing station. A conveyor system discharges groups of food loaf slices after they are weighed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cutting a vegetable, such as a potato, into pieces suitable for the preparation of cottage-fried, french-fried, and shoestring potatoes, has a plurality of vertically arranged propelling units, each of which has a plurality of wheels having their peripheries adjacent but spaced from one another so as to define a path along which such vegetable may travel through successive propelling units and be accelerated to a speed at which it will pass through a cutter having blades which cut the vegetable into pieces.

Abstract: A garlic cutter comprising a housing bearing a cutting blade (8) at its underside and further comprising an upper part (2) with a punch (12) affixed thereto. The upper part when in the operational state and during rotation relative to the housing (6) carries out an axial displacement relative to the co-rotating cutting grid (5b). In order to achieve speed in operation following filling of the garlic cutter, so that the latter gently mince the fruit and also be rapidly reopenable and cleanable, an inner structure (7) receiving the garlic is rotatably supported in the housing (6) and comprises a cutting grid (5b) entered by the punch (12) mounted to a spindle (4). A coupling nut (3) can be mounted on the housing (6), that in the operational state assure engagement with the spindle (4) and that in the open state allows longitudinal displacement of the spindle (4).

Abstract: A bagel, roll, and bun holder device for holding a bagel, roll, bun or other similar object which provides a safe and stable device for slicing the bagel, roll, bun or other similar object with a hand-held knife is provided. The bagel, roll, and bun holder device comprises a base element and a first and a second holding element. The base element has a first and second edge. The first and second holding elements each have a marginal side edge, each have an inside surface and an outside surface, each have a stop element on their inside surface, and each have a frictional element on their outside surface. The first holding element is pivotally attached to the first edge of the base element at its marginal side edge. The second holding element is pivotally attached to the second edge of the base element at its marginal side edge. The first and second holding elements are pivotally movable from an opened position to a closed position.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for cutting a pocket in the upwardly facing surface of a conventional bagel while allowing a rim of the base material of the bagel to remain extending upwardly therearound to define the cup-shaped open-topped pocket. This pocket is then adapted to receive a filling therein which can be of any type of edible food stock such as eggs, egg salad, tuna salad, vegetables, meat, etc. The apparatus for forming the pocket includes a housing with a floor with a pedestal defining a platform in which the bagel sits. A plate is pivoted into contact with the bagel and compresses the bagel. A cutting aperture is defined in the plate to provide a template for cutting of the pocket out of the central portion of the upwardly facing surface of the bagel. A cutting then extends through the template or cutting aperture for forming the open-topped cup-shaped pocket.