Abstract: A device for subdividing a workpiece, typically a citrus fruit, into segments. The device comprises a blade support structure having an opening with a plurality of blades sharpened on two edges projecting from the circumferential surface of the opening toward the middle to juxtapose attacking points and edges forming a channel through which a plunger mechanism urges the workpiece into contact with the attacking points and sharpened edges thereby subdividing the workpiece into segments.

Abstract: A blade assembly for cutting vegetables, such as potatoes, preparatory to processing into a plurality of helical strips. The assembly includes a vertically disposed central cutting tube, a base plate and a plurality of tiers disposed therebetween. The tiers preferably are helically disposed with respect to the cutting tube and base plate. The blade assembly may be utilized in a cutting assembly for cutting articles into helical strips having a holder with at least one longitudinal passage therein, a plurality of inwardly biased members extendable in the passage to align and hold the article against rotation while being cut, and a rotary cutter which includes the blade assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a food product, such as a potato, into bar-shaped chips or pieces including an external portion provided with a number of transverse cutting blades and an internal portion provided with a support surface containing a number of rows of expellers. The food product is placed upon the expellers and the external portion is thrust downward over the internal portion to cut the food product.

Abstract: A mechanical device to be used for removing coconut meat from coconut shell consisting of a serrated edge and a clamping device that will be attached to a stationary flat surface and will hold the tool in an upright position. The serrated edge will be used to grind coconut meat away from coconut shell, one half shell at a time.

Abstract: An accessory for supporting a boneless cut of meat, for use in conjunction with a spiral meat slicer having an upper support bracket and a rotatable turntable positioned below the support bracket, and in which the turntable has a plurality of prongs extending upwardly therefrom, comprises a skewer assembly including a skewer and a base for supporting the skewer, a vertically-adjustable lower stop member slidably carried by the skewer, a vertically-adjustable upper prong member slidably carried by the skewer and positioned above the stop member, and a spindle assembly including a rod for slidably engaging the bracket and an adapter having a central bore therein for receiving the apex of the skewer. The base has a plurality of holes formed therein dimensioned and positioned to receive the prongs of the turntable.

Abstract: The apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of blades, an inner guide having a longitudinal axis and an outer surface, an outer guide having a longitudinal axis and inner and outer surfaces, and a plurality of blade drive means for rotating each of the blades to cut the fruit into the desired shape. Both the inner and outer guides have a plurality of longitudinally extending apertures equal to the number of blades. The apertures are disposed in each guide's outer surface and each aperture in a guide's surface is circumferentially spaced from each other aperture in that guide surface. The apertures in the outer guide are also arranged such that they are aligned with the inner guide apertures. The inner guide is spaced from the outer guide inner surface to form a longitudinally extending annular aperture. The blades are disposed such that a portion of each blade extends through each outer guide aperture and into the annular aperture.

Abstract: A machine for automatically shaving a large bar of chocolate for forming a thin chocolate shaving that curls into a spiral, for use for decorative purposes. The machine has cutters that will cut an end of a chocolate bar in three separate spirals, on each stroke of the cutter. The chocolate bar is moved a desired distance for new cuts. The knives are partly curved in cross section and have cutting edges that are angled to insure a smooth separation of a thin shaving to form the curl around the curvature of the individual knife. The chocolate temperature is important in cutting, and generally is maintained in the range of 88 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The machine itself can be placed in a suitable environment or chamber to maintain that temperature.

Abstract: A vertically extending base of rectangular cross section with an upwardly opening compartment therein is telescopically received within the similarly configured downwardly opening chamber of an overlying housing. The upper end of the base removably mounts a cutter plate. The top panel of the housing removably mounts a palm-held power unit. The power unit, through a central opening in the top panel, mounts elements which secure a vegetable for rotation by the power unit as the housing is moved downwardly over the base for engagement of the vegetable progressively with the cutter plate. The components disassemble and store in nested relation to each other.

Abstract: A cut food piece formed in the shape of a helical split ring (10) having a predetermined number of spirals by means of first piercing a series of slots in the whole food product by penetration blade assembly (248) prior to urging the whole food product into engagement with cutter blade assembly (200) having wheel plate (202) rotating about central axis (206). Said cutter blade assembly (200) further having a plurality of ring cutters (208) attached to and extending normally out from wheel plate (202) for cutting continuous concentric helical spirals in the whole food product. Shear blade (210) extends angularly out from wheel plate (202) for cutting concentric helical spirals of food product off the whole food product.

Abstract: A cutting device for cutting an object such as a citrus fruit includes an outer casing containing a cutting assembly. The cutting assembly includes a first cutting blade extending radially outwardly from the central axis to a side wall of the casing and cuts the fruit so as to completely sever one portion thereof from another. A second cutting blade extends outwardly radially from the central axis towards the side wall of the casing, but does not reach the side wall. The second cutting blade partially severs one portion of the object from another. In use, fruit if forced over the cutting assembly. A scooping device is provided which generally comprises a hemispherical-shaped scooping member with a dome and a substantially circular edge which forms a cutting blade. The scooping device has a shaft extending outwardly from a point on the outer surface so that rotation of the shaft causes rotation of the scooping member thereby removing the edible inner portion of the fruit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a product of predetermined shape from a vegetable, in which a cylindrical plug is cut into the vegetable, a cylindrical pocket is cut in the plug, and the base of the plug is severed from the vegetable to form a cup.

Abstract: An apparatus for the cutting out of vegetable heads, in particular cauliflower, fruits or parts thereof which have on their underside a central part (stipe), which is to be cut out from the surrounding part along a hemispherical or ogival face. The diameter of the cauliflower is established and the value determined is used for setting and controlling the cutter which is guided on a circular path, for adapting the diameter of the cutter circular path and the penetration depth of the cutter. In addition, the height of the cauliflower to be worked is also sensed, and the values for diameter and height are converted into electric signals and then processed to form setting signals. These setting signals are used for electromechanical control of the cutting operation in such a manner that the adjustment of the diameter of the cutter circular path is carried out independently of the adjustment of the cutter penetration depth.

Abstract: A device for slicing food for the production of shish kabobs includes an assembly having blades in correspondence with and in alignment with slits in a container that carries layers of food. The assembly is movable in translation to and from the container and angularly in parallel with the slits. The blades successively perform a movement of penetration into the interior of the container, a movement of angular pivoting along an arc of a circle corresponding to the height of the container, and a movement of withdrawal from the container, so as to assure by the combination of these movements the slicing of all of the layers of food.

Abstract: A food cutting apparatus for making multiple radial cuts in a work piece such as an onion has a cutter assembly formed as a truncated cone by a plurality of radially extending cutter blades. The cutter assembly cuts through the work piece until it encounters stops which prevent it from passing completely through the work piece. Ejector members are provided for separating the cutter assembly from the work piece after the cutting operation.

Abstract: An improvement in vegetable cutting machines of the kind comprising a cylindrical feeder (1) which includes a vertically upstanding cylinderical tube (2) and a vegetable press-feed device (3) in the form of a plate (4) which extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube and which is linearly movable relative to the tube, wherein the plate is carried by a stand arm unit placed parallel with the tube and including an upper stand arm (6) having a downwardly projecting shaft (7), wherein the shaft coacts with a tubular part (8) on a lower stand arm (9), thereby enabling the plate (4) to be swung away from the top orifice of the tube (2) and enable vegetables to be inserted into the tube for disintegration in the machine, and wherein a cutting tool comprising a disc provided with one or more knives is mounted in the vicinity of the bottom orifice of the tube (2).

Abstract: An electrical appliance for slicing fruits and vegetables which includes (i) a container defining a retention compartment configured and arranged for retention of an article of produce, (ii) a means for rotating the article of produce retained within the container, (iii) a longitudinally reciprocable blade assembly positioned within said rentention compartment for slicing, slicing and coring or grating the article of produce retained within the retention compartment as the article of produce is rotated by said rotating means and the blade assembly is longitudinally propeled against the article of produce.

Abstract: A support plate mounts a matrix of tubular cutters orthogonally mounted to the plate, with the tubular cutters projecting through the plate, whereupon projecting of the tubular cutters through an associated potato projects cylindrical segments rearwardly of the plate for use as "French-fry" type potatoes. The plate includes interfitting projections received within associated recesses to position and maintain the plate relative to an associated die table, wherein the die table includes crossed support bars to support a potato thereon, and wherein the support bars are received through the matrix of cutting tubes and wherein the recesses each include a respective floor spaced from a die table floor a spacing substantially equal to an associated projecting tubular cutter.

Abstract: A cut food piece formed in the shape of a helical split ring (10) having a predetermined number of spirals by means of first piercing a series of slots in the whole food product by penetration blade assembly (248) prior to urging the whole food product into engagement with cutter blade assembly (200) having wheel plate (202) rotating about central axis (206). Said cutter blade assembly (200) further having a plurality of ring cutters (208) attached to and extending normally out from wheel plate (202) for cutting continuous concentric helical spirals in the whole food product. Shear blade (210) extends angularly out from wheel plate (202) for cutting concentric helical spirals of food product off the whole food product.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing pulp from a fruit which has been cut so as to expose a portion of the fruit pulp surrounded by an exposed area of peel including apparatus for mounting the fruit, apparatus arranged in spaced relation to the apparatus for mounting for directing one or more jets of gas onto the exposed portion of pulp so as to separate it from the remainder of the fruit, and apparatus for substantially preventing impingement of the one or more jets of gas on the exposed area of peel.

Abstract: An electrical appliance for slicing a fruit or vegetable into spiral segments which includes (i) a frame which defines a retention compartment, (ii) a container configured for telescoping reception within the frame which defines a retention chamber, (iii) a means for rotating produce contained within the retention compartment of the frame, and (iv) a blade assembly across the base of the container operable for slicing the produce contained within the retention compartment when the container is telescopingly inserted within the frame and the produce is rotated by the rotating means.

Abstract: A cut food piece formed in the shape of a helical split ring (10) by means of first cutting a slot in the whole food product by slot cutter (30) prior to urging the whole food product into engagement with cutter blade assembly (20) having wheel plate (21) rotating about central axis (23). Said cutter blade assembly (20) further having a plurality of ring cutters (24) attached to and extending normally out from wheel plate (21) for cutting continuous concentric helical spirals in the whole food product. Shear blade (25) extends angularly out from wheel plate (21) for cutting concentric helical rings of food product off the whole food product.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for severing fragments (such as fleurettes) from a one-piece core of an article, such as a cauliflower, as the article is translated between stations along a process path. In a preferred embodiment, the article is loaded on a rotary table at a first station, then deleafed (or otherwise trimmed) at a second station, then aligned by a set of alignment rollers while translating through third and fourth alignment stations, then cored at a fifth coring station, and finally unloaded at a sixth station. At the coring station, the article is held in a fixed position by an impaling knife (or pin) while a set of rotating coring knives are lowered into engagement with the articles by a pivoting arm mechanism. The pivoting arm mechanism causes each rotating knife to trace out a generally helical path as it cores the article.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for treating baked goods, such as bagels, is disclosed. An outer ring including downwardly projecting pins is secured to the cut surface of a previously sliced bagel half. A cutting disc having an upwardly projecting handle and downwardly projecting cutting blades is rotatable within the outer ring, which out ring serves as a guide and as a bearing. By turning the cutting disc while maintaining the bagel and the outer ring stationary, a circular trough will be cut in the dough of the bagel half by the cutting blades. In an antomatic version of the apparatus, a flat, upwardly projecting screw is mounted in a base plate and a bagel half is secured by base plate mounted pins about the flat screw. A cutting disc is provided with a slot to receive the flat screw in a manner to automatically rotate the cutting disc relative to the bagel when the cutting disc is axially moved toward the base plate.

Abstract: Method of an apparatus for extracting whole juice sacs from citrus fruits by fluid impinging chunks of peeled fruit meat. In one embodiment, a fruit chunk is fed into a fluid impingement chamber that includes a plurality of off-center orifices. High-pressure fluid emitted from the orifices strikes the fruit chunk and spins it such that the fruit chunk's juice sacs are stripped from the chunk's sectional membranes. In another preferred embodiment, a plurality of fluid impingement chambers are incorporated into a high-speed, continuous motion turret. In yet another preferred embodiment, fruit chunks are fed into an inclined tube that includes fluid orifices which emit high pressure fluid. Controlling the fluid pressure, nozzle orifice size, number of orifices, direction of fluid jets, impingement time, and size and shape of the fruit chunks determine how substantially the radial membranes of fruit chunks are stripped of juice sacs without shredding the membranes.

Abstract: A citrus fruit segmenter which uses a slicing lever mounted with a blade which is attached to the sidewalls of a frame by another pair of levers. The slicing lever with the blade nudges a resiliently biased crank lever which intermittently rotates a ratchet wheel upon which a cup is mounted to carry a half of grapefruit or large orange. The crank lever has a tooth element designed to engage the toothed ratchet wheel and to retract when working against a locking pawl. The tooth element is also resiliently biased. The resilient biasing of the crank lever and the toothed element are accomplished by corrosion-resistant "O" rings. All of the elements of the device are made of corrosion-resistant material. The blade is made of stainless steel, the frame and levers are made of synthetic resinous material.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for pitting olives and then slicing the pitted olives. In a preferred embodiment, each olive is carried in a cup positioned between a coring knife and a pitting knife in a manner so that the longitudinal axes of the cup and the knives coincide. As the cup and knives rotate around a drive shaft along parallel circular paths, a system of cams extends and retracts the knives relative to the cup, in order to pit the olive. After the pitting operation, the cup (containing a pitted olive) continues to rotate along its circular path past a set of slicing knives or water jet cutters. The slicing elements are oriented substantially parallel to the plane of the cup's circular path, so that the slicing elements will sever the olive cleanly into slices as the cup translates past them. In the inventive method and apparatus, both the pitting and slicing operations are performed on each olive while the olive is held in a known orientation.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for separating and removing sectional membranes ("rag") from a section of fruit meat extracted from whole fruit to produce a juice/juice sac slurry. In one embodiment of the present invention, sections of fruit meat extracted from whole fruits are fed into a rotating screen drum having a counterrotating shaft coaxial therewith. The coaxial shaft has a plurality of striker bars projecting radially therefrom that strike the tumbling fruit meat sections and separate the juice sacs from the sectional membranes to produce the juice/juice sac slurry. Also disclosed and described are apparatuses for and methods of extracting fruit meat sections from whole fruits, and an apparatus for and method of separating seeds from the juice/juice sac slurry.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for aligning articles as the articles are translated in cups along a substantially circular path. In one embodiment, each cup is formed in the outer surface of a rotating cylindrical drum, and one or more slots, each oriented parallel to the substantially circular path, extend through each cup's bottom surface. A stationary, notch alignment strip is positioned in at least one of the slots. As the cups translate past the notched strip, the strip bumps the articles in the cups to urge them into a uniform alignment. In a preferred embodiment, the slots are spaced and dimensioned to receive parallel slicing knives. In an important application of the invention, the cups are dimensioned to carry pitted olives, and the slots are spaced and dimensioned to receive a set of parallel olive slicing knives.

Abstract: An apparatus for slicing meats compromising an electrically driven meat chuck assembly for rotating the meat about a vertical axis, a circular slicer blade for cutting the meat, vertical indexing means for gradually moving the blade vertically, positioning means for moving the blade into slicing engagement and disengagement from the meat, a meat support means for slicing boneless meats, and a positioning stop to limit blade movement during boneless slicing operations. The indexing means include an electrically driven threaded drive shaft providing movement of the blade, and whereby upon disengagement of the blade from the meat, the relative respective positions there between are maintained. The positioning is pneumatically driven, whereby the force bringing the blade into engagement with the meat may be readily overcome manually so as to facilitate prevention of the blade cutting into bones or joints at the eccentrically oriented with respect to the axis of rotation of the meat.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hollowing machine for vegetables and fruits comprising a frame (1) with a lower table (2), a central table (3), an upper table (4) and outermost a step-by-step pivoting table (7), placed above the upper table. The pivoting table is provided with recesses or pockets for keeping a vegetable or fruit, e.g. a head of cauliflower. The machine comprises a supporting device (103) and a holding device (104) for centering and holding the head of cauliflower in the correct position. Below the outer pivoting table (7) and the upper table (4), centered under one of the recesses, a device of the iris diaphragm (83) type is arranged and straight under this diaphragm a knife head (46) and control devices (107, 36) for controlling the up- and downward movements of the knife head are arranged. The knife head comprises i.a.

Abstract: A machine for slicing oblong fruit which have no pits, such as pitted olives, includes an inclined roller-type conveyor belt extending between an open-bottom hopper-type loading station to an interdigitated rotary knife-type of cutting station served by a comb-type of slice-unloading station. The hopper is open not only upwards and downwards, but also towards downstream, and the rollers are annularly corrugated and made to rotate towards the hopper immediately downstream of the hopper, so as to load the conveyor belt with a single-depth layer of fruit oriented long axis transversally of the conveyor. At the cutting station, the knives on the upper knife drum spike the fruit in a row and transfer those fruit from the conveyor into the nip between the upper and lower knife drums where the knives on both drums cooperate to slice the fruit. By preference, the knives are disk-shaped with regular patterns of small teeth regularly interrupted by individual larger teeth.

Abstract: A process for increasing tree unit shelling efficiency includes a means of temporarily hardening the kernels of unshelled nuts to increase the efficiency of conventional nut hulling and/or shelling means. Quick freezing is used to sufficiently lower the temperature of the kernels of unshelled nuts to freeze the liquid matter contained in the kernels with minimal ice crystal formation. A higher percentage of nut kernels remain intact during hulling and/or shelling. The hulls and/or shells of the nuts remain substantially unaffected by quick freezing.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating juice sacs of a citrus fruit, including: freezing means for freezing the citrus fruit with a cryogenic liquid refrigerant; crushing device for crushing a frozen citrus fruit; and separating device for separating juice sacs from the crushed citrus fruit.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a potato into a helical shape, the apparatus having a hollow, generally cylindrical body, a cutting plate having a top side and a bottom side located in the body for cutting a potato into a helical shape when a potato is inserted into the body, forced against the cutting plate and rotated around the longitudinal axis of the body, the cutting plate having a plurality of vertical blades for cutting a potato extending perpendicularly upward from the cutting plate and a horizontal blade located above the cutting plate for cutting a potato, and a feeding apparatus for forcing a potato onto the cutting plate and for rotating the potato about the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body to cut the potato into a helical shape, and an apparatus for cutting an onion into a helical shape, the apparatus having a hollow, generally cylindrical body, a cutting plate having a top side and a bottom side located in the body for cutting an onion into a helical shape when an onion is inserted into the b

Abstract: Olives from which the pits have already been removed are deposited on the upward-sloping carrying run of an endless conveyor which is made of a succession of rollers mounted to chains entrained about sprockets. The rollers have flexible disk-like fins of progressively increasing and decreasing diameter from fin to fin so that the olives tend to settle into pockets and orient with their lengths crosswise of the belt as the rollers are rotated. The belt conveys the olives into a shaft of slicing disks. Olive slices are received between slicing disks and an assisting roller pushes in the remainder of any olive only partially sliced through, except that contact of the slicing disks with any pit still contained in an olive pushes that olive more deeply into a respective inter-roller pocket by flexing the respective roller fins. At separate locations along the conveyor, a comb pulls the olive slices out from between the slicing disks, and the pocket-entrapped pit-containing olives are dislodged.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming longitudinally extending bores in food products includes a hollow circular coring knife having a cutting edge formed at a terminal end thereof. Another end of the knife is connected to a connection member rotatively carried by a bearing and which has a passageway formed along the length thereof in communication with the hollow portion of the circular knife. The connection member is rotatively driven by drive means and sealingly connected, at the passageway, to a vacuum source. A retainer structure carries two types of food products, one a relatively larger product in which a larger bore is formed by a knife. The retainer structure is slidable with respect to the knife so that the knife is inserted a predetermined extent of the length of the food product, normally a bun. A second food product, normally a wiener, is also placeable within the retainer structure and bored but at a smaller diameter.

Abstract: Protein foods are made from cereals by (a) milling the cereal and steeping the milled material in water; (b) mechanically separating the mixture from (a) to produce a sediment (I) containing the major proportion of the insoluble material and starch A, and a suspension (II) containing at least 60% of the nitrogeneous material initially present; (c) subsequently separating the suspension (II) to form an insoluble fraction (III) containing at least 60% of the proteins initially present and a supernatant fraction (IV); (d) mixing the sediment (I) with the supernatant fraction (IV) to form a suspension (V) containing at least 90% of the starch initially preset; (e) hydrolyzing the starch in the suspension (V) by addings thermally stable amylase; (f) separating the hydrolysis mixture from stase (e) to provide a supernatant hydrolysate (VI) and an insoluble fraction (VII); (g) fermenting the insoluble fraction (VII) after suspending it in water to cause an enrichment in yeast protein and (h) separating the fermented

Abstract: In the cutting apparatus the item to be cut is helicoidally cut by a blade. In order to be able easily to use the cutting apparatus and to hold securely the item to be cut (5) during the cutting operation, it is proposed according to the invention that the holding means (6) be provided with a funnel-shaped depression (funnel 7) situated in the axis of rotation for centering said item to be cut (5).

Abstract: This invention involves a device for automatically cutting a potato or similar edible tubers into a shoe string form. The cutting device utilizes the entire potato during the cutting operation by the use of a novel potato support and receiving and cutting structures which are adapted to mate with the turning means which rotates the potato along the fixed axis.

Abstract: A centering and aligning tube for use in hydraulic food cutting apparatus, said tube including a rigid outer housing and a resilient liner insertable into the housing, the liner constructed of resilient material and preferably provided with a plurality of evenly spaced, radially inward and longitudinally extending ribs operable to engage the food product, such as a potato, for alignment and centering thereof relative to a cutter. The ribs are preferably tapered from entrance to a location adjacent the exit of the liner. A resilient annular seal with an opening for passage of the food product, such as a raw potato, is provided adjacent the exit end of the liner to increase the exit speed of the potato and to restrict fluid use for greater efficiency. An inner tube engaging the inner most surface of the ribs may optionally be provided.

Abstract: The apparatus for the production of fodder and fat from animal raw materials such as slaughter house waste includes a heating apparatus for heating the raw material, a pressing apparatus for separating the heated material into a solid material phase and a fluid phase, a drier for drying the solid material phase to remove water and an evaporator for evaporating the fluid phase. The evaporator receives waste heat from the drier to carry out the evaporation of the fluid phase.

Abstract: A vegetable and fruit slicing apparatus including a member for rotating an object to be sliced about the axis of the object, a cutter blade, a mechanism for moving the cutter blade. The moving mechanism moves the cutter blade along a path oblique to the rotational axis of the object, thereby enabling the object to be sliced in such a manner that only a conical or truncated-conical core remains unsliced.

Abstract: A produce wedger is provided for sectioning produce, such as tomatoes. The produce is restrained in such a manner that as the slicing device moves through it (thereby slicing it into a plurality of sections), the produce is left substantially in its original shape. The device is configured to minimize destruction of the composition of the produce.A method of sectioning by slicing with minimal disruption of the produce, is disclosed.

Abstract: Apparatus for mechanical separation of the seeds of pomegranates or similar produce comprising a gas jet directed on the portion of the produce to be separated for effecting the separation desired. In particular, such apparatus comprising apparatus for exposing the interior of the produce, apparatus for supporting the produce such that its interior is exposed, and a gas jet arranged so as to direct a flow of pressurized gas against the exposed interior of the produce thereby effecting the desired separation.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for extracting gel from aloe vera leaves without contaminating the gel with toxic juices indigenous to the husks of the leaves. Further, this mechanized extraction is uniquely suited to permit frequent cleaning of the machinery. The leaves are washed, trimmed, and introduced into means for feeding the aloe vera leaves to and through a blade which longitudinally bisects the leaves. The split leaves are then passed through pressing rollers which advance the husks but retain the gel which falls from the pressing rollers into a collection pan. The pressed husks shed additional gel as they are carried over a further expanse of the collection pan and are then transferred to a husk collection conveyor which carries the husks back under the machinery. The pressing rollers are mounted to the frame of the apparatus by a hinged block which permits the pressing rollers to be swung open to permit cleaning of the pressing rollers and the blade.

Abstract: A kitchen utensil has threaded end portion, a substantially straight middle portion connected to the threaded end portion and a plain portion disposed at an angle to the middle portion. A cutting member with a front cutting edge, a back edge and an aperture going therethrough from the front cutting edge to the back edge is attached to the threaded end portion in such manner that an axis of the aperture is substantially parallel to the directions of the threads.

Abstract: A coconut grater for grating and removing the coconut flesh from the interior of a coconut shell has a rotatable shaft and a plurality of curved grating members. Each grating member has a front portion secured to a leading end of the shaft and then curving outwardly and rearwardly to extend in spaced relation to the shaft. A plurality of angularly spaced struts extend radially from the shaft at a location rearwardly spaced from the leading end thereof. Each grating member has a rear portion secured to at least one of the struts, and also has grating edges formed by small apertures with outwardly projecting sharp edges.

Abstract: Apparatus for slicing ham or the like comprising a ham holder adapted to hold the ham to be sliced and journalled for rotation so as to spin the ham, motor spinning the ham holder, rotatable slicer blade and motor spinning the blade and respective rams for moving the blade into cutting engagement with the ham while simultaneously moving it upwardly so as to cut a continuous spiral around the bone of the ham. Respective adjustment means are provided for adjusting the thicknesses of the slices of ham that are produced and for securing the respective order of moving the cutting blade away from the ham before it is brought upwardly or downwardly from its finishing position to its starting position.

Abstract: A rounded food article, such as a tomato or potato, is quickly divided into a number of radial sections by forcing it through a conical cup of radial blades within which it is impaled on a central spike to which the central ends of the blades are joined. The article is forced through the wedge-shaped spaces between the blades by an annular array of fingers depending from a plunger to which a handle is attached. The plunger assembly slides over a pair of vertical guides towards the blade assembly engaged within a recess in the base. The fingers extend completely through the blades when the plunger is fully engaged within the blades. The plunger includes obstructing tabs in the event both vertical rods are not properly engaged in the plunger, such that the plunger is angularly displaced and the fingers strike the base rather than the blades or spike. Four legs give the device a steady foundation and raise the base sufficiently from the table to allow the long food sections to be freely discharged onto it.

Abstract: Material obtained from animals, poultry, or fish and containing edible flesh along with normally inedible relatively hard or tough components, such as bone, gristle, tendons, etc., is fed in ground condition into one end of a perforated conduit that has a conveyor screw therein which progressively decreases in conveying capacity from the feed end of the conduit to an imperforate discharge end thereof. Such inedible components are compacted within the imperforate discharge end of the conduit by an extension of the conveyor screw prior to discharge following build-up and conveyance along the interior surface of the perforate portion of the conduit as a filter mat through which edible flesh is forced toward and through the perforations of the conduit to provide a substantially bonefree edible product.