Abstract: A spiral meat slicer is provided particularly for slicing ham, wherein a ham is mounted vertically on a slowly rotating spiked platform. A rotating, substantially horizontal disk blade is pivotally mounted on the meat slicer to permit the blade to be biased by spring means toward and into the ham to spirally cut the ham to the bone. A non-rotating arm is carried in bearings below the spiked platform, this arm reaching up above the ham and containing a spiked, rotatable top support that is pressed into the top portion of the ham to steady the ham against pressure of the cutting blade. The spiked platform is mounted on a vertical lead screw, that causes the ham to be lowered steadily as the ham rotates to produce a spiral cut around the ham bone. The weight of the ham aids in moving the ham down steadily, permitting the ham to be automatically sliced substantially from one end to the other, including around the aitch bone without requiring manual manipulation.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding an aloe vera plant leaf to a cutting knife. The apparatus is designed to transport the leaf on a first endless belt conveyor on which the leaf is laid lengthwise and flat on the conveyor belt. A second endless belt conveyor travels in the same direction and at the same speed as the first endless belt conveyor but is disposed at a right angle to the first endless belt conveyor at the feed end of the apparatus. The first endless belt conveyor in its travel is slowly twisted towards the second endless belt conveyor and by the time the first endless belt conveyor has reached the end of its travel, the leaf has been turned from a flat condition to a now vertical position and is sandwiched between the two sets of endless conveyor belts.

Abstract: A spiral meat slicer is provided which operates to form a continuous spiral slice on a piece of meat such as a ham or roast which has a central bone structure of non-uniform diameter. Included in the slicer is an improved elevator and oscillator which provide the necessary cutting action in a manner to avoid unnecessary vibration and further permits ready access for servicing as well as increased durability.

Abstract: A helical or spiral-shaped food, particularly a potato, is produced by means of being cut in a way that a helical or spiral ribbon is produced having a series of loops around a center whereby the loops define a space from each other. The space corresponds to the shape of the loops and is filled with at least one similar, helical or spiral ribbon.

Abstract: A machine for spirally slicing an unboned ham mounted between a non-driven ham engaging member and a driven ham engaging member attached to a feed screw supported by a nut fixed to the machine frame. A drive motor connected to the feed screw is mounted in a housing movable linearly with the feed screw and a support connects the non-driven ham engaging member to the housing for movement therewith. A reciprocatably driven slicing knife is mounted on a table which is movable linearly and transversely to the longitudinal axis of the feed screw between non-working and working positions and which is resiliently biased in the working position to permit automatic positional compensation of the slicing knife for eccentricity of ham rotation and irregularity in the shape of the ham.

Abstract: A coconut shredder and cutter apparatus comprises a housing having therein a coconut cutting and shredding compartment with a removable tray bottom, and a transparent cover for the compartment. A motor driven shaft extends into one end of the compartment on which a shredder blade or coconut holder may be selectively mounted for shredding and cutting operations, respectively. During shredding, a coconut half section is supported by a coconut holder mounted on the inner end of a manually manipulable holder mount supported for axial, radial and pivotal movement with respect to the shredder blade which is then mounted on the motor shaft. The coconut half section is manipulated by the operator to bring portions of the meat in the coconut section into engagement with the rotating shredder blade thereby to effect removal of the meat from the coconut shell.

Abstract: A spiral meat slicer or ham slicer is disclosed in which a rotating circular or disk like blade is brought into contact with a rotating ham for the purpose of slicing the ham. Means are provided for causing the blade to be moved axially in relation to the axis of the ham, and for canting the axis of rotation of the blade slightly in relation to the axis of rotation of the ham, whereby to form a single continuous spiral slice from the whole ham. Means are also provided for preventing exposure of the blade when not in use, whereby to avoid injury to the operator of the slicer and others. Additional means are also provided for stabilizing the operation of the cutter or slicer unit, whereby greater efficiency in operation and use of the device, as well as an improved product, is attained.

Abstract: Apparatus for spirally slicing a cut of meat such as a ham or the like. The meat is retained in a substantially vertical position by means of upper and lower skewers. The lower skewers are powered thus providing for rotation of the cut of meat along a substantially vertical axis. A rotary circular cutting blade is supported by an arm which is generally movable about a vertical axis. A carriage imparts vertical movement to the arm and blade. When the rotary blade is brought into contact with the rotating cut of meat it is caused to be advanced along the axis of rotation of the meat thereby to form a continuous spiral slice in the meat. Sensing and control means are provided limiting both the horizontal and vertical movement of the blade to enable the cut of meat to be sliced about an internal bone.

Abstract: The invention comprises an apparatus for automatically removing fat from a meat carcass. A sensing station includes a row of needle probes which can be inserted into the carcass and which produce an electric signal at a fat/lean interface. The position of this interface relative to a support is recorded for each probe in a memory unit, and the carcass is then passed to a cutting section where it is drawn over a knife blade. The height of the knife blade is adjustable by a servo-motor controlled from the memory unit, and as the carcass is pulled over the knife, information from the memory unit is progressively released to adjust the knife so that the cut through the carcass follows the previously-sensed fat line.

Abstract: A spiral meat slicer is provided which will form a continuous spiral slice on a piece of meat such as a ham which has a center bone structure which includes a crooked bone of non-uniform diameter.

Abstract: A machine for paring vegetables, fruits or parts thereof having as their base a central portion to be separated over a hemispherical or ogival surface from the surrounding portion, said machine comprising a tray which pivots discontinuously and which is provided with a recess in which said vegetable or fruit is placed, a blade which is curved towards the vertical axis of said vegetable or fruit, rotates about said axis and moves over an arc of a circle which is convex in relation to said axis between two positions, said positions being a position where it is retracted from said recess and a cutting position.

Abstract: A disc refiner wherein the operating faces of its discs are arranged to have interdigited teeth disposed in radially spaced rows and to further have dams interposed between selected successively adjacent of said rows. The dams are characterized by being parallel to said rows and substantially coextensive therewith. Each dam is accordingly substantially continuous and each serves in the operation of the discs to block substantially all material moving across the face of the disc of which it forms a part and causes it to be deflected outwardly and to impact on the operating face of the opposing disc. The arrangement is such to insure that as the material the constituents of which are to be separated moves across the respective operating faces of opposed refiner discs it will be repeatedly thrown from one disc operating face to the other and in the process have imposed thereon a forceful separation of constituent parts.

Abstract: A citrus slicing machine wherein a whole peeled citrus fruit (e.g., a grapefruit) is placed on an upright spindle with its core oriented in a vertical direction. A plurality of uniformly circumferentially spaced blades, which are mounted on an overlying head, are then reciprocated vertically through the fruit to slice it into a plurality of uniform segments. The blades are flat in the vertical plane and extend outwardly from the bottom upwardly so that they cut the fruit from the interior to the outside thereof. The blades are arranged in non-radial orientations with respect to the axial core of the fruit so that they slice across the radially extending membranes of the fruit to provide pleasing and attractive fruit slices for the ever popular fruit salads or the like.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for sectioning oranges and other fruit which preferably has been previously cored and peeled. Fruit is positioned over a spindle and allowed to move preferably downwardly into a plurality of revolving, circular blades whose respective peripheries are in edge adjacent relationship to said spindle. The fruit in passing through these blades is sectioned. Blades can be offset from a radially extending relationship to said spindle if desired for obtaining oblique angles of sectionizing.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in machines for cracking shell eggs and separating the yolks from the albumen which comprises a separating assembly having a top bowl-forming member for receiving the egg contents which is mounted above a bottom pan or tray for collecting the albumen, which bowl member is constructed to provide an open top portion into which the egg contents is adapted to be dumped and a bottom portion in which the yolk settles while the albumen is separated by draining into the bottom collecting pan through a specially formed slot in the upstanding wall of the bowl.

Abstract: A rounded food article, such as a lemon, tomato or apple, is instantaneously 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 bent rod fingers depending from a head to which an operating handle is attached. The plunger assembly slides over a pair of vertical rods 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 substantial weight of the plunger facilitates its rapid downward movement toward the blade, and a set of three legs raise the base sufficiently from the table to allow the food sections to be freely discharged onto it.

Abstract: A spiral meat slicer is provided which will form a continuous spiral slice on a piece of meat such as a ham which has a center bone structure which includes a crooked bone of non-uniform diameter. The spiral meat slicer includes an improved reciprocating knife structure.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for cutting the core of a leafy vegetable, such as a cabbage, prior to the cabbage being sliced for making sauerkraut and the like.The machine comprises a frame having endless belt conveying means for carrying the cabbage heads to a coring station. At the coring station, vertically-reciprocating, non-rotating knives engage the core and cut it into sections. The downward or cutting movement of the knives is terminated by adjustable means which cause the knives to be returned to their normal at-rest positions out of engagement with the cabbage.

Abstract: A spiral meat slicer especially for cutting ham, wherein the ham is mounted vertically on a spiked platform which slowly revolves. A rotating disk blade is brought into engagement with the periphery of the ham to cut the ham to the bone. The blade support is mounted on a lead screw so that the blade steadily rises as the ham rotates. Thus an unbroken spiral cut of ham is produced. In order to permit selective manual control when cutting around the aitch bone, a manually manipulatable arm is provided, by which the blade may be selectively moved toward and away from the rotative axis of the ham. Once the aitch bone has been cleared, the arm is detented into an extreme position and thereafter the blade is automatically biased toward the ham with a predetermined spring force, by means of a biasing spring.

Abstract: Squeezing-shredding machine for tomato pulp comprises a conveyor at one end of which a suitable cutters cut the tomatoes along a longitudinal axis into halves and a separator device downstream of each cutter which positions each half tomato on a perforated flat conveyor which passes beneath idle pressure rollers which are suitably spaced apart.