A tool including a tool surface and further including coding indicia linked, at least indirectly, with the surface of the tool, the coding indicia capable of being detected by a sensor, the coding indicia functioning as a pointer to information relating to said tool or its use.

Embodiments of the invention provide a cutting tool. The cutting tool includes a pin that defines an axis, a first jaw, a second jaw, a first blade, and a second blade. The first and second jaws are configured to rotate about the axis. The first jaw includes a first ear surface that has a first ear bore that is dimensioned to receive the pin. The second jaw includes a second ear surface rotationally engaged with the first ear surface and includes a second ear bore that is dimensioned to receive the pin. The blades can include a tapered face and a non-tapered face. The first and second ear surfaces can be coplanar with the respective non-tapered face.

Disclosed is a pouch cutting apparatus for secondary batteries, which cuts remaining portions of a terrace of a pouch-type secondary battery except for folded portions, the pouch cutting apparatus including a frame, a lower cutting unit fixed to a lower side of a front surface of the frame and configured to support a lower portion of the terrace in a longitudinal direction of the terrace so that the remaining portion extends to the outside of a rear surface thereof in a state in which the pouch-type secondary battery to be cut is fixed, and an upper cutting unit disposed at an upper side of the front surface of the frame so as to be movable upward or downward and configured to cut the remaining portion extending to the outside of the rear surface of the lower cutting unit.

An object of the present invention is to reduce loads during a punching process and to reduce punching time. A punching blade is provided with a blade edge portion including multiple peaks and multiple valleys formed alternately in a circumferential direction. A blade edge line of the blade edge portion has first areas corresponding to the valleys, second areas extending from the peaks to the valleys, and third areas connecting the first areas and the second areas. In a side view of the blade edge portion, the first areas form curved lines along first arcs having a center point on a punching axis, the second areas form curved lines along second arcs having center points located in areas between the punching axis and the highest points of the peaks, and the third areas form straight lines along common tangents to the first arcs and the second arcs.

Methods and equipment suitable for slicing products into lattice-type slices or chips. The methods and equipment utilize a knife assembly that includes a corrugated knife, a knife holder, and a clamp. A leading edge of the knife holder is defined by fingers and notches therebetween, and the fingers of the knife holder engage valleys in a first surface of the corrugated knife. The clamp is mated with a second surface of the corrugated knife and secures the corrugated knife to the knife holder. The clamp has a leading edge defined by fingers and notches therebetween. The fingers of the clamp engage valleys on the second surface of the corrugated knife, such that the fingers of the clamp are interdigitated with the fingers of the knife holder.

A cartridge adapted to secure reciprocating bread slicer blades including a rectangular frame having a planar surface, the frame having a plurality of pairs of opposed holders, each pair of the opposed holders adapted to releasably secure opposed ends of a corresponding bread slicer blade. The frame is adapted to secure a plurality of aligned bread slicer blades defining a plane offset from the frame planar surface. The frame is adapted to selectively maintain each of the plurality of aligned bread slicer blades in tension.

A method for forming a cutting tool includes masking a metal base with one or more masks, the one or more masks including at least one variable permeability mask, and chemically etching the masked metal base to form a blade of the cutting tool.

Equipment for making a precut in a pack of food cups, wherein the precuts makes separation by breaking along a separation line between two food cups easier, where the equipment includes at least one knife for making a precut groove and/or a full cut along the separation line and at least one counter-knife.

Knife assemblies and methods therefor that are adapted to be used with a cutting apparatus capable of producing a variety of shaped food products having large amplitudes, for example, sliced, shredded, and strip-cut food products. The knife assembly includes a primary blade having a corrugated shape to produce a large-amplitude food product slice having a periodic shape, and at least one tab blade assembled with or formed from the primary blade to cut a food product slice into strips.

A blade and assembly provides for a blade that has a front beveled cutting edge and at least two recesses defined within the back, or non-cutting edge, of the blade. A substantially cylindrical cavity or bore extends inwardly into the blade from each recess, the bores being defined in planes that are parallel to the top and bottom surfaces of the blade. A plurality of “T-shaped” legs is provided, each leg having a cross bar or “foot” that is secured at one end of a rod. In the preferred embodiment, three such legs are used, although the present invention is not limited to that number. The rod of each leg is used for insertion into a blade bore. Means for fixing the position of the rod within the blade bore is also provided. This allows the blade to be properly positioned within the holder thereby compensating for blade wear.