Cutting wheels equipped with knife assemblies suitable for performing size reduction operations on products, methods of operating cutting wheels, knife holders for such knife assemblies, methods of manufacturing knife holders, and slicing machines capable of utilizing such cutting wheels. The knife assemblies each have a leading edge that faces a direction of rotation of the cutting wheel, a trailing edge oppositely disposed from the leading edge, and a cutting edge on the leading edge. Each knife assembly further has a knife holder having a first surface that faces the products advanced toward the cutting wheel in a feed direction and a registration surface formed in the first surface. The registration surface is defined by at least a first recessed planar surface that is recessed a distance relative to the first surface and defines with the first surface at least a first step therebetween.

The modular cutter assembly for cutting composite material and for use in a composite placement machine wherein the cutter assembly includes a base and a cutting member. The cutting member being removably attachable to the base by a mechanical connection.

The modular cutter assembly for cutting composite material and for use in a composite placement machine wherein the cutter assembly includes a base and a cutting member. The cutting member being removably attachable to the base by a mechanical connection.

A mounting device (12) for mounting a tooling board (14) in a flat bed die-cutting, stripping or blanking machine comprises at least one first clamping jaw (38) which is moveable from an unlocked position, in which a tooling board (14) may be removed from or inserted into the machine, to a locked position, in which a tooling board (14) may be fixed in the machine, at least one actuator (18) which comprises a moveable piston (54) and a piston rod (56) coupled to the piston (54), wherein the actuator (18) is configured to transfer the at least one first clamping jaw (38) from the locked position to the unlocked position, and wherein the actuator (18) is coupled to the at least one clamping jaw (38) via an attachment point (60) which has a fixed position relative to the first clamping jaw (38). Furthermore, a mounting assembly (10) comprising a mounting device (12) is provided.

A mounting device (12) for mounting a tooling board (14) in a flat bed die-cutting, stripping or blanking machine comprises at least one first clamping jaw (38) which is moveable from an unlocked position, in which a tooling board (14) may be removed from or inserted into the machine, to a locked position, in which a tooling board (14) may be fixed in the machine, at least one actuator (18) which comprises a moveable piston (54) and a piston rod (56) coupled to the piston (54), wherein the actuator (18) is configured to transfer the at least one first clamping jaw (38) from the locked position to the unlocked position, and wherein the actuator (18) is coupled to the at least one clamping jaw (38) via an attachment point (60) which has a fixed position relative to the first clamping jaw (38). Furthermore, a mounting assembly (10) comprising a mounting device (12) is provided.

A material cutting device includes a rotatably mounted tool holder configured to carry a cutting tool and a drive for rotating the tool holder. The drive includes an electric motor with a rotor and a stator. The axis of rotation of the rotor of the electric motor and the axis of rotation of the tool holder are arranged coaxially. The stator encloses the rotor over an angle of less than 360 degrees.

A food processor includes a bowl with a removable lid. Food items are advanced into the bowl through a feed tube formed in the lid where they are cut by a blade assembly. A rotating disk is adjustable relative to the blade assembly to vary the thickness of the food items cut by the blade assembly.

A blade removal device removes a blade of a slicer. The removal device has: a base positioned with a contact side on one side of the blade; fasteners supported in the base, rotatable from an attachment position for attaching the blade removal device to the blade into a holding position for holding the blade; and a rotary handle supported on the base and rotatable relative to the base from a closed position into an open position to release an interlock between the blade and the drive. The interlock opens when the rotary handle is in the open position and is closed when the rotary handle is in the closed position. The fasteners in the attachment position engage in cutouts of the rotary handle in the closed position. The cutouts and the fasteners are out of engagement when the rotary handle is in the open position.

Machines for cutting products and impellers suitable for use with the machines. The impellers include a lower plate having a central zone and paddles configured with the lower plate outside of the central zone to direct material to the cutting head. At least a first exit slot is located in the lower plate, intersecting the perimeter of the lower plate, and extending through the lower plate to define a passageway to enable foreign debris at the upper surface to exit the impeller through the passageway.

A trimming apparatus includes a trimmer head assembly and trimmer head frame portion. The trimmer head assembly including a first wheel, a second wheel, a drive motor coupled to the first wheel, the trimmer head assembly first and second wheels in frictional contact with each other and their rotation axis defining a non-zero camber angle. A trimming apparatus may include a plurality of trimmer head assemblies arranged in a grid, and include movable grid flap assemblies. A trimming apparatus may include a plurality of trimmer head assemblies formed and distributed as a drum module, or a plurality of drum modules. A trimming apparatus may include a single trimmer head assembly with a handle for manual operation.