Size-reduction units, size-reduction machines, and methods capable of producing size-reduced products from a variety of solid and semisolid materials. A size-reduction unit includes a circular cutter adapted and arranged to cut a product into strips, a rotating cross-cutter adapted and arranged to receive the strips from the circular cutter, and a stripper plate. The cross-cutter has knives with cutting edges that are adapted and arranged to cut the strips into a size-reduced product, and the stripper plate defines a shear edge in proximity to the cutting edge of each knife of the cross-cutter as its cutting edge encounter the shear edge during rotation of the cross-cutter. The cross-cutter has a helical fluted shape comprising flutes between adjacent pairs of the knives.

Size-reduction units, size-reduction machines, and methods capable of producing size-reduced products from a variety of solid and semisolid materials. A size-reduction unit includes a circular cutter adapted and arranged to cut a product into strips, a rotating cross-cutter adapted and arranged to receive the strips from the circular cutter, and a stripper plate. The cross-cutter has knives with cutting edges that are adapted and arranged to cut the strips into a size-reduced product, and the stripper plate defines a shear edge in proximity to the cutting edge of each knife of the cross-cutter as its cutting edge encounter the shear edge during rotation of the cross-cutter. The cross-cutter has a helical fluted shape comprising flutes between adjacent pairs of the knives.

A food cutter assembly can include a spindle body defining an interior passage for receiving a food product. A cutting tool can be connected to an end of the spindle body for cutting the food product. The food cutter assembly can also include a housing for rotationally mounting the spindle body. Rotation of the spindle body can be controlled by one or more magnets mounted to the spindle body and by a stator and/or pulley magnetically or electromagnetically coupled with the magnet to drive the one or more magnets about a rotational axis, which in turn spins the spindle body about the rotational axis, driving the rotational cutting motion of the cutting tool.

A food cutter assembly can include a spindle body defining an interior passage for receiving a food product. A cutting tool can be connected to an end of the spindle body for cutting the food product. The food cutter assembly can also include a housing for rotationally mounting the spindle body. Rotation of the spindle body can be controlled by one or more magnets mounted to the spindle body and by a stator and/or pulley magnetically or electromagnetically coupled with the magnet to drive the one or more magnets about a rotational axis, which in turn spins the spindle body about the rotational axis, driving the rotational cutting motion of the cutting tool.

A food processing device (10) includes a drive assembly coupled to a dualaction cutting tool (20) and a single-action dicing tool (40). First and second cutting assemblies (51, 52) are disposed on the cutting tool (20) and are adapted to make first and second cuts in a food substrate as the cutting tool (20) rotates within a food processing path (26). The cutting tool (20) is further adapted to urge the cut food substrate towards and through the dicing tool (40) where generally parallel spaced-apart blades (66) further cut the food substrate to form diced food elements. The sequential cutting arrangement of the cutting tool (20) and the dicing tool (40) provides for a food processing device (10) that is capable of dicing a food substrate with lower torque and lower power requirements as compared to conventional dicing methods.

The present invention relates to a method for cutting a food product, in particular a food product strand, into portions, in particular into strips or cubes, comprising the following method steps: a) The food product is advanced to a cutting device (2) by means of an advancing device (12). b) Successive portions are cut off from the food product from an end of the food product which faces the cutting device (2) by means of at least one cutting element (3), wherein the cutting element (3) is guided by means of a disc-shaped cutting element carrier (4), on which the cutting element (3) is arranged, wherein the cutting element carrier (4) is rotated about a drive axis (10) which is oriented at least substantially parallel to an advancing direction (7) of the advancing device (12). c) During one-time guiding of the cutting element (3) past the end of the food product, a multiplicity of strip-shaped portions are produced. In order to provide a method, by means of which it is possible to produce cube-shaped portions in a particularly rapid manner, according to the invention the portions which are being produced are cut to size by means of at least one length cutting device (5) after the cutting by means of the at least one cutting element (3). The present invention further relates to a corresponding device.

The present invention relates to a method for cutting a food product, in particular a food product strand, into portions, in particular into strips or cubes, comprising the following method steps: a) The food product is advanced to a cutting device (2) by means of an advancing device (12). b) Successive portions are cut off from the food product from an end of the food product which faces the cutting device (2) by means of at least one cutting element (3), wherein the cutting element (3) is guided by means of a disc-shaped cutting element carrier (4), on which the cutting element (3) is arranged, wherein the cutting element carrier (4) is rotated about a drive axis (10) which is oriented at least substantially parallel to an advancing direction (7) of the advancing device (12). c) During one-time guiding of the cutting element (3) past the end of the food product, a multiplicity of strip-shaped portions are produced. In order to provide a method, by means of which it is possible to produce cube-shaped portions in a particularly rapid manner, according to the invention the portions which are being produced are cut to size by means of at least one length cutting device (5) after the cutting by means of the at least one cutting element (3). The present invention further relates to a corresponding device.

Methods and apparatuses for reducing food products. Such a method includes introducing a food product into an impeller rotating within a casing about an axis thereof. The impeller has paddles and pockets defined by and between adjacent pairs of the paddles. The paddles are circumferentially spaced so that each pocket is sequentially radially aligned with a circumferential opening of the casing as the impeller rotates. Each paddle has a relief slot defined in an outer radial edge of the paddle. Food products are expelled from the pockets and cut with a knife disposed at the circumferential opening of the casing as the impeller rotates and the pockets travel past the circumferential opening. The knife defines a cord of the casing, extends into the path of the paddles, and passes through the relief slots of the paddles.

Methods and apparatuses for reducing food products. Such a method includes introducing a food product into an impeller rotating within a casing about an axis thereof. The impeller has paddles and pockets defined by and between adjacent pairs of the paddles. The paddles are circumferentially spaced so that each pocket is sequentially radially aligned with a circumferential opening of the casing as the impeller rotates. Each paddle has a relief slot defined in an outer radial edge of the paddle. Food products are expelled from the pockets and cut with a knife disposed at the circumferential opening of the casing as the impeller rotates and the pockets travel past the circumferential opening. The knife defines a cord of the casing, extends into the path of the paddles, and passes through the relief slots of the paddles.

Method and apparatus for reducing food products. The apparatus includes a casing, an impeller adapted for rotation within the casing, and a cutting device. The casing has axial and circumferential openings for product entering and exiting, respectively, the casing. The impeller includes a drum, paddles mounted to the drum, and pockets defined by and between adjacent pairs of paddles that are radially aligned with the circumferential opening of the casing as each pocket travels past the circumferential opening. The cutting device includes a knife disposed at the circumferential opening of the casing and oriented perpendicular to the axis of the impeller. The knife lies on a sector of the casing and has a cutting edge located within an interior of the casing so that the knife extends into the path of the paddles and passes through relief slots defined in the paddles as the impeller rotates.