Knife assemblies having primary and secondary blades and at least one tab blade. The primary and secondary blades each have a corrugated shape as a result of defining a wave pattern that defines peaks and valleys. The primary and secondary blades each further having upper and lower surfaces, leading and trailing edges, and a depth defined by and between the leading and trailing edges. The upper surface of the primary blade and the lower surface of the secondary blade are complementary so that the secondary blade and the peaks and valleys thereof are able to nest on the primary blade and the peaks and valleys thereof. The secondary blade has at least one tab blade that projects from one of its peaks and is defined by a cut in the peak to form a tab that is bent so that the tab projects from the peak.

Machines for cutting products and impellers therefor. Such an impeller is adapted to be coaxially mounted within a cutting head for rotation therein. The impeller includes a lower plate having a paddle that directs material placed on the lower plate in a radially outward direction of the impeller when the impeller is rotated. A recess in the lower plate is continuous between upper and lower surfaces of the lower plate and contiguous with the perimeter of the lower plate to define a passageway to enable debris at the upper surface to exit the impeller therethrough. A chute is located at an outer radial extent of the paddle and defines a first opening adjacent the paddle, a second opening adjacent the recess, and a passageway within the chute and between the first and second openings through which the debris passes before exiting the impeller through the passageway of the recess.

A cutting head for a centrifugal cutting apparatus includes a rim structure; and a plurality of cutting stations which are mounted onto the rim structure, each of said cutting stations comprising a cutting element for cutting food products at a leading end of the cutting station and a product sliding surface between the leading end and a trailing end of the cutting station. The cutting stations are assembled adjacent one another onto the rim structure in such a way that a gap is present between each pair of adjacent cutting stations through which a product slice exits the cutting head upon being cut by one of the cutting elements. The product sliding surface has a first wall curvature on a front part and deviates from the first wall curvature on a rear part.

Impeller for a centrifugal cutting apparatus, provided for being coaxially mounted within an annular-shaped cutting head and to be rotated inside the cutting head about a rotational axis in a rotational direction, the impeller comprising: a base plate, an annular cover plate and a plurality of circumferentially spaced paddles mounted between the base and cover plates. The paddles are oriented such that they have a first impelling surface directed towards the rotational direction and the circumference of the impeller, so as to drive the product that is admitted into the impeller forwards and outwards towards cutting elements mounted on the cutting head. The paddles have peripheral parts located at or near the circumference of the impeller. The peripheral parts of the paddle elements are provided with replaceable, removably mounted wear parts which form a second impelling surface on the respective paddle.

A modular unit configured for mounting to a cutting head of a slicing machine and for securing a knife to the cutting head, and slicing machines equipped with one or more of such modular units. The modular unit includes mounting blocks adapted to be spaced apart in an axial direction of the cutting head, and a clamping assembly assembled with the mounting blocks so as to extend between the mounting blocks. The clamping assembly is configured to secure a knife to the cutting head, and at least portions of the clamping assembly may be removable from the cutting head by disassembling the clamping assembly from the mounting blocks without removing the mounting blocks from the cutting head.

Cutting head assembly for a centrifugal cutting apparatus, comprising a plurality of drum stations, at least one of which is a cutting station, provided for together forming a drum, and fixing parts provided for assembling and holding the drum stations together. The drum stations have overlapping parts with each time at least one receiving part for receiving one of the fixing parts, such that in assembled condition the adjacent drum stations are each time fixed to each other by means of at least one of the fixing parts at the overlapping parts of the adjacent drum stations.

A knife assembly includes a knife blade of which a front edge is a cutting edge, a holder for supporting the knife blade, a clamp for clamping the knife blade onto the holder, and a fastening mechanism for securing and clamping the knife blade between the clamp and the holder with the cutting edge protruding at a front side of the assembly. The holder has a frontal portion which is the foremost portion of the assembly at a bottom side of the knife blade and of which a foremost contact point is, in clamped state, in contact with a bottom side of the knife blade at a first distance from the cutting edge. The clamp includes front portions which protrude forward and into valleys of the knife blade and which have leading edges that protrude beyond said foremost contact point and create a crumple zone in front of the holder.

Knife assemblies adapted for use in slicing machines includes a knife holder having a support surface that defines an outer upper surface of the knife holder and a leading edge of the knife holder. An insert is supported by the knife holder and has leading and trailing ends that each extends along a longitudinal extent of the knife holder, and a longitudinal end between the leading and trailing ends. A knife is at least partly supported by the insert and has a cutting edge that projects beyond the leading end of the insert. The knife is clamped to the knife holder and the insert is secured to the knife holder by at least a first slot defined in the trailing end and/or longitudinal end of the insert, and at least a first locking post that engages the first slot and secures the insert to the knife holder.

Machines and methods for slicing products into lattice-type slices or chips. The methods and machines utilize a cutting head having an annular shape that defines an axis of the cutting head, and an impeller assembly coaxially mounted within the interior of the cutting head for rotation about the axis of the cutting head. The cutting head having at least one knife at a perimeter thereof and extending radially inward of the cutting head. The impeller assembly has a base, a cavity within the base, a central opening to the cavity within the base, and equi-angularly spaced tubular guides extending radially outward from the base for delivering products within the cavity toward the perimeter of the cutting head as the impeller assembly rotates within the cutting head. The impeller assembly includes features with the ability to increase product throughput and increase the useful lives of the impeller assembly and cutting head.

Knife assemblies adapted for use in slicing machines. Such a knife assembly includes a knife holder having a support surface that defines a leading edge of the knife holder and a trailing end spaced from the leading edge, an insert disposed on the support surface so that a leading edge thereof projects beyond the leading edge of the knife holder and a trailing end thereof is secured to the knife holder, a knife clamped to the knife holder so that the insert is between the knife and the support surface. The trailing end of the insert is secured to the knife holder as a result of the trailing end being received in a slot defined in the trailing end of the support surface, or with posts protruding from the support surface that engage slots defined in the trailing end of the insert.