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.

Methods and apparatuses for cutting food products. The apparatus includes an annular-shaped cutting head having at least a first mounting frame surrounding a central axis of the cutting head and a plurality of cutting tools arranged around the central axis of the cutting head and pivotably coupled to the first mounting frame such that each cutting tool has a pivot axis. The method includes deflecting each cutting tool about its pivot axis by engaging first portions of the cutting tools in proximity to the first mounting frame to deflect the first portions a first radial deflection distance relative to the central axis and engaging second portions of the cutting tools to deflect the second portions a second radial deflection distance relative to the central axis. The first and second radial deflection distances can be adjusted individually or in unison.

An apparatus for cutting food products is disclosed. The apparatus includes a cutting head comprising a cutting tool that is rotatable between a plurality of positions to change the cutting thickness of the cutting tool. The cutting head also includes a biasing element that biases the cutting tool in a position, and a moveable stop configured to cooperate with the biasing element to maintain the first cutting tool at any of the plurality of positions. The biasing element may be a mechanical spring.

Cutting heads and machines equipped therewith. The cutting heads include axially-spaced annular-shaped structural members and circumferentially-spaced support segments between the structural members. Each support segment has a leading edge and a trailing edge, a knife support surface defined on an inner surface region adjacent the leading edge of the support segment, and a gate located adjacent the trailing edge of the support segment. A knife assembly is located adjacent the leading edge of each support segment. Each knife assembly includes a holder opposing one of the knife support surfaces of the support segments and adapted to clamp a knife between the holder and knife support surface. The cutting head may further have camming units that secure the support segments between the structural members, camming units that clamp the knives to the knife support surfaces, and/or adjustment pins that deflect the gates of the support segments.

An apparatus for cutting potato slices, the apparatus comprising an annular-shaped cutting head and a central impeller coaxially mounted for rotation within the cutting head for delivering potatoes radially outwardly toward the cutting head, a plurality of knives serially mounted annularly around the cutting head, and a plurality of orientation elements serially and annularly mounted within the impeller to define a plurality of cutting zones located around the impeller, each cutting zone being between adjacent orientation elements, wherein radially inner parts of adjacent orientation elements are separated in circumferential direction to define between adjacent orientation elements a throat for passage therethrough of a potato in a radially outward direction into the respective cutting zone toward the cutting head, wherein the throat has a width of from 70 to 140 mm.

Machines and methods for cutting products. Such a machine includes an annular-shaped cutting head and at least one knife that is oriented axially at an inner circumference of the cutting head and extends radially inward into an interior of the cutting head. An impeller is coaxially mounted within the cutting head and has a base, a ring spaced axially from the base, an entrance to an interior of the impeller defined by the ring, and a unit for delivering products within the interior of the impeller toward the inner circumference of the cutting head as the impeller rotates within the cutting head. The delivering unit includes paddles that are circumferentially spaced within the interior of the impeller between the base and the ring. The outer circumference of the impeller has a diameter of greater than 35 centimeters.

A knife assembly including a corrugated knife blade, a holder, a clamp arranged for clamping the knife blade onto the holder, and a fastening mechanism for securing the knife blade between the clamp and the holder. The clamp has clamping parts along a clamping line rearward from the front edge. The clamp includes clamping geometrical elements, corresponding to complementary contact geometrical elements of the knife blade, positioned at least in part at a different distance from said front edge than the clamping line. The clamp engages the knife blade along the clamping line and at the corresponding contact geometrical elements.

A stationary slicing head assembly for use with a centrifugal slicing machine for cutting vegetables into slices. The assembly includes a plurality of slicing shoes serially arranged around an impeller having an axis of rotation. A first end of each slicing shoe is positioned adjacent to a second end of a juxtaposed slicing shoe. A plurality of serially arranged knife blades, each knife blade being secured to the first end of a slicing shoe, wherein each knife blade has a cutting edge/has a cutting edge profile defined with respect to the shape of the cutting edge defining a two-dimensional shape of a cut surface produced by the cutting edge. Some of the knife blades are first knife blades which have a first profile, and second knife blades have a second profile. The arrangement of the first and second knife blades configured to cut first and second slices from a vegetable.

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.

A slicing machine having a cutting head and a knife assembly mounted thereto, and methods for clamping a knife of the knife assembly in the slicing machine. The knife assembly includes a knife holder having a support surface that supports the knife and a clamp overlying the knife holder so that the knife is between the support surface of the knife holder and the clamp. A clamping rod is rotated from a release position to a clamping position to secure the clamp to the knife holder and clamp the knife therebetween. The clamping rod is eccentrically mounted to the cutting head and uses eccentricity to apply a clamping load to the clamp when rotated from the release position to the clamping position.