A removable motor housing for a plant material trimming device. The removable housing may include a first motor housing connectable to the plant trimming device. The first motor housing may be slidably or pivotably connectable to the plant trimming device. The first motor housing may be operable to receive an output shaft from a first motor in the first housing. The output shaft may be operable to communicate with an input shaft of the plant trimming device. A biasing device may be connectable to the first motor housing and the plant trimming device for biasing the first motor housing into a first position. When the first motor housing is in the first position a substantially constant force is applied between the input shaft of the plant trimming device and the output shaft of the first motor.

Machines and methods suitable for performing cutting operations on a product to yield a reduced-size product, for example, slicing and strip-cutting elongate food products. Such a method includes introducing a product into an impeller, rotating the impeller to form at least a first longitudinal cut through the product with a slicing knife and produce therefrom a sliced product, and producing strip-cut products from the sliced product by forming at least a second longitudinal cut that is substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal cut made with the slicing knife.

Impeller for a centrifugal food cutting apparatus, comprising a base plate and at least one set of paddle parts mounted on the base plate and provided for imparting centrifugal force to food products to be cut. Each set comprises inner and outer paddle parts defining at least a first stage and a second, cutting stage, the inner and outer paddle parts being offset from each other in radial and angular direction of the impeller, such that a safe compartment is defined for food product which is in the second stage.

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.

Machines and methods capable of producing diced products from a variety of materials. A stripper plate for such machines and methods has one or more slots sized to accommodate one or more circular knives of a circular cutter. The stripper plate has a base and an oppositely-disposed second surface. The slots are defined in the second surface and extend from the second surface to the base so as to define individual openings in the base. The slots are defined by multi-tiered walls so that the slots are wider at the openings thereof than in another portion of the slots.

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 having oppositely-disposed surfaces that terminate at a cutting edge. The knife assembly further includes a knife holder having a registration surface and an oppositely-disposed knife seat configured to mated with a first surface of the corrugated knife, and means for securing the knife to the knife seat of the knife holder. The knife seat comprises a pattern of peaks and valleys complementary to a pattern of peaks and valleys in the first surface of the corrugated knife. The securing means cooperates with the knife holder to inhibit accumulation of solids of products along at least one of the first and second surfaces of the corrugated knife, and/or stabilizes the knife by reducing a cantilevered beam length thereof.

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.

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.

Knife assemblies and cutting apparatuses adapted for producing strip-cut products, for example, a strip-cut food product. The knife assemblies include a slicing knife having a leading edge configured to produce a slice product from a product, at least one tab that extends outward from the slicing knife and configured to cut the slice product into strips, a knife holder for securing the slicing knife and fixing a proximal end of the tab to a position adjacent to the slicing knife, and a tab support assembly configured to clamp onto a distal end of the tab and optionally pull the tab in a direction away from the knife holder along a longitudinal axis of the tab to apply tension to the tab.

An apparatus for slicing food product to produce food product slices. The apparatus includes a circular cutting head having an axis and at least one knife assembly on the circumference of the cutting head, and a knife extending axially inward and having a corrugated shape to produce a food product slice with a periodic shape characterized by peaks and valleys. At least one component securing the knife to the cutting head has a surface facing radially inward and a corrugated shape shaped differently than the corrugated shape of the knife to minimize surface contact between unsliced food products and the cutting head.