A cutting apparatus is disclosed which includes a cutter knife which is reciprocally moveable along a path of travel; a track member mounted adjacent to the cutter knife and which mechanically cooperates with the cutter knife so as to define, at least in part, a first non-cutting position, and a second cutting position for the cutter knife; and a magnet is mounted in a location on the track member and which releasably, magnetically restrains the cutter knife when the cutter knife is in the first non-cutting position.

A cutting apparatus is disclosed which includes a cutter knife which is reciprocally moveable along a path of travel; a track member mounted adjacent to the cutter knife and which mechanically cooperates with the cutter knife so as to define, at least in part, a first non-cutting position, and a second cutting position for the cutter knife; and a magnet is mounted in a location on the track member and which releasably, magnetically restrains the cutter knife when the cutter knife is in the first non-cutting position.

Apparatuses and methods for slicing products. Such an apparatus has an annular-shaped cutting head equipped with knife assemblies located at a circumference of the cutting head, and interior surfaces each located in a circumferential direction of the cutting head relative to one of the knife assemblies such that each interior surface leads one of the knife assemblies and trails a different one of the knife assemblies. Each knife assembly has a flat knife that extends radially inward to define a gate opening. Each interior surface has continuous flow paths defined therein that extend across at least a majority of the interior surface from adjacent a leading edge thereof through a trailing edge thereof and are fluidically connected to one of the gate openings between the interior surface and the knife that trails the interior surface.

A vacuum table (18) includes an introduction section (102) in fluid communication with a vacuum chamber (120) and a compartment (139) dividable by an adjustment partition (156) into primary and secondary vacuum chambers (139a, 139b). Adjustment plates (130) having adjustment apertures (138) are positionable over apertures (128) of the conveying surface (100) of the vacuum table (18) generally perpendicular to the conveying direction. Film (20) extends from between the nip of pinch rollers (12, 13) to the conveying surface (100) and is tensioned therebetween to be cut in excess of 105 cuts per minute by a servo motor controlled rotary cutter (30) which stops after each cut. The shaft (32) of the rotary cutter (30) includes a bore (310) extending from the idle end to provide servo-control loop stability.

A method and apparatus are provided for die cutting label stock comprising a facestock, an adhesive and optionally a liner to form labels where a liner of the linered pressure sensitive adhesive label stock may be a thin or ultrathin liner.

A trimmer comprises two counter-rotating barrels side-by-side above one cutting reel. When viewed from the front, the left barrel rotates counter-clockwise while the right barrel rotates clockwise. Plant material in the barrels accumulates on the uphill side of each barrel, relative to its rotational direction, as the plant material traverses the rotating barrels. This configuration positions the uphill sides of both barrels proximate to the one reel. The barrel perforations are rifled to assist in moving the plant material through the barrels. Screw jacks are employed to tilt the trimmer; hardware facilitates use of two such trimmers in series.

A trimmer comprises two counter-rotating barrels side-by-side above one cutting reel. When viewed from the front, the left barrel rotates counter-clockwise while the right barrel rotates clockwise. Plant material in the barrels accumulates on the uphill side of each barrel, relative to its rotational direction, as the plant material traverses the rotating barrels. This configuration positions the uphill sides of both barrels proximate to the one reel. The barrel perforations are rifled to assist in moving the plant material through the barrels. Screw jacks are employed to tilt the trimmer; hardware facilitates use of two such trimmers in series.

The present invention relates to a metal fiber manufacturing system. The system casts molten metal as a metal fiber; collects the metal fiber in real time; transfers the metal fiber; separates normal products from defective products; and packages a predetermined amount of the normal product metal fiber. The system processes the cast metal fiber continuously or in batches, and manufactures the same, thereby having effects of improving the efficiency of the production process and obtaining significant economic benefits.

The present invention relates to a metal fiber manufacturing system. The system casts molten metal as a metal fiber; collects the metal fiber in real time; transfers the metal fiber; separates normal products from defective products; and packages a predetermined amount of the normal product metal fiber. The system processes the cast metal fiber continuously or in batches, and manufactures the same, thereby having effects of improving the efficiency of the production process and obtaining significant economic benefits.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for producing irregular slices of meat from meat products. The meat products can be rotated using an impeller having a plurality of paddles for urging the meat products against a slicing blade during rotation of the impeller in order to create a slice from the meat product. The meat products can impact the slicing blade in different orientations in order to create differently shaped, irregular slices of meat. A cutting blade downstream of the slicing blade can be used to reduce the width of the slices of meat.