Machines for cutting products and impellers suitable for use with the machines. The impellers include a lower plate having a central zone and paddles configured with the lower plate outside of the central zone to direct material to the cutting head. At least a first exit slot is located in the lower plate, intersecting the perimeter of the lower plate, and extending through the lower plate to define a passageway to enable foreign debris at the upper surface to exit the impeller through the passageway.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a sheet for use in a tongue plaque cleaner, capable of reliably cutting loops of thread members provided at a given density, and forming thread members each having a shape with an arc portion sufficient enough to scrape off tongue plaque, through steps that are simple, low-cost and suitable for mass production. A method for manufacturing a sheet 1 for use in a tongue plaque cleaner for scraping off tongue plaque, includes: a step of heating a sheet material having multiple looped thread members 2 protruding from one surface of the sheet material, at a temperature below the melting point of the thread members 2; and a step of forming first thread members 3, 8 and second thread members 4, 9 by cutting loops of the thread members 2 heated.

The present invention relates to the field of automated food preparation. Specifically, the present is a invention system and method for depositing slices of an ingredient onto a bread or other media. Additionally, the present invention can be used to selectively slice a plurality of ingredients onto a sandwich based on customer inputs and the apparatus can be used for slicing meats, cheeses, vegetables and other deli products.

The present invention relates to the field of automated food preparation. Specifically, the present is a invention system and method for depositing slices of an ingredient onto a bread or other media. Additionally, the present invention can be used to selectively slice a plurality of ingredients onto a sandwich based on customer inputs and the apparatus can be used for slicing meats, cheeses, vegetables and other deli products.

A wrapped bale handling apparatus configured to engage a bale and remove a wrap from the bale may include a bale support assembly configured to support the bale of material, with the bale support assembly having a support mode and a release mode. The support mode may be configured to support a bale by the bale support assembly, and the release mode may be configured to release the bale from being supported by the bale support assembly. The apparatus may further comprise a wrap cutting structure configured to cut the wrap in place on the bale and a wrap removal assembly configured to remove the wrap from the wrapped bale.

A tension knife includes an elongate knife body with a thin, flat profile. The tension knife defines first and second mounting points at opposing ends of the knife body. The knife body has a characteristic width across a length of the knife body between the first and second mounting points. The characteristic width of the knife body defines a centerline between a leading edge of the knife body and a trailing edge of the knife body. One or more of the first and second mounting points has a focus between the centerline of the knife body and the leading edge. A frame can be configured to support and tension the tension knife to form a tension knife assembly. Clamp blocks can be used to mount the tension knife to the frame at the first and second mounting points, where one or more of the clamp blocks is configured to rotate with respect to the frame to tension the leading edge of the tension knife.

A tension knife includes an elongate knife body with a thin, flat profile. The tension knife defines first and second mounting points at opposing ends of the knife body. The knife body has a characteristic width across a length of the knife body between the first and second mounting points. The characteristic width of the knife body defines a centerline between a leading edge of the knife body and a trailing edge of the knife body. One or more of the first and second mounting points has a focus between the centerline of the knife body and the leading edge. A frame can be configured to support and tension the tension knife to form a tension knife assembly. Clamp blocks can be used to mount the tension knife to the frame at the first and second mounting points, where one or more of the clamp blocks is configured to rotate with respect to the frame to tension the leading edge of the tension knife.

Various systems, apparatuses and methods are disclosed for portioning and/or trimming cooked or pre-cooked bacon slices (or another food product) on a production line at full line speed. An exemplary system may comprise a food conveyor and a portioner. The food conveyor may have at least one transfer mechanism that carries bacon slices over at least one transfer comb. The portioner may have at least one fixed, stationary cutter positioned relative to the transfer comb in the path of the bacon slices. As the transfer mechanism moves the bacon slices across the transfer comb, the bacon slices contact the cutter and are moved by the transfer mechanism over the cutter, which cuts the bacon slices into two or more portions of shorter length.

A synthetic-resin container lid having tamper-evident characteristics, which is not separated in its entirety from a mouth-neck portion of a container even after the mouth-neck portion of the container is unsealed, is manufactured rapidly and inexpensively. A plurality of scores (26, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38) are formed, as post-processing, at predetermined positions in an incomplete container lid formed with no scores.

A deagglomerator for use in resizing masses of cells is disclosed. The deagglomerator may include a plurality of apertures defined by a plurality of front and back edges. The masses of cells may be passed through the plurality of apertures from the front to the back, and from the back to the front, repeatedly. The deagglomerator may also include a plurality of blades that may aid in the deagglomeration of the cell masses. The deagglomerator may be configured between two syringes so that the tissue may be passed back and forth from the first syringe through the device to the second syringe, and then back again from the second syringe through the device and to the first syringe. In this way, the masses of cells may be properly deagglomerated.