A food cutter has a base and at least two transverse panels extending from the base and sized to complement a pan. The panels may form a grid with an upper end located in the base. The grid has a lower end with cutting edges adapted to cut food. The upper end may be concave and the lower end is flat. The base is formed from a smooth rigid material and may be covered in a soft pliable material. The grid may be coated with a food safe, non-stick material.

An apparatus and method suitable for performing cutting operations on a product to yield a reduced-size product, for example, slicing, strip-cutting, dicing, shredding, and/or granulating a food product. The apparatus includes a casing, an impeller adapted for rotation within the casing about an axis thereof, and knives that perform, in sequence, slicing, strip-cutting and crosscutting on a product to produce reduced-size products. The apparatus is capable of performing a method by which a product is introduced into the impeller and the impeller is rotated to slice the product with a slicing knife and produce therefrom slices having peaks and valleys on opposite surfaces thereof and a cross-sectional shape that periodically varies in thickness. Strips are then produced from each of the slices by forming parallel cuts, each coinciding with a peak of each slice so that each strip has a width substantially identical to a wavelength of the slice.

A food spiral cutting machine, suitable for cutting fruits or vegetables into a continuous spiral or julienne. The spiral cutting machine includes a base, a drive unit, a screw, a cutter assembly and a locking device; the drive unit comprises a motor, a gearbox and an open drive nut; the gearbox comprises a planetary gear reduction group and a pair of bevel gears, a first bevel gear connects to the output of the planetary gear set, and the first bevel gear drives a second bevel gear which is provided with a spline inside the gear center hole. The first bevel gear meshes with the second bevel gear at right angle. An open drive nut rests on the underside of the screw. A screw is provided with a slot along the screw axis. The spline of the second bevel gear keys with the slot of the screw. When the second bevel gear is driven by the motor via the planetary gear set and the first bevel gear, the spline in the second bevel gear turns the screw. As the open drive nut meshing with the screw is stationary, the screw rotation results in linear movement of the screw along the screw axis. The distal end of the screw is fitted with a spikey disk, where there is a center pin and circumferential spikes such that fruit or vegetable can be supported and butted against the cutter assembly. By the simultaneous rotation and linear movement of the screw, the required motion to spirally cut fruit or vegetable is realized.

A food spiral cutting machine, suitable for cutting fruits or vegetables into a continuous spiral or julienne. The spiral cutting machine includes a base, a drive unit, a screw, a cutter assembly and a locking device; the drive unit comprises a motor, a gearbox and an open drive nut; the gearbox comprises a planetary gear reduction group and a pair of bevel gears, a first bevel gear connects to the output of the planetary gear set, and the first bevel gear drives a second bevel gear which is provided with a spline inside the gear center hole. The first bevel gear meshes with the second bevel gear at right angle. An open drive nut rests on the underside of the screw. A screw is provided with a slot along the screw axis. The spline of the second bevel gear keys with the slot of the screw. When the second bevel gear is driven by the motor via the planetary gear set and the first bevel gear, the spline in the second bevel gear turns the screw. As the open drive nut meshing with the screw is stationary, the screw rotation results in linear movement of the screw along the screw axis. The distal end of the screw is fitted with a spikey disk, where there is a center pin and circumferential spikes such that fruit or vegetable can be supported and butted against the cutter assembly. By the simultaneous rotation and linear movement of the screw, the required motion to spirally cut fruit or vegetable is realized.

A food product cutting system can include a food product carrier for carrying food product circumferentially around an axis of rotation, where the food product carrier includes food cutters each having a knife and a corresponding pusher. Each knife is for receiving and engaging with food product, and each pusher is slidably coupled with a knife and movable for pushing food product out of engagement with the food cutter. The food product cutting system can also include a track oriented generally circularly with respect to the food product carrier. The track can be arranged at varying radial distances from the axis of rotation and coupled with followers. Each follower can be connected to a corresponding pusher. In operation, food product moved into the knife of a food cutter and carried around the axis of rotation is incrementally pushed out of engagement with the food cutter by the corresponding pusher.

A food product cutting system can include a food product carrier for carrying food product circumferentially around an axis of rotation, where the food product carrier includes food cutters each having a knife and a corresponding pusher. Each knife is for receiving and engaging with food product, and each pusher is slidably coupled with a knife and movable for pushing food product out of engagement with the food cutter. The food product cutting system can also include a track oriented generally circularly with respect to the food product carrier. The track can be arranged at varying radial distances from the axis of rotation and coupled with followers. Each follower can be connected to a corresponding pusher. In operation, food product moved into the knife of a food cutter and carried around the axis of rotation is incrementally pushed out of engagement with the food cutter by the corresponding pusher.

A turning apparatus has a turning device for engaging and turning a food item conveyed by a conveying means. The turning device includes a sweep arm structure for engaging the food item, a moving mechanism for turning the sweep arm structure from a first angular position to a second angular position, and a height displacement mechanism for raising and lowering the turning device.

A turning apparatus has a turning device for engaging and turning a food item conveyed by a conveying means. The turning device includes a sweep arm structure for engaging the food item, a moving mechanism for turning the sweep arm structure from a first angular position to a second angular position, and a height displacement mechanism for raising and lowering the turning device.

A food chopper includes an upper handle and a lower handle secured to the upper handle, the lower handle including a receptacle extending from a proximalmost end thereof, the receptacle configured to receive a food item therein and the receptacle defining a track mechanism on an inner sidewall thereof. The food chopper further includes a pusher assembly including a pusher shaft and a pusher press plate, the pusher press plate having a boss protruding outwardly from a top surface thereof, wherein the boss is configured to releasably engage the track mechanism defined within the receptacle such that the pusher press plate remains flat as it travels within the receptacle.

An apparatus for removing twine from a bale is described herein. The apparatus includes a frame having a mounting portion configured to releasably mount to a vehicle and two opposed arms rigidly coupled to and extending in a common direction from the mounting portion. The apparatus also includes a bale grabbing mechanism coupled to the frame and configured to releasably secure the bale against the opposed arms of the frame, a cutting mechanism movably coupled to one of the opposed arms of the frame, the cutting mechanism including a cutting element being configured to cut the twine and a twine grabbing mechanism coupled to the other opposed arm of the frame. The twine grabbing mechanism is configured to retain the twine after the twine has been cut by the cutting mechanism.