Rotary knife fixture for cutting spiral, textured potato pieces

Abstract

A rotary knife fixture for cutting vegetable products into spiral shapes. The knife fixture includes a blade holder driven rotatably within a hydraulic product flow path. The blade holder includes at least one cutting blade, wherein the blade is twisted with a sharpened leading edge set at a desired pitch angle. By controlling the pitch angle of the blade in relation to the blade rotational speed and velocity at which the potato travels along the hydraulic flow path, the resultant spiral cut shape is selected. By using multiple cutting blades at known axially spaced positions and selecting the angular position of each cutting blade in succession, the number of spiral shapes cut from each potato is selected. The blades can have a nontextured straight-cut edge, or a textured crinkle-cut edge, or a combination.

Claims

1. A system for cutting food products, the system comprising: a flow path; and a knife fixture having: a blade holder having an opening; and a plurality of cutting blades extending inward from the blade holder into the opening, each of the plurality of cutting blades extending along a longitudinal axis between a first end and a second end of the cutting blade, the cutting blade having: a first portion adjacent to the blade holder; a second portion located further from the blade holder than the first portion, the cutting blade being twisted radially along the longitudinal axis of the cutting blade; and a cutting edge between the first portion and the second portion of the cutting blade, the cutting edge at the first portion of the cutting blade having a first pitch angle and the cutting edge at the second portion of the cutting blade having a second pitch angle, the first pitch angle being different from the second pitch angle; wherein the flow path is configured to propel food products into cutting engagement with the plurality of cutting blades.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a drive motor configured to rotatably drive the blade holder.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cutting blades are unconnected to each other at an axial centerline of the flow path.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of cutting blades include a pair of individual blades aligned with each other along the same longitudinal axis.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the longitudinal axes of the plurality of cutting blades are coplanar.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a centering alignment device configured to center food products in the flow path for cutting engagement with the plurality of cutting blades.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising: an additional blade holder; and an additional plurality of cutting blades extending inward from the additional blade holder, each of the additional plurality of cutting blades being twisted radially along a longitudinal axis of the cutting blade.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the blade holder further comprising a plurality of angled recesses, the plurality of cutting blades being secured within the plurality of angled recesses.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the cutting edge of at least one of the plurality of cutting blades is corrugated.

10. A knife fixture configured for use in a flow path of a water knife cutting system, the knife fixture comprising: a ring-shaped blade holder having an opening; and a plurality of cutting blades extending inward from the blade holder into the opening, each of the plurality of cutting blades extending along a longitudinal axis between a first end and a second end of the cutting blade, the cutting blade having: a first portion adjacent to the blade holder; a second portion located further from the blade holder than the first portion, the cutting blade being twisted radially along the longitudinal axis of the cutting blade; and a cutting edge between the first portion and the second portion of the cutting blade, the cutting edge at the first portion of the cutting blade having a first pitch angle and the cutting edge at the second portion of the cutting blade having a second pitch angle, the first pitch angle being different from the second pitch angle.

11. The knife fixture of claim 10, wherein the plurality of cutting blades are unconnected to each other at an axial centerline of the opening of the blade holder.

12. The knife fixture of claim 11, wherein the plurality of cutting blades include a pair of individual blades aligned with each other along the same longitudinal axis.

13. The knife fixture of claim 11, wherein the longitudinal axes of the plurality of cutting blades are coplanar.

14. The knife fixture of claim 10, wherein the ring-shaped blade holder further comprising a plurality of angled recesses, the plurality of cutting blades being secured within the plurality of angled recesses.

15. The knife fixture of claim 10, wherein the cutting edge of at least one of the plurality of cutting blades is corrugated.

16. A knife fixture configured for use in a flow path of a water knife cutting system, the knife fixture comprising: a blade holder having an opening; and at least one cutting blade carried by the blade holder and extending into the opening, each of the at least one cutting blade extending along a longitudinal axis between a first end and a second end of the cutting blade, the cutting blade having: a first portion adjacent to the blade holder; a second portion located further from the blade holder than the first portion, the cutting blade being twisted radially along the longitudinal axis of the cutting blade; and a cutting edge between the first portion and the second portion of the cutting blade, the cutting edge at the first portion of the cutting blade having a first pitch angle and the cutting edge at the second portion of the cutting blade having a second pitch angle, the first pitch angle being different from the second pitch angle.

17. The knife fixture of claim 16, wherein the at least one cutting blade is a plurality of cutting blades.

18. The knife fixture of claim 17, wherein the plurality of cutting blades are unconnected to each other at an axial centerline of the opening of the blade holder.

19. The knife fixture of claim 16, wherein the blade holder further comprising a plurality of angled recesses, the at least one cutting blade being secured within the plurality of angled recesses.

20. The knife fixture of claim 16, wherein the at least one cutting blade includes a cutting blade with a corrugated cutting edge.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram depicting a hydraulic cutting system of a type utilizing a rotatably driven knife fixture constructed in accordance with the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a drive motor and cog belt for rotatably driving the knife fixture of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing rotatable mounting of the knife fixture within a rotary bearing unit;

(5) FIG. 4 is a front side perspective view of one cutting blade carried by a ring-shaped blade holder in accordance with one preferred form of the invention;

(6) FIG. 5 is a front side perspective view of a pair of cutting blades carried respectively by a corresponding pair of blade holders in accordance with one alternative preferred form of the invention;

(7) FIG. 6 is a front side perspective view of a knife fixture including three cutting blades respectively supported by three blade holders in accordance with a further alternative preferred form of the invention;

(8) FIG. 7 is a front side perspective view of four cutting blades carried respectively by four blade holders in accordance with another alternative preferred form of the invention;

(9) FIG. 8 is a drawing similar to FIG. 7 but showing four corrugated or crinkle cut knife blades;

(10) FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a spiral piece or wedge cut with the crinkle cut knife blades shown in FIG. 8;

(11) FIG. 10 is a drawing of an exemplary cutting blade designed to have textured or wavy or crinkled surfaces and edges so as to produce spiral pieces or wedges that have similarly textured, wavy, or crinkled cut surfaces;

(12) FIG. 11 is an enlarged front side perspective view taken about the circle 11 in FIG. 7, further illustrating the inclined mounting surface in the blade holder;

(13) FIG. 12 is a front side perspective view of an embodiment of a pair of cutting blades carried by a ring-shaped blade holder; and

(14) FIG. 13 is a front side perspective view of an embodiment of three cutting blades carried by a ring-shaped blade holder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(15) This invention relates generally to devices and methods for cutting food products, such as vegetable products, and particularly such as raw potatoes and the like, into spiral or helical shaped pieces, whose cut surfaces may be patterned by the design of knife blades, such as to create crinkle-cut spiral or helical pieces.

(16) More particularly, this invention relates to a rotatably driven knife fixture having a selected number of knife blades adapted to cut a raw potato or the like into generally spiral shaped pieces.

(17) As shown in the exemplary drawings, a hydraulic cutting system comprises a conventional so-called water knife fixture referred to generally in FIG. 1 by the reference numeral 10 for cutting vegetable products such as whole potatoes 12 into spiral shaped pieces 14 for subsequent processing. The present invention comprises a rotary driven knife fixture 10 (FIGS. 2-7) for installation into the cutting system and for rotatable driving by means of a drive motor 11 or the like. The knife fixture 10 includes at least one rotatably driven cutting blade 16 (FIGS. 2-4) for cutting the product into a pair of generally spiral shaped pieces 14 of the same or similar size and shape. In alternative embodiments, the single cutting blade 16 can be combined with a second cutting blade 17 (FIG. 5) to cut the product into four spiral shaped pieces, with a third cutting blade 18 (FIG. 6) to cut the product into six spiral shaped pieces, or with a fourth cutting blade 19 (FIG. 7) to cut the product into eight spiral shaped pieces. Indeed, any number of cutting blades can be used for subdividing the product into twice the number of spiral shaped pieces of substantially similar size and shape.

(18) FIG. 1 shows the cutting system in the form of a hydraulic cutting system comprising a tank 78 or the like for receiving a supply of vegetable products, such as the illustrative raw whole potatoes 12 in a peeled or unpeeled state. Alternatively, these potatoes 12 can comprise halves or pieces of whole potatoes, peeled or unpeeled. In one preferred form, these potatoes 12 comprise relatively small potatoes or potato pieces having a longitudinal length on the order of about 3 inches. It is noted, however, that actual potato size is unimportant, as long as the potato has a diametric size to fit through the knife fixture.

(19) As viewed in FIG. 1, the potatoes 12 are delivered via an inlet conduit 30 to a pump 32 which propels the potatoes in single file relation within a propelling water stream or flume through a tubular delivery conduit 34 into cutting engagement with the blades (not shown in FIG. 1) of the water knife fixture 10. In a typical hydraulic cutting system, the potatoes are propelled through the delivery conduit 34 at a relatively high velocity of about 25 feet per second (fps), or about 1,500 feet per minute (fpm), to provide sufficient kinetic energy whereby each potato is propelled through the knife fixture 10 to produce (as will be described in more detail herein, per the blade pitch angle) the desired elongated spiral cut pieces 14. In this regard, the delivery conduit 34 may include a centering alignment device (not shown) for substantially centering each potato 12 on a longitudinal centerline of the flow passage extending through the associated knife fixture 10, in a manner known to persons skilled in the art. The cut strips 14 travel through a short discharge conduit 36 to a conveyor 38 or the like which transports the cut strips 14 for further processing, such as blanching, drying, batter coating, parfrying, freezing, etc.

(20) Persons skilled in the art will recognize and appreciate that alternative form cutting systems may be used, to include, by way of example, mechanical cutting systems wherein the vegetable products such as potatoes are mechanically delivered via a chute or hopper or the like to the knife fixture 10. In either case, the knife fixture 10 is mounted along a production path and is rotatably driven for engaging and cutting the incoming products into the desired spiral shaped pieces.

(21) FIGS. 2-3 show installation of the illustrative knife fixture 10 into a rotary bearing unit 20 in a position in-line with a production path for the vegetable products such as the potatoes 12 (FIG. 1). In this regard, the illustrative knife fixture 10 comprises a generally ring-shaped blade holder 22 of generally annular or circular shape, and having a cross sectional area sufficient for providing a relatively stiff or sturdy structure capable of withstanding the rigors of a production environment over an extended period of time. This blade holder 22 is secured as by means of clamp screws 23 or the like onto downstream or lower annular ring 21 or the like adapted in turn for affixation to the lower or downstream end of a rotatable bearing assembly 25 as by means of screws 25 or the like.

(22) As shown in FIG. 3, the bearing assembly 25 is rotatably carried within a bushing 26 mounted as by means of screws 26 or the like onto an upstream or upper side of the enlarged plate 27, which has an opening 13 formed therein for in-line installation along the production flow path. A flange plate 28 overlies the bearing assembly 25 for sandwiching the assembly 25 against an internal shoulder 29 within the bushing 26. A driven ring 30 is mounted in turn as by means of screws 30 onto the bearing assembly 25 for rotation therewith.

(23) The driven ring 30 of the rotary bearing unit 20 includes a circumferential array of detents 41 for registry with teeth 42 of a cog-type drive belt 43 (FIG. 2). This drive belt 43 is in turn reeved about a drive gear 44 on an output shaft 45 of the drive motor 11 (FIG. 2). Accordingly, the drive motor 11 positively drives the driven ring 30 and associated bearing assembly 25 secured thereto at a known speed, preferably on the order of about 6,000 rpm in the case of the illustrative hydraulic cutting system, for correspondingly rotatably driving the knife fixture 10 at the same rotational speed. Importantly, the cog-type drive belt 43 beneficially insures constant-speed rotatable driving of the knife fixture 10 notwithstanding periodic impact engagement of the water-propelled potatoes therewith.

(24) In one preferred configuration as viewed in FIGS. 2-4, a single cutting blade 16 is used to cut each incoming vegetable product such as a potato 12 into two separate, generally spiral shaped pieces 14 (FIG. 1) of similar size and shape. The cutting blade 16 is shown with a sharpened cutting edge 16 along one side thereof. Since the cutting blade 16 is twisted generally at a radial center, or a longitudinal centerline or axis of the hydraulic flow path, two cutting edges 16 are defined to extend radially outwardly in opposite directions, and in opposite-facing circumferential directions. In other words, a first portion 16A of the cutting blade 16 that is adjacent to the blade holder 22 has a cutting edge 16 with a different pitch angle than that of a second portion 16B of the cutting blade 16 that is located further from the blade holder 22 than the first portion 16A. A pair of clamp screws 31 or the like are secured through the respective opposite ends of the cutting blade 16 to seat the cutting blade within a shallow recess formed at an appropriate pitch angle.

(25) More specifically, the specific pitch angle of the cutting blade 16 at each specific point along its radial length is given by the formula:
Pitch Angle=ArcTan(2PiRadius/Pitch Length).(1)

(26) For a total blade radius of 2 inches, and a pitch length of about 3 inches, the clamp screws 31 secure the outermost radial ends of each cutting blade 16 or 17 at a pitch angle of about 76.6 to the axial blade centerline. It will be understood, however, that the specific pitch angle is directly proportional to the radial point along the blade, whereby the pitch angle increases from the radial center. It is this pitch angle that determines the spiral shape of the cut product.

(27) If more spiral shaped pieces 14 are desired from each potato 12, more cutting blades are used recognizing that each of the cutting blades cuts the incoming product in two, and thereby produces twice the number of spiral shaped pieces in comparison with the number of cutting blades used. Importantly, the cutting blades are arranged in succession at controlled angles to obtain similar or virtually identical cut spiral shaped pieces.

(28) More particularly, in one preferred form as viewed in FIG. 5, two cutting blades 16 and 17 are supported by separate blade holders 22 and 22 in a stack on the associated annular ring 21, as by means of elongated screws 23. That is, aligned screw ports are formed in the second blade holder 22 at the appropriate positions for receiving the elongated screws 23 used to fasten the drive rings 22, 22 and the underlying annular ring 21 together for concurrent rotation.

(29) The two cutting blades 16 and 17 are generally identical to each to each other, to include a twisted shape generally at a longitudinal center axis thereof and extending radially outwardly in opposite directions for seated engagement as by means of clamp screws 31 or the like at the selected pitch angle. Using formula (1) above for the specific pitch angle of each blade 16 or 17 along its radial length, and wherein the total blade radius is 2 inches and the pitch length is 3 inches, the clamp screws 31 secure the outermost radial ends of each cutting blade 16 or 17 at a pitch angle of about 76.6. In this respect, FIG. 11 more specifically illustrates the inclined mounting surface in the blade holder 22 at the point where the clamp screws 31 secure the cutting blade 16 to the blade holder 22.

(30) In addition, when the two cutting blades 16 and 17 are rotated at about 6,000 revolutions per minute (rpm), to advance each product to be cut along the hydraulic flow path at a velocity of about 25 feet per second (fps), the two cutting blades 16 and 17 both cut the incoming product into two pieces, for a total of four spiral shaped pieces 14 of similar or identical shape. With a pitch length of about 3 inches potato travel for each cutting blade revolution, and with each of the blade holders 22, 22 having an axial dimension of about 0.5 inch, the angle (theta) separating each of the supported cutting blades is given by the formula:
=(((T/P)360)+(360/N)),(2)
where T=axial dimension of each blade holder, P=pitch length, and N=number of cut pieces.

(31) In the case of the two cutting blades 16, 17 adapted to cut each incoming product into four generally identical spiral shaped pieces, the angle =150.

(32) FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate two exemplary alternative preferred forms of the invention, wherein three cutting blades 16, 17 and 18 are separately supported by a stack of three ring-shaped blade holders 22, 22, and 22 for cutting each incoming product into a total of six spiral shaped pieces (FIG. 6), and also wherein four cutting blades 16, 17, 18 and 19 are separately supported by a stack of four ring-shaped blade holders 22, 22, 22, and 22 (FIG. 7) for cutting each incoming product into a total of eight spiral shaped pieces. In the examples of FIGS. 6 and 7, formula (2) is followed to determine the angular setting of each cutting blade in succession in order to form the multiple spiral shaped pieces of identical or similar shapes. In FIG. 6, the cutting blades are set at successive angles of about 120 to cut products per U.S. Pat. D640,036 which is incorporated by reference herein, whereas in FIG. 7, the cutting blades are set at successive angles of about 105. In each case, clamp screws 31 are used to seat each of cutting blades at the selected pitch angle within the recess formed in the associated blade holder. Similarly, screws 23 or the like are fitted and secured through aligned ports formed in the stacked blade holders for securing them together for rotation with the bearing assembly 25.

(33) Persons skilled in the art will understand and appreciate, of course, that virtually any number of cutting blades can be used, with the formula (2) determining the angular spacings of the multiple cutting blades in succession. For example, when five cutting blades are used, a total of ten spiral shaped pieces are formed; following formula (2), the successive cutting blade angular spacings would be about 96. Similarly, when six cutting blades are used, a total of twelve spiral shaped pieces are formed; following formula (2), the successive cutting blade angular spacings would be about 90. Persons skilled in the art will also appreciate that when three or more cutting blades are used, the formula (2) determines that angular spacings of the blades as a group, but that each of the blades need only be set at one of the angular positions; that is, the blades do not need to be set at a regular lag interval, so long as one of the blades in the group is set at each one of the angular positions.

(34) Alternately, it will be understood that other forms of the blade holders and the related interconnection means can be employed, such as the formation of steps including interengaging tabs and slots in the respective blade holders to insure the desired angular position of the cutting blades and concurrent rotation thereof.

(35) In an alternative preferred form, the present invention encompasses a new french fry that is spiral-cut and which may have corrugated or crinkled surfaces. See, for instance, the spiral potato pieces 14 shown in FIG. 9. The types of spiral-cut potato wedges are a new line of edible products, and can be made in different sizes or textured surfaces according to the present invention. Thus one embodiment of the present invention is a package containing multiple spiral-cut potato pieces or wedges 14 wherein substantially all the spiral cut pieces or wedges are about the same or similar size to each other. In another embodiment of the present invention is a package containing multiple spiral-cut potato pieces or wedges 14 wherein many of the spiral cut pieces or wedges are about the same or similar size to each other. A package may be a bag of the sort used to hold chips, or an open holder such as to hold fast-food french fries, or any such containment structure or vessel. In any of these embodiments, one or more or all of the spiral cut potato pieces or wedges in a package may have a crinkle-cut surface. In another embodiment, the spiral cut potato pieces or wedges in the package may be raw or may be cooked, such as fried, roasted, or oven-baked.

(36) Accordingly, one embodiment of the present invention is a collection of spiral-cut potato pieces that are raw, a collection of spiral-cut potato pieces that are fried, or a collection of spiral-cut potato pieces that are oven-baked, or a collection of spiral-cut potato pieces that are roasted, wherein the pieces have smooth surfaces or have a crinkle-cut surface. By smooth surface is meant a spiral cut product that has been cut with a cutting blade 16, 17, 18 or 19 that has a flat, untextured, surface and edge, as viewed in FIGS. 4-7. By crinkle-cut is meant a spiral cut product that has been cut using a modified knife fixture 11 with a cutting blade 16, 17, 18, or 19 that has a crinkled or wavy surface and edge 16, 17, 18, or 19, such as those shown in FIG. 8. In a further embodiment, the spiral-cut potato wedges may be further processed or seasoned, such as to produce battered or beer battered spiral-cut fried or oven-baked potato wedges.

(37) It will be understood, of course, that the modified knife fixture 11 shown in FIG. 8 can be equipped with one or more of the cutting knives of a corrugated and crinkle-cut configuration, as per any one of the knife blade embodiments depicted in FIGS. 4-7. Indeed, more than four such knife blades can be used, if more than 8 spiral-cut wedges are desired. It will also be recognized and understood that different size corrugations or crinkle-cut configurations can be used for the various knife blades, such as illustrated in FIG. 10 with respect to the corrugated knife blade 16, and the associated cutting edge 16.

(38) A variety of modifications and improvements in and to the rotary knife fixture 10 of the present invention will be apparent to those persons skilled in the art. As one example, persons skilled in the art will understand that each of the twisted cutting blades as shown and described herein can be replaced by a pair of individual blades aligned diametrically with each other and having a pitch angle as defined by formula (1), but otherwise unconnected at the axial centerline of the flow path. For instance, in FIG. 12, the blade 16 of FIG. 4 has been replaced by a pair of individual blades 116 aligned diametrically but otherwise unconnected at the axial centerline of the flow path. As a further alternative, the blades do not need to be aligned diametrically, but an odd number of unconnected blades, such as three blades 216 shown in FIG. 13, can be used in the event that an odd number of product cuts is desired. Accordingly, no limitation on the invention is intended by way of the foregoing description and accompanying drawings, except as set forth in the appended claims.