CLAMPING ASSEMBLIES TO SECURE KNIVES TO SLICING MACHINES AND SLICING MACHINES EQUIPPED THEREWITH

Abstract

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, a knife holder, and a clamp. A leading edge of the knife holder is defined by fingers and notches therebetween, and the fingers of the knife holder engage valleys in a first surface of the corrugated knife. The clamp is mated with a second surface of the corrugated knife and secures the corrugated knife to the knife holder. The clamp has a leading edge defined by fingers and notches therebetween. The fingers of the clamp engage valleys on the second surface of the corrugated knife, such that the fingers of the clamp are interdigitated with the fingers of the knife holder.

Claims

1. A knife assembly comprising: a corrugated knife; a knife holder; and a clamp; wherein a leading edge of the knife holder is defined by fingers and notches therebetween, and the fingers of the knife holder engage valleys in a first surface of the corrugated knife; wherein the clamp is mated with a second surface of the corrugated knife and secures the corrugated knife to the knife holder, the clamp has a leading edge defined by fingers and notches therebetween, and the fingers of the clamp engage valleys on the second surface of the corrugated knife such that the fingers of the clamp are interdigitated with the fingers of the knife holder.

2. A knife assembly of a slicing machine adapted to slice products, the knife assembly comprising: a corrugated knife having oppositely-disposed first and second surfaces that terminate at a cutting edge, the cutting edge and at least portions of the first and second surfaces adjacent thereto being characterized by a pattern of peaks and valleys so that peaks and valleys are present on the first surface and peaks and valleys are present on the second surface; a knife holder having a registration surface and an oppositely-disposed knife seat that terminate at a leading edge, the knife seat being mated with the first surface of the corrugated knife, the knife seat comprising a pattern of peaks and valleys complementary to the peaks and valleys in the first surface of the corrugated knife, the leading edge of the knife holder being defined by fingers and notches therebetween, the fingers of the knife holder engaging at least some of the valleys in the first surface of the corrugated knife, the notches of the knife holder engaging at least some of the peaks in the first surface of the corrugated knife; and a clamp mated with the second surface of the corrugated knife and securing the corrugated knife to the knife seat of the knife holder, the clamp having a leading edge defined by fingers and notches therebetween that define a pattern complementary to the peaks and valleys in the second surface of the corrugated knife, the fingers of the clamp engaging at least some of the valleys on the second surface of the corrugated knife; wherein the fingers of the clamp are interdigitated with the fingers of the knife holder.

3. The knife assembly of claim 2, wherein the pattern of peaks and valleys of the corrugated knife is a periodic pattern.

4. The knife assembly of claim 2, wherein the fingers of the clamp extend beyond the leading edge of the knife holder at the notches of the knife holder located between the fingers of the knife holder.

5. The knife assembly of claim 2, wherein the fingers of the knife holder extend beyond the leading edge of the clamp at the notches of the clamp located between the fingers of the clamp.

6. The knife assembly of claim 2, wherein the fingers of the knife holder extend beyond the leading edge of the clamp at the fingers of the clamp.

7. The knife assembly of claim 2, wherein the leading edge of the knife holder is beveled at the registration surface thereof so that peaks of the knife holder that are present at the knife seat and engage the valleys of the corrugated knife on the first surface of the corrugated knife protrude beyond valleys of the knife holder that are present at the knife seat and engage the peaks of the corrugated knife on the first surface of the corrugated knife.

8. The knife assembly of claim 2, wherein the registration surface of the knife holder comprises a pattern of peaks and valleys complementary to the pattern of peaks and valleys in the knife seat of the knife holder.

9. The knife assembly of claim 2, wherein the knife assembly is secured to a segment of a cutting head.

10. The knife assembly of claim 2, wherein the cutting head is configured so that the knife assembly produces slices or chips of a lattice type.

11. A slicing machine for slicing products, the slicing machine comprising: a cutting head having an annular shape that defines an axis of the cutting head; at least one knife assembly having a corrugated knife oriented axially at a perimeter of the cutting head and extending radially inward into an interior of the cutting head, the corrugated knife having oppositely-disposed first and second surfaces that terminate at a cutting edge, the cutting edge and at least portions of the first and second surfaces adjacent thereto being characterized by a pattern of peaks and valleys so that peaks and valleys are present on the first surface and peaks and valleys are present on the second surface; an impeller assembly coaxially mounted within the cutting head for rotation about the axis of the cutting head in a rotational direction relative to the cutting head, the impeller assembly comprising means for delivering products toward the perimeter of the cutting head as the impeller assembly rotates within the cutting head; wherein the knife assembly further comprises: a knife holder having a registration surface and an oppositely-disposed knife seat that terminate at a leading edge, the knife seat being mated with the first surface of the corrugated knife, the knife seat comprising a pattern of peaks and valleys complementary to the peaks and valleys in the first surface of the corrugated knife, the leading edge of the knife holder being defined by fingers and notches therebetween, the fingers of the knife holder engaging at least some of the valleys in the first surface of the corrugated knife, the notches of the knife holder engaging at least some of the peaks in the first surface of the corrugated knife; and a clamp mated with the second surface of the corrugated knife and securing the corrugated knife to the knife seat of the knife holder, the clamp having a leading edge defined by fingers and notches therebetween that define a pattern complementary to the peaks and valleys in the second surface of the corrugated knife, the fingers of the clamp engaging at least some of the valleys on the second surface of the corrugated knife; wherein the fingers of the clamp are interdigitated with the fingers of the knife holder.

12. The slicing machine of claim 11, wherein the delivering means rotates about an axis thereof so that products within the delivering means rotate about axes thereof while the impeller assembly rotates about the axis of the cutting head.

13. The slicing machine of claim 11, wherein the pattern of peaks and valleys of the corrugated knife is a periodic pattern.

14. The slicing machine of claim 11, wherein the fingers of the clamp extend beyond the leading edge of the knife holder at the notches of the knife holder between the fingers of the knife holder.

15. The slicing machine of claim 11, wherein the fingers of the knife holder extend beyond the leading edge of the clamp at the notches of the clamp between the fingers of the clamp.

16. The slicing machine of claim 11, wherein the fingers of the knife holder extend beyond the leading edge of the clamp at the fingers of the clamp.

17. The slicing machine of claim 11, wherein the leading edge of the knife holder is beveled at the registration surface thereof so that peaks of the knife holder that are present at the knife seat and engage the valleys of the corrugated knife on the first surface of the corrugated knife protrude beyond valleys of the knife holder that are present at the knife seat and engage the peaks of the corrugated knife on the first surface of the corrugated knife.

18. The slicing machine of claim 11, wherein the registration surface of the knife holder comprises a pattern of peaks and valleys complementary to the pattern of peaks and valleys in the knife seat of the knife holder.

19. The slicing machine of claim 11, wherein the knife assembly is secured to a segment of a cutting head.

20. The slicing machine of claim 11, wherein the cutting head and the impeller assembly are configured so that the knife assembly produces slices or chips of a lattice type.

21. A method of using the slicing machine of claim 11 to produce slices or chips of a lattice type.

22. The method of claim 21, the method comprising: rotating the impeller assembly; supplying products to the impeller assembly; delivering the products to the perimeter of the cutting head through action of rotating the impeller assembly and the delivering means; and slicing the products with the corrugated knife to produce the slices or chips of the lattice type.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the products are food products.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG. 1 schematically represents lattice-type slices that may be produced with machines and components of the types represented in FIGS. 2 through 8.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a side view representing a Model CCL machine known in the art.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a side view in partial cross-section of a Model CCL machine.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the machine of FIG. 3, with a housing and cutting head removed to expose an impeller assembly.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a top fragmentary view of the cutting head and impeller assembly of the machine of FIG. 3.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a cutting head and impeller assembly of a Model CCL machine.

[0034] FIG. 7 is a perspective view representing the cutting head of FIG. 6.

[0035] FIG. 8 is an edge view of a knife assembly of the cutting head of FIG. 7, and depicts the relative cross-sectional shapes of a knife holder, a knife clamp, and a knife secured therebetween.

[0036] FIGS. 9A and 9B are perspective views of two versions of knife holders suitable for use with the machines represented in FIGS. 2 through 7, wherein the knife holder of FIG. 9A has a knife seat having a periodic pattern complementary to a corrugated knife, and the knife holder of FIG. 9B has a knife seat having a periodic pattern complementary to a corrugated knife mated therewith and an oppositely-disposed registration surface having a periodic pattern similar to that of the corrugated knife.

[0037] FIG. 10 represents a knife clamp suitable for use with the knife holders of FIGS. 9A and 9B.

[0038] FIG. 11 is an image showing a knife assembly comprising the knife and knife holder of FIG. 9B and the knife clamp of FIG. 10, the latter of which clamps the knife to the knife holder.

[0039] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a cutting head in accordance with nonlimiting aspects of the invention.

[0040] FIGS. 13 and 14 are, respectively, fragmentary perspective and fragmentary cross-sectional views of the cutting head of FIG. 12 and show details of a knife assembly of the cutting head in accordance with nonlimiting aspects of the invention. The cross-section of FIG. 14 is taken along section line 14-14 of FIG. 13 and represents details of a knife, a knife holder, and a clamp of the knife assembly.

[0041] FIG. 15 is an isolated cross-sectional view of the knife assembly of the cutting head of FIG. 12 to show additional details of the knife, knife holder, and clamp of the knife assembly. The knife is shown as translucent in order to reveal fingers of the clamp that engage the opposite (exterior) side of the knife facing the exterior of the cutting head of FIG. 12.

[0042] FIG. 16 is an isolated plan view of an interior side of the knife assembly of FIG. 15 that faces the interior of the cutting head of FIG. 12. The knife is shown as translucent in order to reveal distal tips of the fingers of the clamp on the opposite (exterior) side of the knife assembly.

[0043] FIG. 17 is an isolated plan view of an exterior side of the knife assembly of FIG. 15 that faces the exterior of the cutting head of FIG. 12. The knife is shown as translucent in order to reveal fingers of the knife holder on the opposite (interior) side of the knife assembly.

[0044] FIG. 18 is a cross-section taken along section line 18-18 of FIG. 17, and depicts the relative cross-sectional shapes of the knife, the fingers of the knife holder, and the fingers of the clamp.

[0045] FIGS. 19, 20, and 21 are perspective views showing, respectively, the knife assembly of FIG. 15, the knife assembly of FIG. 19 with the clamp removed, and the knife assembly of FIG. 19 with the clamp and knife removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0046] The intended purpose of the following detailed description of the invention and the phraseology and terminology employed therein is to describe what is shown in the drawings, which include the depiction of one or more nonlimiting embodiments of the invention, and to describe certain but not all aspects of the depicted embodiment(s). The following detailed description also identifies certain but not all alternatives of the depicted embodiment(s). Therefore, the appended claims, and not the detailed description, are intended to recite what at least provisionally are believed to be aspects of the invention, including certain but not necessarily all of the aspects and alternatives described in the detailed description.

[0047] FIG. 12 represents a cutting head 216 equipped with multiple knife assemblies 234 mounted to segments 228 of the cutting head 216. The particular embodiment of the cutting head 216 represented in FIG. 12 has a spheroidal interior surface, may be suitable for use with machines having certain features similar to the machines 10 represented in FIGS. 2 through 7, and in some instances may be a modification or retrofit of such a machine 10. Nonlimiting embodiments of the invention will be illustrated and described hereinafter in reference to a machine having components arranged as described for the machine 10 in FIGS. 2 through 7, though it will be appreciated that the teachings of the invention are more generally applicable to a variety of machines. Furthermore, though the knife assemblies 234 and components thereof represented in FIGS. 12 through 21 will be discussed in reference to slicing food products, it should be understood that the knife assemblies, as well as cutting heads, impeller assemblies, and machines to which they may be assembled, can be utilized to cut other types of products.

[0048] The knife assemblies 234 and their components represented in FIGS. 12 through 21 are configured to increase the stability and rigidity of corrugated knives 226 during a slicing operation performed with the knife assemblies 234. In so doing, the knife assemblies 234 and their components are also preferably capable of reducing the accumulation of solids between the leading edges of the knives 226, knife holders 230, and/or clamps 232 of the knife assemblies 234 and reducing vertical movement of the knives 226 (e.g., arrow 40 in FIG. 8), i.e., parallel with the axis of rotation of an impeller assembly (as a nonlimiting example, the impeller assembly 18 of FIGS. 3 through 6 and its axis 17 identified in FIG. 5).

[0049] FIGS. 13 through 17 depict various views of a knife assembly 234 of the cutting head 216 of FIG. 12. As noted above, the knife assembly 234 comprises a corrugated knife 226, a knife holder 230, and a clamp 232. The clamp 232 can be secured to the knife holder 230 in any suitable manner capable of clamping the knife 226 therebetween, as a nonlimiting example, with fasteners 236 that secure the clamp 232 to the knife holder 230. A product that encounters the knife 226, for example, as a result of being delivered by an impeller (as a nonlimiting example, the impeller assembly 18 and tubular guides 24 of FIGS. 3 through 6) or other suitable delivering means, is sliced by the knife 226 before exiting the cutting head 216 through a gate 240 (FIGS. 13 and 14). The knife holder 230 is configured for assembly with the corrugated knife 226 so that a leading portion of the knife 226 that defines a cutting edge 227 projects beyond a leading edge 246 of the holder 230, as depicted in FIGS. 14 through 17. The knife 226 has oppositely-disposed surfaces 229 and 231 (FIGS. 16 through 18) that terminate at the cutting edge 227.

[0050] As previously noted, the knife 226 is considered to be “corrugated” as a result of its cutting edge 227, as well as at least adjacent portions of the surfaces 229 and 231 of the knife 226, being characterized by a pattern of peaks and valleys when the knife 226 is viewed edgewise. A representative but nonlimiting example of a corrugated shape is represented in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 18, in which the corrugated shape is represented as periodic, as a nonlimiting example, substantially sinusoidal. In FIG. 18, the pattern of peaks and valleys formed at the cutting edge 227 of the knife 226 results in peaks 262 and valleys 264 that are present on the surface 231 facing the clamp 232 and facing away from the knife holder 230, and peaks 266 and valleys 268 that are present on the surface 229 facing the knife holder 230 and facing away from the clamp 232. However, knives within the scope of the invention are not restricted to any particular shape or pattern of peaks and valleys.

[0051] The knife holder 230 has a knife seat 244 formed to have a pattern of peaks and valleys complementary to the peaks and valleys of the corrugated knife 226 to be mated thereto. The knife holder 230 further has a registration surface 242 that is opposite its knife seat 244. In the nonlimiting embodiment represented in FIGS. 12 through 21, the registration surface 242 is shaped to define a pattern of peaks and valleys that is complementary to that of the corrugated knife 226. The shapes of the registration surface 242 and knife seat 244 of the knife holder 230 are in phase, such that the leading edge 246 of the knife holder 230 is sharp and substantially of constant thickness, similar to that of the knife holder 130B of FIG. 9B. The knife seat 244 is preferably configured to substantially or entirely fill the openings or gaps between the knife 226 and the knife holder 230 that would otherwise result from the valleys 268 in the surface 229 of the knife 226 contacting the knife seat 244 of the knife holder 230.

[0052] As particularly evident from FIGS. 16 and 17, the leading edge 246 of the knife holder 230 is fabricated to define extensions or “fingers” 258 and notches or recesses 260 therebetween to define a pattern (as a nonlimiting example, a periodic pattern) complementary to the pattern of peaks and valleys present on the surface 229 of the knife 226. FIG. 16 depicts the registration surface 242 of the knife holder 230 and its fingers 258. FIG. 17 depicts the knife seat 244 of the knife holder 230, and shows the knife 226 as translucent in order to reveal the fingers 258 of the knife holder 230 on the opposite side of the knife assembly 234. The fingers 258 and notches 260 of the knife holder 230 engage, respectively, the valleys 268 and peaks 266 present on the surface 229 of the knife 226 facing the knife holder 230 and facing away from the clamp 232. Though the fingers 258 and notches 260 of the knife holder 230 may be formed by various techniques, the fingers 258 and notches 260 can be seen in FIGS. 14 and 15 as defined at the leading edge 246 of the knife holder 230 as a result of a bevel 270 at the leading edge 246 so that peaks of the knife holder 230 that are present at the knife seat 244 and engage the valleys 268 of the knife 226 on the surface 229 of the knife 226 facing the knife holder 230 protrude beyond valleys of the knife holder 230 that are present at the knife seat 244 and engage the peaks 266 of the knife 226 on the surface 229 of the knife 226 facing the knife holder 230.

[0053] As particularly evident from FIGS. 12, 13, 17, 19, the clamp 232 has a tapered portion that defines a sloping outer surface 256 at its leading edge to gently direct slices up and over the clamp 232 as they leave the cutting head 216. The tapered portion of the clamp 232 is fabricated to define extensions or “fingers” 248 and notches or recesses 250 therebetween to define a pattern (as a nonlimiting example, a periodic pattern) complementary to the pattern of peaks and valleys of the knife 126 that is secured by the clamp 232 to the knife holder 230. The fingers 248 and notches 250 of the clamp 232 engage, respectively, the valleys 264 and peaks 262 present on the surface 231 of the knife 226 facing the clamp 232 and facing away from the knife holder 230. As a result of the fingers 248 of the clamp 232 and the fingers 258 of the knife holder 230 engaging valleys 264 and 268 on opposite surfaces 229 and 231 of the knife 226, the fingers 248 of the clamp 232 are interdigitated with the fingers 258 of the knife holder 230, as evident from FIGS. 16 and 17 which show the knife 226 as translucent in order to reveal, respectively, distal tips of the fingers 248 of the clamp 232 on the opposite (exterior) side of the knife assembly 234 and the fingers 258 of the knife holder 230 on the opposite (interior) side of the knife assembly 234. The interdigitation of the fingers 248 and 258 of the clamp 232 and knife holder 230 is believed to improve the stability and rigidity of the knife 226 and its cutting edge 227. In the nonlimiting embodiment shown, and as particularly evident from FIG. 17, the leading edge 252 of the clamp 232 defined by the distal tips of the fingers 248, which physically engage the valleys 264 in the surface 231 of the knife 226 facing the clamp 232, extend beyond the leading edge 246 of the knife holder 230 defined by the most recessed edges of the notches 260 of the knife holder 230, and the leading edge 246 of the knife holder 230 defined by the distal tips of the fingers 258, which physically engage the valleys 268 in the surface 229 of the knife 226 facing the knife holder 230, extend beyond the leading edge 252 of the clamp 232 defined by the most recessed edges of the notches 250 of the clamp 232. Furthermore, the nonlimiting embodiment of FIGS. 16 and 17 show the fingers 258 of the knife holder 230 as extending beyond the leading edge 252 of the clamp 232 at the fingers 248 of the clamp 232. Consequently, in the nonlimiting embodiment shown, FIGS. 16 and 17 indicate that the knife 226 has a cantilevered beam length (L.sub.cb) that is defined by the length or distance between the cutting edge 227 of the knife 226 and the leading edge 246 of the knife holder 230 at the distal ends of its fingers 258, which physically engage the surface 229 of the knife 226 within the valleys 268 of the knife 226 facing the knife holder 230 as shown in FIG. 18.

[0054] As evident from FIG. 18, the fingers 248 of the clamp 232 may also be configured to at least partially close openings or gaps between the clamp 232 and the corrugated knife 226 that would otherwise be present as a result of the valleys 264 in the surface 231 of the knife 226, thereby reducing solids accumulation between the knife 226 and clamp 232.

[0055] While the invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. For example, the knives 226, knife holders 230, and clamps 232 could differ in appearance and construction from the embodiments shown in the drawings and used with machines, impeller assemblies, and cutting heads that differ in appearance and construction from what is shown in the drawings, certain functions of their components could be performed by components of different construction but capable of a similar (though not necessarily equivalent) function, and various materials and processes could be used to fabricate the knife assemblies and their components. Though the nonlimiting embodiments of the cutting heads shown in the drawings are particularly adapted to cut food products into slices, it is foreseeable that the knife assemblies 234 could be used in combination with cutting heads adapted for slicing other materials. As such, and again as was previously noted, it should be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to any embodiment described herein or illustrated in the drawings.