Cutting – With randomly actuated stopping means – Responsive to tool detector or work-feed-means detector
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-14
2003-08-05
Dexter, Clark F. (Department: 3724)
Cutting
With randomly actuated stopping means
Responsive to tool detector or work-feed-means detector
C083S581100, C083S662000, C083S856000, C083S858000, C083S932000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06601491
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to the cutting of food product with hydraulic food cutting devices. In particular it relates to a tensive cutting assembly for cutting food product.
2. Background of the Invention
A variety of “hydro-cutting” devices for cutting food product into slices and sticks are known in the art and typically include a cutting assembly comprising a plurality of sharpened cutting knives arranged and held in a stationary array with a means to propel the food product through the knife array. The food product may be conveyed through the knife array by suspending the food product in a fluid stream, such as water.
The typical hydraulic food cutting apparatus in use today has a receiving tank filled with a hydraulic carrier fluid, usually water, into which food product is dumped. A food pump draws its suction from the receiving tank, and pumps carrier fluid and the suspended food product from the tank into an inlet tube which aligns the food product before impact with a cutter assembly. Cutter blade assemblies include typically a frame and a stationary knife array typically including a plurality of individual knife blades mounted in a parallel and converging sequence to each other. If the food product is to be cut into slices, only a single such array need be utilized. However, if the food product is to be cut into sticks, such as potatoes for French fries, two such arrays are utilized with the knives in one array extending generally perpendicular to the knives in the other array.
Cole, et.al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,623 Knife Assembly for Cutting a Food Product, discloses a knife blade for use in a cutting assembly comprising a plurality of sharpened cutting knives arranged and held in a stationary array. Each blade includes a sharpened cutting edge, and holes adapted to accommodate a means for attaching the knife blades to a mounting member. The centers of the mounting holes lie in the plane of the cutting edge. The plurality of sharpened knife blades are mounted in the knife assembly so that a tension force is exerted on the knife blades in the plane of the cutting edge. The cutting edges of knives in an array are located in a common plane.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention a tensive cutting assembly includes a tensionable cutting member formed of a strip of material, typically, metal which is formed having a serpentine configuration. The tensionable cutting member is removably and interchangeably mounted on a tensive cutting head. The tensive cutting head includes an aperture formed through its cross section for passage of food product during the cutting process. The tensive cutting head includes first and second opposing head members, the distance between which is adjustable. The tensive cutting head may be configured having at least one return about which the bend or bends of the tensive cutting member is positioned. The ends of the tensive cutting member are secured in one or more clamping members. Tension is applied to the tensive cutting member by increasing the distance between the first and second opposing head members along a plane that lies substantially coplanar to the face of the tensive cutting head and perpendicular to the bearing faces of the returns.
One embodiment of the invention includes a plurality of returns divided into first and second sets of returns, the first and second sets are divided into opposed pairings of returns. The first set of returns are formed on or attached to the face of the first opposing head member and the second set of returns are formed on or attached to the face of the second opposing head member. The returns are arranged sequentially, with an equal distance typically being observed between each of the sequential returns. Opposing sets of returns are offset laterally from one another a distance substantially equal to the distance between two sequential tensionable cutting member leg segments. This configuration allows the tensionable cutting member to be fit over the opposing sets of returns in a manner that permits a substantially parallel arrangement of the tensionable cutting member leg segments. The distance between sequential returns determines the distance between leg segments and therefore a cross-sectional dimension of the cut food product.
Each return is configured having a bearing face about which the bend of the tensionable cutting member is placed. In one embodiment of the invention, the bearing face of the return is substantially perpendicular to the face of the tensive cutting head and the plane on which the first and second opposing head members are driven apart. This feature allows the tensive cutting member to be tensioned in such a manner that the tension across the entire width of the tensive cutting member is substantially equal. This arrangement effectively eliminates the creation of stress risers in the tensive cutting member that may otherwise be propagated in devices that tension a blade or cutting member unequally across the width of the blade or along a single edge. The bearing face may also include a low friction surface against which the tensionable cutting member is fit and tensioned. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the height of the bearing face should be substantially equal to or greater than the width of the tensionable cutting member so that, as the tensionable cutting member is tensioned, substantially equal tensile forces are established across the width of the tensionable cutting member.
The tensive cutting head may be machined of type 17-4 PH stainless steel, although other materials and forming methods known to those skilled in the art may be employed to practice the present invention.
The tensionable cutting member includes a strip of material formed having at least two leg segments and at least one bend connecting the two leg segments. In one embodiment of the invention, the tensionable cutting member is formed having a plurality of leg segments and a plurality of bends producing a continuous and generally serpentine configuration. Either the first edge or the second edge of the tensionable cutting member may be employed as the cutting edge of the tensionable cutting member. The cutting edge of the tensionable cutting member may be unsharpened and the edges may be rounded or otherwise treated or dressed in order to eliminate edge and surface irregularities.
The tensionable cutting member may be formed of a strip of sheet metal having a thickness of 0.005 inches to 0.0015 inches and a width of 0.375 inches to 0.625 inches. In one embodiment of the invention, the tensionable cutting member is formed of a hardened 301 stainless steel having a thickness of 0.008 inches and a width of 0.50 inches. The material used to form the tensionable cutting member should exhibit adequate tensile strength to perform as a tensionable cutting member and adequate ductility to allow its serpentine configuration. The material should also exhibit a yield strength less than the tensile strength. The tensionable cutting member may be formed of a strip of sheet metal having a tensile strength of 175,000 psi to 275,000 psi and a yield strength of 80,000 psi to 180,000 psi. In one embodiment of the invention, the tensionable cutting member is formed from a hardened type 301 stainless steel having a tensile strength of approximately 185,000 psi and a yield strength of approximately 140,000 psi. Materials having compositions or properties similar to the hardened 301 series stainless steel, or a type 17-4 PH stainless steel, are known to those skilled in the art and may be employed in the present invention as a tensionable cutting member.
In one embodiment of the invention the tensive cutting assembly includes a first tensionable cutting member mounted to the first and second opposing head members, presenting a first cutting array and a second tensionable cutting member mounted to a third and a fourth opposing head members on the second face of the tensive cutting head, presenting a second cutting array. The second cutting array is commonly rotated
Dexter Clark F.
Holland Joseph W.
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