Clamp assembly for securing a knife to a slicing device, and slicing device including the clamp assembly

Abstract

A method and apparatus suitable for slicing a product into lattice cut slices or chips is provided. The method and apparatus uses a knife assembly including a scalloped knife, a knife holder, and a clamp. A leading edge of the knife holder has fingers and notches between the fingers, and the fingers of the knife holder engage valleys in a first surface of the scalloped knife. The clamp aligns with a second surface of the scalloped knife to secure the scalloped knife to the knife holder. The clamp has a leading edge with fingers and notches between the fingers. The fingers of the clamp interdigitate with the fingers of the knife holder so that the fingers of the clamp engage valleys in a second surface of the scalloped knife.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 293,273, filed December 23, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] (Technical field) The present invention relates to a method and cutting apparatus for cutting a product, such as slicing a food product. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus that includes a cutting head and an impeller assembly that rotates within the cutting head and moves the product toward a knife disposed within the cutting head for slicing the product into slices or chips, including waffle-cut or lattice-cut slices or chips. [Background technology]

[0003] Various machines are known for slicing, shredding, and grinding food products, such as vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and meat products. Widely used machines for this purpose are commercially available from Urschel Laboratories, Inc. under the brand names "Model CC®" and "Model CCL." The Model CC and Model CCL machines feature centrifugal slicers and are capable of slicing a variety of food products at high production rates. The Model CC series machines are suitable for uniformly slicing, peeling, shredding, and grinding, while the Model CCL series machines are suitable for producing waffle-cut or grid-cut (collectively referred to herein as "grids" or "grid-cut") slices or chips (collectively referred to herein as "slices" or "sliced ​​products"), a non-limiting example of which is shown in FIG. 1.

[0004] FIG. 1 shows, from top to bottom, fine, medium, and coarse gratings used in producing grid-cut potato chips and waffle-cut potato fries, as non-limiting examples. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the opposing sides of the slices, when viewed from the front edge, have a periodic pattern with a wave-like or sinusoidal waveform with rounded peaks and valleys, although sharper peaks and valleys are also possible. A grid-cut product can be achieved by sequentially cross-cutting the product at two different crossing angles (typically 90 degrees) using one or more knives, each with a cutting edge shaped to have the desired periodic pattern of the slices to be produced. Because such knives have peaks and valleys when viewed from the front edge, the knife cutting edges are oriented to have peaks and valleys. In the following description, the knife will be referred to as a "wave-shaped knife," but the knife is not limited to cutting edges with peaks and valleys of any particular shape, pattern, or periodicity.

[0005] The original Model CCL product is described in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,139,127 and 3,139,130, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Figure 2 illustrates a Model CCL apparatus 10, and Figures 3-5 illustrate a Model CCL apparatus 10 incorporating the inventions described in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,139,127 and 3,139,130. The apparatus 10 shown in Figures 2-5 includes a frame 12 supporting a power supply 14, a stationary cutter assembly (cutting head) 16, and a carriage or conveyor (impeller) assembly 18 rotatably disposed within the cutting head 16 to deliver product to the cutting head 16. The cutting head 16 and impeller assembly 18 are coaxial, and the cutting head remains stationary while the impeller assembly 18 rotates within the cutting head 16 about a common axis 17 (Figure 5). The cutting head 16 and impeller assembly 18 are housed within a housing 20 and product is conveyed to the cutting head 16 and impeller assembly 18 via a feed hopper 22 .

[0006] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 3. The feed hopper 22 has been retracted, and the housing 20 and cutting head 16 have been removed, exposing the impeller assembly 18. The impeller assembly 18 has four cylindrical guides 24 that convey product to the cutting head 16. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each cylindrical guide 24 has a toothed flange 25 that engages a stationary ring 27 located below the impeller assembly 18. Thus, as the impeller assembly 18 rotates about its longitudinal axis 17, the cylindrical guides 24 simultaneously rotate about their respective longitudinal axes. While the impellers and cylindrical guides 24 shown in FIG. 4 function quite well, other impeller configurations can be employed as a means for conveying product to the cutting head 16, including paddle-equipped impellers of the type used in the Model CC series of apparatus.

[0007] FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway plan view of the cutting head 16 and impeller assembly 18 shown in FIG. 3 , illustrating two of the four knife stations located around the periphery of the cutting head 16. Each knife station includes a serrated knife 26 secured to a segment 28 of the cutting head 16 between a knife holder 30 and a clamp 32. The combination of the knife 26, knife holder 30, and clamp 32 constitutes a knife assembly 34. As the cylindrical guides 24 simultaneously rotate about their respective longitudinal axes, the product contacts the knives 26 to produce the desired grid-cut slices. For example, four cylindrical guides 24 may perform a quarter-turn on the product as it moves between each of the four knife stations of the apparatus 10, resulting in a cut at a 90-degree intersection angle. The apparatus 10 can be configured with more or fewer cylindrical guides 24 and / or knife stations, and the rotation of the cylindrical guides 24 may be synchronized to complete any desired rotation between knife stations, allowing for cuts at any desired intersection angle.

[0008] As is clear from FIG. 3 , the inside of the cutting head 16 is configured as a spheroid. Therefore, the inner surface of the knife holder 30 (the surface facing inward of the cutting head 16) is also configured as a spheroid. When the feed hopper 22 conveys the product to the impeller assembly 18, centrifugal force causes the product to move outward and engage with the spheroid surface inside the cutting head 16, including the inner surface of the knife holder 30. The inner surface of the knife holder 30 is hereinafter referred to as the positioning surface of the knife holder 30. The product is cut by contacting the positioning surface with the knives 26, which are circumferentially spaced apart within the cutting head 16, at regular intervals.

[0009] FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the cutting head 16 and impeller assembly 18 of the apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, further illustrating the operating principle of the Model CCL. Product delivered to a feed hopper (not shown) enters the impeller assembly 18 through a central opening 42 located at the top of the impeller assembly 18. The impeller assembly 18, which includes four cylindrical guides 24, rotates about a longitudinal axis 17 common to the cutting head 16. Centrifugal force drives the product 35 within the cylindrical guides 24 to their radially outer ends while simultaneously rotating the cylindrical guides 24 about their respective longitudinal axes. Due to longitudinal ribs or splines 38 within the internal passage of each cylindrical guide 24, rotation of the impeller assembly 18 about its longitudinal axis 17 causes the product 35 to rotate within the cylindrical guides 24 about their respective transverse axes. With centrifugal force holding the product 35 firmly against the inner spheroid of the cutting head 16, the product 35 is rotated by the cylindrical guide 24 between successive knife stations until it contacts the knives 26 and is grid-cut into slices 36. As previously mentioned, in the embodiment shown in Figures 3-6, the cylindrical guide 24 rotates the product 35 approximately one-quarter turn between each of the four knife stations to produce grid-cut slices 36 with a 90-degree crossing angle as shown in Figure 6, but this is not limiting.

[0010] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cutting head 16 of a model CCL device corresponding to the device 10 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The cutting head 16 includes inner spheroidal segments 28 and wavy cutting knives 26 secured to the respective segments 28 between a knife holder 30 and a clamp 32. FIG. 8 illustrates the curvatures of the knife 26, knife holder 30, and clamp 32. As can be seen from FIGS. 7 and 8, the knife holder 30 includes a knife seat 44 with a smooth, cylindrical surface onto which a knife 26 having essentially any shape can be positioned. Similarly, the leading edge (clamping edge) of the knife clamp 32 has a single arc shape to secure the knife 26 to the knife holder 30. The clamp 32 shown in FIG. 7 has a sloped or tapered outer surface 32a at its leading edge (generally conical due to the arc shape of the clamp 32) that allows the slice 36 to clear the clamp 32 while leaving the cutting head 16. As is apparent from FIG. 8, the peaks and valleys of knife 26 and the single arc shape of knife holder 30 and clamp 32 create a gap or opening 38 between knife 26 and knife holder 30 and clamp 32.

[0011] Further description of the construction and operation of the Model CCL series instruments is set forth in US Pat. Nos. 3,139,127 and 3,139,130.

[0012] The Model CCL series machine described above performs very well. However, as evident from FIG. 8 , as the product and slices pass over the knife holder 30 and clamp 32, portions of the product and slices may rub against the leading edge of the knife holder 30 and clamp 32. Over time, solid matter, such as starch if the product being sliced ​​is a vegetable or fruit, may accumulate in the opening 38 between the shaping knife 26 and the knife holder 30 and clamp 32. While this buildup is not a problem in a properly maintained machine, if left unattended, the accumulated solid matter can cause the knife 26 to lift from the knife seat 44 of the knife holder 30, producing thinner slices. As a result, if the knife 26 is no longer securely fastened to the knife seat 44 of the knife holder 30, the leading edge of the knife 26 may become unstable, potentially reducing the accuracy and quality of the slices. Another problem is that because the slicing action of the Model CCL machine is dual rotational, i.e., the product rotates about the horizontal axis of the tubular guide 24 while rotating about the vertical axis 17 of the impeller assembly 18, the knives 26 can experience a lateral force in addition to the generally horizontal slicing force. Over time, this lateral force can cause the knives 26 to move vertically (i.e., parallel to the rotational axis 17 of the impeller assembly 18), as indicated by arrow 40 in FIG. 8. This situation can become more severe as the amplitude of the peaks and valleys of the knives 26 increases, i.e., in the case of coarser, deeper grate cuts than, for example, the finer grate cuts shown in FIG. 1 .

[0013] FIGS. 9A, 9B, 10, and 11 illustrate knife assemblies and their components that can be used with the apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 2-7. As disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,328,598, these knife assemblies are configured to reduce or eliminate the potential problems described above with reference to FIG. 8 that arise from the presence of an opening 38 between the scalloped knife 26 shown in FIG. 8 and the single-arc-shaped knife holder 30 and / or clamp 32. FIGS. 9A and 9B are perspective views of two knife holders 130A and 130B. Each of the knife holders 130A and 130B is configured to mate with a scalloped cutting knife. For example, FIG. 9B illustrates a scalloped knife 126 mated with the knife holder 130B. In such a configuration, the tip of the knife 126, which forms the cutting edge 127, protrudes beyond the leading edge 146A or 146B of the knife holders 130A and 130B, as shown in FIG. 9B. As noted above, knife 126 is "wavy" because its cutting edge 127 and at least adjacent portions of surfaces 129 (FIG. 9B) and 131 (FIG. 11) on either side of knife 126 that terminate at cutting edge 127 include peaks and valleys when viewed from the front edge. However, as noted above, the knife is not limited to any particular shape or pattern of peaks and valleys.

[0014] Knife holder 130A and knife holder 130B are each configured to mate with a clamp, such as, by way of non-limiting example, clamp 132A shown in FIG. 10 , to secure scalloped knife 126 to knife holder 130A or knife holder 130B. Knife holder 130A shown in FIG. 9A has a positioning surface 142A formed with a single arc shape similar to knife holder 30 shown in FIGS. 5, 7, and 8. Additionally, knife holder 130A has a knife seat 144A opposite its positioning surface 142A formed with a pattern of peaks and valleys complementary to the peaks and valleys of a scalloped knife, such as knife 126, that engages with knife holder 130B shown in FIG. 9B. Similarly, knife holder 130B shown in FIG. 9B includes a knife seat 144B formed with a pattern of peaks and valleys complementary to the peaks and valleys in surface 129 of the engaging scalloped knife 126. Knife seat 144A and knife seat 144B are preferably configured to substantially or completely fill openings or gaps between knife 126 and knife holder 130A and knife holder 130B caused by valleys present in surface 129 of knife 126 secured to knife holder 130A or knife holder 130B.

[0015] Knife holder 130A shown in FIG. 9A has a blunt leading edge 146A due to the different surface contours of positioning surface 142A and knife seat 144A. In contrast, positioning surface 142B of knife holder 130B shown in FIG. 9B does not have a single arc shape, but rather has a shape that defines a pattern complementary to that of wavy knife 126. Because the shapes of positioning surface 142B and knife seat 144B of knife holder 130B are in phase, leading edge 146B is sharp and has a substantially constant thickness, in contrast to leading edge 146A of knife holder 130A shown in FIG. 9A, which has a periodically varying thickness. In the non-limiting embodiment shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the pattern of peaks and valleys in knife 126, positioning surface 142B, knife seat 144A, and knife seat 144B is periodic, consisting, by way of non-limiting example, of a substantially sinusoidal wave, although irregular patterns are within the scope of the present invention.

[0016] The periodic pattern of peaks and valleys in knife seat 144A of knife holder 130A shown in Figure 9A improves both knife positioning and solids buildup compared to knife holder 30 shown in Figures 5, 7, and 8. Knife holder 130B shown in Figure 9B is further modified so that positioning surface 142B also has a periodic pattern, further reducing solids buildup by reducing product abrasion that could be caused by blunt leading edge 146A of knife holder 130A shown in Figure 9A, where positioning surface 142A comprises a single arc of a circle.

[0017] The knife clamp 132A shown in Figure 10 is suitable for use in combination with either the knife holder 130A or the knife holder 130B shown in Figures 9A and 9B to clamp a serrated knife. By way of non-limiting example, Figure 11 shows a knife assembly 134 including a serrated knife 126, the knife holder 130B shown in Figure 9B, and the clamp 132A shown in Figure 10 combined with the knife holder 130B to clamp the knife 126 to the knife seat 144B of the knife holder 130B. Similar to the clamp 32 shown in Figure 7, the clamp 132A has a tapered portion (which is generally conical due to the arcuate shape of the clamp 132A) at its leading edge that defines a sloped outer surface 156 to allow slices that have passed the cutting head to move over the clamp 132A. The tapered portion of clamp 132A includes extensions or "fingers" 148 sized and positioned to protrude into the valleys in surface 131 of knife 126 when the knife and clamp 132A are assembled, as shown in FIG. 11 . Fingers 148 preferably at least partially close any openings or gaps created by the valleys in knife surface 131 between clamp 132A and knife 126, thereby reducing the buildup of solids in the gaps. To this end, fingers 148 protrude sufficiently into the valleys in surface 131 opposite clamp 132A to close any openings or gaps that exist between knife 126 and clamp 132A. Alternatively or additionally, fingers 148 may improve the stability of cutting edge 127 of knife 126 by shortening the cantilever length of knife 126. Here, the cantilever length refers to the length or distance between the cutting edge 127 of the knife 126 and the nearest adjacent support, which may be the leading edge of either the knife holder 130A or the knife holder 130B or the clamp 132A, whichever is closer. In FIG. 11, the cantilever length (L cb) is the length or distance between cutting edge 127 of knife 126 and leading edge 152 of clamp 132A. In this case, the closest adjacent edge of leading edge 152 of clamp 132A is constituted by the distal end of each of fingers 148 that physically engages surface 131 of knife 126 inside the valley facing clamp 132A, as shown in FIG. 11 . Fingers 148 and the notches or recesses 150 formed therebetween comprise a pattern (as a non-limiting example, a periodic pattern) complementary to the pattern of knife 126 secured to knife holder 130B by clamp 132A.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 9B, the knife seat 144B (not shown in FIG. 11) of the knife holder 130B is configured to have a periodic pattern complementary to the surface 129 of the corrugated knife 126 so as to substantially or completely eliminate openings or gaps between the knife seat 144B and the surface 129 of the corrugated knife 126 caused by valleys in the surface 129 of the corrugated knife 126.

[0019] It is also within the scope of the present invention that knife holder 130B shown in FIG. 9B is sufficiently sharp to function as a scalloped knife, thereby eliminating the need for a separate knife 126 and clamp 132A, thereby essentially eliminating the possibility of solids accumulating in the valleys of surface 129 and surface 131 of knife 126 having a scalloped shape.

[0020] Although the Model CCL apparatus, which includes knives, knife holders, and clamps of the type described above, has performed very well, further improvements are continually required. Summary of the Invention

[0021] The purpose of the Summary is not to comprehensively describe all of the subject matter and aspects of the invention, but to briefly indicate the nature and content of the invention. Thus, the Summary describes the subject matter recited in the claims, but additional subject matter and aspects of the invention are described in other sections of the specification, such as the Detailed Description and Drawings.

[0022] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to provide a method and apparatus suitable for slicing a product into lattice-cut slices or chips.

[0023] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a knife assembly including a serrated knife, a knife holder, and a clamp. The leading edge of the knife holder has fingers and notches between the fingers, and the fingers of the knife holder engage with valleys in a first surface of the serrated knife. The clamp mates with a second surface of the serrated knife to secure the serrated knife to the knife holder. The clamp has a leading edge with fingers and notches between the fingers, and the fingers of the clamp engage with valleys in the second surface of the serrated knife, so that the fingers of the clamp alternately interdigitate with the fingers of the knife holder.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a knife assembly for use in a slicing device suitable for slicing a product. The knife assembly includes a scallop knife, a knife holder, and a clamp. The scallop knife has first and second surfaces disposed on opposite sides and terminating in a cutting edge. The cutting edge and at least a portion of the first and second surfaces adjacent the cutting edge include a peak-and-valley pattern, with peaks and valleys present on the first surface and peaks and valleys present on the second surface. The knife holder has locating surfaces disposed on opposite sides and terminating in a leading edge, and a knife seat. The knife seat aligns with the first surface of the scallop knife and includes a pattern of peaks and valleys complementary to the peaks and valleys of the first surface of the scallop knife. The leading edge of the knife holder includes fingers and notches between the fingers. The fingers of the knife holder engage with at least some of the valleys of the first surface of the scallop knife. The notches of the knife holder engage with at least some of the peaks of the first surface of the scallop knife. The clamp mates with the second surface of the corrugated knife and secures the corrugated knife to the knife seat of the knife holder. The clamp has a leading edge with fingers and notches between the fingers that have a pattern complementary to the peaks and valleys of the second surface of the corrugated knife. The clamp fingers engage with at least some of the valleys of the second surface of the corrugated knife, and the clamp fingers alternate with the knife holder fingers.

[0025] Another aspect of the invention includes an apparatus or method for cutting a product using the knife assembly described above to produce sliced ​​product, wherein the rotational action of the impeller assembly and a conveying means attached to the impeller assembly conveys the product to the periphery of the cutting head, and the serrated knife slices the product to produce lattice-cut slices or chips.

[0026] The technical effects of the above-described knife assemblies, methods, and apparatus preferably include increasing the stability and rigidity of the wavy knife during slicing operations performed using the knife assembly, and improving the quality and consistency of the sliced ​​product produced by the knife assembly.

[0027] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a lattice cut slice produced by equipment and components of the type shown in FIGS. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of a conventional model CCL device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a model CCL device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3 with the housing and cutting head removed to expose the impeller assembly. [Figure 5] 5 is a partially cutaway plan view of the cutting head and impeller assembly of the apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cutting head and impeller assembly of the Model CCL apparatus. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cutting head shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an edge view of the knife assembly of the cutting head shown in FIG. 7, illustrating in contrast the cross-sectional shapes of the knife holder, knife clamp, and knife secured therebetween. [Figure 9]Figures 9A and 9B are perspective views of two types of knife holders that can be used with the devices shown in Figures 2 to 7. The knife holder shown in Figure 9A has a knife seat with a periodic pattern complementary to the corrugated knife, and the knife holder shown in Figure 9B has a knife seat with a periodic pattern complementary to the corrugated knife to be matched, and a positioning surface disposed on the opposite side and having a periodic pattern similar to the periodic pattern of the corrugated knife. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a knife clamp that can be applied to the knife holder shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows a knife assembly including the knife and knife holder shown in FIG. 9B and the knife clamp shown in FIG. 10 that secures the knife to the knife holder. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a cutting head according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a portion of the cutting head shown in FIG. 12, showing details of the knife assembly of the cutting head in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 14-14 of a portion of the cutting head of FIG. 13, showing details of the knife, knife holder, and clamp of the knife assembly. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of one of the knife assemblies of the cutting head shown in Figure 12, showing additional details of the knife, knife holder, and clamp of the knife assembly. The knife is shown semi-transparent to visualize the clamp fingers that engage the opposite (outside) side of the knife facing outward of the cutting head shown in Figure 12. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is a plan view showing the inside of the knife assembly shown in Figure 15, facing the inside of the cutting head shown in Figure 12. The knife is shown translucent to allow visualization of the distal ends of the fingers of the clamp on the opposite (outer) side of the knife assembly. [Figure 17]Figure 17 is a plan view showing the exterior of the knife assembly shown in Figure 15, facing away from the cutting head shown in Figure 12. The knife is shown semi-transparent to allow visualization of the fingers of the knife holder on the opposite (inner) side of the knife assembly. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 18-18 of FIG. 17, showing the relative cross-sectional shapes of the knife, the fingers of the knife holder, and the fingers of the clamp. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the knife assembly shown in FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the knife assembly shown in FIG. 19 shown with the clamp removed. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the knife assembly shown in FIG. 19, shown with the clamp and knife removed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] The intended purpose of the following detailed description of the invention, and the phraseology and terminology used therein, is to describe embodiments, including one or more non-limiting embodiments of the invention, and to describe certain portions, but not all, of the illustrated embodiments. The following detailed description also describes certain alternative embodiments, but not all, of the illustrated embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to particularly identify the subject matter regarded as the invention, including certain aspects and alternative embodiments, but not necessarily all aspects and alternative embodiments, described in the detailed description, rather than the detailed description itself.

[0030] FIG. 12 illustrates a cutting head 216 with multiple knife assemblies 234 attached to segments 228 of the cutting head 216. The particular embodiment of the cutting head 216 illustrated in FIG. 12 has a spheroidal inner surface and is applicable to devices having certain features similar to, or modifications and improvements to, the device 10 illustrated in FIGS. 2-7. Non-limiting embodiments of the present invention are illustrated and described with reference to devices having components arranged as described for the device 10 illustrated in FIGS. 2-7. However, the present invention is applicable to a variety of devices. Furthermore, although the knife assemblies 234 and components illustrated in FIGS. 12-21 are described as slicing food products, the knife assemblies, cutting head, impeller assembly, and devices incorporating them may also be used to cut products other than food products.

[0031] 12-21 are configured to increase the stability and rigidity of the wavy knife 226 during slicing operations using the knife assembly 234. Additionally, the knife assembly 234 and its components are preferably configured to reduce the accumulation of solids between the leading edges of the knives 226 of the knife assembly 234 and the knife holder 230 and / or clamp 232, as well as to reduce vertical movement of the knives 226 (e.g., arrow 40 shown in FIG. 8), i.e., movement parallel to the axis of rotation of the impeller assembly (by way of non-limiting example, impeller assembly 18 shown in FIGS. 3-6 and axis 17 shown in FIG. 5).

[0032] 13-17 each illustrate the knife assembly 234 of the cutting head 216 shown in FIG. 12. As described above, the knife assembly 234 includes a scalloped knife 226, a knife holder 230, and a clamp 232. The clamp 232 can be secured to the knife holder 230 by any suitable means capable of clamping the knife 226, such as, but not limited to, a fastener 236 securing the clamp 232 to the knife holder 230. Product conveyed by, for example, an impeller (such as, but not limited to, the impeller assembly 18 and cylindrical guide 24 shown in FIGS. 3-6) or other suitable conveying means and contacting the knife 226 is sliced ​​by the knife 226 before exiting the cutting head 216 through a gate 240 (FIGS. 13 and 14). Knife holder 230 is configured to be assembled to serrated knife 226 such that the tip of knife 226, which defines cutting edge 227, protrudes beyond leading edge 246 of knife holder 230, as shown in Figures 14-17. Knife 226 has surfaces 229 and 231 (Figures 16-18), each terminating in cutting edge 227 and disposed on either side.

[0033] As noted above, knife 226 is "wave-shaped" because, when viewed edgewise, its cutting edge 227 and at least adjacent portions of surfaces 229 and 231 of knife 226 have a pattern of peaks and valleys. Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view of a representative, non-limiting example of a wave-shaped configuration, which is periodic and, by way of non-limiting example, substantially sinusoidal. In Figure 18, the pattern of peaks and valleys formed on cutting edge 227 of knife 226 forms peaks 262 and valleys 264 on surface 231 facing clamp 232 and opposite knife holder 230, and peaks 266 and valleys 268 on surface 229 facing knife holder 230 and opposite clamp 232. However, knives within the scope of the present invention are not limited to any particular shape or pattern of peaks and valleys.

[0034] The knife holder 230 includes a knife seat 244 formed with a pattern of peaks and valleys complementary to the peaks and valleys of the matching wavy knife 226. Additionally, the knife holder 230 includes a locating surface 242 opposite the knife seat 244. In the non-limiting embodiment shown in FIGS. 12-21, the locating surface 242 is formed with a pattern of peaks and valleys complementary to the pattern of peaks and valleys of the wavy knife 226. Because the shapes of the locating surface 242 and the knife seat 244 of the knife holder 230 are in phase, the leading edge 246 of the knife holder 230 is sharp and has a substantially constant thickness, similar to the leading edge of the knife holder 130B shown in FIG. 9B. The knife seat 244 is preferably configured to substantially or completely fill any opening or gap between the knife 226 and the knife holder 230 that is created when the valleys 268 in the surface 229 of the knife 226 contact the knife seat 244 of the knife holder 230.

[0035] As is particularly apparent from Figures 16 and 17, leading edge 246 of knife holder 230 includes extensions or "fingers" 258 and notches or recesses 260 therebetween that are fabricated to form a pattern complementary to the pattern of peaks and valleys present on surface 229 of knife 226 (for non-limiting example, a periodic pattern). Figure 16 shows locating surface 242 and fingers 258 of knife holder 230. Figure 17 shows knife seat 244 of knife holder 230, with knife 226 depicted in semi-transparent form to visualize fingers 258 of knife holder 230 on the opposite side of knife assembly 234. Fingers 258 and notches 260 of knife holder 230 engage valleys 268 and peaks 266, respectively, present on surface 229 of knife 226 facing knife holder 230 and opposite clamp 232. The fingers 258 and notches 260 of the knife holder 230 can be formed by various techniques, but as shown in Figures 14 and 15, the fingers 258 and notches 260 are formed on the leading edge 246 of the knife holder 230, the leading edge 246 having a bevel (beveled chamfer) 270, and the peaks of the knife holder 230 that are present on the knife seat 244 and engage with the valleys 268 of the knife 226 on the surface 229 of the knife 226 facing the knife holder 230 protrude beyond the valleys of the knife holder 230 that are present on the knife seat 244 and engage with the peaks 266 of the knife 226 on the surface 229 of the knife 226 facing the knife holder 230.

[0036] As is particularly apparent from Figures 12, 13, 17, and 19, clamp 232 has a tapered portion at its leading edge that defines a sloped outer surface 256 to allow slices leaving cutting head 216 to move over clamp 232. The tapered portion of clamp 232 is fabricated with extensions or "fingers" 248 and notches or recesses 250 therebetween that define a pattern complementary to the pattern of peaks and valleys (for non-limiting example, a periodic pattern) of knife 126 secured to knife holder 230 by clamp 232. Fingers 248 and notches 250 of clamp 232 engage valleys 264 and peaks 262, respectively, on the surface 231 of knife 226 that faces clamp 232 and is opposite knife holder 230. As apparent from Figures 16 and 17 , when fingers 248 of clamp 232 and fingers 258 of knife holder 230 engage with valleys 264 and 268 on opposing surfaces 229 and 231 of knife 226, the fingers 248 of clamp 232 and fingers 258 of knife holder 230 interdigitate (interdigitate with each other). In Figures 16 and 17 , knife 226 is shown semi-transparent to facilitate visualization of the distal ends of fingers 248 of clamp 232 and fingers 258 of knife holder 230 on the opposite (outside) side of knife assembly 234, respectively. The interdigitation of fingers 248 of clamp 232 and fingers 258 of knife holder 230 is believed to improve stability and rigidity of knife 226 and its cutting edge 227. In the illustrated non-limiting embodiment, as is particularly apparent from FIG. 17 , the leading edge 252 of the clamp 232, defined by the distal end of the finger 248 that physically engages the valley 264 in the surface 231 of the knife 226 facing the clamp 232, extends beyond the leading edge 246 of the knife holder 230, defined by the most recessed edge of the notch 260 in the knife holder 230.Also, leading edge 246 of knife holder 230, formed by the distal end of finger 258 physically engaging valley 268 in surface 229 of knife 226 facing knife holder 230, extends beyond leading edge 252 of clamp 232, defined by the most recessed edge of notch 250 in clamp 232. Furthermore, in the non-limiting embodiment shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, finger 258 of knife holder 230 extends beyond leading edge 252 of clamp 232 at finger 248 of clamp 232. As a result, in the illustrated non-limiting embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18, finger 258 of knife holder 230 physically engages surface 229 of knife 226 inside valley 268 of knife 226 facing knife holder 230, and as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, cantilever length (L) for knife 226 is 0.05 mm. cb ) 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 end of such finger 258.

[0037] As can be seen from FIG. 18, the fingers 248 of the clamp 232 can also be configured to at least partially close the opening or gap created between the clamp 232 and the wavy knife 226 by the valleys 264 in the surface 231 of the knife 226, thereby reducing the accumulation of solids between the wavy knife 226 and the clamp 232.

[0038] While the present invention has been described through specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that other configurations of the present invention are also applicable. For example, the knife 226, knife holder 230, and clamp 232 may differ in appearance and structure from those illustrated and may be used with devices, impeller assemblies, and cutting heads different from those illustrated; the specific functions of these components may be achieved by similar (but not necessarily identical) components having different structures; and various materials and processes may be employed to fabricate the knife assembly and its components. While the illustrated non-limiting embodiment of the cutting head is particularly suited to cutting food into slices, the knife assembly 234 may also be used in combination with cutting heads suitable for slicing other materials. Therefore, as noted above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described or illustrated herein.

Claims

1. a scalloped knife, a knife holder, and a clamp; 1. A knife assembly comprising: the knife holder has a locating surface terminating at a leading edge thereof, a knife seat disposed opposite the locating surface, and peaks and valleys present on the knife seat that respectively engage valleys and peaks of the corrugated knife on the first surface of the corrugated knife; the leading edge of the knife holder is beveled at the positioning surface thereof, so that at the leading edge of the knife holder, the peaks of the knife holder protrude beyond the valleys of the knife holder, and the leading edge of the knife holder has fingers at the peaks of the knife holder and notches between the fingers at the valleys of the knife holder, and the fingers of the knife holder engage with the valleys in the first surface of the wavy knife; the clamp mates with the second surface of the wavy knife to secure the wavy knife to the knife holder, the clamp having a leading edge with fingers and notches between the fingers, the fingers of the clamp engaging valleys in the second surface of the wavy knife; the fingers of the clamp are interdigitated with the fingers of the knife holder; Knife assembly.

2. 1. A knife assembly of a slicing apparatus suitable for slicing a product, said knife assembly comprising: a wavy knife having first and second opposed surfaces terminating in a cutting edge, the cutting edge and at least a portion of the first and second surfaces adjacent the cutting edge comprising a pattern of peaks and valleys, the first surface having peaks and valleys and the second surface having peaks and valleys; a knife holder having a locating surface terminating in a leading edge and a knife seat disposed opposite the locating surface, the knife seat aligning with the first surface of the wavy knife, the knife seat having a pattern of peaks and valleys complementary to the peaks and valleys in the first surface of the wavy knife, the leading edge of the knife holder having fingers and notches between the fingers, the fingers of the knife holder engaging at least some of the valleys in the first surface of the wavy knife and the notches of the knife holder engaging at least some of the peaks in the first surface of the wavy knife; and a clamp that mates with the second surface of the wavy knife and secures the wavy knife to the knife seat of the knife holder, the clamp having a leading edge with fingers and notches between the fingers that form a pattern complementary to the peaks and valleys in the second surface of the wavy knife, the fingers of the clamp engaging at least some of the valleys in the second surface of the wavy knife; Equipped with the fingers of the clamp are interdigitated with the fingers of the knife holder; the front edge of the knife holder is beveled at the positioning surface, so that at the front edge of the knife holder, the peak of the knife holder protrudes beyond the valley of the knife holder, the finger of the knife holder is at the peak of the knife holder, and the notch of the knife holder is at the valley of the knife holder; Knife assembly.

3. The knife assembly of claim 2 , wherein the pattern of peaks and valleys of the wavy 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 notch in 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 notch in 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 locating 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.

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

9. The knife assembly of claim 2 , wherein the slicing device is configured such that the knife assembly produces lattice-cut slices or chips.

10. 1. A slicing device for slicing a product, comprising: The slicing device comprises: an annular cutting head having an axis; at least one knife assembly having a serrated knife extending axially around an outer periphery of the cutting head and extending radially inward within the cutting head, the serrated knife having first and second opposed surfaces terminating in a cutting edge, the cutting edge and at least a portion of the first and second surfaces adjacent the cutting edge comprising a pattern of peaks and valleys, the first surface having peaks and valleys and the second surface having peaks and valleys; an impeller assembly coaxially mounted within the cutting head for rotation relative to the cutting head about the axis of the cutting head, the impeller assembly including conveying means for conveying product toward the outer periphery of the cutting head as the impeller assembly rotates within the cutting head; Equipped with The knife assembly includes: a knife holder having a locating surface terminating in a leading edge and an oppositely disposed knife seat, the knife seat aligning with the first surface of the wavy knife and having a pattern of peaks and valleys complementary to the peaks and valleys in the first surface of the wavy knife, the leading edge having fingers and notches between the fingers, the fingers of the knife holder engaging at least some of the valleys in the first surface of the wavy knife and the notches of the knife holder engaging at least some of the peaks in the first surface of the wavy knife; a clamp that mates with the second surface of the wavy knife and secures the wavy knife to the knife seat of the knife holder, the clamp having a leading edge with fingers that form a pattern complementary to the peaks and valleys in the second surface of the wavy knife and notches between the fingers, the fingers of the clamp engaging at least some of the valleys in the second surface of the wavy knife; Furthermore, the fingers of the clamp are interdigitated with the fingers of the knife holder; the front edge of the knife holder is beveled at the positioning surface, so that at the front edge of the knife holder, the peak of the knife holder protrudes beyond the valley of the knife holder, the finger of the knife holder is at the peak of the knife holder, and the notch of the knife holder is at the valley of the knife holder; Slicing device.

11. 11. The slicing device of claim 10, wherein the impeller assembly rotates about the axis of the cutting head while the conveying means rotates about its axis, causing the products in the conveying means to rotate about their respective axes.

12. 11. The slicing device of claim 10, wherein the pattern of peaks and valleys of the wavy knives is a periodic pattern.

13. 11. The slicing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the fingers of the clamp extend beyond the leading edge of the knife holder at the notch in the knife holder between the fingers of the knife holder.

14. 11. The slicing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the fingers of the knife holder extend beyond the leading edge of the clamp at the notch in the clamp between the fingers of the clamp.

15. 11. The slicing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the fingers of the knife holder extend beyond the leading edge of the clamp at the fingers of the clamp.

16. 11. The slicing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the locating 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.

17. The slicing device of claim 10 , wherein the knife assembly is fixed to a segment of the cutting head.

18. The slicing device of claim 10 , wherein the cutting head and the impeller assembly are configured such that the knife assembly produces lattice-cut slices or chips.

19. 11. A method for producing lattice-cut slices or chips using the slicing apparatus of claim 10.

20. Rotating the impeller assembly; supplying product to the impeller assembly; conveying the product to the periphery of the cutting head by rotating the impeller assembly and the conveying means; and slicing the product with the serrated knife to produce the lattice cut slices or chips; 20. The method of claim 19, comprising:

21. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the product is a food product.

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