Knife assembly for slicing device, method for attaching and detaching a knife to said slicing device, and slicing device equipped with said knife assembly

Abstract

A knife assembly for securing a knife to a slicing apparatus, a slicing apparatus including the same, and a method of operating the knife assembly for securing and removing a knife from the slicing apparatus are provided. The knife assembly includes a knife holder having a knife support surface, a knife supported on the knife support surface, and a clamp having a base adjacent its rear edge and a knife engagement portion adjacent its front edge. The knife assembly applies a clamping load to the clamp to secure the knife to the knife holder. The clamp prevents forward movement of the knife assembly relative to the knife when the clamping load is applied and / or allows the knife assembly to be removed by moving the clamp in the forward direction.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 176,977, filed April 20, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for cutting products, including slicing food products, and more particularly to a knife assembly for securing a knife to a slicing device, a slicing device including the same, and a method of operating the knife assembly for attaching and detaching the knife to and from the slicing device. [Background technology]

[0003] Various machines are known for slicing, shredding, and dicing foods, including vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and meat products. A widely used machine for this purpose is commercially available from Urschel Laboratories, Inc. under the brand name "Model CC®." The Model CC series machines feature centrifugal slicers and are capable of slicing a variety of foods at high production rates. The Model CC series machines are well-suited for producing uniform slices, strips, shreds, and dices. The configuration and aspects of the Model CC Series devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,139,128, 3,139,129, 5,694,824, 6,968,765, 7,658,133, 8,161,856, 9,193,086, 10,456,943, and 10,632,639, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0004] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a slicing device 10 representative of a Model CC series machine. The slicing device 10 includes a generally annular cutting head 12 and an impeller 14 mounted coaxially within the cutting head 12. The impeller 14 has an axis of rotation 17 coincident with the central axis of the cutting head 12 and is housed within a housing 18. The impeller 14 is driven to rotate about axis 17 via a shaft (not shown) connected to a gearbox 16. The cutting head 12 is mounted on a support ring 15 above the gearbox 16 and remains stationary while the impeller 14 rotates. Product is delivered to the cutting head 12 and impeller 14 via a feed hopper 11 located above the impeller 14. In operation, as the hopper 11 delivers product to the impeller 14, centrifugal force moves the product outward toward engagement with cutting knives (not shown) mounted along the periphery of the cutting head 12. The impeller 14 includes substantially radially oriented paddles 13, each having a surface that engages the product and directs it radially outward toward the knives of the cutting head 12 as the impeller 14 rotates. Other aspects of the structure and operation of the Model CC series of machines, including various embodiments thereof, are set forth in the above-referenced prior art documents, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0005] FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating an example, non-limiting cutting head 12 used in a Model CC series slicing machine, including the machine 10 shown schematically in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a bottom view of a portion of the cutting head 12. The cutting head 12 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B will be described with reference to the slicing machine 10 with the impeller 14 shown in FIG. 1. Based on the coaxial arrangement of the cutting head 12 and impeller 14, relative terms such as "axial," "circumferential," and "radial," and related terms, are used to describe the cutting head 12 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B and other depictions of the cutting head herein. Additionally, as used herein, "front" (and related terms) refers to a position on the cutting head (or part thereof) that is forward or leading in the direction of rotation of an impeller attached to and rotating within the cutting head, and "rear" (and related terms) refers to a position on the cutting head (or part thereof) that is rearward or trailing in the direction of rotation of the impeller within the cutting head.

[0006] In FIG. 2A , the cutting head 12 is generally annular, with the cutting knives 20 mounted at circumferentially spaced intervals along its periphery. In FIGS. 2A and 2B , the knives 20 have straight cutting edges that are substantially flat between their opposing edges and their trailing edges. While the following description refers to "flat knives" commonly used to produce such flat sliced ​​food products, other non-flat shaped knives can also be used with the cutting head 12. For example, in the following description, a "shaped knife" refers to a knife that does not have a straight cutting edge and is not substantially flat between its cutting edge and its trailing edge. Shaped knives include, but are not limited to, "wave knives" that are commonly used to produce wavy, strip, sliver, or diced products and have a periodic pattern of alternating peaks and valleys when viewed from the edge.

[0007] Each knife 20 projects radially inward in a direction generally opposite to the direction of rotation of the impeller 14 within the cutting head 12, with a cutting edge at its radially innermost portion. The cutting head 12 further includes lower and upper support members, shown in Figure 2A as rings 22 and 24. A plurality of support segments (shoes 26) are secured to the lower and upper support members by fasteners 34 and spaced apart circumferentially therebetween.

[0008] A knife 20 is mounted to each shoe 26 when the shoe 26 constitutes a cutting station of the cutting head 12. In Figures 2A and 2B, the knife 20 of the cutting head 12 is secured to each shoe 26 by a knife assembly 28. Each knife assembly 28 includes a knife holder 30 mounted to the shoe 26 between the support rings 22 and 24 and a clamp 32 disposed on a radially outer surface of the knife holder 30 for securing the knife 20.

[0009] Each knife 20 is supported at the leading edge of one knife holder 30 by the radially outer surface of the knife holder 30. The radially outer surface of the knife holder 30 that contacts and supports the knife 20 is referred to as the knife support surface 30A. Each knife support surface 30A has a shape (e.g., flat or non-flat) complementary to the shape (e.g., flat or non-flat) of the knife 20 it supports.

[0010] A corresponding clamp 32 is located on the knife holder 30 so that the knife 20 resides between a knife support surface 30A of the knife holder 30 and a radially inner surface of the clamp 32 that faces the knife holder 30 and is located adjacent the leading edge of the clamp 32. The radially inner surface of the clamp 32 that contacts and resides on the knife 20 is referred to as the knife clamping surface 32A. The knife clamping surface 32A has a shape (e.g., flat or non-flat) that is complementary to the shape (e.g., flat or non-flat) of the knife 20 that it contacts.

[0011] By bringing clamp 32 closer to knife support surface 30A of knife holder 30, for example using bolt 36, clamp 32 applies a clamping force to a portion of knife 20 adjacent the cutting edge.

[0012] 2A and 2B further show a gate 38 secured to each shoe 26. The food product passes through the gate 38 before contacting the knife 20 attached to the trailing shoe 26. The cutting edge of the knife 20 and the trailing edge of the leading gate 38 form a gate opening 40 (FIG. 2B) that determines the thickness of the slices produced by the knife 20.

[0013] As can be seen in FIG. 2B, when and after the bolt 36 is tightened to secure the clamp 32 and knife 20 to the knife holder 30, the bolt 36 prevents the clamp 32 from moving forward (in the forward direction of the cutting head 12) relative to the knife 20 and knife holder 30 (as indicated by the horizontal arrow in FIG. 2B), thereby properly positioning the leading edge of the clamp 32 relative to the leading edge of the knife holder 30 and ensuring the desired clamping effect on the knife 20.

[0014] Only after the bolt 36 is completely removed can the clamp 32 and knife 20 be removed from the knife holder 30 by lifting them, individually or together, radially of the cutting head 12 (indicated by the vertical arrows in FIG. 2B). The knife 20 and clamp 32 can then be freely moved forwardly of the cutting head 12 (indicated by the horizontal arrows in FIG. 2B) and axially of the cutting head 12 (indicated by the direction perpendicular to the vertical and horizontal arrows in FIG. 2B). These movements are possible even while the knife 20 and clamp 32 remain engaged with the knife holder 30.

[0015] Figure 3 shows a knife assembly 28 employing a wavy knife 20 of a type capable of producing wavy, strip, sliver, or diced products. Figure 3 is a peripheral view of the knife assembly 28 facing rearward (opposite the direction of travel), revealing the leading edges of the knife 20, knife holder 30, and clamp 32. As can be seen from Figure 3, the complementary shapes of the knife 20, knife clamping surface 32A of clamp 32, and knife support surface 30A of knife holder 30 prevent the knife 20 and clamp 32 from moving relative to each other and relative to the knife holder 30 in the axial direction of the cutting head 12 (indicated by the vertical arrows in Figure 3) while engaging the knife support surface 30A of the knife holder 30.

[0016] As a result, when removing the clamp 32 and knife 20 from the knife holder 30, the knife 20 and clamp 32 must first be moved radially (in the direction indicated by the horizontal arrow in FIG. 3) or forward of the cutting head 12 (perpendicular to the vertical and horizontal arrows in FIG. 3) before the knife 20 and clamp 32 are disengaged from the knife support surface 30A of the knife holder 30.

[0017] While the Model CC Series performs optimally for its intended use, further improvements are continually desired for slicing machines of the type typified by the Model CC Series. For example, it may be desired to securely fasten a shaped knife (e.g., the wavy knife 20 shown in FIG. 3 ) with the bolt 36 during and after tightening the bolt 36, to prevent circumferential movement of the clamp 32 relative to the knife 20 and knife holder 30, so that the leading edge of the clamp 32 is properly positioned relative to the leading edge of the knife holder 30, and to enable removal of the clamp 32 and knife 20 from the cutting head 12 without completely removing the bolt 36. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0018] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 3,139,128 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 3,139,129 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent No. 5,694,824 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent No. 6,968,765 [Patent Document 5] U.S. Patent No. 7,658,133 [Patent Document 6] U.S. Patent No. 8,161,856 [Patent Document 7] U.S. Patent No. 9,193,086 [Patent Document 8] U.S. Patent No. 10,456,943 [Patent Document 9] U.S. Patent No. 10,632,639 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0019] The present invention provides a knife assembly for securing a knife to a slicing device, a slicing device including the knife assembly, and a method of operating the knife assembly for securing and removing a knife from the slicing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0020] According to a non-limiting aspect of the present invention, a knife assembly includes a knife holder having a knife support surface, a knife supported on the knife support surface of the knife holder so as to protrude from a front edge of the knife holder, and a clamp having a base adjacent its rear edge and a knife engagement portion adjacent its front edge. The base has at least one slot, and at least a portion of the knife engagement portion has a shape complementary to the knife. The knife assembly further includes a clamp load applying means for applying a clamp load to the clamp to secure the knife to the knife holder, the clamp load applying means including a fastener received in the slot in the base of the clamp. The knife assembly also includes a clamp movement prevention means for preventing the clamp from moving forward relative to the knife as the clamp load is applied to the clamp by the clamp load applying means.

[0021] Another non-limiting aspect of the present invention provides a method for attaching and detaching a clamp to a knife assembly that secures a knife to a cutting head of a slicing machine. The cutting head has a forward direction, a rearward direction opposite the forward direction, an axial direction perpendicular to the forward and rearward directions, and a radial direction perpendicular to the forward, rearward, and axial directions. The clamp has a knife-engaging portion forming a front edge thereof. The knife-engaging portion has a shape complementary to the knife and physically contacts the knife in a clamped position. The method includes removing a clamping load from the clamp that secures the clamp in the clamped position, moving the clamp in the forward direction of the cutting head until the clamp reaches a release position, releasing the knife-engaging portion from contact with the knife in the release position, and removing the clamp from the knife assembly.

[0022] In another aspect of the present invention, a slicing device is provided that includes one or more knife assemblies having the elements described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] Technical effects of the present invention include allowing the clamp to be removed from the knife assembly by moving the clamp forward of the knife assembly with the knife, and optionally preventing the clamp from moving relative to the knife, particularly toward the front of the knife assembly, as a clamping load is applied to the clamp.

[0024] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic, partially cutaway side view of a conventional centrifugal type slicing device. [Figure 2]FIG. 2A is a detailed view of a cutting head used in the slicing device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a partial bottom view of the cutting head. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a peripheral view of a knife assembly applicable to the cutting head shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. [Figure 4] 4A-4C are schematic diagrams of a knife assembly that can be attached to a cutting head of a slicing device, including but not limited to the cutting head shown in FIG. 2A and the slicing device shown in FIG. 1, and show an example of how the clamp can be removed from the knife assembly. [Figure 5] Figures 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams of a knife assembly having a clamp and knife holder having a shape complementary to the shape of the knife, and show an example in which one example of a method for removing the clamp shown in Figures 4A to 4C from the knife assembly is applied. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a peripheral view looking toward the rear of knife assembly 50 of FIGS. 5A and 5B. [Figure 7] 7A, 7B, and 7C are schematic diagrams of a knife assembly that can be attached to a cutting head of a slicing device, including but not limited to the cutting head shown in FIG. 2A and the slicing device shown in FIG. 1, and illustrate alternative methods of removing the clamp from the knife assembly. [Figure 8] 8A, 8B, and 8C are schematic diagrams of a knife assembly that can be attached to a cutting head of a slicing device, including but not limited to the cutting head shown in FIG. 2A and the slicing device shown in FIG. 1, and illustrate alternative methods of removing the clamp from the knife assembly. [Figure 9] Figures 9A, 9B, 9C, and 9D are schematic diagrams of a knife assembly that can be attached to a cutting head of a slicing device, including but not limited to the cutting head shown in Figure 2A and the slicing device shown in Figure 1, and show alternative methods of removing the clamp from the knife assembly. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a partial side view of a knife assembly for a slicing device, including but not limited to the slicing device shown in FIG. 1, comprising a knife holder and a clamp for holding a shaped knife on the knife holder. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic end view of the clamp shown in FIG. 10, illustrating the forces acting on the clamp when it is secured to the knife holder as shown in FIG. 10. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a partial side view of a knife assembly for a slicing device according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, comprising a knife holder, a clamp that holds a shaped knife on the knife holder, and a support bar that secures the clamp to the knife holder. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a view showing the support bar shown in FIG. [Figure 14] 14 is a partial side view of the knife assembly according to the non-limiting embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 12, showing the support bar rotated out of contact with the clamp. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic end view of the clamp and support bar shown in FIG. 12, illustrating diagrammatically the forces acting on the clamp when secured to the knife holder by the support bar as shown in FIG. 12. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a partial side view of a knife assembly according to another non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, which differs from the knife assembly shown in FIGS. 12 and 14 in that a clamp is attached to the support bar. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a schematic end view of the clamp and support bar shown in FIG. 16, illustrating the forces acting on the clamp when secured to the knife holder by the support bar as shown in FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a partial side view of a knife assembly for a slicing apparatus according to another non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, including a knife holder and a clamp that holds a shaped knife on the knife holder. [Figure 19]FIG. 19 is a detailed side view of the knife assembly shown in FIG. [Figure 20] 20 is a partial cross-sectional view of the knife assembly shown in FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a knife assembly for a slicing apparatus according to another non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, including a knife holder, a clamp that holds a shaped knife on the knife holder, and a wedge assembly that secures the clamp to the knife holder. [Figure 22] 22 is a perspective view of the knife assembly shown in FIG. 21 with the upper member of the wedge assembly removed. [Figure 23] 23 is a perspective view showing the upper member of the wedge assembly shown in FIG. 21 removed. [Figure 24] 24 is a perspective view of the upper member of the wedge assembly shown in FIG. 21, seen from a direction different from that of FIG. 23. FIG. [Figure 25] 25 is a perspective view of the upper member of the wedge assembly shown in FIG. 21, seen from a direction different from that of FIGS. 23 and 24. FIG. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of the knife assembly shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 in an unlocked state. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of the knife assembly shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 in a locked state. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a schematic end view of the knife assembly shown in FIGS. 21, 26, and 27, illustrating the forces acting on the clamp when the clamp is secured to the knife holder using a wedge assembly as shown in FIGS. 21 and 27. [Figure 29] FIG. 29 is a side view of a knife assembly for a slicing apparatus according to another non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, including a knife holder, a clamp that holds a shaped knife on the knife holder, and a cam rod that generates the clamping load applied by the clamp to the knife. [Figure 30]FIG. 30 shows the knife assembly shown in FIG. 29 with the cam rod rotated to release the clamping load applied to the knife from the clamp. [Figure 31] FIG. 31 is a schematic end view of the knife assembly shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, illustrating the forces acting on the clamp when the clamp is secured to the knife holder using the cam rod shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] The intended purpose of the following detailed description of the invention, and the phraseology and terminology used therein, is to describe the illustrated embodiment in terms of one or more non-limiting embodiments of the invention, and to describe certain portions, but not all, of the illustrated embodiment. The following detailed description also describes certain alternative embodiments, but not all, of the illustrated embodiment. The appended claims, unlike the detailed description, are intended to present the subject matter of the invention and are intended to encompass only certain aspects and alternatives described in the detailed description, but not necessarily all of them.

[0027] 4A-31 are schematic diagrams illustrating non-limiting embodiments of knife assemblies and components usable with various cutting devices, including the centrifugal-type slicing device 10 shown in FIG. 1 and the cutting head shown in FIG. 2A. The knife assemblies are optionally adapted for use with the aforementioned devices, including alternatives or modifications to the knife assemblies and components. For convenience, the knife assemblies are illustrated and described with reference to the slicing device 10 shown in FIG. 1, which includes the annular cutting head 12 described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2A. Therefore, the following description primarily focuses on specific aspects of the knife assembly described with reference to the slicing device 10 and cutting head 12. Other aspects not described in detail below may be similar in structure, function, materials, and the like to those described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2A. However, the teachings of the present invention are generally applicable to other types of cutting devices. While the present invention is preferably applied to a food cutting device, knife assemblies adapted to cutting devices for cutting various types of materials are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0028] To facilitate understanding of the following description of the illustrated knife assembly, relative terms are used with reference to the orientation of the knife assembly within the annular cutting head shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A. Based on the coaxial arrangement of the cutting head 12 and impeller 14 in FIG. 1, relative terms including and including "axial," "circumferential," "radial," etc. are also used to describe the illustrated non-limiting embodiment. All such relative terms are useful for describing the knife assembly illustrated in FIGS. 4A-31 but should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Additionally, as used herein, "front" (and related terms, inclusive) refers to a position on the cutting head 12 (or a part thereof) that is forward or leading in the direction of rotation of the impeller 14 attached to and rotating within the cutting head 12, and "rear" (and related terms, inclusive) refers to a position on the cutting head 12 (or a part thereof) that is rearward or trailing in the direction of rotation of the impeller 14. Thus, the cutting head 12 has a forward direction, a rearward direction opposite the forward direction, an axial direction perpendicular to the forward and rearward directions, and a radial direction perpendicular to the forward, rearward, and axial directions.

[0029] For convenience, identical or functionally related / equivalent elements of the various embodiments of the knife assemblies illustrated in Figures 4A-31 are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0030] Figures 4A-9D are schematic diagrams illustrating different ways in which a clamp may be removed from a knife assembly attached to a cutting head of a slicing apparatus, such as, but not limited to, the slicing apparatus shown in Figure 1. The clamps shown in Figures 4A-9D are secured with threaded fasteners (bolts), but may be secured by other means, such as various types of fasteners, levers, and / or cams, by way of non-limiting example.

[0031] 4A, 4B, and 4C are partial side views of a non-limiting embodiment of a knife assembly 50 including a knife holder 52 and a clamp 54 securing a flat knife 56 on the knife support surface 52A of the knife holder 52. As discussed above, a "flat knife" refers to a knife 56 having a straight cutting edge and a substantially flat surface between its opposing cutting edges and its trailing edge, and a "shaped knife" refers to a knife 56 that does not have a straight cutting edge and is not substantially flat between its cutting edge and its trailing edge. At least a portion of the knife support surface 52A underlying the knife 56 shown in FIGS. 4A-4C preferably has a shape complementary to the knife 56. While other attachment means are possible and within the scope of the present invention, the knife holder 52 shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C is configured to be attached to the shoe 26 between the support rings 22, 24 of the cutting head 12, as shown in FIG. 2A.

[0032] Clamp 54 includes a knife-engaging portion 54A, which defines the leading edge of clamp 54 and which physically contacts knife 56 and therefore has a shape complementary to knife 56. Clamp 54 further includes a base 54B, which defines a trailing edge 76 of clamp 54 and is configured to engage a means for securing clamp 54 to knife holder 52 and applying a clamping load to clamp 54 when clamp 54 is in the clamped position, as shown in FIG. 4A. In FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C, such clamping load applying means is formed by a threaded fastener 60 (in this particular embodiment, a bolt) which passes through clamp 54 and threads into knife holder 52. The knife-engaging portion 54A and base 54B of the clamp 54 are not coplanar, and the knife-engaging portion 54A is adapted to more closely match the orientation of the knife 56 on the knife-support surface 52A of the knife holder 52.

[0033] Loosening the fasteners 60 releases the clamp load securing the clamp 54 in the clamped position shown in FIG. 4A . The shafts (not shown) of the fasteners 60 are received in keyway slots 74, which are narrower than the heads of the fasteners 60, so that the clamp load can be applied by tightening the fasteners 60 so that the heads of the fasteners 60 engage the base 54B along the edge of the slot 74. The slots 74 are configured so that the clamp 54 can be removed from the knife holder 52 by loosening the fasteners 60 without completely removing the fasteners 60 from the knife holder 52. The keyway slots 74 are formed in the base 54B of the clamp 54 so as to be contiguous with the rear edge 76 of the clamp 54 and extend toward (just short of) the knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamp 54, forming an inner distal end 74A (see FIGS. 4B and 4C ) within each slot 74. Although each slot 74 has a constant width along its entire length in the illustrated embodiment, any of the slots 74 could be formed to have wider and narrower portions.

[0034] As is apparent from Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C, the distal end 74A of the slot 74 functions as a stop that prevents the clamp 54 from moving rearward in the circumferential direction of the cutting head 12 (toward the left in Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C) and becoming disengaged from the knife assembly 50. However, the slot 74 is configured so that the clamp 54 can be removed from the knife assembly 50 by moving the clamp 54 forward in the cutting head 12 (to the right as indicated by the arrows in Figures 4B and 4C) to move the fastener 60 out of the slot and free the clamp 54 from the knife holder 52 (see Figure 4B). Specifically, by moving the clamp 54 forward, the knife-engaging portion 54A, which forms the leading edge of the clamp 54 and has a complementary shape to the knife 56 and which physically contacts the knife 56 in the clamped position shown in Figure 4A, no longer contacts the knife 56 in the released position shown in Figure 4B.

[0035] From the release position, the clamp 54 can be continued to move forward as shown in Figure 4C, or the clamp 54 can be lifted radially away from the knife assembly 50 toward the cutting head 12. Once the clamp 54 is fully removed as shown in Figure 4C, the knife 56 that was underneath the clamp 54 is exposed and can be removed.

[0036] To reattach clamp 54 to knife holder 52, clamp 54 is moved circumferentially rearward (toward the left in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C) and fasteners 60 are inserted into their respective slots 74 until fasteners 60 abut distal ends 74A of slots 74, and then fasteners 60 are tightened to secure clamp 54 to knife holder 52. In this state, the cutting edge of knife 56 is exposed. This configuration facilitates knife removal and cleaning of knife assembly 50 and its components.

[0037] 5A and 5B illustrate that the method of attaching and detaching clamp 54 shown in FIGS. 4A-4C is equally applicable to knife assemblies 50 different from that shown in FIGS. 4A-4C. In FIGS. 5A and 5B, a shaped knife 56 is used, and clamp 54 (or at least knife clamping surface 54C of knife engagement portion 54A of clamp 54) and knife holder 52 (or at least knife support surface 52A of knife holder 52) have a shape complementary to shaped knife 56. In this example, knife 56 is a shaped knife 56 of the type capable of producing wavy, strip, sliver, or diced products.

[0038] Figure 5A shows a clamped position in which clamp 54 is secured to knife holder 52 by fastener 60, clamping knife 56 against knife support surface 52A of knife holder 52. Figure 5B shows a released position in which fastener 60 is sufficiently loosened to allow clamp 54 to move forward (to the right, as indicated by the horizontal arrow in Figure 5B). As is clear from Figure 5B, knife engaging portion 54A of clamp 54 forms the leading edge of clamp 54 and includes knife clamping surface 54C that has a shape complementary to knife 56. In the clamped position shown in Figure 5A, knife engaging portion 54A physically contacts knife 56, but does not contact knife 56 in the released position shown in Figure 5B.

[0039] From the release position, the clamp 54 can be moved further forward in the circumferential direction of the cutting head 12, as shown in FIG. 4C, or the clamp 54 can be lifted radially of the cutting head 12 (indicated by the vertical arrow in FIG. 5B), or the clamp 54 can be moved axially of the cutting head 12 (perpendicular to the vertical and horizontal arrows shown in FIG. 5B).

[0040] Figure 6 is a peripheral view of the knife assembly 50 of Figures 5A and 5B looking toward the rear, revealing the leading edges of the knife 56, knife holder 52, and clamp 54. Similar to the knife assembly 50 shown in Figure 5B, Figure 6 shows the knife assembly 50 in a released position, with the fastener 60 (not shown) fully loosened to allow the clamp 54 to move forward. As can be seen from Figure 6, moving the clamp 54 forward disengages the knife clamping surface 54C from the complementary shaped knife 56, allowing the clamp 54 to move freely relative to the knife 56 and knife holder 52 in the axial direction of the cutting head 12 (as indicated by the vertical arrow in Figure 6). Thus, the clamp 54 can be completely removed from the knife assembly 50 after moving forward as shown in Figures 5B and 6.

[0041] In view of the similarities between the embodiments shown in Figures 7A-9D and the embodiments shown in Figures 4A-6, the following description of Figures 7A-9D will focus primarily on features that are clearly or significantly different from the embodiments shown in Figures 4A-6. Other features of the embodiments shown in Figures 7A-9D will not be described in detail, but are essentially similar to the embodiments shown in Figures 4A-6 in terms of structure, function, materials, etc.

[0042] 7A and 7B are partial side views of a knife assembly 50 according to another non-limiting embodiment, and FIG. 7C is a plan view of the same knife assembly 50. FIG. 7A shows a clamped position in which a shaft (not shown) of a fastener 60 is received in a slot 74 having a wide portion and a narrow portion, and the fastener 60 secures the clamp 54. The wide portion of the slot 74 extends toward but is not contiguous with the rear edge 76 of the clamp 54. The narrow portion of the slot 74 extends toward but terminates short of the knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamp 54, forming an inner distal end 74A (see FIG. 7B) within each slot 74. The inner distal end 74A functions as a stop to prevent the clamp 54 from moving rearward in the circumferential direction of the cutting head 12 (to the left in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C) and becoming disengaged from the knife assembly 50.

[0043] The narrow portion of slot 74 is narrower than the head of fastener 60, allowing fastener 60 to secure clamp 54 to knife holder 52 in the clamped position. The wide portion of slot 74 is wider than the head of fastener 60 ( FIG. 7B ), allowing clamp 54 to be removed from knife holder 52 without removing fastener 60 from knife holder 52 by loosening fastener 60 and moving clamp 54 forward (to the right in FIGS. 7A and 7B , as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 7B ). In the released position shown in FIG. 7B , the head of fastener 60 is aligned with the wide portion of slot 74, allowing the head of fastener 60 to clear slot 74 and lift clamp 54 from knife assembly 50 in the radial direction of cutting head 12 (as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 7C ).

[0044] In this embodiment, too, moving the clamp 54 forward disengages the knife clamping surface 54C of the clamp 54 from the complementary shaped shaped knife 56. Thus, the method of attaching and detaching the clamp 54 shown in Figures 7A, 7B, and 7C with reference to Figures 5A and 5B can be equally applied to a knife assembly 50 that uses a shaped knife 56 and includes a knife holder 52 having a knife support surface 52A having a shape complementary to the shaped knife 56, and a clamp 54 having a knife clamping surface 54C having a shape complementary to the shaped knife 56.

[0045] 8A-8C show another non-limiting embodiment of knife assembly 50 that is similar to FIGS. 7A-7C but differs from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A-7C in that the wide portion of slot 74 extends toward and opens onto, and is continuous with, rear edge 76 of clamp 54. As in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A-7C, the narrow portion of slot 74 is narrower than the head of fastener 60, allowing fastener 60 to secure clamp 54 to knife holder 52 in the clamped position, and allowing clamp 54 to be removed from knife holder 52 by loosening fastener 60 and moving clamp 54 forward (to the right in FIGS. 8A-8C , as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 8B ) without removing fastener 60 from knife holder 52.

[0046] In the released position shown in Figure 8B, the head of fastener 60 is aligned with the wide portion of slot 74, allowing the head of fastener 60 to be removed from slot 74 and lift clamp 54 away from knife assembly 50 in the radial direction of cutting head 12 (indicated by the arrow in Figure 8C). Alternatively, because the wide portion of slot 74 is continuous with and opens onto rear edge 76 of clamp 54, clamp 54 can be moved further forward from the released position shown in Figure 8B in a manner similar to that shown in Figure 4C and described with reference to Figure 5B.

[0047] In this embodiment, too, moving the clamp 54 forward disengages the complementary shaped knife clamping surface 54C of the clamp 54 from the shaped knife 56. In this way, the method of attaching and detaching the clamp 54 shown in Figures 8A to 8C can be equally applied to a knife assembly 50 that uses a shaped knife 56 and includes a knife holder 52 having a knife support surface 52A having a shape complementary to the shaped knife 56, and a clamp 54 having a knife clamping surface 54C having a shape complementary to the shaped knife 56.

[0048] 9A-9D show another non-limiting embodiment of the knife assembly 50, similar to FIGS. 7A-7C but differing from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A-7C in that the slot 74 is L-shaped. From the clamped position shown in FIG. 9A, the clamp 54 can be removed from the knife holder 52 by loosening the fastener 60 and moving the clamp 54 forward of the cutting head 12 (to the right in FIG. 9B, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 9B) and then moving the clamp 54 axially of the cutting head 12 (toward the bottom in FIG. 9C, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 9C) until it reaches the release position ( FIG. 9C). The clamp 54 can then be lifted from the knife assembly 50 radially of the cutting head 12 (indicated by the arrow in FIG. 9D).

[0049] 9A-9D can be equally applied to a knife assembly 50 that uses a shaped knife 56 and includes a knife holder 52 having a knife support surface 52A that is complementary in shape to the shaped knife 56, and a clamp 54 having a knife clamping surface 54C that is complementary in shape to the shaped knife 56. In this embodiment, by moving the clamp 54 forward to the release position shown in FIG. 9B, the knife clamping surface 54C of the clamp 54 is disengaged from the complementary shaped knife 56, and the clamp 54 can then be moved in the axial direction of the cutting head 12 (downward in FIG. 9C, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 9C).

[0050] Figure 10 is a partial side view of one embodiment of a knife assembly 50 similar to that shown in Figures 8A-8C. The knife assembly 50 is mounted to the cutting head 12 of a slicing apparatus, such as, but not limited to, the slicing apparatus shown in Figure 1, by being mounted between a pair of bases 72 that are attached to a support ring (not shown) of the cutting head 12. The knife assembly 50 includes a shaped knife (hidden in the drawing beneath a clamp 54), a knife holder 52 having a knife support surface (hidden in the drawing beneath the clamp 54) having at least a portion thereof complementary in shape to the shaped knife, and a clamp 54 having a knife clamping surface having at least a portion thereof complementary in shape to the shaped knife, the shaped knife being secured to the knife support surface of the knife holder 52 by the clamp 54.

[0051] Other features of the knife assembly 50 are generally as described for the embodiment shown in Figures 8A-8C. Thus, similar to the embodiment shown in Figures 4A-9D, the distal end 74A of the slot 74 provided in the clamp 54 functions as a stop that prevents the clamp 54 from being disengaged from the knife assembly 50 by moving the clamp 54 rearward in the circumferential direction of the cutting head 12 (toward the left in Figure 10), but the clamp 54 can be removed from the knife assembly 50 by moving it forward in the cutting head 12 (to the right in Figure 10).

[0052] 8A-8C , by moving the clamp 54 forward, the fasteners 60 are no longer aligned with the narrow portions of the slots 74 but are aligned with the wide portions of the slots 74, allowing the fasteners 60 to pass through the slots 74 when the clamp 54 is lifted radially away from the knife assembly 50 relative to the cutting head 12. Removing the clamp 54 also allows the knife 56, which was previously located beneath the clamp 54, to be removed. Meanwhile, to secure the clamp 54 to the knife holder 52, the clamp 54 is moved to the left in FIG. 10 , and the fasteners 60 are inserted into the narrow portions of the respective slots 74 until they abut the distal ends 74A of the slots 74, exposing the cutting edges of the knives. The fasteners 60 are then tightened to secure the clamp 54 to the knife holder 52.

[0053] FIG. 11 is a schematic end view of the clamp 54 shown in FIG. 10, illustrating the forces acting on the clamp 54 when it is secured to the knife holder 52 as shown in FIG. 10 (the knife is omitted for clarity). Note that the forces acting on the clamp 54 in each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4A-9D are similar to the forces acting on the clamp 54 shown in FIG. 11. As is clear from FIG. 11, the fastener 60 is secured to the knife holder 52 by the force F. B is applied to the base 54B of the clamp 54 in a direction coincident with the axis of the fastener 60, and a resultant force F is applied along a contact surface 78 that represents the surface of the knife holder 52 and the surface of the knife that the clamp 54 contacts. R1 and F R2 Because the knife-engaging portion 54A and the base 54B of the clamp 54 are not coplanar, the force F exerted by the bolt B is not perpendicular to the base 54B, so the force F applied by the bolt B has components x and y. These components x and y are parallel to the outer surface of the clamp 54. x and F, which is approximately perpendicular to the outer surface of the clamp 54. y is shown as:

[0054] As is clear from Figs. 10 and 11, Fy is primarily responsible for the clamping load applied to the knife by the clamp 54, and F x 10 and 11. x is greater than the friction force between the clamp 54 and the knife holder 52, F x tends to move clamp 54 to the right during and after fastener 60 is tightened to secure clamp 54. The torque reaction force can also cause clamp 54 to rotate if it is greater than the friction between clamp 54 and knife holder 52. The resulting movement or slippage can cause unwanted movement of the knife relative to knife holder 52.

[0055] Figure 12 is a partial side view of an embodiment in which a support bar 58 is added to the knife assembly 50 shown in Figure 10. The knife assembly 50 includes a knife holder 52 having a knife support surface 52A and a clamp 54 for securing a shaped knife 56. In Figure 12, the entire knife support surface 52A preferably has a shape complementary to the shaped knife 56. Note that in Figure 12, the knife support surface 52A is almost entirely hidden under the knife 56. The support bar 58 cooperates with a fastener 60 to secure the clamp 54 to the knife holder 52. The head of the fastener 60 is received in a recess 62 on the outer surface 58A of the support bar 58.

[0056] As is more clearly seen in FIG. 13 , which shows the support bar 58, each recess 62 includes a concave surface 64 that defines a keyway slot 66 having a wide portion and a narrow portion. The narrow portion of the slot 66 is formed near the leading edge 68 of the support bar 58. In the non-limiting embodiment shown, the slot 66 is not continuous with the leading edge 68 of the support bar 58, nor is it continuous with any of the peripheries of the support bar 58. The head of the fastener 60 is sized to pass through the wide portion of the slot 66, but cannot pass through the narrow portion of the slot 66 because its diameter is greater than the width of the narrow portion. Therefore, by fully threading the fastener 60 into the knife holder 52 at a position aligned with the narrow portion of the slot 66, the head of the fastener 60 applies a clamping force directly to the concave surface 64 of the support bar 58, and this clamping force is transmitted to the knife 56 via the clamp 54, securing the knife 56 to the knife holder 52.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 10 , the knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamp 54 is provided at least adjacent to the leading edge of the clamp 54. In the illustrated embodiment, the knife-engaging portion 54A is located at and constitutes the leading edge of the clamp 54. At least a portion of the knife-engaging portion 54A has a shape complementary to the shape of the knife 56, and transmits a clamping force to the knife 56 near the leading edge of the knife holder 52 from which the knife 56 protrudes, as shown in FIG. 12 . In this configuration, the clamp 54 is not physically attached to the support bar 58 ( FIG. 14 ), but instead is sandwiched between the support bar 58 and the knife holder 52. This allows the clamp 54 to clamp the knife 56 and secure it to the knife holder 52.

[0058] The support bar 58 has a pair of pivot recesses 70 (one of which is visible in FIG. 13 ) that pivotally couple the support bar 58 to a pair of bases 72 attached to the support rings 22, 24 of the cutting head 12. For example, each base 72 is provided with a pin (not shown) that is received in a corresponding one of the pivot recesses 70 of the support bar 58. As is apparent from FIG. 13 , the pivot recesses 70 have an oval shape, allowing the support bar 58 to move relative to the bases 72 in the circumferential direction of the cutting head 12 and to pivot about a pivot axis that is parallel to the central axis of the cutting head 12. In this manner, the support bar 58 is configured for circumferential movement and pivotal movement relative to the other components of the knife assembly 50, including the knife holder 52, the clamp 54, and the knife 56.

[0059] FIG. 14 illustrates a state in which the fasteners 60 have been loosened to allow circumferential movement and pivotal movement of the support bar 58 relative to the base 72. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14 , moving the support bar 58 relative to the base 72 allows the fasteners 60 to move out of alignment with the narrow portions of the slots 66 of the support bar 58, align with the wide portions of the slots 66, and pass through the slots. The support bar 58 can then be pivoted about its pivot axis to expose the bases 54B of the clamps 54 that were previously below the support bar 58. Note that the bases 54B of the clamps 54 are at least adjacent to the trailing edges 76 of the clamps 54. In the illustrated embodiment, the bases 54B are located at and constitute the trailing edges 76 of the clamps 54.

[0060] In Figure 14, support bar 58 has been pivoted sufficiently to completely disengage from clamp 54, exposing the underside 58B of support bar 58 that was in contact with clamp 54 in the clamped position shown in Figure 12. As shown in and / or described with reference to Figure 10, clamp 54 has keyway slots 74 formed in base 54B of clamp 54 so as to be contiguous with a rear edge 76 of base 54B, and keyway slots 74 extend toward but terminate short of knife-engaging portion 54A of clamp 54 to define an inner distal end 74A within each slot 74.

[0061] Like the slots 66 in the support bar 58, each slot 74 is formed with a wide portion and a narrow portion, with the slots 66 in the support bar 58 and the slots 74 in the clamps 54 having complementary sizes and shapes. The wide portion of the slot 74 is contiguous with the rear edge 76 of the clamp 54, and the narrow portion of the slot 74 defines the distal end 74A of the slot 74. Thus, as shown in FIG. 14 , the distal end 74A of the slot 74 functions as a stop that prevents the clamp 54 from being disengaged from the knife assembly 50 by moving the clamp 54 toward the rear of the cutting head 12 (to the left in FIG. 14 ). However, by moving the clamp 54 toward the front of the cutting head 12 (to the right in FIG. 14 ), the fastener 60 moves out of alignment with the narrow portion of the slot 74 and into alignment with the wide portion of the slot 74, allowing the fastener 60 to pass through the slot 74 as the clamp 54 is lifted radially from the cutting head 12. This allows the clamp 54 to be removed from the knife assembly 50. Once the clamp 54 is removed, the knife 56 underneath the clamp 54 can also be removed.

[0062] As is apparent from Figure 14, and similar to the description of clamp 54 discussed with reference to Figure 10, knife-engaging portion 54A and base 54B of clamp 54 are not coplanar, allowing knife-engaging portion 54A to better align with the orientation of knife 56. This relationship is exaggerated in Figure 15 for illustrative purposes. Figure 15 is a schematic end view of clamp 54, and, like Figure 12, illustrates diagrammatically the forces acting on clamp 54 when secured to knife holder 52. Figure 15 also illustrates diagrammatically support bar 58 and one of concave surfaces 64.

[0063] One of the recessed surfaces 64 directly engages one of the fasteners 60 (shown diagrammatically in FIG. 15) for securing the clamp 54, knife 56 (not shown in FIG. 15), and support bar 58 to the knife holder 52 (not shown in FIG. 15). As can be seen in FIG. 15, each fastener 60 is secured by a force F B is applied to the base 54B of the clamp 54 in a direction coincident with the axis of the fastener 60, and a resultant force F is applied along a contact surface 78 representing the surface of the knife holder 52 and the surface of the knife 56 that the clamp 54 contacts. R1 and F R2 Because the knife-engaging portion 54A and the base 54B of the clamp 54 are not coplanar, the force F B is not perpendicular to the base 54B.

[0064] 15, the concave surface 64 is intentionally tapered relative to the lower surface 58B of the support bar 58 such that its thickness increases toward the rear edge of the clamp 54. Because the concave surface 64 is tapered, the axial force F of the bolt B urges the support bar 58 downward and to the left in FIG. 15 on the surface of the base 54B of the clamp 54, resulting in a surface friction force F Bs However, the pivot pin engages with the pivot recess 70 of the support bar 58, preventing movement of the support bar 58. This surface friction force F Bs is applied to the clamp 54 from the support bar 58, and the reaction force F Bc15 (toward the cutting edge of knife 56). This movement is possible because slot 74 formed in base 54B of clamp 54 is continuous with the rear edge of clamp 54. Because clamp 54 is firmly fixed by support bar 58, the relative position of clamp 54 with respect to knife 56 does not change when fastener 60 is tightened.

[0065] Given the similarities between the embodiments shown in Figures 16-31 and the embodiments shown in Figures 10-15, the following description of Figures 16-31 will focus primarily on features that are significantly or significantly different from the embodiments shown in Figures 10-15. Other features of the embodiments shown in Figures 16-31 that are not described in detail below are substantially similar to those described for the embodiments shown in Figures 10-15, including structure, function, materials, etc.

[0066] FIG. 16 is a partial side view of a second embodiment of a knife assembly 80. In knife assembly 80, clamp 54 is physically attached to support bar 58, thereby moving and pivoting with support bar 58 relative to knife holder 52, clamp 54, and shaping knife 56. While screws 82 are shown as a means for attaching clamp 54 to underside 58B of support bar 58, other suitable attachment means for attaching clamp 54 to support bar 58 are within the scope of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a schematic end view of clamp 54 and support bar 58 shown in FIG. 16, illustrating the forces acting on clamp 54 when clamp 54 is secured to knife holder 52 with support bar 58 as shown in FIG. 16. Because clamp 54 is attached to support bar 58, clamp 54 is prevented from moving relative to support bar 58, and the position of clamp 54 relative to knife 56 is not changed by support bar 58 when fastener 60 is tightened, so force F Bs and F Bc does not occur.

[0067] FIG. 18 is a partial side view of the cutting head 12, illustrating a third embodiment of a knife assembly 90. Similar to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 10-17, the knife assembly 90 shown in FIG. 18 includes a knife holder 52 and a clamp 54 that secures a shaped knife 56 (hidden beneath the clamp 54) on a knife support surface 52A of the knife holder 52 (hidden beneath the clamp 54). The knife support surface 52A preferably has a shape generally complementary to the shaped knife 56. Unlike the previously described embodiments, the knife assembly 90 does not include a support bar for securing the clamp 54 to the knife holder 52. Instead, the clamp 54 is secured to the knife holder 52 solely by a fastener 60 that passes through the clamp 54 and threads into the knife holder 52.

[0068] Similar to the slots 74 of the clamps 50 and 80 shown in Figures 12, 14, and 16, the heads of the fasteners 60 are received in the keyway slots 74. The keyway slots 74 are formed in the base 54B of the clamps 54, are continuous with the rear edge 76 of the clamps 54, and extend toward but terminate short of the knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamps 54, forming an inner distal end 74A within each slot 74. Thus, the distal end 74A of the slots 74 functions as a stop to prevent the clamps 54 from being disengaged from the knife assembly 90 by moving them rearward of the cutting head 12 (to the left in Figures 18 and 19), but the clamps 54 can be removed from the knife assembly 90 by moving them forward of the cutting head 12 (to the right in Figures 18 and 19). The knife 56 can then also be removed.

[0069] As is more apparent from the view of one of the slots 74 shown in Figure 19, similar to the slots 74 formed in knife assemblies 50 and 80 shown in Figures 10-17, each slot 74 in clamp 54 has a wide portion and a narrow portion, with the wide portion continuing with trailing edge 76 of clamp 54 and the narrow portion forming distal end 74A of slot 74. Figure 19 shows the state in which fastener 60 has been loosened and clamp 54 moved to the right, aligning the head of fastener 60 with the wide portion of slot 74.

[0070] The head of fastener 60 is sized to pass through the wide portion of slot 74, but cannot pass through the narrow portion because its diameter is greater than the width of the narrow portion. Therefore, by fully threading fastener 60 into knife holder 52 at a position aligned with the narrow portion of slot 74, fastener 60 applies a clamping force directly to base 54B of clamp 54. This clamping force is transmitted to knife 56 via knife engaging portion 54A of clamp 54, securing knife 56 to knife holder 52. When knife 56 is secured to knife holder 52 by clamp 54, knife 56 protrudes from the front edge of knife holder 52 (not shown). Shaped knife 56 is positioned overlapping knife engaging portion 54A, which has a shape complementary to that of knife 56.

[0071] 19 further shows that slot 74 has a neck 92 formed where the narrow portion of slot 74 adjoins the wide portion of slot 74. Neck 92 is the narrowest portion of slot 74. As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the narrow portion of slot 74 has a tapered wall 94 that is continuous with the outer surface of clamp 54 and extends inwardly of clamp 54 to a second wall 96 formed inside slot 74 below it.

[0072] As is apparent from FIG. 20 , which shows fastener 60 within the narrow portion of slot 74, the width of slot 74, determined by neck 92 and second wall 96, is greater than shank 98 of fastener 60, allowing shank 98 to pass through all portions of slot 74 (neck 92, wide portion, and narrow portion). However, fastener 60 also has a shoulder 99 between shank 98 and head that is wider and larger than neck 92 of slot 74. Therefore, when fastener 60 is threaded sufficiently into knife holder 52 so that shoulder 99 is located inside the narrow portion of slot 74, fastener 60 cannot pass through neck 92, and similarly, clamp 54 cannot be removed from knife holder 52. Thus, neck 92 physically prevents clamp 54 from sliding forward away from fastener 60 as fastener 60 is tightened.

[0073] Although shoulder 99 is shown as being complementary to the tapered shape of tapered wall 94 of slot 74, it need not be tapered, such as being parallel to the axis of fastener 60. However, tapering shoulder 99 has the advantage of reducing the number of rotations required to sufficiently loosen fastener 60 and remove clamp 54 from fastener 60.

[0074] 21 is a perspective view of a knife assembly 100 according to a fourth embodiment, which is adapted for use with a cutting head of a slicing apparatus, including the cutting head 12 of the slicing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. This non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, knife assembly 100, includes a knife holder 52 and a clamp 54 that secures a shaped knife 56 on a knife support surface 52A of the knife holder 52 so as to protrude from a front edge of the knife holder 52. At least a portion of the knife support surface 52A of the knife holder 52 has a shape complementary to the shaped knife 56, and the shaped knife 56 engages with a portion of the knife engagement portion 54A of the clamp 54 that also has a shape complementary to the shaped knife 56.

[0075] Knife assembly 100 further includes a wedge assembly 102 that cooperates with fastener 60 that passes through clamp 54 and threads into knife holder 52 to secure clamp 54 to knife holder 52. As in the previously described embodiment, clamp 54 has a slot (not shown) for receiving fastener 60, the slot being formed in base 54B of clamp 54 so as to be contiguous with trailing edge 76 of clamp 54 and extending toward but terminating short of knife-engaging portion 54A of clamp 54. As such, clamp 54 can be removed from knife assembly 100 by moving clamp 54 forward (to the right in FIGS. 26, 27, and 28).

[0076] The wedge assembly 102 shown in Figure 21 includes a lower member 102A, an upper member 102B, and a handle 102C having a threaded shaft 102D attached thereto. Figure 22 is a perspective view of the knife assembly 100 shown in Figure 21 with the upper member 102B of the wedge assembly 102 removed to expose the lower member 102A. The lower member 102A is generally comprised of a beam 104 with two flanges 106 protruding from one side. As can be seen in Figure 22, the head of the fastener 60 is received in a recess 108 formed in the flange 106 of the lower member 102A, such that the lower member 102A is directly secured to the knife holder 52 by the fastener 60. Lower member 102A further has a shoulder 110 formed on beam 104 near trailing edge 76 of clamp 54 and a tapered slide surface 112 formed on beam 104 and positioned to abut upper member 102B, as described below. A threaded shaft 102D of handle 102C extends through a slot 114 (see FIGS. 26 and 27) formed in beam 104.

[0077] 23, 24, and 25 are perspective views of upper member 102B of wedge assembly 102. A slot 116 is formed in a leading edge 118 of upper member 102B to accommodate the head of fastener 60. Thus, upper member 102B is not directly secured to knife holder 52 by fastener 60. Instead, threaded shaft 102D connects upper member 102B to lower member 102A, such that upper member 102B is indirectly connected to knife holder 52 by lower member 102A.

[0078] As shown in Figures 23 and 24, the underside of the upper member 102B is provided with a U-shaped cavity 120 sized and shaped to accommodate the beam 104 and flange 106 of the lower member 102A. The cavity 120 surrounds a central boss 122A having a threaded bore 124 formed therein. The threaded bore 124 threadably receives the end of the threaded shaft 102D of the handle 102C, which protrudes from the slot 114 in the beam 104 of the lower member 102A. The central boss 122A has a bearing surface 126 that abuts against the tapered slide surface 112 of the beam 104 of the lower member 102A. The upper member 102A also has end bosses 122B at both longitudinal ends thereof. Central boss 122A and end boss 122B include clamping surfaces 127A and 127B that abut base 54B of clamp 54 and urge clamp 54 toward knife holder 52.

[0079] 26 and 27 are cross-sectional views of the knife assembly 100 shown in FIG. 21, illustrating the knife assembly 100 in an unlocked ( FIG. 26 ) and locked ( FIG. 27 ) state. In FIG. 26 , fastener 60 attaches lower member 102A to knife holder 52, lower member 102A is received in cavity 120 in upper member 102B, and threaded shaft 102D is threaded into threaded hole 124 formed in central boss 122A of upper member 102B, indirectly connecting upper member 102B to knife holder 52. Shoulder 110 of lower member 102A, defined by beam 104, is adjacent rear edge 76 of clamp 54, and tapered slide surface 112 defined by beam 104 abuts bearing surface 126 formed in central boss 122A of upper member 102B. In the unlocked state, the clamp 54 can be removed from the knife assembly 100 by moving the clamp 54 forward (to the right in Figures 26 and 27) to disengage the fastener 60 from the slot in the rear edge 76 of the clamp 54.

[0080] 27 shows the upper member 102B being pulled downward to further engage with the lower member 102A by using the handle 102C to thread the threaded shaft 102D into the threaded hole 124 formed in the central boss 122A of the upper member 102B. Specifically, when the handle 102C is rotated to pull the upper member 102B toward the lower member 102A, the bearing surface 126 of the upper member 102B in contact with the tapered slide surface 112 causes the upper member 102B to slide downward on the tapered slide surface 112. This is because the slot depth d1 of the lower member 102A at the bottom of the slot 114 is shorter than the slot depth d2 of the lower member 102A at the top of the slot 114. As a result, clamping surfaces 127A and 127B of central boss 122A and end boss 122B of upper member 102B press clamp 54 toward knife holder 52, clamping knife 56 between clamp 54 and knife holder 52.

[0081] 28 is a schematic end view of the knife assembly 100 shown in FIGS. 21, 26, and 27, and illustrates the forces acting on the clamp 54 when the clamp 54 is secured to the knife holder 52 using the wedge assembly 102 as shown in FIGS. 21 and 27. The wedge assembly 102 exerts a clamping force F in the direction shown (parallel to the tapered sliding surface 112 of the lower member 102A). W To apply this force, clamp 54 is pushed rearward (toward the left in FIG. 28) so that clamp 54 (or the narrow portion of its slot) contacts fastener 60, ensuring that the position of clamp 54 relative to knife 56 is not changed by tightening fastener 60.

[0082] 29, 30, and 31 show a knife assembly 130 according to a fifth embodiment, which may be applied to a cutting head of a slicing apparatus, including the cutting head 12 and slicing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1. The knife assembly 130 according to this non-limiting embodiment of the present invention includes a knife holder 52 and a clamp 54 that secures a shaped knife 56 on a knife support surface 52A of the knife holder 52 so as to protrude from a front edge of the knife holder 52. As in the previously described embodiment, at least a portion of the knife support surface 52A of the knife holder 52 has a shape complementary to the shaped knife 56, and the shaped knife 56 engages a portion of the knife engagement portion 54A of the clamp 54 that has a shape complementary to the shaped knife 56.

[0083] Knife assembly 130 further includes a cam rod 132 between knife holder 52 and base 54B of clamp 54. Cam rod 132 cooperates with fastener 60 that passes through clamp 54 and threads into knife holder 52 to secure clamp 54 to knife holder 52. As in the previously described embodiment, clamp 54 has a slot 74 that accommodates fastener 60, allowing clamp 54 to be removed from knife assembly 100 by moving it forward (to the right in FIGS. 29, 30, and 31). Specifically, as in the previously described embodiment, the wide portion of slot 74 is continuous with trailing edge 76 of clamp 54, and the narrow portion of slot 74 defines distal end 74A of slot 74.

[0084] Thus, as can be seen from Figures 29 and 31, the distal end 74A of the slot 74 functions as a stop to prevent the clamp 54 from being disengaged from the knife assembly 50 by moving it rearward (toward the left in Figures 29, 30, and 31), but by moving the clamp 54 forward (toward the right in Figures 29, 30, and 31), the fastener 60 disengages from the slot 74 at the rear edge 76 of the clamp 54, or the fastener 60 aligns with the wider portion of the slot 74, allowing the fastener 60 to slip out of the slot 74 when the clamp 54 is lifted radially from the cutting head 12 away from the knife assembly 50.

[0085] The clamp 54 and knife 56 are held in a predetermined position on the knife holder 52 by being forcibly held in the predetermined position on the knife holder 52 by the cam rod 132. The cam rod 132 is housed in a channel 136 formed in the surface of the knife holder 52 and is disposed rearward (toward the left in FIGS. 29, 30, and 31) from the fastener 60. Furthermore, the long axis of the cam rod 132 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the knife holder 52, the clamp 54, and the knife 56, and the cam rod 132 can rotate about the long axis of the cam rod 132 within the channel 136.

[0086] Lever 134 is attached to or forms an extension of cam rod 132, and when lever 134 rotates cam rod 132, it creates a camming action that applies an outward force Fc to base 54B of clamp 54, toward the head of fastener 60. Because fastener 60 functions as a fulcrum for clamp 54, the camming action generates a reaction force Fc at the point where fastener 60 contacts clamp 54, as shown in FIG. R1 At the point where the knife engaging portion 54A of the clamp 54 contacts the knife 56, a reaction force F R2 Cam rod 132 has a concave surface 138 formed on a circular circumferential surface 140. When cam rod 132 rotates, concave surface 138 faces clamp 54, thereby disengaging clamp 54 from cam rod 132, allowing knife 56 to be removed from knife engagement portion 54A of clamp 54.

[0087] 31 , when lever 134 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 31 , the clamping load is applied to base 54B of clamp 54 by the corner of cam rod 132 formed by the intersection of concave surface 138 and circumferential surface 140. However, by further rotating cam rod 132 counterclockwise, all of the clamping load can be applied to base 54B by circumferential surface 140. When lever 134 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 31 , concave surface 138 of cam rod 132 faces clamp 54, and clamp 54 can be released from engagement with cam rod 132.

[0088] In this embodiment, cam rod 132 is configured so that when a clamping load is applied such that the corner defined by concave surface 138 and circumferential surface 140 engages base 54B of clamp 54 and pulls clamp 54 rearward (toward the left in FIG. 31 ) until fastener 60 abuts distal end 74A of slot 74. Clockwise rotation of cam rod 132 pushes clamp 54 forward (toward the right in FIG. 31 ), thereby pushing the edge of slot 74 away from fastener 60. Thus, in this embodiment, the ability to ensure that the position of clamp 54 does not change relative to knife 56 when a clamping load is applied relies on the rotation of cam rod 132 and the properly adjusted relative positions of concave surface 138 and circumferential surface 140.

[0089] As is apparent from the embodiments described herein and illustrated in the drawings, in each of the illustrated embodiments, fastener 60 (or other suitable fastener) is used to apply a clamping load to knife 56 via knife-engaging portion 54A of clamp 54, which preferably has a shape complementary to knife 56. In a preferred, but not limiting, embodiment, fastener 60 is received within a slot 74 formed in clamp 54 that is continuous with (opens into) a trailing edge 76 of clamp 54, thereby allowing clamp 54 to be moved forward and removed from the knife assembly.

[0090] While the open configuration of slot 74 is desirable for enabling removal of clamp 54 and the knife 56 secured thereto, it does not prevent movement of clamp 54 relative to knife 56 during the clamping process. To address this, each of the embodiments described herein and illustrated in the drawings provides means for preventing movement of clamp 54 relative to knife 56, particularly forward movement of the knife assembly, when a clamping load is applied to clamp 54. In non-limiting embodiments, such means include support bar 58 shown in FIGS. 12-17, slotted neck 92 and tapered wall 94 shown in FIGS. 12-20, wedge assembly 102 shown in FIGS. 21-28, and cam rod 132 shown in FIGS. 29-31.

[0091] While the present invention has been described above through specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that other aspects of the present invention are also applicable. For example, the knife assembly, cutting head, and the device to which they are attached may differ in configuration and structure from those shown. The knife assembly may also use knives other than those shown. For example, the knives may have different shapes (flat or shaped), and if shaped, may have different amplitudes (distance from valley to peak) and / or pitches (distance between peaks). Furthermore, various materials and processes may be employed to manufacture the knife assembly and its components. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is limited only by the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. A knife assembly for securing a knife to a slicing device, comprising: a knife holder having a knife support surface; a knife supported on a knife support surface of the knife holder so as to project forwardly from a front edge of the knife holder; a clamp having a base disposed adjacent its rear edge and having at least one slot, and a knife engaging portion disposed adjacent its front edge and having at least a portion shaped complementary to the knife; a support bar overlapping the clamp, having a pivot shaft, pivoting about the pivot shaft relative to the knife holder, the clamp, and the knife, and attached to the knife assembly so as to move in a forward and backward direction of the knife assembly while passing through the pivot shaft; a fastener received in the slot in the base of the clamp and applying a clamping load to the support bar that is transferred from the support bar through the clamp to the knife; Equipped with the slot is continuous with the rear edge of the clamp and allows the clamp to be moved forward of the knife assembly to remove the clamp from the knife assembly; and the support bar engages the clamp to prevent the clamp from moving forward of the knife assembly relative to the knife when the clamping load is applied to the clamp by the fastener; Knife assembly.

2. The knife assembly of claim 1 , wherein the slot has a wide portion adjacent the trailing edge of the clamp and a narrow portion extending toward the leading edge of the clamp.

3. A knife assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the pivot axis of the support bar is located in a pair of pivot recesses located at both distal ends of the support bar.

4. A knife assembly as described in claim 3, wherein the pivot recess is oval in shape so that the support bar can move in the forward and backward directions of the knife assembly.

5. 2. The knife assembly of claim 1, wherein the support bar has a tapered concave surface that increases in thickness toward the rear edge of the clamp, and a keyway slot formed in the tapered concave surface that receives the fastener, the fastener having a head that abuts the tapered concave surface.

6. The knife assembly of claim 1 , wherein the clamp is mounted to the support bar for movement and pivotal movement therewith relative to the knife holder, the clamp, and the knife.

7. 2. The knife assembly of claim 1, wherein the slot has a wide portion adjacent the rear edge of the clamp, a narrow portion extending toward the front edge of the clamp, and a neck formed between the narrow and wide portions of the slot, the neck being the narrowest portion of the slot.

8. 8. The knife assembly of claim 7, wherein the narrow portion of the slot has a tapered wall that is continuous with an outer surface of the clamp and extends inwardly of the clamp to a second wall formed inside the slot below the tapered wall, and the fastener has a shoulder having a shape complementary to the tapered wall.

9. The knife assembly of claim 1 , wherein the knife is a shaped knife and the knife-engaging portion of the clamp has a shape complementary to the shaped knife.

10. The knife assembly of claim 1 , wherein the knife is a flat knife and the knife-engaging portion of the clamp has a shape complementary to the flat knife.

11. A slicing device comprising the knife assembly of claim 1.

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