EP0366650B1 - Ensemble hydraulique a lames coupantes pour realiser des formes decoratives - Google Patents

Ensemble hydraulique a lames coupantes pour realiser des formes decoratives Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0366650B1
EP0366650B1 EP87906261A EP87906261A EP0366650B1 EP 0366650 B1 EP0366650 B1 EP 0366650B1 EP 87906261 A EP87906261 A EP 87906261A EP 87906261 A EP87906261 A EP 87906261A EP 0366650 B1 EP0366650 B1 EP 0366650B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
shape
longitudinal passageway
core
strip knives
area defining
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP87906261A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0366650A1 (fr
Inventor
George A. Mendenhall
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to AT87906261T priority Critical patent/ATE77789T1/de
Publication of EP0366650A1 publication Critical patent/EP0366650A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0366650B1 publication Critical patent/EP0366650B1/fr
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D3/00—Cutting work characterised by the nature of the cut made; Apparatus therefor
    • B26D3/24—Cutting work characterised by the nature of the cut made; Apparatus therefor to obtain segments other than slices, e.g. cutting pies
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D1/00—Cutting through work characterised by the nature or movement of the cutting member or particular materials not otherwise provided for; Apparatus or machines therefor; Cutting members therefor
    • B26D1/0006—Cutting members therefor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D3/00—Cutting work characterised by the nature of the cut made; Apparatus therefor
    • B26D3/18—Cutting work characterised by the nature of the cut made; Apparatus therefor to obtain cubes or the like
    • B26D3/185—Grid like cutters
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D1/00—Cutting through work characterised by the nature or movement of the cutting member or particular materials not otherwise provided for; Apparatus or machines therefor; Cutting members therefor
    • B26D1/0006—Cutting members therefor
    • B26D2001/006—Cutting members therefor the cutting blade having a special shape, e.g. a special outline, serrations

Definitions

  • This invention relates to cutting blade assemblies for hydraulic food cutting apparatus. More particularly it relates to a cutter blade assembly which defines a core area and a peripheral scrap area wherein the core area of the food product is cut into a recognizable decorative form.
  • a typical hydraulic cutting apparatus wherein potatoes are to be cut, they are dropped into a tank filled with water and then pumped through conduit into an alignment chute wherein the potatoes are aligned and accelerated to high speed before impinging upon a cutter blade assembly where the potato core is cut into a plurality of smaller pieces.
  • Hydraulic cutting apparatus or as they are known in the trade, hydroknives, can be utilized to cut extremely high volumes of potatoes if the potatoes can be properly aligned and accelerated to high speed immediately prior to impact with the cutter blade assembly.
  • FISHER ET AL., Patent No. 4,372,184, discloses a cutter blade assembly for use in coring a potato.
  • None of the prior art discloses or teaches a method of utilizing a hydroknife apparatus for cutting the core of a potato into a decorative form so as to enhance the marketing value of the processed food product, such as fish-shaped french fries for fast food seafood restaurants. Or, to enhance the edible appeal of the product in relationship to a particular market group such as alphabet french fries for small children.
  • Decorative shaped food products have been developed and successfully marketed for many years. However, as a universal rule, they are formed products as opposed to directly cut from food product in original cellular form. Examples include cookie and pasta dough which is then either extruded and then cross sliced or sheet cut by cookie cutter type apparatus. The direct cutting of a decorative shape of a product core, which can then be cross sliced has not been attempted before.
  • This object is achieved by use of a cutter blade assembly wherein a plurality of strip knives are utilized to define peripheral segments of the longitudinal passageway which result in a residual cross sectional core area having a particular decorative shape.
  • the perimeter frame is subdivided into a number of parallel sequential planes, each containing strip knives which define particular segments of the peripheral area.
  • End tabs on the strip knives are inserted into notches in the perimeter frame and are held firmly in position to minimize wobble by compression of said tabs inserted into the perimeter frame from the strip knives when the various sections of the perimeter frame are bolted together.
  • Fig. 1 shows, in schematical format, the main components of a hydraulic cutting apparatus for use in cutting potatoes.
  • Potatoes 17 are dumped into the water filled receiving tank 20.
  • Food pump 21 usually a single impeller centrifugal pump, draws its suction from receiving tank 20, and pumps water and the suspended potatoes 17 from the tank into nozzle gun 22.
  • Nozzle gun 22 functions as a venturi which is used to accelerate and align potatoes 17 immediately prior to impinging upon the knife blades of cutter blade assembly 10.
  • Nozzle gun 22 functions as a venturi which is used to accelerate and align potatoes 17 immediately prior to impinging upon the knife blades of cutter blade assembly 10.
  • normal speeds at the point of impingment upon the knife blades of cutter blade assembly 10 range from 12,2 metres per second to 18,3 metres per second.
  • the cut product which in this case is a decoratively shaped potato core 18, and the peripheral scrap 19 exit cutter blade assembly 10 into deceleration loop 23 which in effect is the second half of the venturi.
  • the deceleration loop returns to a point above receiving tank 20 where the water, cut cores 18 and scrap 19 are deposited onto chain separator 24.
  • the water passes through chain separator 24 and returns to receiving tank 20.
  • Chain separator 24 is typically an endless loop chain or dewatering shaker which is used to mechanically remove the potatoes from the hydraulic cutting apparatus assembly.
  • the decorative cores 18 and scrap 19 are then usually mechanically separated by means of a sizer conveyor, not shown.
  • the cores 18 are then sliced, again usually mechanically, into appropriate thicknesses for further processing by blanching, freezing and packaging for sale.
  • the cutter blade assemblies in use today normally run at capacities of 13.600 kg per hour to 22.700 kg per hour, and can be operated at capacities of up to 45.360 kg of product per hour.
  • my cutter blade assembly in an embodiment designed to produce a potato core in the shape of an M, as shown in Fig. 3, is disclosed.
  • a plurality of strip knives must be utilized to cut away peripheral segments of the potato in order to define an M in the core area of the potato.
  • the end tabs of strip knives 15 as is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 are inserted into notches 14 of rings 11, 12 and 13, and together, define a multisegmented peripheral volume of the longitudinal passageway.
  • Fig. 5 is a representational side view which shows a feature of my invention which results in a minimization of wobble of the strip knives in the cutter blade assembly.
  • the end tab sections of strip knife 15 are slightly elevated above the plane surface of ring 13 so that when all of the rings containing the strip knives are bolted together by use of bolts passing through holes 10, strip knives 15 will be tightly clamped into place.
  • Figs. 6 through 10 show other configurations of the strip knives which are designed to produce decorative shaped cores in a variety of different configurations.
  • Figs. 6 and 7 disclose strip knife configurations which result in a decorative core in the shape of fish.
  • Fig. 6 uses six strip knives to configure the core in the shape of a single fish. It requires the use of three sectional rings to hold six strip knives.
  • Fig. 7 discloses a strip knife configuration which results in the product core being cut into two decorative fish sections, and requires the use of eight strip knives and four ring sections.
  • Figs. 8, 9 and 10 disclose other configurations of strip knives which result in core shapes in the forms of an A, X and K. In practice it has been found that virtually all of the letters of the alphabet as well as decorative geometric shapes such as stars and triangles can be easily produced by varying the configurations of the strip knives.

Claims (12)

1. Dispositif pour la découpe de produits alimentaires en des formes décoratives, possédant une cuve (20) recevant le produit destinée à être remplie avec un milieu fluide, des moyens pour décharger lesdits produits dans ladite cuve, une pompe d'aliment (21) pour retirer ledit milieu et lesdits produits de ladite cuve (20), une ligne d'amenée de produit , ladite pompe (21) déchargant lesdits produits dans ladite ligne d'amenée de produit , une section rétrécie (22) dans ladite ligne d'amenée pour séparer, aligner, accélérer et amener lesdits produits dans un assemblage à lames coupantes (10) , et des moyens postérieurs audit assemblage à lames coupantes, pour décharger du produit coupé, caractérisé par un assemblage à lames coupantes (10) possédant :
un cadre de périmètre (11, 12, 13) possédant un passage interne longitudinal de taille et forme pour le passage longitudinal du produit et du milieu fluide à travers celui-ci;
une pluralité de couteaux à lame arrangés séquentiellement disposés l'un après l'autre à l'intérieur du passage longitudinal dudit cadre de périmètre (11, 12, 13) pour former un noyau de produit alimentaire configuré décorative- ment en segmentant ledit passage longitudinal en une zone de section transversale de noyau définie pour la découpe du noyau du produit passé à travers le passage longitudinal, et une pluralité de segments périphériques pour découper les segments périphériques du produit alimentaire;
ladite pluralité de couteaux à lame (15) étant de taille et en configuration pliée de façon à définir lesdits segments périphériques du passage longitudinal, ce qui a pour résultat que la forme en section transversale du noyau possède une forme décorative.
2. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, dans lequel ladite pluralité de couteaux à lame (15) définit des segments du passage longitudinal, ce qui a pour résultat que la zone de découpe de noyau définit la forme d'un poisson.
3. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, dans lequel ladite pluralité de couteaux à lame (15) définit des segments du passage longitudinal, ce qui a pour résultat que la zone de découpe de noyau définit la forme d'un caractère alphanumérique.
4. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, dans lequel ladite pluralité de couteaux à lame (15) définit des segments du passage longitudinal, ce qui a pour résultat que la zone de découpe de noyau définit la forme d'une personne.
5. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, dans lequel ladite pluralité de couteaux à lame (15) définit des segments du passage longitudinal, ce qui a pour résultat que la zone de découpe de noyau définit la forme d'un animal.
6. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, dans lequel ladite pluralité de couteaux à lame (15) définit des segments du passage longitudinal, ce qui a pour résultat que la zone de découpe de noyau définit la forme d'une forme géométrique reconnaissable.
7. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, dans lequel ladite pluralité de couteaux à lame (15) sont arrangés et configurés en outre pour limiter la longueur et le nombre de lames venant au contact de tout segment du produit alimentaire à tout instant donné pendant le passage du produit alimentaire à travers le passage longitudinal, par quoi les forces de friction et de cisaillement imparties au produit alimentaire qui est en train d'être coupé et le ralentissement résultant du produit alimentaire sont minimisés.
8. Dispositif selon la revendication 7, dans lequel ladite pluralité de couteaux à lame (15) définissent des segments du passage longitudinal, ce qui a pour résultat que la zone de découpe de noyau définit la forme d'un poisson.
9. Dispositif selon la revendication 7, dans lequel ladite pluralité de couteaux à lame (15) définissent des segments du passage longitudinal, ce qui a pour résultat que la zone de découpe de noyau définit la forme d'un caractère alphanumérique.
10. Dispositif selon la revendication 7, dans lequel ladite pluralité de couteaux à lame (15) définissent des segments du passage longitudinal, ce qui a pour résultat que la zone de découpe de noyau définit la forme d'une personne.
11. Dispositif selon la revendication 7, dans lequel ladite pluralité de couteaux à lame (15) définissent des segments du passage longitudinal, ce qui a pour résultat que la zone de découpe de noyau définit la forme d'un animal.
12. Dispositif selon la revendication 7, dans lequel ladite pluralité de couteaux à lame (15) définissent des segments du passage longitudinal, ce qui a pour résultat que la zone de découpe de noyau définit la forme d'une forme géométrique reconnaissable.
EP87906261A 1987-06-08 1987-09-09 Ensemble hydraulique a lames coupantes pour realiser des formes decoratives Expired EP0366650B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT87906261T ATE77789T1 (de) 1987-06-08 1987-09-09 Messer zum schneiden von dekorativen aufschnitten.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US59614 1979-07-23
US5961487A 1987-06-08 1987-06-08

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0366650A1 EP0366650A1 (fr) 1990-05-09
EP0366650B1 true EP0366650B1 (fr) 1992-07-01

Family

ID=22024100

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP87906261A Expired EP0366650B1 (fr) 1987-06-08 1987-09-09 Ensemble hydraulique a lames coupantes pour realiser des formes decoratives

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0366650B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH02504242A (fr)
AT (1) ATE77789T1 (fr)
AU (1) AU619727B2 (fr)
CA (1) CA1297762C (fr)
DE (1) DE3780175T2 (fr)
WO (1) WO1988009711A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA1232141A (fr) * 1983-11-18 1988-02-02 Mount Isa Mines Limited Traitement des scories de fonderie
FR2715890B1 (fr) * 1994-02-04 1996-03-29 Le Dem Laurent Objet d'art décoratif à base de champignon et son procédé de fabrication.
NL1013937C2 (nl) * 1999-12-23 2001-06-26 Aviko Bv Inrichting voor het snijden van aardappelen of andere groenten in schijfjes of staafjes.
GB2536967A (en) * 2015-04-02 2016-10-05 Messinger Samuel Bazooka gun system and method for making instant french fries and other foods
USD895360S1 (en) 2019-05-02 2020-09-08 Lamb Weston, Inc. Cutter for food products
USD896033S1 (en) 2019-06-13 2020-09-15 Lamb Weston, Inc. Cutter for food products
USD896031S1 (en) 2019-06-13 2020-09-15 Lamb Weston, Inc. Cutter for food products
USD896032S1 (en) 2019-06-13 2020-09-15 Lamb Weston, Inc. Cutter for food products
USD924019S1 (en) 2019-08-02 2021-07-06 Lamb Weston, Inc. Cutter for food products
USD922142S1 (en) 2019-12-20 2021-06-15 Lamb Weston, Inc. Cutter for food products
USD922143S1 (en) 2019-12-20 2021-06-15 Lamb Weston, Inc. Cutter for food products
USD1003123S1 (en) 2020-07-07 2023-10-31 Lamb Weston, Inc. Cutter for food products
USD1007949S1 (en) 2021-11-15 2023-12-19 Lamb Weston, Inc. Cutter for food products
USD1007950S1 (en) 2021-12-09 2023-12-19 Lamb Weston, Inc. Cutter for food products
GB2601924B (en) * 2022-02-10 2022-12-07 Robert Hodgkinson Kenneth Vegetable products

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1741682A (en) * 1928-06-05 1929-12-31 Matthew F Desmond Sandwich-bread slice-cutter mold
US2483173A (en) * 1946-09-25 1949-09-27 Herbert C Behnke Rotary cooky-maker
BE735920A (fr) * 1969-07-10 1969-12-16
US4372184A (en) * 1981-02-25 1983-02-08 J. R. Simplot Company Cutting assembly
US4614141A (en) * 1985-06-13 1986-09-30 Mendenhall George A Food product centering and aligning tube

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1988009711A1 (fr) 1988-12-15
AU8020787A (en) 1989-01-04
ATE77789T1 (de) 1992-07-15
DE3780175D1 (de) 1992-08-06
AU619727B2 (en) 1992-02-06
DE3780175T2 (de) 1992-12-24
EP0366650A1 (fr) 1990-05-09
JPH02504242A (ja) 1990-12-06
CA1297762C (fr) 1992-03-24

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