Apparatus for helical cutting of potatoes

• US 4,644,838 A
• Filed: 09/18/1984
• Issued: 02/24/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Universal Frozen Foods Co.
• Original Assignee: Rogers Walla-Walla Incorporated
• Inventors: Samson, Dennis J., Alcorn, George R.
• Primary Examiner(s): YOST, FRANK
• Application Number:
  US06/651,760
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 83/356.3, 83/356.1, 83/355, 83/402, 83/431, 83/444, 83/446, 83/411 A, 83/666, 83/675, 83/592, 83/733, 83/652, 83/425.1, 83/162, 83/417, 83/168 , 83/437, 241/92, 241/228, 99/543, 99/545, 408/86, 408/209, 408/214
• US Class Current: 83/865
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 3/11 to obtain pieces of spiral or helical form
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/06 Arrangements for feeding or delivering work of other than sheet, web, or filamentary form feeding or discharging sheets, webs, or filaments B65H
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/023 With infeeding of work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/2209 Guide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/242 With means to clean work or tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/501 With plural tools on a single tool support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6553 Work-guide tube
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6571 With means to store work articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/66 With means to press work to tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/6617 Hydraulic or pneumatic means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/739 Positively confines or otherwise determines path of work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/741 With movable or yieldable guide element

Abstract

A method and apparatus for cutting articles such as potatoes into helical strips wherein the potato is held against rotation and aligned by a plurality of fingers and moved longitudinally against a rapidly rotating cutting head. The cutting head may include a hollow central cutting tube mounted at its axis of rotation. A feed mechanism is provided to feed potatoes to the holder for cutting and automatic sensing and sequencing control system controls the loading and feeding of potatoes. A plurality of holding and cutting mechanisms can be simultaneously fed and operated by the control system.

Claims

1. Apparatus for cutting articles into helical strips comprising;

at least one holder having a longitudinal passage therein, and a plurality of inwardly biased members extendable in said passage to align and hold an article therein against rotation while the article is being cut into helical strips and

pivotally connected to said holder and extended through slots in said holder into said holder passage;

a rotary cutter mounted adjacent each said holder, including a blade assembly oriented to cut an article into a plurality of helical strips as the held article is pushed through said passage;

and an article feeder including a plunger associated with each said holder and axially moveable in said passage for pushing an article through said passage into said blade assembly, said plunger having a periphery configured to cooperate with the article aligning and holding members to enable said members to maintain positional control over an article during movement into said blade assembly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotary cutter blade assembly includes a plurality of slitting knives oriented to cut concentric circles in the end of an article held within said passage and a traverse blade oriented to sever the concentrically-cut end of an article into a plurality of helical strips as the held article is pushed through said passage.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said plunger includes an article-contacting face provided with recesses therein adapted to receive said slitting knives to enable said plunger to push an article completely into said blade assembly unimpeded by said blade assembly.

4. Apparatus for cutting articles into helical strips comprising;

at least one holder having a longitudinal passage therein, and a plurality of inwardly biased members extendable in said passage to align and hold an article therein against rotation while the article is being cut into helical strips;

a rotary cutter mounted adjacent each said holder, including a blade assembly oriented to cut an article into a plurality of helical strips as the held article is pushed through said passage, and comprising a plurality of slitting knives oriented to cut concentric circles in the end of an article held within said passage and a traverse blade oriented to sever the concentrically-cut end of an article into a plurality of helical strips as the held article is pushed through said passage, and

a cylindrical cutting tube positioned at the axis of rotation of, and extended beyond, said slitting knives to first engage the end of an article and cut a cylindrical core from the article as the article is pushed into said blade assembly;

and an article feeder including a plunger associated with each said holder and axially moveable in said passage for pushing an article through said passage into said blade assembly, said plunger having a periphery configured to cooperate with the article aligning and holding members to enable said members to maintain positional control over an article during movement into said blade assembly.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said plunger includes an article-contacting face provided with recesses therein adapted to receive said slitting knives and said cutting tube to enable said plunger to push an article completely into said blade assembly unimpeded by said blade assembly.

6. Apparatus for cutting articles into helical strips comprising;

at least one holder having a longitudinal passage therein, and a plurality of inwardly biased members extendable in said passage to align and hold an article therein against rotation while the article is being cut into helical strips;

A rotary cutter mounted adjacent each said holder, including a blade assembly oriented to cut an article into a plurality of helical strips as the held article is pushed through said passage;

and an article feeder including a plunger associated with each said holder and axially moveable in said passage for pushing an article through said passage into said blade assembly, said plunger having a periphery configured to cooperate with the article aligning and holding members to enable said members to maintain positional control over an article during movement into said blade assembly, and including

a receiver for accumulating a plurality of articles;

and a distributor for transferring articles seriatim to said holder including

at least one tubular member having an article distribution passage therein, a moveable control member positioned between said holder and said tubular member to control transfer of articles therebetween, said plunger being mounted for axial movement through said article distribution passage into said holder passage to transfer an article from said feeder to said holder for cutting into helical strips.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said article feeder includes a controller having sensors to determine the relative positions of said article feeder tubular member, said control member and said holder;

and includes an actuator responsive to said sensors to axially move said plunger through said distribution passage into said holder passage when predetermined relative positions are attained among said article feeder tubular member, said control member and said holder.

8. Apparatus for cutting articles into helical strips comprising;

at least one holder having a longitudinal passage therein, a plurality of inwardly biased members extendable in said passage to align and hold an article therein against rotation while the article is being cut into helical strips;

said holder including a spring support and a plurality of springs acting between said spring support and the article aligning and holding members to inwardly bias said members into engagement with an article in said holder passage,

a base support mounting said holder and said spring support, and a plurality of links extending through apertures in said spring support and each pivotally connected to an inwardly biased member and enclosed by one of said springs;

a rotary cutter mounted adjacent each said holder, including a blade assembly oriented to cut an article into a plurality of helical strips as the held article is pushed through said passage;

and an article feeder including a plunger associated with each said holder and axially moveable in said passage for pushing an article through said passage into said blade assembly, said plunger having a periphery configured to cooperate with the article aligning and holding members to enable said members to maintain positional control over an article during movement into said blade assembly.

9. Apparatus for cutting articles into helical strips comprising;

at least one holder having a longitudinal passage therein, and a plurality of inwardly biased members extendable in said passage to align and hold an article therein against rotation while the article is being cut into helical strips;

a rotary cutter mounted adjacent each said holder, including a blade assembly oriented to cut an article into a plurality of helical strips as the held article is pushed through said passage;

and an article feeder including a plunger associated with each said holder and axially moveable in said passage for pushing an article through said passage into said blade assembly, said plunger having a periphery configured to cooperate with the article aligning and holding members to enable said members to maintain positional control over an article during movement into said blade assembly, and a receiver for accumulating a plurality of articles; and

a distributor for transferring articles seriatim to said holder,

including a downwardly sloping vibratory chute having a first end for accepting articles from said receiver, a lower second end and a narrowing midportion arranged to orient articles serially and longitudinally as said vibrator chute transports articles from said first end to said second end, and at least one tubular member having an article distribution passage therein arranged to accept articles from said chute.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said distributor includes a moveable control member positioned between said holder and said tubular member to control transfer of articles therebetween;

and wherein said plunger is mounted for axial movement through said article distribution passage into said holder passage to transfer an article from said feeder to said holder for cutting into helical strips.

11. Apparatus for cutting articles into helical strips comprising;

at least one holder having a longitudinal passage therein, and a plurality of inwardly biased members extendable in said passage to align and hold an article therein against rotation while the article is being cut into helical strips;

a rotary cutter mounted adjacent each said holder, including a blade assembly oriented to cut an article into a plurality of helical strips as the held article is pushed through said passage,

a rotatable drive tube detachably mounting said blade assembly at one end, a stationary tubular discharge chute extended through the other end of said drive tube into adjacency with said blade assembly for receiving said discharging helically-cut strips, and drive means connected to said drive tube to rotate said drive tube and said blade assembly about the longitudinal axis of said drive tube;

and an article feeder including a plunger associated with each said holder and axially moveable in said passage for pushing an article through said passage into said blade assembly, said plunger having a periphery configured to cooperate with the article aligning and holding members to enable said members to maintain positional control over an article during movement into said blade assembly.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said rotary cutter includes a cutter support housing rotatably mounted said drive tube and having water flushing passages therein opening to flush said blade assembly during cutting;

and includes a spray shield mounting said discharge chute to contain water running out of said drive tube.

13. Apparatus for cutting articles into helical strips comprising;

at least one holder having a longitudinal passage

a rotary cutter mounted adjacent each said holder, including a blade assembly oriented to cut an article into a plurality of helical strips as the held article is pushed through said passage;

an article feeder including a plunger associated with each said holder and axially moveable in said passage for pushing an article through said passage into said blade assembly;

a receiver for accumulating a plurality of articles; and

a distributor for transferring articles seriatim to said holder including at least one tubular member having an article distribution passage therein, a moveable control member positioned between said holder and said tubular member to control transfer of articles therebetween; and

wherein said plunger is mounted for said holder passage to transfer an article from said feeder to said holder for cutting into helical strips.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said article feeder includes a controller having sensors to determine the relative positions of said article feeder tubular member, said control member and said holder;

and includes an actuator responsive to said sensors to axially move said plunger through said distribution passage into said holder passage when predetermined relative positions are attained among said article feeder tubular member, said control member and said holder.

15. Apparatus for cutting articles into helical strips comprising;

at least one holder having a longitudinal passage

a rotary cutter mounted adjacent each said holder, including a blade assembly oriented to cut an article into a plurality of helical strips as the held article is pushed through said passage;

an article feeder including a plunger associated with each said holder and axially moveable in said passage for pushing an article through said passage into said blade assembly;

a receiver for accumulating a plurality of articles;

a distributor for transferring articles seriatim to said holder including a downwardly sloping vibratory chute having a first end for accepting articles from said receiver, a lower second end and a narrowing midportion arranged to orient articles serially and longitudinally as said vibrator chute transports articles from said first end to said second end; and

includes at least one tubular member having an article distribution passage therein arranged to accept articles form said chute.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said distributor includes a moveable control member positioned between said holder and said tubular member to control transfer of articles therebetween;

and wherein said plunger is mounted for axial movement through said article distribution passage into said holder passage to transfer an article from said feeder to said holder for cutting into helical strips.

17. Apparatus for cutting articles into helical strips comprising;

at least one holder having a longitudinal passage

a rotary cutter mounted adjacent each said holder, including a blade assembly oriented to cut an article into a plurality of helical strips as the held article is pushed through said passage, a rotatable drive tube detachably mounting said blade assembly at one end, a stationary tubular discharge chute extended through the other end of said drive tube into adjacency with said blade assmbly for receiving and discharging helically-cut strips, and drive means connected to said drive tube to rotate said drive tube and said blade assembly about the longitudinal axis of said drive tube

an article feeder including a plunger associated with each said holder and axially moveable in said passage for pushing an article through said passage into said blade assembly;

a receiver for accumulating a plurality of articles; and

a distributor for transferring articles seriatim to said holder.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said rotary cutter includes a cutter support housing rotatably mounting said drive tube and having water flushing passages therein opening to flush said blade assembly during cutting;

and includes a spray shield mounting said discharge chute to contain water running out of said drive tube.