APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CUTTING INDIVIDUAL PIECES FROM A FOOD EXTRUDATE

• Main Authors: BURANT, LAURA, REISHUS, TERRY G, WEINSTEIN, JAMES N, SEKERAK. CARA J, HAYES JACOBSON, SUSAN M, VILAND, MICHAEL
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 08.11.2010
• Subjects: CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING,CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING; FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES A23B - A23J; HAND CUTTING TOOLS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL; SEVERING; SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY ASINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OFNUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES; TRANSPORTING

A cutting mechanism (40) in a preferred form of an ultrasonically vibrating titanium knife (42) is moved in a cutting path parallel to but without physical contact with the die face (18) of an extrusion die (16) with its faces (46, 48) at a minor acute angle relative to the die face (18). The die face (18) is at an acute angle to the conveyance direction of a conveyance mechanism (12) defining a preferred form of a takeaway device. The cutting mechanism (40) is moved in a return path from the completion of the cutting path in the extrudate direction away from the die face (18), away from the conveyance mechanism (12), and then towards the die face (18) to the initiation of the cutting path. The cutting mechanism (40) is spaced from and does not physically contact the conveyance mechanism (12) at all times in the cutting path so that the individual piece is cut from the extrudate in mid-air.