Patent ID: 7263923
Filing Date: 2007-09-04
Classification: B26D,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of cutting food product, the method comprising the steps of: providing a cutting means comprising at least one cutting element disposed in a cutting plane that is not vertical; individually delivering food products to the cutting means by causing the food products to free-fall through a feed passage and then free-fall through the cutting means entirely under the force of gravity and on a path that is approximately normal to the cutting plane; and contacting the food products and positioning the food products so that they free-fall on the path at a predetermined location within a cross-section of the feed passage as the food products free-fall through the feed passage and prior to encountering the cutting means so as to produce size-reduced products of substantially consistent size and shape; wherein the contacting and positioning step comprises contacting and positioning the food products with a plurality of resilient members extending radially inward into the feed passage toward a central axis thereof.