Method and apparatus for producing a vegetable product

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a product of predetermined shape from a vegetable, in which a cylindrical core (90b) is cut from the vegetable (90A), and a predetermined shape is cut laterally from the core. In another aspect of the invention a cylindrical plug (153) is cut into the vegetable, a cylindrical pocket (154) is cut in the plug, and the base of the plug is severed from the vegetable to form a cup. In other aspects of the invention the vegetable is split and the opposed sections are scooped out, a cavity is carved out of the core, and a heart-shaped core is formed by impinging opposed cutters with auxiliary rotating knives.

Description: This invention relates to an apparatus and a method for mechanically cutting food produce into shaped configurations as described in the preamble of claim 1 and claim 23, respectively. Such a method and apparatus are known from GB-A-2 059 752. It has long been known to cut, by hand, vegetables and the like into various shaped configurations for decorative purposes. It has also been long known to use a mechanical apparatus to cut vegetables into various simple, generally spherical shapes. For example, the method and apparatus of the above-identified prior art document GB-A-2 059 752 can be used to cut food produce into small ball-shaped pacts called French potatoes or parisiennes. However, such known methods and apparatus cannot be applied on an industrial level where a high volume of produce is to be cut into complex shapes. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for automatically cutting produce into shaped configurations. In accordance to the present invention this object is achieved by an apparatus as described in claim 1 and a method as described in claim 23. Example embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompany drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view, in partial cross-section, of a first embodiment of a produce cutting apparatus of the invention showing parisienne shaped products being cut from a potato; Figure 2 is a side view, in partial cross-section, of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view, in partial cross-section, of a rotatable cutting blade of the apparatus of Figure 1 for cutting a parisienne potato; Figure 4 is a side view, in partial cross-section, showing a pair of the rotatable cutting blades in Figure 3 in operation in the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the discharge of a parisienne; Figure 6 is a side view, in partial cross-section of a pair of rotatable cutting blades of the apparatus of Figure 1, adapted to cut cylindrical-shaped vegetable products together with a perspective view of the product; Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing, in partial cross-section, a pair of rotatable cutting blades adapted to cut oblate-shaped vegetable products, together with a perspective view of the product; Figure 8 is another view similar to Figure 6 showing, in partial section, a pair of rotatable cutting blades adapted to cut torus-shaped vegetable products, together with a perspective view of the product; Figure 9 is a perspective view of a rotating feeder drum for feeding produce to the cutting station of Figure 1; Figure 10 is an elevational view, partly in cross-section, of a second embodiment of the cutting apparatus of the invention; Figure 11 is a view taken in the direction of line II-II of Figure 10; Figures 12 to 15 inclusive are views similar to Figure 10 showing successive stages in the operation of producing a parisienne shaped product from a potato. The first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 9 of the drawings generally consists of a cutting apparatus 10 comprising a feeding station 12 fed from a hopper assembly 14, and a cutting station 16 leading to a collecting station 18. Feeding station 12 and cutting station 16 are mounted between a spaced pair of supports 20. Feeding station 12 comprises a downwardly inclined feeding ramp 22 leading from an inlet aperture 23 to a central aperture 24 in a platform 26 having guide baffles 28 adjacent the central aperture. A spring basket 30 is positioned below central aperture 24 and a reciprocal plunger 32, slidable in a guide 33 and actuated by a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder (not shown), is positioned above the central aperture in axial alignment with the central aperture and the basket. Cutting station 16 is positioned centrally below feeding station 12 and comprises a vertical cutting tube 34 and a pair of opposed, horizontally disposed cutting elements 36 impinging at right angles on the tube. Tube 34 is axially aligned with spring basket 30 and plunger 32 and has an upper cutting edge 38. Cutting elements 36 are each disposed beneath a shield 42, and axially aligned with an aperture 44 in tube 34. A fluid conduit outlet 46 projects through each shield 42. Cutting blade assembly 36, seen more particularly in Figure 3, consists of a cruciform array of knives 48 mounted on the end of a shaft 50 and circumscribed by a cylindrical sleeve 52 fixed to the knives. The cutting edges 54 of knives 48 are curved inwardly to form a hemispherical recess at one end of sleeve 52. Collecting station 18, located below tube 34, comprises a horizontal helical feeder shaft 56. A sloping deflector plate 58 is positioned between the bottom of tube 34 and feeder shaft 56. Hopper assembly 14, shown in Figure 9, comprises an endless conveyer 60, an inlet trough 62 and an inclined, rotatable loading drum 64. The lower, outlet end 66 of drum 64 has a ring of apertures 68 with a loading scoop 70 mounted on the inner face of the lower end of the drum adjacent each aperture. Magnetic proximity sensors 72 and 74 are mounted on a frame 76 on inlet trough 62 to correlate with a circumferential row of magnetic flanges 78 mounted on drum 64 adjacent inlet end 80 of the drum. A fixed circular restraining bar 82 is located adjacent drum 64 to bar egress of potatoes in all apertures 68 except the uppermost aperture which registers with inlet aperture 23 of feeding station 12. Drum 64 is driven by a belt 84 from a motor 86. In the operation of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 9 potatoes 90 are transported along conveyer 60 and fed into trough 62 to tumble downwardly into inclined rotatable drum 64. As drum 64 rotates, each scoop 70 carries an individual potato 90a upwardly until that aperture 68 associated with the scoop registers with inlet 23 whereupon the potato falls onto feeder ramp 22 and, guided by guard rails 28, through aperture 24 in platform 26 and into spring basket 30. When potato 90a is positioned within spring basket 30, plunger 32 is activated and travels downwardly, pushing the potato onto cutting edge 38 of the vertical tube 34. As plunger 32 continues to move downwardly, a central cylindrical potato core 90b is produced by cutting edge 38 and the core is pressed downwardly in tube 34 by the plunger until the core is in horizontal alignment with apertures 44 and cutting elements 36. Peripheral potato scraps 92, which are cut away to form core 90b, fall into a scrap bin (not shown). When cylindrical core 90b comes into horizontal alignment with cutting elements 36 the cutting elements are activated to approach the cylindrical core from opposite directions, as seen in Figure 3 of the drawings, at the same time rotating axially to cut a spherical product 90c. Depending upon the configuration of the recess formed by the cutting edges 54 of knives 48, differently shaped products 90c may be formed, for example with reference to Figures 6, 7 and 8, of the drawings, cutting elements 36 are shown which produce a cylindrical product 90d, an oblate product 90e and a toroidal product 90f respectively. Once the shaped product is cut, cutting elements 36 are retracted to their original positions, as seen in Figure 2 of the drawings, and water jets from conduits 46 eject product 90c from tube 34 and/or from either of cutting elements 36. The action of the water jets also flushes superfluous debris 92 from tube 34. The rotation of drum 64 controls the timed sequence of events. When the drum moves to a position where a potato 90a passes from aperture 68 to inlet aperture 23 of feeding station 12, proximity sensor 74 is activated by magnetic flange 78 and signals the actuation of plunger 32 to push the potato into tube 34. Plunger 32 operates cyclically and when it reaches the downward end of its travel in tube 34, i.e. when potato core 90b is in alignment with cutting elements 36, it signals the cutting elements to operate and then retracts upwardly to its original position of rest. On the continued rotation of drum 64 magnetic flange 78 activates proximity sensor 72 to signal the passage of water through conduits 46, the length of flange 78 determining the length of time the fluid jets operate. The second embodiment shown in Figures 10 to 15 of the drawings consists of a stationary vertical cutting tube 200 having an upper cutting edge 202 and a pair of opposed circular apertures 204 with a horizontal slot 206 tangential to each aperture. A rotatable vertical plunger 208 is axially aligned with tube 200 and positioned above the tube. Fixed to the lower end of plunger 208 is a head 210 having a pair of mutually perpendicular depending flanges forming a cruciform knife 212 laterally dimensioned to pass into tube 200. A tubular, horizontal cutting head 214 is associated with tube 200, and comprises a horizontal cutting tube 216 with an attached horizontal slide plate 218. One end of tube 216 is chamfered to provide a sloped advance edge 220 sloping downwardly towards tube 200 with one side 220a of the edge being sharp and the other side 220b being rounded. Slide plate 218 is attached tangentially to cutting tube 216 and projects forwardly towards tube 200 to terminate in a cutting edge 222, the width of the plate being slightly less than the width of slots 206 in tube 200. An air nozzle 224 is positioned adjacent cutting head 214 and aperture 204a. In the operation of the device of Figures 10 to 15 a potato 230 is placed centrally on cutting edge 202 of tube 200, as seen in Figure 10, using feeding station 12 shown in Figures 1 and 2. Plunger 208 is lowered to have knife 212 bite into the top of the potato and continues to descend, as seen in Figure 12, to have cutting edge 202 of tube 200 form a core 230a from potato 230 which is pushed down within tube 200 to register with apertures 204. In the next step, seen in Figure 13, cutting head 214 is moved forward to have slide plate enter slots 206 and sever the bottom portion of potato 230 which drops through tube 200 as scrap 232. Plunger 208 is then caused to rotate and, as cutting head 214 continues to move forwardly, cutting tube 216 enters aperture 204a which causes cutting edge 220a to form a shaped product 230b from core 230a as the plug rotates, as seen in Figure 14. As cutting head 214 moves forwardly a jet spray issues from nozzle 224 into tube 216 of the cutting head which has moved forwardly past the nozzle, which forces both debris 232 and shaped product 230b out of the tube through aperture 204b onto slide plate 218 and off the slide plate to be collected below the apparatus. In conjunction with the last step (Figure 15) plunger 208 may be withdrawn from 200 (retracted) and any remaining potato scrap removed from knife 212. It will be appreciated that products of shapes other than spherical (parisiennes) may be produced by the embodiment of Figures 10 to 15. Different shapes can be achieved by varying the shape of the cross-section of cutting tube 216. Also the cutting efficiency of cutting head 214 may be improved by varying the contour of cutting edge 220. The term "vegetable" used herein includes a fruit.

Claims: An apparatus (10) for producing a product (90c;90d;90e;90f;230b) of predetermined shape from a vegetable (90;230), comprising first means to cut a cylindrical core (90b;230a) from the vegetable, said first cutting means comprising a tube (34;200) having an annular cutting edge (38;202) and having a wall with a pair of opposed apertures (44;204) therein and a plunger means (32;208) actuable to urge the vegetable (90a;230) against the cutting edge (38;202) of the tube (34;200) whereby a cylindrical core (90b;230a) of the vegetable having a longitudinal axis is introduced into the interior of the tube (34;200), second cutting means and means for imparting a relative rotational movement to said second cutting means and said cylindrical core (90b;230a) to have said second cutting means cut said product (90c;90d;90e;90f;230b) of predetermined shape from the core (90b;230a), characterized in that said second cutting means comprises at least one configured cutting element (36;214) disposed outside said tube (34;200) and being movable from a first position removed from said interior of said tube (34;200), through one of said apertures (44;204) and toward the longitudinal axis of the core (90b;230a) to a second position wherein at least part of said cutting element (36;214) is disposed in the interior of said tube (34;200), and thence to a third position wherein said cutting element (36;214) is withdrawn through the same aperture (44;204) to be removed from said interior of said tube (34;200). The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said second cutting means comprises separate first and second configured cutting elements (36) disposed opposite one another across said tube (34) and each being moveable from said first through said second to said third position, and in that said means for imparting a relative rotational movement comprise first and second shafts (50) respectively, on which said first and second configured cutting elements (36) are rigidly mounted, said first and second shafts (50) being rotatable to rotate said first and second configured cutting elements (36) about said first and second shafts (50), to cut said product (90c;90d;90e;90f) of predetermined shape from the core (90b). The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said first and second configured cutting elements (36) are rotatable in opposite directions about said first and second shafts (50), to cut said product (90c;90d;90e;90f) of predetermined shape from the core (90b). The apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said first and second configured cutting elements (36) comprises a cruciform array of knife members (48). The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that a cylindrical sleeve (52) circumscribes each of said cruciform array of knife members. The apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and second cutting elements (36) are configured cooperatively whereby the product (90c) cut from the core (90b) is of spherical shape. The apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the first and second cutting elements (36) are configured cooperatively whereby the product (90d) cut from the core (90b) is of cylindrical shape. The apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the claims 1 or 5, characterized in that the first and second cutting elements (36) are configured cooperatively whereby the product (90e) cut from the core (90b) is of oblate shape. The apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the claims 1 or 5, characterized in that the first and second cutting elements (36) are configured cooperatively whereby the product (90f) cut from the core (90b) is of toroidal shape. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said second cutting means comprises a single tubular cutting head (214), and in that said means for imparting a relative rotational movement are formed by said plunger means (208) being rotatable. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that said cutting head (214) comprises a cutting tube (216) and an attached slide plate (218). The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that one end of said cutting tube (216) is chamfered to provide a sloped advance edge (220). The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that one side (220a) of said sloped edge (220) is sharp and the other side (220b) of said edge (220) is rounded. The apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the claims 11-13, characterized in that said cutting tube (216) has a non-circular cross-sectional shape. The apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the claims 10-14, characterized in that said plunger head (214) comprises a cruciform knife (212) embeddable into the core (230a). The apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized by means to discharge the shaped product (90c;90d;90e;90f;230b) from the second cutting means. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that said discharging means comprises means (46;224) for directing fluid over the at least one cutting element (36;214). The apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized by means (14) to feed the vegetable (90;230) individually to the first cutting means. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the feeding means (14) comprises a drum (64) rotatable to discharge a single vegetable (90;230) on demand. The apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tube (34;200) is vertically disposed, and means (12) are arranged above the tube (34;200) to receive a vegetable (90a;230) and to locate the received vegetable (90a;230) centrally above the tube (34;200), and against the cutting edge (38;202) thereof, the plunger means (32;208) being also located above the tube (34;200). The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that the means (12) to receive and locate the vegetable centrally above the tube (34;200) comprises a platform (26) having an aperture (24) concentric with the axis of the tube (34;200), and laterally expandable basket means (30) below the concentric aperture (24). The apparatus (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized by collecting means (18) below the second cutting means to receive the shaped product (90c;90d;90e;90f;230b) and to convey the shaped product therefrom. A method of producing a product (90c;90d;90e;90f;230b) of predetermined shape from a vegetable (90;230) comprising the steps of: (a) positioning the vegetable (90a;230) proximate a first end of a tube (34;200) having a wall with a pair of opposed apertures (44;204), said wall enclosing an interior, said first end forming an annular cutting edge (38;202); (b) pressing the vegetable (90a;230) into the tube (34;200) through said first end to form a cylindrical core (90b;230a) having a longitudinal axis; (c) cutting said core (90b;230a) with a cutting means by imparting a relative rotational movement to said cutting means and said core (90b;230a), characterized by advancing at least one configured cutting element (36;214) disposed outside said tube (34;200) through one of said opposed apertures (44;204) in said tube (34;200), into the interior of the tube (34;200) toward the longitudinal axis of said core (90b;230a); imparting a relative rotational movement to said configured cutting element (36;214) and said core (90b;230a) to cut said product (90c;90d;90e;90f;230b) of predetermined shape from said core (90b;230a), and then withdrawing said at least one cutting element (36;214) from the interior of the tube (34;200). The method as claimed in claim 23, characterized in that said cutting means comprises a pair of separate cutting elements (36) oppositely disposed across said tube (34), each said configured cutting element (36) being fixedly mounted on a shaft (50) that is movable for said advancing into and for said withdrawing from the interior of said tube (34) and said relative rotational movement being imparted by rotating the shafts (50) carrying the cutting elements (36). The method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that said cutting elements (36) are rotated about an axis (50) normal to the longitudinal axis of the core (90b), each cutting element (36) being rotated in a direction opposite to the other. The method as claimed in any one of the claims 23 to 25, characterized in that the core (90b) is cut hemispherically from opposite sides thereof to produce a spherical product (90c). The method as claimed in claim 23, characterized in that said relative rotational movement is imparted by rotating the core (230a) along the cutting element, said cutting element comprising a tubular cutting head (214) held stationary in the interior of the tube (200). The method as claimed in claim 27, characterized in that said core (230a) is incised laterally when the cutting head (214) is advanced into the interior of said tube (200).

Inventors: MARTON JOHN PETER, PLANT REX BENNETT, MARTON, JOHN PETER, PLANT, REX BENNETT
Applicants: PLANT REX BENNETT, PLANT, REX BENNETT
Application year: 1990
Main classification: A23N15
IPC codes: B26D3, A23N7, A23N15