Abstract:
An apparatus for cutting dry pasta strands includes a frame and a guide rail mounted to the frame. A bucket is slidably mounted to the guide rail and linearly moves along the guide rail. The bucket has a stepped pasta-receiving channel including a cutting edge. A cutting blade is fixed to the frame for selective sliding engagement against the cutting edge to cut the pasta in half.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This disclosure relates generally to pasta-food processing and handling, and in particular, to a bucket for holding and cutting elongated dry pasta food products, such as spaghetti. This invention also relates to a method for cutting elongated dry pasta. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Spaghetti pasta is typically extruded when soft and an approximately 45″ length of past is hung over a dowel until it is dry. After the spaghetti pasta is fully dried, it is cut at its U-bend end into two 20″ long pieces. Each 20″ piece is typically cut in half (i.e., into 10″ pieces) by rotating disc-shaped blades. The blades may or may not have saw teeth on them. Thereafter, the 10″ pieces of pasta are cut in half by another set of rotating discs. However, dry spaghetti is very brittle and, therefore, is difficult to cut especially into pieces that are only about five inches in length. These 5″ cut pieces of pasta are also difficult to control for packaging. Further, the cutting of spaghetti from the 10″ piece down to a 5″ piece frequently causes shattering of the pasta. This is especially true when the blades have saw teeth in them which removes material from the spaghetti during the cutting process. Either type of blade causes shattering of the pasta into uneven cuts and sometime into three or more separate pieces of pasta of various lengths. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cutting system for dry elongated pasta, such as spaghetti, which overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a method for cutting dry elongated pasta that is simple to implement and operate without causing a shattering of the pasta while leaving the cut pasta in an easy to manage condition. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The features and advantages of the pasta holder and pasta cutting method are explained with reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective partial assembly view of a cutting system, according to the invention, showing two parallel lead screws, a cutting blade, hold-down bars, and a bucket; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an empty bucket, according to the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the empty bucket, taken along the line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2, according to the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the empty bucket, taken along the line  4 — 4  of FIG. 3, according to the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the bucket of FIG. 4, holding uncut elongate dry pasta; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the cutting system, showing a pasta-loaded bucket engaged with the lead screws, the hold-down bars pressing against the loaded pasta, and the cutting blade located just above the pasta, according to the invention; 
     FIG. 7 is the sectional view of the cutting system of FIG. 6, showing the cutting blade cutting through the secured pasta; 
     FIG. 8 is the sectional view of the cutting system of FIG. 7, showing the cutting blade cutting all the supported pasta; 
     FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the carriage, taken along line  9 — 9  of FIG. 7, showing the cutting blade cutting pasta and cut pasta dropping to a tilted catch-trough, according to the invention; 
     FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the carriage, taken along line  10 — 10  of FIG. 8, showing the bucket linearly displaced from the cutting blade along the lead screws with all cut pasta supported by said catch-trough; 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a bucket, according to a second embodiment of the invention, showing a central divider; and 
     FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the bucket, taken along line  12 — 12  of FIG. 11, according to the second embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The invention is a cutting system for cutting dry (hard or at least firm) elongated strands of pasta, in particular, spaghetti (and other related varieties; angle hair, linguine, etc.). As described in detail below, the invention utilizes a mechanical shearing action formed by linearly moving a supply of spaghetti (to be cut) with respect to a angularly mounted, stationary cutting blade. 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, a pasta cutting system  10  is disclosed having a frame  12 , two parallel lead screws  14 , a bucket assembly  16 , gravity bars  18 , guide rails  20 , and an angularly mounted cutting blade  22 . Bucket assembly  16  is adapted to travel linearly along guide rails  20  and also engage with both lead screws so that simultaneous rotation of both lead screws  14  linearly displaces bucket assembly  16  along guide rails  20  and lead screws  14 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 2-5, bucket assembly  16  includes a bucket  24  including a base  26  having a flat floor  28 , and two parallel side walls  30 . Floor  28  and side walls  30  define a longitudinal channel  32  which, in a preferred embodiment, is preferably about 3.5 inches wide and about 11 inches long and runs the length of bucket  24 . Each side wall  30  includes a vertically disposed cutting slot  34 , each of which is each positioned approximately in the middle of bucket  24  (measured-longitudinally). Each cutting slot  34  is preferably about ⅞ inches wide and extends between an upper edge  36  of each side wall  30  and floor  28 , together defining a cutting channel  38 . The width of cutting slot  34  is substantially equal to the width of cutting blade  22 . 
     Cutting channel  38  divides longitudinal channel  32  into two approximately equal portions, a pasta-supporting portion  40  and a pasta-catching portion  42 . Support portion  40  of longitudinal channel  32  includes a support-trough assembly  44 , while catch portion  42  of longitudinal channel  32  includes a catch-trough assembly  46 . 
     Support-trough assembly  44  includes a support base  48  and a support tray  50 . Support tray  50  is preferably made from a metal, such as steel or aluminum and is bonded to an upper surface  51  of support base  48  (using an appropriate adhesive) or otherwise secured thereto using appropriate mechanical fasteners, such as screws  52 . Likewise, support base  48  (with support tray  50 ) is securely attached to support base  26  of bucket  24 , preferably using screws  52  that secure both support tray  50  and support base  48  to floor  28  of base  26  so that support tray  50  extends between side walls  30  of support portion  40 , a predetermined distance above floor  28  (depending on the thickness of support base  48 ). 
     Support tray  50  includes a floor surface  54  that is preferably parallel to floor  28  of base  26 , and longitudinally disposed side wall extensions  56  which extend flush against each side wall  30  of bucket  24  a prescribed distance vertically, and preferably the entire length of each side wall  30 . Between side wall extensions  56  and floor  54  is integrally formed within support tray  50  a longitudinally disposed beveled wall section  58 . Upper surface  51  of support base  48  is preferably shaped to follow (and therefore support) the contours of support tray  50 , as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     Similar to support-trough assembly  44 , catch-trough assembly  46  includes a catch base  60  and a catch tray  62 . Catch tray  62  is also preferably made from a metal, such as steel or aluminum and is bonded to an upper surface  64  of base catch  60  (using an appropriate adhesive) or otherwise secured thereto using appropriate mechanical fasteners, such as screws  66 . Catch base  60  (with tray  62 ) is securely attached to base  26  of bucket  24 , preferably using screws  66  that secure both catch tray  62  and catch base  60  to floor  28  of base  26  so that catch tray  62  extends between side walls  30  of catch portion  42 , a predetermined distance above floor  28  (depending on the thickness of catch base  60 ). 
     Unlike support tray  50 , catch tray  62  includes a floor surface  68  that is preferably longitudinally inclined with respect to floor  28  of base  26  so that an outer edge  69  (located adjacent to one end of base  26  of bucket  24 ) of catch base  60  is thicker (and therefore higher above floor  28 ) than the opposing inner edge  71  (located adjacent to cutting channel). In other words, catch tray  62  is slanted downwardly towards the middle of bucket  24 , as shown in FIGS. 2,  4  and  5 . This slant functions to catch freshly cut pasta in such a manner to allow the cut pasta to immediately drop away from the still uncut pasta, and the cutting blade  22 , described below. 
     Catch tray  62  includes longitudinally disposed side wall extensions  70  which extend flush against each side wall  30  of bucket  24  a prescribed distance vertically, and preferably the entire length of each side wall  30 . Between side wall extensions  70  and floor surface  68  is integrally formed within catch tray  62 , a longitudinally disposed beveled wall section  72 . Upper surface  64  of catch base  60  is preferably shaped to follow (and therefore support) the underside contours of catch tray  62 , as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. 
     An inner edge  80  of support tray  50  which is located adjacent to cutting channel  38 , functions as a hardened cutting edge, to assist in the cutting. It is preferred that the distance between floor  28  and outer edge  69  of catch tray  62  is equal to the distance between floor  28  and the entire support tray  50  so that elongated strands of pasta located within longitudinal channel  32  (prior to being cut) may be supported substantially horizontally along their entire length, as shown in FIG.  5 . It is important that both ends of the uncut pasta strands be supported prior to and during the cutting process, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and that once cut, the pasta strands are immediately removed (or allowed to fall away) from the cutting blade  22 , as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The inclined orientation of catch tray  62 , as described above, allows the freshly cut pasta to fall away from the cutting blade  22  and thereby minimizes “shattering” of the ends of the pasta strands during the cutting process and allows uncut pasta strands to be cleanly cut by the shearing action between inner edge  80  of support tray  50  and cutting blade  22 . 
     Transversely disposed across opposing side walls  30  of support portion  44  of longitudinal channel  32  are gravity-bar slots  82 , which are generally parallel to each other and cutting slot  34 , and extend vertically from upper edge  36  of side walls  30  a predetermined distance towards support tray  50 , as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The purpose of gravity bar slots  82  is to slidingly receive each of gravity bars  18 , and allow gravity bars  18  to contact pasta strands located within pasta-supporting portion  40  and press the pasta strands evenly against support tray  50 , as bucket  24  is linearly disposed along guide rails  20 , during the cutting process, as described below. 
     Similarly, a single gravity-bar slot  84  is transversely disposed across opposing side walls  30  of pasta-catching portion  42  of longitudinal channel  32 . Slot  84  is generally parallel to slots  82  and extend vertically from upper edge  36  of side walls  30  to a predetermined distance above catch tray  62 . The function of slot  84  is to slidingly receive a single gravity bar  18  so that pasta strands located within pasta-catching portion  42  of longitudinal channel  32  are supported and gently pressed downwardly against outer edge  69  of catch tray  62  prior to and during the cutting process, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and pressing the pasta strands against catch tray  62  when all strands are cut, as shown in FIG.  8 . 
     Beveled wall section  58  and  72  of both catch tray  62  and support tray  50  help prevent shifting and rolling of the pasta strands, as bucket  24  is linearly displaced with respect to gravity bars  18  and cutting blade  22 , stabilizing the pasta strands as they are cut. 
     According to another embodiment, catch tray  62  and support tray  50  each includes a centrally located, vertically disposed divider  86 , running the length of each respective tray, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. The purpose of divider  86  is to further stabilize pasta strands as they are cut. In this embodiment, gravity-bar slots  82 ,  84  extend through each respective divider  86  so that each respective gravity bar  18  may freely drop (preferably only under the influence of gravity, but additional force-applying elements may be used) towards each respective tray  50 ,  62 , as bucket  24  is linearly displaced. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-8, a lower surface  90  of base  26  of bucket  24  includes transversely disposed guide channels  92  that are sized and shaped to snugly receive guide rails  20  so that bucket  24  may be smoothly linearly displaced, driven by engagement of adjacent lead screws  14 . Opposing longitudinal ends of base  26  of bucket  24  include longitudinally disposed teeth  94 , which are sized and shaped to snugly engage with the threads of lead screws  14  so that when guide rails  20  are snugly received by guide channels  92 , teeth  94  similarly snugly engage with each respective lead screw  14 . With this arrangement, simultaneous rotation of both lead screws  14  forces bucket  24  to be linearly displaced along guide rails  20  in a smooth and even manner. The speed of bucket  24  is directly related to the simultaneous rotation of lead screws  14 . Of course, the buckets can be linearly driven by other devices as are known in the art, such as, for example, a chain or belt drive. 
     In operation, bucket  24  is first positioned at a pasta-receiving point along lead screws  14 . Pasta receiving point is a point where all gravity bars  18  and cutting blade  22  are positioned remote from overlapping relationship with side walls  30  so that pasta strands  100  may be easily received by bucket  24  without interference. It is preferred that gravity bars  18  are held above bucket  24  as pasta strands  100  are loaded onto bucket  24  using any appropriate mechanical or pneumatic actuator (not shown). 
     With bucket  24  located at pasta receiving point, pasta strands  100  to be cut are appropriately apportioned and placed within longitudinal channel  32  using appropriate handling means (not shown or described in detail). Pasta strands  100  are positioned within bucket  24 , as shown in FIG. 1 so that the ends of pasta strands  100  are generally flush with opposing bucket ends. Gravity bars  18  are gently, but quickly lowered into their respective slots so that gravity forces each bar  18  down against loaded pasta strands  100 . Lead screws  14  are rotated at a predetermined rate which automatically drives bucket  24  and supported pasta strands  100  along guide rails  18  at a predetermined speed. As bucket  24  moves along guide rails  20 , pasta strands  100  located within longitudinal channel  32  are snugly pressed against the entire support tray  50  and simultaneously (until cut), against a portion of catch tray  62  which is adjacent to outer end  69 , as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. 
     Cutting blade  22  is preferably fixed to frame  12  along a vertical plane that is parallel to gravity bars  18 , lead screws  14 , guide rails  20  and cutting channel  38 , and located within a horizontal plane that is disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to lead screws  14  and guide rails  20  so that the distance between cutting blade  22  and bucket  24  progressively decreases at a predetermined rate as bucket  24  is linearly disposed away from the pasta-receiving point along guide rails  20 . 
     As bucket  24  moves along guide rails  20 , angled cutting blade  22  eventually enters into cutting channel  38  and effectively forces pasta strands  100  against inner edge  80  of support tray  50  sufficiently to shear pasta strands  100  along inner edge  80 . Once cut, pasta strands  100  located within support tray  50  remain generally parallel to floor  28  of bucket  24 , while pasta strands  100  located within pasta catching portion  42  freely fall against inclined catch tray  62  (See FIG.  8 ). Gravity bars  18  will continuously support pasta strands  100  located within pasta-supporting portion before, during and after the cutting process, while pasta strands  100  located within pasta-catching portion  42  of bucket  24  are supported by gravity bar  18  before and after the cutting process. During the cutting process, freshly cut pasta strands  100  located within catch portion of bucket  24  are not contacted by gravity bar  18 , until all strands are cut. 
     At a fully cut point located along lead screws  14 , a cutting edge  96  of cutting bar  22  extends below inner edge  80  of support tray  50 , at which point all pasta strands  100  will have been cut and cutting bar  22  will have left cutting channel  38  of bucket  24 . At this point, gravity bars  18  are either lifted from their respective gravity bar slots or simply slide away from their respective slots as bucket  24  slides past the ends of gravity bars  18 . After pasta strands  100  are free from the weight of gravity bars, cut pasta strands  100  located in both support tray  50  and catch tray  62  may be removed using any appropriate handling mechanism (not shown) and further processed and packaged as desired. To remove the cut pasta strands, the stepped shape of the bucket can be taken advantage of by pivoting bucket  24  in the direction indicated by arrow A in FIG. 8 so that the pasta in support tray  50  is combined by sliding on top of the pasta in catch tray  62 . Thereafter, the pasta can exit out of the bucket at the end adjacent to catch tray  62 . 
     It is preferred that bucket  24  is molded or otherwise formed from a strong resilient plastic material having low surface friction, such as aluminum and that longitudinal channel  32 , side walls  30 , floor  28 , base  26 , guide channels  92  and teeth  94  are integrally formed during the molding process. Gravity-bar slots  82  and cutting channel  38  may either be integrally formed or later machined. Of course, any component of bucket  24  may be formed using any appropriate method. 
     Support base  48  and catch base  60  are preferably made from aluminum and may further be formed integrally with the forming of bucket  24 , or, as described above, attached as a separate component. 
     Guide bars  18 , cutting bar  22 , support tray  50 , catch tray  62  and bucket  24  are made from a material that is appropriate for handling food. It is preferred that no lubricants are required.