Abstract:
A system, method and device for cutting and peeling a root vegetable. The system includes a frame to receive a cooked root vegetable, a surface slidably connected to the frame to move linearly and reciprocally along at least a portion of the length of the frame, a wire assembly fixed to the frame and oriented perpendicular to the movement of the surface, and power to enable the surface to move toward the wire assembly. When the surface is activated, it moves the vegetable through the wire assembly which simultaneously cuts and removes the skin therefrom.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a potato peeler and cutter more specifically it relates to an improved electrically driven potatoes peeling and cutting device and even more specifically it relates to an electrically driven machine that cuts and peels cooked potatoes. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Heretofore, the dicing of potatoes has been a tedious task in that much hand cutting of peeled and cooked potatoes to dice and prepare for use in soups, chowders, salads and for frying, and the knives and blades which have been used are subjecting cooks to possible injury as in times of rush and making for a time consuming operation. The peeling of the raw potatoes is today machine done eliminating the use of knives for that purpose, while leaving the use of knives for the dicing of the potatoes with the result that uniformly-diced sizes are not obtained. Then, the knives still have to be cleaned, thereby further subjecting the cook to the possibility of being cut from knives. 
         [0003]    While there are many types of household gadgets available for use in the preparation of food such as potato peelers, graters, and the like, there is presently no device that can perform both tasks of peeling and cutting of cooked potatoes simultaneously. 
         [0004]    In prior art no device is available that can peel and cut cooked potatoes, it is therefore desirable to provide a processing machine that can be used to cut and peel the cooked potatoes and is easy to use. 
       SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0005]    The embodiments herein describe a system for peeling and cutting a cooked root vegetable having a frame to receive a cooked root vegetable and a surface slidably connected to the frame to move linearly and reciprocally along at least a portion of the length of the frame. The system also includes a wire assembly fixed to the frame. The wire assembly oriented perpendicular to the movement of the surface. The frame further includes means to move the surface toward the blade assembly. When the surface moves toward the wire assembly, it pushes the vegetable through the wire assembly which simultaneously cuts and removes the skin therefrom. 
         [0006]    The embodiments further describe a method for peeling and cutting a cooked root vegetable including the step of placing a cooked root vegetable within a frame having front, rear and side surfaces so as to receive the root vegetable, and slidably connecting a surface to the frame to enable the surface to move linearly and reciprocally along at least a portion of the length of the frame. The method also includes fixing a wire assembly to the frame. The wire assembly is oriented perpendicular to the movement of the surface. The method further includes moving the surface toward the wire assembly so that when the surface moves toward the wire assembly, it pushes the vegetable through the wire assembly which simultaneously cuts and removes the skin from the vegetable. 
         [0007]    A further embodiment described herein is a cooked root vegetable peeling and cutting device. The device includes a receptacle to receive a cooked root vegetable, a push arm to move the vegetable in a linear direction. The device also includes a wire assembly fixed to the receptacle and having at least a first wire positioned in a first direction and a second wire positioned in a second direction. The device further includes means to move the push arm toward the wire assembly. When activated, the push arm moves the vegetable in a linear direction toward and through the wire assembly which simultaneously cuts and peels the vegetable. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment described herein. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an isolated perspective view of the actuator assembly of the first embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is an isolated perspective view of the scraper plate assembly of the first embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the first embodiment in use. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of the first embodiment in use. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    In the following detailed description, certain specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements of 35 USC 112, but it is to be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking many forms and variations within the scope of the appended claims. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment  100  described herein. The embodiment  100  includes a main frame  105  having front wall  160 , rear wall  170 , and side walls  180 ,  190  and a floor  192 . The main frame  105  can be formed either by folding a single sheet or by welding individual pieces to each other to form the main frame or can be joined by rivets, screws or other fastening device. 
         [0016]    Access door  140  is pivotably connected to the main frame front wall  160  by means of hinges  162 . The door  140  provides access to internal components and also to facilitate operation as will be described in detail below. The door  140  has a U-shaped handle  141 . 
         [0017]    A second door  120  is hingedly connected to the rear wall  170  by means of hinge  123  as shown in  FIG. 2 . The second door  120  provides access to a linear actuator  150  which is described in more detail below. The second door  120  may be locked to the rear wall  170  by lock mechanism  122 . The second door  120  also includes a handle  121  to facilitate opening and closing of the door. 
         [0018]    A push plate  200  is fixedly connected to an actuator assembly  150 . A catch plate  202  is located below the push plate  200 . The catch plate is fixed to the front  160 , rear  170 , and side walls  180 ,  190  of the main frame  105 . This can be accomplished by welding, or by mechanical fastening means such as bolts or screws. The catch plate  202  has a central opening therethrough  201 . The opening  201  allows a portion of a linear actuator assembly  150  to pass through. The linear actuator assembly  150  will be described in more detail below. 
         [0019]    A mesh plate  110  as shown in  FIG. 1  is fixedly connected to the main frame  105  and oriented parallel to the push plate  200 . The mesh plate  110  can be fixed to the main frame  105  by welding or other attachment means. It is also anticipated that the mesh plate  110  can be removably attached by sliding the mesh plate  110  into grooves (not shown) on the side walls  180 ,  190  of the main frame  105 . The ability to remove the mesh plate aids in cleaning it. The mesh plate  110  is comprised of a series of wires  111  or thin blades oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to one another and rigidly secured to the main frame  105 . 
         [0020]    A preferable mesh plate  110  is preferably made of a T-304 stainless steel woven wire mesh where the wire is welded together. The mesh is type 2 and the wire diameter is preferably 0.035 inches. The width of each opening is preferably about 0.465 inches. The preferably wire mesh has an 86.5% open area, weighs 0.161 lb./ft. 2  and has a density of about 0.290 lb./in. 3 . This type of wire mesh is manufactured by Darby Wire Mesh (www.darbywiremesh.com), among others. 
         [0021]    It should be noted that this preferable wire mesh plate  110  would vary depending upon the end product desired as well as the vegetable being processed. For example, to create potato cubes for soup or other dishes, the mesh wire described above would be preferred. However, to create a sweet potato cube or carrot cube may require a different size wire or different spacing of the wires or both. 
         [0022]    A scraper plate assembly  130  is located above the mesh plate  110  and will be described in more detail below. 
         [0023]    Turning now to  FIG. 3 , the linear actuator  150  assembly is shown. The actuator assembly  150  includes a rod  151  which is slidably received into a cylinder  156 . The rod  151  moves vertically up and down with the power of an electric motor  158 . A power transmission  157  joins the rod  151  and motor  158 . The power transmission box receives electrical power from the electric motor  158  in the form of rotary motion, which it converts into linear motion and which it transmits to rod  151 . The electrical motor  158  receives electrical power from an outside source. It is appreciated that while the linear actuator is described herein as being powered by an electric motor, other means may be used to move the rod  151  in a linear and reciprocating fashion. These include but are not limited to manual screw, cam, pneumatic, piezoelectric, and hydraulic means. 
         [0024]    A bracket  152  is mounted on the top of rod  151  either by pin, nut bolt or other fastening means. Holes  153  are formed on the upper bracket  152  which are used to mount the push plate  200  either by rivets, pins nut bolts, or other fastening means. A corresponding lower bracket  154  is at the opposite end of the actuator assembly from the upper bracket  152 . The lower bracket  154  has holes  155  which enable the actuator assembly  150  to be fixedly mounted onto the floor  192  of the main frame  105  by rivets, pins nut bolts or other fastening means. 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  shows an isolated view of the scraper plate assembly  130 . The scraper plate assembly includes a scraper plate  131  fixedly attached to rods  135  and  133 . A first swivel joints  134  is located between rods  135  and  133 . A second swivel joint  132  is located on the open end of rod  133 . An end piece  136  of the second swivel joint  132  is fixedly attached to side wall  180  by welding, screw threads or other attachment means, as shown in  FIG. 1 . The swivel joints  132 ,  134  enable the scraper plate  131  to move backwards and forwards and up and down adjacent to the mesh plate  110 . 
         [0026]    In use, a cooked potato or other root vegetable is placed into the first embodiment  100  between the mesh plate  110  and the push plate  200 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . Preferably, the potato  106  is first cut in half and the cut surface is placed adjacent to the mesh plate  110 . The actuator assembly  150  is energized so as to move the push plate  200  closer to the mesh plate  110 . As it travels, the flesh of the potato  106  is pushed through the mesh plate  110  and between the wires  111 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . As it does, the wires  111  cut the flesh as it passes through the wires. As the potato  106  moves through the wires  111  the scraper plate  131  moves in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the potato to the cut potato coming through the mesh plate  110 . The cut pieces of the potato  106  then fall onto another surface such as a holding container or conveyor belt or the like (not shown). The potato  106  continues to be fed through the mesh plate  110  until all of the flesh has been fed through and the skin remains behind the mesh plate as the wire  111  cannot cut the skin in the same manner as the flesh. This enables the skin to be separated from the flesh and disposed of separately. It should be noted that an assembly of wires or blades cannot be too sharp because it if is too sharp, the skin of the potato would also be able to be cut and thus not separated from the flesh as described above. 
         [0027]    Root vegetable as used herein shall include but not be limited to tuberous roots and taproots from non-roots such as tubers, rhizomes, corms, and bulbs. Such vegetables include but are not limited to potato, turnip, carrot, parsnip, celeriac, beet, rutabaga, radish, yam, yucca, ginger, pignut, earthnut, breadroot, mauka, and arrowroot. 
         [0028]    The foregoing descriptions of the specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. 
         [0029]    Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the embodiments and methods described in the foregoing description and figures, these descriptions are illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of size, shape, and orientation of parts within the principles of the embodiments described herein to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are attached. Furthermore, the terms “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, “side” and the like are used for purposes of illustration and are not designed to limit the scope of the embodiments described herein. Since numerous modifications and changes would occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the scope of the embodiments described herein. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the subject embodiments.