Patent Description:
The present invention generally relates to methods and machines for cutting products, including but not limited to slicing food products. The invention particularly relates to knife assemblies for securing knives to slicing machines, slicing machines equipped therewith, and methods of operating knife assemblies for securing knives to and releasing knives from slicing machines.

Various types of equipment are known for slicing, shredding and granulating food products, as nonlimiting examples, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and meat products. Widely used machines for this purpose are commercially available from Urschel Laboratories, Inc. , and include machines under the name Model CC®. The Model CC® machines are centrifugal-type slicers capable of slicing a wide variety of products at high production capacities. The Model CC® line of machines is particularly adapted to produce uniform slices, strip cuts, shreds, and granulations. Certain configurations and aspects of Model CC® machines are represented in <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, and <CIT>.

<CIT> discloses a method for producing a knife assembly for a food cutting apparatus includes providing a clamp, by use of a grinding process, with an inwardly corrugated shape which is complementary to that of a knife blade of the assembly, and which forms a clamping surface which, when the knife assembly is in a clamped state, tightly fits over the knife blade, the fit being such that particles of food product being cut by means of the knife assembly are prevented from entering in between the clamp and the knife blade.

<CIT> discloses a drum assembly for wood chip slicing machines in which the slicing blades are clamped at the discharge openings in a rotary drum between clamping plates and the trailing ends of combination plates have wear plate and clamping functions. Studs anchored in the combination plates pass through the drum, and some of them additionally pass through the clamping plates so that when nuts on the studs are tightened, the combination plates, clamping plates, slicing blades, and the drum are secured together. The clamping plates have feet which engage the drum to serve as a stop to keep the cutting edge of the blades at a predetermined setting. The studs are preferably sloped in the trailing direction from their inner ends.

<CIT> discloses a knife assembly which includes a knife holder for use in slicing machines having a support surface that defines a leading edge of the knife holder and a trailing end spaced from the leading edge, an insert disposed on the support surface so that a leading edge thereof projects beyond the leading edge of the knife holder and a trailing end thereof is secured to the knife holder, a knife clamped to the knife holder so that the insert is between the knife and the support surface. The trailing end of the insert is secured to the knife holder as a result of the trailing end being received in a slot defined in the trailing end of the support surface, or with posts protruding from the support surface that engage slots defined in the trailing end of the insert.

<CIT> discloses equipment for processing food and more particularly is directed to a machine and method for cutting products such as potatoes beets and the like, into slices.

<FIG> schematically represents a cross-sectional view of a machine <NUM> that is representative of a Model CC® machine. The machine <NUM> includes a generally annular-shaped cutting head <NUM> and an impeller <NUM> coaxially mounted within the cutting head <NUM>. The impeller <NUM> has an axis <NUM> of rotation that coincides with the center axis of the cutting head <NUM>, and is rotationally driven about its axis <NUM> through a shaft (not shown) that is enclosed within a housing <NUM> and coupled to a gear box <NUM>. The cutting head <NUM> is mounted on a support ring <NUM> above the gear box <NUM> and remains stationary as the impeller <NUM> rotates. Products are delivered to the cutting head <NUM> and impeller <NUM> through a feed hopper <NUM> located above the impeller <NUM>. In operation, as the hopper <NUM> delivers products to the impeller <NUM>, centrifugal forces cause the products to move outward into engagement with cutting knives (not shown) that are mounted along the circumference of the cutting head <NUM>. The impeller <NUM> comprises generally radially oriented paddles <NUM>, each having a face that engages and directs the products radially outward toward and against the knives of the cutting head <NUM> as the impeller <NUM> rotates. Other aspects pertaining to the construction and operation of Model CC® machines, including various embodiments thereof, can be appreciated from the aforementioned prior patent documents.

<FIG> are, respectively, isolated and fragmentary bottom views of a particular but nonlimiting example of a cutting head <NUM> that has been used with Model CC® slicing machines, including the machine <NUM> schematically represented in <FIG>. The cutting head <NUM> represented in <FIG> will be described hereinafter in reference to the machine <NUM> of <FIG> equipped with an impeller <NUM> as described in reference to <FIG>. On the basis of the coaxial arrangement of the cutting head <NUM> and the impeller <NUM>, relative terms including but not limited to "axial", "circumferential", "radial", etc., and related forms thereof may be used below to describe the cutting head <NUM> represented in <FIG> as well as other representations of cutting heads herein. Furthermore, as used herein, "leading" (and related forms thereof) refers to a position on a cutting head (or a component thereof) that is ahead of or precedes another in the direction of rotation of an impeller assembled with and rotating within the cutting head, whereas "trailing" (and related forms thereof) refers to a position on the cutting head (or a component thereof) that follows or succeeds another relative to the direction of the impeller's rotation.

In <FIG>, the cutting head <NUM> can be seen as generally annular-shaped with cutting knives <NUM> mounted and circumferentially spaced apart along its perimeter. <FIG> represent the knives <NUM> as each having a straight cutting edge and being substantially flat between its oppositely-disposed cutting and trailing edges, and as such are referred to herein as "flat" knives that are commonly used to produce flat slices, though the cutting head <NUM> can use knives of other shapes. As an example, a "shaped" knife is referred to herein as a knife that does not have a straight cutting edge and is not substantially flat between its cutting and trailing edges. Shaped knives include but are not limited to what may be referred to herein as "corrugated" knives characterized by a periodic pattern of alternating peaks and valleys when viewed edgewise and commonly used to produce corrugated, strip-cut, shredded, or granulated products. Each knife <NUM> projects radially inward in a direction generally opposite the direction of rotation of the impeller <NUM> within the cutting head <NUM>, and defines a cutting edge at its innermost radial extremity. The cutting head <NUM> further comprises lower and upper support members, represented in <FIG> as rings <NUM> and ring <NUM>, to and between which circumferentially-spaced support segments, referred to herein as shoes <NUM>, are secured with fasteners <NUM>.

A knife <NUM> can be associated with each shoe <NUM>, in which case the shoes <NUM> may be referred to as cutting stations of the cutting head <NUM>. The knives <NUM> of the cutting head <NUM> are represented in <FIG> as individually secured with knife assemblies <NUM> to their respective shoes <NUM>. Each knife assembly <NUM> is represented as including a knife holder <NUM> mounted to a shoe <NUM> and between the support rings <NUM> and <NUM>, and a clamp <NUM> positioned on the radially outward-facing side of the holder <NUM> to secure a knife <NUM> thereto. Each knife <NUM> is supported by a radially outer surface of one of the knife holders <NUM> at a leading edge of the knife holder <NUM>. The radially outer surfaces of the knife holders <NUM> that contact and support the knives <NUM> are referred to herein as knife support surfaces 30A, and each is represented as having a shape (e.g., flat or shaped) that is complementary to the shape (e.g., flat or shaped) of the knife <NUM> it supports. The corresponding clamp <NUM> overlies the holder <NUM> so that the knife <NUM> is between the knife support surface 30A of the holder <NUM> and a radially inner surface of the clamp <NUM> that faces the holder <NUM> and is located adjacent a leading edge of the clamp <NUM>. The radially inner surfaces of the clamps <NUM> that contact and overlie the knives <NUM> are referred to herein as knife clamping surfaces 32A, and may have shapes (e.g., flat or shaped) that are complementary to the shapes (e.g., flat or shaped) of the knives <NUM> they contact. By forcing the clamp <NUM> toward the knife support surface 30A of the holder <NUM>, for example, with bolts <NUM>, the clamp <NUM> applies a clamping force to the knife <NUM> adjacent its cutting edge. <FIG> further show a gate <NUM> secured to each shoe <NUM>. A food product crosses the gate <NUM> prior to encountering the knife <NUM> mounted to the succeeding shoe <NUM>, and together the cutting edge of a knife <NUM> and a trailing edge of the preceding gate <NUM> define a gate opening <NUM> (<FIG>) that determines the thickness of a slice produced by the knife <NUM>.

<FIG> evidences that the bolts <NUM> advantageously prevent the clamp <NUM> from moving relative to the knife <NUM> and knife holder <NUM> in a leading direction of the cutting head <NUM> (indicated by the horizontal arrow in <FIG>) as and after the bolts <NUM> are tightened to secure the clamp <NUM> and knife <NUM> to the knife holder <NUM>, which ensures that the leading edge of the clamp <NUM> is properly located in relation to the leading edge of the knife holder <NUM> to ensure a desirable clamping effect on the knife <NUM>. Only after the bolts <NUM> are entirely removed are the clamp <NUM> and knife <NUM> able to be removed from the knife holder <NUM> by lifting them individually or together in the radial direction of the cutting head <NUM> (indicated by the vertical arrow in <FIG>). The knife <NUM> and clamp <NUM> are also able to freely translate individually or together in the leading direction of the cutting head <NUM> (indicated by the horizontal arrow in <FIG>) and the axial direction of the cutting head <NUM> (in a direction perpendicular to the vertical and horizontal arrows in <FIG>). These movements are possible even while the knife <NUM> and clamp <NUM> remain engaged with the knife holder <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a knife assembly <NUM> that utilizes a corrugated knife <NUM> of a type capable of producing corrugated, strip-cut, shredded, or granulated products. <FIG> is a circumferential view of the knife assembly <NUM> in the trailing direction, such that the leading edges of the knife <NUM>, knife holder <NUM>, and clamp <NUM> are visible. As evident from <FIG>, due to the complementary shapes of the knife <NUM>, knife clamping surface 32A of the clamp <NUM>, and knife support surface 30A of the holder <NUM>, the knife <NUM> and clamp <NUM> are prevented from translating relative to each other and to the knife holder <NUM> in the axial direction (indicated by the vertical arrow in <FIG>) of the cutting head <NUM> while the knife <NUM> and clamp <NUM> still engage the knife support surface 30A of the knife holder <NUM>. As a result, to remove the clamp <NUM> and knife <NUM> from the knife holder <NUM>, the knife <NUM> and clamp <NUM> must first be translated in the radial direction (indicated by the horizontal arrow in <FIG>) or the leading direction of the cutting head <NUM> (in a direction perpendicular to the vertical and horizontal arrows in <FIG>) to disengage the knife <NUM> and clamp <NUM> from the knife support surface 30A of the knife holder <NUM>.

While the Model CC® has performed extremely well for its intended purpose, further improvements are continuously desired and sought for slicing machines of the type represented by the Model CC®. As an example, in some situations it may be desirable to enable a shaped knife (for example, the corrugated knife <NUM> of <FIG>) to be secured with bolts <NUM> to prevent the clamp <NUM> from moving circumferentially relative to the knife <NUM> and knife holder <NUM> as and after the bolts <NUM> are tightened to ensure that the leading edge of the clamp <NUM> is properly located in relation to the leading edge of the knife holder <NUM>, and yet not require complete removal of the bolts <NUM> to remove the clamp <NUM> and knife <NUM> from the cutting head <NUM>.

The present invention provides knife assemblies for securing knives to slicing machines, slicing machines equipped therewith, and methods of operating knife assemblies for securing knives to and releasing knives from slicing machines.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a method as claimed in claim <NUM>.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method as claimed in claim <NUM>.

According to other aspects of the disclosure, slicing machines are provided that are equipped with one or more knife assemblies having elements as described above.

Technical effects of the invention include the ability to enable a clamp to be removed from a knife assembly equipped with a knife by translating the clamp in the leading direction of the knife assembly, and in some cases prevent the clamp from translating relative to the knife, particularly in the leading direction of the knife assembly, as the clamping load is applied to the clamp.

Other aspects and advantages of this invention will be appreciated from the following detailed description.

The intended purpose of the following detailed description of the invention and the phraseology and terminology employed therein is to describe what is shown in the drawings, which relate to one or more nonlimiting embodiments of the invention, and to describe certain but not all aspects of what is depicted in the drawings. The following detailed description also identifies certain but not all alternatives of the embodiment(s) depicted in the drawings. Therefore, the appended claims, and not the detailed description, are intended to particularly point out subject matter regarded as the invention, including certain but not necessarily all of the aspects and alternatives described in the detailed description.

<FIG> schematically represent nonlimiting embodiments of knife assemblies and components thereof that are capable of use with a variety of cutting machines, including the centrifugal-type slicing machine <NUM> depicted in <FIG> and the cutting head of <FIG>, and in some instances may be a replacement or modification of knife assemblies and components for such machines. As a matter of convenience, the knife assemblies will be illustrated and described hereinafter in reference to the slicing machine <NUM> of <FIG> equipped with an annular-shaped cutting head <NUM> as described in reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, and as such the following discussion will focus primarily on certain aspects of knife assemblies that will be described in reference to the slicing machine <NUM> and cutting head <NUM>, whereas other aspects not discussed in any detail below may be, in terms of structure, function, materials, etc., essentially as was described in reference to <FIG> and <FIG>. However, it will be appreciated that the teachings of the invention are also generally applicable to other types of cutting machines. Moreover, though such machines are particularly well suited for slicing food products, it is within the scope of the invention that impellers described herein could be utilized in cutting machines that cut a wide variety of other types of materials.

To facilitate the description provided below of the knife assemblies represented in the drawings, relative terms may be used in reference to the orientation of the knife assemblies within an annular-shaped cutting head, as represented and described in reference to <FIG> and <FIG>. On the basis of the coaxial arrangement of the cutting head <NUM> and impeller <NUM> in <FIG>, relative terms including but not limited to "axial," "circumferential," "radial," etc., and related forms thereof may also be used below to describe the nonlimiting embodiments represented in the drawings. Furthermore, as used herein, "leading" (and related forms thereof) refers to a position on the cutting head <NUM> (or a component thereof) that is circumferentially ahead of or precedes another in the direction of rotation of the impeller <NUM> when assembled with and rotating within a cutting head <NUM>, whereas "trailing" (and related forms thereof) refers to a position on the cutting head <NUM> (or a component thereof) that circumferentially follows or succeeds another relative to the direction of rotation of the impeller <NUM>. As such, the cutting head <NUM> can be characterized as having a leading direction, a trailing direction opposite the leading direction, an axial direction perpendicular to the leading and trailing directions, and a radial direction perpendicular to the leading, trailing, and radial directions.

For convenience, consistent reference numbers are used throughout <FIG> to identify the same or functionally related/equivalent elements of the various embodiments of knife assemblies represented in the drawings.

<FIG> schematically represent different methods by which a clamp can be removed from a knife assembly mounted to a cutting head of a slicing machine, such as but not limited to the slicing machine of <FIG>. Though shown as secured with threaded fasteners (bolts), the clamps depicted in <FIG> may be secured by other means, as nonlimiting examples, various types of fasteners, levers and/or cams.

<FIG> are a series of fragmentary side views of a nonlimiting embodiment of a knife assembly <NUM> that is represented as comprising a knife holder <NUM> and a clamp <NUM> securing a flat knife <NUM> on a knife support surface 52A of the knife holder <NUM>. As previously noted, a "flat" knife refers to a knife <NUM> that has a straight cutting edge and is substantially flat between its oppositely-disposed cutting and trailing edges, while a "shaped" knife refers to a knife <NUM> that does not have a straight cutting edge and is not substantially flat between its cutting and trailing edges. At least the portion of the knife support surface 52A beneath the knife <NUM> in <FIG> preferably has a shape complementary to the knife <NUM>. Though other mounting arrangements are foreseeable and within the scope of the invention, it should be understood that the knife holder <NUM> depicted in <FIG> is configured to be mounted to a shoe <NUM> and between support rings <NUM> and <NUM> of the cutting head <NUM>, generally as represented in <FIG>. The clamp <NUM> is indicated as comprising a knife-engaging portion 54A that forms a leading edge of the clamp <NUM>, physically contacts the knife <NUM>, and therefore has a shape that is complementary to the knife <NUM>. The clamp <NUM> further comprises a base portion 54B that forms a trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM> and is configured to be engaged by means adapted to secure the clamp <NUM> to the knife holder <NUM> and apply a clamping load to the clamp <NUM> when the clamp <NUM> is in a clamping position depicted in <FIG>. In <FIG>, such means is represented as threaded fasteners <NUM> (in this particular example, bolts) that pass through the clamp <NUM> and are threaded into the knife holder <NUM>. The knife-engaging and base portions 54A and 54B of the clamp <NUM> are not coplanar, enabling the knife-engaging portion 54A to more closely coincide with the orientation of the knife <NUM> on the knife support surface 52A of the knife holder <NUM>.

Loosening the fasteners <NUM> removes the clamping load that secures the clamp <NUM> in the clamping position of <FIG>. The shafts (not visible) of the fasteners <NUM> are received in keyway slots <NUM>, which are narrower than the heads of the fasteners <NUM> so that the clamping load can be applied by tightening the fasteners <NUM> so that their heads engage the base portion 54B along the edges of the slots <NUM>. The slots <NUM> are configured so that the clamp <NUM> can be removed from the knife holder <NUM> by loosening the fasteners <NUM> without requiring complete removal of the fasteners <NUM> from the knife holder <NUM>. The keyway slots <NUM> are formed in the base portion 54B of the clamp <NUM> to be contiguous with the trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM> and extend toward (but shown as terminating short of) the knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamp <NUM> to form an interior distal edge 74A (<FIG>) within each slot <NUM>. Each slot <NUM> is represented as having a constant width along its entire length, though it is foreseeable that any of the slots <NUM> could be defined to have wider and narrower portions. As evident from <FIG>, the distal edges 74A of the slots <NUM> serve as stops that prevent the clamp <NUM> from being removed from the knife assembly <NUM> by being translated in the circumferential trailing direction (leftward in <FIG>) of the cutting head <NUM>. However, the slots <NUM> are configured to enable the clamp <NUM> to be removed from the knife assembly <NUM> by translating the clamp <NUM> in the leading direction (rightward as indicated by the arrows in <FIG>) of the cutting head <NUM> so that the fasteners <NUM> are no longer within the slots <NUM> and the clamp <NUM> is freed from the knife holder <NUM> (<FIG>). In particular, translating the clamp <NUM> in the leading direction causes the knife-engaging portion 54A, which forms the leading edge of the clamp <NUM>, has a shape that is complementary to the knife <NUM>, and physically contacts the knife <NUM> when in the clamping position (<FIG>), to no longer contact the knife <NUM> in the release position (<FIG>). From the release position, translation of the clamp <NUM> in the leading direction can continue as represented in <FIG>, or the clamp <NUM> can be lifted from the knife assembly <NUM> in a radial direction of the cutting head <NUM>. Once released by the complete removal of the clamp <NUM> (<FIG>), the underlying knife <NUM> is exposed and may also be removed. To reinstall the clamp <NUM> on the knife holder <NUM>, the clamp <NUM> can be translated in the circumferential trailing direction (leftward in <FIG>) to insert the fasteners <NUM> into their respective slots <NUM> until the fasteners <NUM> abut the distal edges 74A of the slots <NUM> prior to tightening the fasteners <NUM> to secure the clamp <NUM> to the knife holder <NUM> (and in so doing expose the cutting edge of the knife <NUM>). Such a configuration facilitates removal of the knife and cleaning of the knife assembly <NUM> and its components.

<FIG> illustrate that the method of removing the clamp <NUM> as represented in <FIG> is equally applicable to a knife assembly <NUM> that differs from the assembly <NUM> of <FIG> by utilizing a shaped knife <NUM> and being equipped with a clamp <NUM> (or at least a knife clamping surface 54C on the knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamp <NUM>) and knife holder <NUM> (or at least the knife support surface 52A of the knife holder <NUM>) that have shapes complementary to the shaped knife <NUM>. In this example, the knife <NUM> is a corrugated knife <NUM> of a type capable of producing corrugated, strip-cut, shredded, or granulated products. <FIG> shows a clamping position in which the knife <NUM> is clamped to the knife support surface 52A of the knife holder <NUM> as a result of the clamp <NUM> being secured with a fastener <NUM> to the knife holder <NUM>, and <FIG> shows a release position in which the fastener <NUM> has been sufficiently loosened to enable the clamp <NUM> to be translated in the leading direction (rightward as indicated by the horizontal arrow in <FIG>). As evident from <FIG>, the knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamp <NUM>, which forms the leading edge of the clamp <NUM> and has the knife clamping surface 54C whose shape is complementary to the knife <NUM> and physically contacts the knife <NUM> when in the clamping position (<FIG>), no longer contacts the knife <NUM> in the release position (<FIG>). From the release position, further translation of the clamp <NUM> in the circumferential leading direction of the cutting head <NUM> can continue in the same manner as represented in <FIG>, or the clamp <NUM> can be lifted from the knife assembly <NUM> in a radial direction of the cutting head <NUM> (indicated by the vertical arrow in <FIG>), or translated in the axial direction of the cutting head <NUM> (in a direction perpendicular to the vertical and horizontal arrows in <FIG>).

<FIG> is a circumferential view of the knife assembly <NUM> of <FIG> looking in the trailing direction, such that the leading edges of the knife <NUM>, knife holder <NUM>, and clamp <NUM> are visible. <FIG> corresponds to the condition of the knife assembly <NUM> shown in <FIG>, and as such depicts the release position in which the fastener <NUM> (not shown) has been sufficiently loosened to enable the clamp <NUM> to be translated in the leading direction. As evident from <FIG>, translating the clamp <NUM> in the leading direction causes its knife clamping surface 54C to disengage the complementary-shaped knife <NUM>, and as such the clamp <NUM> can be freely translated relative to the knife <NUM> and knife holder <NUM> in the axial direction (indicated by the vertical arrow in <FIG>) of the cutting head <NUM>. As a result, the clamp <NUM> can be fully removed from the knife assembly <NUM> after being translated in the leading direction as shown in <FIG>.

In view of similarities between the embodiments of <FIG> and <FIG>, the following discussion of <FIG> will focus primarily on aspects of their respective embodiments that differ from the embodiments of <FIG> in some notable or significant manner. Other aspects of the embodiments of <FIG> not discussed in any detail can be, in terms of structure, function, materials, etc., essentially as was described for the embodiments of <FIG>.

<FIG> are a series of fragmentary side views of another nonlimiting embodiment of a knife assembly <NUM>, and <FIG> is a top view of the same knife assembly <NUM>. <FIG> depicts the clamping position in which the clamp <NUM> is secured with fasteners <NUM> whose shafts (not visible) are received in slots <NUM> that have wider and narrower portions. The wider portions of the slots <NUM> extend toward but are not contiguous with the trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM>, and the narrower portions of the slots <NUM> extend toward (but terminate short of) the knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamp <NUM>, forming an interior distal edge 74A (<FIG>) within each slot <NUM> that serves as a stop to prevent the clamp <NUM> from being removed from the knife assembly <NUM> by being translated in the circumferential trailing direction (leftward in <FIG>) of the cutting head <NUM>. The narrower portions of the slots <NUM> are narrower than the heads of the fasteners <NUM>, enabling the fasteners <NUM> to secure the clamp <NUM> to the knife holder <NUM> in the clamping position. The wider portions of the slots <NUM> are larger than the heads of the fasteners <NUM> (<FIG>), permitting the clamp <NUM> to be removed from the knife holder <NUM> by loosening the fasteners <NUM> and translating the clamp <NUM> in the leading direction (rightward in <FIG> as indicated by the arrow in <FIG>) without requiring removal of the fasteners <NUM> from the knife holder <NUM>. In <FIG>, which depicts the release position, the heads of the fasteners <NUM> are aligned with the wider portions of the slots <NUM> and able to pass through the slots <NUM> as the clamp <NUM> is lifted from the knife assembly <NUM> in a radial direction (indicated by the arrow in <FIG>) of the cutting head <NUM>.

On the basis of <FIG>, it can be appreciated that the method of removing the clamp <NUM> as represented in <FIG> is equally applicable to a knife assembly <NUM> that utilizes a shaped knife <NUM> and a clamp <NUM> and knife holder <NUM> that have complementary-shaped support and clamping surfaces 52A and 54C, since translating the clamp <NUM> in the leading direction disengages the knife clamping surface 54C of the clamp <NUM> from the complementary-shaped knife <NUM>.

<FIG> are similar to <FIG>, representing another nonlimiting embodiment of a knife assembly <NUM> that differs from the embodiment of <FIG> as a result of the wider portions of its slots <NUM> extending toward and being open to and contiguous with the trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM>. As with the embodiment of <FIG>, narrower portions of the slots <NUM> are narrower than the heads of the fasteners <NUM>, enabling the fasteners <NUM> to secure the clamp <NUM> to the knife holder <NUM> in a clamping position, and the clamp <NUM> can be removed from the knife holder <NUM> by loosening the fasteners <NUM> and translating the clamp <NUM> in the leading direction (rightward in <FIG> as indicated by the arrow in <FIG>) without requiring removal of the fasteners <NUM> from the knife holder <NUM>. Thereafter, <FIG> evidences that in the release position, the heads of the fasteners <NUM> are aligned with the wider portions of the slots <NUM> and able to pass through the slots <NUM> so that the clamp <NUM> can be lifted from the knife assembly <NUM> in a radial direction (indicated by the arrow in <FIG>) of the cutting head <NUM>. Alternatively, because the wider portions of the slots <NUM> are open to and contiguous with the trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM>, from the release position of <FIG> the clamp <NUM> may be further translated in the leading direction in the same manner as represented in <FIG> and discussed in reference to <FIG>.

It can be appreciated that the method of removing the clamp <NUM> as represented in <FIG> is equally applicable to a knife assembly <NUM> that utilizes a shaped knife <NUM> and equipped with a clamp <NUM> and knife holder <NUM> that have complementary-shaped support and clamping surfaces 52A and 54C, since translating the clamp <NUM> in the leading direction disengages the knife clamping surface 54C of the clamp <NUM> from the complementary-shaped knife <NUM>.

<FIG> are similar to <FIG>, representing another nonlimiting embodiment of a knife assembly <NUM> that differs from the embodiment of <FIG> as a result of the slots <NUM> being L-shaped. As a result, from the clamping position of <FIG>, the clamp <NUM> can be removed from the knife holder <NUM> by loosening the fasteners <NUM>, translating the clamp <NUM> in the leading direction (rightward in <FIG> as indicated by the arrow) of the cutting head <NUM>, and then translating the clamp <NUM> in the axial direction (downward in <FIG> as indicated by the arrow) of the cutting head <NUM> to arrive at the release position (<FIG>). Thereafter, the clamp <NUM> can be lifted from the knife assembly <NUM> in a radial direction (indicated by the arrow in <FIG>) of the cutting head <NUM>.

Again, it should be appreciated that the method of removing the clamp <NUM> as represented in <FIG> is equally applicable to a knife assembly <NUM> that utilizes a shaped knife <NUM> and equipped with a clamp <NUM> and knife holder <NUM> that have complementary-shaped support and clamping surfaces 52A and 54C. In particular, translating the clamp <NUM> in the leading direction to the release position of <FIG> causes the knife clamping surface 54C of the clamp <NUM> to disengage from the complementary-shaped knife <NUM>, such that the clamp <NUM> is able to be translated in the axial direction (downward in <FIG> as indicated by the arrow) of the cutting head <NUM>.

<FIG> is a fragmentary side view of an embodiment of a knife assembly <NUM> similar to that of <FIG>. The knife assembly <NUM> is represented as mounted to a cutting head <NUM> of a slicing machine, such as but not limited to the slicing machine of <FIG>, and mounted by and between a pair of bases <NUM> mounted to support rings (not shown) of the cutting head <NUM>. The knife assembly <NUM> is further represented as configured to utilize a shaped knife (concealed by the clamp <NUM>), which is clamped by a clamp <NUM> to a knife support surface (also concealed by the clamp <NUM>) of a knife holder <NUM>, such that at least portions of the knife support surface of the knife holder <NUM> and a knife clamping surface of the clamp <NUM> have shapes complementary to the shaped knife. Other aspects of the knife assembly <NUM> are generally as was described for the embodiment of <FIG>. As such, and consistent with the embodiments of <FIG>, distal edges 74A of slots <NUM> in the clamp <NUM> serve as stops that prevent the clamp <NUM> from being removed from the knife assembly <NUM> by being translated in the circumferential trailing direction (leftward in <FIG>) of the cutting head <NUM>, but the clamp <NUM> can be removed from the knife assembly <NUM> by being translated in the leading direction (rightward in <FIG>) of the cutting head <NUM>. In the nonlimiting embodiment portrayed in <FIG> (and consistent with the embodiment of <FIG>), the clamp <NUM> is translated in the leading direction so that the fasteners <NUM> are no longer aligned with the narrower portions of the slots <NUM> and instead are aligned with the wider portions of the slots <NUM> to permit the fasteners <NUM> to pass through the slots <NUM> as the clamp <NUM> is lifted from the knife assembly <NUM> in the radial direction of the cutting head <NUM>. Once released by the removal of the clamp <NUM>, the underlying knife <NUM> may also be removed. Alternatively, to secure the clamp <NUM> to the knife holder <NUM>, the clamp <NUM> would be translated to the left (as viewed in <FIG>) to insert the fasteners <NUM> into a narrowed section of each slot <NUM> until they abut the distal edges 74A of the slots <NUM> prior to tightening the fasteners <NUM> to secure the clamp <NUM> to the knife holder <NUM> (and in so doing expose the cutting edge of the knife).

<FIG> schematically represents an end view of the clamp <NUM> of <FIG> and diagrammatically represents forces acting on the clamp <NUM> when secured to the knife holder <NUM> as shown in <FIG> (the knife is omitted for clarity). The forces acting on the clamp <NUM> in <FIG> are also illustrative of the forces acting on the clamps <NUM> represented in each of the embodiments of <FIG>. As evident from <FIG>, the fasteners <NUM> apply a force FB to the base portion 54B of the clamp <NUM> coincident with the axis of the fastener <NUM>, inducing resultant forces FR1 and FR2 along a contact surface <NUM> representative of the surfaces of the knife holder <NUM> and knife contacted by the clamp <NUM>. Because the knife-engaging and base portions 54A and 54B of the clamp <NUM> are not coplanar, the bolt force FB is not perpendicular to the base portion 54B, such that the bolt force FB has x and y components (respectively, parallel and normal to the outer surface of the clamp <NUM>) identified as Fx and Fy, respectively. As evident from <FIG> and <FIG>, whereas Fy is primarily responsible for the clamping load applied by the clamp <NUM> to a knife, Fx pushes the clamp <NUM> in the leading direction of the cutting head <NUM> (rightward as viewed in <FIG> and <FIG>). If Fx is greater than the force of friction between the clamp <NUM> and the knife holder <NUM>, Fx is capable of causing the clamp <NUM> to translate rightward as and after the fasteners <NUM> are tightened to secure the clamp <NUM>. Torque reaction forces can also rotate the clamp <NUM> out of position if such forces are greater than the frictional forces between the clamp <NUM> and knife holder <NUM>. Any resulting translation or shift could result in undesirable movement of the knife relative to the knife holder <NUM>.

<FIG> is a fragmentary side view of the knife assembly <NUM> of <FIG> to which a support bar <NUM> has been added. As such, the knife assembly <NUM> is represented as comprising the knife holder <NUM> and clamp <NUM> securing a shaped knife <NUM> on a knife support surface 52A of the knife holder <NUM>. In <FIG>, the entire knife support surface 52A preferably has a shape complementary to the shaped knife <NUM>. (In <FIG>, the knife support surface 52A is nearly entirely concealed beneath the knife <NUM>. ) The support bar <NUM> secures the clamp <NUM> to the knife holder <NUM> in cooperation with the fasteners <NUM>. The heads of the fasteners <NUM> are received in recesses <NUM> in an outer surface 58A of the support bar <NUM>. As more readily evident from the isolated view of the support bar <NUM> in <FIG>, each recess <NUM> defines a recessed surface <NUM> in which a keyhole slot <NUM> is defined having wider and narrower portions, with the narrower portion in proximity to a leading edge <NUM> of the support bar <NUM>. In the nonlimiting embodiment shown, the slots <NUM> are not contiguous with the leading edge <NUM> of the support bar <NUM>, nor contiguous with any other peripheral edge of the support bar <NUM>. The heads of the fasteners <NUM> are sized to pass through the wider portions of the slots <NUM>, but cannot pass through the narrower portions of the slots <NUM> as a result of being larger in diameter than the widths of the narrower portions of the slots <NUM>. As such, by sufficiently threading the fasteners <NUM> into the knife holder <NUM> while aligned with the narrower portions of the slots <NUM>, heads of the fasteners <NUM> apply a clamping force directly to the recessed surfaces <NUM> of the support bar <NUM>, which is transmitted through the clamp <NUM> to the knife <NUM>, by which the knife <NUM> is clamped to the knife holder <NUM>. As also shown in <FIG>, the knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamp <NUM> is at least adjacent a leading edge of the clamp <NUM>, in the embodiment shown is at and defines the leading edge of the clamp <NUM>, and at least part of the knife-engaging portion 54A has a shape complementary to the shaped knife <NUM> and transmits the clamping force to the knife <NUM> in proximity to a leading edge of the knife holder <NUM>, from which the knife <NUM> protrudes as seen in <FIG>. With this arrangement, the clamp <NUM> is not physically attached to the support bar <NUM> (<FIG>), but instead is clamped by the support bar <NUM> to the knife holder <NUM>, which in turn causes the clamp <NUM> to clamp the knife <NUM> to the knife holder <NUM>.

The support bar <NUM> has a pair of pivot recesses <NUM> (one of which is visible in <FIG>) by which the support bar <NUM> is pivotally coupled to the pair of bases <NUM> mounted to the support rings <NUM> and <NUM> of the cutting head <NUM>. For example, each base <NUM> may be equipped with a pin (not shown) that is received in a corresponding one of the pivot recesses <NUM> of the support bar <NUM>. As evident from <FIG>, the pivot recesses <NUM> are oblong, allowing for translation movement of the support bar <NUM> relative to the bases <NUM> (generally in a circumferential direction of the cutting head <NUM>) as well as a pivot motion about a pivot axis (generally parallel to the center axis of the cutting head <NUM>). As such, the support bar <NUM> is also configured to translate and pivot relative to other components of the knife assembly <NUM>, including the knife holder <NUM>, clamp <NUM>, and knife <NUM>.

<FIG> represents the result of loosening the fasteners <NUM> to allow the support bar <NUM> to translate and pivot relative to the bases <NUM>. In particular, <FIG> depicts the result of the support bar <NUM> having been translated relative to the bases <NUM> so that the fasteners <NUM> are no longer aligned with the narrower portions of the slots <NUM> in the support bar <NUM> and instead are aligned with the wider portions of the slots <NUM> to permit the fasteners <NUM> to pass through the slots <NUM>, and then the support bar <NUM> having been pivoted about its pivot axis to expose the underlying base portion 54B of the clamp <NUM>, which is at least adjacent the trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM> and in the embodiment shown is at and defines the trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM>. In <FIG>, the support bar <NUM> has been sufficiently pivoted to completely disengage the clamp <NUM>, exposing a lower surface 58B of the support bar <NUM> that had contacted the clamp <NUM> in the clamping position depicted in <FIG>. As also shown and/or discussed in reference to <FIG>, the clamp <NUM> can be seen to have keyway slots <NUM> that are formed in the base portion 54B of the clamp <NUM> to be contiguous with the trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM> formed by the base portion 54B, and extend toward but terminate short of the knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamp <NUM>, forming an interior distal edge 74A within each slot <NUM>. As with the slots <NUM> of the support bar <NUM>, each slot <NUM> is defined to have wider and narrower portions, and in this respect the slots <NUM> of the support bar <NUM> may be complementary in size and shape to the slots <NUM> of the clamp <NUM>. The wider portions of the slots <NUM> are contiguous with the trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM>, and the narrower portions of the slots <NUM> form the distal edges 74A of the slots <NUM>. As such, and as shown in <FIG>, the distal edges 74A of the slots <NUM> serve as stops that prevent the clamp <NUM> from being removed from the knife assembly <NUM> by being translated in the trailing direction (leftward in <FIG>) of the cutting head <NUM>, but the clamp <NUM> can be removed from the knife assembly <NUM> by being translated in the leading direction (rightward in <FIG>) of the cutting head <NUM> so that the fasteners <NUM> are no longer aligned with the narrower portions of the slots <NUM> and instead are aligned with the wider portions of the slots <NUM> to permit the fasteners <NUM> to pass through the slots <NUM> as the clamp <NUM> is lifted from the knife assembly <NUM> in the radial direction of the cutting head <NUM>. Once released by the removal of the clamp <NUM>, the underlying knife <NUM> may also be removed.

As evident from <FIG> (and similar to the discussion of the clamp <NUM> in reference to <FIG>), the knife-engaging portion 54A and base portion 54B of the clamp <NUM> are not coplanar, enabling the knife-engaging portion 54A to more closely coincide with the orientation of the knife <NUM>. This relationship is exaggerated in <FIG> for purposes of illustration, which schematically represents an end view of the clamp <NUM> and diagrammatically represents forces acting on the clamp <NUM> when secured to the knife holder <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. <FIG> also schematically represents the support bar <NUM> and one of its recessed surfaces <NUM>, which is directly engaged by one of the fasteners <NUM> (schematically represented in <FIG>) that secure the clamp <NUM>, knife <NUM> (not shown in <FIG>), and support bar <NUM> to the knife holder <NUM> (not shown in <FIG>). As evident from <FIG>, each fastener <NUM> applies a force FB to the base portion 54B of the clamp <NUM> coincident with the axis of the fastener <NUM>, inducing resultant forces FR1 and FR2 along a contact surface <NUM> representative of the surfaces of the knife holder <NUM> and knife <NUM> contacted by the clamp <NUM>. Because the knife-engaging and base portions 54A and 54B of the clamp <NUM> are not coplanar, the bolt force FB is not perpendicular to the base portion 54B.

As schematically represented in <FIG>, the recessed surface <NUM> is intentionally tapered relative to the lower surface 58B of the support bar <NUM> so that its thickness increases toward the trailing edge of the clamp <NUM>. An effect of the tapered recessed surface <NUM> is that the bolt force FB induces a surface friction force FBs as a result of the bolt force FB urging the support bar <NUM> downward and to the left in <FIG> over the surface of the base portion 54B of the clamp <NUM>, but is prevented from doing so by the pivot pins engaging the pivot recesses <NUM> of the support bar <NUM>. This surface friction force FBs is applied by the support bar <NUM> to the clamp <NUM>, and counters a force FBc transmitted by the fastener <NUM> to the clamp <NUM> that would otherwise cause the clamp <NUM> to slide rightward in <FIG> (toward the cutting edge of the knife <NUM>), which would be possible because the slots <NUM> formed in a base portion 54B of the clamp <NUM> are contiguous with the trailing edge of the clamp <NUM>. Because the clamp <NUM> is effectively immobilized by the support bar <NUM>, the position of the clamp <NUM> relative to the knife <NUM> is not altered as the fasteners <NUM> are tightened.

In view of similarities between embodiments represented in the drawings, the following discussion will focus primarily on aspects of the embodiments of <FIG> that differ from the embodiment of <FIG> in some notable or significant manner. Other aspects of the embodiments of <FIG> that are not discussed in any detail may be, in terms of structure, function, materials, etc., essentially as was described for the embodiment of <FIG>.

<FIG> is a fragmentary side view of a second embodiment of a knife assembly <NUM> that differs from the knife assembly <NUM> of <FIG> and <FIG> by the clamp <NUM> being physically attached to the support bar <NUM> so that the clamp <NUM> translates and pivots with the support bar <NUM> relative to the knife holder <NUM>, clamp <NUM>, and shaped knife <NUM>. The means of attaching the clamp <NUM> to the lower surface 58B of the support bar <NUM> is represented as screws <NUM>, but it is within the scope of the invention to use any suitable attachment means capable of mounting the clamp <NUM> to the support bar <NUM>. <FIG> schematically represents an end view of the clamp <NUM> and support bar <NUM> of <FIG>, and diagrammatically represents forces acting on the clamp <NUM> when secured to the knife holder <NUM> with the support bar <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. Because the clamp <NUM> is attached to the support bar <NUM> so that the clamp <NUM> is prevented from moving relative to the support bar <NUM>, the forces FBs and FBc are no longer a factor because the support bar <NUM> ensures that the position of the clamp <NUM> relative to the knife <NUM> is not altered as the fasteners <NUM> are tightened.

<FIG> is a fragmentary side view of the cutting head <NUM> in which a third embodiment of a knife assembly <NUM> is depicted. As with the embodiments of <FIG>, the knife assembly <NUM> is shown in <FIG> as comprising a knife holder <NUM> and a clamp <NUM> securing a shaped knife <NUM> (concealed by the clamp <NUM>) on the knife support surface (also concealed by the clamp <NUM>) of the knife holder <NUM>. Preferably the entire knife support surface 52A has a shape complementary to the shaped knife <NUM>. Contrary to the prior embodiments, the knife assembly <NUM> does not comprise a support bar for securing the clamp <NUM> to the knife holder <NUM>. Instead, the clamp <NUM> is shown as secured to the knife holder <NUM> only with fasteners <NUM> that pass through the clamp <NUM> and are threaded into the knife holder <NUM>. The heads of the fasteners <NUM> are received in keyway slots <NUM> that (similar to the slots <NUM> of the clamps <NUM> and <NUM> of <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>) that are formed in a base portion 54B of the clamp <NUM> to be contiguous with a trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM> and extend toward but terminate short of a knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamp <NUM>, forming an interior distal edge 74A within each slot <NUM>. As such, the distal edges 74A of the slots <NUM> serve as stops that prevent the clamp <NUM> from being removed from the knife assembly <NUM> by being translated in the trailing direction (leftward in <FIG>) of the cutting head <NUM>, but the clamp <NUM> can be removed from the knife assembly <NUM> by being translated in the leading direction (rightward in <FIG>) of the cutting head <NUM>. Thereafter, the knife <NUM> may also be removed.

As more readily seen in the isolated view of one slot <NUM> in <FIG>, similar to the slots <NUM> formed in the knife assemblies <NUM> and <NUM> of <FIG>, each slot <NUM> of the clamp <NUM> is defined to have wider and narrower portions, with the wider portions contiguous with the trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM> and the narrower portions forming the distal edges 74A of the slots <NUM>. From <FIG>, which depicts the result of loosening the fastener <NUM> and translating the clamp <NUM> to the right to align the head of the fastener <NUM> with the wider portion of the slot <NUM>, it can be seen that the heads of the fasteners <NUM> are sized to pass through the wider portions of the slots <NUM>, but cannot pass through the narrower portions of the slots <NUM> as a result of being larger in diameter than the widths of the narrower portions of the slots <NUM>. As such, by sufficiently threading the fasteners <NUM> into the knife holder <NUM> while aligned with the narrower portions of the slots <NUM>, the fasteners <NUM> apply a clamping force directly to the base portion 54B of the clamp <NUM>, which is transmitted through the knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamp <NUM> to the knife <NUM> to clamp the knife <NUM> to the knife holder <NUM>, from whose leading edge the knife <NUM> protrudes (not shown) when the knife <NUM> is clamped to the knife holder <NUM> by the clamp <NUM>. The shaped knife <NUM> is overlaid and engaged by a part of the knife-engaging portion 54A that has a shape complementary to the shaped knife <NUM>.

<FIG> further shows the slot <NUM> as having a neck <NUM> defined where the narrower portion of the slot <NUM> adjoins the wider portion of the slot <NUM>. The neck <NUM> defines the narrowest width of the slot <NUM>. <FIG> further illustrate that the narrower portion of the slot <NUM> has a tapered wall <NUM> contiguous with an outer surface of the clamp <NUM> and extends inward into the clamp <NUM> to a second wall <NUM> formed within the slot <NUM> below the tapered wall <NUM>. As seen in <FIG>, which shows the fastener <NUM> within the narrower portion of the slot <NUM>, the widths defined by the neck <NUM> and second wall <NUM> are larger than the shank <NUM> of the fastener <NUM>, enabling the shank <NUM> to pass through all portions (the neck <NUM> and the wider and narrower portions) of the slots <NUM>. However, the fastener <NUM> further has a shoulder <NUM> between the shank <NUM> and the fastener head that is wider/larger than the neck <NUM> of the slot <NUM>, such that if the fastener <NUM> is sufficiently threaded into the knife holder <NUM> to position the shoulder <NUM> within the narrower portion of the slot <NUM>, the fastener <NUM> cannot pass through the neck <NUM> and, likewise, the clamp <NUM> cannot be removed from the knife holder <NUM>. As such, the neck <NUM> physically prevents the clamp <NUM> from sliding forward past the fasteners <NUM> as the fasteners <NUM> are tightened. Though shown as tapered to be complementary to the taper of the tapered wall <NUM> of the slot <NUM>, the shoulder <NUM> could alternative be untapered, i.e., parallel to the axis of the fastener <NUM>. However, a benefit of the shoulder <NUM> being tapered is that it reduces the required number of turns needed to loosen the fasteners <NUM> sufficiently to release the clamp <NUM> from the fasteners <NUM>.

<FIG> is a perspective view of a knife assembly <NUM> for a cutting head of a slicing machine (such as the cutting head <NUM> and machine <NUM> of <FIG>) according to a fourth embodiment. According to this nonlimiting embodiment of the invention, the knife assembly <NUM> is represented as comprising a knife holder <NUM>, and a clamp <NUM> securing a shaped knife <NUM> on a knife support surface 52A of the knife holder <NUM>, from whose leading edge the knife <NUM> protrudes. At least a portion of the knife support surface 52A of the knife holder <NUM> has a shape complementary to the shaped knife <NUM>, and the shaped knife <NUM> is engaged by a part of a knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamp <NUM> that has a shape complementary to the shaped knife <NUM>. The knife assembly <NUM> further includes a wedge assembly <NUM> securing the clamp <NUM> to the knife holder <NUM> in cooperation with fasteners <NUM> that pass through the clamp <NUM> and are threaded into the knife holder <NUM>. As with previous embodiments, the clamp <NUM> has slots (not shown) for receiving the fasteners <NUM>, and the slots are formed in the base portion 54B of the clamp <NUM> to be contiguous with the trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM> and extend toward but terminate short of the knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamp <NUM>, so that the clamp <NUM> can be removed from the knife assembly <NUM> by being translated in the leading direction (rightward in <FIG>, and <FIG>).

The wedge assembly <NUM> is represented in <FIG> as comprising a lower member 102A, an upper member 102B, and a handle 102C to which a threaded shaft 102D is attached. <FIG> is a perspective view of the knife assembly <NUM> of <FIG> with the upper member 102B of the wedge assembly <NUM> removed to expose the lower member 102A. The lower member 102A can be generally described as a beam <NUM> from which two flanges <NUM> protrude on one side of the beam <NUM>. As evident from <FIG>, the heads of the fasteners <NUM> are received in recesses <NUM> formed in the flanges <NUM> of the lower member 102A, with the result that the lower member 102A is directly secured to the knife holder <NUM> with the fasteners <NUM>. The lower member 102A is further represented as having a shoulder <NUM> formed by the beam <NUM> in proximity to the trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM>, and a tapered sliding surface <NUM> also formed by the beam <NUM> and positioned to interact with the upper member 102B, as will be discussed below. The threaded shaft 102D of the handle 102C extends through a slot <NUM> (<FIG>) formed in the beam <NUM>.

<FIG> are perspective isolated views of the upper member 102B of the wedge assembly <NUM>. Slots <NUM> are formed in a leading edge <NUM> of the upper member 102B for receiving the heads of the fasteners <NUM>, with the result that the upper member 102B is not directly secured to the knife holder <NUM> with the fasteners <NUM>. Instead, the threaded shaft 102D couples the upper member 102B to the lower member 102A, which indirectly couples the upper member 102B to the knife holder <NUM>. The upper member 102B is seen in <FIG> as having a U-shaped cavity <NUM> on its lower side that is sized and shaped to receive the beam <NUM> and flanges <NUM> of the lower member 102A. The cavity <NUM> surrounds a central boss 122A in which a threaded hole <NUM> is formed that threadably receives the end of the threaded shaft 102D of the handle 102C that protrudes from the slot <NUM> in the beam <NUM> of the lower member 102A. The central boss 122A defines a bearing surface <NUM> adapted to bear against the tapered sliding surface <NUM> of the beam <NUM> of the lower member 102A. The upper member 102A also defines end bosses 122B at its longitudinal ends. The central and end bosses 122A and 122B define clamping surfaces 127A and 127B adapted to bear against the base portion 54B of the clamp <NUM> and thereby force the clamp <NUM> toward the knife holder <NUM>.

<FIG> are cross-sectional views of the knife assembly <NUM> of <FIG>, representing the knife assembly <NUM> in unlocked (<FIG>) and locked (<FIG>) configurations. In <FIG>, the fasteners <NUM> mount the lower member 102A to the knife holder <NUM>, the lower member 102A is received in the cavity <NUM> of the upper member 102B, and the threaded shaft 102D is threaded into the threaded hole <NUM> formed in the central boss 122A of the upper member 102B to indirectly couple the upper member 102B to the knife holder <NUM>. The shoulder <NUM> of the lower member 102A formed by the beam <NUM> is in proximity to the trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM>, and the tapered sliding surface <NUM> formed by the beam <NUM> bears against the bearing surface <NUM> formed by the central boss 122A of the upper member 102B. In this unlocked configuration, the clamp <NUM> can be removed from the knife assembly <NUM> by translating the clamp <NUM> in the leading direction (rightward in <FIG>) so that the fasteners <NUM> exit the slots at the trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM>.

<FIG> represents the result of using the handle 102C to thread the threaded shaft 102D into the threaded hole <NUM> formed in the central boss 122A of the upper member 102B, causing the upper member 102B to be pulled downward into further engagement with the lower member 102A. In particular, as the handle 102C is rotated to draw the upper member 102B toward the lower member 102A, the bearing surface <NUM> of the upper member 102B contacting with the tapered sliding surface <NUM> causes the upper member 102B to slide down the tapered sliding surface <NUM> because of the shorter slot depth d<NUM> in the lower member 102A at the bottom of the slot <NUM> as compared to the depth d<NUM> of the slot <NUM> in the lower member 102A at the top of the slot <NUM>. As a result, the clamping surfaces 127A and 127B of the central and end bosses 122A and 122B of the upper member 102B force the clamp <NUM> toward the knife holder <NUM>, clamping the knife <NUM> therebetween.

<FIG> schematically represents an end view of the knife assembly <NUM> of <FIG>, <FIG>, and diagrammatically represents forces acting on the clamp <NUM> when secured to the knife holder <NUM> with the wedge assembly <NUM> as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. Because the wedge assembly <NUM> applies a clamping force FW in the direction shown (parallel to the tapered sliding surface <NUM> of the lower member 102A), the clamp <NUM> is pushed in the trailing direction (leftward in <FIG>), forcing the clamp <NUM> (or the narrower portions of its slots) to bear against the fasteners <NUM>, ensuring that the position of the clamp <NUM> relative to the knife <NUM> is not altered as the fasteners <NUM> are tightened.

<FIG> depict a knife assembly <NUM> for a cutting head of a slicing machine (such as the cutting head <NUM> and machine <NUM> of <FIG>) according to a fifth embodiment. According to this nonlimiting embodiment of the invention, the knife assembly <NUM> is represented as comprising a knife holder <NUM>, and a clamp <NUM> securing a shaped knife <NUM> on a knife support surface 52A of the knife holder <NUM>, from whose leading edge the knife <NUM> protrudes. As with previous embodiments, at least a portion of the knife support surface 52A of the knife holder <NUM> has a shape complementary to the shaped knife <NUM>, and the shaped knife <NUM> is engaged by a part of a knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamp <NUM> that has a shape complementary to the shaped knife <NUM>. The knife assembly <NUM> further includes a cam rod <NUM> between the knife holder <NUM> and the base portion 54B of the clamp <NUM> for securing the clamp <NUM> to the knife holder <NUM> in cooperation with fasteners <NUM> that pass through the clamp <NUM> and are threaded into the knife holder <NUM>. As with previous embodiments, the clamp <NUM> has slots <NUM> for receiving the fasteners <NUM> so that the clamp <NUM> can be removed from the knife assembly <NUM> by being translated in the leading direction (rightward in <FIG>). In particular, and similar to previous embodiments, wider portions of the slots <NUM> are contiguous with the trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM>, and narrower portions of the slots <NUM> form distal edges 74A of the slots <NUM>. As such, and as evident from <FIG>, the distal edges 74A of the slots <NUM> serve as stops that prevent the clamp <NUM> from being removed from the knife assembly <NUM> by being translated in the trailing direction (leftward in <FIG>), but the clamp <NUM> can be removed from the knife assembly <NUM> by being translated in the leading direction (rightward in <FIG>) so that the fasteners <NUM> exit the slots <NUM> at the trailing edge <NUM> of the clamp <NUM> or are aligned with the wider portions of the slots <NUM> to permit the fasteners <NUM> to pass through the slots <NUM> as the clamp <NUM> is lifted from the knife assembly <NUM> in the radial direction of the cutting head <NUM>.

The clamp <NUM> and knife <NUM> are held in place on the knife holder <NUM> as a result of the clamp <NUM> being forcibly held in place on the knife holder <NUM> with the cam rod <NUM>. The cam rod <NUM> is shown received in a channel <NUM> formed in the surface of the knife holder <NUM> and located in the trailing direction (leftward in <FIG>) from the fasteners <NUM>. Additionally, the longitudinal axis of the cam rod <NUM> is represented as oriented parallel to the longitudinal directions of the knife holder <NUM>, clamp <NUM>, and knife <NUM>, and the cam rod <NUM> is capable of being rotated about its longitudinal axis within the channel <NUM>. A lever <NUM> is attached to or formed as an extension of the cam rod <NUM>, and rotating the cam rod <NUM> with the lever <NUM> creates a camming action that applies a force FC to the base portion 54B of the clamp <NUM> outward against the heads of the fasteners <NUM>, which serve as a fulcrum for the clamp <NUM> so that the camming action also generates a reaction force FR1 where the fasteners <NUM> contact the clamp <NUM> and a reaction force FR2 where the knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamp <NUM> contacts the knife <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. The cam rod <NUM> has a recessed surface <NUM> defined in an otherwise circular-shaped circumferential surface <NUM>. When the cam rod <NUM> is rotated so that the recessed surface <NUM> faces the clamp <NUM>, the clamp <NUM> is released from its engagement with the cam rod <NUM>, which in turn causes the knife-engaging portion 54A of the clamp <NUM> to release the knife <NUM>. In this embodiment, <FIG> shows the result of having rotated the lever <NUM> counterclockwise (as viewed in <FIG>) to apply the clamping load to the base portion 54B of the clamp <NUM> with a corner of the cam rod <NUM> defined by the intersection of its recessed and circumferential surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, though it is foreseeable that the cam rod <NUM> could be further rotated in the counterclockwise direction so that the clamping load is entirely applied to the base portion 54B with the circumferential surface <NUM>. Rotating the lever <NUM> clockwise (as viewed in <FIG>) turns the recessed surface <NUM> on the cam rod <NUM> to face the clamp <NUM>, releasing the clamp <NUM> from its engagement with the cam rod <NUM>. In this embodiment, the cam rod <NUM> is configured so that the corner formed by the recessed and circumferential surfaces <NUM> and <NUM> is able to engage the base portion 54B of the clamp <NUM> and pull the clamp <NUM> in the trailing direction (leftward in <FIG>) as the clamping load is applied to pull the clamp <NUM> into the fasteners <NUM> until the fasteners <NUM> abut the distal edges 74A of the slots <NUM>. Rotating the cam rod <NUM> in the clockwise direction pushes the clamp <NUM> in the leading direction (rightward in <FIG>), pushing the edges of the slots <NUM> away from the fasteners <NUM>. Consequently, the ability of this configuration to ensure that the position of the clamp <NUM> relative to the knife <NUM> is not altered as the clamping load is applied is dependent on the rotation of the cam rod <NUM> and on the relative locations the recessed and circumferential surfaces <NUM> and <NUM> being properly coordinated.

From the embodiments described and represented in the drawings, it should be apparent that each embodiment shown utilized fasteners <NUM> (or other suitable fasteners) to apply a clamping load to shaped knives <NUM> through knife-engaging portions 54A of clamps <NUM> that preferably have shapes complementary to the knives <NUM>. According to preferred but nonlimiting aspects, the fasteners <NUM> are received in slots <NUM> that are formed in the clamps <NUM> and are contiguous with (open to) the trailing edges <NUM> of the clamps <NUM>, which enables the clamps <NUM> to be removed from the knife assemblies by translating the clamps <NUM> in the leading direction. While desirable for enabling the removal of the clamps <NUM> and shaped knives <NUM> secured by the clamps <NUM>, the open configurations of the slots <NUM> do not prevent the clamps <NUM> from translating relative to the knives <NUM> during the clamping process. To address this, each embodiment described and represented in the drawings provides means by which its clamp <NUM> is prevented from translating relative to the knife <NUM>, particularly in the leading direction of the knife assembly, as the clamping load is applied to the clamp <NUM>. In the nonlimiting embodiments, such means included the support bar <NUM> of <FIG>, the slot neck <NUM> and tapered wall <NUM> of <FIG>, the wedge assembly <NUM> of <FIG>, and the cam rod <NUM> of <FIG>.

Claim 1:
A method of removing a clamp (<NUM>) of a knife assembly (<NUM>) that secures a knife (<NUM>) to a cutting head (<NUM>) of a centrifugal-type slicing machine, the cutting head (<NUM>) having a leading direction, a trailing direction opposite the leading direction, an axial direction perpendicular to the leading and trailing directions, and a radial direction perpendicular to the leading, trailing, and axial directions, the clamp (<NUM>) having a knife-engaging portion that forms a leading edge of the clamp (<NUM>), has a shape that is complementary to the knife (<NUM>), and physically contacts the knife (<NUM>) when in a clamping position, the method comprising:
applying a clamping load with a fastener (<NUM>) that passes through a slot (<NUM>) in the clamp (<NUM>), wherein the slot (<NUM>) extends toward but terminates short of the knife-engaging portion of the clamp (<NUM>) to form an interior distal edge (74A) that serves as a stop to prevent the clamp from being removed from the knife assembly by being translated in the trailing direction of the cutting head (<NUM>), wherein the slot (<NUM>) is contiguous with and open to a trailing edge (<NUM>) of the clamp (<NUM>);
removing a clamping load from the clamp (<NUM>) that secures the clamp (<NUM>) in the clamping position;
translating the clamp (<NUM>) in the leading direction of the cutting head (<NUM>) so that the clamp (<NUM>) arrives at a release position and the knife-engaging portion no longer contacts the knife (<NUM>) in the release position; and
removing the clamp (<NUM>) from the knife assembly (<NUM>) by lifting the clamp (<NUM>) from the knife assembly (<NUM>) in the radial direction of the cutting head.