Patent ID: 6920812

Claim:
A centrifugal cutting apparatus that includes: a stationary support member; a tubular hub that is stationarily mounted in the support member with a section of the hub extending outwardly from said support member; a face plate that is rotatably mounted on the extended section of the hub so that the face plate turns about the hub axis; a plurality of blade holders each of which is secured to a shaft that is journalled for rotation in an end face of said face plate, the shaft centers being spaced an equal radial distance from the axis of said hub; a blade having a cutting edge mounted in each holder so that the cutting edge faces the axis of said hub; drive means for rotating said face plate at a given speed and direction such that the blade holders are moved from a home position inwardly toward the axis of said hub by centrifugal force to bring the cutting edges of said blades into cutting contact with a work element located between said blade along the axis of said hub; and gear means for connecting the support shafts of said blade holders to coordinate the motion of said blade holders so that the blade holders move inwardly at the same rate when the face plate is rotated at said given speed and direction said gear means comprising a sun gear that is rotatably supported upon said hub adjacent to said one end face of said face plate and a planet gear secured to each blade holder shaft so that said planet gears mesh with said sun gear.