Patent ID: 8813621

Claim:
An apparatus for cutting food product in a substantially horizontal plane, the apparatus comprising: cutting means oriented to make a substantially horizontal cut through a food product being delivered to the cutting means, the cutting means having a vertical axis of rotation and blades extending radially therefrom that form a substantially continuous horizontal surface to support the food product as the cutting means makes the substantially horizontal cut through the food product; a housing above the cutting means and defining a passage with an opening in proximity to the cutting means and through which the food product is delivered to the cutting means, the housing having an upper portion and a lower portion immediately below the upper portion, the lower portion having a non-rotating lower edge that defines the opening of the passage, the lower edge being spaced vertically above the cutting means so as to define a first vertical gap therebetween; features connected to the lower edge of the lower portion and protruding into the first vertical gap between the lower edge and the cutting means, each of the features having a lower extremity that is spaced vertically above the cutting means so as to define a second vertical gap therebetween that is less than the first vertical gap between the lower edge and the cutting means, the features defining horizontal gaps therebetween, wherein a stone that has exited the housing is able to be expelled from the first vertical gap between the cutting means and the lower edge by passing horizontally through one of the horizontal gaps between the features and simultaneously pass horizontally through the first vertical gap between the lower edge and the cutting means; and means for applying a force on the food product traveling downward through the passage, the force-applying means applying the force across the passage so as to urge the food product across the passage and hold the food product against a trailing wall of the lower portion opposite the force-applying means as the cutting means is making a substantially horizontal cut through the food product in a direction across the opening of the passage and toward the trailing wall.