Patent ID: 7270040

Claim:
A cutting head assembly for a food slicing machine comprising; a generally circular cutting head for slicing a food product and carrying a plurality of circumferentially spaced cutting blades mounted thereon; a rotary impeller arranged within the cutting head and to be driven in an intended driving direction of rotation about an axis of rotation located concentrically within the cutting head, the impeller having a plurality of impeller blades arranged for rotation in close approximation to the cutting blades of the cutting head; a support ring comprising a ring portion having upper and lower surfaces and a plurality of circumferentially spaced flange segments projecting radially from the ring portion, each of said flange segments having a top surface, and including a radially and axially extending first flange surface oriented to extend at an angle relative to the axis of the support ring in an inclined direction from a forward radial edge adjacent the lower surface of the support ring directed upwardly to a rearward radial edge adjacent the upper surface of the support ring on an end of the flange segment generally opposed to a driving direction of rotation of an impeller within the cutting head, the flange segments also defining a second flange surface located at an end opposite the first flange surface and extending generally parallel to the support ring axis; and an annular mounting ring located coaxially for connection to a bottom portion of the cutting head, the mounting ring having upper and lower surfaces and a plurality of circumferentially spaced protrusions extending axially therefrom, each of said protrusions provided with a first protrusion surface oriented to extend at an angle relative to the axis of the mounting ring within an inclined direction relative to a forward radial edge directed upwardly to a rearward radial edge adjacent the lower surface of the mounting ring on an end of the protrusion generally leading in a driven direction of rotation of the impeller within the cutting head, the protrusions also defining a second protrusion surface located at an end opposite the first protrusion surface and extending generally parallel with the mounting ring axis; wherein said protrusion surfaces of the mounting ring are complementary shaped to the flange surfaces of the support ring, said mounting ring positionable on the support ring so that the lower surface of the mounting ring is directly adjacent and flush with the top surfaces of the flange segments and the first protrusion surfaces are mutually engageable face-to-face with the first flange surfaces such that the cutting head is rotationally locked with the support ring thereby permitting the impeller to be rotatable relative to the cutting head which remains generally stationary relative to the impeller.