Patent ID: 8186991

Claim:
A cutting assembly for cutting a material extruded from an extruder plate, the assembly comprising: a) an extruder plate that includes an inner face and a front face and including a plurality of die openings; b) a plurality of die/extruder inserts, single die/extruder insert positioned in each of said die openings, said die/extruder insert having a body that includes a front face, a back face, a side and a plurality of continuous openings from said front face to said back face, said die/extruder insert including one or more structures selected from the group consisting of i) a positioning tab positioned at or closely adjacent to said front face and extending outwardly from said side, said positioning tab designed to properly orient said die/extruder insert when said die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening of said die plate and ii) a friction tab positioned on said side and extending outwardly from said side of said die/extruder insert, said friction tab designed to maintain said die/extruder insert in said die opening of said extruder plate; and, c) a feed arrangement designed to feed said material toward said inner face of said extruder plate to cause said material to at least partially pass through said continuous opening while said die/extruder insert is positioned in said die opening of said die plate.