CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/319,798, filed Dec. 19, 2002. 


   BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention generally relates to equipment and process for cutting food products, such as coring, sectioning &amp; dicing, etc., thereby reducing the size of the product. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Various types of equipment are known for slicing, shredding and granulating food products such as vegetables, fruits and meat products. For slicing root vegetables into thin slices, such as when slicing potatoes to make potato chips, a widely-used machine is commercially available from the assignee of the present invention under the name Urschel Model CC. The Model CC relies on centrifugal forces to maintain the product engaged with a cutting head. Other known machines include those that deliver food products on a horizontal conveyor to a vertically-oriented cutting wheel, and those that rely on products vertically stacked within a feed tube to maintain contact with a horizontal cutting wheel. An example of a cutting apparatus that employs gravity to cause food products to pass through a cutting wheel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,902 to Gangi. More particular, Gangi discloses an apparatus adapted to section fruit that has been cored, such that the product has a core hole that passes through the center of the product. Proper orientation of the product during sectioning relies on an inner guide shaft to be received in the core hole of a product as the product drops down through an annular-shaped passage defined by and between the inner guide and an outer guide that circumscribes the inner guide. The product engages multiple vertical rotary cutting blades during its fall to produce a sectioned product. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   The present invention provides an apparatus and process for cutting food products, in which the products are fed single-file by gravity through a cutting means comprising one or more cutting elements. The apparatus makes use of means for contacting and positioning the products as drop through a feed passage prior to encountering the cutting means so as to produce size-reduced products of more uniform size. 
   The food product cutting apparatus generally includes cutting means comprising at least one cutting element disposed in a cutting plane that is not vertical, and means for individually delivering food products to the cutting means by causing the food products to free-fall through a feed passage and then free-fall through the cutting means entirely under the force gravity and on a path that is approximately normal to the cutting plane. The apparatus further includes means for contacting the food products and positioning the food products so that they free-fall on the path at a predetermined location within a cross-section of the feed passage as the food products free-fall through the feed passage and prior to encountering the cutting means so as to produce size-reduced products. 
   The method of this invention generally includes individually delivering food products to a cutting means comprising at least one cutting element disposed in a cutting plane that is not vertical by causing the food product to free-fall through a feed passage and then free-fall through the cutting means entirely under the force of gravity and on a path that is approximately normal to the cutting plane. As the products free-fall, they are contacted and positioned at a predetermined location within the cross-section of the feed passage prior to encountering the cutting means so as to produce size-reduced products. 
   The apparatus and method of this invention are capable of producing size-reduced products of substantially consistent size and shape. In each case, only the outer periphery of the food product need be contacted as it free-falls through the feed passage, thereby eliminating (though allowing for) the requirement to core the food product prior to being reduced. Other objects and advantages of this invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description. 


   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cutting apparatus comprising a vertical feed tube and a horizontal cutting head in accordance with a first embodiment of this invention. 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  are perspective views of first and second centering segments of the feed tube shown  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a stationary horizontal cutting head for the apparatus shown  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the cutting apparatus of  FIG. 1  equipped with a rotating horizontal cutting head in accordance with another embodiment of this invention. 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  are perspective views of alternative embodiment for the feed tube segments shown  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a cutting apparatus comprising a sloping feed tube in accordance with a second embodiment of this invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an alternative sloping feed tube for the apparatus of  FIG. 8 . 
   


   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1  shows a cutting apparatus  10  adapted to feed food products to a cutting unit  12  under the force of gravity. The apparatus  10  is particularly suited for precutting products, such as coring, sectioning &amp; dicing, etc., to reduce the size of a product so that the product can be possibly accommodated by additional processing equipment. As the apparatus  10  is depicted in  FIG. 1 , products are fed in a vertical direction to the cutting unit  12  through a substantially vertical feed tube  14  that is shown as comprising five tube segments  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22  and  24 . While five segments  16 - 24  are depicted, the apparatus  10  could operate with fewer or more tube segments. Any one or more of the segments  16 - 24  may be hinged (not shown) for ease of cleaning the feed tube  14  and to permit the removal of any products that might become lodged in the tube  14 . The feed tube  14  is sized such that products are fed single-file to the cutting unit  12 . In addition, while the feed tube  14  and the segments  16 - 24  are shown as having round cross-sections, the cross-sectional shapes of the tube  14  and its individual segments  16 - 24  could be adapted to have a variety of cross-sectional shapes suitable for different food products. 
   The cutting unit  12  is represented as comprising a housing  26  on which two horizontal cutting heads (an example of which is shown in  FIG. 4 ) can be individually mounted on a sled  28 . A mounting station  29  for receiving a cutting head is visible in  FIG. 1  as an opening in the sled  28 . A second mounting station for a second cutting head is not visible in  FIG. 1  as a result of being positioned beneath the feed tube  14  to perform a cutting operation on products dropping down through the feed tube  14 . The cutting heads are mounted on the sled  28  to permit uninterrupted changeover, such as when a head requires replacement or a different cut is required. Moving the sled  28  leftward (as viewed in  FIG. 1 ) causes a cutting head positioned on the mounting station beneath the feed tube  14  to be displaced leftward, and positions the mounting station  29  visible in  FIG. 1  beneath the feed tube  14 . Various techniques can be used to move the sled  28 , including automated and manual techniques known in the art. 
     FIG. 4  shows a suitable cutting head  30  for use with the apparatus  10  of this invention. The head  30  is represented as comprising an annular mounting ring  32  that supports a stationary three-bladed knife  34  whose blades are preferably thin and tensioned for rigidity. According to another preferred aspect of this embodiment of the invention, the blades of the knife  34  are double beveled to reduce the likelihood that products will become lodged in the cutting head  30 . Finally, the knife  34  is preferably installed to lie in a plane approximately transverse to the axis of the feed tube  14  so that the blades of the knife  34  pass longitudinally through food products that have free-fallen through the feed tube  14 . While a three-bladed knife  34  is depicted in  FIG. 4 , many other knife configurations could be used depending on desired operation, e.g., coring, dicing, etc. 
     FIG. 5  represents a rotary cutting wheel  48  that may be used in place of the stationary knife  34  of  FIG. 4  to slice products horizontally as the products leave the tube  14 . A suitable wheel for this purpose is disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,444. The cutting wheel  48  may also be used in combination with a stationary knife (e.g.,  34  of  FIG. 4 ) mounted in the sled  28 , with the cutting wheel  48  mounted immediately below the cutting head  30  such that products vertically sectioned by the stationary knife  34  are immediately transversely sliced by the cutting wheel  48  to yield a processed product that is ready for packaging. In such an embodiment, the cutting wheel  48  is preferably disposed a distance from the stationary knife  34  a distance of at least equal to the diameters of the food products being processed in order to promote product feed-through. Alternatively or in addition to the cutting wheel  48 , various other secondary devices could be positioned directly beneath the feed tube  14  or the cutting unit  12 , such as to create other dimensional cuts (e.g., dicing cuts) or to move the processed products, e.g., a pneumatic plunger that pushes the processed products horizontally. 
   As evident from  FIG. 1 , the tube segments  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22  and  24  are stacked on top of each other to construct the feed tube  14 . In practice, a suitable overall height for the feed tube  14  has been found to be about six feet, though it is foreseeable that shorter and taller feed tubes  14  could be successfully used. It can be appreciated that the height of the feed  14  must be sufficient to enable food products to gain enough vertical velocity to pass completely through the cutting head  30 , and that the size and shape of the products and the configuration of the cutting head  30  influence will the height of the feed tube  14  required for this purpose. Furthermore, as will be discussed in reference to  FIG. 8 , the feed tube  14  can also slope, i.e., inclined from vertical, such as at an angle of about thirty degrees from vertical, yet still enable food products to achieve sufficient velocity for proper operation of the apparatus  10 . 
   According to a preferred aspect of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the segments  16 ,  20  and  24  are equipped with a device  36  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ) for contacting and positioning food products at or near the central axis of the tube  14  as the products free-fall under the force of gravity toward the cutting unit  12 . In this manner, if the stationary knife  34  of  FIG. 4  is employed, the axis of the food products can be aligned with the point at which the blades of the knife  34  converge so as to yield food product sections of approximately equal size and shape. The tube segments  18  and  22  are preferably not equipped with a positioning device  36 , as it has been demonstrated that improved centering of food products occurs if positioning devices  36  are spaced vertically apart so that the products are allowed to drop freely between adjacent “centering” segments  16 ,  20  and  24  in order to regain speed and stability. While an optimum distance that a product is allowed to free-fall between centering segments  16 ,  20  and  24  will presumably depend on the size and weight of the product, suitable results have been obtained by sizing the “non-centering” segments  18  and  22  so that the positioning devices  36  of the segments  16 ,  20  and  24  are vertically spaced about one to two feet (about 30 to 60 cm) apart. 
     FIG. 2  is an isolated view of one of the tube segments  16  and  20  of  FIG. 1 . The positioning device  36  of the segment  16 / 20  is represented in  FIG. 2  as comprising a number of flat metal springs  38  that project radially inward and in a downward direction toward the central axis of the segment  16 / 20 . The springs  38  are sufficiently resilient to deflect downward as food products drop down through the interior of the segment  16 / 20 . The distal ends of the springs  38  define an opening  40  that is smaller than the products to be processed with the apparatus  10 , so that an individual product is continuously contacted by more than one spring  38  as the product drops through the segment  16 / 20 , with the effect that the product generally becomes oriented with its major (longitudinal) axis aligned substantially vertically with the central axis of the segment  16 / 20 . As seen in  FIG. 2 , the springs  38  are arranged in two rows along the perimeter of the segment  16 / 20 , with the springs  38  in the upper row being circumferentially offset from the springs  38  in the lower row. The vertical spacing of the rows of springs  38  is preferably such that the product dropping through the segment  16 / 20  is simultaneously contacted by springs  38  of both rows at some point as the product drops through the segment  16 / 20 . Springs  38  arranged as shown in  2  and formed of a spring steel have been demonstrated to provide a suitable centering effect. However, it is foreseeable that flat metal springs having a variety of different shapes, spacings, etc. could be used. In addition, springs  38  could be adjustably mounted to the segment  16 / 20  so that the distance the springs  38  extend into the segment interior, as well as the rigidity the springs  38 , can be tailored for the particular product. 
     FIG. 3  is an isolated view of the lowermost tube segment  24  in  FIG. 1 . Instead of the flat metal springs  38  of  FIG. 2 , the positioning device  36  of the segment  24  comprises a number of cylindrically-shaped springs  42  formed of plastic, though metal round wire could also be used. As with the flat metal springs  38  of  FIG. 2 , the plastic springs  42  extend into the interior of the segment  24  at a downward angle so that the springs  42  must deflect downward to allow food products to drop down through the segment  24 . The springs  42  are represented as being arranged in three circumferential rows and, in contrast to  FIG. 2 , vertically aligned columns. Similar to the metal springs  38  of  FIG. 2 , the distal ends of the springs  42  define an opening  44  that is sufficiently small so that a product is continuously contacted by more than one spring  42  as it drops through the segment  24 , and the product is simultaneously contacted by springs  42  of adjacent rows at some point as the product free-falls through the segment  24 , again with the result that the product is oriented with its major axis aligned substantially vertically with the axis of the segment  24 . The springs  42  are shown as being secured to the segment  24  with blocks  46  that enable adjustment of the distance that each spring  42  projects into the interior of the segment  24 , thereby adjusting the diameter of the opening  44  and the rigidity of the springs  42 . 
   The choice of segment design (segments  16  and  20  versus segment  24 ) may depend on the type of food products being handled. While  FIG. 1  shows both flat metal and round plastic springs  38  and  42  used in the same apparatus  10 , it is foreseeable that only one type of spring  38  or  42  would be used, and such springs could be formed of various materials. In addition, the number of segments equipped with a positioning device  36  could vary. For example,  FIG. 6  shows an embodiment in which flat metal springs  38  are located along only about one-half of the circumference of a tube segment  16 / 20 , such that the opening  40  through which the products drop is located along the wall of the segment  16 / 20 . As a result, food products are urged into contact with the inner wall surface of the feed tube  14  as they drop, instead of being forced away from the wall surface and centered along the central axis of the tube  14 . 
   As another alternative, springs can be entirely omitted from the feed tube  14 , such that products are in uninterrupted free-fall through the feed tube  14 . One application for such an apparatus is halved products, e.g., melons. For this purpose,  FIG. 7  represents a tube segment  58  modified to include a diametrical planar partition  56 , thereby defining a semicircular passage  60  through which the products drop. Though shown as located at a diametrical chord of the tube segment  58 , the partition  56  could be positioned elsewhere within the segment  58  to achieve a generally semicircular-shaped passage  60 . Alternatively, the cross-sectional shape of the segment  58  could be modified to have the desired semicircular cross-sectional shape for positioning and orienting halved food products as they pass through the segment  58 . In either case, the partition  56  (as a separate element added to tube segment  58  or as an integral wall portion of a semicircular-shaped tube segment) serves as a device for contacting a planar surface of a food product so as to orient and position the food product as it free-falls under the force of gravity toward the cutting unit  12 . As a result of constructing the feed tube  14  of segments  58  of the type shown in  FIG. 7 , food products dropping through the tube  14  are not centered relative to the axis of the tube  14 , but instead are positioned at a location within the cross-section of the feed tube  14  that is predetermined by the location of the partitions  56  within the segments  58 . 
   In  FIG. 8 , a cutting apparatus  50  is represented as having a feed tube  54  that is inclined from vertical, such as at an angle of about thirty degrees from vertical at a point where the tube  54  interfaces with a cutting unit  52 . The tube  54  is represented as having a rectilinear cross-sectional shape, with a lower planar wall  66  of the tube  54  serving to contact a planar surface of a food product so as to orient and position the food product as it free-falls under the force of gravity toward the cutting unit  52 . The cutting unit  52  is represented as comprising a rotary cutting unit  53  (e.g., containing the cutting wheel  48  of FIG.  5 ) that operates in a plane roughly transverse to the axis of the feed tube  54 , and a stationary cutting unit  55  (e.g., containing the stationary knife  34  of  FIG. 4 ) above the rotary cutting unit  53  for the purpose of making longitudinal cuts through the food products before they undergo transverse slicing with the rotary cutting unit  53 . Optionally, the cutting wheel  48  could be oriented at an angle other than ninety degrees to the axis of the tube  54  for the purpose of making bias cuts. The embodiment of  FIG. 8  can be equipped with springs  38  or  42  in accordance with previous embodiments to help stabilize the food products during descent. Alternatively or in addition, the apparatus  50  may be equipped with water jets in accordance with commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/072,494 for the purpose of product stabilization. 
   Finally,  FIG. 9  depicts an alternative configuration for a feed passage  74  for use with the apparatus  50  of  FIG. 8 . The feed passage  74  is defined by a generally U-shaped or V-shaped trough  76 . In accordance with previous embodiments of the invention, the shape of the trough  76  is designed to provide continuous contact with food products falling single-file within the trough  76  toward a cutting unit  72  (represented in  FIG. 9  as being of the type equipped with stationary knives) such that the food products are properly positioned and oriented relative to the cutting unit  72 . 
   While the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. For example, the cutting unit (particularly the cutting wheel  48 ) can be oriented at an angle other than ninety degrees to the axes of the tubes  14 ,  54  and  74  for the purpose of making bias cuts, and the physical configurations of the cutting apparatuses could differ from those shown. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.
An apparatus and process for cutting food products, in which the products are fed single-file by gravity through a cutting device comprising one or more cutting elements. The apparatus makes use of a device for contacting and positioning the products as they drop through a feed passage prior to encountering the cutting device so as to produce size-reduced products of more uniform size.