Servo-driven cutting mechanism for driving a multi-directional cutting edge

A cutting mechanism for a food extruding assembly, the cutting mechanism comprising:

• a cutter frame having a lateral cutting edge and positioned proximate an extrusion port, wherein the lateral cutting edge is positioned relative to the extrusion port to extend through a cutting region proximate the extrusion port in a cutting motion;
• and
• first and second servo motors operably coupled to the cutter frame, wherein the first servo motor operates the cutting edge to define a first component of the cutting motion, and wherein the second servo motor operates the cutting edge to define a second component of the cutting motion, the first component being a rotation of the cutting edge about a first rotational axis and the second component being a rotation of the cutting edge about a second rotational axis, wherein the second rotational axis moves in conjunction with the first component, and wherein the first and second servo motors cooperatively combine the first and second components to define a cutting path of the cutting edge through a cutting region and a return path through the cutting region, the cutting region being positioned proximate the extrusion port, wherein the first servo motor is positioned proximate a first of the cutter frame, and wherein the second servo motor is positioned proximate a second end of the cutter frame, and wherein the first and second servo motors are positioned to concentrically operate along the first rotational axis.