Cutting head assembly for centrifugal cutting apparatus and centrifugal apparatus equipped with same

Centrifugal cutting apparatus comprising:

• an assembled cutting head comprising:
• a plurality of drum stations, each being a cutting station with at least one cutting element for cutting or otherwise reducing products fed into the cutting head into smaller parts, the cutting stations being assembled and held together by means of fixing parts and forming a drum, wherein each cutting station comprises a body which is a unitary structure which has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein said at least one cutting element is mounted to the first end of said body and said body has an opposing part at said second end, wherein the body of each cutting station has overlapping parts at both said first and second ends overlapping with the overlapping parts of the bodies of the respective adjacent cutting stations, the overlapping parts being integrally formed extensions of said unitary structure which extend along the circumference of the drum and are each provided for receiving one of the fixing parts, such that the bodies of each pair of adjacent cutting stations are directly fixed to each other by means of at least one of the fixing parts at the respective overlapping extensions of the pair of adjacent cutting stations;
• and
• gap setting elements mounted at the overlapping extensions of each pair of adjacent cutting stations and positioning one of each pair of overlapping extensions with respect to another of said pair of overlapping extensions and thereby setting the size of a gap between the cutting element and the opposing part of the respective pair of adjacent cutting stations;
• an impeller adapted for being concentrically rotated within the cutting head;
• and
• a first drive mechanism adapted for driving the rotation of the impeller.

The combination of:

• a cutting head assembly for a centrifugal cutting apparatus, the assembly comprising:
• a plurality of drum stations, each being a cutting station with at least one cutting element for cutting or otherwise reducing products fed into the cutting head into smaller parts, provided for together forming a drum, wherein each cutting station comprises a body which is a unitary structure which has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein said at least one cutting element is mounted to the first end of said body and said body has an opposing part at said second end;
• fixing parts provided for assembling and holding the cutting stations together;
• wherein the body of each cutting station has overlapping parts at both said first and second ends for overlapping with the overlapping parts of the bodies of the respective adjacent cutting stations, the overlapping parts being integrally formed extensions of said unitary structure which extend along the circumference of the drum and are provided for receiving one of the fixing parts, such that in assembled condition the bodies of each pair of adjacent cutting stations are directly fixed to each other by means of at least one of the fixing parts at the respective overlapping extensions of the pair of adjacent cutting stations;
• and
• and wherein the assembly further comprises gap setting elements provided for being mounted at the overlapping extensions of each pair of adjacent cutting stations and for positioning one of each pair of overlapping extensions with respect to another of said pair of overlapping extensions and thereby setting the size of a gap between the cutting element and the opposing part of the respective pair of adjacent cutting stations;
• and
• a sizing arrangement apart from the cutting head assembly for setting the diameter of the drum.

Cutting head assembly for a centrifugal cutting apparatus, the assembly comprising:

• a plurality of drum stations, at least one of which is a cutting station with at least one cutting element for cutting or otherwise reducing products fed into the cutting head into smaller parts, provided for together forming a drum, wherein each drum station comprises a body which is a unitary structure which has a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
• at least one mounting ring;
• and
• drum station fixing bolts, provided for assembling the drum stations to the at least one mounting ring;
• wherein the body of each drum station has overlapping parts at both said first and second ends for overlapping with the overlapping parts of the bodies of the respective adjacent drum stations, the overlapping parts being integrally formed extensions of said unitary structure which extend along the circumference of the drum, each extension being provided for receiving one of said drum station fixing bolts, such that in assembled condition the bodies of each pair of adjacent cutting stations are directly fixed to each other and to said at least one mounting ring by means of said drum station fixing bolts.