Impellers for cutting machines and cutting machines equipped with impellers
AssigneeFrito-Lay North America, Inc.
InventorsKeith A. Barber, Rebecca G. Gann, Betsy M. Hicks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Machines for cutting products and impellers suitable for use with the machines. The impellers include a lower plate having a central zone and paddles configured with the lower plate outside of the central zone to direct material to the cutting head. At least a first exit slot is located in the lower plate and extending through the lower plate to define a passageway to enable foreign debris at the upper surface to exit the impeller through the passageway.
Claims26
An impeller adapted to be coaxially mounted within a cutting head for rotation about an axis of the cutting head, the impeller comprising:
- a round lower plate having an upper surface, a lower surface, a central zone, and an outer circumference;
- at least a first exit slot located in the round lower plate, intersecting the outer circumference of the round lower plate, and extending through the round lower plate to define a passageway to enable foreign debris at the upper surface to exit the impeller through the passageway, wherein the at least first exit slot is defined by a first wall, a second wall opposed to the first wall with each of the first and second walls continuously transitioning into a radially innermost wall, wherein the first wall and the second wall extend from the outer circumference of the round lower plate to the radially innermost wall;
- and,
- at least one paddle configured with the round lower plate outside of the central zone and having a front face, wherein the at least one exit slot is locate to one side of the front face of the at least one paddle.
A cutting machine comprising an annular-shaped cutting head and an impeller coaxially mounted within the cutting head for rotation about an axis of the cutting head in a rotational direction relative to the cutting head, the cutting head having multiple knives each extending radially inward toward the impeller in a direction opposite the rotational direction of the impeller, the impeller comprising:
- a round lower plate having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an outer circumference;
- at least a first exit slot located in the round lower plate, intersecting the outer circumference of the round lower plate, and extending through the round lower plate to define a passageway to enable foreign debris at the upper surface to exit the impeller through the passageway, wherein the at least first exit slot is defined by a first wall, a second wall opposed to the first wall and a radially innermost wall connecting the first wall and the second wall and wherein the first wall and the second wall extend from the outer circumference of the round lower plate to the radially innermost wall;
- and,
- at least one paddle configured with the round lower plate outside of the central zone and having a front face, wherein the at least one exit slot is located to one side of the front face of the at least one paddle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.