Apparatuses for cutting food products

An apparatus for slicing food product to produce food product slices, the apparatus comprising a rotatable cutting wheel having a hub, a rim and two or more knife assemblies, the food product advancing toward the cutting wheel in a feed direction, each knife assembly comprising;

• a knife extending generally radially from the hub to the rim, the knife having a leading edge facing a direction of rotation of the cutting wheel and a large-amplitude corrugated shape characterized by peaks and valleys that define a cross-section with an amplitude of 0.1 inch or greater;
• means for securing the knife to the hub and rim, the securing means comprising a knife holder and a clamp securing the knife to a first surface of the knife holder;
• and
• means for providing continuous and accurate alignment of an individual food product throughout the slicing thereof by the knife of a first of the knife assemblies and then the knife of a second of the knife assemblies that trails the first knife assembly in a trailing direction with respect to the direction of cutting wheel rotation to produce the food product slices with a generally parallel-cut cross-section having a uniform thickness and a large-amplitude periodic shape characterized by peaks and valleys that define a cross-section with an amplitude of 0.1 inch or greater, the alignment means comprising a corrugated shape on a second surface of the knife holder opposite the first surface, the corrugated shape of the second surface of the knife holder corresponding to the corrugated shape of the knife thereof;
• wherein the leading edge of the knife of each of the first and second knife assemblies defines a cutting edge thereof and the knife holder of each of the first and second knife assemblies defines a trailing edge thereof with respect to the direction of cutting wheel rotation, the trailing edge of the first knife assembly and the cutting edge of the second knife assembly forming a juncture extending substantially parallel to and spaced in the food product feed direction between the trailing edge of the first knife assembly and the cutting edge of the second knife assembly so as to form an opening therebetween, the opening determining a thickness of the food product slices produced by the cutting edge of the second knife assembly while the cutting wheel is rotated about a central axis to advance the knife assemblies in a cutting plane, the cutting edge of the second knife assembly and the trailing edge of the first knife assembly defining a rake-off angle of at least 17 degrees and less than 23 degrees that reduces cracking of the food product slices by reducing stresses therein.