Machines and methods for cutting products and impellers therefor

An impeller adapted to be coaxially mounted within an annular-shaped cutting head for rotation about a rotational axis thereof in a rotational direction relative to the cutting head, the impeller comprising:

• a base and a ring spaced from each other in an axial direction of the impeller, the ring defining an entrance to the impeller;
• at least a first intermediate plate disposed between the base and the ring so as to define at least first and second tier levels within the impeller, the first tier level being between the ring and the first intermediate plate, the second tier level being between the first intermediate plate and the base, the first intermediate plate having an opening therein that defines a passage between the first and second tier levels;
• paddles disposed between the base and the ring, at least a portion of each paddle being disposed within at least one of the first and second tier levels, each of the paddles having a radially outermost extremity adjacent an outer perimeter of the impeller, an oppositely-disposed radially innermost extremity, and a face between the radially innermost and outermost extremities and facing the rotational direction of the impeller, the face defining non-parallel first and second face portions that lie between the radially innermost and outermost extremities of the paddles, the first face portions being disposed at the radially outermost extremities of the paddles so as to be adjacent the outer perimeter of the impeller and the second face portions being disposed at the radially innermost extremities of the paddles so as to be spaced a radially inward distance from the outer perimeter of the impeller;
• and
• pockets defined within each of the first and second tier levels, each pocket being disposed between a pair of the paddles that are immediately adjacent each other in the rotational direction of the impeller, the pockets having triangular shapes and being delimited in radial directions of the impeller by the second face portions of the paddles and the outer perimeter of the impeller.