Food slicing method and apparatus

An apparatus for slicing food pieces, comprising:

• a solid, integral flexible shaft having opposite ends and having a continuous surface;
• means mounted to each end of the shaft supporting the shaft for rotation about a curved lengthwise axis of symmetry, the curved shaft having an inward side and an outward side;
• a plurality of laterally spaced rotatable blades mounted to the shaft, each blade having an opening therein and a peripheral cutting edge, the walls of the opening engaging the shaft;
• drive means operatively connected to said shaft for rotating said shaft about said axis;
• and
• means for conveying the food pieces to and through the rotating blades,
• the rotation of said shaft causing the peripheral edges of said blades to converge as they rotate on the inward side of the shaft toward a plane through the axis of symmetry and to diverge as they rotate on the outward side of the shaft toward said plane.

An apparatus for slicing mushrooms, comprising:

• a solid, flexible shaft having opposite ends;
• means mounted to each end of the shaft supporting the shaft for rotation about a curved lengthwise axis of symmetry, the curved shaft having an inward and an outward side;
• drive means operatively connected to said shaft for rotating said shaft about said axis;
• a plurality of laterally spaced circular blades, each having a peripheral cutting edge, the blades mounted directly to the shaft for rotation therewith, the blades converging on the inward side of the shaft toward a plane through the axis of symmetry and diverging on the outward side of the shaft toward said plane;
• a flume having a first end for receiving mushrooms and a second end of sufficient depth for delivering the mushrooms without contact with the flume to the blades for slicing;
• an inclined flighted conveyor having a first end positioned above the surface of the water adjacent the first end of the flume to engage the mushrooms after they have been fed into the flume and a second, discharge end positioned at said sufficient depth beneath the water that the mushrooms floating freely upward from the second discharge end substantially orient themselves head end up upon reaching the surface;
• and
• a counterrotating drum adjacent the second end of the flume, said drum having a convex surface substantially complementary to the arc defined by the intersection of said blades with said plane on the inward side of said shaft and engaging the peripheral edges of said blades to assist said blades in slicing the oriented mushrooms delivered by the flume thereto.

A method of slicing mushrooms, comprising:

• providing a set of spaced-apart cutting blades;
• providing a flume through which water of a depth greater than height of a mushroom flows;
• feeding the mushrooms into one end of the flume through which water flows;
• submerging the mushrooms in the flume to a depth sufficient to ensure that they will substantially orient themselves head end up upon surfacing;
• allowing the mushrooms to float freely upward from the depth;
• conveying the oriented mushrooms toward the blades by means of water flow in the flume;
• operating the cutting blades to cause their adjacent faces to converge and diverge successively;
• feeding said mushrooms to the blades as the blades commence to diverge;
• slicing said mushrooms within the blades;
• and
• spraying a liquid between the blades in their divergent position to remove any slices adhering to the blades.

An apparatus for slicing food pieces, comprising:

• a solid, integral shaft having a continuous surface;
• means for rotating the shaft;
• a plurality of laterally spaced rotatable blades mounted to the shaft, each blade having an opening therein with the wall of the opening engaging the shaft;
• means for causing the peripheries of the blades to converge and diverge successively as the blades rotate;
• and
• means for conveying the food pieces to and through the rotating blades.