Onion cutter

An apparatus for cutting a work piece having an outer periphery and a center portion into a plurality of elongated pieces attached to the work piece and radially disposed about the center of the work piece comprising

• a frame,
• support means mounted on said frame for holding the work piece,
• a cutter assembly having cutting blades for cutting the work piece, said cutting blades being configured to cut the work piece progressively from the outside periphery thereof toward the center portion, said cutter assembly having a first centrally located cutting blade holding ring having an outer diameter and an inner diameter,
• means for moving said cutter assembly along an axis in a cutting direction to bear against the work piece and to cut through a portion of the work piece to produce a deeper cut in the cutting direction in the work piece at the outer periphery thereof than at the center portion,
• stop means for halting the movement of said cutter assembly in said cutting direction prior to the work piece being severed into a plurality of individual independent pieces, and
• means for separating said cutter assembly from the work piece comprising means for moving said cutter assembly in a direction opposite to said cutting direction,
• first elongated ejector means mounted on said frame and coaxial with said cutter assembly, said first ejector means being adapted to pass through said first cutting blade holding ring to contact the work piece internally of the cutter assembly when the work piece is moved in the direction opposite to said cutting direction by the cutter assembly,
• and second ejector means mounted on said frame coaxial with said first ejector means for contacting the work piece externally of the cutter assembly when the work piece is moved in the direction opposite to said cutting direction by the cutter assembly.