Simultaneous slicing and washing of vegetables

A process of simultaneously washing and slicing a raw potato, the steps comprising:

• furnishing a vat supplied with washing water and having an inclined takeout conveyor positioned with its lower end submerged in the water and its upper end extending above the water surface,
• arranging a potato slicer with its potato supply inlet above the water surface and its potato slices discharge positioned above the lower end of the takeout conveyor and below the water surface,
• supplying potatoes to the slicer through the potato supply inlet while operating the slicer causing potato slices to be discharged underwater thereby directly and forcefully cleaning the surfaces of the slices of dirt, starch and burst potato cells,
• circulating the washing water in a current passing downwardly through the conveyor at a force such that the potato slices are attracted to and dispersed upon the conveyor, operating the conveyor in a direction to remove the slices from the water and the vat.

A process for washing and simultaneously slicing a relatively firm fruit or raw vegetable food product, the steps comprising:

• providing a batch of the food product for slicing;
• providing a flume having mounted therein a centrifugal slicer equipped with a rotatable cage positioned radially inwardly of a fixed array of product slicing knives;
• providing a volume of water in the flume to serve as a water bath and to set the water level so as to cover the product slicing knives;
• delivering the food product to the centrifugal slicer;
• rotating the slicer cage with the food product therein to force the food product through the knives and thence into the water, the slices being impelled through the water at velocity sufficient to simultaneously slice and wash starch and broken cell particles from the surfaces of the slices;
• creating a flow of water from the flume for moving the food product slices therefrom in a stream of water;
• receiving the stream of water and slices below the flume and recirculating the water back into the flume;
• and
• removing the slices from the water for further processing.

Apparatus for simultaneously washing and slicing relatively firm raw food products including potatoes and fruits, comprising:

• a frame;
• a flume of generally circular configuration mounted on said frame and equipped with a discharge chute;
• a centrifugal vegetable slicer having a slicing head operatively mounted in said flume;
• a tub serving to contain a body of water mounted on said frame below said flume discharge chute;
• an inclined conveyor arranged in said tub serving to receive slices from said flume discharge chute;
• means for circulating a stream of water from said tub into said flume sufficient to maintain a water level in said flume to cover said slicing head;
• and
• means for operatively driving said slicer so as to thrust slices therefrom into the surrounding water at a velocity sufficient to simultaneously slice and wash starch and broken cell particles from the surfaces of the slices.

A process for simultaneously slicing and washing a relatively firm, raw vegetable or fruit food product, the steps comprising:

• providing a batch of the food product for slicing;
• delivering the vegetable to a centrifugal slicer having a rotatable cage positioned radially inwardly of a fixed array of product slicing knives;
• providing a body of water to serve as a water bath and immersing the slicer therein such that the rotary cage and knives are underwater;
• rotating the slicer cage with the vegetable product therein to centrifugally force the food product through the knives at a plurality of arcuately spaced locations and thence into the water bath, the slices being impelled through the water at velocity sufficient to simultaneously slice and wash starch and broken cell particles from the surfaces of the slices, and removing the slices from the water for further processing.