Ultrasonic method for dividing pastries and inserting dividers

#U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,148 issued in 1981 to Meier shows the method of cutting a food item in which a sheet of wax paper is folded about the cutting edge of a guillotine blade before the blade is forced into the food item. The sheet of wax paper then remains as a separator.

#U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,823 issued in 1992 to Hartman et al shows a complex machine for introducing foil-like material between slices of a food product that has, apparently, already been cut by a cutting machine.

#U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,053 issued Jan. 21, 1986 to Browne and Hertzberg discloses an apparatus for cutting round pastries, such as cake, and then after cutting inserting a divider between each two adjacent portions.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view showing the presently preferred form of apparatus in accordance with the invention as the cutting blade is about to be lowered through a paper feeder into the top surface of a food item;

#FIG. 2 is a schematic view as in FIG. 1 but showing the blade as it is vibrating and passing into the food item;

#FIG. 3 is a further schematic view showing the blade in a retracted position after the first cut is completed;

#The invention in its presently preferred form is shown as being applied to cutting a cake or pastry, although the invention may in fact be applied to any of a variety of other food products.

#In the drawings the letter A indicates a food item such as a cake or other pastry that is to be cut. Support platform D for supporting the cake or pastry A is shown in FIGS. 3, 9, and 10. The platform or pallet D supports the pastry A both vertically and horizontally so that the pastry is ready to be cut, as seen in FIGS. 1-3.

#A cutting blade which is designated by letter B is preferably integrally formed of titanium. Although at present a blade with thickness of one-fourth inch is being used in the apparatus, larger or smaller thicknesses may be selected. During cutting of the pastry or other food item the blade is preferably vibrated at a frequency not less than about 19,500 Hertz. The blade B is driven in a downward movement by means not specifically shown, but which is known in the relevant art. In its cutting action it stops just short of the upper surface of the platform or pallet D.