# US 6,725,765 B1 · Cutter blade assembly for cutting vegetable products > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,725,765 B1 - Document ID: US6725765B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 10/340,466 - Filed: 2003-01-10 - Granted: 2004-04-27 - Earliest claimed: 2003-01-10 - Inventors: George A. Mendenhall - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6725765B1 ## CPC - B26D 1/0006: {Cutting members therefor} - B26D 3/185: {Grid like cutters} - B26D 2001/0033: {assembled from multiple blades} - Y10S 83/932: Edible - Y10T 83/023: With infeeding of work - Y10T 83/2066: By fluid current - Y10T 83/6472: By fluid current - Y10T 83/6585: Including nonconcurrently acting tool - Y10T 83/9493: Stationary cutter - B26D: CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING (for growing crops or plants A01D, A01G; for fodder or straw A01F; for bulk butter A01J; for dough A21C; slaughtering A22B; for tobacco, cigars or cigarettes A24; marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; manufacturing footwear A43D; brushmaking A46D; surgery A61B; disintegrating, mincing or shredding in general B02C; cutting wire, making pins or nails B21F, B21G; of the kind used formetal B23; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; hand-held cutting tools B26B; perforating, cutting-out, stamping-out or punching, or severing by means other than cutting B26F; for wood B27; for stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices B65H35/00; for leather or upholstery B68, C14B; for glass C03B; making matches C06F; for peat C10F; for sugar C13B45/00; for textile materials D06H; civil engineering, building, mining, see Section E; for light guides G02B6/25; cutting processed photographic material G03D15/04) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract An improved cutter blade assembly for cutting vegetable products such as potatoes. The cutter blade assembly utilizes a number of cutter blades that transverse an axial bore through which products to be cut are fed. These blades are locked within the assembly by an attachment system that partially deforms the blade to hold the blade in place. This improved attachment connection system serves to hold the blade in a position having higher tension and thereby reduces wear, chatter, and feathering. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cutter assembly for cutting vegetable pieces in a hydraulic cutter assembly comprising: a first body having first and second blade mounting surfaces and defining a first axial bore; and a first blade traversing said bore, said first blade having a first end and a second end, said first end configured to be connected to said first blade mounting surface and a second end configured to be connected to said second blade mounting surface; said first blade mounting surface defining a portion configured to interact with a holding device to deform and hold a portion of said blade against said first mounting surface when said blade is held in compressive engagement between said holding device and said first mounting surface by a fastener. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cutter assembly of claim 1 wherein said second mounting surface defines a portion configured to interact with a holding device to deform and hold a portion of said blade against said second mounting surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The cutter assembly of claim 2 wherein said first mounting surface and said second mounting surface each define at least one recess configured to interact with a portion of a correspondingly configured portion of a holding device to deform and hold a portion of said blade. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The cutter assembly of claim 2 further comprising a tensioning mechanism configured to adjustably maintain a desired level of tension upon said elongated blade. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The cutter of assembly of claim 4 wherein said tensioning mechanism is comprised of an adjustable screw held in compressive engagement against a tensioning dowel pin within a holding clamp, said holding clamp configured to hold said tensioning dowel against said blade and to advance a portion of said blade into a tensioning recess formed within said first mounting surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cutter assembly of claim 1 wherein said holding device is a holding clamp, said clamp having a portion adapted to receive an adjustably tensioning fastener there through, said clamp further comprising a crimping flange configured to deform and hold a portion of said blade within a portion of said first mounting surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cutter assembly of claim 1 wherein said first mounting surface defines a recess and an anvil, said recess and said anvil each configured to deform a portion of said blade when said blade is placed in compressive engagement between said first mounting surface, and a holding clamp having portions configured to correspondingly interfit with said first mounting surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The cutter assembly of claim 7 wherein said first mounting surface recess is configured to correspondingly interfit with the crimping flange of the holding clamp, and wherein said crimping flange, said recess and said anvil engage and deform portions of said blade when said blade is held in compressive engagement between said holding clamp and said first mounting surface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The cutter assembly of claim 2 wherein said second mounting surface defines a recess and an anvil said recess and said anvil each configured to deform a portion of said blade when said blade is placed in compressive engagement between said first mounting surface and a holding clamp having portions configured to correspondingly interfit with said first mounting surface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The cutter assembly of claim 9 wherein said first mounting surface recess is configured to correspondingly interfit with the crimping flange of the holding clamp, and wherein said crimping flange, said recess and said anvil engage and deform portions of said blade when said blade is held in compressive engagement between said holding clamp and said first mounting surface. ### Claim 11 A cutter assembly for cutting vegetable pieces in a hydraulic cutter assembly comprising: at least two bodies, each body having a plurality of first blade mounting surfaces and a plurality of second blade mounting surface, and defining between said bodies an axial bore; and a plurality of blades traversing said bore, each of said blades having a first end and a second end, each of said first ends connected to a first blade mounting surface and each of said second ends connected to a second blade mounting surface; each of said first and second mounting surfaces defining a recess configured to interact with a crimping flange portion of a holding device to deform and hold a portion of said blade against said mounting surfaces when said blade is held in compressive engagement between said holding devices and said mounting surfaces by a fastener. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The cutter assembly of claim 11 further comprising a tensioning mechanism configured to adjustably maintain a desired level of tension upon said elongated blade. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The cutter of assembly of claim 12 wherein said tensioning mechanism is comprised of an adjustable screw held in compressive engagement against a tensioning dowel pin within a holding clamp, said holding clamp configured to hold said tensioning dowel against said blade and to advance a portion of said blade into a tensioning recess formed within a mounting surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The cutter assembly of claim 11 further comprising a flow tube within said axial bore said flow tube defining a plurality of apertures therein, said apertures configured to allow passage of said blades through said flow tube and across said axial bore. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The cutter assembly of claim 11 further comprising a compression ring connected to said bodies, said compression ring configured to allow passage of cut materials out of said cutter assembly along said bore as well as to maintain a desired distance between said bodies about said axial bore. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The cutter assembly of claim 11 further comprising two additional bodies each additional body having a plurality of first and second blade mounting surfaces, said bodies and said plurality of blades configured so that said blades are generally perpendicularly arranged. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The cutter assembly of claims 11 wherein said generally perpendicularly oriented blades do not interfit with one another. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The cutter assembly of claim 11 wherein said holding device is a holding clamp, said clamp having a portion adapted to receive an adjustably tensioning fastener there through, said clamp further comprising a crimping flange configured to interact with a portion of said mounting surface to deform and hold a portion of said blade within a portion of said first mounting surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The cutter assembly of claim 11 herein said first and second mounting surfaces each define a recess and an anvil, said recess and said anvil each configured to deform a portion of said blade when said blade is placed in compressive engagement between said first mounting surface, and a holding clamp having portions configured to correspondingly interfit with said first mounting surface. ### Claim 20 An improved cutter assembly configured for cutting vegetable pieces in a hydraulic cutter assembly comprising: a plurality of tensioning trees spatially arranged in opposing pairs and defining between them an axial bore configured for passage of materials to be cut there through, each tree having a plurality of first blade mounting surfaces and a plurality of second blade mounting surfaces; a flow alignment control tube configured to be placed within said axial bore; a plurality of blades traversing said bore in a non-interfitting generally perpendicular pattern, each of said blades having a first end and a second end, each of said first ends connected to a first blade mounting surface and each of said second ends connected to a second blade mounting surface each of said first and second mounting surfaces define a recess and an anvil both the recess and the anvil configured to interact with a crimping flange portion of a holding clamp to deform and hold a portion of said blade against said mounting surfaces when said blade is held in compressive engagement between one of said holding devices and said mounting surfaces by a fastener; a tensioning mechanism configured to adjustably maintain a desired level of tension upon said elongated blade, said tensioning mechanism is comprised of an adjustable screw held in compressive engagement against a tensioning dowel pin within a holding clamp, said holding clamp configured to hold said tensioning dowel against said blade and to advance a portion of said blade into a tensioning recess formed within a mounting surface; a compression ring connected to said bodies, said compression ring configured to allow passage of cut materials out of said cutter assembly along said bore as well as to maintain a desired distance between said bodies about said axial bore. ### Claim 21 A cutter comprising: a first body having a first axial bore, a first blade mounting surface and a second blade mounting surface; a first elongate blade traversing said bore, said first elongate blade having a first width and having first and second end portions configured for attachment to the respective first and second blade mounting surfaces; said first body having surfaces defining a first recess underlying a portion of said first blade, a second recess within said first blade mounting surface underlying a portion of said first blade, and a third recess within said second blade mounting surface underlying a portion of said first blade; a first blade clamp for mounting said blade first end portion to said first blade mounting surface, said first blade clamp having a first crimping flange configured for locking a portion of the first blade into said second recess; a second blade clamp for mounting said blade second end portion to said second blade mounting surface, said second blade clamp having a second crimping flange configured for locking a portion of said first blade into said third recess; and a first blade tensioner configured for urging a portion of said first blade into said first recess. ### Claim 22 A cutter comprising: a first body having a first axial bore, a first blade mounting surface and a second blade mounting surface; a first elongate blade traversing said bore, said first elongate blade having first and second end portions configured for attachment to the respective first and second blade mounting surfaces; a first blade clamp for mounting said blade first end portion to said first blade mounting surface; a second blade clamp for mounting said blade second end portion to said second blade mounting surface; said first blade clamp configured for attachment to said first blade mounting surface with said elongate blade first end portion held there between, said attachment forming at least one locking flange formed within said elongated blade; and said second blade clamp configured for attachment to said second blade mounting surface with said elongate blade second end portion held there between, said attachment forming at least one locking flange formed within said elongated blade. ### Claim 23 A cutter comprising: a first body having a first axial bore and first and second blade mounting surfaces; a first elongate blade traversing the bore, the first blade having first and second end portions configured for attachment to the respective first and second blade mounting surfaces; the first body having surfaces defining a first recess within the first blade mounting surface underlying a portion of the first blade, said first body having surfaces defining a second recess within the second blade mounting surface underlying a portion of the first blade; a first blade clamp for mounting said blade first end portion to said first blade mounting surface, said first blade clamp having a first crimping flange configured for locking a portion of said first end portion of said first blade into said first recess; a second blade clamp for mounting said blade second end portion to said second blade mounting surface, said second blade clamp having a second crimping flange configured for locking a portion of said second end portion of said first blade into said second recess.