Cutting head for cutting a food product

A cutting head for cutting a food product on a cutting apparatus, comprising:

• an upper mounting ring;
• a lower mounting ring;
• a plurality of cutter support segments having generally arcuate inner and outer surfaces disposed generally in a circular array defining a central portion about a central axis, each cutter support segment having an upper portion attached to the upper mounting ring, opposed forward and rear edge portions, and a lower portion attached to the lower mounting ring, each cutter support segment defining a recess at the forward edge portion thereof;
• a plurality of cutting blades each having a cutting edge and an opposed rear edge, each of the cutting blades generally secured within the recess of a corresponding one of the cutter support segments, the cutting edge of each of the cutting blades extending beyond a forward edge of the corresponding cutter support segment so as to define a gate opening between the cutting edge and an adjacent cutter support segment;
• and
• first and second pivot pins extending coaxially opposed from one another from the upper and lower portions of each of the cutter support segments over at least a portion of a corresponding one of the cutting blades, each of the cutter support segments pivotally mounted on the upper and lower mounting rings about a pivot axis defined by the first and second pivot pins and pivotally movable between a range of motion defined between a first position wherein the cutting edge of the cutting blade is positioned closely adjacent a rear portion of an adjacent cutter support segment, and a second position wherein said cutting blade is disposed at an acute angle relative to the radii of the upper and lower mounting rings and generally directed towards the central portion of the circular array of cutter support segments.