US 7,094,169 B2 · Rotary cutter assembly

Abstract

A rotary cutter assembly (11) includes a rotary cutter (74) rotated by a motor (76) through a drive including pulleys (250, 264) and a belt (326) inside of a combination guard and belt tensioner assembly (260). The rotary cutter (74) includes a cutter head (82) having integral blade holders (92) which slideably receive knives (90) in a channel (230) each having a detent (236) which is received in an aperture (91) in the knife (90) so that no fasteners or moveable parts are provided for holding the knives (90) and adjustment of the knives (90) is not needed or allowed. Guard quarters (266, 314) and a guard half (268) are moveable between closed and open positions and are held in the closed position by a single latch (325). The guard half (268) includes an idler (300) which tensions the belt (326) in the closed position. The second guard quarter (314) is mounted upon a pivotable cover (306) which together with the mount (262) for the motor (76) defines an enclosure for the rotary cutter (74) and the food products cut thereby and abuts with the guard half (268) in their closed positions.

Claims20

Dependent claims

Assembly for a drive including a first element rotatable about a first axis and including a first pulley, a second element rotatable about a second axis and including a second pulley, and a continuous, flaccid member extending between the first and second pulleys, with the first and second axes being in a spaced parallel relation, with the assembly comprising:

a first guard quarter;
a second guard quarter, and a guard half, with the first guard quarter being fixed relative to the first element and receiving a portion of the first pulley and being spaced from the second pulley, with the second guard quarter being movable relative to the second element between a guard position receiving a portion of the second pulley and spaced from the first pulley and an access position being spaced from the second pulley, with the guard half being movable relative to the first and second guard quarters between a closed position receiving a remaining portion of the first pulley and also receiving a remaining portion of the second pulley and an open position allowing access to the first and second pulleys, with the guard half being secured relative to the second guard quarter to prevent the second guard quarter from being moved from the guard position to the access position when the guard half is secured relative to the second guard quarter.

Assembly for a drive including a first element rotatable about a first axis, a second element rotatable about a second axis spaced from and parallel to the first axis, and an assemblage rotatably interconnecting the first and second elements, comprising:

a planar mount extending generally tangential to the second element and spaced from the second axis;
a cover including a first wall spaced from the planar mount and opposite of the second axis than the planar mount, with the cover further including a second wall extending from the first wall, with the cover being pivotal between an enclosure position and an access position, with the first and second walls and the planar mount defining an enclosure for the second element in the closed position and the second wall being spaced from the planar mount in the access position to allow access to the second element;
and a guard receiving the assemblage and pivotal about a fourth axis between a guard position and an open position, with the guard in the guard position preventing the cover from pivoting from the enclosure position and allowing the cover to pivot from the enclosure position to the access position in the open position.

a planar mount extending generally tangential to the second element and spaced from the second axis;
a cover including a first wall spaced from the planar mount and opposite of the second axis than the planar mount, with the cover further including a second wall extending from the first wall, with the cover being pivotal between an enclosure position and an access position, with the first and second walls and the planar mount defining an enclosure for the second element in the closed position and the second wall being spaced from the planar mount in the access position to allow access to the second element;
and a guard receiving the first pulley, the second pulley, and the continuous, flaccid member, with the guard including a first guard quarter;
a second guard quarter, and a guard half, with the first guard quarter being fixed relative to the first element and receiving a portion of the first pulley and being spaced from the second pulley, with the second guard quarter being movable relative to the second element between a guard position receiving a portion of the second pulley and spaced from the first pulley and an access position being spaced from the second pulley, with the guard half being movable relative to the first and second guard quarters between a closed position receiving a remaining portion of the first pulley and also receiving a remaining portion of the second pulley and an open position allowing access to the first and second pulleys, with the guard half being secured relative to the second guard quarter to prevent the second guard quarter from being moved from the guard position to the access position when the guard half is secured relative to the second guard quarter, with the guard half being pivotal about a fourth axis between the closed position and the open position, with the guard half in the closed position preventing the cover from pivoting from the enclosure position and allowing the cover to pivot from the enclosure position to the access position in the open position.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Rotary cutter assembly

Life of this patent

Rotary cutter assembly

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20