# US 7,096,771 B2 · Cutter blade assembly for cutting scoop shaped vegetable products > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,096,771 B2 - Document ID: US7096771B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/231,924 - Filed: 2002-08-29 - Published: 2004-03-04 - Granted: 2006-08-29 - Earliest claimed: 2002-08-29 - Inventors: George A. Mendenhall - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7096771B2 ## CPC - B26D 1/0006: {Cutting members therefor} - A23L 19/18: Roasted or fried products, e.g. snacks or chips - B26D 3/185: {Grid like cutters} - B26D 2001/0033: {assembled from multiple blades} - Y10S 83/932: Edible - Y10T 83/0453: By fluid application - Y10T 83/2066: By fluid current - Y10T 83/6472: By fluid current - Y10T 83/6481: With static tool - Y10T 83/6585: Including nonconcurrently acting tool - Y10T 83/6588: Tools mounted on common tool support - Y10T 83/9495: Nonparallel cutting edges - Y10T 83/9498: Parallel cutting edges - 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) - A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A cutter blade assembly that presents a sequential series of perpendicularly oriented cutting knife arrays which are attached to a frame. A first set of cutting knives is comprised of knives that are generally scalloped shaped. A second set of cutting knives is comprised of knives that are generally straight and are connected in general perpendicular orientation to the first set of strip knives. When a vegetable product such as a potato is forced through the cutter blade assembly, the first set of knives cuts the potato into a scalloped shaped slab. The second set of knives then cuts the slab into a scoop shaped potato piece emulating a portion of a cut stalk of celery. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cutter blade assembly for use in a food cutting apparatus comprising: a frame comprised of knife supports, said frame defining a longitudinal passageway having upstream and downstream ends for passage of food product and carrier medium therethrough; a first plurality of strip knives configured in pairs, each knife of said first plurality of strip knives being generally scalloped in shape and having a series of peak portions interspaced with a series of trough portions, each knife of said first plurality of strip knives removably attached to said frame in parallel spaced relation with an opposing knife along said longitudinal passageway, each pair of said first plurality of strip knives configured to cut a vegetable product into a slab having two correspondingly corrugated sides, said pairs of said first plurality of strip knives being spaced farthest apart at a widest base portion at said upstream end of said longitudinal passageway and spaced progressively closer together in a generally pyramidal configuration until arriving at a narrowest spacing at said downstream end; and a second plurality of strip knives generally perpendicularly positioned against the peak portions of said generally scalloped shaped first plurality of strip knives so as to cut the generally corrugated slabs into generally elongated tubular pieces, said second plurality of strip knives connected to said frame in alternating interspaced pairs perpendicularly engaging an adjacent pair of said first plurality of strip knives at a peak portion of each of said strip knives. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cutter blade assembly of claim 1 wherein said second plurality of strip knives define engagement slots that engage an adjacent pair of said first plurality of strip knives in perpendicular spaced relationship. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cutter blade assembly of claim 1 wherein each of said second plurality of strip knives is generally straight. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cutter blade assembly of claim 1 wherein each of said first plurality of strip knives further define engagement slots that perpendicularly engage an adjacent pair of said second plurality of strip knives. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The cutter blade assembly of claim 4 wherein said engagement slots are defined within said peak portions of said first plurality of strip knives. ### Claim 6 A cutter blade assembly for use in a food cutting apparatus comprising: a frame comprised of pairs of knife supports, said frame defining a longitudinal passageway having upstream and downstream ends for passage of food product and carrier medium therethrough; a first plurality of strip knives configured in pairs, each knife of said first plurality of strip knives being generally corrugated and comprised of V-shaped portions having a series of peaks interspaced with a series of troughs, each knife of said first plurality of strip knives removably attached to said frame in parallel spaced relationship with an opposing knife along said longitudinal passageway, each pair of knives configured to cut a vegetable product into a slab having two correspondingly corrugated sides, each side comprised of said V-shaped portions, said pairs of said first plurality of strip knives being spaced farthest apart at a widest base portion at said upstream end of said longitudinal passageway and spaced progressively closer together in a generally pyramidal configuration until arriving at a narrowest spacing at said downstream end; and a second plurality of strip knives for cutting said slabs into generally elongated pieces, said second plurality of strip knives connected to said frame in alternating interspaced pairs perpendicularly engaging an adjacent pair of said first plurality of strip knives at a peak of each of said strip knives. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The cutter blade assembly of claim 6 wherein said second plurality of strip knives define engagement slots that engage an adjacent pair of said first plurality of strip knives in perpendicular spaced relationship. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The cutter blade assembly of claim 6 wherein each of said second plurality of strip knives is generally straight. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The cutter blade assembly of claim 6 wherein each of said first plurality of strip knives further define engagement slots therein that perpendicularly engage an adjacent pair of said second plurality of strip knives. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The cutter blade assembly of claim 9 wherein said engagement slots are defined within said peak portions of said first plurality of strip knives. ### Claim 11 A cutter blade assembly for use in a food cutting apparatus comprising: a frame comprised of pairs of knife supports, said frame defining a longitudinal passageway having upstream and downstream ends for passage of food product and carrier medium therethrough; a first plurality of strip knives positioned in pairs, each pair shaped and positioned to cut a vegetable product into a scalloped shaped slab, each knife of said first plurality of strip knives having a series of peak portions interspaced with a series of trough portions, each knife of said first plurality of strip knives removably attached to said frame in parallel spaced relation with an opposing knife along said longitudinal passageway, each knife of said first plurality of strip knives define engagement slots within said peak portions, said pairs of said first plurality of strip knives being spaced farthest apart at a widest base portion at said upstream end of said longitudinal passageway and spaced progressively closer together in a generally pyramidal configuration until arriving at a narrowest spacing at said downstream end; and a second plurality of strip knives generally perpendicularly engaging said first plurality of strip knives at said engagement slots, said second plurality of strip knives for cutting said scalloped shaped slabs into generally elongated tubular shaped pieces, said second plurality of strip knives connected to said frame in alternating interspaced pairs. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The cutter blade assembly of claim 11 wherein said second plurality of strip knives define engagement slots configured to engage an adjacent pair of said first plurality of strip knives in perpendicular spaced relationship. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The cutter blade assembly of claim 11 wherein each of said second plurality of strip knives is generally straight.