Urschel Laboratories Incorporated

Paul E Arrasmith

Brent L Bucks

Michael Scot Jacko

Daniel Wade King

Eugene H Cole

Patrick C Urschel

Mike Jacko

Graham R Calvert

James W Chester

A cutting head mounting and supporting ring assembly having an interlocking joint arrangement for mounting the cutting head on a food slicing machine. The ring assembly includes a support ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially extending flange segments having a flange end portion inclined relative to the axis thereof, and a mounting ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially extending protrusions having a protrusion end portion inclined relative to the axis thereof. The flange and protrusion surfaces of the flange segments and the protrusions are complementary shaped and arranged to mutually engage face-to-face to define scarf type joint connections when they are interdigited.

Cutting head mounting and support ring system

An apparatus and process for cutting food products, in which the products are fed single-file by gravity through a cutting device comprising one or more cutting elements. The apparatus makes use of a device for contacting and positioning the products as they drop through a feed passage prior to encountering the cutting device so as to produce size-reduced products of more uniform size.

Food product cutting apparatus and process

An improved impeller for use in a rotary food slicing machine comprising a rear base plate and at least one forward ring secured in axial spaced parallel relation relative to the rear base plate and a plurality of circumferentially spaced planar paddles spanning the base plate and the forward ring. The paddles are each oriented to extend at an angle relative to the radius of the rear base plate and the at least one forward ring. Moreover, the end of each paddle located adjacent to the rear base plate is arranged in a partially trailing relationship relative to the end of the paddle located adjacent the at least one forward ring with respect to the intended direction of rotation of the impeller.

Impeller for rotary slicing machine

A machine for cutting a food product includes a stationary structure with a food product guide surface for guiding a food product along a path of travel. A knife wheel support which rotatably supports the knife wheel and is pivotally attached to the stationary structure so as to pivot about a pivot axis extending substantially parallel to the knife wheel axis, such that the knife wheel axis is movable along an arcuate path about the pivot axis. A plurality of adjustable stripper plates extends between adjacent circular knives which slice the food product into a plurality of strips prior to the food product being cut by a cross-cut knife, the stripper plates having an adjustable attaching mechanism connecting them to the stationary structure to facilitate the adjustment of the distance between the stripper plates and the food guide surface so as to readily accommodate a food product having a variety of thicknesses.

Food dicing machine with adjustable stripper

An apparatus for cutting a food product is disclosed including a stationary structure with a food product guide surface for guiding a food product along a path of travel, the apparatus having a knife wheel rotatable about a knife wheel axis, the knife wheel having at least one knife blade and located such that rotation of the knife wheel about the knife wheel axis causes the knife blade to cut through the food product as it moves along the path of travel. The apparatus also includes a knife wheel support which rotatably supports the knife wheel, the knife wheel support being pivotally attached to the stationary structure so as to pivot about a pivot axis extending substantially parallel to the knife wheel axis, such that the knife wheel axis is movable along an arcuate path about the pivot axis. By readily positioning the knife wheel in one of a plurality of discrete positions along the arcuate path, a visually acceptable square diced food product may be obtained from food products having a variety of thicknesses. The apparatus also includes a plurality of adjustable stripper plates extending between adjacent ones of a plurality of circular knives which slice the food product into a plurality of strips prior to the food product being cut by the cross-cut knife wheel. The stripper plates have an adjustable attaching mechanism connecting them to the stationary structure to facilitate the adjustment of the distance between the stripper plates and the food guide surface so as to readily accommodate a food product having a variety of thicknesses.

Dicing machine with improved cutting squareness

A low friction shielded bearing assembly for supporting a machine shaft, for example a spindle shaft of a food cutting machine, includes a rolling element radial and thrust bearing subassembly containing ball or roller elements supported between inner and outer relatively rotatable bearing races with seal elements for retaining lubricant within the bearing subassembly. A flanged, fretting and corrosion resistant sleeve is fixed within the inner race of the bearing subassembly with the flange of the sleeve shielding an adjacent bearing seal against direct impingement by sprayed cleaning fluids. The sleeve also transmits radial and thrust loads to the inner race. The bearing subassembly is retained within an annular retainer that is adjustably attached to a machine frame to permit adjustment of the location of the rotational axis of a shaft supported by the bearing and to permit adjustment of the bearing location axially along the shaft and relative to the machine frame. A secondary journal bearing may be provided as a backup to the ball or roller bearing subassembly in the event of a failure of the rolling element bearing and also to enable alignment of a shaft during assembly and disassembly of the shaft relative to the bearing assembly. The journal bearing normally does not contact the shaft during normal operation of the bearing assembly.

Low friction shielded bearing assembly

A carrier is disclosed for carrying and holding a spindle of a machine during removal and installation of the spindle and while performing maintenance on the spindle. The carrier has a spindle support, a carrying handle, and a device for engaging a portion of the machine so as to removably support the carrier on the machine. The carrier has opposite end plates, each end plate having a recess configured to receive a portion of the spindle such that the spindle may be supported on the end plates in the recesses. In use, the carrier is removably supported on a portion of the machine by attachment members which may be movably mounted on the end plates and attached to the carrier handle. By extending the attachment members, the carrier is supported on the machine and positioned so that the spindle is located in the recesses in the end plate. This enables a single person to then remove the shaft supporting the spindle on the machine while the carrier holds the spindle in position.

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Valparaiso, IN, United States of America

Paul E Arrasmith