The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 22, 2006
Filed:
Jul. 26, 2004
James N. Weinstein, Maple Grove, MN (US);
Thomas G. Cremers, Green Isle, MN (US);
Thomas L. Smith, Greenfield, MN (US);
James N. Weinstein, Maple Grove, MN (US);
Thomas G. Cremers, Green Isle, MN (US);
Thomas L. Smith, Greenfield, MN (US);
General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
A rotary cutter assembly () includes a rotary cutter () rotated by a motor () through a drive including pulleys () and a belt () inside of a combination guard and belt tensioner assembly (). The rotary cutter () includes a cutter head () having integral blade holders () which slideably receive knives () in a channel () each having a detent () which is received in an aperture () in the knife () so that no fasteners or moveable parts are provided for holding the knives () and adjustment of the knives () is not needed or allowed. Guard quarters () and a guard half () are moveable between closed and open positions and are held in the closed position by a single latch (). The guard half () includes an idler () which tensions the belt () in the closed position. The second guard quarter () is mounted upon a pivotable cover () which together with the mount () for the motor () defines an enclosure for the rotary cutter () and the food products cut thereby and abuts with the guard half () in their closed positions.