CPC A23N 7/026 (2013.01) [B26D 5/30 (2013.01); B26D 7/0625 (2013.01); B26D 7/1845 (2013.01); B26D 7/32 (2013.01); B26D 2210/02 (2013.01)] | 19 Claims |
1. A produce cutting apparatus comprising:
a feed belt configured to receive and transport a produce product along an x axis, wherein the feed belt has a linear velocity along the x axis;
a transducer configured to determine and transmit the linear velocity of the feed belt;
a sensor configured to scan the produce product, determine at least one dimensional feature of the produce product, and transmit the at least one dimensional feature;
a radial cutter mechanism comprising a drum member attached to a motor, the radial cutter mechanism further comprising a cutting blade which moves in a circular path offset from a rotational center of the drum member, the radial cutter mechanism moving the cutting blade about the circular path such that the cutting blade approaches the feed belt along the y axis, makes a cut in the produce product, instantaneously travels along the x axis and is raised up from the circular path for another rotation, wherein the cutting blade makes a single cut in each complete rotation, wherein a desired length of a cut segment of the produce product is determined by an angular velocity of the cutting blade relative to the linear velocity of the feed belt; and
a programmable controller which receives the linear velocity of the feed belt and the dimensional feature from the sensor, wherein the programmable controller ascertains a position, an orientation and a length of the produce product and adjusts the angular velocity to achieve the desired length of the cut segment.
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