Cutter blade for producing helical vegetable strips

Abstract

A cutter for cutting helical vegetable strips comprising a circular disk-like plate having an upstream surface and an axis of rotation. The cutter has a knife blade extending radially from the axis of rotation, the blade edge being axially displaced from the upstream surface. The cutter also includes a plurality of slitter blades spaced apart and located at different distances from the axis of rotation and extending substantially perpendicular to the upstream surface. The slitter blades have different lengths and, therefore, extend to different heights above the upstream surface.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A rotating cutter for cutting helical vegetable strips comprising: 
       (a) a disk-shaped body having an upstream surface and an axis of rotation;  
       (b) a knife blade extending radially from the axis of rotation and being axially displaced from said upstream surface;  
       (c) a plurality of slitter blades extending substantially perpendicular to said upstream surface;  
       (d) said slitter blades being spaced apart from one another and located at different distances from the axis of rotation;  
       (e) at least two of said slitter blades having different lengths with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation.  
     
     
       2. The cutter of  claim 1 , wherein at least three of said slitter blades have different lengths. 
     
     
       3. The cutter of  claim 1 , wherein a difference in length between at least two of said slitter blades is approximately 0.010 inches. 
     
     
       4. The cutter of  claim 1 , wherein the disk-shaped body has a leading edge and a trailing edge, and the disk-shaped body comprises a substantially flat first portion extending approximately 225° from the trailing edge and a raised second portion extending approximately 135° from the leading edge. 
     
     
       5. The cutter of  claim 1 , wherein the periphery of said disk-like  disc- shaped  body is substantially helical. 
     
     
       6. The cutter of  claim 5 , wherein said periphery has a substantially uniform pitch. 
     
     
       7. The cutter of  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of slitter blades includes an innermost slitter blade, an outermost slitter blade and an intermediate slitter blade. 
     
     
       8. The cutter of  claim 7 , wherein the innermost slitter blade is the longest. 
     
     
       9. The cutter of  claim 8 , wherein said outermost slitter blade and said intermediate slitter blade have the same length. 
     
     
       10. The cutter of  claim 8 , wherein the distance between said innermost blade and said knife blade is smaller than the distance between said knife blade and said outermost blade. 
     
     
       11. The cutter of  claim 7 , wherein said innermost slitter blade and said intermediate slitter blade have the same length. 
     
     
       12. The cutter of  claim 7 , wherein said slitter blade lengths progressively decrease from said innermost slitter blade to said outermost slitter blade. 
     
     
       13. The cutter of  claim 12 , wherein the difference in length between each said slitter blade is approximately 0.010 inches. 
     
     
       14. The cutter of  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of slitter blades includes an innermost slitter blade, an outermost slitter blade, an intermediate slitter blade adjacent the innermost slitter blade, and an intermediate slitter blade adjacent the outermost slitter blade. 
     
     
       15. The cutter of  claim 14 , wherein said innermost slitter blade and said intermediate slitter blade adjacent the innermost slitter blade have the same length. 
     
     
       16. The cutter of  claim 14 , wherein said outermost slitter blade and said intermediate slitter blade adjacent said outermost slitter blade have the same length. 
     
     
       17. The cutter of  claim 14 , wherein the length of said intermediate slitter blade adjacent said innermost slitter blade is less than the length of said innermost slitter blade but greater than the length of said intermediate slitter blade adjacent said outermost slitter blade. 
     
     
       18. The cutter of  claim 17 , wherein the length of said innermost slitter blade is approximately 0.395 inch. 
     
     
       19. The cutter of  claim 17 , wherein the length of said intermediate slitter blade adjacent said innermost slitter blade is approximately 0.385 inch. 
     
     
       20. The cutter of  claim 17 , wherein the length of said intermediate slitter blade adjacent said outermost slitter blade is approximately 0.365 inches. 
     
     
       21. The cutter of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said slitter blades is located a different distance from said knife blade than another of said blades.