KNIFE BLADE FOR PRODUCING ROUGH SURFACE FRENCH FRY STRIPS

Abstract

A knife blade in a fixture is provided for cutting vegetable products particularly such as potatoes, wherein the knife fixture includes a grid of knife blades adapted for producing product strips defined by rough-textured cut surfaces. Each knife blade includes a sharp cutting edge for smooth-surface cutting of products propelled hydraulically through the knife fixture. Each knife blade further includes opposed side faces each incorporating an array of shallow channels having an upstream end positioned rearwardly from the associated cutting edge and extending generally in the direction of product travel. These shallow channels disrupt and roughen the cut product surfaces to produce rough-textured cut surfaces. In French fry potato strips, this roughened surface texture results in enhanced surface crispness after frying, or alternately enhances batter pick-up and/or crispness characteristics in a batter-coated French fry product. Enhanced finished product hold time is also achieved.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram depicting an hydraulic cutting system incorporating a knife fixture having a plurality of knife blades constructed in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged downstream end perspective view of the knife fixture of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an upstream end elevation view of the knife fixture;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged inboard side elevation view of one of the knife blades constructed in accordance with the invention, for use in the knife fixture depicted in FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged outboard side elevation view of the knife blade shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken generally on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an exemplary French fry strip cut by the knife fixture having knife blades constructed according to the invention; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged outboard side elevation view of a knife blade similar to FIG. 5, but illustrating one preferred alternative form of the invention.

Claims

1. A knife blade for producing rough surface French fry strips, said knife blade comprising: an elongated knife blade element defining a sharp cutting edge, a trailing edge, and a pair of opposed side faces;each of said pair of opposed side faces having a pattern of shallow channels formed therein each having a leading end spaced from said cutting edge and extending generally perpendicular to said cutting edge.

2. The knife blade of claim 1 wherein said shallow channels each have a width of about 0.025 to about 0.035 inch, a depth of about 0.015 inch, and a length of about 0.50 inch, and further wherein said shallow channels are formed on groove centers spaced apart by about 0.50 to about 0.60 inch.

3. The knife blade of claim 1 wherein said cutting edge has a generally straight configuration.

4. The knife blade of claim 1 wherein said opposed side faces are generally planar.

5. The knife blade of claim 4 wherein one of said side faces defines a beveled edge, said one side face tapering from said beveled edge to said cutting edge at an angle of from about 3° to about 7°.

6. The knife blade of claim 5 wherein said channels formed in said one side face bridge said beveled edge.

7. The knife blade of claim 6 wherein said channels formed in said one side face have trailing ends terminating in spaced relation to said trailing end of said blade element.

8. The knife blade of claim 6 wherein said channels formed in said beveled edge are oriented at about 87° to said cutting edge.

9. The knife blade of claim 5 wherein said channels formed in said side face opposite said one side face having trailing ends terminating substantially at said trailing end of said blade element.

10. A knife fixture for producing rough surface French fry strips, said knife fixture comprising: a plurality of elongated knife blades each defining a sharp cutting edge, a trailing edge, and a pair of opposed side faces;each of said pair of opposed side faces having a pattern of shallow channels formed therein each having a leading end spaced from said cutting edge and extending generally perpendicular to said cutting edge; anda fixture frame for supporting said knife blades in a stacked relation with said cutting edges of said knife blades oriented in a common upstream direction for engaging and cutting potatoes and the like propelled through said fixture frame.

11. The knife fixture of claim 10 wherein said fixture frame supports said knife blades in an axially and radially staggered pattern of spaced-apart blade pairs, with each blade pair oriented angularly to adjacent stacked blade pairs.

12. The knife fixture of claim 11 wherein each blade pair is oriented substantially orthogonally to adjacent stacked blade pairs.

13. The knife fixture of claim 10 wherein said cutting edges of said knife blades each have a generally straight configuration.

14. The knife fixture of claim 10 wherein each of said knife blades includes a pair of mounting holes formed therein generally at opposed ends thereof, said cutting edge extending through a cutting zone generally between said mounting holes.

15. The knife fixture of claim 11 wherein said opposed side faces of each of said knife blades are generally planar.

16. The knife fixture of claim 15 wherein said opposed side faces of each of said knife blades comprises an inboard side face, and an outboard side face, said outboard side face having a beveled edge formed therein and bridged by said channels.

17. The knife fixture of claim 16 wherein said outboard side face tapers from said beveled edge to said cutting edge at an angle of from about 3° to about 7°.

18. The knife fixture of claim 16 wherein said channels formed in said outboard side face have trailing ends terminating in spaced relation to said trailing end of said knife blade, and wherein said channels formed in said inboard side face having trailing ends terminating substantially at said trailing end of said knife blade.

19. The knife blade of claim 16 wherein said channels formed in said beveled edge are oriented at about 87° to said cutting edge.

20. The knife fixture of claim 10 wherein said knife blades are supported by said fixture frame in partially axially overlapping relation.

21. The knife fixture of claim 20 wherein each of said knife blades has a pair of notched recesses interrupting said cutting edge thereof, said notched recesses being formed at predetermined locations and with predetermined depths for receiving and supporting the trailing edges of an axially upstream-adjacent pair of said knife blades.

22. The knife fixture of claim 10 wherein said shallow channels each have a width of about 0.025 to about 0.035 inch, a depth of about 0.015 inch, and a length of about 0.50 inch, and further wherein said shallow channels are formed on groove centers spaced apart by about 0.50 to about 0.60 inch.