French fry cutter for food processors
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to rotary tools for food processors, and more particularly to a French fry cutter tool for uniformly and cleanly cutting and slicing food items into elongated, rectangular shaped French fry cuts and similar types of cut food items. 
     Food processors to which the present invention relates are characterized by having a working bowl mountable on a base with tool drive means extending into the bowl for rotating a food processing tool in the bowl. Various selected rotary tools can be engaged on and driven by the drive means for performing many different food processing operations, as may be desired by the user. A detachable cover is secured over the top of the bowl during use, and the cover includes a hopper or feed tube which has a passageway extending downwardly through the cover into the bowl. Food items to be prepared may be placed in the feed tube and are then manually pushed down through the feed tube into the bowl by means of a removable pusher member which is adapted to slide down into the feed tube in the manner of a plunger. Further information with respect to food processors and their tools may be obtained by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,985,304--Sontheimer; 4,198,887--Williams; 4,200,244--Sontheimer; 4,216,917--Clare and Sontheimer; and 4,227,655--Williams. 
     The various interchangeable rotary tools which may be used in the food processor include slicing discs, grating discs, rasping discs, etc. which have a disc-like tool member formed of sheet metal, preferably of stainless steel, with one or more cutting elements projecting above the upper surface of the disc. These tools with their disc-like cutting member are intentionally positioned in the top of the bowl near the lower surface of the cover where they can perform the cutting operations on the food items introduced downwardly from the feed tube into the top of the bowl. 
     For the purpose of positioning the disc-like member in the top of the bowl, such a rotary tool may have a relatively long hollow hub extending down into the bowl which slides down into engagement around tool drive means or otherwise provides a driving connection between the tool hub and drive means extending into the bowl, to facilitate the quick and convenient mounting and replacement of the various disc-like cutting tools. 
     The present invention is directed to the type of rotary cutting tool which cuts food items such as potatoes, fruits, vegetables and other food items into elongated, rectangular-shaped French fry cuts or similar cuts. 
     As used herein the terms &#34;French fry cuts&#34; and &#34;the cuts&#34; are intended to mean the resulting elongated, rectangular stick-like pieces of the food after having been sliced by the rotating cutting tool. These French fry cuts are characterized by each having a rectangular or square cross section which requires the item to be sliced simultaneously along perpendicular planes. The French fry cut may be similar to, but are normally considerably larger in cross section than, julienne strips, and thus, French fry cuts require an entirely different, rugged cutting structure. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,887 entitled &#34;Julienne Cutter Tool,&#34; describes one type of rotary disc tool for cutting julienne strips from food items. The present invention is directed to improvements in a French fry disc type of cutting tool. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved French fry rotary cutter tool for food processors which will repeatedly process food items applied thereto into clean, crisp, neat and uniform elongated rectangular shaped cuts or similar French fry cuts having a rectangular or square cross section. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved French fry cutter tool for food processors which is rugged, reliable and easier to fabricate than existing French fry rotary cutter tools. 
     In carrying out this invention in one illustrative embodiment thereof, a French fry cutter tool is provided for use in rotary food processors of the type described above. The French fry cutter tool has a hub removably engageable with drive means in the working bowl to be rotated in a predetermined direction about an axis. The disc-like member has an opening therein extending from a region near the hub to a region near the periphery of the disc-like member. Behind this opening, with respect to the direction of rotation, there is an elevated platform portion of the disc-like member which defines the region located behind the opening. 
     A cutting structure is positioned in the opening for producing multiple, substantially evenly spaced, simultaneous horizontal and vertical cutting in the food items applied thereto, with the resulting elongated, rectangular cuts of food passing through the opening into the bowl. The cutting structure employs a continuous strip of blade metal bent into a rectangular-wave shape (rectangular zig zag shape) and having alternating, spaced, flat lower portions and spaced, flat upper portions interconnected by upright, parallel blade portions whereby the continuous blade strip has the general configuration of a square wave as seen looking in front elevation or rear elevation. The lower portions of the bent blade strip are secured to the underside of the disc-like member near the leading edge of the opening as defined by the direction of rotation, and the elevated upper portions of the bent blade strip are secured to a horizontal flat plate-like blade mounted on the elevated platform portion of the disc-like member. 
     The leading, cutting edge of the blade strip is sharpened before it is bent into shape, and therefore each of the upright blades and each of the flat upper blade portions of the cutting structure have sharp leading edges facing forward in the direction of rotation, whereby said blades in cooperation with the sharp leading edges of the elevated flat portions simultaneously produce horizontal and vertical cutting in food items applied thereto for forming elongated rectangular French fry cuts or similar types of food cuts, which are clean, crisp, neat and uniform. 
     Additionally the cutting structure is provided with a flat plate-like blade element with a sharpened leading edge which is mounted on the elevated platform projecting forward overlying the opening in said disc-like member. The elevated flat portions of the bent blade strip have integral rearwardly extending tongues in the direction of rotation which are affixed to the upper surface of the plate-like blade element whose leading edge abuts the trailing edges of the spaced parallel blades. 
     Advantageously, the rugged nature of the cutting structure provides strength for the entire French fry disc by virtue of being mounted in the opening in the disc extending both above and below the disc with the multiple blades spanning across between the front and rear edges of the opening like multiple braces for resisting deformation of the opening under the stress of continual impact of such an opening with the food items which are being sliced. The flat plate-like blade element and integral tongue mounting structure further ruggedize the cutting structure. The rugged nature of the formation of the cutting structure enhances the performance of this French fry disc tool through repeated use and provides for uniform, clean-cut, elongated, rectangular, French fry cuts after repeated use. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention together with further objects, aspects and advantages thereof, will become more clearly and fully understood from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numbers are used to indicate the same elements or components throughout the various Figures. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a new and improved French fry rotary cutter tool embodying the present invention for use in food processors. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged top view of the French fry cutter tool of FIG. 1 particularly illustrating the cutting structure. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 in FIG. 2. 
     FIG. 4 is a further enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 4--4 in FIG. 3. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, a rotary French fry cutter tool, referred to generally with the reference number 10, includes an elongated hub portion 18 which is removably engageable upon a tool drive means (not shown) for producing a relatively high speed rotation in the range from 700 to 1,800 RPM of the cutter 10 around a vertical axis 25 in the direction indicated by the arrow 27. This French fry cutter is adapted to be mounted in a food processor of the type shown and described in the aforesaid patents. Since the invention resides in the French fry rotary cutter tool per se, the remaining structure of a food processor is not further described herein. 
     The French fry cutter 10 includes a disc-like member 12 of stainless steel having a stiffening peripheral flange or rim 14. As is best seen in FIG. 3, the disc 12 includes an elongated and relatively narrow opening or slot 16 which extends from a position near the hub 18 out to a position near the peripheral rim 14. The disc 12 is displaced upwardly by a stamping operation to provide an elevated platform 18 which is elevated above the disc-like member 22. This elevated platform 18 slopes downwardly to the level of the disc in a sloping shoulder 20. This elevated platform 18 extends parallel with the plane of the disc-like member 22 and forms the upper trailing edge of the opening 16 as best seen in FIG. 4. The top surface of the elevated platform 18 is elevated significantly above the main area of the top surface of the disc 22 accommodating the slot or opening 16 in the disc as will best be seen in FIG. 3. 
     It is within the slot 16 that the French fry cutting structure, referred to generally with the reference numeral 30, is positioned and affixed. The French fry cutting structure 30 includes a flat, horizontal, plate-like blade element 22 generally conforming on the outer edge 24 thereof to the curvature of the rim 14 while the inner edge 26 is generally curved conforming to the curvature of the hub 18. The leading edge of this blade element 22 facing the direction of rotation 27 is sharpened, and this blade element 22 is spot welded on the top of the platform 18 at a plurality of spots 29. 
     The cutting structure 30 also includes, as its principle element, as best seen in FIG. 3, a unitary continuous strip 35 formed from a sheet of blade metal bent into a rectangular-wave shape (rectangular zig-zag shape) and having spaced, flat lower portions 32 and spaced, flat elevated upper portions 34. The spaced lower portions 32 and the spaced upper portions 34 are also radially separated along the disc 12. 
     This bent blade strip advantageously defines a plurality of spaced, upright, parallel blades 36 extending upwardly, generally perpendicular to, and located between and integral with the spaced flat lower and spaced flat upper portions, 32 and 34 respectively, of the cutting structure 30. 
     The leading cutting edge of the blade strip is sharpened before it is bent into shape, and therefore each of the upright blades 36 and each of the flat upper portions 34 (and also each of the flat lower portions 32) have sharp leading edges. This sharpening is advantageously done by grinding on one side only of the blade strip. Thus, as seen in FIG. 4, the cutting edge per se 37 slopes advantageously downwardly, and the forwardmost portion of this cutting edge is flush with the top surface of the flat upper portion 34. Thus, also, the leading edge 39 (FIG. 4) of the lower flat portions 32 slope rearwardly downwardly so that it merges with the lower surface of the disc member 12. 
     The upright spaced, parallel blades 36 are positioned in the opening 16 of the disc 12 and are spaced radially therein with respect to the axis of rotation. The outermost blade 36 located adjacent to the rim of the disc 14 is elongated at 37 and is spot welded to the inside of the rim 14. The entire leading edge of the initial blade 36 including its extension 37 is sharpened as discussed above so that a clean crisp cut is made as well as insuring a firm attachment to the rim 14. The unitary cutting element 35 as viewed in the direction of rotation or from behind is castellated in appearance or has the appearance of a symmetrical square wave, i.e. a rectangular zig-zag. The cutting structure 35 is terminated on the inner end thereof near the hub 18 in a flat lower portion 38 which is spot welded to the underside of the disc 12 ahead of the opening 16. 
     There is a strong and easy to assemble construction which will permit the cutting structure 30 of the French fry cutting tool 10 to withstand the high speed slicing actions occurring during operation. As seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 the upper elevated flat portions 34 of the blade strip include relatively large strong trailing tongues 44 which are spot welded at spots 45 to the plate-like blade element 22 (see FIG. 2). These spot welds 45 are advantageously located directly over the centerline of the elongated opening 16 which facilitates access of the lower electrode of the spot welder to the lower surface of the plate-like blade element 22. As seen in FIG. 4 the sharpened leading edge 28 of the plate-like blade element 22 abuts against the trailing edges of upright parallel blades 36. This cutting edge 28 is sharpened by grinding only the lower surface of the blade element 22 near the edge, thus producing a forwardly upwardly sloping cutting surface in which the forwardmost tip of the edge is flush with the top surface of the blade element. Consequently, the cutting edge 28 in action merges with the lower surface of the flat portions 34 for effectively horizontally cutting the food. 
     The blades 36 provide cutting edges which form a row of parallel, vertical, radially spaced knife edges, this row of blades extending radially near the opening 16 for vertically cutting the food along radially spaced lines as will be understood from the front elevation of the cutting structure shown in FIG. 3. 
     The assembled cutting structure 30 (FIG. 3) provides a series of square or rectangular shaped openings 48 extending in a row radially outwardly from near the hub 18 to a position near the periphery of the disc 12 thus occupying substantially the entire length of the opening 16 in the disc 12. 
     The lower flat portions 32 of the bent blade strip are attached to the disc 12 as best illustrated in FIG. 4. The disc 12 has a plurality of spaced tongues 50 which extend rearwardly into the opening 16 and are designed to project between the upright blades 36 into the areas above the flat lower portions 32 of the continuous bent blade strip. The lower flat portions 32 of this continuous blade strip also have rearwardly extending tongues 52 which are aligned with the disc tongues 50. These blade strip tongues 52 are spot welded at 51 to the bottom surfaces of the rearwardly extending tongues 50. This particular mounting arrangement with tongues 52 below tongues 50 removes the flat lower portions 32 of the bent blade strip from the path of the food items which are being fed into the cutting structure 30, thus providing a smooth upper surface on the disc 12 which is unobstructed as the food is approached by the rotating cutting structure 30. Also, by virtue of having the rearwardly projecting tongues 50 and 52 the spot welded regions 51 are conveniently accessible to both the upper and lower spot welding tools, as will be understood from FIG. 2. 
     Advantageously, the cutting structure 30 is comprised of only two elements; namely, the flat plate-like blade element 22 which is sharpened on its leading edge and the continuous blade strip 35 sharpened on its leading edge and bent into a rectangular wave shape (rectangular zig-zag shape). The outer end 37 of the bent blade strip 35 is mounted flush against the inner surface of the rim 14, being spot welded to the rim. The inner end of the bent blade strip includes a tongue which is spot welded at 53 for anchoring the inner end of this blade strip. 
     Accordingly, a French fry rotary cutting tool 10 has been described which has a rugged construction and is convenient to manufacture, and it produces clean, neat, attractive French fry cuts. The blades 36 are connected to both the upper and lower structures of the cutting tool and are further strengthened by the plate-like blade element 22 such that the blades are not deflected by the impact of cutting rather large rectangular square-shaped cross sectional cuts, for example on the order of 6 by 6 millimeters. 
     It is to be understood that the hub may be offset from the center of the disc 12 in a direction away from the opening 16 in order to accommodate a larger more elongated cutting structure 30 in a given diameter of the disc 12. 
     Since other changes and modifications varied to fit particular French fry cutting tool operating requirements will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is not considered limited to the example chosen for purposes of illustration, and includes all changes, modifications, and reasonable equivalents which do not constitute a departure from the true spirit and scope of this invention as defined by the following claims.