This invention relates to a food cutting apparatus and particularly to apparatus for dividing a block of cheese into a plurality of relatively small chunks suitable for grating.
The mass marketing of various food products has resulted in development of automatic food forming apparatus. For example, pizzas which are mass marketed may advantageously be constructed with various automatic machinery. A highly satisfactory automated system is disclosed in Applicant's recently issued U.S. Pat. No. 3,779,205, which generally discloses an in-line processing line including means for delivering blocks of cheese to an automatic slicer which divides the block into a plurality of smaller pieces which are fed to a power-driven shredder. The shredded cheese is fed to an automatic depositing apparatus for depositing of the grated cheese upon the crust or dough bases in combination with automatic apparatus for depositing of meat, sauce and the like. Such a structure may provide a high speed, mass production of pizzas which are frozen and then shipped to various marketing outlets. The automated forming not only improves the quality of the product but significantly reduces the per unit cost.
In all of such automatic apparatus, very stringent requirements are established with respect to the construction of the apparatus to ensure high degrees of sanitary conditions. Generally, the apparatus will be made of stainless steel and must be made to permit convenient, complete cleaning of the apparatus.
The cheese cutting and grating or shredding means must correspondingly be constructed to permit complete and reliable cleaning. A practical, automated apparatus has not been commercially available which has a large capacity and a convenient construction suitable for high level sanitary application.