Abstract:
An apparatus for cutting helically shaped pieces from potatoes has a top portion (10) forming a drive section, a center portion (12) forming a feed section and a lower portion (14) forming a cutting section. The drive section (10) comprises a plurality of rotatable shafts (22) extending in a circle about a central axis. The feed section (12) comprises a plurality of rotatable rods (42) arranged in a circle about the central axis, each rod (42) at its upper end connected to a lower end of a shaft (22). At least the lower part of each rod (42) has a spiral outer surface. The cutter section (14) includes a cutter (62) of hollow conical form having a series of spiral channels (80) on its interior surface, each spiral ending in an aperture (82), the apertures (82) forming cutting edges (84). Potatoes are fed through the feed section (12), on rotation of the rods (42), by the spiral surfaces of the rods (42), and pushed into the cutter (62), which on rotation, cuts helical pieces from potatoes.