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Abstract

A continuous tortilla chip cutting system where tortilla carried on a conveyor are continuously divided by a cutting mechanism into pre-cuts for frying into chips. A programmable controller drives a servo motor that moves an upper surface of the conveyor at a known velocity V, and a detector located above the conveyor at a known distance D from the cutting mechanism alerts the controller to the imminent arrival of the tortilla. The controller also controls a servo motor that actuates the cutting mechanism in a stop/start fashion. Based on the detection of the tortilla, the controller drives the servo motor associated with the cutting mechanism at just the right time and at just the right speed so that the cutter mechanism cuts each arriving tortilla into predictable sub-units called “pre-cuts” based on the velocity V of the conveyor belt, the detection of the flat bread unit carried by the conveyor, and the known distance between the moving flat bread unit and the cutter assembly.

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First Claim