Comminuting machine for meat or other food products

Claim 1

A COMMINUTING MACHINE FOR MEAT OR OTHER MATERIAL, SAID MACHINE COMPRISING A SHAFT, A MOTOR DRIVING SAID SHAFT, A KNIFE HEAD MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT, SAID KNIFE HEAD HAVING A PLURALITY OF KNIVES EACH INCLUDING AN OUTER CUTTING EDGE, A FIXED CUTTING ELEMENT SURROUNDING SAID KNIFE HEAD AND HAVING CUTTING EDGES COACTING WITH AND SPACED FROM THE OUTER EDGES OF THE KNIVES, A HOPPER HAVING AN INLET OPENING, MEANS DEFINING A DISCHARGE CHAMBER HAVING AN OUTLET OPENING, SAID KNIVES HAVING INNER CUTTING EDGES, A PLURALITY OF FIXED, CO-AXIALLY ARRANGED, INNER GUIDE AND CUTTING TOOLS ADJACENT SAID INNER CUTTING EDGES OF SAID KNIFE-HEAD AND COOPERATING WITH SAID INNER CUTTING EDGES TO ROUGH CUT THE MATERIAL TO BE COMMINUTED, SAID OUTER CUTTING EDGES OF SAID KNIVES COACTING WITH SAID CUTTING EDGES OF SAID FIXED CUTTING ELEMENT TO PERFORM A FINE CUTTING ON THE MATERIAL TO BE COMMINUTED, SAID FIXED CUTTING ELEMENT HAVING RADIALLY ORIENTED OPENINGS THEREIN THROUGH WHICH THE COMMINUTED MATERIAL MOVES FROM THE INSIDE RADIALLY TO THE OUTSIDE, AN IMPELLER IN SAID DISCHARGE CHAMBER MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT FOR CAUSING MATERIAL TO FLOW BY SUCTION THROUGH THE MACHINE AND FOR DISCHARGING THE COMMINUTED MATERIAL THROUGH THE OUTLET OPENING.