13  EP 3 800 019 A1 14  similar misalignment occurred in the slices. The gate in- sertstrips 23 were examined andtheircorrugationswere found to be aligned with the corrugations on the interior of the shoes 22, but not with sufficient accuracy to avoid slice corrugation misalignment. Attempts to precisely align the corrugationsof the gate insertstrips 23 with the corrugations of the shoes 22 proved to be successful when gate insert strips 23 were accurately aligned using alignmentmeans such as with mating pinsand pin holes 52 (FIG. 8). Shoes 22 without gate insert strips 23 were also evaluated having corrugations that extend all the way to the trailing edge of the shoe 22 as shown in FIG. 5. The corrugated shoes 22 without gate insert strips 23 also provided greatly improved alignmentofpotatoes pri- or to slicing, and at lower manufacturing cost than pin holes 52. 5 10 15 by an arrow, and a shoe 122 securing the knife 114 and gateinsertstrips 123 are securedtothe cutting head 112 with a shoe 122. The knives 114 extend axially of the cutting head 112 and are disposed parallel to each other and to an axis of rotation R. As the food products are fed against the cutting head 112, they are caused to brought into the path of the knives 114 during rotation of the cutting head 112, whereby each knife 114 is caused to cutthrough the food productand removea slicethere- from. The thickness of a slice is predetermined by ad- justing the position of the gate insert strips 123 relative to the cutting edge 148 of the knife 114.Though multiple knives 114 are shown for the cutting head 112, it is fore- seeable thatitmay be desirable to utilize a lessernumber of knives 114 or even only a single knife 114. Preferably, the cutting head 112 and knife assemblies are similar to the cutting head 112 and knife assemblies represented in FIGS. 5, 8, 11e, 12, and 13c. For example, the knives 114 have a corrugated shape to produce a food product slicewith generallyparallelcutsto yield food productslic- es having large-amplitude cross-sections. However, it is foreseeable that adjustments may be necessary to ac- commodate the vertical positioning of the cutting head 112. Further details regarding the general arrangement and operation of the cutting apparatus represented in FIGS.17 and 18 are disclosed in U.S.PatentApplication no. 4,813,317 to Urschel et aI.,the contents ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference. [0034] Once it was determined that alignment of the entire shoe 22, including the gate insert strip 23, was effective for maintaining the phase alignment of slices, it was concluded that accurately aligned corrugations in the interior surface of the knife holders 27 would also promoteand maintainalignment ofthe food product with the shoes 22 and knives14.This role can be fulfilled with pin holes 52 described in reference to FIG. 8 above. By ensuring manufacturing tolerances of the pin holes 52 and complementary pins (not shown) provided on the shoes 22 ,accurate alignmentbetweeneach knifeholder 27 and its shoe 22 can be achieved. 20 25 30 35 [0035] According to a second embodiment, the inven- tion is also applicable to a cutting apparatus configured as shown in FIG.17 as having acutting head 112 mount- ed uprightand rotated abouta horizontallydisposed cen- tralaxis,wherein food productisfeed through an opening on a side of the cutting head 112. For example, in FIG. 17 the cutting apparatus is represented as comprising a housing 132, a stationary hollow elongate feed chute 140, and a cylindrical-shaped rotary cutting head 112. The feed chute 140 extends along longitudinal axis through the housing 132 and a circular-shaped fr opening of the cutter head 112. A plurality of food prod- ucts stacked within the feed chute 140 in a linear array are caused to consecutively be fed through an outlet opening 138 of the feed chute 140 andengage a circum- ferential wall defined in part by at least one knife assem- bly of the cutting head 112 approximately midway be- tween the opposite ends of the wall and spaced rear- wardly of the axis of rotation with respect to the direction ofcutting head rotation todispose the outletopening 138 of the feed chute 140 adjacent the lower circumferential wall portion of the cutting head 112 so that each food product is caused to engage the lower circumferential wallportion ofthe cutting head 112 forslicing by the knife 114 during rotation of the cutting head 112. 40 45 50 55 [0036] With reference to FIG. 18, the cutting head 112 isdefined by one ormore knife assemblies,wherein each knife assembly comprises a knife 114 at its leading end and a gauge plate 123 at its trailing end with respect to the direction of rotation of cutting head 112 as indicated [0038] The cutting wheel 212 is represented in FIGS. 20 and 21 as comprisingatleastone knife assemblyand preferably a plurality of knife assemblies oriented about the central axis of the cutting wheel 30. As represented in FIGS. 22 and 23, each knife assembly comprises a knife holder 227, a clamping assembly 226, and a knife 214. The knife assemblies are secured to a hub 242 and a rim 244 of the cutting wheel 212 by bolts 225. The knives 214 have leading edges facing a direction of ro- tation of the cutting wheel 212 and extend generally ra- diallyfromthe hub 242to the rim244.A cuttingedge 248 on theleading edge ofthe knives214 and a second edge on the trailing edge of the knife assemblies with respect to the direction of cutting wheel 212 rotation form a junc- ture. The juncture extending substantially parallel to and spaced in the food productfeed direction fromthecutting edge 248of the next adjacentknife 214 located in a trail- ingdirection soas to forman openingtherebetween.The opening determinesa thickness ofthe slicedfood product engaging the knives 214 while the cutting wheel 212 is rotated abouta centralaxisto advance thecuttingedges [0037] According to a third embodiment, the invention is further applicable to a cutting apparatus configured as shown in FIGS. 19 through 23. FIG. 19 represents the cutting apparatus as comprising a housing 232, a feed tube 240, and a horizontally disposed rotatable cutting wheel 212. Food product is delivered through the feed tubes 240 mounted to the top of the housing 232. The feedtubes 240 advance thefood productina feed direc- tion towards the cutting wheel212 withinthe housing 232. 8