US Patent Issued to Frito-Lay North America on Sept. 30 for "Impellers for cutting machines and cutting machines equipped with impellers" (Texas Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 30 -- United States Patent no. 12,427,688, issued on Sept. 30, was assigned to Frito-Lay North America Inc. (Plano, Texas).

"Impellers for cutting machines and cutting machines equipped with impellers" was invented by Keith A. Barber (Frisco, Texas), Rebecca G. Gann (McKinney, Texas) and Betsy M. Hicks (Carrollton, Texas).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Machines for cutting products and impellers suitable for use with the machines. The impellers include a lower plate having a central zone and paddles configured with the lower plate outside of the central zone to direct material to the cutting head. At least a first exit slot is located in the lower plate and extending thr...