CA1142032A

CA1142032A - Pastry roll cutter

Info

Publication number: CA1142032A
Application number: CA000353859A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Pieter K.J. De Coster
Original assignee: Dart Industries Inc
Current assignee: Dart Industries Inc
Priority date: 1979-08-16
Filing date: 1980-06-12
Publication date: 1983-03-01
Also published as: LU82519A1; NO154591B; IT1150044B; KE3437A; CH647651A5; ZA803594B; PH22667A; DE3022199C2; GB2056359A; IE49607B1; PL226282A1; DK150621C; AR221275A1; ES494196A0; DK353280A; AU517988B2; SE8005723L; FR2462975B1; MX150751A; BR8004904A

Abstract

PASTRY ROLL CUTTER

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A roll cutter comprising three cutter wheels cooperatively associated wherein a user can selectively cut rolled pastry dough into relatively wide strips, relatively narrow strips, or alternatively trim the rolled dough merely by the angle at which the cutter is placed in cutting engage-ment with the rolled dough. In a preferred embodiment the components of the roll cutter are initially formed as an integral injection molding.

Description

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RP-84Z~-M26 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pastry dough cutters have usually consisted of one or more cutter wheels or discs mounted on a sinyle shaft. Cutters havtng a plurality of cutter wheels are generally adjustable to cut a sheet of pastry dough into strips of various wid~hs by adjusta~ly positioning the cutter wheels along the shaft.
Generally such cutters are of rather complex structure involv~n~ numerous elements, generally formed of metal, and due to their complexity not readily adjustable to cut a sheet o~ pastry dough into strips of varying widths.
U.S. Patent No. 663,222 is directed to a device for cutting noodle dough and provided with cutting discs journaled on a common axle ~or cutting the dough into strips of varying widths ~y inverting the device. However, the structure proposed therein is of rather complex construction thereby requiring the production of numerous separate components.

SUMMARY OF T~IE INVENTION

. . .
The present invention contemplates an improved roll-type cutter particularly suited for use as a pastry tool.
More particularly in accordance with a preferred embodi~ent of the present invention the pastry roll cutter com-prises a vastly simplified device formed of relatively ~ew components integrally molded of a synthetlc polymer. The several integrally molded member may readily be separated into components that when operatively assembled without the aid o~ tools provides a very versatile, hiyhly simplified pastry tool.
Because all components of the preferred form of the pastry roll cutter are formed of a polymer, problems associated with corrosion are avoided.

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Another feature of the invention reside.s in a substantial economy of production by virtue of an all polymeric construction.
Thus, in accordance with the present teachings, a roll cutter is provided which comprises a body portion which has means for rotatably journaling at least three cutter discs, at least one of the discs being rotatable about a first axis on a plane normal thereto and at least two other discs of the at least three discs being rotatable about a second axis longitudinally spaced apart and parallel to the first axis with one of the at least two other discs being displaced laterally of one side of the plane of rotation of the at least one of the at least three discs and the other of the at least two other discs being displaced laterally of the other side of the plane of rotation of the at least one of the at least three discs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF T~E DRAWINGS
A better understanding of this invention as well as many further features and advantages thereof will be had by now referring to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the pastry roll cutter of this invention shown cutting relatively narrow strips of pastry dough;
FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the pastry roll cutter of this invention shown being utilized as a pastry dough trimmer;
FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the pastry roll cutter of this invention shown cutting relatively wide strips of pastry dough;
FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal cross section, somewhat enlarged, of the pastry roll cutter of FIGURES 1-3;

;~ -3-. --EIGURE 5 is a cross section taken in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of FIGURE 4;
FIGURE 6 is a cross section taken in the direction of the arrows 6-6 of FIGURE 4; and FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of an integral molding consisting of the components of the device of this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring first to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the pastry roll cutter indicated generally at 10 comprises a body portion having -3a-~ .

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spaced apart side w~lls 12 and 14 connected by a top wall portion 16. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the top wall portion 16 comprises an arcuate extension of the side walls 12 and 14.
The side walls 12 and 14 are maintained in generally parallel re-lationship as will become clearer as the.description proceeds.
The preferred embodiment 10 of the ~astry roll cutter includes two shafts 18 and 20 rotatably journaled in the body portion in general and more specifically the spaced apart side walls 12 and 140 The shafts 18 and 20 are in lonyitudinally spaced apart paxallel relation generally, but not necessarily, on a common horizontal plane.
In the pref~rred embodiment of the pastry roll cutter 10, at least three cutter discs 22, 24 and 26 are provided and wherein one disc, namely the disc 22, is operatively associated with one shaft, namely shaft 18 and the other two discs 24 and 26 are operatively associated with the other shaft 20 of the two shafts 18 and 20.
As will be seen from a com~arison of FIGU.RES 1, 2 and 3 illustrating the pastry roll cutter 10 in use, a sheet o~ pastry dough 28, or the like, is sho~ for purposes of illustration as supported on a generally horizontal planar surface such as a pastry board, not shown, upon which a portion of pastry dough has been rolled into sheet form.
In FIGURE 1 it will h~ seen that when a user, such as by grasping the side walls 12 and 1~ of the pastry roll cutter 10 between the thumb and index finger and traversiny the pas-try roll cutter 10 across the pastry dough sheet 2~ with all three c~ltter discs 22, 24 and 26 in rollin~, cutting engagement with the dough

2~, two relativel~ narrow strips of dough 30 and 32 are cut from

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the sheet of pastry dough ~8. It will be appreciated when utilizing the pastry roll cutter 10 in the mode illustrated in FIGURE 1 wherein the discs 22, 24 a.nd 26 are of generally equal diameter, the body portion of the cutter is generally horiæontal to the plane of the support surface for the pastry dough sheet 28 when the shafts 18 and 20 are on a generally common horizontal plane.
It will be appreciated that the shafts 18 and 20 need not necessarily be on a common horizontal plane relative to the body portion of the pastry roll cutter 10 since such interrelationship, as well as the longitudinal spacing between the two parallel shafts 18 and 20 may be selectively varied depending upon the diameter of the cutter discs 22, 24 and 26.
In this latter regard, it is generally only necessary that the cutter discs on a given shaft be of the same diameter for the pastry roll cutter 10 to function in accordance with this in-vention.
In FIGURE 2 it will be seen that the body portion of the pastry roll cutter 10 is presented in rolling cutting engagement with the pastry dough sheet 28 with the common plane of the shafts18 and 20 other than at horizontal to the support surface for ,the pastry dough sheet 28 and wherein only disc 22 is in rolling cuttins engagement with the pastry dough sheet 28 as would normally be the case when trimming a sheet of pastry dough to a ~esired geometrical configuration.
Turning speciically to FIGURE 3, .it will be appreciated that a user, such as by grasping the pastry roll cut-ter 10 as described above is presenting cutter discs 24 and 26 in rolling cutting relation to the pastry dough sheet 28 so as to cut the ~2~

sheet to form a relatively wicle strip 34 of pastry dough. It ~ill be appreciated that in the preferred embodiment illustrated a user presents the pas~ry roll cutter 10 in cutting relation to the pastry dough sheet 28 with the common plane of the shafts 18 and 20 oppositely inclined relative to the horizontal support surface for the pastry dough sheet 28. Turning briefly to FIGURE 7, it will be appreciated that the pastry roll cutter 10 is illustrated as being formed of an integral molding such as formed by conventional injection molding techniques and formed of suitable synthetic polymer, such as polypropylene, high density polyethylene, etc., having suitable physical properties, e.g., substantially rigid at ambient temperatures, etc. It will be seen that the body portion of the pastry roll cutter 10 com-prises side wall portions 12 and 14 and coextensive arcuate top wall portion 16 and wherein as indicated generally at 34 for purposes of assembly of the components of the pastry roll cutter 10 into operative relationship as shown in FIGURES 1-3, the side and top wall portions are folded back upon themselves along a hinge portion indicated generally at 34. It will be appreciated that the hinge portion indicated generally at 34 need not necessarily be of the living hinge type since once the several components comprising the pastry roll cutter 10 are separated from the integral molding shown in FIGURE 7 and operatively assembled in coo~erative relation, it is generally not necessary to repeatedly hin~e the side wall and top wall portion5 12, 14 and 16,respectively about the longitudinally extending hinge portion 34.
From a consideration o~ FIGURE 7, it will be seen that the shaft 18 and its associated cutter disc 22 would be broken off, or otherwise severed from, the side wall portion 14 at the point ~enerally indicaLed 38 normally comprisin~ a sprue inter-_6_ Z~32 connection of relatively sma]1 diameter between one end of theshaft 18 and the side wall portion 14. In a similar manner, the shaft 20 and its associated cutter discs 24 and 26 would he severed at the loca~ion of a sprue connection of one end oP the shaft 20 with the side wall portion 12 as indicated generally at 40.
As will further be seen from FIGUP~ 7, the interlor wall surfaces 13 and 15 of the side wall portions 12, 14 and 16, respectively, are provided with integral generally interlocking tabs, which in the embodiment illustrated comprise one centrally disposed tab 42 carried by wall portion 12 which cooperates with two spaced apart tabs 44 and 46 wherein the tab 42 having an arcuate sur~ace 48 complementary to the arcuate interior surfaGe 15 of the associated top wall portion 16 ensures that in assembled relationship the top pOrtion of the pastry roll cutter 10 is maintained such that the side wall portions 12 and 14 are generally parallel and that as will become more clear as the description proceeds, the tabs, and particularly the tab 42 prevent the upper portion of the pastry roll cutter 10 from bein~ flattened. ~he tabs 44 and 46 preferably coact with the tab 42 so as to limit, in conjunction with a shaft journaling means to be described, skewing of the side wall portions 12 and 14 out of parallel re~
lationship. It will be understood that it is not necessary that the tabs 42, 44 and 46 be of a press~type fit as will become clearer as the description proceeds.
In FIGURE 7, it will be seen that the lower portions of the side walls 12 and 14 are provided with a ~ortion of a means for rotatably journaling the shaPts 18 and 20 in the operative relationship shown in FIGUR~S 1, 2 and 3.

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In this regard an~ as '~est seenfrc~a si~Lltaneous cc~-parison of FIGURES 4 and 7, the means for rotatably journaling the shafts 18 and 20, in the preferred embodiment, comprises keyhole slots 50 to be positioned and sized so as to rotatably receive reduced diameter shaft portions 52 of shafts 18 and 20 wherein shafts 18 and 20 are disposed on a generally common plane in spaced apart parallel relationship.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the cutter discs 22, 24 and 26 are integral with, and thus fixed relativ~
to their respective shafts 18 and 20. 1n the preferred embodi-ment 10 illustrated, the shaft 18 includes side wall spacer means comprising shaft portions 54 extending laterally, and generally equally, from either side of the cutter disc 22, the combined length of the shaft portions 54 and the cutter disc 22 being such that when the reduced diameter portion 52 of the shaft 18 are pressed into two opposed respective keyhole slots 50, the side walls 12 and 14 are set in ~heir generally parallel relation-ship and the outward hub portions 56 of shafts 18 and 20 function to hold the side wall portions 12 and 14 in the closed position as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3.
It t~7ill be appreciated from FIGURE 7 and other figures to be described, that the shaft spacer portions 54 need not be provided on both shaft 18 and 20, and in fact are not present on shat 20.
In this latter regard, and turning specifically to FIGURES 5 and 6, it will be seen that with respect to shaft 20, the spacing of the integral cutter discs 24 ancl 26 on their respective shaft 20 is such that the out~ardly dis~osed surfaces of the cutter discs 24 and 26 maintain the side t~lall portions 12 and 14 in parallel relation and the hub portions 56 of the ~Z;1:~3~

shaft 20, as in the case of the hub portions 56 of khe shaft 18 assist in holding the side wall por-tions 12 ancl 14 in the closed position~
As ~est seen in FIGURES 5 and 6, the cutter disc 22 is preferably generally equidistantly spaced from the interior side wall surfaces of the side wall porti~ns 12 and 14 and the cutter discs 24 and 26 each laterally disposed relative to the cutter disc 22 so as to provide the cooperative relationship as best appreciated from FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 and the foregoing description thereof.
Briefly returning to FIGURE 6, if desired, the coacting tabs 42, 44 and 46 may ~e of a press-type fit to assist in main-taining the elements of the pastry roll cutter 10 in their assembled relationship.
It will be understood that while the preferred materiai of construction for the pastry roll cutter is a high density polymeric material such as polyethylene, ot~er synthetic polymers, as briefly referenced above, can be used with equal effectiveness.
Further, while only one specific embodiment has been set forth for purposes of illustration, it is to be unders-tood that changes and alterations as fall clearly within the scope and spirit of this invention will occur to those skilled in the art. In this respect, it will be appreciated that the cutter discs may be Qther than of equal diameter and may be rotatably journaled on their respective shafts if forming in such ~anner is expedient.
Further, the discs may ~e of some~7hat flatter than specifically shown for purposes of illus-tration as long as they terminate in a peripheral edge sufficiently sharp, and sufficiently rigid to cut "plastic"~ i.e., pliable material, with which the device is utilized.
Finally, it will be noted that another aspect of the pastry roll cutter 10 of this invention resides in the fact that the longitudinal spacing of the shafts 18 and 20 on a generally common plane together with u-tilization of cutter discs of generally equal diameter wherein the discs on respective shafts are in effect interdigitated, the linear extent of contact of the cutter discs with plastic material to be cut, such as pastry dough, enables the user, such as when utilizing the pastry roll cutter as shown in FIGURE 1, to cut even arcuately narrow strips of dough.
Accordingly, the pastry roll cutter of this invention is not to be thought of as limited to the exact embodiments set forth.

Claims

I CLAIM:

1. A roll cutter comprising a body portion includ-ing means for rotatably journaling at least three cutter discs for selective engagement of one, two or three of said discs with a sheet of material to be cut, said cutters being journaled for rotation on planes normal to at least two longitudinally spaced-apart parallel axes, one of said discs being journaled for rotation on a plane normal to one axis and two other of said at least three discs being journaled for rotation on a plane normal to a second axis, each one of said two other discs being positioned laterally spaced-apart on one side of the plane of rotation of said one disc, wherein selective engagement of the discs with material to be cut selectively enables trimming the material, cutting the material into relatively wide strips or into relatively narrow strips.

2. A roll cutter comprising a body portion provided with means for rotatably journaling at least three cutter discs, at least one of said at least three discs being rotatable about a first axis on a plane normal thereto, at least two other discs of said at least three discs being rotatable about a second axis longitudinally spaced apart from and parallel to said first axis, one of said at least two other discs being displaced laterally of one side of the plane of rotation of said at least one of said at least three discs, and the other of said at least two other discs being displaced laterally of the other side of the plane of rotation of said at least one of said at least three discs.

3. A pastry roll cutter comprising a body portion provided with means for rotatable journaling at least two shafts, two of said shafts being in longitudinally spaced-apart parallel relation and carrying a plurality of roll cutter discs for cutting engagement with a common surface, one of said shafts being provided with a first roll cutter disc normal to said one shaft and fixed at a predetermined position on said one shaft, another of said shafts being provided with second and third roll cutter discs normal to said another shaft and positioned on said another shaft in spaced-apart relation, the position of said second and third roll cutters being laterally of each side of said first roll cutter.

4. A pastry roll cutter according to claim 3, in which said body portion comprises a downwardly open member including opposed spaced apart side wall portions connected by a top wall portion.

5. A pastry roll cutter according to claim 3, in which said cutter discs are fixed relative to their respective shafts.

6. A pastry roll cutter according to claim 3, in which said journaling means includes shaft receiving means for rotatably receiving said shafts relative to said side wall portions.

7. A pastry roll cutter according to claim 3, in which the elements comprising said pastry roll cutter are integrally formed as a unitary molded member for separation and assembly of the several elements comprising said pastry roll cutter.

8. A pastry roll cutter according to claim 3, in which said at least two shafts are on a generally common plane generally horizontally disposed relative to a support surface for material to be cut.

9, A pastry roll cutter according to claim 4, in which said body portion includes means for maintaining said side wall portions in said spaced apart relation.

10. A pastry roll cutter according to claim 9, in which said means for maintaining said side wall portions in spaced apart relation includes interiorly disposed tab spacer means integral with said body portion and means integral with said shafts.