GB1570472A

GB1570472A - Culinary machine

Info

Publication number: GB1570472A
Application number: GB3031/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Leifheit International Guenter Leifheit GmbH; Leifheit International GmbH
Current assignee: Leifheit International GmbH
Priority date: 1977-02-12
Filing date: 1978-01-25
Publication date: 1980-07-02
Also published as: DE2705991A1; HK54181A; IT1092049B; IT7819775A0; CH626797A5

Abstract

The domestic machine has a casing (10) with a filling aperture (11). The casing contains a tubular cutting tool (13) which can be rotated by means of a hand crank (14), the inner end of which is sealed off by means of a circular disc (22) while the outer end is open in order to permit the discharging of the comminuted material. The disc (22) is pushed into the cutting tool (13) and engages with catching projections (23) in recesses of the cutting tool. The cutting tool (13) is formed by a metal sheet which is rolled together to form a tube and has on its rear edge a bead (20) which is rolled inwards and which forms a stop for the disc (22). This structure can be manufactured in a simple manner. <IMAGE>

Description

(54) CULINARY MACHINE (71) We, LEIFHEIT INTERNATIONAL GUNTER LEIFHEIT GmbH, a body corporate organised and existing under the Laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, of 5408 Nassau/Lahn, Federal Republic of Germany, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to a culinary machine such as a vegetable cutter.

Such a culinary machine may comprise a housing a tubular tool rotatably mounted with respect to the housing and rotatable by means of a hand crank about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation, the housing having a filling aperture through which foodstuffs can be fed to be engaged by the tubular tool, the tubular tool comprising a generally rectangular blank of sheet metal rolled into a tube and having a connecting seam along the joint, a first forward end of the tubular tool being open and a second, rearward end thereof being closed by a circular disc having at its centre a rearwardly directed drive projection for connection to the hand crank.

A previously proposed culinary machine of this kind has the second, rearward end of the tubular tool closed by a circular metal disc connected to the tubular tool by riveting or seaming and the drive projection secured to the disc by riveting.

At the rear end of the drive projection there was a screwthreaded portion onto which the hand crank was fitted. Manufacture of such a culinary machine was relatively expensive and it was complicated to use. Thus attachment of the circular disc to the tubular tool and mounting of the drive projection on the circular disc required a plurality of working stages which made manufacture expensive. When the culinary machine had been used and needed to be taken apart for cleaning, the hand crank had to be separated from the drive projection by being rotated in the opposite direction to the direction of operational rotation, so that the tubular tool could be withdrawn from the housing. When the culinary machine was re-assembled, the hand crank had to be screwed onto the drive projection again.

According to the invention there is provided a culinary machine comprising a housing, a tubular tool rotatably mounted with respect to the housing and rotatable by means of a hand crank about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation, the housing having a filling aperture through which foodstuffs can be fed to be engaged by the tubular tool, the tubular tool comprising a generally rectangular blank of sheet metal rolled into a tube and having a connecting seam along the joint, a first, forward end of the tubular tool being open and a second, rearward end thereof being closed by a circular disc engaged in the tubular tool to close off said rearward end thereof, the circular disc having integrally formed radially outwardly directed locking projections which engage in corresponding apertures in the tubular sheet metal tool and having at its centre a rearwardly directed drive projection for connection to the hand crank.

Such a culinary machine, such as a vegetable cutter or cheese grater, can be produced in a particularly inexpensive manner and, in use, can be more easily dismantled and re-assembled. Thus, manufacture is substantially simplified, since the tubular tool and the circular disc can be separately manufactured and, upon assembly, the circular disc need only be pushed into the tubular tool from the first, front end thereof until the integrally shaped radially outwardly directed locking projections engage into the corresponding recesses into the tubular sheet metal tool to secure the tool and disc together. During such insertion, the tubular tool is somewhat elastically stretched.

The metal sheet which is rolled into tubular form to form the tool can be rolled inwards at the second, rear end, the resultant inwardly directed bead forming a stop for the circular disc which can be pressed in from the front end. In consequence, pressing of the circular disc right through the tubular tool is prevented. The rolling-in furthermore imparts greater strength to the tubular tool which is preferably formed from a relatively thin sheet of metal.

The circular disc which closes off the rearward end of the tubular tool may have a forwardly directed annular flange, the outer surface of which flange bears against the inner surface of the tubular tool. In conse quench a sufficiently large supporting surface can be achieved even if the disc is of relatively thin construction.

The circular disc is preferably moulded from a synthetic plastics material and the radially outwardly directed locking projections thereof which engage in the apertures in the tubular sheet metal tool may be integrally moulded on the annular flange.

The inwardly directed bead on the tubular tool may engage into a recess at the outer rear-edge of the circular disc. Thus, the inwardly directed bead is concealed in the circular disc.

The metal sheet which is rolled together into tubular form to constitute the tool may be rolled over outwardly at its first forward end, a bearing ring being fitted onto the resultant outwardly directed bead. As a result, also the forward end of the tubular tool is strengthened by the bead, the outwardly directed bead serving at the same time to hold the bearing ring.

The bearing ring can be made from a synthetic plastics material and co-operate with a corresponding bearing seating in the housing, which housing is also made of a synthetic plastics material. Thus, a lasting mounting for the forward end of the tubular tool is easily provided.

The rearwardly directed drive projection provided centrally on the circular disc which closes off the inner of the tubular tool can be of square section, is preferably moulded integral with the circular disc and is engaged in an aperture of corresponding section in a drive member rotationally rigidly coupled to the hand crank. Thus, the tubular tool is easily and rotationally rigidly connected to the drive member.

The square section drive projection is preferably longer than the thickness of the drive member and has, to bear against a rear face of the drive member, a portion of thickened cross-section which projects beyond the internal cross-section of the aperture in the drive member, which portion can be compressed elastically by reason of a slot extending from the free end face of the drive projection. In consequence, connection of the square ended drive projection to the drive member may be effected by simple axial insertion, any undesired axial displacement being prevented by the portion of thickened cross-section.

The drive member is advantageously a gearwheel mounted in a drive recess at the rear of the housing, and meshing with a further gearwheel which is rotationally rigidly connected to the hand crank, the drive recess being closed by a cover plate and the drive projection of the circular disc of the tubular tool protruding from the cover plate. As a result, the tubular tool can easily be removed from the housing since the free end of the drive projection protrudes from the cover plate and is therefore freely accessible.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a section through a culinary machine according to the invention in the form of a vegetable cutter; Figure 2 is a plan view of a blank for a tubulartool; Figure 3 is a section taken on line III-III of Figure 2 but to a greater scale; Figure 4 is a side view of the tubular tool; Figure 5 is a section through the tubular tool; and Figure 6 shows a fragmentary section taken on line VI-VI of Figure 5 but to a greater scale.

The vegetable cutter shown in the drawings has a housing 10 with a filling aperture 11. Below the filling aperture 11, the housing 10 has, in a seating 12, a tubular tool 13 mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation by means of a hand crank 14.

The tubular tool 13 is formed from a gen erally rectangular blank 15 of sheet metal.

This blank is shown in Figures 2 and 3. As can be seen particularly in Figure 2, the blank 15 has cutting edges 16 formed by raised edges 17 of apertures 16. In order to form the tubular tool 13, the blank 15 is rolled into a tube and is provided at the abutting edges with a joining seam formed by hooked together flanges 18, 19. The metal sheet 15 rolled into tubular form to constitute the tool 13 is rolled inwards at the edge to be its rearward end to form an inwardly directed bead 20, Figure 5. The rolled metal sheet 15 which forms the tool 13 is outwardly flanged at its forward end to form an outwardly directed bead 21. The stability of the tubular tool 13 is enhanced by the beads 20 and 21.

The rearward end of the tubular tool 13 is provided with a circular disc 22 of a synthetic plastics material. The circular disc 22 which seals off the rearward end of the tubular tool 13 is pushed into the tubular tool 13 and has integrally moulded radially outwardly directed locking projections 23 which engage into corresponding recesses 24 in the tubular metal tool 13. Thus, it is possible in a particularly simple manner to connect the circular disc 22 to the tubular tool 13, since the circular disc 22 only requires to be pushed into the tubular tool 13 from the forward end, until the radially outwardly directed locking projections 23 snap into the recesses 24 in the tubular tool 13. The tubular tool 13 is stretched somewhat elastically thereby. The inwardly directed bead 20 of the tubular tool 13 forms an abutment for the circular disc 22 pushed in from the forward end.The circular disc 22 which closes off the rearward end of the tubular tool 13 has a forwardly directed annular flange 25, the outer surface of which bears against the inner surface of the tubular tool 13. The projections 23 which engage into the apertures 24 in the rolled-up metal sheet 15 are moulded integrally on the synthetic plastics circular disc 22 on the annular flange 25. The inwardly directed bead 20 in the tubular tool 13 engages in a recess 26 at the outer rear edge of the circular disc 22.

On the outwardly directed bead 21 provided at the forward end of the tubular tool 13 is fitted a bearing ring 27 which is made trom a synthetic plastics material and which co-operates with a corresponding bearing seating 28 in the housing 10, which housing is also made from a synthetic plastics material.

The tubular tool 13 is operated by means of the hand crank 14. The axis of rotation of the hand crank 14 is however disposed at a distance vertically above the axis of rotation of the tubular tool 13. Connection between the hand crank 14 and the tubular tool 13 is effected through gearwheels 29 and 30. The gearwheels 29 and 30 are of different sizes and are exchangeable, so that it is possible as desired to achieve a step-down or a stepup ratio of transmission. Naturally, the gearwheels could be made of the same size if neither a step-up nor a step-down transmission ratio was required.

The gearwheels 29 and 30 are mounted in a drive recess 32 in the rear wall of the housing 10, which drive recess 32 can be closed by a cover plate 31. To this end, the gear wheels 29 and 30 have on the one hand, pointing in opposite directions, respective projections 33 and 34 which serve to engage bushes 35 and 36. The bush 35 is provided in the cover plate 31 and receives the projection 33 on the gearwheel 29. The bush 36 is provided on the rear wall of the housing and serves to accommodate the projection 34 on the gearwheel 30.

The two gearwheels 29 and 30 have in each case a central aperture 42 and 43 of square cross-section. The central aperture 42 in the gearwheel 29 receives a drive projection 44 of corresponding section on the hand crank 14, so that the hand crank 14 is rotationally rigidly connected to the gearwheel 29.

The central aperture 43 in the gearwheel 30 receives a drive projection 45 of corresponding section on the circular disc 22 of the tubular tool 13, so that the tubular tool 13 is rotationally rigidly connected to the gearwheel 30. The gearwheels 30 and 29 are operatively connected to each other so that the hand crank 14 is rotationally rigidly connected to the tubular tool 13.

The drive projection 44 of the hand crank 14 has at its free end a portion 46 of thickened cross-section which projects beyond the inside cross-section of the gearwheel aperture 42, which portion 46 can be compressed elastically by reason of a slot 47. As a result, the hand crank 14 is in a particularly simple fashion separably connected to the gearwheel 29 and thus to the vegetable cutter.

The drive projection 45 is integrally moulded centrally on the circular disc 22 which is moulded of a synthetic plastics material and which closes off the rearward end of the tubular tool 13. The square section drive projection 45 is received in the central aperture 43 in the gearwheel 30 and is longer than the thickness of the gearwheel 30, a portion 48, projecting beyond the inside cross-section of the aperture 43 of the gearwheel 30, being of thickened crosssection and bearing against a surface 49 at the rear of the gearwheel 30. In the region of the thickened portion 48, the drive projection 45 can be compressed elastically by means of a slot 50 which extends from the free end face of the drive projection 45. The free end of the drive projection 45 protrudes from an aperture 1 in the plate 31,so that it is freely accessible. By pressing on this protruding end of the drive projection 45, the tubular tool 13 can be ejected from the housing 10 for cleaning. After the culinary machine has been cleaned, the tubular tool 13 can be re-inserted by being simply pressed into position.

As already mentioned, the embodiment shown is only an example of how the invention can be implemented and is not restricted to it, rather, many other embodiments and applications are possible within the scope of the appended claims. For example, instead of being constructed as a vegetable cutter, the culinary machine could be constructed as a mill for grinding almonds or as a cheese grater.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A culinary machine comprising a

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. which seals off the rearward end of the tubular tool 13 is pushed into the tubular tool 13 and has integrally moulded radially outwardly directed locking projections 23 which engage into corresponding recesses 24 in the tubular metal tool 13. Thus, it is possible in a particularly simple manner to connect the circular disc 22 to the tubular tool 13, since the circular disc 22 only requires to be pushed into the tubular tool 13 from the forward end, until the radially outwardly directed locking projections 23 snap into the recesses 24 in the tubular tool 13. The tubular tool 13 is stretched somewhat elastically thereby. The inwardly directed bead 20 of the tubular tool 13 forms an abutment for the circular disc 22 pushed in from the forward end.The circular disc 22 which closes off the rearward end of the tubular tool 13 has a forwardly directed annular flange 25, the outer surface of which bears against the inner surface of the tubular tool 13. The projections 23 which engage into the apertures 24 in the rolled-up metal sheet 15 are moulded integrally on the synthetic plastics circular disc 22 on the annular flange 25. The inwardly directed bead 20 in the tubular tool 13 engages in a recess 26 at the outer rear edge of the circular disc 22. On the outwardly directed bead 21 provided at the forward end of the tubular tool 13 is fitted a bearing ring 27 which is made trom a synthetic plastics material and which co-operates with a corresponding bearing seating 28 in the housing 10, which housing is also made from a synthetic plastics material. The tubular tool 13 is operated by means of the hand crank 14. The axis of rotation of the hand crank 14 is however disposed at a distance vertically above the axis of rotation of the tubular tool 13. Connection between the hand crank 14 and the tubular tool 13 is effected through gearwheels 29 and 30. The gearwheels 29 and 30 are of different sizes and are exchangeable, so that it is possible as desired to achieve a step-down or a stepup ratio of transmission. Naturally, the gearwheels could be made of the same size if neither a step-up nor a step-down transmission ratio was required. The gearwheels 29 and 30 are mounted in a drive recess 32 in the rear wall of the housing 10, which drive recess 32 can be closed by a cover plate 31. To this end, the gear wheels 29 and 30 have on the one hand, pointing in opposite directions, respective projections 33 and 34 which serve to engage bushes 35 and 36. The bush 35 is provided in the cover plate 31 and receives the projection 33 on the gearwheel 29. The bush 36 is provided on the rear wall of the housing and serves to accommodate the projection 34 on the gearwheel 30. The two gearwheels 29 and 30 have in each case a central aperture 42 and 43 of square cross-section. The central aperture 42 in the gearwheel 29 receives a drive projection 44 of corresponding section on the hand crank 14, so that the hand crank 14 is rotationally rigidly connected to the gearwheel 29. The central aperture 43 in the gearwheel 30 receives a drive projection 45 of corresponding section on the circular disc 22 of the tubular tool 13, so that the tubular tool 13 is rotationally rigidly connected to the gearwheel 30. The gearwheels 30 and 29 are operatively connected to each other so that the hand crank 14 is rotationally rigidly connected to the tubular tool 13. The drive projection 44 of the hand crank 14 has at its free end a portion 46 of thickened cross-section which projects beyond the inside cross-section of the gearwheel aperture 42, which portion 46 can be compressed elastically by reason of a slot 47. As a result, the hand crank 14 is in a particularly simple fashion separably connected to the gearwheel 29 and thus to the vegetable cutter. The drive projection 45 is integrally moulded centrally on the circular disc 22 which is moulded of a synthetic plastics material and which closes off the rearward end of the tubular tool 13. The square section drive projection 45 is received in the central aperture 43 in the gearwheel 30 and is longer than the thickness of the gearwheel 30, a portion 48, projecting beyond the inside cross-section of the aperture 43 of the gearwheel 30, being of thickened crosssection and bearing against a surface 49 at the rear of the gearwheel 30. In the region of the thickened portion 48, the drive projection 45 can be compressed elastically by means of a slot 50 which extends from the free end face of the drive projection 45. The free end of the drive projection 45 protrudes from an aperture 1 in the plate 31,so that it is freely accessible.By pressing on this protruding end of the drive projection 45, the tubular tool 13 can be ejected from the housing 10 for cleaning. After the culinary machine has been cleaned, the tubular tool 13 can be re-inserted by being simply pressed into position. As already mentioned, the embodiment shown is only an example of how the invention can be implemented and is not restricted to it, rather, many other embodiments and applications are possible within the scope of the appended claims. For example, instead of being constructed as a vegetable cutter, the culinary machine could be constructed as a mill for grinding almonds or as a cheese grater. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A culinary machine comprising a

housing, a tubular tool rotatably mounted with respect to the housing and rotatable by means of a hand crank about a substantially horizontal axis of rotation, the housing having a filling aperture through which foodstuffs can be fed to be engaged by the tubular tool, the tubular tool comprising a generally rectangular blank of sheet metal rolled into a tube and having a connecting seam along the joint, a first, forward end of the tubular tool being open and a second, rearward end thereof being closed by a circular disc engaged in the tubular tool to close off said rearward end thereof, the circular disc having integrally formed radially outwardly directed locking projections which engage in corresponding apertures in the tubular sheet metal tool and having at its centre a rearwardly directed drive projection for connection to the hand crank.

2. A culinary machine according to claim 1, in which the tubular sheet metal tool is rolled inwards at its rearward end to form an inwardly directed bead which forms an axial stop for the circular disc which is pushed into the first, forward end of the tool.

3. A culinary machine according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the circular disc closing off the rearward end of the tubular tool has a forwardly directed annular flange, the outer surface of which flange bears against the inner surface of the tubular tool.

4. A culinary machine according to claim 3, in which the circular disc is moulded from a synthetic plastics material and the radially outwardly directed locking projections thereof which engage in the apertures in the tubular sheet metal tool are integrally moulded on the annular flange.

5. A culinary machine according to claim 3 or claim 4 whenapendant to claim 2, in which the inwardly directed bead on the tubular tool engages into a recess at the outer rear edge of the circular disc.

6. A culinary machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the tubular sheet metal tool is rolled outwards at its first, forward end and has a bearing ring pressed onto the resultant outwardly directed bead.

7. A culinary machine according to claim 6, in which the bearing ring is formed of a synthetic plastics material and cooperates with a corresponding bearing seating on the housing, which housing is also formed of a synthetic plastics material.

8. A culinary machine particularly according to claim 3 or any one of claims 4 to 7 when appendant to claim 3, in which the rearwardly directed drive projection on the circular disc is of square section, is moulded integral with the circular disc and is engaged in an aperture of corresponding section in a drive member rotationally rigidly coupled to the hand crank.

9. A culinary machine according to claim 8, in which the square section drive projection is longer than the thickness of the drive member and has, to bear against a rear face on the drive member, a portion of thickened cross-section which projects beyond the inside cross-section of the aperture in the drive member, which portion can be compressed elastically by reason of a slot extending from the free end face of the drive projection.

10. A culinary machine according to claim 9, in which the drive member comprises a gearwheel mounted in a drive recess at the rear of the housing and meshing with a further gearwheel which is rotationally rigidly connected to the hand crank, the drive recess being closed by a cover plate and the drive projection of the circular disc of the tubular tool protruding from the cover plate.

11. A culinary machine substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.