GB2046583A

GB2046583A - Dispensers for foodstuffs

Info

Publication number: GB2046583A
Application number: GB7943390A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Kings R A
Current assignee: Kings R A
Priority date: 1978-12-19
Filing date: 1979-12-17
Publication date: 1980-11-19
Also published as: GB2046583B

Abstract

A dispenser for cherries, or other small fruit or vegetable foodstuffs normally stored in a liquid comprises a container 10 having mounted therein a perforated support 24 for the cherries mounted so as to be slidable within the container, and hand-operated screw means 20-23 by which the height of the support from the bottom of the container can be adjusted. The screw means conveniently takes the form of a screw-threaded spindle 20 engaging a screw-threaded boss 26 carried by the support. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Dispensers for foodstuffs This invention relates to dispensers for cherries and other small fruit or vegetable foodstuffs, and in particular it relates to dispensers suitable for providing a readily accessable supply of such foodstuffs substantially freed from liquid in which they are normally stored.

Various foodstuffs, for example cherries, olives and pickled onions, are normally stored in an associated liquid which acts either, for instance, as an adjuvant for the foodstuff, or as a preservative as does vinegar with pickled onions. Since the user or consumer of these foodstuffs normally requires them freed from the associated liquid, it is normally necessary to keep the container vertical and it is not practicable to facilitate removal of the foodstuff by tilting the container. The conventional way of removing such foodstuffs from their containers is by means of a fork or other pointed implement.However, this is not at all convenient for various reasons: it is often not easy to penetrate the skin of the foodstuff with the implement, especially when the container is relatively empty; in order to remove excess liquid from the foodstuff it is necessary to allow it to drain after having been removed from its associated liquid; and in dispensing the foodstuff in this way there is always a risk of the container and its contents being spilled. Although these disadvantages may be acceptable in the home, they present serious problems in bars and other places where the foodstuffs are supplied to the public and where it is necessary to serve the customers as quickly as possible especially at very busy times.

According to the present invention I have devised a dispenser for cherries, other small fruit or vegetable foodstuffs which obviates the disadvantages referred to above.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a dispenser for cherries, or other small fruit or vegetable foodstuff normally stored in a liquid, the dispenser comprising: a container for the foodstuff and the liquid; a perforated support for the foodstuff extending across the container, the support being suitable for vertical movement in the container when the dispenser is in use; and hand-operated means to adjust the height of the support from the bottom of the container.

Although the dispensers of this invention can be used merely for dispensing the foodstuff, the foodstuff being otherwise stored in a separate container, in a preferred form of the invention the dispenser also provides a means of storing the foodstuff when not in use, and it is to this aspect of the invention that the following description particularly relates.

The dispensers of the invention are intended primarily for small globular fruits, for example cher- ries or olives or small globular vegetables, for example pickled onions, but the invention extends to dispensers for use with foodstuffs of non-globular shape, for example gherkins or similar elongated foodstuffs. However, the invention is described hereinafter with particular reference to globular foodstuffs.

The particular form chosen for the perforated support depends, of course, on the nature of the foodstuff to be dispensed. The perforations must be sufficiently small as to prevent individual cherries or other foodstuff from falling through the support but sufficiently large to allow the associated liquid to drain quickly from the foodstuff. This latter aspect may not be critical where the liquid has a low viscosity, for example vinegar, but can be an important factor where the liquid has a greater viscosity, for example a thick syrup. Dependent upon this consideration, the perforations in the support plate can be very small, for example a sheet of wire mesh of a mesh size similar to that used for kitchen sieves, or of substantial size, for example half to three-quarters of an inch where the foodstuff is pickled onions.

Normally the apertures will all be of the same or similar size though this is not essential.

The means to adjust the height of the support from the bottom of the container conveniently takes the form of a screw-threaded rod or other spindle engaging with co-operating means carried by the support.

In order to simplify the construction and to avoid the need for seals it has been found convenient to locate the screw-threaded spindle inside the container. For example, a vertically disposed spindle can engage with a screw-threaded boss, sleeve or other member formed in or carried by the perforated support. Of course, where the screw-threaded spindle or other hand-operated means is located inside the container it is necessary that it should be such as not to give rise to any undesirable inter-action between it and the foodstuff or associated liquid to be kept in the container.

Where an externally threaded spindle is used as the operating means, it is conveniently located in position in the container by means of a locating pin upstanding from the base of the container to engage the lower portion of the spindle, for example a cylindrical recess in said lower portion.

The container can be of cylindrical, rectangular or other polygonal shape. Where it is of circular crosssection and the operating means comprises a screw-threaded spindle and co-operating screwthreaded means on or otherwise carried by the support, it is preferably that the spindle be disposed off-centre with respect to the support so as to preclude accidental rotation of the support with respect to the spindle instead of vertical movement inside the container.

A dispenser for cocktail cherries according to an embodiment of the invention is now described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Figure lisa side elevation of the dispenser; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the dispenser; Figure 3 is a ptan view of the dispenser; Figure 4 is a section on the line A-A of Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a plan view of the support or platform of the dispenser.

The dispenser includes a container 10 formed from moulded polypropylene and comprising a wall of generally square cross-section, and a flat bottom 12. The container has a cover 13 which is a push fit on the top of the container and has an outwardly extending flange 14 (Figure 4) which sits on top of wall 11. The cover has formed therein an aperture 15 providing access to the interior of the container, and a lid 16 hinged to the cover 13 at 17. An open position of the lid is shown by chain lines in Figure 4. The wall 11, bottom 12, cover 13 and lid 14 are all of moulded plastics material, for example polypropylene.

The cover 13 has formed integrally therewith in its rearward portion a bush 18 having a vertically extending bore 19 in which there is disposed spindle 20. The upper portion of spindle 20 has a smooth cylindrical profile and is a close fit in sleeve 18.

Immediately below said smooth cylindrical profile spindle 20 has a radially extending ledge 21 from which the spindle tapers to a screw-threaded cylindrical portion 22. This ledge provided a "snap fit" retention means for the spindle in bush 18. Spindle 20 terminates at its upper end in a fluted control knob 23 moulded integrally with spindle 20 in polypropylene.

Inside the container there is a horizontal support plate 24 formed from moulded polypropylene for the globularfoodstuffto be stored in and dispensed from the dispenser, the plate being a loose sliding fit inside the wall 11. The plate has an array of apertures 25 disposed across its area, the apertures each tapering from the upper to the lower faces of support 24. Disposed off-centre of the plate there is an integrally moulded boss 26, formed with a two-start internal screw thread of relatively large pitch which engages with the screw thread carried by spindle 20.

The height of the support plate above the base of the container can readily be adjusted by turning manually knob 23 and thereby spindle 20. Rotation of the spindle in this way causes support plate 24 to move in a vertical direction by virtue of the interaction of the spindle screw thread with the screw thread of boss 26. Thus, for example, by appropriate rotation of knob 23 the support plate 24 can be moved vertically downwards to the bottom of the container (to the position shown in chain lines in Figure 4). The foodstuff, for example maraschino cherries in syrup, can then be poured into the container, the cherries resting on support plate 24 and the syrup draining to the bottom of the container. In this position the upper level of the syrup is normally above the upper surface of the cherries.When it is wished to dispense cherries from the dispenser knob 23 is rotated so as to result in vertical upward movement of support plate 24. As the plate rises in this way it carries with it all the cherries but leaves behind the syrup, and syrup on the surfaces of the cherries quickly drains through the apertures 25 to consolidate with the syrup at the bottom of the container. Depending on the amount of cherries in the container, knob 23 is turned to an extent sufficient to bring the upper surface of the mass of cherries on the support plate up to the upper region of container 10 so that individual cherries can readily be removed therefrom. As cherries are successively removed from the mass supported on plate 24 that plate can, if necessary, be raised to a further extent by rotation of knob 23 so that the upper level of cherries on the plate is kept at a convenient height for them to be removed. When no further cherries are needed from the dispenser knob 23 can then be rotated in the direction opposite to that previously used, thereby resulting in support plate 24 moving vertically downwards in the container. If support plate 24 is moved to the full extent to the bottom of the container any cherries still retained thereon will normally be immersed in a pool of syrup at the bottom of the container and thereby preserved for subsequent use.

Claims

1. A dispenser for cherries or other small fruit or vegetable foodstuff normally stored in a liquid, the dispenser comprising: a container for the foodstuff and the liquid; a perforated support for the foodstuff extending across the container, the support being suitable for vertical movement in the container when the dispenser is in use; and hand-operated means to adjust the height of the support from the bottom of the container.

2. A dispenser according to Claim 1, in which the container is suitable for storage of the foodstuff between successive dispensing operations.

3. A dispenser according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the hand-operated means comprises a screw mechanism to raise or lower the support with relation to the container.

4. A dispenser according to Claim 3, in which the screw mechanism is located inside the container.

5. A dispenser according to Claim 3 or 4, in which the screw mechanism comprises a screw-threaded spindle adapted to rotate on its longitudinal axis and extending into the container, and a co-operating screw-threaded means carried by the support, whereby the support can be raised or lowered in the container by rotation of the spindle.

6. A dispenser according to claim 5, in which said screw-threaded means comprises an internally screw-threaded boss carried by the support.

7. A dispenser according to Claim 6, in which said boss is mounted off-centre of the support.

8. A dispenser according to Claim 5,6 or 7, in which the container has a cover comprising a first portion adapted to engage the upper portion of the container wall, and a second portion hingedly attached to said first portion and adapted to be raised so as to provide access to the interior of the container, said first portion having a sleeve to house the spindle.

9. A dispenser according to Claim 1, substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A dispenser for cherries or other small fruit or vegetable foodstuff normally stored in a liquid, substantially as described herein and substantially as shown in the accompanying drawings.