GB2084862A

GB2084862A - Garlic press

Info

Publication number: GB2084862A
Application number: GB8028923A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Mike and Kremmel Ltd
Current assignee: Mike and Kremmel Ltd
Priority date: 1980-09-08
Filing date: 1980-09-08
Publication date: 1982-04-21
Also published as: GB2084862B

Abstract

A garlic press comprises a hollow housing 12 and a plunger 14 which is moved along the housing upon relative rotation of the plunger and housing by means of mating screw threads 24 between them to crush the garlic 50 and force the crushed product through small holes in the end of the housing, preferably formed in a separate metal plate 16. A blade 42 extends from and rotates with the plunger but is slidable longitudinally relative to it. The end of the blade bears against the plate 16. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to devices for crushing, mashing and/or grinding foodstuffs This invention relates to devices for crushing, mashing and/or grinding foodstuffs such as garlic which are added during cooking in a finely divided and crushed form.

Many garlic presses have been proposed.

Generally, they have some form of plunger which is forced down a barrel to squeeze and crush or mash the garlic against a perforated plate. In this way, the garlic becomes crushed and small pieces of flesh and the juice are forced through the perforations.

Various ways of forcing the plunger along the barrel can be chosen to give a high mechanical advantage so that very large forces can be applied by the plunger. Despite this it is not possible consistently to expel through the perforations all traces of the garlic. Thus, sometimes it is possible and sometimes not and perhaps the reason lies in the fact that each garlic bulb differs in its toughness and water content. This is a disadvantage because it leads to wastage and portions of garlic left behind have to be cleaned out from the barrel and perforations and this cleaning cannot usually be achieved simply by rinsing.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a garlic press which will crush and expel aimost all, if not, all of the garlic bulb or piece in a consistent manner.

According to the invention there is provided a device for crushing, mashing and/or grinding foodstuffs such as garlic comprising a hollow housing through one end of which are a number of small holes or perforations, a central plunger movable along the housing upon relative rotation of the plunger and housing by means of mating screw threads between the housing and plunger to move one end of the plunger along the housing towards and against the small holes or perforations whereby that end will crush and force placed within the housing through the holes or perforations foodstuff, and a dividing blade extending from the plunger against the said end of the housing, the blade being fixed for rotation relative the plunger and slidable relative the plunger in the direction of movement of the plunger along the housing upon relative rotation of the plunger and housing.

Such a device has been found to give very effective and complete crushing, mashing and/or grinding of garlic pieces. Thus, the use of mating screw threads between the housing and plunger gives a very large mechanical advantage so that very high crushing forces are applied to the garlic. This alone, however, is not sufficient and the use of the dividing blade seems to ensure rotational movement of the garlic pieces relative the holes or perforations and as a result there is a complete or almost complete expulsion of the garlic through the holes or perforations.

Therefore, this reduces wastage and also facilitates cleaning of the device after use.

A garlic crushing device according to the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of the device; Figure 2 is an end view of the device; Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and Figure 5 is a section similar to Fig. 3 but showing the device at the start of a crushing operation.

The garlic crushing device 10 shown in the drawings includes an outer housing 1 2 and a central plunger 14. The right-hand end of the housing as viewed in the drawings is open and spanning this opening is a slightly domed metal plate 1 6 in which are a large number of small holes or perforations 1 8.

The housing 1 2 includes a hollow cylindri cal barrel portion 20 whose outer surface is smooth and which is arranged to be grasped in one hand during use. At the left-hand end of the barrel portion 1 2 is an inturned circular flange and it is over this flange 22 that the plate 1 6 fits. At the other end of the barrel portion is a portion 24 having an external screw thread.

The plunger 1 4 includes an intermediate cylindrical portion 30 which is a loose sliding fit within the barrel portion 20. The right-hand end 32, as viewed in the drawings, of this portion 30 is dome-shaped to fit closely against the metal plate 1 6 when the plunger 1 4 is in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

At the other end, the plunger has a position 34 which flares outwardly and terminates in a returned circular flange 36. This flange 36 has an internal screw-thread 37 which can mate with the thread on the portion 24. In addition, a number of longitudinal humps 38 are provided spaced around the outside of the flange to assist in gripping the flange during use.

The plunger 14 is hollow and within the end 32 is a slot 40 through which a blade 42 slidably extends. The end of the blade can therefore extend through the slot 40 into contact with the plate 1 6 whether the plunger is in the position shown in Fig. 3 or in the position shown in Fig. 5.

A removable end cap 44 closes the end of the hollow interior of the plunger 1 2 and so provides a closed region in which garlic pieces or bulbs can be stored before use.

In order to crush one or more pieces of garlic, the plunger 1 4 and housing 1 2 are separated from one another by unscrewing them. Then one or more pieces of garlic 50 (Fig. 5) are placed within the open end of the housing and then the end 22 of the plunger is inserted until the screw threads on the two parts come into contact. Next, the outer end of the blade 42 is pushed down until its end contacts the plate 1 6. The user holds the barrel portion 20 very firmly in one hand and with the other hand rotates the plunger so as to screw the plunger along the barrel. By the use of screw threads in this way, a large mechanical advantage can be obtained so that very high crushing forces can be applied to the pieces of garlic 50 so that they become forced through the holes 18 in the plate 16.

Because garlic is a very slippery substance, mere pressure in this way is frequently not enough to ensure this expulsion or extension of all of the garlic through the holes 1 8. By providing the blade 42, however, which rotates with the plunger 1 2 relative the plate 16, the pieces of garlic are forced to move around relative the plate and this ensures that all or substantially all of the garlic becomes expelled through the holes 1 8. It may well be that this is as a result of some grinding action caused by the relative rotation of the garlic and the plate 1 6.

As will be seen, the device is simple both to operate and to make. The housing 1 2 and plunger 14 can be moulded from synthetic plastics material and the plate 1 6 is conveniently a stainless steel and so the device can be hygenic in use. Also, the device can readily be cleaned after use, particularly as substantially all traces of the garlic will have been expelled and so simple rinsing is all that will usually be required.

Claims

1. A device for crushing, mashing, and/or grinding foodstuffs such as garlic comprising a hollow housing through one end of which are a number of small holes or perforations, a central plunger movable along the housing upon relative rotation of the plunger and housing by means of mating screw threads between the housing and plunger to move one end of the plunger along the housing towards and against the small holes or perforations whereby that end will crush and force foodstuff, placed within the housing through the holes or perforations, and a dividing blade extending from the plunger against the said end of the housing, the blade being fixed for rotation relative the plunger and slidable relative the plunger in the direction of movement of the plunger along the housing upon relative rotation of the plunger and housing.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1 in which the hollow housing has at its end remote from the holes or perforations an external screw thread and the central plunger has a mating internal screw thread formed in a returned portion of the plunger which encompass the end of the housing.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the housing, plunger and blade are all of synthetic plastics material and the said one of the housing is formed by a separable metal plate in which the small holes or perforations are formed.

4. A device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the said one end of the housing and the said one end of the plunger have a mating domed shape, that end of the blade having a corresponding curved shape so that it can bear closely against the domed end of the housing.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the plunger is hollow, the blade extending axially along the plunger and through a slot in the said one end of the plunger, and the other end of the plunger is closed by a removable cover to provide within the plunger a container in which garlic bulbs or the like can be stored before use.

6. A device for crushing, mashing and/or grinding foodstuffs such as garlic substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.