GB2179837A - Confectionery decorating device - Google Patents

Abstract

A confectionery decorating device comprises a turntable 10 for a cake 11 which is rotatably supported from a base 16 on a shaft 13/14. To index rest positions of the turntable as an integral fraction of 360 DEG an index plate 17 is provided which carries recesses 19 on concentric tracks 18a-18e engaged by a sprung ball 20 on a movable arm 21 so that the recesses on the different tracks at differing angles can be engaged. A further series of recesses can be provided on the other side of disc 17. Alternatively, the turntable can be indexed by (a) a series of discs mounted on the shaft, each disc having differently positioned recesses (Fig. 3), (b) a rotatably mounted toothed disc (Figs. 6 and 7) or (c) a rotatably mounted disc with a seal which is held in the desired position by a spring loaded pad (Fig. 5). The turntable can be tilted or carry a pointer arm to aid marking the cake on the turntable. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improved confectionery device This invention relates to a device for facilitating the decoration (e.g. by icing) of a cake or other article of confectionery.

It has been proposed, for example in US-A2708899 and GB-A-1336681 to control the application of piped fluent material to the upper surface of a cake using a motorised turntable on which the cake is centrally placed, the cake thereby being turned relative to the source of fluent material.

According to this invention a confectionery decorating device comprising a turntable and means supporting the turntable so that the latter can be rotated about a turn axis of the turntable, is characterised indexing means is provided which enables the turntable to be advanced in n stages each spaced apart by an angle of 360/n where n is a user selectable whole integer.

Suitably the indexing means comprises one or more discs providing a plurality of tracks, each track consisting of a different integer number of locking means (e.g. recesses) uniformly spaced apart over a circular arc, and a detent device (e.g. a spring-urged ball) to temporarily engage each locking means as it passes the detent device.

The turntable can be removably supported on a noncircular drive shaft (e.g. a splined or hexagonal cross-section rod) forming part of the supporting means.

In some decorating devices according to this invention, the supporting means can permit the turn axis to be tilted relative to the vertical (e.g. through an angle in the range 0 to 60 ), such a facility permitting decoration to be applied more easily to the side or sides of a cake supported on the turntable.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a first embodiment of device, Figure 2 is a partial section on the line ll-ll in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation of a second embodiment of device, Figure 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of turntable for the device of Figures 1 and 3, Figure 5 is a sectional side elevation of a third embodiment of device, Figure 6 is a sectional side elevation of a fourth embodiment of device, and Figure 7 is a partial sectional view on the line VII-VII of Figure 6.

The confectionery decorating device shown in Figure 1 comprises a circular turntable 10 (e.g. some 14" (36 cms) diameter) on which a cake 11 plastered with sugar icing can be centrally located prior to being decorated with piped fluent material (e.g. cream or icing sugar). A cup-shaped member 12 is secured centrally to the underside of the turntable 10, the cup recess formed therein being of hexagonal cross-section.

In use, the cup-shaped member 12 is located on the upper end of a hexagonal section rod 13 to provide a non-rotatable linkage between the rod 13 and the member 12.

The rod 13 has a circular cylindrical lower section 14 which is journalled in a bearing 15 in a hollow domed base 16. Located within the base 16 is an index disc 17 which is nonrotatably secured to the lower end of the section 14.

The disc 17 is provided with a plurality of concentric tracks 18a, 1 8b. ..1 8e (see Figure 2) each of which consists of a number of uniformly spaced-apart recesses 19. Mounted in the base 16 is a captive ball 20 at one end of a support arm 21. The ball 20 is urged by a spring 22 in the direction towards the underside of the disc 17 and the support arm 21 can be moved in the radial direction of the disc 17, so that the ball 20 is positioned under a chosen one of the tracks 18a-18e and can thus temporarily hold the disc in each angular position of the turntable relative to the base, where the ball 20 will be partially received in the respective recess along the respective track.

The support arm 21 is slidably mounted in the base 16 and a cursor 23 (see Figure 2) associated therewith moves over scales 24a, 24b as the arm is moved into and out of the base, the scales being disposed on opposite sides of an elongate window 25. The scales 24a and 24b are graduated in different integer numbers (shown in Figure 2 as letters) which correspond to the number of recesses 19 in the track below which the ball 20 is located.

Two scales are marked on the base 16 in the illustrated embodiment because the disc 17 is readily removable and can be reversed and has different tracks on its two faces, the upper face of which is coloured to correspond to the colour of the scale 24a to be used when the ball is engaging the underside of the disc 17, and the lower face of which is coloured to correspond to the scale 24b.

Wider variation of available sector adjustments can be afforded by providing more than one disc 17. The discs need not be differently tracked on the two sides thereof.

A wide variety of choices for the number of recesses in each track is clearly possible but by using the double colour twin face arrangement shown, ten possible settings for the indexing means are available. These ten settings could be 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, which would give all the integers between 1 and 18 (i.e. all sixteen different angular advances between 20 and 360 ) with set positions no more than every fourth indexed rest position. It should be understood however that the selection of the number of recesses in each track and the number of tracks on each side of the disc 17 is open to wide variation and the example noted above is purely one example of many possible choices.

Although a ball catch acting in a recess provides a convenient indexing means it will be appreciated that the disc can be provided with projections and the spring member can be recessed to receive the projection.

To facilitate easy placement of the turntable 10 on a flat surface after removal from the rod 13, a skirt 26 can be provided which extends downwardly below the turntable 10 at least as far as the member 12.

Figures 3 and 5 show modified forms of device and for convenience the same reference numerals will be used in these Figures as have been used in Figure 1 where the integers are equivalent, but with one or two primes added. In the embodiment of Figure 3 the indexing means includes discs (here three are shown at 27a, 27b and 27c, although more or less than three may be employed) provided with recesses 28 in their cylindrical surface, a ball 20' of a ball catch being located in the wall of a cup member 12'.

The discs 27 are non-rotatably mounted on an upper region 13a of the support rod 13' of the device, and either their sequence on the region 13a can be altered to bring the desired disc in line with the ball 20' of a stationary ball catch 22' or, as illustrated in Figure 3, the ball catch 22' can be movable in a slot to align with a different disc. The cup member 12' is rotatably located on the upper end of the region 13a so that the ball catch turns around the discs 27 as the turntable 10' rotates.

The base 16' contains a threaded shaft 28 rotatable by means of a knob 29, the shaft 28 threadedly engaging a sleeve 30 to which the lower end of the rod 13' is journalled. A self-aligning bearing 31 supports the rod 13' in the base 16' and allows the rod 13' to tilt through an angle of + 60 on either side of the vertical.

Figure 4 shows how a chuck connection can be used to mount acake board 32 to the turntable 10 of the device. Four clamp arms 33 are slidably received in grooves 34 in the cup turntable 10 and can be locked in positions to bear on the edge(s) of the cake board. Markings can be provided on each arm 33 to assist in centring the cake board on the turntable or the clamp arms can be moved in the radial direction of the turntable by a spiral thread or the like in a single adjusting member.

If required, the device can include a reference support which can be fixed relative to the base 16 and extend above the level of the turntable so that it can be used as a reference member when a cake needs to be marked in precise angular positions.

Figure 5 has a base 16", recessed on its upper surface to receive a scale 17" which turns with the shaft 14" that supports the turntable 10". A scale pointer 23" is mounted on the base 16" and overlies the scale 17" to provide a radially disposed reference edge against which markings on the scale 17" can be set in use of the device. A locking means 20" is provided on the base 16" which allows the scale 17" to be temporarily locked in a given position. The locking means illustrated includes a spring-urged pad 40 but other convenient means of locking the scale 17" in place can clearly be used.

The base 16" houses an adjustable pointer arm 41 which can be withdrawn and erected to provide an end (shown schematically at 42) that can overlie a cake on the turntable 10" to permit precisely located marking of confectionery deposits to be placed thereon. The arm 41 illustrated is in four parts, a lower part 43 slidably disposed within the base 16", two hinged together upright parts 44, 45 and an upper arm 46 that terminates in the end 42.

By fabricating the arm 41 in this way, it can be folded down and will then be accommodated within the base 16".

The scale 17" can be marked in a variety of ways and can include detent recesses to ensure n automatic sector advances of the required 360"/n or can merely be marked with lines in a series of concentric rings to indicate such sector advances, the lines in a chosen ring being successively aligned with the pointer 23" as the sector marking of the cake proceeds.

The base 16" and scale 17" can be made of plastics material.

Figures 6 and 7 show a further variant in which a toothed disc 50 provides the indexing means by coacting with a spring-urged ball 51. The base 16"' (which is of hollow die cast or injection moulded construction and contains a stabilising mass 52) supports a shaft 53 on which the disc 50 and the turntable 10"' are located. A recess 54 in the turntable engages with a peg 55 on the disc 50 to ensure these turn together around the axis of the shaft 53. The ball 51 is housed at one end of a lever arm 56 turnable about the axis of shaft part 57 through 90 . In the position shown in Figure 6 the ball 51 is active and engages in the recesses 58 between the uniformly spaced-apart teeth 59 of the disc 50 one after the other, as the latter turns with the turntable 10"' thus providing -as many indexed positions in a 360 turn of the turntable 10"' as there are recesses 58 in the disc 50.

If the lever arm 56 is turned to the position shown in Figure 7, the ball 51 no longer confronts the disc 50 so that the turntable 10"' can turn freely on the base 16"'.

A range of different discs 50 can be provided with different numbers of teeth, the user selecting the disc needed to give the required turntable stage advance between each indexed position.

The base 16"' removably receives one end 60 of a first L-shaped rod so that the vertical limb 61 of the rod can be moved towards and away from the edge of the turntable 10"'.

Mounted on the limb 61 is a connecting member 62 which supports a pointer arm 63 at right angles to the limb 61. The member 62 can be slid up and down the limb 61 as required and the arm 63 can be slid through the member 62 as far as is required to correctly position one or other of the pointed ends 63a, 63b in contact with a cake on the turntable 10"'.

The arm 63 can be graduated in length units and/or a small tape measure (not shown) can be provided to fit on the limb 61.

The rod 60, 61 and the arm 63 can be removed when not required.

The fourth embodiment of device can have a tilting mechanism similar to that shown in Figure 3.

Although primarily intended for sugar craft work, the devices described can be used by potters.

Claims (10)

1. A confectionery decorating device comprising a turntable and means supporting the turntable so that the latter can be rotated about a turn axis of the turntable, characterised in that indexing means is provided which enables the turntable to be advanced in n stages each spaced apart by an angle of 360/n where n is a userselectable whole integer.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which the indexing means comprises at least one disc providing at least one track, the or each track consisting of an integer number of locking means uniformly spaced apart over a circular arc, and a detect device to temporarily engage each locking means as it passes the detent device.

3. A device according to claim 2, in which a plurality of toothed discs are provided, each with a different number of uniformly spacedapart teeth, each disc being mountable to turn with the turntable, the supporting means housing the detent device which can be moved between a position in which the detent device is effective to temporarily engage each locking means to a position in which it is ineffective for such a purpose.

4. A device according to claim 2, in which there are a plurality of tracksof locking means provided on one disc, each track consisting of a different number of locking means, the detent device being mounted on the supporting means to allow it to engage locking means on a selected one of said tracks.

5. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the turntable is removably supported on the supporting means.

6. A device according to claim 5, in which the turntable is removably supported on a non-circular drive shaft forming part of the supporting means.

7. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the supporting means can permit the turn axis of the turntable to be tilted relative to the vertical to facilitate decorating on the side or sides of a cake supported on the turntable.

8. A device according to any preceding claim, in which a pointer arm is removably provided in the supporting means to facilitate marking on a cake supported on the turntable.

9. A confectionery decoarating device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, Figure 3 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A confectionery decorating device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.