US2007300A - Kitchen utility device - Google Patents

Description

y 1935. A. c. GILBERT ET AL I 2,007,300

KITCHEN UTILITY DEVICE Filed Dec. 30, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet l C JIF July 9, 1935. A. c. GILBERT ET AL I 2,007,300

KITCHEN UTILITY DEVICE Filed Dec. 30, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 9, 1935. A, Q GILBERT r AL 2,007,300

KITCHEN UTILITY DEVICE Filed Dec. 50, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 $1 .15 ail- .16.

Gum/M4 135 Patented July 9, 1935 UNITED STATES KITCHEN UTILITY DEVICE Alfred 0. Gilbert, North Haven, and Shirley P. Morse, East Haven, Conn, assignors to The A. 0. Gilbert Company, New Haven, Conn.

Application December 30, 1932, Serial No. 649,582

6 Claims.

This invention relates to kitchen utility devices of the type in. which an electric motor supplies power for the mixing or beating of materials, the extraction of fruit juices, etc.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a device of this kind which is simple, sturdy and inexpensive.

Another object is to furnish a device which can be operated very conveniently by the housewife.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts.

to be hereinafter described and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a device embodying our improvements, the juice-collecting bowl and fruit reamer being omitted;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the upper part of the structure showing the juice-collecting bowl and fruit reamer in position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2; I

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on line 66 of Fig. 2;

Fig. '7 is a section on line 1-1 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a front view of the gearing shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged section on line 99 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 is a section on line Ill-I0 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged vertical section through the juice-receiving bowl and fruit reamer showing the mounting of the reamer shaft;

Fig. 12 is a section on line l2--l2 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a detail perspective view of the bowlsupporting bracket;

Fig. 14 is a sectional view of the gear case illustrating a somewhat modified form of gearing for driving the agitator shafts;

Fig. 15 is a detail view taken at right angles to Fig. 14; and

Figs. 16 and 1'7 are views showing still further modifications of the gearing.

In its general features our device as particularly illustrated herein comprises a base adapted to support bowls and receptacles of various kinds; a pedestal rising from the base; a bracket pivoted to the pedestal in a position to overhang the base; an electric motor supported on top of the bracket; a gear case and gearing supported from one end of the motor; agitator shafts depending from the gear case and adapted to project down into a receptacle supported onthe base to stir the contents of the receptacle; an extractor shaft adapted to be mounted to project upwardly from the gear case to drive a reamer located in a juicecollecting and delivering bowl; and a bracket supported on the motor at the upper part thereof and by means of which the juice-collecting bowl is held in position, the bowl being removable from the bracket and the reamer shaft being removable from its operative position in which it extends upward from the gear casing.

In the example selected for illustration, the base is indicated generally at A, the pedestal at B, the motor bracket at C, the motor at D, the gear case containing gearing driven from the motor shaft at E, the depending agitators at F, the fruit reamer at G, the juice-collecting bowl at H, and the bracket supporting the juice-collecting bowl at I.

The base A may be of any usual structure and need not be particularly described. The pedestal B rises from the rear end of the base A, and the motor-supporting bracket C is mounted to swing up and downrelatively to the pedestal B and is also capable of turning movement relatively thereto so that the agitators F can be swung laterally relatively to the base to bring them into the position desired for the operation to be performed or to bring the juice-collecting bowl H, if desired, to one side or the other of the base. In the particular form shown the pedestal B is of round cross-section and hollow and at its upper end provides a swivel mounting for a platform 20. At its upper end the pedestal B has a cylindrical opening or socket 2| in which is received a downwardly projecting substantially cylindrical hub or trunnion 22 preferably formed integrally with the platform 20. The hub or trunnion 22 is provided with an annular circumferential groove 23, and a set screw 24 projecting through the wall of the hollow pedestal near its mouth is adapted to engage with a certain amount of friction the bottom of the groove 23 so that the platform 20 may be caused to turn in its socket with the proper amount of friction to hold it in position after it has been swimg to the desired position angularly with respect to the pedestal and base. Projecting upwardly from the platform 20 and preferably integral therewith is a fork having arms 25 between which the motor bracket 0 is pivoted by means of a pivot pin 26. This mounting provides for the swinging of the motor bracket in a vertical plane so that the agitators F can be moved upward to clear a receptacle mounted on the base A. After the dripping of material from the agitators F into the receptacle has ceased the bowl or other receptacle may be removed from the base in a lateral direction. The bracket C has a downward projection 21 in front of the pivot pin 26 adapted to engage the upper surface of the platform member 20 so that normally the bracket will be supported in a substantially horizontal position. The platform member 20 acts s a base member for the fork in which the mo- 31 bracket is pivoted.

Somewhat in front of the pivot pin 28 the racket C is provided with an upwardly extendig lug 28 that extends adjacent a rearwardly facag surface- 28 on motor D, as shown particularly a Fig. 9, and the motor D is secured by approprite means to the lug 28. In the embodiment ilistrated, bolts 88 extend through the motor casng from end to end and nuts 8| on said bolts vre disposed between lug 28 and the rear end porion of the motor, and nuts 82 are placed on the ear ends of the bolts and engage the rear face f the lug 28. The motor is also secured to the racket by end extensions 88 on an intermediate and 84 of the motor structure projecting down tlongside the bracket C at its opposite faces and ecured thereto by a transverse bolt 85. In this nanner the motor is firmly and rigidly applied to he bracket so as to be movable therewith.

The gear case E previously referred to is apilied to the casing of the motor at the front :nd of the casing. Preferably the' front end of ;he' motor casing is flat. :ase E conforms to the front wall of the motor :asing and is removably secured thereto by means if screws 81. The gear case E is relatively shalow and extends substantially diametrically with :eference to the motor. Attached to the motor lhaft and forming an extension thereon is a screw )1 worm 88 extending transversely of case E and iubstantially at the middle thereof and engaging t gear 88 located in case E at one end thereof. Gear 88 is of substantial depth or thickness and .n the region above worm 88 it engages a shallow rear 48 arranged in the opposite end portion of the case and overlying the gear 88. The gear 88 has a long hub 4| projecting down into a bearing sleeve 42 formed integrally with the gear case. On top of bearing sleeve 42 is a thrust bearing 48 interposed between said sleeve and the lower face of gear 88. Gear 48 has a long hub member 44 projecting down into a bearing member 45 formed integrally with the lower wall of the gear case. Bearing sleeve 45 is extended within the gear case to such a degree as to engage the lower surface of the narrow gear 48. In the particular case shown the gears 88, 48 are helical gears.

Hub member 4| of the wide gear has an extension 48 projecting upwardly out of the cover 41 of the gear case and at its upper end this extension 48 has a square socket 48. Beneath the socket 48 a spring 48 embraces the hub extension 48 and acts on a ball 58 projecting into the bore of the gear hub for the purpose of yieldingly locking in place the spindle of one of the agitators F. The spindle 5| has a beater 52 applied to the lower end portior. thereof, said beater having blades or agitating elements of any desired form. Near its upper end the spindle 5| has a squared portion 58 adapted to engage a square socket 54 formed in the gear hub 4| at the lower end thereof. Above the square portion 58 spindle 5| is provided with a reduced cylindrical portion 55 projecting up into the gearhub and having adjacent its upper extremity an annular groove 58 adapted to be engaged by the ball 58 previously mentioned. Thus, as the agitator spindle 5| is moved up into the socket in gear 88, portion 58 non-rotatably engages a portion of the socket, and the spring pressed ball 58 engaging the groove 58 holds the agitator spindle against dislocation relatively to the gear, nevertheless permitting the removal of the spindle from the gear when that is desired.

The rear wall 88 of- Agitator spindle 51 is mounted in hub 44 of gear 48 in substantially the same manner as spindle 5| is mounted in hub 4|, and therefore a detailed description of this latter mounting will be unnecessary.

A thrust bearing to take up end thrust on the worm 88 is preferably provided in association with the outer end of the worm. In the particular case shown, the outer end of the worm has a concave surface receiving an anti-friction ball 58, and the opposite face of the ball is engaged by a screw 58 having a concave face. The screw 58 has threads engaging interior threads in a hole passing through the front wall of gear case E, and located on the screw 58 at the exterior of the gear case wall is a nut 88 by means of which screw 58 may be locked in the position to which it is adjusted. In this manner a simple and yet efficient form of anti-friction thrust bearing for the worm 88 is provided.

The square socket 48 previously mentioned,

which is located in the upper end portion of the hub of gear 88, serves to receive the lower end of a juice extractor shaft 8|, as shown more particularly in Fig. 11. Shaft 8| carries at its upper end a reamer 82 for extracting fruit juices, and when agitator spindle 5| has been removed from gear 88, reamer shaft 8| may be engaged with said gear to be driven thereby. Near the lower extremity of shaft 8| the same is provided with a square portion 88 adapted to fit square socket 48, and below square portion 88 the reamer shaft is reduced in diameter and shaped cylindrically so as to form a member extending into and closely fitting the bore in gear 88. The lower cylindrical portion of the shaft is shown at 84, and it will be noted that in the operative position portion 84 preferably extends downwardly past the body or web 88 of the gear 88, as shown in Fig. 11.

The reamer 82 is disposed within the juicecollecting bowl I-I previously mentioned. This bowl H is removably mounted on the motor, and

for this purpose the bowl-supporting bracket I previously mentioned is provided. The bracket I is preferably shaped as shown in Fig. 13, being made out of sheet metal and having a body 85 provided with a rectangular opening 88 adapted when the bowl is set down upon the bracket to be engaged by a rectangular projection 81 on the lower face of the bowl surrounding the opening 88 in the bottom of the bowl through which the reamer 8| extends upwardly. The bracket has an integral foot 88 depending from its front margin engaging the upper face of the gear case E, and at its rear edge the body of the bracket is turned downward to provide a flange 18 having notches 1|, 12 adapted to engage bolts 18, 14 on the motor. These bolts are usually the bolts by which the parts of the motor are held together at the upper part of the motor, and nuts 15, 18 on the front ends of these bolts are adapted to engage the front face of flange 18 in order to secure bracket I firmly to the motor casing. The body of the bracket provided with the opening 88 having nonrotatable engagement with the bowl is preferably disposed in a horizontal plane and spaced upwardly from the top of the gear case E. The bowl H is preferably provided with a discharge spout 11 in the bottom thereof by means of which juice may be discharged from the bowl into a suitable receptacle.

In the use of our device bowls of different sizes, and other receptacles, can be positioned on the base A for co-operation with one or both of the agitators F. Either agitator may be removed from its socket without interfering with the operation of the other agitator. In, mixing bever-- ages, for example, it will be advisable to use only one of the agitators, and in such case the agitator will extend downwardly into a glass or the like containing the beverage, said glass being supported on the base. When it is desired to extract the juice from oranges, the right hand agitator shown in Fig. 1 is removed, the bowl H is placed in position on the bracket I, and the reamer G is placed in operative position, its shaft being passed down through the opening in the bottom of the bowl and through the opening in the bracket I to engage one of the gears in an operative manner, as has been hereinbefore described.

In the form of our invention shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the intermeshing gears which drive the agitator spindles are spur gears rather than helicalgears. In this case the worm 38 driven by the motor shaft has its tooth form somewhat altered so that it will drive a wide spur gear 39 which in turn drives a narrow spur gear 40 In the form shown in Fig. 16, two spur gears of equal depth are employed, said gears intermeshing. In this case the worm 38 driven from the motor shaft meshes with a worm gear 38 having a hub 38 to which a narrow spur gear 39 is fixed, said gear 39 meshing with a similar narrow spur gear 40 In the form shown in Fig. 17,-the motor shaft and the two gears driving the agitator spindles are all located in the same plane. In this particular case the motor shaft carries a worm or screw 380 engaging a narrow spur gear 390 associated with one of the agitator spindles, and a narrow spur gear 400 is located in the same plane as gear 390 and driven thereby. As in previous cases the gear element on or associated with the motor shaft drives a gear element associated with one agitator spindle and the other agitator spindle gear is driven from the gear associated with the first spindle by direct engagement or mesh therewith.

The appliance is a very useful one for the housewife and yet it is simple in construction and can be manufactured at relatively low cost.

Various changes can be made in the details of the structure herein described without departing from the principles of our invention. We have not attempted to describe the various modifications which fall within the scope of our invention as defined in the claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a device such as described, the combination of a base, a pedestal rising therefrom, a bracket pivoted to the upper end of the pedestal to swing in a vertical plane, a lug rising from the bracket and detachably secured to the rear end portion of the motor, a band encircling the motor structure and forming a part of the motor casing and having portions secured to the'bracket at the sides thereof, a gear case secured 'to the motor and containing gearing driven from the motor shaft, and an agitator spindle driven from said gearing and adapted to stir the contents of a receptacle supported on said base.

2. In a device such as described, the combination of a base, a pedestal rising therefrom, a bracket pivoted to the pedestal to swing in a vertical plane, a motor secured to the bracket, a

in said bowl having a shaft extending down into the gear case and operativly engaging the gearing in said case.

3. In a device such as described, the combination of a pedestal, a bracket pivoted thereto, a motor mounted on the bracket and having its shaft horizontally arranged, a gear case located at the overhanging end of the motor and containing gearing driven from the motor shaft, a bracket having a horizontally disposed portion spaced vertically above .the gear case, means securing said bracket to the motor, means supporting said bracket from the gear case, a horizontally disposed juice-receiving bowl having its bottom supported on said bracket, and a reamer in said bowl driven from said gearing, said bracket having an aperture therein with which the bowl bottom is non-rotatably engaged.

4. In a household mixer, the combination of a motor having a horizontal shaft, a worm on said shaft, a gear located in a horizontal plane at one side of the worm, a second gear also located in a horizontal plane with its axis spaced from that of said first gear, and said first gear having integrally related portions provided with teeth meshing respectively with said worm and second gear, said second gear being relatively narrow with respect to the width of said first gear and lying in a plane vertically offset from that of the worm shaft, a casing surrounding said worm and gears, and agitator devices depending from the respective gears and driven thereby.

5. In a household mixer, the combination of a motor having a horizontal shaft, a worm on said shaft, a gear located in a horizontal plane at one side of said worm, said gear being relatively wide with respect to the worm diameter, a relatively narrow gear also in a horizontal plane having its axis spaced from, and parallel to, that of the first gear, said first-named gear having integrally related parts provided with teeth, said teeth meshing with said worm adjacent one part of the gear and meshing with the teeth of said second gear at another part of said first gear vertically offset from said first part, a casing surrounding said worm and gears, and agitator devices depending from the respective gears and driven thereby, and said worm being disposed between the axes of said gears.

6. In a device such as described, the combination of a motor, a horizontally disposed worm driven by said motor, a gear case secured to the motor casing in which said worm is disposed, a gear horizontally disposed in said gear case and being of greater depth than said worm so that the body of the gear extends beyond the zone of the worm, a second and shallower gear having its axis parallel to the first and spaced therefrom, and said first gear having integrally related portions provided with teeth, the teeth at one portion of said gear being engaged by said worm,

and the teeth at another portion of said gear vertically offset from the first portion being engaged by the teeth of said second gear, and agitator elements depending from, and driven by,-

the respective gears.

ALFRED C. GILBERT. SHIRLEY P. MORSE.

Images