Cuisinarts, Inc.

Cuisinarts Research & Development, Inc.

Wilson Research & Development Inc.

Other

James E Williams

Edward R Kozlowski

Carl G Sontheimer

Automatic horn warning signal apparatus for use on boats is compact, unitary, self-contained, lightweight, drycell-battery-energized, is manually selectably actuated for automatically sounding any of nine predetermined patterns of warning horn signal sequences applicable to specified, recognized navigational procedures for marine craft. A small motor operates through a first speed-reducing, torque-increasing transmission for rotating a main cam shaft containing nine lobed cams each having a different configuration corresponding to the desired warning signal pattern to be sounded. A control lever is engageable with any of the nine cams for selecting the desired automatically sounded horn signal sequence. A second speed-reducing, torque-increasing transmission rotates a latching cam shaft at one-tenth the rate of the main cam shaft for operating a latch for enabling a pivot bar to serve as fulcrum for the control lever. For causing the control lever to actuate a valve for releasing pulses of compressed gas into the horn for sounding the selected warning signal sequence determined by a particular cam. The signal pattern is sounded only once during each revolution of the latching cam. When any of four signal sequences has been selected, pressing a start button causes repeated sounding of the selected signal sequence. Selecting the other five warning sequences opens the repeat switch, causing only one sounding of the signal sequence after pressing the start button. Manually depressing the horn immediately sounds a continuous blast as long as depressed.

Automatic horn warning signal apparatus for use on boats

A rotary food processing tool has an elongated upright hub rotatable about a vertical axis with sockets in its upper and lower ends. Each socket has inclined grooves, and the elongated hub is adapted to be driven from a motor drive unit mounted on top of the bowl having a drive shaft extending downwardly. The elongated hub carries blades extending outwardly from the axis for processing food near the bottom of the bowl. A spindle having a plurality of protrusions for mating with the inclined grooves in the upper hub socket is mounted for rotation on the drive shaft. A vertical stationary guide post extends upwardly from the bottom of the bowl. Upon actuation of the motor drive, the elongated hub is lifted upwardly by the screw action of the drive spindle in the upper socket of the hub, while the lower socket remains encircling the guide post for aligning and stabilizing rotation of the elevated hub. This elevation of the elongated hub during driving lifts the hub slightly away from the bottom of the bowl and causes the lower socket to be lifted up on the guide post for precisely aligning and stabilizing the elongated hub about its vertical axis. The rotary tool is invertible and can be driven from either end for increasing the number and type of food processing operations.

Overhead releasable elevating spindle drive for a rotary food processing

A cover is manually releasably locked to the base of a storage container for protecting the contents of the container from accidentally or inadvertently opening even on dropping. A forked member is mounted on the cover having tongues with eyelets extending downwardly therefrom which fit into a latch housing in the base which contains slots for receiving the eyelet tongues. A slidable actuator is movably mounted in the latch housing which housing includes a first and second latch which are adapted to engage the eyelets of the tongues of the stem when the cover is closed on the container. Spring means are provided for urging the first and second latches into the eyelets which are released by a multiple-step technique in which the actuator is moved in a first direction for removing the first latch from one of the eyelets and then moved in a second opposite direction which removes the second latch from the other eyelet, and by gently, continuously and evenly lifting the cover upwardly while the latches are being released in sequence. If the actuator is moved too far in the second direction, a third latch engages for preventing opening. If the continuous lifting force on the cover is too strong the lock cannot be opened. If the gentle continuous lifting force is uneven or interrupted one of the latches becomes engaged by the spring means for preventing opening, thereby preventing the accidental or inexperienced, unauthorized opening of the container.

Multiple-step release lock for a storage container

A rotary food processor tool storage container is provided for storing and protecting specially configured food processor tools and accessories, and more particularly, a metal blade, a dough blade, and a detachable stem for removable head disc-type tools. It includes an upstanding enclosed hollow base having an inclined support with first and second sloping side-by-side pockets separated by an upstanding partition with the first pocket adapted to store a metal blade rotary tool and the second pocket adapted to store a dough blade rotary food processing tool. The partition laterally separates the pockets and prevents the metal blade from coming into contact with the dough blade. The inclined support includes an elevated support positioned above the first and second pockets which has an open channel therein extending downwardly into the hollow base which is adapted to receive and support therein a detachable stem from a rotary food processing tool.

Rotary food processor tool storage container

An invertible/reversible tool for use in a rotary food processing appliance is provided for performing predetermined processing operations in a first position and other predetermined operations in a second upside down position in a working bowl, which bowl contains a drive shaft for rotating the tool about a vertical axis in the bowl. The tool has an elongated hub with first and second sockets positioned on opposite ends adapted to engage the drive shaft for rotating the elongated hub in different directions depending on which socket is engaging the drive. Raised ridge keyways extending vertically for at least more than half the length of the elongated hub are provided to provide a positive driving relationship between the elongated hub and an encircling blade hub which carries reversible blades extending outwardly relative to the axis of rotation from opposite sides of the blade hub. This blade hub is slidable axially along the elongated hub so that the blade hub will freely slide down to the lower end of the elongated hub when the latter hub is inverted. The blades have first and second edges of differing characteristics which move in the same direction for performing first food processing operations and in a second direction for performing second food processing operations when the tool is turned upside down and coupled to the motor drive.

Invertible/reversible tool for use in a rotary food processing appliance

A continuous output food processor is provided which includes a housing having an electric motor drive and a bowl mountable on the housing for enclosing a rotary food processing tool which is rotatable within the bowl by the motor drive. A removable cover adapted to be secured in position on the bowl has a feed tube forming a passageway for feeding food items into the bowl. A chute is positioned on the bowl which is adapted to direct food processed by the food processing tool out of the bowl into a larger external container. An inclined ramp is mounted on the bowl beneath the food processing tool, said ramp extends on a downward slope toward the chute for causing food processed by the rotary tool to be deposited on the ramp to slide down the ramp and out of the chute into an external container positioned under the chute. The chute is provided with an openable lid coupled to an electric motor drive control for automatically turning off the food processor whenever the lid is elevated. This interaction of the openable lid and motor drive control facilitates cleaning or clearing of food items from the chute, without requiring the removal of the cover, thus saving time as well as protecting the user by preventing operation of the tool whenever the lid is opened.

Chute operated control for a food processor

A salad spinner dryer attachment is provided for a food processor having a base housing containing an electrical motor drive with a deck located on top of the base housing for removably mounting a working bowl thereon in predetermined engaged fixed position and having a tool drive shaft projecting vertically above the deck which drive shaft is rotatable by the motor drive at a first rotational speed around a main vertical axis of rotation. The attachement has an upstanding auxiliary bowl removably mountable upon the deck in place of the working bowl in the predetermined engaged fixed position. This auxiliary bowl has an uninterrupted side wall and a bottom trough for catching and holding any water which drains down its inside surface. A slotted basket is rotatably mountable in the auxiliary bowl to rotate around the main vertical axis at a second rotational speed substantially less than the first rotational speed of the tool drive shaft. A removable coupling sleeve is engageable with the tool drive shaft for rotating thereby about the main axis and has an exterior friction drive surface concentric with the main vertical axis with a radius 'r' from this vertical axis. The auxiliary bowl carries a plurality of rotatable wheels whose perimeters roll against said exterior frictional drive surface. A driven rotor member is rotatable about the main axis and has an interior friction drive surface concentric with the main axis with a radius 'R' larger than radius 'r' of the exterior drive surface on the coupling sleeve. The perimeter of the wheels rolling against the interior friction drive surface of radius R turns the driven rotor member at a reduced second rotational speed which is considerably less than the first rotational speed as a function of radius r divided by radius R. Accordingly, components of salads such as lettuce, spinach and other greens, deposited in the rotatably basket are spun by the basket with water therefrom being thrown against the side wall of the auxiliary bowl to be deposited in the trough thereion for drying the salad.

Salad spinner dryer apparatus rotated by speed reducing friction drive

A bowl extender-actuator-and-adapter support has larger upper and smaller lower annular channel members separated by an intermediate shelf and is adapted to be mounted on the bowl of a food processor wth the lower channel member extending down into the bowl and is terminated at its lower end in a spider support web having a central opening in alignment with the rotary drive of the food processor extending up into the bowl. A plurality of radially spaced support ribs below the intermediate shelf define a plurality of mounting steps for enabling this adapter support to be mounted upon food processor bowls of various sizes. An actuator on the shelf extends downwardly outside of the bowl for activating the interlock switch of the food processor. A speed-reduction torque-increasing transmission gear drive unit positioned in the central opening of the spider is coupled to the rotary drive of the food processor and has an upwardly extending shaft for driving attachments positioned thereon at reduced speed with increased torque. A juicer attachment includes a rotating basket integral with a centrally located juicer reamer which is adapted to receive larger sized reamers in telescoped relationship locked for rotation on a splined base. A pureer/strainer attachment is mountable on the shaft of the transmission unit and includes a bridge support for positioning a pair of rearwardly inclined wiper blades extending down into the strainer for pushing food items through the strainer.

Adapter support, pureer/strainer and juicer attachments for use on food

A method and apparatus adapt a beater/whipper unit to be used in food processor bowls of varying diameter which have upstanding side walls wherein a revolving head of the beater/whipper unit is mountable on an upstanding central well of each working bowl. The revolving head carries a pair of closely spaced counter-rotating beaters which extend downwardly from the revolving head toward the bottom of the bowl so that the beaters are revolved around the central well by the revolving head. A deflector blade having an inclined front surface is detachably mounted on the revolving head when the beater unit is intended to be used on a working bowl having an upstanding side wall of a first predetermined large diameter. The deflector blade is inclined radially inwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the revolving head for deflecting ingredients in the bowl inward from the side wall toward the counter-rotating beaters. When the beater/whipper unit is intended to be used on a working bowl of smaller diameter, the deflector blade of the beater/whipper unit is removed and replaced with shorter counter-rotating beaters having larger diameters which thereby extend near to and are thereby revolved near the smaller diameter upstanding side wall of the smaller diameter bowl without any intervening deflector blade, thereby adapting the same beater/whipper unit to be used in food processors having different diameter bowls.

Apparatus for adapting revolving beater/whipper unit to food processor

A switch for providing a safety function when its main contacts are fused or stuck together in the 'ON' position, comprising a housing containing a pair of main contacts, one being designated an ON contact, and the other main contact being carried by a movable switch arm in the housing. This switch arm has a first end which carries the movable main contact and a second end, and spring means mechanically coupled to the movable switch arm normally bias the movable main contact toward open position away from engagement with the ON contact. Switch operating means including movable actuator means overcome the biasing force of the spring means for moving the movable main contact to closed position into engagement with the ON main contact. There are auxiliary safety contact means positioned proximate to the second end of the movable switch arm for completing a safety circuit and for deenergizing a main circuit in response to abnormal movement of the second end of the movable switch arm under influence of the biasing force of the spring means when the actuator means is moved to OFF position, but the movable main contact remains fused or stuck to the ON main contact. In a further embodiment, safety contact means become triggered and moved from a first to a second position for providing a safety function when the actuator means are moved to OFF position but the main contacts remain fused or stuck together in their ON relationship.

Switch for automatically providing a safety function when its contacts

Method and apparatus for quickly and effectively grinding kernels of grain, such as wheat or corn, coffee beans, and the like, in a food processor producing a finely divided or flour-like consistency food product or condiment. Nutritious home-ground whole-grain flour can be conveniently and quickly made. The kernels, grains, beans, or other food products to be ground are introduced into a hopper positioned above the bowl of the food processor and located above a grinder assembly including a downwardly converging then diverging stator grinding member which encircles a rapidly rotating rotor grinding member having a vertical axis of rotation and being positioned within the stator member. This rotor grinding member is coupled to the vertical tool shaft of the food processor which extends up into the bowl. The separation between stator and rotor grinding members is manually adjustable and settable by a hand knob located above the grinder assembly for controlling the consistency and fineness of the ground product, which is deposited from the grinder assembly into the bowl. The illustrated grinder attachment for a food processor may be conveniently operated, adjusted, controlled and cleaned in a safe, efficient manner utilizing without alteration the basic components of the food processor, namely the motor drive, safety interlock system, as well as the bowl.

Method and apparatus for grinding kernels of grain, coffee beans, and

An ice chopping apparatus is provided for a food processor having a base containing a motor and a motor-driven rotary tool drive which extends into a working bowl. The apparatus involves mounting a rotary ice chopping tool on the tool drive in the working bowl and establishing an annular channel around the chopping tool, forming an escape gap of predetermined size around the perimeter of the annular channel and feeding ice chunks into the channel. These chunks when reduced to the proper size are discharged through the escape gap and become deposited in the bowl. The gap may be adjusted for varying the size of the discharged ice fragments. The apparatus includes a removable disc-like head having a socket on the underside and preferably two radially spaced blades protruding upwardly from the disc-like member, with their front edges chopping the ice. The socket receives a removable shank of the same geometrical shape coupled on the other end to the rotary drive. The shank has a key which fits into spaced key-shaped channels in the socket, extending to different depths therein for varying the size of the escape gap between the annular channel and the rotary tool, thereby varying the size of the ice fragments produced. The annular channel has a cylindrical skirt extending downwardly from an upstanding peripheral rim which fits onto the bowl for receiving a cover which includes auxiliary actuator cams to actuate the motor drive.

Ice chopper apparatus for producing ice particles of controlled size

Storage rack

A flip-over drive system for a removable oven rotisserie comprising drive means, gear train means driven by the drive means, cam means mechanically coupled to the gear train means for rotation in response to the driving of the gear train means by the drive means, escapement means position for periodic engagement with the cam means, socket means mechanically coupled to the escapement means, the socket means being configured to receive a rotisserie shaft therein, whereupon the socket means and the rotisserie shaft upon being received therein are rotated to a first predetermined angular position upon engagement of the escapement means with the cam means and remain in the first predetermined angular position for a predetermined dwell period until the cam means re-engages the escapement means whereupon the socket means and the rotisserie shaft are rotated to a second predetermined angular position and remain in the second predetermined angular position for a predetermined dwell period.

Flip-over drive system for a removable oven rotisserie

A rack is disclosed for storing food processor tool discs of the type having a receptacle or socket structure offset from its axis of rotation and located beneath the lower surface of the disc for receiving the upper end of a removable elongated hub on which the tool disc is mounted during operation, such receptacle having a generally crescent-like configuration. The rack includes a base having a plurality of parallel slots for receiving the tool discs and a vertical wall extending upwardly alongside each slot. Each of the vertical walls includes an offset portion for receiving the crescent-like hub receptacle of the tool disc.

Growing community of inventors

Stamford, CT, United States of America

James E Williams