Cuisinarts, Inc.

Richard D Clare

Carl G Sontheimer

An improvement in a food processor of the type having a housing enclosing a motor, a drive shaft extending from the housing, a working bowl which is detachably mountable on the housing in position to surround the shaft for receiving the various rotatable food processing tools which are removably installed on the shaft, with a removable cover on the bowl. Food processors of this type normally include a hopper or feed tube which is carried by the cover, and a manually operated pusher or plunger which is used to feed food items down through the hopper onto the rotating cutter blade, slicing disc, rasping tool, etc. The improvement comprises a safety interlock between a switch actuator associated with the cover and an on-off switch in the housing to permit actuation of the relatively powerful motor drive when the pusher is being properly inserted within the hopper, thereby preventing a user from inserting a hand down into the hopper where there is risk of inadvertently encountering injury from a rotating tool in the upper portion of the bowl. By virtue of this interlock, the feed tube can safely be made to have a larger cross-sectional area so that larger food items can be inserted whole into the food processor. Moreover, the entire size of the working bowl, cover and feed tube can be proportionately enlarged for providing a larger overall machine.

Safety interlock for the food pusher in a food processor

Method and apparatus for conversion of an uneven arm beam balance from metric weight measurement to English weight measurement, and the reverse conversion are described. An illustrative example is a balance rated to measure in kilograms and having a main beam scale graduated in uniform increments of metric weight with associated notched poises, a main weight being discretely positionable in respective notches. A secondary beam scale in parallel relationship with the main beam reads from zero to a value equal to one such metric weight increment, along which a secondary (slider) weight is slidable for making the fine-tuning weight measurements between respective graduations of the main scale. For conversion, there is also provided on the main beam a main English scale graduated in uniform increments of English weight with associated notched poise arranged so that a shift in the position of the main weight by a distance equivalent to 400N Grams weighs an increase of N pounds Avoirdupois. For performing a measurement in pounds the main weight is increased by 13,398% accomplished by combining an auxiliary weight therewith or by substituting a heavier main weight. A secondary English scale is also provided reading from zero to a value equal to one such increment of English weight and having a length 13.398% longer, or a slider 13,398% heavier, than for the secondary metric scale.

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Greenwich, CT, United States of America

Richard D Clare