The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 07, 1980
Filed:
Mar. 05, 1979
James E Williams, Stamford, CT (US);
Wilson Research & Development, Inc., Greenwich, CT (US);
Abstract
A feed tube protector for a food processor having a motor, with a working bowl, a motor-driven shaft in the bowl for receiving rotatable tools, and with a removable cover positioned on the bowl during operation. Food processors normally include a feed tube and a manual food pusher used to feed items through this feed tube to the rotating tool. The feed tube protector has an outer sleeve carrying an actuator for enabling machine operation only when this sleeve is properly positioned over the feed tube. This sleeve is associated with a movable food pusher mounted for movement within the sleeve. When the cover is positioned on the bowl and this sleeve is mounted over the feed tube, the food pusher is manually movable within the passageway in the feed tube, and the actuator on the sleeve is operatively associated with control means to permit operation of the motor drive. Thus, inadvertent insertion of a hand or a foreign object through the feed tube is prevented when the tool is being driven. By virtue of this arrangement, the feed tube can safely be shortened and have a larger cross-sectional area than in UL-approved food processors commercially available for home use, so that larger food items can be inserted whole or elongated items horizontally in the feed tube. Moreover, the invention permits the bowl, cover and feed tube to be proportionally enlarged without compromising safety now provided by tall and narrow feed tubes in prior art machines.