Radish Press

Abstract

A radish press including a base having a first side with an opening extending through said base. Integral with said first side is a corer and means for forming petals on a radish. Means is provided which is movable in the base opening for ejecting a radish from the press after petals have been formed thereon.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Apparatus for forming petals on a radish.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Radishes, which are the pungent fleshy root of the Raphanus sativus plant, enjoy great popularity as an edible item. As is well known, most radishes include a red epidermis and a white interior. Very frequently, because of the attractive contrast between the red epidermis and the white interior, a radish is cut so as to simulate a rose. Originally, radishes were cut so as to resemble a rose by the use of a knife. This was extremely time-consuming as it required a person to individually cut each petal. As a result, radish presses were designed to form petals on a radish. Some of these prior art radish presses included a hollow corer with radial cutting blades surrounding the exterior of said corer section. The hollow corer was pressed into a radish and the cutting blades cut into the sides of the radish forming the petals. One drawback in using this type of prior art radish press was that a person when removing a cut radish had to grip the exterior thereof and pull the radish from the press. Great care had to be exercised in removing the radish from the press to avoid tearing the petals from the radish. Further, some of the prior art radish presses were difficult to manipulate and use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

1. Purposes of the Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved radish press.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved radish press which with a minimum of effort can form petals on a radish so that the radish has a rose-shaped appearance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved radish press for forming petals on a radish with means for ejecting a radish after petals have been formed thereon.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved radish press which can be economically made and is durable.

2. Brief Description of the Invention

According to the present invention, the foregoing as well as other objects, are achieved by a radish press having a base. Handles extend outwardly from opposed portions of said base and are provided to enable a person to manipulate the radish press with a minimum of effort. The radish press includes two sides and a circular ring is integral with a first of said sides. Positioned symmetrically with respect to said circular ring and integral with said first side is a hollow cylindrical corer. An opening extends through the press base with the segment of the corer adjacent the base surrounding said opening. The upper edge of said corer is a cutting edge.

Integral with said first side and extending outwardly from the outside surface of the corer are a plurality of radial cutter blades which are spaced equidistant from each other. The cutting edges of the radial cutter blades extend from locations at the outside surface of the corer beneath the corer cutting edge on an incline away from said corer and the base so that the outermost tip of each radial cutter blade cutting edge is above the corer cutting blade. An ejector is provided which extends through the opening in the press base and is movable therein. Means prevents the ejector from being pulled completely through the base opening.

In use, the opposed ends of a radish are cut off with a conventional knife and one end of the radish is positioned above the cutting edge of the corer so that said cutting edge is flush with the white portion of the radish at said one end. A force is applied to the second end of the radish and a portion of the radish is forced into the interior of the corer and a portion of the radish travels down the outside surface of the corer.

At this point, a person grips the handles of the radish press and rotates the radish press so that the corer is now facing in a downward direction. The radish press is positioned so that the free end of the radish is touching a flat surface and the person via the handles applies a downward force to the press. The cutting edge of the corer cuts into the radish and the portions of the radish which pass along the outside of the corer are cut by the cutting edges of the radial cutter blades so that petals are formed.

As this is occurring, the portion of the radish in the interior of the corer forces the ejector through the base opening and away from the base. Continued downward movement of the radish press relative to the radish results in the outermost tip of the radial cutter blades cutting edges abutting the surface and preventing continued movement of the press towards the surface. At this time the petals are fully formed and by lifting up the radish press with the handles and applying a force to the ejector moving the ejector through the base opening and into the corer a force is applied to the radish which is ejected from the radish press.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the figures wherein like parts are identified by the same reference numerals:

FIG. 1 is a plan view looking down at the cutting means of the radish press of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1 with the radish press rotated 180.degree. from the position shown in FIG. 1 so that cutting means of the radish press face downwardly and shows in dotted lines the initial position of the radish press as it is used in forming petals on a radish and in solid lines the final position of the radish press after forming petals on a radish;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1 and illustrates the ejector of the radish press ejecting a radish which has rose petals formed thereon;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 4--4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a radish having petals formed by the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the drawings a radish press 10 according to the present invention is shown and includes a base 12. Base 12 is circular in plan and projecting outwardly from opposed portions thereof are handles 14 and 16. The handles are identical to each other in configuration as well as being in registry with each other.

Radish press 10 includes a first side 18 and a second side 20 with said sides being opposed to each other. Located on first side 18 and extending about a portion thereof is a ring 22. Ring 22 is symmetrically positioned with respect to the periphery of base 12. An opening 24 extends through base 12 and is symmetrically positioned with respect to said base. Projecting outwardly from first side 18 of base 12 is a cylindrical corer 26. The portion of cylindrical corer closest to base 12 surrounds opening 24. It is noted that a portion of base 12 extends inwardly with respect to corer 26 to define opening 24. The portion of corer 26 furthest from base 12 includes a pointed V-shaped cutting edge 28.

A plurality of identical straight radial cutter blades 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 and 48 are provided and each blade extends from ring 22 to corer 26. Each radial cutter blade, if extended, would extend through the geometric center of base 12 and the radial cutter blades are located 45.degree. apart from each other. Since each radial cutter blade is identical to the other radial cutter blades, a description of one such blade will suffice for an understanding of the present invention.

Radial cutter blade 44 includes edges 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d and 44e. Edge 44a is in contact with first side 18 of base 12. Edge 44e, which is perpendicular to edge 44a, is in contact with a segment of the inside surface of ring 22. Edge 44b, which is perpendicular to edge 44a and parallel to edge 44e, is in contact with a vertical segment of the outside surface of corer 26. Edge 44c which makes an included obtuse angle with edge 44b extends away from corer 26 and includes a cutting edge thereon which is formed by opposed sides of said edge converging to a point (FIG. 4). Edge 44d extends from edge 44e with which it makes a right angle to edge 44c. It is noted that the portion of edge 44c adjacent corer 26 is below the cutting edge of said corer for the orientation of the press shown in FIG. 1 and above the cutter edge of the corer for the orientation shown in FIG. 2. The outer tip of edge 44c is above the cutting edge of corer 26 for the orientation of the press shown in FIG. 1 (and below the cutting edge of the corer for the orientation shown in FIG. 2).

An ejector 50 is provided and has a cylindrical body 52 having opposed ends 54 and 56. Located at end 54 is a perimetral locking flange 58 which has a larger diameter than the portion of base 12 which defines opening 24 so as to prevent the ejector from being moved completely through said opening into the interior of corer 26. It is noted that the diameter of body 52 of ejector 50 is of a size so that the same can freely move through opening 24. Located at end 56 of ejector 50 is a locking flange 60 which has an annular flat edge 62 which faces perimetral flange 58. An inclined camming surface 64 extends away from flat edge 62 and terminates at a flat end surface 66 which is annular and parallel to annular flat edge 62. The diameter of annular flat edge 62 is slightly larger than the diameter of opening 24 whereas the diameter of the portion of inclined camming surface 64 closest to end surface 66 is smaller than the diameter of opening 24 as is the diameter of end surface 66.

Ejector 50 is positioned so that end 56 is movable in the interior of cylindrical cutter 26 by placing said end against the second side 20 of base 12 with inclined camming surface 64 resting against the portion of base second side 20 defining opening 24. A force is then applied to end 54 of ejector 50 and the inclined camming surface rides over the portion of base 20 defining opening 24 until flat edge 62 passes by the portion of base 12 on first side 18. After this occurs it is impossible to remove the ejector 50 from the remainder of the radish press during normal use since the application of a force to the ejector to move end 54 away from base 12 and corer 26 causes flat edge 62 to abut said base and prevents further movement of said ejector in a direction away from the base.

A cylindrical shape has been illustrated for the corer by way of example; any other desirable shape may be used.

In use, the upper and lower ends of a radish are sliced off so the upper and lower ends of the radish are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the axis of symmetry thereof. Handles 14 and 16 are gripped by a person and radish press 10 is placed in a position so that side 20 of base 12 is abutting a flat surface such as a table top. A radish is then grasped by a person in one hand and the narrow top end is inserted into corer 26 with the corer cutting edge cutting into the radish. It is noted that by having the radially inward portions of the radial cutter blades cutting edges at a lower elevation than the corer the radish can be easily pushed into the corer and firmly implanted thereon inasmuch as the blades do not interfere with this initial implantation.

After the initial implantation of the radish on the corer, handles 14 and 16 of the radish press are gripped and the press with the radish is manipulated so that the bottom end of the radish is directly below the top end and second side 20 is directly above first side 18 of radish press 10. The radish press is then placed over a flat surface with the bottom end of the radish in abutment with the flat surface. A force is then applied to the radish press via handles 14 and 16 so that the press is moved toward the flat surface. As this occurs, the corer cutting edge progressively enters the radish interior to form a cylindrical radish core. Similarly, the cutting edges of the radial cutter blades form petals on the periphery of the radish which passes over the outside surface of the corer 26. The portion of the radish inside the corer progressively moves ejector end 54 away from side 20. The tips of the radial cutter blades abut the flat surface to limit further downward movement of the radish press at which time the petals on the radish are completely formed.

When it is desired to remove the radish from the press, the press is lifted from the flat surface and a force is applied to end 54 of ejector 50 which forces the radish from the press. The radish press is then ready for continued use.

Ring 22 serves to firmly support the radial cutter blades and assists in making the radish press of the present invention durable and suited for extended use.

It thus will be seen that there is provided a device which achieves the various objects of the invention and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

Having thus described the invention there is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent:

1. An article for forming petals on a radish comprising a radish press, said radish press including a base having a first side and a second side with said first and second sides being opposed to each other, an opening extending through said base, an annular ring extending outwardly from said second side of said base, an annular corer extending outwardly from said second side of said base and surrounding said opening extending through said base, said annular ring being concentric with said annular corer, said annular corer including a free edge spaced from said base, said free edge including cutting means for cutting into a radish interior, a plurality of cutting blades fixed relative to said base, in contact with said base second side and located between said annular corer and said annular ring, each cutting blade including a tip and having a cutting edge extending from its tip to a location adjacent said annular corer, the distance between said tip of each cutting blade and said base being greater than the distance between the cutting means of said annular corer and said base, an ejector movable through said opening, means for preventing said ejector from being completely passed through said opening so that said ejector is completely within said annular corer and means for preventing said ejector from being pulled through said opening so that said ejector is no longer received within said annular core.

2. A radish press according to claim 1 wherein said ejector includes means for abutting a radish interior to eject the radish.

3. An article according to claim 1 wherein means is attached to said base for enabling said radish press to be easily manipulated.