U.S. patent number RE30,649 [Application Number 06/090,822] was granted by the patent office on 1981-06-16 for food processing apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Hobart Corporation. Invention is credited to James W. Thompson.
United States Patent |
RE30,649 |
Thompson |
June 16, 1981 |
Food processing apparatus
Abstract
The lid support member for the lid of a high speed food
processing apparatus supports a mixing baffle blade through the
center of the lid. The mixing baffle blade drive shaft is hollow
for introducing liquids into the mixing bowl directly over the food
processing blades.
Inventors: |
Thompson; James W. (Troy,
OH) |
Assignee: |
Hobart Corporation (Troy,
OH)
|
Family
ID: |
26782673 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/090,822 |
Filed: |
November 2, 1979 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
803462 |
Jun 6, 1977 |
04100615 |
Jul 11, 1978 |
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
366/170.2;
366/172.2; 366/185; 366/246; 366/295; 366/309; 366/314 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01F
7/162 (20130101); B01F 15/0295 (20130101); B01F
7/00933 (20130101); B01F 2015/00597 (20130101); B01F
15/0266 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B01F
7/16 (20060101); B01F 15/02 (20060101); B01F
7/00 (20060101); B01F 007/16 () |
Field of
Search: |
;366/185,189,305,306,309,312,313,293,295,296,314,245,247,246,169
;241/199.12,282.1,37.5,89.3,82.2,97,282.2,56 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Jenkins; Robert W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Biebel, French & Nauman
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In an apparatus for processing foodstuffs, including a mixing
bowl having a drive shaft extending into the bowl through the
bottom center thereof, a motor mounted outside the bowl and
connected to rotate the drive shaft, food processing blades
mountable on the drive shaft within the bowl for processing
foodstuffs therein when the motor is operated, a cover system
including a lid for closing the top of the bowl, and a mixing
baffle blade and support mounted through the center of the lid for
rotation along and around the inside surface of the bowl for
removing and returning foodstuffs from the side of the bowl to the
vicinity of the food processing blades for further processing
thereby, the improvement comprising means defining a hollow drive
shaft for said mixing baffle blade and support connecting through
the center of the lid and being open in the top and bottom thereof
for introducing liquids into the mixing bowl directly over the food
processing blades and drive shaft while the motor is being
operated. .Iadd. 2. The combination of claim 1 further comprising a
cap on the top of the drive shaft beneath said hollow drive shaft.
.Iaddend..Iadd. 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said cap has
a diameter greater than that of said open bottom of said hollow
drive shaft for spinning and flinging the liquids across the top of
the main body of foodstuffs within the bowl when introduced through
said hollow drive shaft. .Iaddend..Iadd. 4. The combination of
claim 2 or 3 further comprising means positioning said cap on the
drive shaft sufficiently close to said hollow drive shaft to
prevent splash back of ingredients therethrough and to shield said
hollow drive shaft from foodstuffs which might otherwise be thrown
out. .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to high speed food processing machines in
which a vertical drive shaft supports and drives food processing
blades within an upwardly open food containing bowl. The bowl,
which is closed by a lid during food processing, is pivoted for
pouring its contents. Typically, a powerful motor on the bottom of
the bowl rotates the drive shaft, and a mixing baffle blade is
supported through the lid for rotation along and around the inside
surface of the bowl for removing and returning foodstuffs from the
side of the bowl to the vicinity of the food processing blades for
further processing. The blades are removable and interchangeable,
so that the blade or other tool configurations may be matched to
the processing needs at hand. Machines of this type are highly
effective in processing foods, and are so fast (many operations
being performed in less than a minute), that the actual processing
time is but a small part of the total "turn around" time. That is,
it usually takes longer to load and unload the machine than to
process the food once it is in the machine.
It is sometimes desirable to introduce ingredients into the bowl
while the foodstuffs are being processed. Preferably, these
ingredients should be distributed uniformly into the main body of
the foodstuffs, and there should be no splashing or throwing of
material back out of the bowl. For doing this in prior art devices,
they have commonly been stopped, the baffle blade and its drive
shaft removed, and then the baffle blade drive shaft hole in the
lid is used for this purpose. However, this requires stopping the
apparatus, removing a possibly messy baffle blade, and then
operating the apparatus without the benefit of the baffle blade
while the ingredients are being added.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, the present invention overcomes the above prior art
difficulties by providing for introducing ingredients as the food
is being processed, without having to remove the mixing baffle
blade. This is accomplished by providing a hollow drive shaft for
the mixing baffle blade. The drive shaft is open at both ends so
that it connects through the center of the lid for introducing
ingredients into the mixing bowl directly over the food processing
blades and drive shaft. The ingredients are then spun from the top
of the drive shaft in an essentially uniform pattern across the top
of the main body of foodstuffs within the bowl.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an
improved apparatus for high speed processing of foodstuffs; an
apparatus which includes a hollow mixing baffle blade drive shaft
in the center of the lid for introducing liquids into the mixing
bowl directly over the food processing blades and drive shaft; and
to accomplish the above objects and purposes in a versatile and
durable configuration readily suited to processing a wide variety
of food products.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from
the following description, the accompanying drawings and the
appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned front view of a food processing
apparatus incorporating the features of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the FIG. 1 apparatus with a food receiving
pan and cart next to it, the food processing apparatus being shown
in solid lines in its operating position, the raised lid position
being shown in phantom, and the pouring position of the apparatus
being shown in phantom, illustrating the raised pouring height;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus;
FIG. 4 is a partially sectioned, fragmentary plan view, taken on
line 4--4 of FIG. 1, illustrating the pivot and counterbalance for
the lid;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view, taken on line 5--5 in
FIG. 3, showing the hollow mixing baffle blade drive shaft passing
through the lid and lid support;
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the stand arm in which the
counterbalance spring assembly is located, the view being in the
direction looking from left to right in FIG. 1, but illustrating
the positions of the parts when the bowl is tilted to the pouring
(phantom line) position of FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partially sectioned showing of
a portion of the counterbalance spring assembly as seen in FIG.
6;
FIG. 8 is an enlarged detail of the lid scraper as seen in FIG.
1;
FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken on line 9--9 in FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a plan view of the lid scraper as seen looking
downwardly in FIG. 8;
FIG. 11 is a partially sectioned, enlarged fragmentary view showing
details of the drive shaft, blade mount, and wedge lock;
FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the wedge lock cap;
FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view taken on line 13--13 of FIG.
11;
FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view taken on line 14--14 of FIG.
11;
FIG. 15 is a cross sectional view of a food basket located within
the bowl; and
FIG. 16 is a fragmenatary plan view of the FIG. 13 basket.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The food processing apparatus 20, illustrated in FIG. 1, includes a
stand 22 having hollow, vertically extending arms 23a and 23b. Arms
23a and b support a bowl 25 and drive motor 26 through shafts 28a
and 28b which are journaled, respectively, in arms 23a and b.
Shafts 28a and b are thus free to pivot and rotate in arms 23a and
b, and define a horizontal axis of rotation for the bowl 25 and
motor 26. Shafts 28a and b are received in bores 31 in a motor and
bowl support brace 32 extending between arms 23a and b. Shafts 28a
and b are pinned by pins 33 in brace 32 to cause the shafts and
brace to rotate together as a unit.
When in the food processing position, the bowl is upright (as shown
in solid lines in FIG. 2) and upwardly open, with its upper edge 34
defining a horizontal plane. Bowl 25 is substantially radially
symmetrical, defining a figure of rotation about the vertical
center line of the bowl. The drive shaft 35 (FIG. 11) of motor 26
enters bowl 25 through its bottom and is coaxial with the center
line of the bowl. As should also be clear from FIG. 2, the
horizontal or pouring axis defined by shafts 28a and b is located
between the center line of the bowl and the forward or pouring edge
of the bowl, on which there is a pouring lip 37. By positioning the
horizontal axis forwardly, a greater pouring height is provided
than would occur if the axis passed through the center line of the
bowl, as in many prior art machines. The greater pouring height
provides sufficient clearance for conventional receiving pans such
as the pan 38 on the cart 39 illustrated in FIG. 2.
The food (not shown) is processed within bowl 25 by one or more
food processing tools, such as blades 40, which are carried on a
tool or blade mount 42. Mount 42 is a hollow shaft which fits onto
the drive shaft 35 (FIG. 11) and has a hollow square coupling 43 at
its base which fits driveably onto a matching square driving
portion 44 on the drive shaft 35, at the bottom of the bowl (FIGS.
11 and 14). The coupling between the drive shaft and blade mount
transmits the drive torque from the drive shaft to the mount and to
the blades 40. Blade mount 42 extends upwardly, terminating at an
upper end 46 adjacent the upper end 47 of drive shaft 35. The blade
mount is readily removed and replaced by sliding it vertically onto
and off the drive shaft, over the upper end 47 thereof.
FIGS. 11-13 illustrate details of the manually operable wedge lock
for securing and releasing the blade mount 42 and food processing
blades 40 on the drive shaft 35. As illustrated, the upper end 47
of drive shaft 35 terminates in a cylindrical boss 50, the axis of
which is coincident with the axis of rotation of the drive shaft
35. Boss 50 thus defines a vertically oriented cylindrical surface
51. The upper end 46 of the blade mount 42 is similarly provided
with a cylindrical bore 55 having a substantially vertical axis
which, however, is not coincident with the axis of rotation of
drive shaft 35, and is therefore eccentric with regard to
cylindrical boss 50. As a result, the vertically oriented
cylindrical surface 56 on the inside of bore 55, which is spaced
from surface 51, is eccentric with regard thereto. Further, as
illustrated, surface 51 of boss 50 is contained within the
cylindrical volume defined by surface 56 of bore 55. The surfaces
51 and 56 are surfaces of rotation, and the space 60 (FIG. 11)
between them is a radially eccentric space. Due to the symmetries
which are consequent to figures and surfaces of rotation (their
axes being vertical), the radially eccentric space 60 is a
substantially symmetrical space about a radial bisection line
passing through the respective axes of rotation of the surfaces 51
and 56. (This can be seen in FIG. 13, where the top and bottom
halves of the figure are symmetrical about a horizontal bisection
line).
Surfaces 51 and 56, along with the radially eccentric space 60
which they define, are important parts of the wedge lock by which
the blade mount 42 is secured onto the drive shaft 35. The
remainder of the wedge lock is carried in a cap 61 having a
manually engageable head 62 on its top side and a wedging portion
65 extending from its bottom side. Wedging portion 65 has an inner
cylindrical surface 66 of the same dimension as, and complementary
to, the cylindrical surface 51 on boss 50, and an outer surface 67
of the same dimension as, and complementary to, that of surface 56
inside the cylindrical bore 55 on the upper end 46 of blade mount
42. Wedging portion 65 is thus dimensioned for reception in, and is
substantially complementary to, the radially eccentric space 60 on
the upper ends 46 and 47 of mount 42 and drive shaft 35. Therefore,
to secure the blade mount 42 on shaft 35 after it is positioned
thereon, the operator grips the cap head 62, positions wedging
portion 65 opposite space 60, and inserts the wedging portion into
space 60. The cap 61 is next rotated sharply either to the left or
to the right. This causes surfaces 66 and 67 to interfere with
surfaces 51 and 56 as they move relative to one another and as the
wedging portion is shifted to force the larger portions thereof
into the narrower portions of the eccentric space 60. This wedge
interference jams the blade mount coupling 43 and the drive shaft
driving portion 44 into tight engagement with one another to secure
the mount 42 and blades 40 thereon onto the drive shaft 35.
While boss 50 has been illustrated with its axis coincident with
the axis of rotation of drive shaft 35, it should be clear that the
axes of boss 50 and cylindrical bore 55 could readily be exchanged,
with a similar modification to surfaces 66 and 67 on wedging
portion 65. This would still produce an upwardly open, radially
eccentric space between the upper ends 46 and 47 of the blade mount
42 and drive shaft 35. Further analysis will make it clear that the
wedge lock of this invention does not require surfaces which are
directly opposed to (i.e. facing) one another. The upper end 47 of
drive shaft 35, for example, could be provided with a bore (which
might even be other than cylindrical) and the outside of the upper
end 46 of blade mount 42 could be provided with a surface (which
likewise need not be cylindrical) which would be eccentric with
regard to one another. It is sufficient that the two upper ends 46
and 47 have surfaces which are spaced from one another, eccentric
with regard to one another, preferably vertical, one geometrically
inside the other, and both engageable by complementary surfaces on
the cap 61. When so configured and properly spaced, rotation of the
cap will jam the mount and drive shaft together as the
eccentricities on the cap surfaces are rotated out of alignment
with the eccentric drive shaft and blade mount surfaces. It should
also be noted that the blade mount and drive shaft may be jammed
together elsewhere than at the bowl bottom. All that is required is
a region therebetween which is spaced closely enough that the
eccentric surfaces can jam them together when the cap is
rotated.
The top of apparatus 20 is closed by a cover system which includes
a lid 70 supported at its center by a rigid support arm 71 pivoted
at 72 to one side of bowl 25. Arm 71 swings on pivot 72 from a
lowered, closed position (FIG. 1), to a raised, open position
(shown in phantom in FIG. 2). The weight of the lid and arm is
counterbalanced by a counterbalance spring 73 (FIG. 4) forming a
part of pivot 72, and operating between the arm 71 and bowl 25. The
end of arm 71 is latched in the down position by a rotary latch 76
turned by a handle 77 to capture the end of arm 71 thereadjacent.
Latch 76 engages arm 71 in a manner which firmly presses arm 71
downwardly against lid 70 to secure and seal the lid against the
top edge 34 of bowl 25. For example, in one embodiment latch 76
drives arm 71 3/16 of an inch below the point at which the lid 70
engages the edge 34 of bowl 25.
Lid 70 is preferably made of transparent plastic material so that
the machine user can view the contents of the closed bowl without
the need to perforate the lid. Perforations weaken the lid
structure so that sealing forces are not transmitted uniformly to
the perimeter of the lid, and perforations also allow foodstuffs to
be splashed out of the bowl.
However, such a lid must also seal effectively over a wide range of
working conditions and applications. That is, if the fit between
the lid 70 and the bowl edge 34 requires critical adjustment of the
latch 76, it will be more expensive to calibrate during manufacture
and will require more frequent adjustment in service. To meet these
several needs, lid 70 has a configuration which causes it to act
like a spring when arm 71 is forced downwardly against it by latch
76. More particularly, the central portion 80 of the lid is formed
as a substantially flat disc and serves as a flexible spring-like
member (somewhat like a drumhead). The outer portion 81 of the lid
surrounds and extends from and beyond the central, flexible portion
80. Portion 81 is a ring which slopes downwardly to define an
annular portion of a cone. The geometry of this cone inherently
stiffens portion 81 so that it does not flex from the pressure of
arm 71, but transmits that force directly to the outer edge of the
lid. By making the central portion 80 of the lid smaller, the
springiness can be effectively stiffened, and vice versa.
The lid 70 terminates in a rim 85 on the outer edge of the stiff,
outer ring 81. Rim 85 is dimensioned for engaging the upper edge 34
of the mixing bowl, and defines a substantially planar annulus
which overlies this edge of the bowl when the cover system is
closed. Rim 85 is slightly larger than necessary in order to
accommodate lateral misregistration between the lid 70 and top 34
of the bowl 25, thus providing additional tolerance. The tolerances
are so great, in fact, that no sealing gasket is needed between the
lid and the bowl. It should also be noted that the central,
flexible disc portion 80 will tolerate a slight twist in the
support arm 71 if the arm, for some reason, is not precisely
parallel with the plane defined by the top edge 34 of the bowl.
High speed food processing machines of this type usually have a
mixing baffle blade such as blade 95. Such blades are supported and
mounted through the top of the apparatus for rotation about an axis
parallel to the axis of the drive shaft 35. The mixing baffle blade
is positioned for rotation along and around the inside surface of
the bowl for removing and returning foodstuffs from the side of the
bowl to the vicinity of the food processing blades 40. As
illustrated, the present invention incorporates such a mixing
baffle blade 95, which is supported on a support 96, such as a beam
of stainless steel. The support 96 cantilevers blade 95 from a
central drive shaft 98 which is supported for rotation in the lid
support arm 71 and passes through the central disc portion 80 of
the lid to the interior. A handle and crank assembly 99 is attached
to the top or outer end of drive shaft 98 for manually rotating the
mixing baffle blade 95 during processing of the foodstuffs within
the apparatus 20.
Drive shaft 98 may be hollow, as illustrated in FIG. 5, and open in
the top and bottom thereof to provide a passageway through the
center of the lid 70 from outside the bowl 25 into the interior
thereof. This provides for introducing liquids into the mixing bowl
directly over the food processing blades 40 and drive shaft 35
while the motor 26 is being operated. Cap 61 effectively shields
the hollow drive shaft 98 from foodstuffs which might otherwise be
thrown out. Further, as the liquids are introduced through shaft
98, cap 61 acts as a spinner to fling the liquids outwardly and
uniformly across the foodstuffs as they are being processed. It has
been found that better and more uniform processing results when
liquids are introduced in this manner.
A lid scraper 100 is mounted on an extension portion 104 of the
scraper blade support beam 96 for rotation therewith in scraping
contact with the inner surface of the lid 70. Lid scraper 100
includes a scraper blade 101 and a gripping body 102. Gripping body
102 is a resilient portion which is dimensioned for fitting onto
and frictionally engaging extension portion 104. In the preferred
embodiment, extension portion 104 extends in a radially opposite
direction from the main portion 105 of the support, the baffle
blade 95 being attached to the main portion 105. Then, as the
mixing baffle blade 95 is rotated around bowl 25 by the handle and
crank assembly 99, the lid scraper blade 101 simultaneously removes
and returns foodstuffs from the lid inner surface to the body of
foodstuffs within the bowl for better and more uniform processing
of the foodstuffs. When processing is concluded, the lid scraper
blade 101 removes food products from the lid 70 before it is opened
to reduce dripping from the lid. In addition, when the lid is
transparent, the scraper clears foodstuffs for easier viewing.
Preferably, the handle and crank assembly 99 and the extension
portion 104 of the support 96 extend in radially opposite
directions from the main portion 105 of the support on which the
mixing baffle blade 95 is suspended. The extension portion 104 and
handle and crank assembly 99 are sized and positioned to
counterbalance the mixing baffle blade 95 and the main portion 105
of the support 96 to reduce or even eliminate the tendency of the
mixing baffle blade 95 to rotate, under the pull of gravity, when
the lid is open and the apparatus 20 is tilted for removing the
food products. Further, the lid scraper 100 is shaped to be biased
against the lid with sufficient frictional force to act as a brake.
Thus, the lid scraper 100 also helps to prevent the mixing baffle
blade 95 and support 96 from freely rotating under the influence of
gravity when its axis of rotation is shifted from the vertical.
When the apparatus is tilted, as shown in phantom in FIG. 2, to
remove ingredients from the bowl 25, the weight of the motor 26
resists tilting of the bowl. The motor is therefore counterbalanced
for easier pouring and better control of the foodstuffs when the
bowl is tilted. Such a counterbalance is contained and enclosed in
arm 23a so that it is protected from exposure to foodstuffs outside
the machine, and vice versa, for purposes of sanitation. The
counterbalance spring assembly 110 is attached to pivot shaft 28a
at the upper end of arm 23a and operates against a stop 112 farther
down in arm 23a. As may be seen in FIG. 6 (which shows the spring
assembly when the bowl has been fully tilted), the counterbalance
spring assembly 110 is thus operative between arm 23a and shaft 28a
to help rotate the shaft in a clockwise direction (as shown in FIG.
6) to counterbalance the motor 26 during tilting. Control of bowl
25 during tilting and pouring is also aided by a brake 113 in arm
23b. Brake 113 is operated by a brake handle 114 to control
rotation of shaft 28b, and hence bowl 25, relative to arm 23b.
Counterbalance spring assembly 110 includes a crank 115 which is
fixed to shaft 28a by a bolt 116. A yoke 117 is pivoted at 118 to
crank 115 on the end of the crank opposite shaft 28a. Yoke 117
carries a collar 119 on the end of the yoke opposite crank 115 and
pivot 118, and a tube 120 is fixed to and extends from the yoke and
collar in a downward direction away from pivot 118. A guide rod 122
is received in tube 120 and is free to slide upwardly and
downwardly through the tube and the collar 119, but is not
permitted to slide downwardly out of the tube, due to a stop nut
123 which is threaded onto the top end of rod 122 above collar 119.
In other words, nut 123 establishes a lower limit of travel for rod
122.
The lower end of rod 112 opposite collar 119 passes through a pad
125. A stop nut 126 threaded on the bottom of guide rod 122 below
pad 125 establishes a lower limit of movement for pad 125 on rod
122, or conversely, nut 126 establishes an upper limit of travel
for guide rod 122 through pad 125. Otherwise, rod 122 and pad 125
are free to slide relative to one another.
Finally a spring 130 is mounted on guide rod 122 in compression
between collar 119 and pad 125, so that spring 130 normally spreads
the pad 125 and collar 119 until they reach stop nuts 123 and 126.
Nuts 123 and 126 and rod 122 then maintain the spring 130 in
compression.
When in operative position within arm 23a, pad 125 rests on stop
112, which is illustrated as two rods or pins (FIGS. 1 and 6)
passing through arm 23a and nesting pad 125 therebetween. As
illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 6, crank 115 is positioned to
move yoke 117 and collar 119 away from pad 125 when the bowl 25 is
rotated from its upright, food processing position to its tilted,
pouring position, and vice versa. As the bowl is returned to its
upright position from the fully tilted position in FIG. 6, collar
119 approaches pad 125, the tension on rod 122 is relieved, spring
130 is further compressed, and the pressure of spring 130 operates
between stop 112 (through pad 125) and shaft 28a (through collar
119, yoke 117, and crank 115). The reduction of the distance
between collar 119 and pad 125 frees rod 122 to move therebetween,
within the limits set by nuts 123 and 126. Pad 125 guides rod 122
so that the rod will keep the spring 130 thereon. Pad 125 also
guides rod 122 as it slides downwardly under the pull of gravity.
The counterbalance spring assembly 110 is thus compact, can be
wholly contained within arm 23a, can be easily inserted into the
arm, and can be pretensioned (due to rod 122).
A start switch 132 and stop switch 133 (FIG. 3) start and stop the
apparatus 20. A mode switch 134 controls whether the operation is
continuous (when switch 134 is in the "run" position) or
intermittent (when in the "jog" position). When switch 134 is in
the "jog" position, machine 20 stops as soon as start switch 132 is
released. In addition to stop switch 133, the apparatus may be
stopped by releasing latch 71, by tilting the bowl, or by placing
switch 134 in the "jog" position.
FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate an optional food basket 135 which can be
inserted into bowl 25 for quickly and easily processing foodstuffs
within the basket 135. Prior art food baskets, however, have been
made of metal, presumably to provide sufficient strength to
preserve the shape of the basket. However, metals are ductile, and
once bent or dented, are difficult to restore to their original
shape. This is especially troublesome where clearances are close,
as here. The present invention, therefore, uses baskets 135 which
are made of flexible, non-ductile, plastic material. While the
baskets are not sufficiently rigid to retain their shapes, they are
particularly resistant to permanent denting, bending, or
stretching. Each basket is then formed so that its exterior surface
conforms closely to the interior surface of the bowl. Since the
basket fits the bowl interior very closely, the rigid bowl will
support the basket structurally and restore the basket to its
proper bowl matching shape. In the present invention, therefore, it
is recognized that the food basket 135 does not have to be able to
hold itself in proper shape, and can be much more resistant to
abuse, if it is sized for cooperative interaction with the bowl
25.
As may be seen, therefore, the present invention provides numerous
advantages. The lid is so structured and supported that transparent
materials may be used for better and easier viewing of the contents
of the food apparatus, yet wide tolerances are provided. The mixing
baffle blade is counterbalanced and carries a lid scraper for
removing foodstuffs from the inner surface of the lid to improve
the uniformity of the food processing, reduce the tendency of the
lid to drop when opened, and provide for viewing the contents when
the lid is transparent. The lid scraper also acts as a brake to
reduce the likelihood that the mixing baffle blade will move when
the lid is opened. Pouring or removing the processed foodstuffs
from the apparatus is facilitated through a higher pouring height
and a wholly contained counterbalance system. Insertion and removal
of the food processing blades is a simple, quick operation
involving but a short twist of the cap 61 in either direction to
lock or unlock the mixing blades on the drive shaft. Ingredients
can be added during processing through the hollow mixing baffle
blade drive shaft, and the ingredients are uniformly distributed
and processed without splash back of ingredients. If the foodstuffs
are to be supported in a separate food basket, a flexible,
non-ductile basket can be used to reduce the likelihood of damage
from bending or denting of the basket.
While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a
preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that
the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and
that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope
of the invention.
* * * * *