Apparatus for mixing food ingredients

Apparatus for mixing food ingredients is disclosed including a cabinet for supporting a mixer for the ingredients. A frame is arranged within the cabinet for being raised and lowered relative thereto. The frame supports a plate having a through hole for receiving the mixer and a movable tray for supporting a container for the ingredients. The tray is moved under the plate and the frame is raised by a weight arrangement, whereby the mixer engages the container and is actuated for mixing the ingredients therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Apparatus of the type described is most notably used for mixing or blending 
frozen or semi-frozen foods, such as ice cream or ice milk, with fruits, 
nuts, candies and limitless other ingredients, while simultaneously 
changing the consistency of the blended food product to a custard-style 
ice cream. It will be recognized, however, that the apparatus may be used 
for mixing other food ingredients as well. 
The background of such apparatus is typically exemplified by four U.S. 
patents of which the applicant is aware, all of which patents issued to C. 
A. Reed. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,409,067 which issued on Oct. 8, 1946 relates to means and 
method for preparing malted milk shakes and the like. A reciprocally 
mounted ingredient container is provided and a mixing blade is mounted in 
sealed engagement therewith for mixing or blending the ingredients. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,626,132 which issued on Jan. 20, 1953 features a conical 
shaped ingredient container and a conical shaped auger received in the 
container for mixing the ingredients. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,626,133 which likewise issued on Jan. 20, 1953 specifically 
addresses the problem of treating a hard frozen product similar to frozen 
ice cream and mixing same with other ingredients so as to soften and 
plasticize the mixed product and to make it smooth and creamy, and to 
otherwise enhance its taste. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,061,279 which issued on Oct. 30, 1962 is an improvement of 
the then prior art devices in that it provides means for plasticizing, 
kneading and remixing hardened frozen ingredients in an extrusion vessel 
which also acts to extrude the product therefrom, but only after thorough 
conditioning thereof. 
While the prior art, teaches conical ingredient containers and conical 
augers as featured in the present invention, the means for engaging the 
auger and the container to provide the aforenoted mixing has heretofore 
been an operator-operable handle or arm arrangement which is cumbersome 
and has proven to be disadvantageous for various other reasons. Moreover, 
the several components of the prior art devices have not been easily 
removable as is desirable for sanitary or cleaning purposes. 
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide apparatus 
for mixing food ingredients which obviates the aforenoted disadvantages of 
the prior art apparatus and hence represents a distinct improvement 
thereover. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention contemplates apparatus for mixing food ingredients including 
a cabinet and an electric motor disposed therein for driving a conical 
auger. A conical food ingredient container is supported in a frame. The 
cabinet is arranged at each of its two opposite sides to accept a vertical 
member which is longitudinally displaced by a weight arrangement. The 
vertical members are coupled to the frame so that the frame is displaced 
therewith. 
The frame supports a tray which is displaceable toward an operator to a 
non-operating position and is displaceable away from the operator to an 
operating position via springs. The food ingredient container is received 
in the tray when the tray is in the non-operating position. When the tray 
is in the operating position the food container in the tray is moved under 
a removeable plate supported by the frame and having an opening slightly 
larger than the auger so that the auger can pass therethrough and into the 
container. The plate serves as a splash retainer to maintain the 
ingredients inside the container and also to prevent the container from 
being upwardly displaced when the apparatus is operating. The plate is 
easily removed as is desireable. 
Means are provided for exerting a force on spring loaded rods engaging 
recesses in the cabinet for maintaining the frame in a lowermost position 
and for disengaging the rods from the detents so that the frame rises 
under the force of the weight arrangement and the ingredient container 
engages the auger, whereupon the apparatus is operated for mixing the 
ingredients.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
With reference to the drawing, a cabinet is designated generally by the 
numeral 2. Cabinet 2 includes a pair of side members 2A and 2B and another 
pair of oppositely disposed side members 2C and 2D in spaced relation with 
side members 2A and 2B. 
A housing or the like 4 is supported within cabinet 2 and an electric motor 
6 is mounted within housing 4. Motor 6 has an output shaft 8. A conical 
auger 10 is coupled to output shaft 8 via a crosspin 12 engaging an L-type 
slot 10B in hub 10A of auger 10. 
A food ingredient container or cone 16 is supported in a frame 18 as will 
be hereinafter described. Frame 18 is vertically displaceable via a weight 
arrangement on both sides thereof designated generally by the numeral 20 
and shown in phantom in FIG. 1 and in substantial detail in FIG. 2. 
Frame 18 which is shown in substantial detail in FIG. 3 movably supports a 
tray 19. Tray 19 includes a generally circular opening 19A for receiving 
ingredient container 16. Tray 19 is movable or slideable in the directions 
of arrows (a) and (b) shown in FIG. 3. 
As illustrated in FIG. 2, wherein the right side of cabinet 2 relative to 
FIG. 1 is shown for purposes of illustration, the cabinet side members are 
through bolted by bolts 22 and spacers 24 at their corners. The space 
between each pair of side members is configured to accept a vertical 
member 26 which is displaceable longitudinally i.e., upward and downward, 
under the force of weight arrangement 20 as will be hereinafter described. 
With continued reference to FIG. 2 weight arrangement 20 includes weights 
28 connected to vertical member 26 by a sprocket chain or the like 29. 
Chain 29 passes over a drive sprocket 30 and an idler sprocket 32 
supported by an upper frame bar 35 and passes under a pair of idler 
sprockets 34 and 36 supported by a lower fram bar 37. It will be 
understood that the sprockets are disposed so as to provide alignment 
between weights 28 and vertical member 26. 
Chain 29 is connected directly to weights 28, and is connected to a bracket 
38 by adjustable screws 40 on the top and bottom of the bracket. Screws 40 
are of the type so that proper adjustment of the chain tension can be 
achieved for the purposes intended. Drive sprocket 30 is mounted to a 
cross-shaft 42 which maintains the force of weights 28 equal on both sides 
of frame 18 (FIGS. 1 and 2), as will now be understood. This is necessary 
so that the longitudinal displacement of the frame is substantially 
vertical and is not skewed as would be detremental to the purposes of the 
invention. 
Vertical members 26 are connected to frame 18 by bolts 44 extending through 
bracket 38 and sandwiching a low friction member 46 to serve as a bearing 
against cabinet 2 when the vertical members are displaced, as shown in 
FIG. 3. Vertical members 26 have low friction rollers or wheels 47 mounted 
thereto on the top and bottom thereof which are in contact with members 
2A-2D in the space provided by cabinet 2 (FIGS. 1 and 2). 
Frame 18 supports a removable splash plate 48 which may be of plastic or 
the like. Splash plate 48 carries a generally circular opening 48A for 
receiving auger 10 in clearance relation. 
With specific reference to FIG. 3, movable tray 19 can be manually moved or 
displaced outwardly in the direction of arrow (a) or towards an operator 
and retained in said position by a conventional lock pin arrangement (not 
otherwise shown), and can be displaced or returned to its operating 
position in the direction of arrow (b) by conventional springs (not 
otherwise shown). Ingredient cone 16 is disposed in tray opening 19A and 
includes diametrical lugs (not otherwise shown) engaging appropriate 
recesses 19B in a conventional manner to prevent rotation of the cone by 
auger 10 upon operation of the apparatus. Thus, tray 19 in its operating 
position moves cone 16 under splash plate 48 so that cone 16 in opening 
19A is aligned with opening 48A in plate 48. The diameter of opening 48A 
is slightly larger than the largest diameter of auger 10 so that the auger 
passes through the hole and into cone 16. Splash plate 48 serves to act as 
a retainer to keep the food ingredients inside cone 16 and also prevents 
the cone from rising out of place when the apparatus is operating. Splash 
plate 48 is easily removed for cleaning by disengaging a clip 50 from 
frame 18 as will now be understood. 
Tray 19 runs on low friction plastic bearings or rollers or the like (not 
otherwise shown). A manual force is exerted in a downward direction on a 
hollow crossbar 52 having spring loaded rods 54 engaging corresponding 
recesses (not otherwise shown) in cabinet 2, whereby frame 18 with cone 16 
in hole 19A of tray 19 is maintained in its lowermost position. When 
actuating members 54A are pushed toward each other, spring loaded rods 54 
are released from the detents so that frame 20 and hence cone 16 are 
displaced upward by the action of weight arrangement 20 so that cone 16 
receives auger 10, whereby actuation of the auger for rotation thereof 
provides blending of the ingredients in cone 16. 
In this connection it will be understood that when rods 54 are released 
from their corresponding detents causing upward displacement as 
aforenoted, a guide-arm 56 activates a switch 58 as shown in FIG. 2 upon a 
predetermined displacement being achieved. Switch 58, in turn, activates 
motor 6 for rotating auger 10 when a switch 60 shown in FIG. 1 is in the 
"on" position. Switch 60 may have "high" and "low" positions via a toggle 
62 also shown in FIG. 1 so that auger 10 is rotated at high and low speeds 
as is desirable. 
Various features may be incorporated into the apparatus of the invention 
which have not been specifically shown or described herein. For example, 
cabinet 2 can rest on legs and a transparent, sliding front shield may be 
incorporated into the cabinet. Likewise, the mechanism of the apparatus 
may be enclosed by suitable side and top covers as will now be understood. 
Similarly, splash retainers or the like of a suitable plastic material may 
be appropriately disposed around the apparatus to inhibit splashing of the 
food ingredients when the apparatus is operating, as may be desirable. 
With the aforegoing description of the invention in mind reference is had 
to the claims appended hereto for a definition of the scope of the 
invention.