SEMI-AUTOMATIC TOOL FOR CUTTING PIZZAS INTO PIECES OF THE SAME SIZE

Abstract: This invention concerns a semi-automatic tool for cutting pizzas into pieces of the same size consisting of a platform (1) from which a supporting column (2) projects for a cantilever arm (3) terminating with a sleeve (4) in which a rod (5) fits and slides, the same rod (5) being provided with a base (6) with a series of radial blades (7) on its lower face and a control lever (10) on its upper face by means of which said rod (5) is pressed downwards so as to oppose the antagonist force of a return spring (8) mounted on the rod.

Description: Description Semi-automatic Tool for Cutting Pizzas into Pieces of the Same Size This patent application concerns a semi-automatic tool for cutting pizzas into pieces of the same size. The tool in question is designed to resolve, economically and practically, a problem often encountered in pizza places where the pizza, as in the case of giant pizzas, is served in pieces of the same size to several customers. These special pizzas are generally prepared with different seasonings and ingredients so that one pizza can be cut into pieces with different seasoning. These giant pizzas are generally served in pieces so that each person can take the piece - without having to cut it - with the seasoning and in the size he or she prefers. To date these pizzas have been cut by hand using a bread knife or a special tool consisting of a saw-tooth wheel sliding idly about a supporting rod at the end of a handle. In any case, regardless of whether a bread knife or the above cutting wheel is used, in order to cut the pizza into pieces, it is necessary to make repeated diameter cuts which require some care if all the pieces are to be of the same size; it is evident that despite the experience or ability of the person who cuts the pieces, it is practically impossible for them to be of exactly the same size. In view of the above, this semi-automatic tool is designed to cut pizzas into pieces of exactly the same size quickly and precisely. The tool according to the invention consists of a cutting-board holder platform from whose edge projects an upright supporting column for a cantilever arm lying on a vertical plane passing through the centre of the underlying cutting board. Said arm terminates with a sleeve in which a cylindrical rod slides and rotates, and whose base is provided with a plate having a series of regularly spaced radial blades on its lower face. On said rod a cylindrical spiral spring is fitted which at the bottom touches the upper edge of said sleeve and at the top touches against a fifth wheel fitted at the top of the rod; it being provided that the latter may be pushed downwards together with the integral plate by means of a control lever pivoted on an element of the cantilever arm, above and coplanar to which the lever is positioned. It is evident that the pizza is cut by pushing said rod downwards so that the blades and its plate are positioned on the underlying cutting board on which the pizza has been placed and centred. During the downward stroke of the rod, the spring is compressed so that the upward stroke of the rod occurs automatically without any pressure on the part of the operator, thanks to the thrust of the spring as it slackens. It is evident from this brief description of the tool according to the invention that the same makes it possible to cut a pizza into pieces of exactly the same size quickly and precisely. Cutting the pizza into pieces of exactly the same size in fact no longer depends on the ability of the operator but on the precision with which the radial blades are spaced and fixed at regular intervals under the supporting plate. This means that by using the tool in question, the pizza can be cut quickly and easily even by persons who have no particular experience in this field. Moreover, the operation is very fast in that with the tool in question, all the pieces are cut at the same time, whereas it is currently necessary to make repeated cuts, which are more numerous when the pizza is to be cut into many pieces. For major clarity the description of the invention continues with reference to the enclosed table intended for purposes of illustration but not in a limiting sense where: Fig. 1 is an axonometric view of the first preferred embodiment of tool according to the invention. - Fig. 2 is an axonometric view of the second preferred embodiment of the tool according to the invention. Fig. 3 is an axonometric view of the third preferred embodiment of the tool according to the invention. With reference to the figure 1, the tool in question consists of a base comprising a cutting board holder platform (1) from whose edge projects an upright supporting column (2) for a cantilever arm (3) lying on a vertical plane passing through the centre of the underlying platform (1). Said horizontal arm (3) terminates with a sleeve (4) having a vertical axis in which a cylindrical rod (5) slides and rotates and whose base is provided with a plate (6) having a series of regularly spaced radial blades (7) on its lower face. On said rod (5) a cylindrical spiral spring (8) is fitted which at the bottom touches the upper edge of said sleeve (4) and at the top touches against a fifth wheel (9) fitted at the top of the rod on which a control lever (10) is placed, the same being pivoted on an element (3a) of the cantilever arm (3), above and coplanar to which the lever (10) is positioned. Attention is drawn to the fact that the upper face of the plate (6) is provided with two pins (6a) positioned on opposite sides with respect to the arm (3) against which said pins (6a) touch alternatively rotating the plate (6) in one direction or the other, said plate (6) being provided with a handle (6b) designed to facilitate the rotation of the plate (6). The centre to centre distance of the pins being such that the maximum rotation of the plate permitted by the same corresponds precisely to an angle equal to half of that between two consecutive blades (7) on the plate (6) in order to divide the pizza into an identical number of pieces corresponding to double that of the radial blades under the plate (6). This feature is not designed simply to use as few blades as possible but above all to ensure a clean and exact cut even at the centre of the pizza, approaching which the linear distance between the blades reduces gradually to nil. in other words, it was noticed that the cut towards the centre of the pizza becomes irregular and uncertain if too many blades converge to the centre. On the basis of this very observation, it was decided firstly that the number of blades to use on the tool according to the invention should be half of the number of pieces to cut and secondly that the blade-holder plate should oscillate between the two end strokes, between which there is an angular distance equal to half that between two consecutive blades on the plate. It is evident that in this way the operator must repeat the cutting operation twice, the first after having positioned one of the two pins (6a) against the arm (3) and the second after having rotated the plate (6) so that the other pin (6a) stops against the arm (3). Finally, it should be noted that the arm (3) is fixed along the upright column (2) making it possible to dismount it quickly and easily from the column to clean and wash the plate and blades fitted to the same. In the preferred embodiment of the tool according to the invention illustrated in fig. 1, this fast and easy assembly and disassembly of the arm (3) has been achieved by providing the arm with a second end sleeve (3b) fitted and sliding on the column (2) along which said sleeve (3b) may be fixed at the required height by means of a screw which is rotated quickly and easily thanks to a pull handle (11). This means that by loosening the screw it is possible to draw the plate (6) up along the column (2) sufficiently to clean the blades (7) easily or even dismount the arm (3) together with the plate (6) from the column (2). In an alternative embodiment, shown in fig. 2 said arm (3) is an integral part of a column (20) pivoted at the base in a pair of lugs (13) on the back edge of platform (1), through which a horizontal pin (13a) fits. This means that the column (20), if necessary, may be tipped backwards and towards the exterior so that it rests on the same supporting plane as the platform, in this case, the plate (6) is positioned vertically so as to easily check or clean the blades (7) of the plate (6). A third preferred embodiment of the tool according to the invention is illustrated whereby the supporting plate (6) of the blades (7) does not rotate; in this case, a rotating plate above which the cutting board (12) is placed, is mounted above the platform (1). With reference to figure 3, in the case of the third preferred embodiment, a circular plate (14) is provided above the platform (1); said circular plate (14) rotates about a centre pin (15) projecting from the platform (1) and perfectly coaxial to the support rod of plate (6). Moreover, it should be noted that said rod (5) slides, but does not rotate in the sleeve (4). The edge of said revolving plate (14) being provided with a knob (14a) to rotate the plate (14) having a perimeter slot (14b) in which a pin, fixed to the underlying platform (1), is fitted and slides. This means that the plate (14) is free to rotate in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions but only at a pre-set maximum angle depending on the length of the slot (14b). It is evident that in this embodiment, the slot (14b), by co¬ operating with the pin (16), performs the same function that in the previous embodiments was performed by the pair of pins (6a) working together with the arm (3) between the same. It should be noted in this respect that the maximum oscillation angle of the rotating plate (14) corresponds precisely to an angle equal to half of that between two consecutive blades (7) on plate (6) in order to cut the pizza into a number of pieces of the same size, double that of the radial blades under the plate (6). Finally, it should be noted that in the case of all three versions, the platform (1) is provided with projecting pins (1a) against which the cutting board (12) must be placed in order to ensure precise and automatic centering of the cutting board itself with respect to the overlying blade-holder plate (6). It is evident that the cutting board (12) rests directly on the platform (1) in the first two embodiments, while in the third embodiment the cutting board rests above the rotating plate (14). Although the tool according to the invention is designed specifically for cutting pizza, it may obviously be used in the same way and just as efficiently to cut jam tarts, pies etc. even if the same do not have a circular profile but provided their shape is that of a regular polygon. Finally, it should be noted that if the pizza is to be cut into the same number of pieces as the number of blades (7), it is not even necessary to make a double cut. Even in this case, the tool according to the invention is extremely practical in that with just one cut it quickly and precisely cuts the pizza into pieces of the same size.

Claims: Claims 1) A semi-automatic tool for cutting pizzas into pieces of the same size characterised by a base consisting of a cutting- board holder platform (1) from whose edge projects an upright supporting column (2 or 20) for a cantilever arm (3) terminating with a sleeve (4), having vertical axis, in which a cylindrical rod (5) slides and rotates, the base of said rod (5) being provided with a plate (6) having a series of regularly spaced radial blades (7) on its lower face; it being provided that on said rod (5) a cylindrical spiral spring (8) is fitted which at the bottom touches the upper edge of said sleeve (4) and at the top touches against a fifth wheel (9) fitted at the top of the rod on which a control lever (10) is placed, the same being pivoted on an element (3a) of the cantilever arm (3), above and coplanar to which the lever (10) is positioned. 2) A semi-automatic tool for cutting pizza into pieces of the same size according to the previous claim characterised in that said rod (5) rotates in the sleeve (4) and that the upper face of the plate (6) is provided with two pins (6a) positioned on sides opposite to the arm (3) and between which the angular distance is equal to half that between two consecutive blades (7) on the plate (6). 3) A semi-automatic tool for cutting pizza into pieces of the same size according to claim 2, characterised in that the plate (6) is provided with a handle (6b). 4) A semi-automatic tool for cutting pizza into pieces of the same size according to the claim 1) characterised in that a circular plate (14) is provided above the platform (1), said circular plate (14) revolving about a centre pin (15) which is perfectly coaxial to the support rod of the plate (6); it being provided that said plate (14) is provided with a perimeter slot (14b) in which a pin (16) is fitted and slides on the underlying platform (1). 5) A semi-automatic tool for cutting pizza into pieces of the same size according to claim 4 characterised in that the edge of said rotating plate (14) is provided with a knob (14a) which rotates the plate (14). 6) A semi-automatic tool for cutting pizza into pieces of the same size according to the previous claims characterised in that the arm (3) is provided with an end sleeve (3a) fitting and sliding on a column (2) along which said sleeve (3b) is stopped by means of a screw which is rotated by means of a pull handle (11). 7) A semi-automatic tool for cutting pizza into pieces of the same size according to claims 1 to 5, characterised in that said arm (3) is fixed to a column (20) pivoted to the base in a pair of lugs (13) provided on the rear edge of the platform (1), through which a horizontal pin (13a) is fitted. 8) A semi-automatic tool for cutting pizza into pieces of the same size according to the previous claims characterised by a cutting board (12) designed to rest on the rotating plate (14) or on platform (1) provided with projecting pins (1a) to ensure rapid centering of the cutting board (12) with respect to the overlying blade-holder plate (6).

Inventors: SCIUTO GIOVANNI, SCIUTO, GIOVANNI
Applicants: EUROTECNO SRL, SCIUTO GIOVANNI, EUROTECNO-S.R.L., SCIUTO, GIOVANNI
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B26D3
IPC codes: A21C15, B26D3