Abstract:
A hand-held instrument for calculating the measurements necessary to prepare any number of servings or serving sizes from a printed food recipe which utilizes two concentric rotating wheels, the lower one of the wheels having instructions printed thereon in a 120 degree segment and measurement data thereon for use in conjunction with said upper wheel, the upper wheel having twelve segments with alternate segments being blank and transparent and the remaining segments having measurement data displayed thereon for use in conjunction with the lower wheel.

Description:
FILING DATE AND NOTICE OF CO-PENDING APPLICAIONS  
         [0001]    The applicant claims as a filing date, the date on which this application was received by the United States Patent Office. There are no co-pending related applications filed by the applicant as of the date of filing of this application.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    1. Field of Invention  
           [0003]    This invention pertains to an instrument for computing proportions or fractions of an originally printed, published or displayed recipe to a fraction of the fixed number of servings indicated by the recipe.  
           [0004]    2. Background  
           [0005]    In 1936 Lane et al. received U.S. Pat. No. 2,098,394 for a recipe file which was an improved combination of a container, data and index cards useful in the assembly and examination of cooking recipes. Pivotally mounted on an index card by an eyelet was an information disc divided into a series of equal spaces around the periphery to coincide with an opening cut in the top edge of the index card. In 1937, Kohlenberger in U.S. Pat. No. 2,111,268 invented a further improvement in the art of cooking by providing a novel means by which the exact time for cooking various vegetables and the like may be ascertained by a rotatably moving disc with an indicator pointing the vegetable desired. In 1940 Walmsley was issued U.S. Pat. No. 2,190,814 for a reference cabinet which accurately specified the kind and amounts of ingredients for a desired “size” as a measure or weight of a batch or mixture, covering a complete variety of baking formulas and adapted specifically for use in a shop routine. In 1939 Herzog received U.S. Pat. No. 2,150,442 for a calorie counting pivoting wheel or calculator permitting the ready addition of the number of calories contained in combinations of foods in any variety.  
           [0006]    In 1947 Torrence received U.S. Pat. No. 2,420,762 for wheeled pivoting device with discs arranged one above the other to indicate the value of vitamins and minerals in certain types of foods. Then, in 1960 Pennington received U.S. Pat. No. 2,956,358 for pivoting wheeled disc device for menu selection wherein weight is given to the chemistry of the foods selected and wherein the use of seasonal foods at the wrong time of year is avoided using the device. A similar nutrition indicating device was described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,106 in 1976 where a flat circular chart with a flat wheel rotatably pivoted at each side of the chart wherein foods are colored coded on the chart and the relative quantities of food items to provides specific calories or nutrients is shown. A related device of similar construction was patented in 1977 in U.S. Pat. No. 4,048,477 which issued to Hungerford. The device is a hand held weight control calculator which allows an individual to quickly and accurately determined the daily maximum food calories allowed for maintaining, gaining, or losing weight. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0007]    Various objects, features and alternate advantages of the invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood with reference to the following detailed description of the present invention when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a representation of the preferred embodiment of an instrument for computing proportions of a recipe or recipe sizing wheel, assembled from three concentrically rotating disks, as it appears in actual operation; and  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a representation of an embodiment of the lowermost or inner disk of the recipe sizing wheel; and  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a representation of an embodiment of the uppermost or outer disk of the recipe sizing wheel; and  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is cross-section of the preferred embodiment of the instrument for computing proportions of a recipe shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line  4 - 4 ′. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]    There is shown in FIG. 1 a representation of the preferred embodiment of an instrument for computing proportions of a recipe, namely, a recipe sizing wheel  10 , assembled from two concentrically rotating lower and upper disks  22  and  24 , as it appears in actual operation. The lower disk  22  is located below or underneath the disk  24 . Hence, the upper disk  24  is located above or on top of the disk  22 . Each the disks  22  and  24  have central first and second apertures  26  and  28 , respectively, adapted to receive a rivet  30 .  
         [0013]    In FIG. 1 the lower disk  22  and the upper  24  are shown rotably connected to each other via the rivet  30  inserted through concentric apertures  26  and  28 .  
         [0014]    The recipe sizing wheel  10  is made up of the lower disk  22  as shown in FIG. 3 and the upper disk  24  as shown in FIG. 2. The disks  22  and  24  are connected together in their centers by the rivet  30  as illustrated more fully in FIG. 3. The recipe sizing wheel  10  operates by rotating the upper disk  24  in a prescribed manner with respect to the lower disk  22  to calculate less than full portions or multiples of portions for which a recipe is written or expressed. The recipe sizing wheel  10  allows any cook or chef that uses recipes, whether from a cookbook, magazine, or newspaper, etc. to quickly, effortlessly and accurately reduce or increase the number of servings a recipe prepares.  
         [0015]    As illustrated in FIG. 4, the rivet  30  has an elongated shank  32  about which the disk  22  and the disk  24  each freely rotate. The upper disk  24  is approximately 0.125 cm. smaller in diameter, for example, than the lower disk  22 . This difference in diameters allows the user to see the designations indicated along the outer 0.125 cm. margin of the lower disk  22 . The upper disk  24  has first and second pie-slice shaped windows  36  and  38  as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The first and second pie-slice shaped windows  36  and  38  have first and second pointed ends  37  and  39 , respectively. The first and second pointed ends  37  and  39  are selectively arranged such that each is near or adjacent the rivet  30 .  
         [0016]    The upper disk  24  has at least three functionalities, namely, (a) the first pie-slice shaped window  36  and the second pie-slice shaped window  38  each allow access by the user to first and second printed material groups  40  and  44  exhibited on the lower disk  22 ; (b) the upper disk  24  exhibits a third printed material group  48  in an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand format; and, (c) the upper disk  24  has a relatively large printable area  60  on which may be displayed copyrighted or uncopyrighted directions which succinctly direct how to use the instrument, i.e. the recipe sizing wheel  10 . These directions may captioned as follows and comprise or, be selected from the following, to wit:  
                                             DIRECTIONS TO REDUCE THE       SERVING SIZE OF ANY RECIPE                                    1.   Locate reduction amount on bottom wheel.           2.   Position top wheel over shaded or colored area               (the color would be specified).           3.   Locate measurement or number of whole eggs on top wheel.           4.   Use measurement on bottom wheel.           5.   For measurements over 1 cup or 4 eggs, repeat steps 3 and 4.           6.   Repeat steps 3 thru 5 for each ingredient.           7.   For whole egg to egg substitute conversion, use slightly less.                      
 
         [0017]    As further shown in FIG. 1, the lower disk  22  exhibits to a user amounts and measurements for the ingredients in the recipe under construction and which are to be reduced. For example, the first printed matter group  40  comprises three columns  41 ,  42 , and  43  of measurements.  
         [0018]    Proceeding from the rivet  28  outward the column  41  shows, for example:  
         [0019]    ½ T  
         [0020]    ¼ T  
         [0021]    ½ t  
         [0022]    ¼ t  
         [0023]    {fraction (3/16)} t  
         [0024]    ⅛ t  
         [0025]    dash  
         [0026]    dash  
         [0027]    Likewise, the column  42 , for example, shows or displays starting from the rivet  28  and at the same corresponding respective specified progressive radial distances, the following:  
         [0028]    2 t  
         [0029]    1 t  
         [0030]    ⅔ t  
         [0031]    ⅓ t  
         [0032]    ¼ t  
         [0033]    ⅙ t  
         [0034]    dash  
         [0035]    dash  
         [0036]    Likewise, the column  43 , for example, shows or displays starting from the rivet  28  and at the same corresponding respective specified progressive radial distances, the following:  
         [0037]    1 T  
         [0038]    ½ T  
         [0039]    1 t  
         [0040]    ½ t  
         [0041]    ⅜ t  
         [0042]    ¼ t  
         [0043]    ⅛ t  
         [0044]    {fraction (1/16)} t  
         [0045]    Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown the upper disk  24 . The upper disk  24  exhibits to a user amounts and measurements for the ingredients in the recipe under construction in the third printed material group  48 . There are shown three columns  49 ,  51 , and  53 . For example, the printed matter is depicted in column  49  for use in calculating measurements. Proceeding from the rivet  28  outward at the same aforementioned corresponding respective specified progressive radial distances, the column  49  shows, for example:  
         [0046]    2 T  
         [0047]    1 T  
         [0048]    2 t  
         [0049]    1 t  
         [0050]    ¾ t  
         [0051]    ½ t  
         [0052]    ¼ t  
         [0053]    ⅛ t  
         [0054]    The column  51 , at its outermost radial location is entitled “RECIPE”, for example, and shows or displays starting from the rivet  28  and at the same corresponding aforementioned respective specified progressive radial distances, the following:  
         [0055]    3 T  
         [0056]    ¼ c  
         [0057]    ⅓ c  
         [0058]    ½ c  
         [0059]    ⅔ c  
         [0060]    ¾ c  
         [0061]    1 c  
         [0062]    RECIPE  
         [0063]    Likewise, the column  53 , for example, shows or displays starting from the rivet  28  and at the same corresponding aforementioned respective specified progressive radial distances, the following, for example:  
         [0064]    - - - 
         [0065]    1 egg  
         [0066]    - - - 
         [0067]    2 eggs  
         [0068]    - - - 
         [0069]    3 eggs  
         [0070]    4 eggs  
         [0071]    WHEEL  
         [0072]    In a recipe, an item such as an orange, an apple, avocado, etc. may selectively be substituted for egg or eggs in the above column.  
         [0073]    Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown the lower disk  22 . The lower disk  22  further exhibits to a user amounts and measurements for fractional amounts of the ingredients in the recipe under construction in the second printed material group  44 . There are shown three columns  52 ,  54 , and  56 . For example, the printed matter depicted in column  52  is entitled “HALF” at an outermost radial distance space. The column  52  is for use in calculating measurements for one-half of the recipe. Proceeding from the rivet  28  outward at the same aforementioned corresponding respective specified progressive radial distances, the column  52  shows, for example:  
         [0074]    1½ T  
         [0075]    2 T  
         [0076]    8 t  
         [0077]    ¼ c  
         [0078]    ⅓ c  
         [0079]    6 T  
         [0080]    ½ c  
         [0081]    the recipe  
         [0082]    The column  54 , at its outermost radial location is entitled “THIRD”, for example, and shows or displays starting from the rivet  28  and at the same corresponding aforementioned respective specified progressive radial distances, the following:  
         [0083]    3 t  
         [0084]    4 t  
         [0085]    5⅓ t  
         [0086]    8 t  
         [0087]    10⅔ t  
         [0088]    4 T  
         [0089]    ⅓ c  
         [0090]    the recipe  
         [0091]    Likewise, the column  56 , at its outermost radial location is entitled “QUARTER”, for example, and shows or displays starting from the rivet  28  and at the same corresponding aforementioned respective specified progressive radial distances, the following:  
         [0092]    2¼ t  
         [0093]    1 T  
         [0094]    4 t  
         [0095]    2 T  
         [0096]    8 t  
         [0097]    3 T  
         [0098]    ¼ c  
         [0099]    the recipe  
         [0100]    In all cases, it is understood that the above-identified arrangements are merely illustrative of the many possible specific embodiments which represent applications of the present invention. Numerous and varied other arrangements can readily be devised in accordance with the principles of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.  
         [0101]    Parts List  
         [0102]    recipe sizing wheel  10   
         [0103]    lower disk  22   
         [0104]    upper disk  24   
         [0105]    first aperture  26   
         [0106]    second aperture  28   
         [0107]    rivet  30   
         [0108]    elongated shank  32   
         [0109]    first pie-slice shaped window  36   
         [0110]    first pointed end  37   
         [0111]    second pie-slice shaped window  38   
         [0112]    second pointed end  39   
         [0113]    first printed material group  40   
         [0114]    column  41   
         [0115]    column  42   
         [0116]    column  43   
         [0117]    second printed material group  44   
         [0118]    column  52   
         [0119]    column  54   
         [0120]    column  56   
         [0121]    third printed material group  48   
         [0122]    column  49   
         [0123]    column  51   
         [0124]    column  53   
         [0125]    large printable area  60