Patent GB-1531753-A (GB)
Title: Food comminuting appliance
IPC: A47J43/25
Filed: 1975-02-26
Abstract: 1531753 Food-comminuting appliance SALTER HOUSEWARES Ltd 24 Nov 1975 [26 Feb 1975] 7946/75 Heading A4C  An appliance for comminuting solid food bodies by rasping cutting or grating comprises a comminuting member 25 supported on a frame 10 having a working aperture 24 therein, the comminuting member 25 comprising substantially flat comminuting units 27, 28, 29, each having dimensions commensurate with those of the working aperture, each having different comminuting characteristics to the others and each extending in planes disposed in a regular angular relationship to one another, the comminuting member 25 being mounted on the frame 10 by a mounting comprising swivel bearings defining a pivot axis extending parallel to and equidistant from the comminuting units, the mounting permitting the comminuting member to be swivelled relative to the frame so that any one of the comminuting units can selectively be brought into an operative working position in registry with the working aperture in which position it can be locked by releasable locking means associated with the comminuting member, the food bodies being reciprocated manually under pressure over the comminuting unit in the aperture, the comminuted food material dropping through apertures in the comminuting unit. The comminuting member pivots about two axially-aligned stub axles 35, 36 fixed or integral with an end-wall 30 of the member and an end-wall of a boss 32 forming an extension of the member. The boss 32 has a part polygonal exterior surface . presenting flat faces 33 through an aperture 53 in a flat upper face 11 of the frame 10, thus allowing manual positioning of alternative boss faces 33 and connected comminuting units by rotation of the boss faces 33. A spring-loaded press-button pad 55 may be pressed downward to release the locking means which consists of a lateral locking projection 56 integral with the pad 55 co-acting with recesses 57, 58, 59 in the boss. A channel 21 is provided in the upper surface 11 of the frame to act as a guideway for the food bodies and food holders are described which cover the food bodies during comminution to prevent injury to the user's hands. In an alternative embodiment walls 38 and 39 of the frame, which support the comminuting member 25, are of flexible plastics material and are slotted to increase flexibility near the stub axles so that the locking means may be released by an axial movement of the comminuting member away from wall 39, such axial movement being produced by finger pressure on faces 33 which are partially recessed to allow such movement. These two embodiments are preferably completely moulded in plastics material, thus allowing replacement of the comminuting member by other members which have comminuting units having different comminuting characteristics. A third embodiment has the comminuting member held in the frame by snap fit slides which may be rotated to a position which allows removal of the member and its replacement, the member having comminuting units of sheet metal. Locking means may be included at both ends of the member. The lower surface of the frame is shaped so as to fit into a container which may be used to collect the comminuted material.