Patent Publication Number: US-7587968-B1

Title: Dicer for potatoes and the like

Description:
The priority of U.S. provisional application No. 60/740,079, filed Nov. 28, 2005, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, is hereby claimed. 

   The present invention relates generally to cutting devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices for cutting vegetables or other foodstuffs such as raw potatoes to make french fries or diced potatoes, cheese, and the like. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,137, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a dicing device for soft boiled potatoes or other work pieces such as raw vegetables or cheese. The device includes a first stage vertical frame having a plurality of horizontal wire cutters through which potatoes or the like are pushed barehandedly to form horizontally sliced potato layers. These layers are then pushed barehandedly by means of a horizontally disposed hand pressure or pusher plate vertically downwardly through a second stage horizontal frame of a mesh of wire cutters to dice the potato slices. The second stage cutter is a complete workable unit in itself so that french fries instead of diced potatoes may be made. When stronger cutter wires are needed for other products, the cutter wires are replaceable. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,902, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a vegetable (including potato) cutter which includes a base with a through hole spanned by a knife grid. A ram is operable by a lever-type handle manipulated pivotly for movement downwardly to ram the potato downwardly forcing the meat thereof to be sliced by the knife blades of the grid. The grid is attached by screws to the base. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 2,563,237, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a butter cutter including a frame having parallel cutting wires stretched thereacross (and with a cross-wire), and upon which butter is placed for cutting. A pressure plate is superimposed on the butter, and lever-operated means bears on the pressure plate to force the butter through the cutter frame. The frame is interchangeable with other frames for cutting different types of butter. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,602, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a cheese cutter comprising a frame, a carriage having cheese support members mounted thereon and movable within the frame, a stationary cutter having a plurality of cutting wires mounted therein and extending across the area through which the carriage is moved, and a pivoting cutter having a plurality of cutting wires mounted therein and being pivotal through the area of travel of the carriage. A system is provided for setting the cutter for the desired size of pieces to be cut. 
   Other patents which may be of interest to the present invention are U.S. Pat. Nos. 273,176 and 3,578,048. 
   The barehanded pushing of potatoes through the cutters of the above U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,137 would be expected to easily and quickly tire the person&#39;s hands with the resulting loss of working efficiency. The machine of U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,902, while suitable for the making of french fries, does not offer a suggestion for the making of diced potatoes. 
   It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an easy and efficient to operate machine for dicing potatoes and the like. 
   In order to provide such an easy and efficient to operate machine for dicing potatoes and the like, in accordance with the present invention, a dicing device is provided which comprises a mesh of cutters, a first pusher member for pushing a potato or other foodstuff through the cutter mesh to form foodstuff segments, a plurality of elongate spaced cutters, a second pusher member for pushing the segments through the spaced cutters, and lever means for applying force to push the first and second pusher members, the lever means preferably being a lever or handle which is operable to successively push the first pusher member then push the second pusher member, whereby the dicing of a potato may be performed in a single continuous motion of the handle. 
   The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the appended drawings wherein the same reference numerals denote the same or similar parts throughout the several views. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a partial schematic view of a device which embodies the present invention, illustrating the dicing of a potato therewith. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the device in position prior to dicing a potato. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the device in position at completion of dicing a potato. 
       FIG. 4  is an elevation view of a first stage cutter mesh therefor, viewed from forwardly of the device and illustrating its attachment to the device. 
       FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of the cutter mesh. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to the drawings, there is shown generally at  10  a device for dicing potatoes or other foodstuffs. Except as otherwise noted herein, the various parts of the dicer are composed of stainless steel or other suitable material. The process of dicing a raw potato, illustrated at  12 , is best seen in  FIG. 1 . As illustrated therein, the potato  12  is, in a first stage, pushed horizontally by a first pusher member  24 , as illustrated at  26 , through a cutter  20  containing a mesh  14  of vertical cutter strips or blades  16  (best illustrated in  FIG. 4 ) and horizontal cutter strips or blades  18 , thereby forming a plurality of elongate potato strips or segments  22  in the shape of french fries. If desired, these potato strips  22  can be collected at the end of this first stage and cooked to make french fries. If it is desired to make diced potatoes, then the strips  22  are, in a second stage, pushed vertically downwardly by a second pusher member  28 , as illustrated at  30 , through a cutter  32  containing a plurality of horizontally spaced elongate cutter strips or blades  34 , thereby forming a plurality of cubic-shaped potato portions  36  which may land on a table or counter top  38  or otherwise as suitable. These potato portions  36  may then be cooked to make diced potatoes. 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , the dicer  10  comprises a support structure which includes a pair of elongate parallel base members  40  each of which has a vertical wall  41 , an outwardly-extending lower flange  42  for supporting the dicer  10  on a table or countertop  38  or the like, and an inwardly-extending upper flange  44 . At the rear end of the device  10  is a tubular member  46  positioned midway between the flanges  44  and extending longitudinally of the device  10 . A pair of flat plates  50  are welded to or otherwise suitably attached to opposite sides of the tubular member  46  and are attached, such as by fasteners utilizing wing nuts  48 , to the flanges  44  respectively. The tubular member  46  as well as the plates  50  which may be integral therewith may be composed of a similar material (discussed hereinafter) as pusher block  24  is composed. The tubular member  46  receives a rod  52  to allow movement of the rod  52  longitudinally of the device  10 . The outer end portion  60  of the rod  52  is of reduced diameter and threaded and received in an aperture, illustrated at  56 , which extends diametrically through a laterally-extending rod  54  centrally thereof, and a nut  58  threadedly engages the end of the rod  52  extending from the aperture  56  to attach the rod  52  to the rod  54 . 
   The end portions  62  of the rod  54  are of reduced diameter and threaded and are received in apertures, illustrated at  64 , in ends respectively of a pair of flat linkage members  66 , which are held thereto by nuts  68  which threadedly engage the threaded end portions  62 . The threads on the end portions  62  allow tightening of the nuts  68  to such a distance to allow play of the links  66  so that the links may rotate relative to the rod  54 . 
   A handle  70  in the shape of a yoke has a pair of elongate members  72  attached at ends thereof to the rear ends of the base members  40  respectively by suitable means such as bolts  74  received in bushings  80  which are in turn received in apertures in the base members  40  and in the ends of the yoke members  72  and nuts (not shown) threadedly applied thereto so that the handle  70  is free to rotate about the bushings  80 . Suitably attached between the other ends of the yoke members  72  is a handle bar  82  to be grasped by a person for operating the handle  70  as hereinafter discussed. Preferably, a soft tubular member (not shown) may be placed over the handle bar  82  so that it spins about the handle bar  82  for ease in handling the handle  70 , and the handle bar  82  may be attached to the handle members  72  by screws  81  or otherwise suitably attachable and detachable therefrom to permit removal of the soft tubular member for cleaning. The yoke members  72  extend outwardly of the base members  40  and spaced therefrom and beyond the other or front end of the base members  40 . Each of the yoke members  72  (which may be said to be boomerang-shaped) has a first portion  84  which extends from the rear end of the base members  40  over a distance equal approximately to the length of the base members  40  and a second portion  86  which extends at an angle, illustrated at  88 , to first portion  84  of the handle bar  82 . As seen in  FIG. 2 , while the first portions  84  are positioned to slant rearwardly in preparation for operating to apply pushing force, the angle  88  is selected so that the second portions  86  extend generally vertically so that the operator can achieve better control and leverage at the beginning of the application of pushing force but not so far that at the end of the stroke, the handle bar  82  contacts the counter top or the like before completion of the stroke. For example, the angle  88  may be about 150 degrees, and the lengths of the yoke member portions  84  and  86  may be about 15½ and 6 inches respectively. However, it should be understood that the handle members  72  may alternatively be straight (i.e., without angle  88 ) or otherwise suitably shaped. 
   The links  66  connect the yoke members  72  respectively to the bar  54 . The other ends of the links  66  are attached to the yoke members  72  respectively at a point approximately one-third of the length of the respective first portion  84  from the rear end thereof. Attachment of the links  66  to the yoke members  72  is by suitable means such as bolts  90  received in bushings (not shown) which are in turn received in apertures in the yoke members  72  and in apertures in the ends of the links  66  and nuts  94  threadedly applied thereto so as to allow relative free movement rotatably about the bushings between the handle  70  and the links  66 . 
   Each of the links  66  (which may be said to be boomerang-shaped) has a first portion  96  which extends from the rod  54  and a second portion  98  which extends at an angle, illustrated at  100 , to first portion  96  of the respective yoke member  72 . Thus, the handle  70  is rotatable from the generally vertical position shown in  FIG. 2  to the generally horizontal position shown in  FIG. 3 . The angle  100  is selected to allow horizontal movement of the rod  52  without binding in tubular member  46  and to achieve substantially all of the horizontal movement of the rod  52  during the first part of the stroke of the handle  70  when the handle bar  82  is moving primarily horizontally during the first stage and very little horizontal movement of the rod  52  during the second part of the stroke of the handle  70  during the second stage when the handle bar  82  is moving primarily vertically. For example, the angle  100  may be about 145 degrees, the distance  102  about 4 inches, the length of each of the link portions  96  and  98  about 4 inches, and the stroke length of bar  52  about 6 inches. The rod  52  is received in a friction free bushing (not shown) within tubular member  46  to otherwise prevent the bar  52  from binding. The linkage  66  and  70  is thus constructed to allow, for example, only about 0.030 inch of horizontal movement of the rod  52  during vertical movement of the handle  70  during the second stage of the stroke. Advantageously, such a linkage is provided to conveniently and efficiently successively achieve in a single stroke both the horizontal movement of the first pusher block  24  for the first stage and, after the first stage is completed and the potato strips  22  provided for the second stage, the vertical movement of the second pusher block  28  for the second stage, as discussed in greater detail hereinafter. 
   The pusher block  24  is composed of ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) material, Teflon material, or other suitable plastic or other material. The side thereof facing the cutter  20  is generally square to correspond to the cutter  20  whose side facing the block  24  is also generally square. However, it should be understood that the cutter  20  and block  24  may be otherwise suitably shaped. The block  24  is connected centrally thereof to the end of the rod  52  by a plate  53  to which the rod  52  is suitably connected such as, for example, a pin connection to allow removal of the pusher block  24  for cleaning and interchanging for different sizes, etc. For another example, the rod  52  may be welded to plate  53 . The plate  53  is attached to the block  24  by suitable fasteners such as, for example, stainless steel cap screws (not shown). The pusher block  24  has in its side facing the cutter  20  a plurality of intersecting horizontal and vertical slots, illustrated at  104  and  106  respectively, suitably sized and spaced (and the block  24  positioned) for receiving the horizontal and vertical cutter strips  18  and  16  respectively of the cutter mesh  14  as the potato  12  is pushed therethrough. The depth of the slots  104  and  106  is substantially equal to the width of the cutter strips  18  and  16  to allow the entire potato  12  to be pushed through the cutter strips  18  and  16 . The length of the stroke of rod  52  is selected to allow the slots  104  and  106  to fully receive the cutter strips  18  and  16  respectively during the stroke, with some additional slot depth to keep the cutter strips  18  and  16  from bottoming out. Thus, the front portion of the pusher block  24  is divided into a plurality of squared (or otherwise suitably shaped) portions, illustrated at  112 , which fit within the similarly shaped spaces, illustrated at  114  in  FIG. 4 , between the cutter strips  16  and  18 , as the rod  52  is moved forwardly, to cut the potato  12  into the plurality of potato strips  22 . 
   The cutter strips  18  and  16 , which are composed of thin (for example, a thickness of about 0.015 to 0.060 inch, preferably about 0.025 inch) strips of stainless steel or other suitable material, are welded or otherwise suitably attached to a perimeter housing member or frame  110 , and, at each intersection of a vertical cutter strip  16  with a horizontal cutter strip  18 , one of the cutter strips is slotted to accommodate the passage of the other cutter strip. It should of course be understood that the cutter strips need not necessarily be vertical and horizontal but may otherwise be oriented cross-wise so that the foodstuff segments may be suitably formed. As seen in  FIG. 5 , the perimeter housing  110  has an upper wall  116 , a pair of side walls  117 , and a bottom wall  123 . Each of the side walls  117  flares outwardly toward the device rear to the level of the flanges  44  then drops vertically to bottom wall  123  which accordingly has a greater width than the upper wall  116 . The width of the cutter strips  16  and  18  is less than the width of the upper wall  116 , the cutter strips  16  and  18  being thus set back from the inlet of the cutter  20  as defined by the upper wall  116 . As seen in  FIG. 4  for the cutter  20 , the lower halves (approximately) of the cutter  20  and the block  24  are disposed below the height of the flanges  44 . A pair of flanges  122  are welded or otherwise suitably attached to the perimeter housing side walls  117  respectively to lie on the flanges  44 . Each of the flanges  122  is suitably attached to the respective base member flange  44 , preferably by means of a pair of screws  125  affixed to the respective base member flange  44  to extend upwardly through apertures in the respective base member flange  44  and the respective flange  122  and wing nuts  124  applied to the screws, to allow the cutter  20  to be easily removed for cleaning and to allow interchange with a cutter of a different size etc. 
   Beginning flush with the leading (rearward) edge  127  of the perimeter housing  110  and extending to the rear of the device  10 , the base members  40  are formed as a single unit interconnected (integrally) by a generally U-shaped trough, illustrated at  129 , which serves as a platform for holding the potato  12  or the like in position for being pushed into the first stage cutter  20  for the first stage of cutting thereof. The base members  40  may alternatively be formed as two separate members interconnected by the trough  129 . The trough  129  includes vertical walls  131  joined (integrally or otherwise as suitable) to the inner edges of flanges  44  and a lower wall  133  joining (integrally or otherwise as suitable) the lower edges of the vertical walls  131 . 
   The lateral ends of the grid of second stage cutter strips  34 , which may be similar to the cutter strips  16  and  18  and which are spaced longitudinally of the base members  40  at the forward end thereof, are welded or otherwise suitably attached to a pair of vertical support plates  132  which extend upwardly therefrom to a pair of flanges  134  which are suitably attached to the base member flanges  44 . Preferably, each of the flanges  134  is attached to the respective flange  44  by means of a pair of screws affixed to the respective base member flange  44  to extend upwardly through apertures in the respective base member flange  44  and the respective flange  134  and wing nuts  136  applied to the screws, to allow the second stage cutter  32  to be easily removed for cleaning, to interchange with a cutter of a different size etc., and to allow french fries to be made. The second stage cutter strips  34  are positioned slightly below the level of the first stage cutter  20  and with the rear-most cutter strip  34  slightly forward of the cutter  20  so that the potato strips  22  naturally fall onto the second stage cutter strips  34  as they exit the first stage cutter  20 . 
   The pusher block  28  is disposed over the second stage cutter  32  to be pushed downwardly, as illustrated at  30 , by bar  144  for pushing the potato strips  22  through the cutter strips  34  for cubing them, as illustrated by cubed potato portions  36 . The pusher block  28  is composed of a similar material as the first stage pusher block  24  is composed and has a generally flat lower surface  140  for engaging and pushing the potato strips  22  through the second stage cutter  32 . The upper surface of the pusher block  28  is suitably attached to a plate  142  similarly as the first stage pusher block  24  is attached to plate  53 . The vertical bar  144  is suitably attached to the plate  142  centrally thereof, similarly as rod  52  is attached to the plate  53 , preferably to allow for removal of the pusher block  28  for cleaning and interchanging for a different size pusher block, etc., and extends upwardly from plate  142 . The upper end of bar  144  is welded or otherwise suitably attached to a plate  146  centrally of a horizontal overhanging portion  148  thereof. The horizontal plate portion  148  extends laterally beyond both base member vertical walls  41 . The plate  146  is bent or otherwise suitably formed to have a pair of vertical portions  150  extending downwardly from the lateral edges of the horizontal portion  148  and terminating at their lower ends in a pair of outwardly extending flanges  152 . Suitably attached (similarly as the pusher block  24  is attached to plate  53 ) to the horizontal portion  148  and extending laterally generally over the length thereof is a block  154  composed of a similar material as pusher block  24  is composed. Welded or attached by a threaded nut or otherwise suitably attached to each of the base member upper flanges  44  (or to both the respective flange  44  and the respective flange  134 ) is a vertically extending guide rod  156  which is slidingly received in a clearance hole (not shown) in the horizontal plate portion  148  and a clearance hole, illustrated at  158 , in the block  154 , i.e., so that the plate  146  and block  154  are movable vertically as guided by the guide rods  156 . 
   The guide rods  156  are spring-loaded with springs  160  between the base member upper flanges  44  and the plate horizontal portions  148  respectively to urge the bar  154  upwardly, i.e., to the position illustrated in  FIG. 2  for the beginning of a stroke. The flanges  152  are suitably positioned to be engaged by the handle members  72  respectively (i.e., the pusher member  28  is engaged by the handle  70 ) during the latter part of the stroke, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . If desired, Teflon members (or members made of other suitable material) may be applied to the upper surfaces of flanges  152  and/or to the handle surfaces which strike the flanges  152  so as to avoid metal-to-metal contact during a stroke. If desired, the upper ends of the guide rods  156  may be suitably tied together or a collar applied thereto to increase rigidity and/or prevent the second stage pusher block assembly from coming off if the dicer is turned upside-down. Thus, the handle members  72  push downwardly on the flanges  152  during the stroke, causing downward movement of the plate  146  and the bar  144  and thus the pusher block  28  against the tension in springs  160  to push the potato strips  22  through the grid of cutter members  34  thus forming cubed potato portions  36 , which may then be cooked, from the potato slices. When the handle  70  is returned to the stroke start position ( FIG. 2 ), the pusher block  28  is returned to the upper position ( FIG. 2 ), by the action of the springs  160 , in position for another stroke. 
   The present invention thus allows the two-stage potato cubing to be conducted easily and efficiently by rotating the handle  70  through a single stroke from the position shown in  FIG. 2  to the position shown in  FIG. 3 . During the first part of the stroke, the handle  70  is moved primarily forwardly, pushing the pusher block  24  forwardly through the first stage cutter  20  to form the potato strips  22  and then in sequence moving primarily downwardly to push the flanges  152  and thus the pusher block  28  downwardly ( FIG. 3 ) to force the potato strips  22  through the second stage cutter  32  to form potato cubes for cooking. The handle  70  is then returned to the start position ( FIG. 2 ) by the action of the springs  160  and a new potato  12  inserted to be similarly cubed. The pusher blocks and cutters may be attached, as previously discussed, so that they may be removed for cleaning, for interchanging for different sizes or shapes etc., or for forming french fries instead of cubed potatoes. 
   It should be understood that, alternatively, the device of the present invention may have two levers for pushing the first and second pusher members respectively. 
   It should be understood that, while the present invention has been described in detail herein, the invention can be embodied otherwise without departing from the principles thereof. For example, the first and second cutter assemblies may be interchanged. Such other embodiments are meant to come within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.