EP0050409A2 — Kitchen appliance for and method of making farina…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 239 words

A kitchen appliance for making farinaceous products such as spaghetti, fettucini, macaroni, manicotti, lasagna, pizza crusts, taco shells, bagels, breadsticks and like dough foodstuffs, comprising: a) a housing having a mixing chamber for receiving the ingredients of a selected farinaceous product to be made; b) mixer means for mixing the ingredients, including a mixer shaft mounted in the mixing chamber for rotation about an axis of rotation, and at least one mixer element mounted on the mixer shaft for joint rotation therewith to mix the ingredients; c) an extruding chamber mounted on the housing in axially spaced relationship with the mixing chamber, for receiving the mixed ingredients from the mixing chamber, said extruding chamber having a discharge outlet; d) extruder means for extruding the mixed ingredients from the discharge outlet, including an extruder screw mounted in the extruding chamber for rotation about said axis of rotation; said extruder screw and said mixer shaft extending co-linearly along, and being jointly rotatable about, said same axis of rotation; and e) drive means for jointly turning the mixer shaft and the extruder screw simultaneously about said same axis of rotation in a predetermined circumferential direction to effect mixing only of the ingredients, and at the user's option, in the circumferential direction opposite to the predetermined direction to effect extrusion of the farinaceous product to be made through the discharge outlet, whereby farinaceous products can be made in the kitchen in small-scale quantities.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 239 words

A kitchen appliance for making farinaceous products such as spaghetti, fettucini, macaroni, manicotti, lasagna, pizza crusts, taco shells, bagels, breadsticks and like dough foodstuffs, comprising: a) a housing having a mixing chamber for receiving the ingredients of a selected farinaceous product to be made; b) mixer means for mixing the ingredients, including a mixer shaft mounted in the mixing chamber for rotation about an axis of rotation, and at least one mixer element mounted on the mixer shaft for joint rotation therewith to mix the ingredients; c) an extruding chamber mounted on the housing in axially spaced relationship with the mixing chamber, for receiving the mixed ingredients from the mixing chamber, said extruding chamber having a discharge outlet; d) extruder means for extruding the mixed ingredients from the discharge outlet, including an extruder screw mounted in the extruding chamber for rotation about said axis of rotation; said extruder screw and said mixer shaft extending co-linearly along, and being jointly rotatable about, said same axis of rotation; and e) drive means for jointly turning the mixer shaft and the extruder screw simultaneously about said same axis of rotation in a predetermined circumferential direction to effect mixing only of the ingredients, and at the user's option, in the circumferential direction opposite to the predetermined direction to effect extrusion of the farinaceous product to be made through the discharge outlet, whereby farinaceous products can be made in the kitchen in small-scale quantities.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 48 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing has a removable cover mounted on the mixing chamber for giving access to the same; and safety switch means on the housing for deactivating the drive means when the cover has been removed from the mixing chamber.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 47 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said mixer means includes a plurality of radially-extending mixer elements arranged axially along, and in circumferential direction about, the mixer shaft; each mixer element being oriented at an angle relative to the axis of rotation.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 26 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in any preceding claim, wherein said extruder auger, said mixer shaft and said mixer element are of one-piece moulded plastic construction.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 48 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in any preceding claim, wherein said extruding chamber includes an entry zone in communication with the mixing chamber, and wherein said extruder means includes stuffing means for conveying the mixed ingredients in the mixing chamber to the entry zone of the extruding chamber.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 45 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in claim 5, wherein said stuffing means includes a resilient doctor blade mounted on the mixer shaft for joint rotation therewith; said doctor blade sweeping past, and extending slightly into, the entry zone during every rotation of the doctor blade.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 42 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in claim 6, wherein said stuffing means further includes a stuffing element fixedly mounted on the mixer shaft adjacent to the doctor blade, for co-operating with the latter to convey the mixed ingredients into the entry zone.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 52 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the entry zone extends both in circumferential direction about the axis of rotation, and also in axial direction thereof to form a helical-type configuration; said entry zone converging in cross-section along its extension in direction away from the mixing chamber.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 44 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in any preceding claim, wherein said drive means includes a reversible electric motor having an output shaft, and actuating means for energizing the motor to turn the output shaft in either one of the predetermined and opposite circumferential directions.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 29 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in claim 9, wherein said drive means include speed reducing means operatively connected between the output shaft of the motor and the mixer shaft.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 78 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in claim 9 or claim 10, wherein said actuating means includes a plurality of manually- operated actuators; and means interconnecting the actuators with the motor for energizing the same to turn its output shaft in the predetermined direction when one set of actuators has been manually operated, and in the opposite direction when another different set of actuators has been manually operated; at least one of said sets comprising more than one actuator.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 45 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in any preceding claim, wherein said extruder means includes a plurality of dies, a selected one of which is mounted on the discharge outlet to make a selected farinaceous product; said dies having passageways of different predetermined configurations extending therethrough.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 28 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in any preceding claim, and further comprising means on the housing for adjusting the thickness of the extruded farinaceous product to be made.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 52 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in claim 13, wherein said adjusting means includes a die element mounted at the discharge outlet for movement relative thereto, and means for moving the die element in axial direction to a predetermined spacing relative to the discharge outlet, whereby farinaceous products of differing thicknesses are produced.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 31 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in claim 14; and further comprising stop means on said die-moving means for setting the die element at an initial spacing relative to the discharge outlet.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 86 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in claim 15, wherein said die-moving means includes an extension member mounted on the extruding chamber in axial relationship therewith; an elongated threaded rod mounted on the extension member and extending lengthwise along the axis of rotation, said die element being mounted on the threaded rod for movement lengthwise of the latter; and a positioning member threadedly mounted on the threaded rod for infinitely variable continuous movement therealong, and engaging said die element to position the same at said predetermined spacing.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 35 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in claim 16, wherein said stop means includes abutment means on said extension member, said abutment means engaging the die element when the latter is spaced at said initial spacing.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 22 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in claim 17, wherein said abutment means is an annular projection concentric with the axis of rotation.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 68 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in claim 16, wherein said extension member has an annular axial end opening within which an annular die element is received with clearance, the outer peripheral surface of the die element and the inner circumferential surface of the extension member opening being spaced apart at said predetermined spacing to form a tubular clearance through which passes an extruded farinaceous product of tubular cross-section.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 98 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in claim 16, wherein said extension member has an annular axial end opening within which an annular die element having at least one cutting edge is received with clearance, the outer peripheral surface of the die element and the inner circumferential surface of the extension member opening being spaced apart at said predetermined spacing to form a tubular clearance through which passes an extruded farinaceous product of sheet-like configuration, said cutting edge extending radially at least partly across the tubular clearance, for cutting the farinaceous product during its passage through the tubular clearance.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 27 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in claim 20, wherein said annular die element has a plurality of raidally-extending cutting edges arranged circumferentially about the axis of rotation.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 26 words

The kitchen appliance as defined in claim 16; and further comprising means on the housing for supporting the farinaceous product after discharge from the discharge outlet.

Claim 24

Independent Claim 128 words

A method of making farinaceous products such as spaghetti, fettucini, macaroni, manicotti, lasagna, pizza crusts, taco shells, bagels, breadsticks and like dough foodstuffs, comprising the steps of: a) mixing the ingredients of a selected farinaceous product by rotating a rotary mixer about an axis of rotation; b) extruding the mixed ingredients by rotating a rotary extruder about the same axis of rotation; and c) jointly turning the rotary mixer and the rotary extruder simultaneously about the same axis of rotation in a predetermined circumferential direction to effect mixing only of the ingredients, and at the user's option, in the circumferential direction opposite to the predetermined direction to effect extrusion of the farinaceous product to be made, whereby farinaceous products can be made in the kitchen in small-scale quantities.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 128 words

A method of making farinaceous products such as spaghetti, fettucini, macaroni, manicotti, lasagna, pizza crusts, taco shells, bagels, breadsticks and like dough foodstuffs, comprising the steps of: a) mixing the ingredients of a selected farinaceous product by rotating a rotary mixer about an axis of rotation; b) extruding the mixed ingredients by rotating a rotary extruder about the same axis of rotation; and c) jointly turning the rotary mixer and the rotary extruder simultaneously about the same axis of rotation in a predetermined circumferential direction to effect mixing only of the ingredients, and at the user's option, in the circumferential direction opposite to the predetermined direction to effect extrusion of the farinaceous product to be made, whereby farinaceous products can be made in the kitchen in small-scale quantities.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method as defined in claim 23; and further comprising the step of adjusting the thickness of the extruded farinaceous product to be made.

Kitchen appliance for and method of making farinaceous products

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