Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
207 words
Incremental pressure apparatus for use in association with machines for extruding food product dough such as potato dough and the like of the type having upper and lower supporting members spaced apart and removably receiving a dough receiving cylinder and extrusion die therebetween, said cylinder incorporating a pressure piston, said pressure apparatus comprising; a housing associated with said upper supporting member of said machine; upper and lower openings in said housing arranged on a common vertical axis; pressure shaft means extending through said openings for application of pressure to said piston in said cylinder; releasable frictIonal shaft gripping means extending around said shaft within said housing, said gripping means being normally oriented in a shaft releasing position and being tiltable relative to the axis of said shaft to frictionally engage same, said gripping means being additionally movable upwardly and downwardly on a substantially vertical path within said housing between upper and lower positions, and manually operable drive means mounted on said housing and engageable with said gripping means and operable to first tilt the same into its said gripping position and then drive same downwardly along said vertical path into its lower position, said gripping means returning to its upper position upon release of said drive means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
207 words
Incremental pressure apparatus for use in association with machines for extruding food product dough such as potato dough and the like of the type having upper and lower supporting members spaced apart and removably receiving a dough receiving cylinder and extrusion die therebetween, said cylinder incorporating a pressure piston, said pressure apparatus comprising; a housing associated with said upper supporting member of said machine; upper and lower openings in said housing arranged on a common vertical axis; pressure shaft means extending through said openings for application of pressure to said piston in said cylinder; releasable frictIonal shaft gripping means extending around said shaft within said housing, said gripping means being normally oriented in a shaft releasing position and being tiltable relative to the axis of said shaft to frictionally engage same, said gripping means being additionally movable upwardly and downwardly on a substantially vertical path within said housing between upper and lower positions, and manually operable drive means mounted on said housing and engageable with said gripping means and operable to first tilt the same into its said gripping position and then drive same downwardly along said vertical path into its lower position, said gripping means returning to its upper position upon release of said drive means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
65 words
Incremental pressure apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said shaft gripping means incorporates a lever member of predetermined width and length, the width being greater than the width of said pressure shaft, and the length being greater than the width, an opening formed through said lever member for reception of said pressure shaft means therethrough, and shaft engaging means associated with said lever member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
77 words
Incremental pressure apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a reduced neck portion at the upper end of said shaft means, said reduced neck portion being spaced from the lower end of said pressure shaft means a predetermined distance, whereby to bring said reduced neck portion into registration with said shaft gripping means to terminate further operation thereof at a terminal point just prior to engagement of said pressure piston with the lower end of said cylinder.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
Incremental pressure apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including bearing sleeve means mounted in said upper opening in said housing for slidably receiving said pressure shaft means therethrough.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
66 words
Incremental pressure apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said shaft gripping means includes a lever member, an oversized opening formed through said lever for loosely receiving said pressure shaft therethrough; and a generally annular shaft engaging ring of hard material mounted in said opening in said lever member, defining an interior diameter less than that of said opening, and slidably receiving said shaft means therethrough.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
Incremental pressure apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said manually operable drive means includes a cam member, a shaft mounting said cam member in operable position and movable within said housing, and cam follower means associated with said shaft gripping means for engagement by said cam member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
Incremental pressure apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a shaft for said manually operable drive means, shaft bearing means formed on said housing for rotatably receiving said shaft therein, and an eccentrically mounted drive member on said shaft, said drive member being dimensioned and oriented to engage said shaft gripping means as aforesaid.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
Incremental pressure apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a spring normally urging said shaft gripping means upwardly within said housing, and adjustable stop means mounted in said housing for defining an upward limit of movement for said shaft gripping means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
71 words
Incremental pressure apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shaft gripping means includes a lever member, an opening formed through said lever member which is oversize with respect to the diameter of said shaft, said opening being formed at a predetermined angle, whereby when the axis of said opening is aligned with the axis of said shaft, said lever member will be tilted relative to the axis of said shaft.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
88 words
Incremental pressure apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shaft gripping means includes a lever member, tiltable between a non-operating position wherein the same is angled relative to the axis of said shaft, and an operating position tilted at a different angle, and including sliding collar means adapted to ride on said shaft within said housing, and having a lower surface angled relative tO the axis of said shaft, at an angle substantially equal to the angle of said lever member when in its said non-operating position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
64 words
Incremental pressure apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said manually operable drive means comprises oversize hub members mounted in opposite side walls of said housing for rotation in unison, cam rod means mounted between said hub members and offset with respect to the central axis thereof, and a contact surface formed on said cam rod means for contacting said frictional shaft gripping means.