Mixer guard mounting means

• US 5,306,083 A
• Filed: 08/04/1993
• Issued: 04/26/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Blackburn, Neal, Caldwell, Frank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Simone, Timothy F.
• Application Number:
  US08/101,868
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• Field of Search: 99/348, 99/645, 366/129, 366/130, 366/244-251, 366/261, 366/331, 366/347, 126/299 C, 126/381, 220/369
• US Class Current: 366/347
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/806 with vertical displacement of the stirrer, e.g. in combination with means for pivoting the stirrer about a vertical axis in order to co-operate with different receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/60 Safety arrangements

Abstract

A food mixer is provided with a bowl guard consisting of a fixed first semi-cylindrical splash guard portion and a removable semi-cylindrical second see-through portion pivotable about a cylindrical mixer transmission. The second portion is suspended from the transmission by spaced guide shoes mounted on a circumferential ring at the upper end of the pivotable portion. The shoes slidingly engage a fixed track extending horizontally and circumferentially around the transmission portion. The improvement consists of the track being provided as an essentially continuous bead formed in a cylindrical sheet metal band covering the transmission portion. The bead is integral with the band and may be created by rolling or spinning it into the band with metal forming tools. When the second portion of the bowl guard is removed for cleaning away from the mixer, the exterior of the band can be easily cleaned by wiping, since its method of manufacture provides a band surface which is essentially free of food-collecting crevices.

Claims

1. In a food mixer having an electric motor;

a power transmission driven thereby and having an essentially cylindrical portion with a rotary mixing shaft extending downwardly therefrom;

said shaft having means for receiving a mixing member on its lower end for rotation with said shaft to mix food ingredients in an open-topped bowl positioned therebelow;

a bowl guard suspended from said cylindrical transmission portion and covering the open top of said bowl while said mixing shaft is rotating, said guard comprising a fixed first essentially semi-cylindrical splash guard portion remote from an operator station and a second removable semi-cylindrical see-through portion adjacent said operator station;

said second portion being pivotable about a vertical axis centrally of said transmission cylindrical portion between a bowl-covering position encompassing that area of the open top of the bowl not covered by said splash guard portion and a bowl-access position in which said first and second portions are adjacent and essentially nested;

a plurality of circumferentially-spaced inwardly-facing guide shoes on said second portion adjacent said cylindrical transmission portion for enabling pivoting of said second see-through portion about said transmission; and

fixed track means associated with said cylindrical transmission portion for slidably receiving said guide shoes;

the improvement comprising;

said track means consisting of a cylindrical sheet metal band surrounding and coaxially-fixed to a lower end of said cylindrical transmission portion, said band having an outwardly-directed horizontal bead integral therewith and extending essentially 360 degrees thereabout for supporting said pivotable portion by means of said guide shoes for enabling pivotal movement thereof between its bowl-covering and bowl-access positions, said bead and the adjacent outer surface of said band being essentially free of food-collecting crevices whereby, upon removal of said second portion for cleaning away from said mixer, the outer surface of said band and bead can be completely and easily wiped free of food splashed thereon during mixing.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said second portion of said bowl guard comprises a wire cage assembly extending circumferentially and radially with respect to said cylindrical transmission portion.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said bead is formed into said band by metal working tools and is of the same thickness as the remainder of said sheet metal band.

4. The invention according to claim 3 wherein said band and bead are produced by the process of providing a flat sheet of metal of a length equal to the end circumference of the band and of a width equal to the end height of said band, forming the sheet into a cylinder by butt-welding the lengthwise ends of the sheet together, providing a male rotary tool on the inside of said cylinder and a cooperating female rotary tool on the outside of said cylinder, said tools and said cylinder being on parallel axes, and contacting said tools and said cylinder while relatively rotating said cylinder with respect to said tools to roll said outwardly-directed bead.

5. The invention according to claim 4 wherein a second set of cooperating forming tools is provided and wherein there is also rolled in the end of said band nearest said bowl by said second set of forming tools an inwardly and upwardly turned lip providing a cup for retaining any potential leakage of oil from said transmission into said bowl.

6. The invention according to claim 5 wherein said bead and said cup are closely positioned relative to each other at the lowermost end of said band when the band is in position on said cylindrical transmission portion.

7. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said bead extends essentially 360 degrees about said band.

8. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said second see-through portion of said bowl guard includes a ring for supporting said guide shoes and suspending the second removable portion of said bowl guard therefrom, said shoes being three in number and essentially equally spaced 120 degrees about said ring, and wherein at least a portion of one of said guide shoes is retractable relative to said bead whereby said ring and second pivotable portion may be lowered, removed from said bead and cleaned at a location remote from the food mixer.

9. The invention according to claim 8 wherein said one guide shoe is mounted for outward movement relative to said ring between a first position in which said one shoe is slidably supported about said bead and a second position in which said one shoe clears at least the upper portion of said bead to enable the second pivotable portion to be lowered for removal.

10. The invention according to claim 9 wherein means is provided to maintain said one shoe in said first position when said second pivotable portion is mounted on said food mixer for movement between said bowl-covering position and said bowl-access positions.

11. The invention according to claim 10 wherein said means to maintain said one shoe in said first position comprises a two-part latch and detent means, one part on said ring and the other part on said one shoe.