Rotisserie spit attachment

• US 6,568,316 B1
• Filed: 12/05/2001
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ronco Asset Owners, LLC
• Original Assignee: Alan L. Backus, Ron Popeil
• Inventors: Backus, Alan L., Popeil, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, REGINALD
• Application Number:
  US10/021,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20030101877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 994/21.H, 994/21.HH, 994/21.HV, 994/21.R, 994/19, 126/25.R, 126/9.R, 126/25.AA
• US Class Current: 99/421.00H
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/041 with food supports rotating about a horizontal axis A47J37/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/049 Details of the food supports not specially adapted to one of the preceding types of food supports
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0786 Accessories

Abstract

An improved spit assembly which may be fitted on a variety barbeques. A preferred embodiment uses twin parallel horizontal spit rods to hold food and food supporting accessories. An adjustable bearing adapts to various barbeque widths. Cavity shaped receptacles with hand tightened set screws make assembly and disassembly of the spit simpler and improve space efficiency for storage, shipment or other purposes.

Claims

1. A spit assembly to be fitted to a variety of barbeques comprising:

a plurality of spit rods;

a first linking member connected to a first end of each of the plurality of spit rods;

a first axle projecting from the first linking member in a direction generally opposite the projecting plurality of spit rods;

a plurality of receptacles each receiving in an overlapping fit and coupling, solely through the overlapping fit;

a second end of each of the plurality of spit rods;

a second linking member coupled to each of the plurality of receptacles;

a second axle projecting from the second linking member in a direction generally opposite the plurality of receptacles;

a bearing joined to, and adjustable along a portion of the length of one of the axles;

the bearing being removably linked to a bracket which is attached to a barbeque;

a rotary power source;

the rotary power source also being attached to the barbeque;

the rotary power source having a detachable coupling which links the rotary power source to the axle not linked to the bearing, and through the detachable coupling providing rotary drive to the plurality of spit rods; and

the first linking member being coupled to the second linking member solely through the plurality of spit rods.

2. The spit assembly of claim 1 where the first linking member connects to the plurality of spit rods by a plurality of secondary receptacles attached to the first linking member each accepting a second end of one of the plurality of spit rods in an overlapping fit, and a set screw on each of the secondary receptacles tightening against each inserted spit rod second end.

3. The spit assembly of claim 2 where each set screw has a finger grip to hand tighten and loosen the set screw without use of tools.

4. An improved spit assembly for a barbeque comprising:

a first and a second essentially horizontal spit rod;

a first linking member connected to a first end of the first spit rod, and to a first end of the second spit rod;

a first axle projecting from the first linking member in a direction generally away from the connected first and second spit rods;

a first cavity shaped receptacle and a second cavity shaped receptacle;

the first cavity shaped receptacle accepting in a overlapping fit a second end of the first spit rod simultaneously with the second cavity shaped receptacle accepting in an overlapping fit a second end of the second spit rod;

a second linking member coupled to both the first cavity shaped receptacle and the second cavity shaped receptacle;

a second axle projecting from the second linking member in a direction generally away from the coupled first and second cavity shaped receptacles;

a bearing joined to, and adjustable along a portion of the length of, one of the axles,

the bearing being removably linked to a bracket which is attached to a barbeque;

a rotary power source;

the rotary power source also being attached to the barbeque;

the rotary power source having a detachable coupling which links the rotary power source to the axle not joining the bearing and through the coupling providing rotary drive to;

the first axle.

5. The spit assembly of claim 4 where the first linking member connects to the first spit rod by a third cavity shaped receptacle attached to the first linking member and overlapping the second end of the first spit rod, and the third cavity shaped receptacle having a set screw tightened against the second end of the first spit rod, and where the first spit rod can be removed from the third cavity shaped receptacle by loosening the set screw and pulling the first spit rod out of the third cavity shaped receptacle.

6. The spit assembly of claim 5 where the set screw has a finger grip to hand tighten and loosen the set screw without use of tools.

7. The spit assembly of claim 6 where the first end of the first spit rod comes to a point and the first spit rod is indented with a notch adjacent to the point and the hand tightened set screw tightens into the notch.

8. The spit assembly of claim 6 where the set screw generally points toward the axis of rotation of the first axle.

9. The spit assembly of claim 4 where the first linking member is connected to the second linking member solely through the first and second spit rods.

10. The spit assembly of claim 4 where the first axle, the first linking member, the first and second spit rods, the first and second cavity shaped receptacles, the second linking member, the second axle and the bearing are sold together as part of a kit to be used with existing barbeques.

11. The spit assembly of claim 4 where the first linking member is plate shaped.

12. The spit assembly of claim 11 where the plate shaped linking member has mounts for kabob rods.

13. The spit assembly of claim 11 where the second linking member is plate shaped.

14. The spit assembly of claim 4 where the bearing is joined to one of the axles by a set screw having a finger grip for hand tightening the set screw against the axle.

15. The spit assembly of claim 4 where the first cavity shaped receptacle has an outer opening accepting the second end of the first spit rod, and the outer opening is at least two-and-one-half times the thickness of the cross section of the first spit rod.

16. The spit assembly of claim 15 where the outer opening is surrounded by a perimeter wall.

17. The spit assembly of claim 4 where the first spit rod is symmetrical end to end.

18. The spit assembly of claim 4 where the first and second spit rods are interchangeable.

19. The spit assembly of claim 4 where both the first and second axles have the same cross sections.

20. The spit assembly of claim 19 where the cross section of both the first and second axles is square.

21. The spit assembly of claim 4 where the first axle is a different length than the second axle.

22. A spit assembly to fit a variety of barbeques, the assembly comprising:

a first axle and a first spit rod, and the first spit rod having both a first and a second end, and the first end of the first spit rod being rigidly coupled to the first axle;

a first receptacle and the first receptacle coupling to the second end of the first spit rod solely by an overlapping fit which is rigid;

a second axle;

the second axle being rigidly coupled to the first receptacle;

a bearing, and the bearing able to travel along the length of a portion of one of the axles and able to be secured at a point on the portion traversed;

a mounting bracket secured to a barbeque, and the mounting bracket being detachably coupled to the bearing; and

a rotational drive mounted to the barbeque and the rotational drive being detachably coupled to the axle not securing the bearing and through such coupling supplying rotational drive to the first spit rod.

23. The spit assembly of claim 22 wherein there is a second spit rod which is disposed essentially parallel to the first spit rod and the second spit rod is rigidly coupled to the first axle and is detachably coupled through a rigid connector to the second axle.

24. The spit assembly of claim 22 wherein the first end of the first spit rod is rigidly couple to the first axle through an overlapping coupler secured by a set screw.

25. The spit assembly of claim 24 wherein the set screw has a finger grip allowing it to be loosened without use of tools.

26. The spit assembly of claim 22 wherein the rotation drive is detachably secured through an overlapping fit to the axle not securing the bearing.

27. The spit assembly of claim 22 wherein the bearing may be mounted to either the first or the second axle.