Tamale maker

• US 8,506,283 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2012
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edward Ray Gonzales
• Original Assignee: Edward Ray Gonzales
• Inventors: Gonzales, Edward Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): Malekzadeh, Seyed Masoud
• Application Number:
  US13/413,600
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 425/191, 425/227, 425/239, 425/240, 425/256, 425/287, 425/288, 425/291, 425/292, 425/344, 425/346, 425/355, 425/363, 425/376.1, 425/380, 425/394, 425/398, 425/399, 425/400, 425/401, 425/406, 425/412, 425/416, 425/438, 425/442, 425/461, 425/502, 425/544, 425/112, 425/126.1, 425/128, 425/182, 425/188, 425/193, 425/195, 425/282, 425/283, 425/345, 425/349, 425/348.S, 425/352, 425/353, 425/354, 425/408, 425/410, 425/411, 425/414, 425/415, 425/420, 425/441, 425/443, 425/451.9, 425/812, 425/89, 426/282, 426/283, 426/284, 426/512, 426/514, 426/516, 426/518, 426/51, 426/499, 249/63, 249/122, 249/141, 249/160, 249/173
• US Class Current: 425/401
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 9/06 Apparatus for filling pieces of dough such as doughnuts A21C11/163 takes precedence; apparatus for filling baked articles A21C15/007
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 11/02 using a ram exerting pressure on the material in a moulding space
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 15/22 controlling the degree of pressure applied by the ram during the pressing stroke

Abstract

A device, such as a tamale maker, for inserting edible filling into dough, generally includes a lower assembly and an upper assembly. The lower assembly includes an elongate cylindrical mold sleeve comprised of a plurality of separable longitudinal segments around a central cavity and a base for receiving the mold sleeve so as to define a container for receiving dough. The upper assembly comes in two forms, one having a plunger for use with masa dough having a firm consistency so it can be formed into a self-supporting shape, and one having tines for inserting a solid or frozen filling into flowable or soft masa dough. The tamale is removed from the container by separating one or more sleeve segments of the container to expose the tamale.

Claims

1. A device for molding dough for insertion of edible filling into the molded dough comprising:

a lower assembly comprising;

a plurality of separable elongate mold sleeve segments wherein each segment including an upper end and a lower end;

said segments fitting together to form an elongate cylindrical mold sleeve having a longitudinal axis and encompassing a central cavity;

said mold sleeve including;

an inner face;

an outer face;

an upper end; and

a lower end; and

a base including;

a top including;

a surface; and

retaining means for retaining said lower ends of said mold sleeve segments to said base so as to define a container for receiving the dough; and

an upper assembly including;

a disk for selectively covering said upper end of said mold sleeve;

said disk having a center and a periphery;

filling centering means projecting downward from said center of said disk for insertion into the dough in the central cavity for centering filling in the dough in said central cavity; and

cooperating centering means projecting downward from said periphery of said disk and cooperating between said disk and said outer face of said mold sleeve of said lower assembly for centering said filing centering means in the central cavity of said mold sleeve during insertion of said filling centering means into the central cavity;

said mold sleeve being separable into said mold sleeve segments for removing molded dough from said container;

wherein said base further includes;

a vent including;

a vent orifice in said surface of said top; and

a duct in said base providing ambient air to said vent orifice; and

said filling centering means includes;

a plunger connected to said disk and projecting downward therefrom and having a longitudinal axis, configured to form a central bore in the dough and including;

an elongate plunger cylinder including;

an upper end; and

a lower end; and

a punch on said lower end of said plunger cylinder;

said cylinder being tapered from said upper end to said lower end to be more easily releasable from the dough upon withdrawal of said plunger from the dough and adapted for plunging into said upper end of said mold sleeve retained on said base so as to displace the dough received by said container and to displace a portion of the dough for receiving filling and wherein said punch enters said vent orifice such that ambient air can enter said central cavity below said plunger upon withdrawal of said plunger from said central cavity and such that a vacuum is not created upon withdrawal of said plunger and the dough is not pulled back into said central bore displaced by said plunger.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein:

said cooperating centering means holds said upper ends of said mold sleeve segments in the cylindrical mold sleeve configuration during insertion of said filling centering means into said central cavity.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein:

said upper assembly further includes;

a handle attached to said disk.

4. A device for receiving and molding dough for insertion of edible filling into the molded dough;

the device being adapted for receiving a bottom release sheet and a side release sheet having a top end;

said device comprising;

a lower assembly comprising;

a plurality of separable elongate mold sleeve segments;

each said segment including an upper end and a lower end;

said segments fitting together to form an elongate cylindrical mold sleeve having a longitudinal axis and encompassing a central cavity;

said mold sleeve including;

an inner face for receiving the side release sheet;

an outer face;

an upper end including;

an internal lip adapted for blocking upward movement of the side release sheet; and

a lower end; and

a base including;

a top including;

a surface for receiving the bottom release sheet; and

retaining means for retaining said lower end of said mold sleeve segments to said base so as to define a container for receiving the dough;

said container being lined with the bottom release sheet and side release sheet; and

an upper assembly including;

a disk for selectively covering said upper end of said mold sleeve;

said disk having a center and a periphery;

filling centering means projecting downward from said center of said disk for insertion into the central cavity for centering filling in the dough in the central cavity; and

cooperating centering means projecting downward from said periphery of said disk and cooperating between said disk and said outer face of said mold sleeve of said lower assembly for centering said filling centering means in the central cavity of said mold sleeve during insertion of said filling centering means into the central cavity;

said mold sleeve being separable into said mold sleeve segments for removing molded dough from said container;

wherein said base further includes;

a vent including;

a vent orifice in said surface of said top; and

a duct in said base providing ambient air to said vent orifice; and

said filling centering means includes;

a plunger having a longitudinal axis;

said plunger connected to said disk and projecting downward therefrom and configured to form a central bore in the dough, said plunger including;

an elongate plunger cylinder including;

an upper end; and

a lower end; and

a punch on said lower end of said plunger cylinder;

said plunger cylinder being tapered from said upper end to said lower end to be more easily releasable from the dough upon withdrawal of said plunger from the dough and adapted for plunging into said upper end of said mold sleeve retained on said base so as to occupy a portion of the central cavity for receiving filling wherein said punch punches through the base sheet and enters said vent orifice such that ambient air can enter the central cavity below said plunger upon withdrawal of said plunger from the central cavity and such that a vacuum is not created upon withdrawal of said plunger and the dough is not pulled back into the central bore displaced by said plunger.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein:

said cooperating centering means holds said upper ends of said mold sleeves segments in the cylindrical mold sleeve configuration during insertion of said filling centering means into the central cavity.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein:

said cooperating centering means holds said upper ends of said mold sleeve segments in the cylindrical mold sleeve configuration during insertion of said filling centering means into the central cavity.

7. A device for receiving a bottom release sheet and dough and for molding the received dough for insertion of edible filling into the received dough;

said device comprising;

a lower assembly comprising;

an elongate cylindrical mold sleeve comprising a plurality of separable longitudinal mold sleeve segments fitting together to form an elongate cylindrical tube having a longitudinal axis and encompassing a central cavity;

said mold sleeve including;

an inner face;

an outer face;

an upper end; and

a lower end; and

a base including;

a top including;

an upper surface;

a vent including;

a vent orifice in said upper surface of said top; and

a duct in said base providing ambient air to said vent orifice;

and retaining means for retaining said lower end of said mold sleeve to said base so as to define a container for receiving dough;

said container being lined with the bottom release sheet on said upper surface of said top of said base such that the bottom release sheet covers said vent orifice; and

an upper assembly including;

a disk for selectively covering said upper end of said mold sleeve;

said disk having a center and a periphery;

a plunger projecting downward from said center of said disk and having a longitudinal axis, configured to form a central bore in the dough for receiving the edible filling, including;

an elongate plunger cylinder including;

an upper end; and

a lower end including;

a punch on said lower end of said plunger cylinder;

said plunger cylinder being tapered from said upper end to said lower end to be more easily releasable from the dough upon withdrawal of said plunger cylinder from the dough and adapted for plunging into said upper end of said mold sleeve retained on said base so as to displace a portion of the dough received by said container to form the central bore for receiving filling and wherein said punch punches through the bottom release sheet and enters said vent orifice such that ambient air is able to enter the central cavity below said plunger upon withdrawal of said plunger from the central cavity and such that a vacuum is not created upon withdrawal of said plunger from the dough and the dough is not pulled back into the central bore displaced by said plunger and

cooperating centering means projecting downward from said periphery of said disk and cooperating between said disk and said outer face of said mold sleeve of said lower assembly for centering said plunger cylinder in the central cavity of said mold sleeve during insertion of said plunger cylinder into the central cavity;

said mold sleeve being separable into said mold sleeve segments for removing molded dough from said container.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein:

said cooperating centering means holds said upper ends of said sleeves in the cylindrical mold sleeve configuration during insertion of said filling centering means into the central cavity.