Self-centering vegetable drying apparatus
AssigneeFrank L. Dieterich
InventorsFrank L. Dieterich, Stanton Abrams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for drying lettuce and other vegetables including a basket in which wet lettuce is placed, a holder in which the basket is removably received, and a motor for rotating the basket and holder. When the basket is rotated to expel water through openings in its sidewalls by centrifugal force, the sidewalls bend outwardly to engage the holder and center the basket. The holding mechanism is normally held against rotation by a brake. When the motor is energized, current flows through the brake to release it. As a safety feature, no power is applied to the motor and brake circuits when the device is not in operation.
Claims13
An apparatus for drying vegetables comprising:
- a plastic basket for containing the vegetables to be dried, said basket being of circular cross section, having an open top end, a closed bottom end and a sidewall that tapers toward said bottom end, said sidewall being divided by slots into generally vertical elongated bands capable of bending outwardly under centrifugal force, thereby increasing the diameter of said basket and permitting water to escape from said basket;
- a rotatable holder for removably receiving said basket with a space between said holder and said basket through which water expelled from said basket under centrifugal force can escape, said holder being dimensioned to be engaged by said bands upon outward bending thereof;
- motor means connected to said holder for rotating said holder and said basket and thereby causing water to be expelled through said openings in said sidewall by centrifugal force.
An apparatus for drying vegetables comprising:
- a plastic basket of circular cross-section for containing vegetables to be dried, said basket having tapered but approximately vertical sidewalls divided by elongated approximately vertical slots into a plurality of approximately parallel outwardly bendable bands;
- a generally cylindrical drum having an open top end and dimensioned to slidably receive said basket therein and to be engaged by said bands upon outward bending thereof;
- a plurality of buttons projecting inwardly from said drum near the bottom thereof to position said basket;
- motor means connected to said drum for rotating said drum and said basket, thereby causing water to be driven from said basket and causing said bands to bend outwardly under centrifugal force;
- brake means for arresting rotation of said basket and said drum;
- a brake spring biasing said brake means toward a rotation arresting position;
- electro-magnetic means for moving said brake means against the force of said spring when energized;
- and
- means for simultaneously energizing said motor means and said brake means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.