Process and machine with inclined axis for the pestling of products and substances of any kind

Abstract

 The process and the machine consist essentially in pestling products and/or substances of any kind between at least two bodies, one of them being the mortar and at least one the pestle, by the rotation of the mortar on its axis, which is inclined in order to allow the contemporaneous action of the pestle both on the bottom and the side surface, thus getting the whole pestling of the matter introduced in the mortar. The above mentioned process was studied with the object of replacing the laborious operation with the conventional mortar equipped with the pestle working manually, obtaining the same final characteristics of the pestled products, contrary to what can be achieved with other processes, as with the common household electrical appliances of the electric blenders type etc., existing on the market.
Said final characteristics are particularly important and valuable in the culinary art, as, for example, in the preparation of the well known "pesto" of the Genoese cooking and in the herboristic use.

Description

[0001] The practical novelty of this process and of the pertinent machine con sist essentially in obtaining pestled products and substances (at least in some of the possible executions), as it is aohieved with the conventional mortar and pestle working manually.

[0002] This difference, in comparison with other existing processes, is particularly noticeable in the culinary art, as in the preparation of the well known "pesto" of the Genoese cooking, and in the herboristio use.

[0003] An essential and "quite new" feature of the machine suitable for carrying out the process of the present invention is that the mortar's axis is inclined. This expedient allows to realize a simple machine so that it is suitable in fields as the culinary art and the herboristic practice, also at the household level.

[0004] Machines can be found on the market, which are partly similar to the machine object of the present invention, but their rotation axis is . horizontal and their development has been due to the laboratory use. Moreover these existing machines work essentially by crushing and pul verization, since they are equipped with balls, as pressing part, on the ground of their constitution.

[0005] Another new characteristic of this machine is that it allows to control the correct course of the pestling process also during the opera tion itself, since it does not require a sealing cover.

[0006] The process object of the present invention consists essentially in pounding (pestling) products and/or substances between at least two bodies, one of them being'the mortar and at least one the pestle, by the rotation of the mortar on its axis, which is inclined, so that the pestle, being inside the mortar, is dragged in rotation by the mortar itself, thus achieving the whole pounding (pestling) of the matter introduced in the mortar.

[0007] The above mentioned process was studied with the object of replacing the laborious operation with the conventional mortar equipped with the pestle working manually, keeping however the final characteristics of the pestled products, contrary to what can be achieved with other processes, as with the common household electrical appliances of the electric blenders type, etc., existing on the market. Said difference is particularly noticeable in the culinary art, as in the preparation of the well known "pesto" of the Genoese cooking, and in the herboristic use.

[0008] Basic elements of the machine suitable for carrying out the above men tioned process are the mortar 1 and at least a pestle 2, an example of which is represented in fig. 1. As the figure shows, the axis of the mortar 1 is inolined, so that the pestle 2 rests for gravity both on the bottom and the side surface. When the mortar is set in rotation, also the pestle starts rotating for the friction, but, owing to the force of gravity, it remains essentially at the bottom of the mortar, making only oscillations on the ground of the frictions and the inertia, which are characteristio of this kind of kinematic motion. So, when the pestle meets with the products and/or substances previously introduced in the mortar, during its rotation and oscillation, it pounds them more and more until a pe stled and mixed whole is obtained.

[0009] Several inclinations can be given to the mortar's axis, sharing the action of the pestle in equal parts on the main surfaces (that is, the bottom surface and the side surface), or leaving a prevalence to one of the surfaces, and so the process of the present invention is reali zed.

[0010] It has been told above that the pestle pounds the products more and more until a pestled and mixed whole is obtained.

[0011] Since pestling does not consist only in pounding, several expedients can be used in order to achieve a pestled whole equivalent to what can be obtained by the known and conventional manual operation.

[0012] The characteristics of the pestling action of the machine can be improved or stressed with particular expedients, that is, at least a plane can be made on the side surface of the pestle (and/or of the mortar), as, for example, in fig. 4, where the pestle 2 is represented, which has a plane stretch, blended to the side surface by more or less sharp edges.

[0013] Moreover projecting and/or engraved lines can be carried out in order to improve the pestling characteristics, as represented, for example, in fig.5, or a circle's arc shape can be achieved, as, for example, in fig.6.

[0014] Of course these additional expedients, mentioned only as an example, can be applied also to the mortar 1, besides to the pestle 2, as represented in the figures from 4 to 7. These above mentioned expedients serve the purpose of producing in the kinematic motion of this machine an "impact" effect on the products and/or the substances, which is equivalent to the pestling action of the pestle.

[0015] Several expedients proved to be effective to assure that the machine's action is carried out also on the bottom surface of the mortar.

[0016] For example an efficient expedient consists in accomplishing the bottom surface of the mortar according to a more or less stressed basin shape (as, for example, in fig.2) or cone shape (as, for example, in fig. 3), so as to get such effect during the rotation that the products and/or substances are forced to wedge effectually between the mortar 1 and the pestle 2 also on this surface, avoiding to have only a displacement of them. For a better explanation it is right to stress that the profile of the pestle 2 is similar to the mortar's profile, as in the typical examples of the figures 1-2-3. In fig.8 a solution is shown, in which at least one inclined stretch was accomplished on the bottom surface of the pestle 2, in order to allow the wedging of the products and/or substances on the bottom surface.

[0017] The rotation or the motorization of the mortar can be obtained in several ways. In fig.8 and 9 some solutions of similar feature are represented, which are suitable for the realization of the machine object of the invention.

[0018] In the example of fig.8 the mortar is included inside the body 3, which serves the purpose of holding and dragging, besides, for example of support in its end 3^1. Said body 3 is driven in rotation directly or by means of suitable mechanisms, anyhow controlled by a hand crank or an engine, placed in such a way as to allow an easy installation suitable for operating.

[0019] In the example of fig.9 the mortar is shown, which rests on several rollers and/or wheels 4, placed both sidewards and on the bottom surface so as to support the mortar. When at least one roller or one wheel 4 is driven in rotation, directly or by means of suitable mecha - nisms, the mortar is dragged in rotation for the friction.

[0020] Also in this case the movement can be caused either by a hand crank or by an engine, placed in such a way as to allow an easy installation suitable for operating.

[0021] All these various solutions, mentioned only for exemplification, and their possible arrangements show how many option possibilities are al lowed in the realization of the final machine, as mentioned respectively in the typical examples of fig.8 and 9.

Claims

1. Process for the pounding (pestling) of products and/or substances of any kind between at least two bodies, one of them being the mortar and at least one the pestle, obtained by the rotation of the mortar . on its axis, which is inclined, so that the pestle, being inside the mortar, is dragged in rotation by the mortar itself, thus achieving the whole pounding (pestling) of the matter introduced in the mortar.

2. Machine for the accomplishment of the pestling process, according to the program established in claim 1, formed by at least two bodies, one of them being the mortar and at least one the pestle, characterized in that the mortar's axis is inclined, so that it allows the pestling of products and/or substances previously introduced in the mor tar; indeed said machine drives in rotation the mortar on its axis, dragging the pestle (placed inside the mortar) in rotation.

3. Machine according to claim 2, characterized in that at least a pla ne stretch is made on the side surface of the pestle and/or the mortar, in order to produce an "impact" effect on the products and/or substances, thus obtaining a pestling action, which is actually equivalent to what can be achieved with the known mortar equipped with pe stle working manually (see, for example, fig.4 and 7).

4. Machine according to claims2 and 3, in which the "impact" effect on the products and/or substances is obtained by means of at least one line, projecting and/or engraved, carried out on the side surface of the pestle and/or the mortar, as shown, for example, in fig.5.

5. Machine according to claims 2 and 3₉ in which the "impact" effect on the products and/or substances is obtained by means of a profile of the side surface of the pestle and/or the mortar, according to a circle's arcs shape, as, for example, in fig.6.

6. Machine according to claim 2 characterized in that the bottom surface of the mortar and of the pestle is basin shaped or cone shaped (as, for example, in fig.2 and 3), in order to get such effect that the products and/or substances in the mortar are forced to wedge also on the bottom surface, thus obtaining an effective pestling action al so on this side.

7. Machine according to claims 2 and 6, in whioh the wedging action for the effective pestling of the products and/or substances also on the bottom surface is obtained by means of at least one inclined stretch 2', accomplished on the bottom surface of the pestle, as shown, for example, in fig.8.

Drawing