Abstract: Beater assembly for mixing ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with planetary drive, the assembly (10) including upright arm members (12, 14) which repeatedly approach and pass close to the walls of the bowl in accordance with the motion imparted by the planetary drive. The arm members are provided with flexible wiping or scraping blades (22) which are capable of adapting themselves to fully conform to the bowl surface, each arm member (12, 14) is grooved (24) along its length and each blade (22) is formed of a length-wise resilient elastomer configured for mounting in the groove. The blades are formed at each end with fasteners (34, 36) and are held in position, under length-wise tension, by interlocking the fasteners with anchoring devices (38, 40) located near the ends of the arm members.

Abstract: A stand mixer (10) capable of subjecting ingredients in a bowl (60) to a planetary mixing action, and which is also provided with the capability of heating the ingredients, is further provided with a guarding device (70, 80) to reduce unwanted egress of steam and/or to prevent ingredients being ejected from the bowl (60). The guarding device comprises a first component (70) which is removably attachable to the stand mixer (10) in the vicinity of its planetary drive outlet (44) and a second component (80) which is removably attachable to the first component (70) and also to the bowl (60). The first component (70) is shaped and configured to shield part of the stand mixer (10) from heat and the second component (80) is designed to resist unwanted egress of steam and/or to prevent ingredients being ejected from the bowl.

Abstract: Beater assembly for mixing ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with planetary drive, the assembly (10) including upright arm members (12, 14) which repeatedly approach and pass close to the walls of the bowl in accordance with the motion imparted by the planetary drive. The arm members are provided with flexible wiping or scraping blades (22) which are capable of adapting themselves to fully conform to the bowl surface, each arm member (12, 14) is grooved (24) along its length and each blade (22) is formed of a length-wise resilient elastomer configured for mounting in the groove. The blades are formed at each end with fasteners (34, 36) and are held in position, under length-wise tension, by interlocking the fasteners with anchoring devices (38, 40) located near the ends of the arm members.

Abstract: The invention provides an electrically-driven kitchen machine including a food mixer or a food processor. The machine has a support platform for supporting a receptacle for foodstuffs to be mixed or otherwise processed. The machine has an electric motor used to drive mixing or processing tools disposed in the receptacle; and a heater for heating the foodstuffs in the receptacle. In order to ensure that the temperature of the foodstuffs is accurately determined, the base of the receptacle consists of multiple layers, including a first metallic material, such as aluminum, having a relatively high thermal conductivity, sandwiched between outer and inner skins of a second metallic material of lower thermal conductivity than the first metallic material. The machine is also provided with first and second probes, each protruding through the receptacle-supporting platform and urged upwardly to contact the inner skin and the first metallic material respectively.

Abstract: A variable-width toaster is described, in which the food-supporting carriage (5, 60) adapts readily, robustly and in a cost-effective manner to different width settings of the toasting chamber (2, 70). Respective elongate members (51, 52; 61, 62) are mounted to either side of the toasting chamber and are linked together by linking members (53a-53n; 63a, 63b) which form part of the food-supporting surface and are pivotally attached to the elongate members to accommodate lateral relative movement between the elongate members as the width of the toasting chamber is varied. In one embodiment, unitary linking members (53a-53n) link the two elongate members (51, 52) and the elongate members are urged apart by a spring (54). In another embodiment, chevron-like linking members, comprising pairs of pivotally associated linking members (63a, 63b) are employed.

Abstract: An electrically-driven kitchen machine (10), comprising a food mixer or a food processor, has a support platform (33) for supporting a receptacle (60) for foodstuffs to be mixed or otherwise processed. The machine has an electric motor used to drive mixing or processing tools disposed in the receptacle (60); and a heater (71) for heating the foodstuffs in the receptacle. In order to ensure that the temperature of the foodstuffs is accurately determined, the base of the receptacle (60) consists of multiple layers, comprising a first metallic material (63), such as aluminium, having a relatively high thermal conductivity, sandwiched between outer (62) and inner (64) skins of a second metallic material of lower thermal conductivity than the first metallic material, and the machine (10) is also provided with first and second probes (80 and 81), each protruding through the receptacle-supporting platform (33) and urged upwardly to contact the inner skin (64) and the first metallic material (63) respectively.

Abstract: A stand mixer (10) capable of subjecting ingredients in a bowl (60) to a planetary mixing action, and which is also provided with the capability of heating the ingredients, is further provided with a guarding device (70, 80) to reduce unwanted egress of steam and/or to prevent ingredients being ejected from the bowl (60). The guarding device comprises a first component (70) which is removably attachable to the stand mixer (10) in the vicinity of its planetary drive outlet (44) and a second component (80) which is removably attachable to the first component (70) and also to the bowl (60). The first component (70) is shaped and configured to shield part of the stand mixer (10) from heat and the second component (80) is designed to resist unwanted egress of steam and/or to prevent ingredients being ejected from the bowl.

Abstract: A variable-width toaster is described, in which the food-supporting carriage (5, 60) adapts readily, robustly and in a cost-effective manner to different width settings of the toasting chamber (2, 70). Respective elongate members (51, 52; 61, 62) are mounted to either side of the toasting chamber and are linked together by linking members (53a-53n; 63a, 63b) which form part of the food-supporting surface and are pivotally attached to the elongate members to accommodate lateral relative movement between the elongate members as the width of the toasting chamber is varied. In one embodiment, unitary linking members (53a-53n) link the two elongate members (51, 52) and the elongate members are urged apart by a spring (54). In another embodiment, chevron-like linking members, comprising pairs of pivotally associated linking members (63a, 63b) are employed.