Abstract: A pliers having an upper jaw supporting a cutting blade chamber near the tip of the pliers and fixed crushing protrusions closer to a pivot of the pliers. The cutting blade chamber includes a depressed basin with a slot for receiving and retaining a releasable cutting blade. The arcuate concave cutting edge of the blade is aligned to a pill-holding cavity in the lower jaw of the pliers such that, when the pliers are manually closed, the blade cuts an installed pill in half. The fixed crushing protrusions are mounted on a convex semi-cylindrical shell, and are aligned to pill holding cavities in a concave semi-cylindrical crushing basin in the lower jaw of the pliers such that, when the pliers are manually closed, pills in the cavities are crushed.

Abstract: A rhythmic pill crusher, including: a crushing cover including a cylindrical boss, wherein a plurality of first threads formed on a first wall of the crushing cover and around a column portion of the cylindrical boss, wherein the first wall is distant from the column portion of the cylindrical boss; and a supporting platform including a cylindrical recess for receiving the cylindrical boss and a plurality of second threads formed, in response to the first threads, on a second wall of the supporting platform; wherein the first threads are loosing engaged with the second threads, the first threads spirally go upward and downward along the second threads, or the first threads suspend relative to the second threads, which allows the first threads to rotates remaining in a same height. The pill crusher can be operated efficiently and easily and can be cleaned easily for reducing cross contaminations.

Abstract: A pet toy for dispensing medicine, including an outer shell, an actuator assembly coupled to the outer shell, and an ingestible material initially disposed within the outer shell. Manipulation, by a pet, of the actuator assembly relative to the outer shell causes the ingestible material to exit the outer shell for ingestion by the pet.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods based thereon are provided for mixing utilizing mixer inserts. A mixer insert may comprise an enclosing component adapted for application to an opening in a container to which the mixer insert is applied, to enclose a space in the container. The mixer insert may further comprise one or more mixing components, adapted to fit within the enclosed space when the enclosing component is applied to the opening in the container, with the one or more mixing components being configured to mix material placed within the enclosed space when the combination of the container and the mixer insert is subject to particular force or movement.

Abstract: A package closure embodying a rotatable material stripping element provides a means to close off the package opening and comprises a material stripping element that accommodates the insertion and withdrawal of an external mixing element with a predetermined close fit. Whereas, the said mixing element may be inserted through the closure and into the vessel to mix material contained therein, and after the mixing operation is complete, the material stripping element strips off substantially whatever material residue is sticking to the mixing element as it being withdrawn from the vessel and the closure, thus preventing it from escaping the vessel.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a grinder for grinding herbs, coffee beans, spices, tobacco, and other dried plants into particulates. The grinder comprises a body and a filter assembly. The filter assembly includes a mesh filter and is coupled at the bottom of the body. The body comprises a battery and blade coupled to a shaft, which, in turn is coupled to a motor. When the motor is run, the motor spins the blade, which, in turn grinds the herb into particulates. The particulates of herb are collected at a pollen catching cap after being filtered by the mesh filter. Further, the grinder can include a storage assembly to store or transport the particulates of the herb. The grinder can include a USB port to recharge the battery and a lighting means to provide visibility to a user operating the grinder.

Abstract: Provided is a unit which is capable of readily grinding and collecting a small amount of a sample which is difficult to be ground. The unit for grinding a sample comprises a club-shaped pestle and a mortar into which the pestle can be inserted, wherein the pestle comprises a roughened taper located at at least one end of its pestle body, wherein the mortar is a tube with an inverted frustoconical bottom, and the surface of the mortar where the taper of the pestle contacts the inverted frustoconical bottom when the pestle is inserted into the mortar is roughened, and wherein the angle of the taper with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the pestle is substantially equal to the angle of the inner wall of the inverted frustoconical bottom with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the mortar. The roughened taper and surface improve grinding efficiency.

Abstract: A pill crusher includes a base and a handle. The base has a bottom resting surface that includes an at least partially molded friction-enhancing portion. The handle includes an upper region, a gripping region, and a column. The gripping region includes an at least partially molded friction-enhancing portion. A method of crushing a pill includes placing a pill within a pill chamber, inserting a column into the pill chamber, and then crushing the pill by exerting force on the pill by the column. The handle and the base include at least partially molded friction-enhancing portions.

Abstract: A food chopper includes a housing and a central shaft supported in a vertically movable configuration inside the housing. The central shaft has a lower end with at least one center blade, an upper end operably connected to a plunger, and a middle segment with two lateral arms. Two blade assemblies are rotatably connected to the two lateral arms of the central shaft. Each of the two blade assemblies includes a shaft connected to an outer blade. The vertical motion of the central shaft is converted into rotational motion of the blade assemblies using a conversion mechanism operably connected to each of the two blade assemblies. Depressing the plunger causes the at least one center blade of the central shaft to move vertically downward within the housing and the two outer blades to move vertically downward and rotate within the housing.

Abstract: The Universal Nutcracker is set of jaws with an increasing opening between top and bottom jaws to allow for cracking different diameter nuts connected by a set of linkages. Each jaw has a set of teeth for gripping the shell of the nut to be cracked. A torsion spring is connected between the top and bottom center lever to assist in opening the jaw set after the nut has been cracked. Ends of top and bottom center levers are then coupled to a scissoring arms with linkage assembly for opening and closing with a mechanical advantage.

Abstract: The invention relates to a collection container for a paper shredder, the container being removably arranged in an interior that is open to one side and located below a cutting mechanism in the housing of the paper shredder or a similar device. The invention is characterized in that a front wall of the collection container is associated with a profiled front part and is connected to the same in at least some sections.

Abstract: A condiment grinder which has a body for containing different types of condiment seeds and at least three grinding mechanisms provided at an open end of the body through which condiments ground by the respective grinding mechanisms are to be dispensed. An actuator is provided with the grinder for upon actuation generating a drive that drives the grinding mechanisms via respective transmission paths. A clutch in each of the transmission paths is used to establish and disestablish transmission of the drive via that transmission path, and there is a manually operable selecting mechanism for selecting and operating one of the clutches in order to establish transmission of the drive via the relevant transmission path.

Abstract: A pill crushing apparatus for use with first and second nestable cups includes a first stage of operation wherein a first cup holder is moved linearly toward a second cup mounting surface holding a second cup and a second stage of operation wherein the first cup holder rotates relative to the rotationally fixed second cup. During the first stage of operation, the pills first may begin to crush against the linear load being applied thereto, and thereafter grind into a fine powder due to the rotational force of the first cup against the second cup.

Abstract: A pill crusher includes a base and a handle. The base has a bottom resting surface that includes an at least partially molded friction-enhancing portion. The handle includes an upper region, a gripping region, and a column. The gripping region includes an at least partially molded friction-enhancing portion. A method of crushing a pill includes placing a pill within a pill chamber, inserting a column into the pill chamber, and then crushing the pill by exerting force on the pill by the column. The handle and the base include at least partially molded friction-enhancing portions.

Abstract: A pill or tablet fracturing set including a striking device, a pill support board upon which the pill or tablet is struck by the striking device using a control grip, and a supply of transparent pill retentive bags to contain the pills while being struck.

Abstract: A pill crusher includes a base and a handle. The base has a bottom resting surface that includes an at least partially molded friction-enhancing portion. The handle includes an upper region, a gripping region, and a column. The gripping region includes an at least partially molded friction-enhancing portion. A method of crushing a pill includes placing a pill within a pill chamber, inserting a column into the pill chamber, and then crushing the pill by exerting force on the pill by the column. The handle and the base include at least partially molded friction-enhancing portions.

Abstract: A multi-grated is disclosed, comprising a volume approximating a tube defining a chute, a substantially planar cutting surface traversing the chute at the ventral end thereof and slideably coupled thereto, wherein the cutting surface has a linear gear disposed thereupon; a lever pivotably coupled to the chute with a radial gear disposed upon the ventral end thereof and complementorily engaged against the linear gear.

Abstract: A food press, for example a garlic press, has a first handle with an accommodation space for the food. The first handle is, via an openable pivot, connected to a second handle which has a press plate. The food press further has a comminutor unit with a perforated plate which, in a position of use, is adjacent the accommodation space and through which the food is pressed. According to the present invention, the comminutor unit is, at opposing ends, connected via a first and second non-openable pivot, to the first and the second handles, respectively. The openable pivot includes recesses on the first handle and pins, which are insertable in the recesses on the second handle.

Abstract: A food ricer including a hopper, a first plate having a first pattern of apertures defining a bottom of the hopper, and a second plate having a second pattern of apertures rotatably coupled to the bottom of the hopper. The second plate is preferably rotatable with respect to the first plate. The first and second patterns of apertures being eccentric or non-concentric with respect to each other to allow for the geometric orientation of one pattern of apertures to be quartered, bifurcated, and aligned with respect to the other pattern of apertures for achieving varying degrees of coarseness upon rotation of the second plate with respect to the first plate.

Abstract: A food chopping device including a removable handle and a guard member that threadingly engages a frustoconical body to prevent splattering while chopping a food item while cooking the food item and further having interchangeable chopping attachment members that threadingly engage the body to accommodate coarse and fine chopping.

Abstract: A food chopper includes a housing and a central shaft supported in a vertically movable configuration inside the housing. The central shaft has a lower end with at least one center blade, an upper end operably connected to a plunger, and a middle segment with two lateral arms. Two blade assemblies are rotatably connected to the two lateral arms of the central shaft. Each of the two blade assemblies includes a shaft connected to an outer blade. A means for converting vertical motion of the central shaft into rotational motion of the blade assemblies, such as a conversion mechanism operably connected to each of the two blade assemblies, is provided. Depressing the plunger causes the at least one center blade of the central shaft to move vertically downward within the housing and the two outer blades to move vertically downward and rotate within the housing.

Abstract: The present invention provides a portable ice chopper assembly having dual reciprocating blades for chopping ice. A gear box assembly is connected to the rotating motor assembly for converting the rotating movement of the motor assembly into reciprocating movement of the dual chopping blades. Dual reciprocating plungers are connected to and driven by the gear box assembly for driving the plungers in a reciprocating up and down linear movement, wherein the plungers each have respective horizontal actuating bars. The cutting blades move up and down in a linear reciprocating movement, with the two cutting blades moving up and down in an alternating manner to chop the ice.

Abstract: A high inertia cylindrical mass element having one or more food chopping blades detachably affixed thereto is positioned within a transparent cylindrical tube containing food to be chopped. The tube containing the high inertia cylindrical mass element is dimensioned to permit the tube to be moved back-and forth much more than the mass element is moved therein due to the high inertia of the cylindrical mass upon the manually induced to-and-fro motion of the tube by the user that results in chopping of the food. In addition to creating the back-and forth movement of the tube, the user also twists the ends of the tube with her wrists while the tube is grasped which results in relative rotary displacement of the tube relative to the high inertia cylindrical mass carrying cutting blades that tends to chop the food more uniformly.

Abstract: This utility patent is a single-handed vertical solid material grinder. It includes a shell, a handle set with a motion handle and a mounted handle, and a grinding set. The grinding set has a sector unit that is a sector cylinder with parallel teeth and a grinding unit with fixed teeth. The mounted handle is placed inside the shell. Between the motion handle and the shell is an elastic repositioning unit. There is a driving set between the motion handle and the sector unit. When using one hand to pull and then release the handle set, through the handle set inside the shell and the grinding set of sector unit and grinding unit, the motion handle will drive the sector unit move back and forth around the spinning axis, thus pushing the parallel teeth on the sector surface to smash back and forth through the fixed teeth on the grinding unit's surface. Thus the solid raw material is caught between the surfaces of the parallel teeth and the fixed teeth and is grinded down.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for crumbling a food product such as a block of cheese into irregularly shaped food particles. One embodiment of the apparatus consists of a chute-shaped housing that contains two opposing plates with a plurality of smooth, rounded, finger-like protrusions on their faces, where the plates are closer together towards the bottom of the chute. When food is inserted into the top of the chute and one of the plates is moved in an up-and-down motion, the protrusions on the opposing plates crumble the food into progressively smaller food particles until the crumbled particles drop through the gap between the bottoms of the plates and out the bottom of the chute. Other embodiments are described and shown.

Abstract: A pepper mill includes a receiving unit, a grinding unit, a coupling unit and a closure unit. The receiving unit includes a container body defining a receiving space for receiving peppercorns, and a driving member disposed movably in the receiving space. The coupling unit is disposed in the receiving space and is driven rotatably by the driving member. The grinding unit is disposed in the receiving space and is coupled co-rotatably to the coupling unit for grinding the peppercorns to result in ground pepper. The closure unit includes a closure member movable relative to the grinding unit between a closed position so as to block discharge of the ground pepper through a discharge end of the container body, and an opened position so as to permit discharge of the ground pepper through the discharge end.

Abstract: Condiment grinder and dispenser in which the usual shield for protecting the adjustment screw on the end of the drive shaft is replaced and the screw is secured against accidental removal and loss by providing a stop structure which is attached to or integral part of the end of the drive shaft. This structure, unlike a shield, does not interfere with the adjustment of the coarseness of the grind produced by the grinding dispenser, and yet maintains the integrity of the device without undue complexity or manufacturing expense.

Abstract: A spice mill for cutting up two different spices, in particular salt and pepper, is disclosed. Two spice containers (17, 18) and two grinding mechanisms (50, 50?) are arranged in a base part (10). A cover part (20) can be removed from the base part (10) and serves as a rotary handle. When the cover part (20) is removed, filling openings (15, 16) for the spice containers (17, 18) are opened up. An encapsulated gear mechanism (30) is arranged in the base part (10) between the cover part and the grinding mechanisms. When the cover part (20) is rotated in a first direction of rotation, the gear mechanism (30) drives the first grinding mechanism (50). By contrast, upon rotation in the opposite direction, the second grinding mechanism (50?) is driven. In a preferred embodiment, the gear mechanism is arranged in an upper region of the base part and, together with the base part, bounds the filling openings.

Abstract: A food chopper has a two-part housing, with an upper housing section and a lower housing section, with a receiving chamber in which the goods to be cut can be positioned. At least one knife element is arranged to move axially within the housing with at least one knife edge moved into the receiving chamber. The housing is closed at its lower housing section with a receiving chamber. The knife element is connected to an inertia mass element.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for pressing a food item into a plurality of sliced configurations. The apparatus may include a top handle device, a bottom handle device, a wheel or basket and a plunger. The top handle device may be connected to the wheel so that the top handle device rotates with respect to the wheel. The plunger may be fixed to the top handle device. The wheel may be fixed to the bottom handle device. The wheel may have a plurality of sections into which a portion of the plunger can be inserted in order to press a food item into a sliced configuration.

Abstract: A garlic chopper has a two-part housing, with an upper housing section and a lower housing section, with a receiving chamber in which the goods to be cut can be positioned. At least one knife element is arranged to move axially within the housing with at least one knife edge moved into the receiving chamber. The housing is closed at its lower housing section with a receiving chamber. The knife element is connected to an inertia mass element.

Abstract: A hard disk destruction apparatus is presented having a penetrating point that is manually pressed against a hard disk. The point has an angled tip designed to penetrate the hard disk casing and deform the hard disk platters within. The manual pressing avoids the use of any electrical power or other fuel. In one described embodiment, a mechanical arbor press provides the necessary force. A transparent safety shield surrounds the hard disk during destruction. A restraint prevents upward movement of the hard disk when the point is extracted.

Abstract: A portable tool for effectively reducing medicine solids during compound leveraged actuation. The portable tool may include a first handle adapted to receive a downward force during actuation, a second handle adapted to receive an upward force during actuation, a first reducing jaw pivotally connected to the first handle and a second reducing jaw, and a second reducing jaw pivotally connected to the second handle and the first reducing jaw. The first reducing jaw and the second reducing jaw may be adapted to receive a medicine solid therebetween in an open-jaw position. Then, in response to applying a force to one or both of the first and second handle(s), a leveraged actuation simultaneously causes the first reducing jaw to pivot with the first handle and the second reducing jaw to pivot with the second handle, such that the received medicine solid is reduced between the first and second reducing jaws as the portable tool achieves a closed-jaw position.

Abstract: A modular grinding core includes a housing configured to be operatively installed in a variety of external grinding devices, a rasp support member having a coupling adapter configured to be operatively coupled to an actuation mechanism of a first external grinding device at a first time and to an actuation mechanism of a second external grinding device at a second time after being removed from the first external grinding device. The rasp support member includes a receptacle configured to removably receive any one of a variety of rasps. The rasp support member is configured to reciprocate in response a force exerted by the external grinding device. The modular grinding core further includes a grind block member resisting displacement of the food items or spices away from the rasp support member, and an adjustment mechanism allowing a user to adjust a gap between the grind block and rasp support members.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for crumbling a food product such as a block of cheese into irregularly shaped food particles. One embodiment of the apparatus consists of a chute-shaped housing that contains two opposing plates with a plurality of protrusions on their faces, where the plates are closer together towards the bottom of the chute. When food is inserted into the top of the chute and one of the plates is moved in an up-and-down motion, the protrusions on the opposing plates crumble the food into progressively smaller food particles until the crumbled particles drop through the gap between the bottoms of the plates and out the bottom of the chute. Other embodiments are described and shown.

Abstract: A pill crusher has a ram and an anvil member having opposed pill crushing faces, and an electric ram drive operable to displace the ram towards the anvil member. The anvil member is rotatable and displaceable in response to pressure from the ram, to ensure the crushing of a pill located between the crushing faces of the ram and the anvil member. The anvil member, the ram and the ram drive are provided in a housing having a pill pouch reception opening which is upwardly open and extends above the crushing face of the anvil member.

Abstract: A food grater (10) is disclosed as including a first arm (12) and a second arm (14), the first arm (12) including a grating plate (18), the second arm (14) including a wall (23) and a press plate (36) for confining movement of food, and the first arm (12) and second arm (14) are engaged with each other and pivotable relative to each other to grate the food by the grating plate (18).

Abstract: Peppercorns and coarse salt are selectively stored, ground and dispensed. Two squeeze-levers are provided for actuating the grinder, with a lock for selectively disabling one of them so that only one condiment is dispensed at a time. Means is provided for increasing the quantity of condiment ground for each stroke of the grinder lever.

Abstract: A modular grinding core includes a housing configured to be operatively installed in a variety of external grinding devices, a rasp support member having a coupling adapter configured to be operatively coupled to an actuation mechanism of a first external grinding device at a first time and to an actuation mechanism of a second external grinding device at a second time after being removed from the first external grinding device. The rasp support member includes a receptacle configured to removably receive any one of a variety of rasps. The rasp support member is configured to reciprocate in response a force exerted by the external grinding device. The modular grinding core further includes a grind block member resisting displacement of the food items or spices away from the rasp support member, and an adjustment mechanism allowing a user to adjust a gap between the grind block and rasp support members.

Abstract: Nestable trays are part of a pill crushing device. The trays have cylindrical midportions, spherical end portions and a planar flange. The pill crushing device has an anvil or mortar portion to engage a bottom tray, and a hammer or pestle portion to engage a top tray. The anvil portion has a recess the perimeter of which supports the bottom tray flange. A finger gap is conveniently left in the perimeter for access to the bottom tray. The hammer portion extends between two pivotable lever arms and has sufficient tolerance to allow limited independent movement of the lever arms, which in turn allows relative movement of the trays to crush pills. The hammer can contact the top tray, and may be of cylindrical form with hemispherical ends, which can itself nest in the top tray, in another version it is slightly larger and does not nest but engages the tray near the top. In a third version the cylindrical hammer has end blocks, the cylinder registers the top tray, while the blocks engage the top tray flange.

Abstract: The present invention broadly comprises an automated pill crusher comprising a container operatively arranged to hold at least one pill, means for producing a linear force in a first direction upon at least one pill in the container, and, means for producing a spring force in a second direction upon at least one pill in the container. The pill crusher further comprises means for pulverizing at least one pill in the container.

Abstract: A pill-crushing apparatus includes first and second arms having axially offset proximal and distal ends. The proximal end of the first arm is provided with a handle and a pair of apertures. The proximal end of the second arm has a handle and an opening. The arms are pivotally conjoined midway along respective longitudinal lengths thereof. The first arm has a male pill-crushing block provided with a dome-shaped bottom surface that is statically coupled to a distal end of the first arm. The second arm has a female pill-holding cup with an arcuate inner bottom surface that is anchored to a distal end of the second arm. The cup has a hollow semi-spherical shape and articulates about a fulcrum axis registered orthogonal to the longitudinal length of the second arm. A pill splitting mechanism includes shoulders formed with the first and second arms and protruding away therefrom.

Abstract: A bone morselization apparatus and method according to which a cutter bit is mounted to a casing containing a motor; and the casing is manually grasped and positioned over a plurality of bone segments. When the motor is activated, the cutter bit reciprocates and the bone segments are impacted by the cutter bit to morselize the segments.

Abstract: A hand-held shredding device is provided including a housing sized and configured to be hand-held. The housing may include a first opening configured to receive an object to be shredded and a second opening configured to allow the object to exit the housing upon being shredded. A shredding assembly may be disposed within the housing. The shredding assembly may include a first plurality of blades disposed on a first rotatable shaft and a second plurality of blades disposed on a second rotatable shaft. The first and second rotatable shafts may be coupled to one another through a geared connection. The first and second pluralities of blades may be arranged to cooperate with one another to shred the object. A hand-operable crank may be connected to an end of one of the first or second rotatable shafts of the shredding assembly.

Abstract: A device for grinding tablets includes a body, an electric motor housed within the body, a power source connected to the electric motor via a switch, a grinder driven to rotate by the electric motor, a tablet chute to the grinder, and a particle bin attached to or formed integrally with the body for receiving particles from the grinder.

Abstract: A food slicer and grater is provided. In one implementation, the food slicer and grater may include an adjustable base including a first and second base portion. The first base portion may be slidably moveable relative to the second base portion in a stepwise incremental fashion. The food slicer and grater may also include a food cutter element configured to be removably coupled between the first base portion and the second base portion. The food cutter element may also be configured to be removably coupled to an outer surface of the adjustable base or the outer surface of another food cutter element.

Abstract: Methods and devices to process harvested skin tissue and reintroduction of the ground tissue to repair a tissue defect are disclosed. A hand-held portable tissue grinder comprising a housing and a grinding element are disclosed. The tissue grinder is used for grinding skin and subcutaneous tissue and includes a sterile polymer housing having a first opening adapted to receive the skin and subcutaneous tissue and a second opening in fluid connection with the first opening. The tissue grinder also includes a sterile grinding element disposed substantially within the housing. The grinding element includes a plurality of cutting surfaces adapted to operably engage with the housing to provide ground tissue and further includes a handle mechanism coupled to the grinding element to move the grinding element with respect to the housing to grind the skin and subcutaneous tissue, wherein the ground tissue can be removed from the housing through the second opening.

Abstract: A device for the destruction of disc media is provided. The device includes an engagement member disposed within a housing portion, and a support member on which the disc media rests against. An actuating force is applied to move the engagement member and support member together, thereby pressing the disc media between the engagement member and support member, and causing the disc media to break into pieces. The data stored on the resultant broken pieces of disc media are now not easily readable, and may be discarded.

Abstract: A pill crusher having a rack and pinion advancing a platen. Pill crushers are used to crush pills into powder for various medicinal reasons, such as ease of mixing or dosing. A rack on a slide way is linearly advanced by rotational movement of a pinion on a handle. The slide way is attached to a platen that advances towards an anvil. A pill in a pouch placed adjacent the anvil is crushed by the advancing platen. In one embodiment, a shaped anvil insert surface is mated to a complementary shaped platen surface and aids in crushing the pill. The present invention provides an efficient and sturdy pill crusher for commercial as well as personal use.

Abstract: A chopper, or crusher (1) for breaking up ice, including a housing (2, 3) able to be pushed over the goods to be broken up and with a knife (5) with a blade having a toothed cutter (52) is provided. An upper housing part (2) is detachably connectable to a beaker-like housing lower part (3) closed at the bottom. In a preferred embodiment, the height HK of the blade (51), the height of the beaker HB and the maximum vertical path of the knife (5) limited by an actuation mechanism (4) are selected and matched to one another such that the cutter (52) in its lowermost position does not come into contact with the beaker base (31).