Abstract: A method and apparatus for crushing various items such as medicinal pills, foods, including garlic, and the like, wherein a biased force is applied between an item in a pocket and a boss conforming to the interior configuration of the pocket resulting in a gradual crushing of the product.

Abstract: An apparatus for grinding specimens, comprises a container, a grinder, a closure for the container, and a seal contained in the closure. The container has an interior grinding surface and contains an opening through which specimens are introduced for grinding. The grinder has a grinding head and an actuator arm extending from the grinding head. The grinding head is adapted to engage the interior grinding surface of the container. Grinding is effected by moving the grinding head against the grinding surface, using the actuator arm. The closure is adapted to close the container and enclose the grinding head therein. The closure contains a passage through which the actuator arm extends when the closure is enclosing the grinding head. The seal is contained in the closure and coaxially aligned with the passage of the closure, such that the actuator arm slidably engages the seal when the arm passes through the closure.

Abstract: A condiment grinding tool is provided. The condiment grinding tool includes a head member having a lower end portion; a grinding support assembly coupled to the lower end portion of the head member; a grinding assembly coupled to the grinding support assembly; a handled member displaceably coupled to the head member; and a displaceable depressed block coupled to the grinding assembly. The grinding support assembly includes an adjustably positioned grinder part having a toothed portion formed thereon. The grinding assembly includes a toothed plate which is positioned in opposition to the grinder part toothed portion. When a user actuates the handled member by imparting upon it a displacement, the displacement is transferred by the depressed block to force the linear displacement of the toothed plate relative to the toothed portion of the grinder part. The condiment is ground therebetween into particulate form for dispensing.

Abstract: The chopper comprises an upper part, a cylindrical part axially displaceable therein with a head, a blade connected to the cylindrical part, a lower part which can be placed upon the upper part as well as a chopping cup which can be placed on the lower part. The lower part is provided with an outwardly protruding projection on its lower end. The chopping cup has a floor with a rim in its outer area which protrudes upwardly outside on the lower part. The rim is provided with nubs on the inside which together with the projection form a snap closure. During chopping, the chopped food remains in the chopping cup. After the chopping process has been completed, the chopping cup with the chopped food can be removed from the lower part.

Abstract: A tissue grinding system includes a container having an open top portion, a bottom portion having a first grinding surface on an interior surface, and a wall portion interconnecting the top portion and bottom portion defining a hollow interior chamber; a grinder receivable in the top portion of the container and having a second grinding surface engageable with the first grinding surface and including an actuator portion extending beyond the top portion, and a closure device sealingly engaged with the grinder and with the open top portion of the container to seal the chamber.

Abstract: A multifunctional food processing device is provided with a slicing member, a feeding member, a disk cutting tool, a slicing tool, a shredding tool, and a grinding tool for slicing, shredding and grinding fruit, vegetable and meat. A collecting tray is provided under the outlet for collecting the processed food. A chopping block is in turn provided respectively at the corners with a couple lugs can be rotatably with food processing device.

Abstract: A device for the in situ separation of the juice of a juicy fruit, such as a citrus fruit, from the rest of the fruit which includes a grasping mechanism for grasping the citrus fruit and a rotating mechanism for rotating the fruit. The device further includes a piercing member for piercing the fruit. The piercing member includes a mechanism for sweeping the internals of the fruit. In one embodiment, the piercing member has a body and a pivotable member which is pivotably connected to the body. The pivotable member is pivotable about a pivot point so as to move within the citrus fruit as the citrus fruit is rotated to thereby bring about the separation of the juice of the citrus fruit from the rest of the citrus fruit through centrifugal force. Finally, the device has a mechanism for pivoting the pivotable member about the pivot point. In another embodiment, the piercing member includes a blade which may be bent to sweep out the internals of the fruit.

Abstract: A method for rupturing cell walls and membranes of organic cells while leaving intra-cellular organelles substantially intact employs a culture dish for holding the cells. A pestle includes a cylindrical portion that metes with the culture dish. Extending from the cylindrical portion is an axially aligned shaft. The method includes the steps of: emplacing a layer of cells in the culture dish; placing the pestle in contact with the layer of cells; applying a pressure axially to the shaft to force the pestle into contact with the cells; and rotating the shaft and pestle a plurality of reverse-direction partial rotations to achieve a rupture of cellular membranes of cells within the culture dish. Both the base of the culture dish and the pestle are substantially planar thereby enabling uniform pressure application across the base of the culture dish.

Abstract: A pistol-shaped pepper grinder having a grinding plate and a grinding block provided inside a pistol-shaped housing, the grinding plate able to be moved by a trigger to grind pepper stored in a chamber on the grinding plate and going through the space between the grinding plate and the grinding block, the grinding block being able to be moved down so as to adjust the minuteness of the ground papper, and ground pepper coming out of an exit provided in the right end of the housing.

Abstract: A pill crusher has a pair of pivoted handles each including a serrated jaw for crushing pills therebetween. Each jaw includes a handle-engaging portion substantially perpendicular to the jaw surface. The serrated jaw surfaces extend outwardly from the handles and have a convex curved outer perimeter for resting against a hand receiving a crushed pill. The device has finger-retaining rings and is opened and closed similarly to scissors.

Abstract: A crusher comprises a housing defining a crushing chamber for restraining an object to be crushed and a plunger for applying force on the object to be crushed when the plunger is actuated by a handle. The handle is mounted on the housing for pivotal movement about a first floating pivot in a first pivotal direction which actuates a first engaging element to move the plunger in a first direction to crush the object in the crushing chamber. The plunger is locked against resilient return in a second direction by a second engaging element. Further pivotal movement of the handle about a second floating pivot in a second pivotal direction actuates the disengagement of the second engaging element, causing the return of the plunger.

Abstract: A fruit and vegetable peeler includes a tong assembly with flexible grater plates resiliently connected across spaced apart joints of the assembly. The tong assembly is mounted on a support plate in sliding guides which confine the motion of members of the tong assembly. A food article receiving aperture is formed through the support plate, and the grater plates are positioned for access through the aperture. The support plate is placed on a collection container on a platform having a motor guide standard upstanding therefrom. A rotary motor is connected to a guide bracket which is slidable on the standard. The motor has a pronged chuck which engages a food article, such as a carrot, to spin same when the motor is activated. The spinning food article is lowered between the grater plates and the tong handles closed to abrasively engage the grater plates with the food article to remove a surface layer thereof.

Abstract: A hand crusher with a main body, which consists of a cylinder unit having a built-in oblong hydraulic cylinder and a parallel plate unit bonded on the periphery of said cylinder unit. Crushing arms are pivotally supported on the lower portion of the parallel plate unit, and the crushing are opened or closed in linkage with a piston rod, which extends from the hydraulic cylinder and makes reciprocal movement along the center line. Slide keys located at the tip of the piston rod engage in guide grooves on the parallel plate unit. A ring-like handle member is rotatably mounted on the rotating unit at the upper end of the cylinder unit, and a left grip and a right grip are connected on both ends of the handle member. On the inner periphery of the rotating unit of the handle member, balls are movably embedded at symmetrical positions, and catching recesses to catch the balls are furnished at every predetermined angle on the outer periphery of the rotating unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for chopping foodstuffs such as onions and the like, having a housing that may be placed over the items to be chopped and, guided in the housing, a knife that may be pressed downwards against the force of a spring by means of a plunger, the knife being rotated about an angle during its upwards movement through the guide in the housing with a coupling composed of two substantially annular elements (15, 16) disposed concentrically to one another, one element (15) of which presents, on the side facing the second element (16), a number of teeth (24) angled in the same direction and spaced around the circumference of said element, the second element (16) presenting, on the side facing the first, at least two or more resilient tongues (34) meshing into the vertical flank of the teeth (24), the first coupling element (15) being slidably mounted in spiral grooves (8) formed in the housing whereas the second coupling element (16) is mounted rigidly with the operating mechanism (9).

Abstract: The present pestle and mortar for crushing pills in pill cups is tailored to conform to the shape of a pill cup. A conventional frustum-shaped pill cup lines a frustum-shaped receptacle in the mortar to receive a frustum-shaped pill crushing portion of the pestle which is nestable in the pill cup. The frustum-shaped crushing portions of the pestle and mortar distribute pressure over much of the exterior and interior surface areas of a pill cup so that pills may be crushed in even fragile paper pill cups without tearing or otherwise damaging the paper pill cups. Moreover, the pill cup and mortar operate as one piece and the frustum-shaped crushing portion of the pestle substantially seals the interior of the pill cup to prevent pill granules from flying out of the pill cup during a pill crushing operation.

Abstract: A hand-operated tablet pulverizer for crushing solid tablets. A tablet container has a closed end forming a pestle and an open mouth at the other end, the closed end having a peripheral thread. A mortar has an internal thread for complementary engagement with the peripheral thread of the container for moving the pestle into engagement with the mortar upon relative rotation thereof in one direction to crush a tablet interposed therebetween. A plurality of protrusions are formed on at least one of the pestle and mortar projecting toward the other, the protrusions being arranged in a pattern of intersecting lines and columns. The protrusions preferably are generally pyramidal in shape, with the bases of the protrusions coincident with those of adjacent protrusions, whereby the protrusions are equally spaced in the respective lines and columns of the pattern thereof.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for striking an inspection window, and destroying any future uses of plastic security containers, by utilizing a single lever arm using one pivot point and a crushing chamber. Plastic security containers placed into a crushing chamber are destroyed when force is applied to the single lever arm. Structure is provided to prevent expulsion of debris from the plastic security container.

Abstract: A combination condiment grinder and dispenser mechanism (10) which can be held and operated by one hand and which includes a hand-activated lever (80) which when squeezed forces a grinding surface (88,90) in one direction against spring (92) pressure. When the hand-actuated lever (80) is released, the grinding surface (90) reverses. The grinding action thus is linear or arcuate. The upper portion of the dispenser has a salt or other condiment compartment (38) which can be sprinkled from the top thereof. Only one hand is necessary to dispense either pepper or salt or other condiment from the body of the device.

Abstract: An apparatus for crushing multi cavity medication cards wherein each cavity serves as a receptacle containing individual doses of medication such as, for example, pills or tablets. The apparatus includes a frame with a reciprocally movable platen and changeable medication card support plates mounted below the movable platen. Dependent upon the configuration of the card to be crushed, a crusher plate is attached to the platen having protrusions formed thereon to engage each of the cavities of the card. The card support plate may be of a substantially solid construction for crushing pills contained within each cavity of the card, or may be apertured so as to permit expulsion of the medication from the card as the card is crushed.

Abstract: A combination condiment grinder and dispenser mechanism (10) which can be held and operated by one hand and which includes a hand-activated lever (80) which when squeezed forces a grinding surface (88,90) in one direction against spring (92) pressure. When the hand-actuated lever (80) is released, the grinding surface (90) reverses. The grinding action thus is linear or arcuate. The upper portion of the dispenser has a salt or other condiment compartment (38) which can be sprinkled from the top thereof. Only one hand is necessary to dispense either pepper or salt or other condiment from the body of the device.

Abstract: A table pulverizer for crushing solid tablets into powder is disclosed. The tablet pulverizer is hand-operated and includes a tubular body portion having a screen located therein for receiving the solid tablets thereon. An elongated axially movable crusher member extends into the body portion and is axially and rotatably movable to crush the solid tablets into powder form. A bottom container that is mounted on the tubular body portion at the lower end thereof receives the powder as it is filtered through the screen, the container being removable from the body portion for dispensing of the powder as required.

Abstract: Crushing and pulverizing apparatus including a base portion, a jaw portion and a force applying portion; the base portion including a pair of generally vertically disposed, spaced base members, the jaw portion being disposed between the base members of the base portion, the jaw portion including a fixed jaw member and a movable jaw member extending between the base members of the base portion, the fixed jaw member being fixed with respect to the base members, the fixed jaw member including a lower first section and an upper second section extending upwardly therefrom, the lower first section being disposed at a slight angle to the vertical and the upper second section extending upwardly therefrom at an angle to the vertical substantially greater than the angle of the first section, the movable jaw member of the jaw portion being disposed adjacent the fixed jaw member, the movable jaw member being disposed at a slight angle to the vertical approximating that of the lower first section of the fixed jaw member,

Abstract: An upright inclined leg supported frame includes a jaw movable toward and away from an anvil by a manually reciprocated handle for crushing ore samples entering the spacing between the movable jaw and anvil from a hopper.

Abstract: A cutting device for foodstuffs in which a container is provided with a cutter carried at the end of a spring biased plunger. The plunger is carried in a guide, formed separately of the container, as a member of a bell-shaped two part foldable housing, which is adapted to seat on the container. The plane of division of the two part housing being in the direction of movement of the cutter members.

Abstract: A food chopper is shown with a body having an upper and lower portion in which a convoluted blade is supported on a cross bar for purposes of chopping food stuffs contained in the lower housing and enclosed by a cutting surface secured beneath the lower housing. A cushioned type handle is provided atop the shaft which is connected to the blade, and a plunger shaft surrounds the main shaft and coacts with a plunger shaft guide interior of the upper housing to promote dimensional stability. The convoluted blade is secured to slots in the cross bar by means of pins which pass through and engage holes provided in the upper portion of the convoluted blade.