US3244122A - Twin-roller rolling pin - Google Patents

Description

April 5, 1966 (a. R. AGLER 3,244,122

TWIN-ROLLER ROLLING PIN Filed July 15, 1965 DOUGH 32 V Glen R. Ag/er INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,244,122 TWIN-ROLLER ROLLING PIN Glen R. Agler, 107 Chestnut St., Union City, Ohio Filed July 15, 1963, Ser. No. 295,039 2 Claims. (Cl. 107-50) The present invention relates to a rolling pin which is 2 characterized, broadly stated, by a manually actuatable frame structure including a pair of duplicate rollers and gripping and handling means in a plane above the plane of said rollers.

Briefly, the improved rolling pin comprises a frame stn cture embodying a pair of vertical post-like end frames each having a base portion and said base portions being spaced apart and in opposed relation. These end frames are provided with bearings in which journals at the ends of a pair of spaced rollers are journaled for free rotation. One or more rounds are positioned one above the other and directly above the space between the rollers, said rounds having their respective outer ends fixedly mounted between cooperating upper and median portions of the end frames. i

It is a general objective in the instant matter to advance the twin roller art exemplified by the Bloom Patent 1,5 05,- 851. To this end the present invention has to do with a pair of spaced parallel vertical end frames or posts h-aving roller type rolling pins freely turnable and journaled in bearings therebetween wherein no screws or metal parts are present that would corrode, catch dirt or require constant maintenance. In addition these end frames or posts are not only ornamental but have upper end portions which are fashioned into knobs which can be comfortably gripped while using the device. Then, too, it is an object to provide wooden crosspieces or rounds, these being arranged between the median and upper portions of the two end frames and providing a double bracing and rigiditying action for the overall frame structure and also coacting with each other and the knobs in facilitating the step of holding and handling the implement, even with one hand, where it becomesnecessary for the user to do so.

Persons conversant with the field of endeavor under advisement are aware that too much flour on the pastry board not only does not help but as a matter of fact tends to make a tough crust. It is generally conceded that to have flaky pastry one must not handle the rollable dough any more than is absolutely necessary. With these factors in view the aforementioned twin roller double braced structure insures even rolling, in fact, easy movement and rolling of the rollers or rolling pins. Then, too, by having a pair of rounds embodied in the frame structure serving as rigidifying braces it is much easier to apply pressure from the top than would be from both ends as is ordinarily required with a regular or conventional rolling pin. With this improved construction it takes so little effort that one can roll evenly if one is handicapped or wants to use a single hand. Mani-festly, it is almost impossible to use the ordinary rolling pin without applying pressure evenly on each end.

With the disclosed appropriately braced twin roller implement by applying pressure from the top the dough rolls evenly and the same thickness. The dough so often sticks and wraps around the ordinary rolling pin but with this double or twin roller arrangement if the dough sticks to the first roller the second roller is there to hold the dough down and to avoid wrapping of the dough or tearing as so often otherwise happens.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accom- 'ice panying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a twin-rollertype dough rolling pin constructed in accordance with the invention and showing how the same is constructed and held and used;

FIGURE 2 is a view with parts in section and elevation taken approximately on the plane of the section line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross-section on the vertical section line 3--3 of FIG. 2 and FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view with a portion of one of the rollers appearing in section and elevation.

Considered as a. structural entity the device or implement comprises a portable manually usable frame structure. The vertically aligned end frames 6 and 8 are of ornamental post-like form and in fact are sometimes refer-red to as vertical end posts. The lower base portion of each end frame is of general rectangular form as denoted at 10 and has a planar underneath on bottom side 12 which clears the surfaces of the dough and-pastry board in the manner illustrated, that is when the device is being used. The median body portion tapers upwardly and isconsequently gradually reduced in cross-section as at 14 and in each instance this median portion is provided with a horizontal bore 16- in which the reduced cylindrical end portion 18 of the lower horizontal round 2 is fitted and fixed. The upper portion 20 is fashioned into a ring-like member and the opening therein denoted at 22 has the reduced cylindrical end portion 24 of the upper gripping and reinforcing round 26 secured therein. The extreme upper end is of ball-like or spherical form and constitutes an extension and in fact provides a handgrippin-g easy-to-hold knob 28. Returning to the rectangular base portions it will be noted that the inner surface of each which is vertically planar (see FIG. 3) is denoted at 30 and this surface is provided with spaced-apart sockets 32 which open through the same and provide bearings and serve to accommodate integral axial journals 34 in the manner illustrated. It follows that there are two coplanar free-turning rolling pins or rollers 36 and 38 the first named of which constitutes the forward roller and the other the companion trailing roller. It is the action of these two rollers which prevents undesirable wrapping and breaking of the sheet of dough.

It will be further noted that the two rollers 36 and 38 are not only coplanar and freely tu-rnable they are spaced apart and balanced between the lower rectangular portions of the uprights or end frames and the two rounds 21 and 26 are coplanar with each other and directly above each other and directly above the space between the rollers 36 and 38.

The phantom line showing in FIG. 1 will give the reader a good idea of one manner of catching hold of and using the device.

The two wooden crosspieces, braces or rounds 21 and 26, are arranged between and effectually secured in well balanced relationship between the novelly designed end frames. The top brace can be used as a handle upon which one can apply pressure, or one can bring both hands around the knobs on the end frames and rest the thumbs on the top crosspiece or, if desired, use it as a handle to carry the device.

Compared to prior art devices, for example, the Bloom Patent 1,505,851, previously mentioned, the present invention lends itself to use in that the user can roll evenly even if only one hand is used. It is virtually impossible to use the ordinary rolling pin without applying pressure evenly on each end. By applying pressure from the top the dough rolls even and the same thickness. Rolling is accomplished quickly. Two rollers will do twice as much as one roller. Just by applying pressure once the dough is flattened twice as quick because it will be the same as rolling twice with a rolling pin and with so little effort. This invention is feasible and practical and will be easy to construct from the point of view of the manufacturer. It will also be attractive and consequently adapted for use in ones kitchen. In fact, the frame can be finished to match any color scheme. It can be finished in maple and fit in with early American kitchen styles or finished to go with any other style of furniture that the user may prefer to use it with. From the fact that it is simple and economical it will be evident that it can be sold to members of the public at a reasonable price.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A twin-roller rolling pin comprising a pair of vertically elongated end frames disposed in spaced parallelism, each frame being the same in construction and embodying a base portion rectangular in cross-section and provided with a relatively broad flat bottom which when in use is adapted to be disposed above an underlying surface of a pastry board, each end frame having a median body portion gradually reduced in cross-section and tapering upwardly, said median body portion being provided with a horizontal bore, the upper end portion of each end frame being provided with a ring-like member, and the extreme upper end terminal of each end frame being of generally spherical and ball-like form and constituting and providing a handgripping knob, the rectangular base portions of said end framesbeing provided with spaced sockets opening through opposedinner vertical surfaces of the respective end frames and providing bearings, a pair of coplanar spaced parallel free turning dough rollers positioned horizontally between said base portions and provided at their ends with reduced axially aligned journals mounted for rotation in their respective cooperable bearings in said frames, a first horizontal round of a length corresponding to the length of said rollers, said round spanning the space between upper portions of the aforementioned end frames and having end portions fixed to said coasting ring-like members, said gripping knobs being disposed in a common plane above said round and being located proximal to the respective end portions of the round and capable of being caught hold of by the users left and right hands and effectually used in conjunction with the respective adjacent end portions of said round whereon the users thumbs rest, said frame structure also embodying a second round of a length corresponding to the length of the first round, said second round being spaced vertically beneath the first round and both of said rounds being cooperatively associated with each other and the end frames to provide the complete frame structure, the end portions of said second round being fitted and anchored in the aforementioned bores provided therefor in said median portions, said rounds being spaced one above the other and located in a coordinating position directly above the space between the aforementioned rollers, and the space between the respective rounds being predetermined to permit the user to catch hold of end portions of both rounds at the same time for application of pressure or as a handle for carrying.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and wherein both rounds are approximately of the same transverse crosssectional dimension, are less in cross-section than the cross-section of said dough rollers.

References Cited by therExaminer UNITED STATES PATENTS 157,387 12/1874 Frazier 107-50 522,465 7/1894 Goodnough 107--5O 1,247,162 11/1917 Southwick 107-50 1,505,851 8/1924 Bloom 10750 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,245,724 10/ 1960 France.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES WILLMUTH, Examiner.

JOSEPH SHEA, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A TWIN-ROLLER ROLLING PIN COMPRISING A PAIR OF VERTICALLY ELONGATED END FRAMES DISPOSED IN SPACED PARALLELISM, EACH FRAME BEING THE SAME IN CONSTRUCTION AND EMBODYING A BASE PORTION RECTANGULAR IN CROSS-SECTION AND PROVIDED WITH A RELATIVELY BROAD FLAT BOTTOM WHICH WHEN IN USE IS ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED ABOVE AN UNDERLYING SURFACE OF A PASTRY BOARD, EACH END FRAME HAVING A MEDIAN BODY PORTION GRADUALLY REDUCED IN CROSS-SECTION AND TAPERING UPWARDLY, SAID MEDIAN BODY PORTION BEING PROVIDED WITH A HORIZONTAL BORE, THE UPPER END PORTION OF EACH END FRAME BEING PROVIDED WITH A RING-LIKE MEMBER, AND THE EXTREME UPPER END TERMINAL OF EACH END FRAME BEING OF GENERALLY SPHERICAL AND BALL-LIKE FORM AND CONSTITUTING AND PROVIDING A HANDGRIPPING KNOB, THE RECTANGULAR BASE PORTIONS OF SAID END FRAMES BEING PROVIDED WITH SPACED SOCKETS OPENING THROUGH OPPOSED INNER VERTICAL SURFACES OF THE RESPECTIVE END FRAMES AND PROVIDING BEARINGS, A PAIR OF COPLANAR SPACED PARALLEL FREE TURNING DOUGH ROLLERS POSITIONED HORIZONTALLY BETWEEN SAID BASE PORTIONS AND PROVIDED AT THEIR ENDS WITH REDUCED AXIALLY ALIGNED JOURNALS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION IN THEIR RESPECTIVE COOPERABLE BEARINGS IN SAID FRAMES, A FIRST HORIZONTAL ROUND OF A LENGTH CORRESPONDING TO THE LENGTH OF SAID ROLLERS, SAID ROUND SPANNING THE SPACE BETWEEN UPPER PORTIONS OF THE AFOREMENTIONED END FRAMES AND HAVING END PORTIONS FIXED TO SAID COACTING RING-LIKE MEMBERS, SAID GRIPPING KNOBS BEING DISPOSED IN A COMMON PLANE ABOVE SAID ROUND AND BEING LOCATED PROXIMAL TO THE RESPECTIVE END PORTIONS OF THE ROUND AND CAPABLE OF BEING CAUGHT HOLD OF BY THE USER''S LEFT AND RIGHT HANDS AND EFFECTUALLY USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE RESPECTIVE ADJACENT END PORTIONS OF SAID ROUND WHEREON THE USER''S THUMBS REST, SAID FRAME STRUCTURE ALSO EMBODYING A SECOND ROUND OF A LENGTH CORRESPONDING TO THE LENGTH OF THE FIRST ROUND, SAID SECOND ROUND BEING SPACED VERTICALLY BENEATH THE FIRST ROUND AND BOTH OF SAID ROUNDS BEING COOPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OTHER AND THE END FRAMES TO PROVIDE THE COMPLETE FRAME STRUCTURE, THE END PORTIONS OF SAID SECOND ROUND BEING FITTED AND ANCHORED IN THE AFOREMENTIONED BORES PROVIDED THEREFOR IN SAID MEDIAN PORTIONS, SAID ROUNDS BEING SPACED ONE ABOVE THE OTHER AND LOCATED INA COORDINATING POSITION DIRECTLY ABOVE THE SPACE BETWEEN THE AFOREMENTIONED ROLLERS, AND THE SPACE BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE ROUNDS BEING PREDETERMINED TO PERMIT THE USER TO CATCH HOLD OF END PORTIONS OF BOTH ROUNDS AT THE SAME TIME FOR APPLICATION OF PRESSURE OR AS A HANDLE FOR CARRYING.

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