Apparatus and method for moving a workpiece through an opening in a container

Abstract

An apparatus and method for narrowing and moving a workpiece from a fruit or vegetable through an opening in a container wherein the workpiece is relatively wider than the opening is provided. The apparatus has a plunger with an extension portion slidably movable within a bore formed in a loader. The loader has a base portion mountable over the opening. In one preferred embodiment of this invention, the apparatus includes a compression plate for compressing the fruit or vegetable into a slicer, forming a plurality of workpieces. The slicer, holding the workpieces, is aligned with the plunger and one workpiece is plunged through a first bore and into a container.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for narrowing and moving a workpiece through an opening in a container wherein the workpiece is relatively wider than the opening, comprising: 
 a loader forming a bore and having a base portion mountable over the opening; and    a plunger having an extension portion, the extension portion slidably movable within the bore.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the extension portion is coaxially aligned with the bore.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the extension portion is tapered.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the extension portion has a generally circular cross section.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the bore has a frusto-conical shape corresponding to the tapered extension portion.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the extension portion is longer than the bore.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the base portion is mountable to a neck portion of the container, the neck portion forming the opening.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the base portion forms a cavity, the cavity having a lip surface for contacting a surface of the neck portion positioned about a periphery of the opening.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the plunger is moveable between a first position wherein the extension portion is not positioned within the bore and a second position wherein the extension portion is positioned within the bore, an outer surface of the plunger contacts an inner surface of the bore, and the extension portion extends past a bottom end of the bore.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a guide for the plunger, an inner surface of the guide slidably engaging an outer surface of the loader.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the loader and the plunger are positioned together to form a bottle-shaped apparatus.  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for preparing and moving a workpiece through an opening in a container, comprising: 
 a base;    a post fixedly mounted to the base;    a loader mounted to the post, the loader forming a first bore and having a base portion for accepting at least a neck portion of the container;    a plunger mounted to the post, the plunger aligned coaxially with the first bore, the plunger moveable in a vertical direction;    a compression piece mounted to the post, the compression piece adapted to move in a vertical direction;    a support plate rotatably connected to the post and forming a second bore, the support plate rotatable between a first position wherein the second bore is coaxially aligned with the compression piece and a second position wherein the second bore is coaxially aligned with and positioned between the plunger and the loader; and    a slicer rotatably positioned within the second bore, including a plurality of blades positioned radially within the slicer.    
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  further comprising a handle pivotally connected to the compression piece.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a lock-plunger for locking the support piece in one of the first position and the second position.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the slicer comprises a plurality of sections, each section alignable with the plunger and the first bore.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the support piece comprises a plurality of indicators positioned around an outer periphery of the second bore for indexing the position of each workpiece within the slicer.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the first bore has a frusto-conical shape.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the base comprises a wall segment for accepting a base portion of the container.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the slicer comprises a cylinder rotatably positioned within the second bore, the plurality of blades fixedly positioned within the cylinder.  
     
     
         20 . A method for preparing a relatively larger workpiece from a fruit or vegetable and moving the relatively larger workpiece through a relatively smaller opening in a container comprising the steps of: 
 positioning a support plate having a slicer between a plunger and a loader;    aligning a section of the slicer holding the workpiece with the plunger and the loader; and    plunging the workpiece through a bore formed in the loader, to compressively narrow and move the workpiece through the opening.    
     
     
         21 . The method of claim  20  further comprising the steps of: 
 aligning the fruit or vegetable between a compression piece and the support plate, the fruit or vegetable positioned over the slicer;  
 forming workpieces by compressing the fruit or vegetable into the slicer; and  
 rotating the support plate to position the slicer between the plunger and the loader.