GB2187624A - Method and apparatus for molding fruits - Google Patents

Abstract

In a method for growing squash, cucumbers and other fruits in desired shapes. The fruit, while growing on the plant, is enclosed within the internal cavity of an oversized mould having a cavity (inside) surface configured to form the desired details on the fruit. As growth continues the fruit fills the cavity and in doing so conforms with remarkable fidelity to the internal details of the mould. The mould is opened or removed when the fruit has filled the cavity, and the fruit is removed from the plant. The fruit can be eaten or, if dried, can provide a long-lasting sculptural item. Moulds for growing fruit in desired shape are described and claimed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method and apparatus for molding fruit This invention relates to the art of gardening, and more particularlyto growing fruit in desired shapes and with desired surface details.

Almost every home gardener has tried his or her luck with growing fruits or vegetables such as zucchini, pumpkins, gourds, cucumbers, squash and the like. Given a thumb which is even slightly green, it is quite easy to grow such produce in the home garden. However, the very commonplace nature of such home produce, particularly at the end of summerwhen everyone seems to have bushels of it, sometimes makes raising it seem like an ordinary accomplishment, devoid of special interest.

I have now discovered a method and apparatus whereby the average home gardener can growthese conventional, garden varietyfruits and vegetables in a wide variety of astonishing configurations and desired fanciful shapes. For example, they can be caused to grow in the image of a particular person; in the shape of a different type of produce (e.g., a summer squash grown in the shape of an earof corn); a fanciful shape such as a heart, or a bottle of pop; or other simple or even quite detailed shapes. A zucchini in the likeness of Clark Cable, for example, complete with mustache, is no ordinary sight on the dinnertable. Similarly, a Christmas tree ornament formed of a small, configured gourd is a very distinctive novelty.

Moreover, those fruits which have natural stripes orcolored markings on them can be grown sothat the stripes or colors become an intergral part ofthe design andgreatlycontributeto its overall decorative effect.

My invention requires no special growing conditions or chromosomal alteration of the plant.

On the contrary, it is a system of molding growing plant material which is applicable to a wide variety of species, including gourds, pumpkins, cucumbers, squash, other members ofthe cucurbitfamily, as well as melons, eggplants and fruits still to betested.

Forsimplicityl have referred to all of these as "fruits", whether or not they are technically fruits or vegetables or other plant matter.

The invention is perhaps most readily practiced with zucchini because they grow vigorously, rapidly and well underso many different gardening conditions.

In accordance with my invention, the young fruit, while attached to the plant and growing, is placed within the mold cavity of an oversize mold, i.e., a mold which is larger than the fruit. The mold cavity is configured on its inside surface with the details to be reproduced. The only restrictions on the mold details are that the mold must be releasable so as not to trap or permanently lock in any part of the fruit. The mold should be transparent, over at least a major part of its area, so that sunlight can reach thefruit as itgrcws within the mold. While it is possible to use a opaque mold for short periods oftime, this generally blanchesthe product, slows growth rate and does not as readily provide such effective results.The mold can have some opaque ortranslucentareasto provide mottled, striped or desired coloration effects. The mold must contain an opening through which the stem ofthefruitcan extend. This opening should be largerthan the stem so that itwill not constrict the stem or cut off fl ow to the fruit as it grows in the mold. If mold comprises separable sections which together define the cavity, the sections are typically held together around the fruit by bolts, clips, ties, or straps. The growing fruit exerts a surprisingly great force which tends to open the mold, and mold sections should be tightly secured orthefruitwill bowthem outwardly orgrow between them.

Where the mold has pockets or high areas, in whichairwould be trapped or confined by the growing vegetable, it is desired to provide small ports or air vents from which air can be displaced by the growing fruit. Ultimately the fruit expands so that it virtually completely fills the entire mold cavity. As this occurs the fru it conforms to the internal details of the mold with remarkable fidelity. For example, if the mold is that of a head of a person, details of hair, eyebrows, nose and mouth can be reproduced with very surprising accuracy.

For best results, it is desirableto minimizethetime the fruit is in the mold. For this reason the fruit should preferably be inserted in the cavity when the fruit is as large as will fit without being squeezed or crushed by the mold. Preferably a multipart mold is assembledaroundafruitwhich is biggerthanthe diameter ofthe stem aperture. Usually fruits will growtofill the mold within 10-20 days.

The mold sections are removed from the fruit or the fruit is otherwise released when the fruit has grown to completely fill the cavity. The fruit can then be cut off the stem. While the fruit provides a remarkable visual novelty, its edibility is not affected.

Moreover, fru its such as gourdswhich have a skin that hardens will last for extended periods of time and will retain the molded configuration indefinitely.

Thepriorart lam aware that others have grownfruitinside bottles, to a size such that they cannot be removed from the mouth of the bottle. The fruit is usually pickeled inside the bottle, to form a boat-in-the-bottle-like cu riousity. However, the bottle cannot be removed without smashing it, and the technique does not provide a fruit with any particular surface detail, much less a method of growing a fruit a desired configuration. Moreover, the success ratio is poor, because the fruit must be placed in the bottle while it is still small enough to fit through the relatively small mouth. This requiresa long confinement time, which often leads to disfiguration, disease or spoilage in the bottle.

Description ofthe drawings The invention can best befurtherexplained by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa perspective view of a two-part mold in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, contoured to represent a man's head; Figure2 is an enlarged section, partly broken away, taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure3is an enlarged longitudinal section, partly broken away,taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1 ; Figure4isadiagrammaticviewshowingthe relative sizes ofthe mold and a fruitwhich has just been placed in the mold; Figure5is a viewsimilarto Figure 4, butshowsa fruit more nearlyfully grown in the mold cavity;; Figure 6is an illustration ofafruitconfigured in the mold of Figure 1, afterthe mold has been removed and the fruit has been cutfrom the stem; Figure 7is a side elevation of a modified embodiment ofthe invention, and shows a one-piece mold having two sections which are hinged together; Figure 8 is a front elevation of another embodiment, and shows a one-piece mold having a line ofweakness along which it will separate so that the fruit can be removed; Figure 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment, and shows a unitary mold formed as a sleeve; Figure 10 is a diag rammaticview showing a mold which is molding only an end portion of a growing fruit; and Figure ii is an exploded broken away perspective showing the use of a quick-acting connectorto secure aligned flanges of a multipart mold.

Detailed description Amultipart mold in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention is designated generally in the drawings by 10 and includes an upper half 10a and a lower half 1 Ob. The particular mold shown for purposes of explanation is configured on its inside surfaceintheformofa man's head with the upper mold part 1 Oa forming the front ofthe head and the lower part of the mold 1 Obforming the rear of the head. The mold may include and will transfer to the fruitsmall details such as hair 11, eyebrows 12, mouth 13, nose 14, and other details. These are not shown in detail in Figures 2-5 and will in any event depend on the particular subject represented. It should be noted that the mold can conform to a very wide variety of shapes.

The mold halves 10a and 10b may each be provided with an outwardly extending or peripheral flange 1 5which,when the mold halves are in assembled relation,facially engage one another and which are releasably held together as by closely spaced bolts 16 or by quick-acting connectors as shown in Figure 11. For mold alignmenttheflanges may be formed with a peripheral locator groove and rib 17 and 18which interfit (see Figures 2 and 3).This optional locater should be outward ofthe releasable securing means 16; that is, the bolts should be -positioned on the flange as close to the mold cavity as possible, to better resist the opening force ofthe growing fruit.

At one end the mold has a stem opening 20 which is large enough to accommodate the stem at approximately full growth. In the mold shown in the drawing, this opening 20 is formed at the neck. The spacing 20 should be outwardlyflared, as at 21, like a bell, so that it does not abrade or constrict the stem asthefruitmoves.

The mold can conveniently be formed by injection molding, or byvacuum-forming of sheet plastic. The material used should be ultravioletstabilized,to withstand degradation by sunlight in the field, and is preferably transparent butyrate or polycarbonate of about 1/8" thickness. A preferred material is ultraviolet stabilized butyrate material sold underthe trademark UVEX" by Eastman Chemical Company of Kingsport, Tennessee.

In carrying outthe method of the invention, a small growing fruit indicated at 25 in Figure 4,which may be a zucchini still attached to the stem 26 ofthe growing plant, is placed within the mold cavity 27.

Typically the mold halves 10a and 10bwill be disassembled for this purpose and reassembled overthefruit, but in some molds the fruit may be small enough to be inserted through the stem opening 20. The fruit should be inserted when it is smallerthan the mold cavitysothat it is notinitially constricted by any part of the cavity.

As the fruit grows, itgraduallyfillsthe mold as shown in Figure 5. It can be seen that, depending upon the specific design seiected,the mold may have high spots or internal pockets as designated at 30, which the growing fruit would gradually close off from other regions within the internal chamber. Air could be trapped in these pockets which would prevent growth into them. For that reason small air holes 32 (for example about 1/16" diameter) should be formed through the mold to the pockets so that air can be displaced from the pockets by the growing fruit.

Figure 6 indicates the appearance of a zucchini grown in the mold ofFigurei,afterthefruitattacined full size therein and was removed. The details of hair, eyebrows, nose, and mouth appear with remarkable fidelity in the final object. The mold can be reused.

Following aretwo specific examples of growing different fruits in accordance with the invention.

Example 1 As a typical but not limiting example othe preferred method of practicing the invention, a growing zucchini which is about 2-1/2 inches long and about 1 inch in diameter, is placed within a mold which is about4 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 3 inches high, internally configured in the shape of a movie celebrity. The young zucchini is arranged so that its stripes run from the top of the head, toward the neck; this makesthefinal appearance all the more unusual. Over a period of 1 - 2 weeks the fruit continues to grow within the mold, expanding until it comes into contact with the mold surface. No special fertilization or other conditions are required.

Example2 As another example, an eggplant about 3" long and 1-1/2" diameter is placed with a mold having a cavity in the shape of a cabbage, roughly 4" in diameter. The eggplant completelyfillsthe mold in about 2-1/2 weeks, and is then removed.

In general the success obtained will depend on the type and vigor of the plant, the growing conditions, freedom from disease and availability of moisture and nutrients. Cucurbits provide the most consistently good results; tomatoes unfortunately are more susceptible to splitting and disease in the mold.

Apart from its use in producing food items in novel shapes, the invention makes it possible to use growing vegetable matter as a molding medium.

Gourdsand other plants havingthickskinswhich have been molded by the present method can be allowed to harden, or dried, to form eye-catching objects. For example, gourds can be dried, painted and internally weighted to form a horticultural chess set; or they can be made into naturalistic Christmas tree ornaments.

In the embodiment just described, the mold is multiparted, comprising two separate sections which are fastened together. The invention also contemplates a unitary mold from which the fruit can be removed either axially or by displacement of movable portions of the mold. Various forms of unitary molds are shown in Figures 7-9.

In Figure 7, the unitary mold has two sections40a and 40b which are hinged together by a bendable strip 42 between them. The sections are closed around the fruit and are held together by securing means such as one or more flexible ties or, if flanges are provided, by bolts, spring clips, orthe like.

The unitary mold of Figure 8 has integral sections 50a, 50b, which are connected by a line of weakness 52 extending around the mold. This line ofweakness may be formed as a strip of reduced thickness orbya line of perforations along which the mold sections can be separated. The line of weakness can be ruptured by manual exertion when desired, or even by the outward force ofthe growing fruitwithinthe mold. In this mold thefruit is inserted through the open end 54 of the mold whilethe fruit is still small in diameter. Hencethefruitmayhaveto remain in the mold longer, and for that reason this type of mold is less useful than those previously described.Because the mold can generaliy be used onlyonce,this "throw-away" version may be made with thinner waíls than the reusable molds. However, it should be noted that the use of lines of weakness can facilitate the molding of more complex shapes, even shapes with undercuts.

Figure 9 shows a wide mouth mold 60 of sleeve or cylindrical configuration. This mold has a cross-sectional shape which is generally uniform along its axial length, although it is preferably tapered or reduced in size toward a smaller end 62 which is remote from the stem-facing or larger end.

This type of mold isusefulto makeelongatedfruits having uniform cross section, for example, hearts, diamonds, etc. The fruit is removed by pushing it endwise through the larger (stem) end opening of the mold; when sliced crosswise, uniform decorative shapes are formed.

It is also contemplated that the molds described above may be used to shape only an end part 68, but not the base 66 of the fruit, as shown in Figure 10. In carrying out this method, the stem opening 70 should be shaped to provide a gradual transition between the confined (molded) and unconfined portions ofthefruit. It should be noted, however, that success with this technique is more difficult because of the different growing environments between the two portions of the fruit.

Figure 11 showsaquickacting connector72which is useful to rapidly secure mold parts together. This connector has an integral shank74, head 76, thumbscrew 78, and opposite locking wings 80 at the end of shank74. When the corresponding openings 81,81 in two flanges 85, 85 are aligned, the locking wings 80 are passed through radial orslot-like extensions ofthe openings and the connector is givenaquarterturn so that the locking wings move up opposed quartercircumference cam ramps 82 on one ofthe flanges, until the wings are seated in recesses 84 atthe ends ofthe ramps.Since a multiplicity of connectors may be needed to hold the parts of a large mold together against the separating force of a growing fruit, the use ofthis oranother quick-acting type of connectorwill facilitate assembly of molds in the field.

In addition to use by home gardenerstoform three-dimensional sculptured novelties, as described above, the invention can also be used commerciallyto mold fruits in shapesforseasonal sale in grocery stores. Thus, heart-sectioned fruits can be grown for sale at Valentine's Day; fruits with the cross-sectional shape (outline) of a turkey, at Thanksgiving time; orapumpkinshapefor Halloween. The invention also makes possible the concept of molding the logo of, say, a pickle company, directly into the side of a pickle itself.

Claims (23)

1. A method of growing afruit to form a desired likeness of a preselected three-dimensional object, comprising, growing a plantto produce a young fruit which is increasing in size on its stem, while said fruit is on the plant and is substantially smaller than its ultimate expected size, positioning at least an end portion ofthe fruit within an oversize cavity of a mould, said mould cavity having an inside surface configured in accordance with the preselected object and being sufficiently larger than the fruit that it does not crush the fruit, but smaller than the sizeto which thefruitordinarilygrows, continuing to grow the plant with the fruit so enclosed, until the enclosed portion of the fruit has grown to the size of mould cavity and has substantially conformed to the inside surface configuration thereof, then removing the mould from around the fruit and removing the fruit from the plant.

2. The method of Claim 1 wherein said fruit is a member ofthe cucurbitfamily.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 where said mould has separable mould parts which are separated in orderto position the fruit within the mould cavity, and wherein the mould parts are again separated in order to remove the fruit from the cavity.

4. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein said mould has one or more lines of weakness along which it can be separated to release saidfruit.

5. Amethodasclaimed in claim 1 or2wherein said mould is in the form of a tapered sleeve of uniform cross-sectional shape along its axis, and is removed from the fruit by moving thefruit endwise through an end ofthe mould.

6. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the entire fruit is positioned in the mould cavity, and the stemextendsthrough an aperture inthe mould.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said young fruit is placed within said mould cavity when largerthan the diameter of said aperture but is not squeezed within said cavity.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the aperture in the mould is outwardlyflared so as to minimize abrasion to the stem and to provide a grip for removing the mould from the fruit.

9. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein said mould cavity has pockets which are vented by small openings to atmosphere so that air can be displaced from them as the fruit grows in the mould.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mold comprises mould parts having mating peripheral flanges, the flanges being held togetherto resisttheforce exerted being held together to resist the force exerted on the mould parts by the growing fruit.

11. A method as claimed in any ofthe preceding claims wherein the mould has opaque areas, thereby causingthefruitgrown in the mould to display differential surface coloration corresponding to said areas.

12. Afruitgrown bythe methodofany ofthe preceding claims.

13. Amouldforgrowing afruittoadesired shape, said mould being transparent to admit lighttofruit when grown within it and having an internal cavity configured in accordance with the desired shape, said mould being of at least two separable mould sections which can be opened to release a fru it which has grown to substantially conform to the shape of said cavity, and releasable means for holding said mould sections in together in closed relation during growth of said fruit therein.

14. Amould as claimed in claim 13wherein said mould comprises an ultraviolet stabilized plastic.

15. A mould as claimed in either claim 13 or 14 wherein said mould comprises at least two sections which are hingedtogethersothattheycan be opened to receive a young fruit and to release the fruit after it has grown to fill the mould.

16. A mould as claimed in either of claims 13 or 14wherein the mould has a line of weakness along which it can be separated to release fruit mou Ided therein.

17. A mould as claimed in any of claims 13 to 16 wherein said mould has opaque areas to define differently colored areas on the fruit.

18. Amould as claimed in any of claims 13to 17 further comprising an opening to said cavity which is sized and positioned forthe stem of said fruitto extend freely th rough it, and wherein said opening is flared outwardly for minimizing abrasion to the stem and forgripping the mould sectionsto removethem from the fruit.

19. A mould as claimed in any of claims 13to 18 wherein said cavity includes localized surface indentations which will be sealed from the rest ofthe cavity by growth ofthefruitthereinto, and wherein a small aperture extendsthrough said mouldtoeach such pocket, to permit air to be displaced therefrom asthefruitgrows.

20. A mould as claimed in any of claims 13to 19 wherein the mould comprises at least two parts which meet along a parting line, each part having an outwardly extending flange around it at said parting line, said flanges mating facially, and wherein said parts are held together by means which hold said flanges together.

21. Amouldforgrowing afruittoadesired shape, said mould being intheform of a tapered sleeve having an internal cavity of substantially uniform cross-sectional shape along its length, said cavity having a larger end into which ayoungfruit growing on a stem can be inserted, said cavity tapering toasmallerend oppositefrom said larger end, said fruit being releasable from said sleeve by pushing itfrom said smaller end back through said larger end.

22. A method of growing a fruit substantially as hereinbefore described.

23. A mouldforgrowing afruitto a desired shape substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.