US2596418A - Calorie calculator - Google Patents

Description

May 13, 1952 H. L ElsER 2,596,418

CLORIE CALCULATOR Filed June 2, 1950 CHOCOLATE SNAPS ANGEL Foam CAKE BROWNIES SHERBERTS CHO oLATE FuoorNe DESSERTS 'LY QAJ' INVENTOR. Hay/W 5755/? BY Patented May 13, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CALORIE CALCULATOR Henry Leiser, Denver, Colo. Application June 2, 1950, Serial No. 165,741

2 claims. 01. ass-83)' This invention relates to what might be termed a calorie totaler. People on a diet, either for weight reducing or health purposes, endeavor to total their calorie intake during the day so as not to exceed a certain daily pre-set maximum. This is a diiiicult procedure, since it involves checking with a chart for each particular food to determine the caloric content of each specific food, and then it necessitates recording the calories as consumed and constantly totaling the recorded calories to determine whether the preset maximum has been exceeded.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a neat, simple device which can be carried in a pocketbook, handbag, or pocket, and which will not only serve as an index for the caloric content of various foods, but will automatically total and indicate the total of the calories consumed during any given period.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the improved calorie totaling device as it would appear in use;

Fig. 2 is a top view thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, taken on the line 3--3, Fig. 2.

The improved calorie totaling device is mounted on a backing card I having a pivot rivet II at one extremity. A iront card I2 overlies the backing card I0 and is preferably, but not necessarily, spaced therefrom by means of a spacer sheet I3.

The front card I2 is similar in contour to the backing card I0, and the two cards and the spacer sheet I3 are glued or otherwise permanently secured together. The members I0, I2, and I3 may be formed from any suitable sheet material, such as cardboard, Celluloid, or sheet plastic.

A calculating disc I4 is rotatably mounted on the rivet II between the cards I0 and I2. The disc I4 projects for substantially one-half its area beyond the extremity of the members I0 and I2 and is imprinted with a calorie scale reading counter-clockwise from zero to any chosen total, preferably the largest expected total of calories plastic, having an indicating arm I6 and a setting arm I'l, is pivotally mounted on the upper extremity of the rivet II over the top card I2. An indicating line I8 extends through the length of the pointer and intersects ythe axis of the i rivet II. v

The setting extremity I'I of the pointer passes beneath a plurality of leaves or pages I9 which are hingedly bound together and to the top card I2 by means o f any suitable binding devices 20. Each of the pages I9 is imprinted to present a columnar list for a class of food. For instance, one of the pages may be imprinted meats and will contain a list of various meats, such as indicated at 2|. From each of the meats listed on the list 2I a leader line 22 extends to a predetermined point on the right-hand edge of that page I9. The same procedure is followed on the other pages I9, each of which contains a separate list of foodstuffs, such as cereals, breads and pastries, vegetables, desserts drinks etc. All of the pages contain the leader lines 22 extending to predetermined positions at the righthand edge of the page.

The device is used as follows: the disc Il is rotated to place the "zero marking opposite the edge of the top card I2, as shown in Fig. 2. The pages I9 are turned to the proper class of food to be eaten, for instance meats The pointer is turned until the black line I8 on the setting arm Il thereof intersects the extremity of the leader line 22, leading from the chosen meat. The indicating arm I6 of the pointer and the edge of the disc I4 are now gripped between the thumb and forenger to lock them together, as shown in Fig. l. They are then both swung downwardly and to the left until the setting arm I1 strikes a stop device 23 projecting upward from the top card I2. This swings the zero indication to the right a distance proportionate to the caloric content of the chosen meat.

The pages I9 are now turned to the next class of food to be eaten, such as desserts, and the setting arm I1 is swung to intersect the extremity of the leader line 22 of a selected dessert, as shown in Fig. 2. The pointer and the disc are again gripped between the thumb and foreflnger and swung downwardly to the left as before. This totals the calories of the selected dessert with the calories of the consumed meat. This claimed and desired secured by Letters Patentis:

1. A calorie totaler comprising: a backing card; a front card mounted on said backing card; a calculating disc provided with a peripheral series of graduations positioned between bothl cards; an

index edge on said front card over said' graduations and against which said graduations may be read; a pivot member rotatably mounting said disc to said cards, saiddisc projecting for substantially one-half itsv area beyondthe extremities of the cards; al pointer lmounted-on said pivot member and extending oppositely'outward from the latter over bothsidesotsa'id dlsc;' a plurality of pages hingedlyboundtosaidtop'card and `adapted to overlie one' extremity of said pointer andonee'dge 'of said discjeach of the pages being imprinted with a columnar list with which the extremity of y the pointer'fm'ay be aligned; and a stop member'projecting from said front card intotheI path of `said pointerto Vstop the latter at a predeterminedpoint.

' 2. A calorie totaling device comprising: airelatively rigid card; a plurality foff' pages hingedly y mounted on the front'face "ofjsaid card at *one extremity thereof and'r'overlying theflatterjsaid pages being imprinted to present a columnar list of foods With a leader line extending from each food indication; a pivot member at the other extremity of said card; a calculating disc rotatably mounted on said pivot member on the rear face of said card, there being a peripheral, graduated calorie scale imprinted on said disc, said disc projecting beyond the latter extremity of said card, said latter extremity forming an index edge for indicating positions on said scale;A an elongated pointer pivotally mounted intermediate its extremities on said pivot member on the front face of said card, the rst extremity of said pointer positioned to intersect the leader lines on said pages, the second extremity of said pointer i extending outwardly over the projecting portion of said disc so that it may be gripped to the latter for rotating the pointer and the disc simultaneously; and a stop device on said card positioned in the path of the rst extremity of said pointer Y for stopping the movement thereof -at a predetermined point.

HENRY LEISER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this'patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name l Date 1,211,581 Hencck Jan.9, 1917 1,940,781 Wilson Y A A Dec. 26, 1933 2,065,424 Brubaker f Dec. 22,- 1936 2,l50,442 Herzog Mar.`l4} 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 539,305 Great Britain 'Sept. 4, 1941

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