A drive mechanism for a manual grinder

摘要

A drive mechanism with particular application in manual grinders for peppercorns, salt crystals, or other edible grindable products is disclosed. The drive includes a rack (22) that can be moved in first and second directions to cause movement of a toothed ring (15) in forwards and reverse directions respectively. A shaft (14) is located in the bore of a split sleeve (16). The sleeve is coupled to the ring so that relative movement between the ring and sleeve occurs when the rack is moved in the first direction, causing the bore to contract and create a driving engagement around the shaft. When the rack is moved in the second direction there is no driving contact and the shaft does not rotate.