Mixing device configured to blend food

1. A mixing device configured to blend food, the device comprising:

a) a base housing a motor;

b) a jar removably mounted to said base for containing food; and

c) a collar removably mounted between said base and said jar, an interior of said collar including a series of threads for securing said collar to a bottom of said jar, a dispensing tube projecting outwardly beyond an outer sidewall of said collar, a first end of the dispensing tube being in fluid communication with said collar and said jar and an opposite second end of the dispensing tube including an outlet, said dispensing tube including locking keys projecting outwardly from an exterior sidewall thereof between said first and second ends, said collar including a blending tool operatively engaged with said motor when positioned on said base;

d) a dispensing spout removably mounted to said dispensing tube via the locking keys, said dispensing spout having an inlet and an outlet, said dispensing spout including a gate valve positioned therein between said inlet and outlet and movable between a first position wherein food flows through said inlet, gate valve and outlet and a second position wherein food is prevented from flowing through said inlet, gate valve and outlet, said inlet of said dispensing spout being sized and shaped to receive at least a portion of the dispensing tube therein, said gate valve being removable from said dispensing spout.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 , further including a dispensing handle secured to said gate valve for moving said gate valve between said first and second positions.

3. A device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said gate valve is removably retained in the dispensing spout with a key and slot arrangement.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a valve bore extends across a width of said dispensing spout, an arcuate stopper rib is positioned at a periphery of one side of said valve bore, and a radially extending key slot extends outwardly from a periphery of said valve bore.

5. A device in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the gate valve includes a generally cylindrical seat sized to complementary fit within the valve bore, and wherein a pair of spaced-apart O-rings are positioned around the seat to sealingly position the seat within the valve bore.

6. A device in accordance with claim 5 , wherein a hub extends outwardly from one side of the seat and an alignment key extends from a peripheral edge of the hub.

7. A device in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the alignment key is aligned with the key slot to assemble the gate valve in the dispensing spout.

8. A device in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the alignment key abuts the annular stopper rib when the gate valve is in the second position.

9. A device in accordance with claim 6 , wherein a handle extends outwardly from the seat at an opposite end from the hub.

10. A device in accordance with claim 9 , wherein to remove the gate valve from the dispensing spout the handle is rotated until the alignment key is aligned with the key slot, and then the gate valve is moved axially out of the dispensing spout.