Coating implements with material supply – Including tool – Concave tool face
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-13
2001-10-09
Walczak, David J. (Department: 3751)
Coating implements with material supply
Including tool
Concave tool face
C401S011000, C118S013000, C118S026000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299368
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a butter dispensing apparatus and more particularly, to an apparatus applying a coating of butter or a butter substitute to an ear or cob of corn.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Buttering a hot ear of corn can challenge the patience and dexterity of many people. The usual approach calls for using a conventional table knife to cut a piece of butter and attempting to spread the butter over the ear of corn with the knife. As most people understand, the piece of butter is quickly softened or melted by heat from the ear of corn so that the piece of butter becomes awkward to manipulate and spread with a knife. Thus, the piece of butter may slip off the ear of corn leaving a portion of the ear partially unbuttered. Moreover, the butter commonly is unevenly spread over the ear of corn and may be completely missing from part of the ear.
A number of devices specifically designed for buttering corn on a cob are known in the prior art. Such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,811,844; 2,903,997; 3,362,777; 3,736,152; 4,301,762 and 4,408,919.
Many of the devices disclosed in the prior art include means for supporting an ear of corn and/or a piece of solid butter such that the butter is applied to the hot ear of corn by manipulation of the butter holder about the ear or by rotation of the ear of corn in a corn holder. Such devices depend upon the heat of the cooked ears of corn and the melted butter forming a coating on the ear. Inherently, if the ear of corn cools before or during the use of the butter applicator, difficulties are encountered in proper application of butter to the ear of corn.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for applying a coating of butter or a butter substitute to an ear of corn and which device is simple in the construction, easy to use and applies a controlled amount of butter or butter substitute to the ear of corn.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a corn buttering device which comprises a container having a bottom wall and a side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, the side wall terminating in an upper marginal edge, an interior cavity being defined by the bottom wall and the side wall, an inlet to the cavity being defined by the upper marginal edge of the side wall, and wiping means for removing excess butter from an ear of corn, the wiping means being positioned on an interior surface of the side wall proximate the upper marginal edge thereof.
The container portion of the corn buttering device may have any desired configuration although, in a preferred embodiment, the container preferably has a cylindrical side wall which is large enough to accommodate an ear of corn. However, it is naturally within the scope of the invention to have other configurations including, for example, various external features such as an adornment resembling an ear of corn.
The device preferably includes a cover having a handle thereon, the cover being used when heating the container having butter therein. Preferably, the cover will include at least one vent hole.
The container may be made of different materials although it is desirable that it be formed of a non-metallic material for purposes of low thermal conductivity and to permit microwaving thereof.
The device, as aforementioned, includes wiping means for removing excessive butter from an ear of corn, the wiping means preferably being located proximate the upper marginal edge of the container. The wiping means may be suitable with a preferred embodiment comprising a plurality of bristles formed of a suitable material.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1571254 (1926-02-01), Foote
patent: 2808020 (1957-10-01), Arvidson
patent: 3308269 (1967-03-01), Stocker
patent: 3316922 (1967-05-01), Seidler
patent: 5048547 (1991-09-01), Walker
patent: 5308406 (1994-05-01), Wallock et al.
patent: 5858089 (1999-01-01), Martinovic
Fincham Eric
Walczak David J.
LandOfFree
Corn buttering device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Corn buttering device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Corn buttering device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2617213