Cutting – Processes
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-30
2001-04-24
Rachuba, M. (Department: 3724)
Cutting
Processes
C007S113000, C007S163000, C030S123000, C030S286000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220133
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a food-cutting knife, and more particularly to a graduated food-cutting knife and to the method of use thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When wanting to obtain a precise quantity of soft but solid food products such as butter, it is known to measure the butter in a graduated measure cup. To measure the butter is a rather long and messy operation. It is possible to weigh the butter, but then one must own kitchen scales, which is not a common occurence in domestic kitchens. To melt the butter is a rather long operation, considering that the only purpose thereof is to obtain the desired quantity of butter.
Canadian patent No 344,986 dated May 1933 with inventor William Duncan, discloses both a graduated scale stick and a separate knife, for cutting measured portion of butter. The graduated scale stick is applied along one side of the butter block with its graduated scale portion extending away from the butter block, so that this graduated scale be exposed for visual inspection by the user. The knife is used orthogonally of the graduate scale stick, so that the knife blade register with and remain within the plane extending through a selected graduated scale indicia corresponding to the butter body portion to be sliced. Obviously, this system is relatively complex, in that it requires two separate elements: the knife, and the stick, which must both be positioned at exactly right angle to one another and maintained motionless relative to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,560 issued Apr. 28, 1992 to Michael Hulsey, discloses a conventional “scout” knife having an elongated handle and a blade pivotally elongated feeler gauge blade with a tapered gauging section on the feeler gauge blade having measuring indicia thereon. The feeler gauge blade has a near end and a projecting end with its near end being pivoted on a pivot pin with the cutting blade. One of the bearing plates is between the near end and the side piece while another bearing plate is between the near end of the feeler gauge blade and the near end of the cutting blade. The near end of the feeler gauge blade has a keeper receiving cutout, to maintain the blade in its open position, and abutment, to arrest the position of the blade in its closed position. Obviously, there is no means provided to prevent movement of the blade from its open to its closed position, since it is destined to retract into the handle. This is not as efficient as a handle fixedly secured in coaxial arrangement with its handle.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is the gist of the present invention to provide a cutting tool, and a method of use thereof, for allowing rather precise quantities of soft or hard, solid foodstuff to be cut singlehandedly in a simple manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the teachings of the invention, there is disclosed a knife for cutting a selected quantity of solid soft-bodied foodstuff, said knife of the type comprising a handle, a blade integrally attached to and aligned with said handle, the blade defining an outer free tip, and graduated marks along said blade, and a method of use thereof, said method comprising the steps of: a) flatly applying the knife blade against a flat surface of the soft foodstuff; b) sliding the knife along the soft-bodies foodstuff so as to align the blade graduated marks on the soft foodstuff according to the selected quantity of foodstuff to be cut; c) pivoting the knife around the blade tip so that the blade becomes transversely positioned relative to the soft foodstuff; d) transversely driving the knife blade into the soft foodstuff until the blade extends completely through the soft foodstuff; e) pivoting the knife around the knife blade tip so as to cut the soft foodstuff along a cutting line; and f) cutting the selected quantity out of the soft foodstuff according to the cutting line made in step (e).
REFERENCES:
patent: 3981078 (1976-09-01), Alberti
patent: 4513501 (1985-04-01), Lee
patent: 4782730 (1988-11-01), Picone et al.
patent: 4993093 (1991-02-01), Goldwitz
patent: 5107560 (1992-04-01), Hulsey
patent: 5497553 (1996-03-01), Chong
patent: 3 44986 (1933-05-01), None
patent: 1037701 (1978-09-01), None
Pryor Sean
Rachuba M.
LandOfFree
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