Cutlery – Cutting tools – With support or attaching means
Patent
1992-04-13
1993-09-14
Yost, Frank T.
Cutlery
Cutting tools
With support or attaching means
30322, 30340, B26B 2700, A47J 4328, B25G 100
Patent
active
052437639
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a knife intended for spreading such foodstuffs as butter, jam and the like.
The foodstuffs concerned are normally delivered in thin-walled plastic trays, tubs or jar-shaped containers which are sealed with a lid firmly pressed onto the rim of the tray or tub by snap action. In the majority of cases, the tray rim has a U-shaped cross-section and presents a substantially flat abutment surface with which the lid sealingly abuts, and an outer, downwardly extending edge flange which coacts with an edge flange on the lid in a manner to secure the lid in position.
When the lid is removed and the tray is placed on the table, butter is removed from the tray with the aid of a knife, which may be made of metal, wood or plastic. In some cases, there is used a smaller knife which is intended particularly for spreading butter, although there is often used a knife taken from the standard assortment of cutlery. In this latter case, the knife is relatively heavy.
When the butter knife is shared by all seated at the table, the knife is kept in a position which will enable it to be reached by everyone. One method is to insert the knife in an upstanding position in the butter, which is possible when the tray or tub is relatively full, but which becomes impossible when the tray begins to be empty of butter. In this latter case, it is usual to place the knife with the handle resting on the table and the blade resting against the edge of the tray. If the knife is heavy, it tends to tip over the tray.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Hitherto, certain problems are encountered in placing the butter knife in a simple and positive fashion when the knife is not in use, and accordingly an object of the invention is to provide a knife for spreading butter and the like which can be placed readily and securely in position adjacent the tray and gripped comfortably in this position and returned thereto subsequent to being used.
This object is achieved with a knife according to the invention which is characterized in that the junction between the blade and the handle has a first transverse wall which constitutes an extension of the inner end of the knife blade and forms substantially a right angle with said blade; in that a second transverse wall forms an extension of the inner end of the handle and lies opposite said first wall; in that the two walls are substantially parallel and spaced from one another and joined by an upper intermediate wall such that the channel is defined by said three walls; in that the vertical extension of the second wall is substantially greater than the vertical extension of the first wall; in that the width of the channel is such as to fit over the edge of standard plastic trays, tubs and jar-shaped foodstuff containers, so as to enable the knife to be hooked onto the rim of the tray or clamped securely thereon in a storage position, with the aid of said channel.
When the inventive knife is made of plastic, the knife will be light in weight and, consequently, the tilting forces exerted on the rim of the tray at the clamping location will be relatively small. Another advantage with plastic knives is that the knives are inexpensive and can be thrown away after use without needing to be washed. The knife, however, may alternatively be manufactured from thin metal plate, e.g. stainless steel.
The inventive knife is so configured that if the knife is unintentionally placed on the table itself, the knife blade will lie freely above the table surface, irrespective of the side which faces towards the table surface, i.e. the knife will not soil the tablecloth.
A suitable embodiment of an inventive plastic knife is described below with reference to an exemplifying embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top view of an inventive knife.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line II--II in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a side view of the knife with the knife handle resting on the table
REFERENCES:
patent: 260157 (1882-06-01), Brower
patent: 2110640 (1938-03-01), Aldrich
patent: 3275187 (1966-09-01), Lamoureaux
patent: 4178684 (1979-12-01), Mightly
patent: 5008970 (1991-04-01), Tsai et al.
Heyrana Sr. Paul M.
Yost Frank T.
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