US1093393A - Handle for the covers of cooking utensils and the like. - Google Patents

Description

J. FRITZ.

HANDLE FOR THE COVERS 01 COOKING UTENSILS AND THE LIKE.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 16, 1913.

Patented Apr. 14, 191- Jwlim Fritz,

Qxmmaowo COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO" WASHINGTON; D. C-

UNITED STATES PATENT JULIUS FRITZ, OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA.

HANDLE FOR THE COVERS OF COOKING UTENSILS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, JULIUs FRITZ, citizen of the United States, residing at Petaluma, in the county of Sonoma and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Handles for the Covers of Cooking Utensils and the like, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a looped handle or finger piece for the lids or covers of cooking utensils or the like, the object of the invention being to provide a simple and inexpensive finger piece which embodies novel features of construction whereby it normally has a tendency to spring into an upright position, although it can be readily folded fiat against the cover or lid when necessary so as to admit of a number of the lids being placed on top of each other and packed closely together when not in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a finger piece of this character which can be readily applied to a cover or lid, which normally tends to spring outwardly away from the cover so that it does not become intensely heated with the cover and can be readily grasped, and also which can be easily constructed from spring wire.

IVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cover or lid provided with a finger piece constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the same with a portion of the cover broken away, the finger piece being shown in full lines as projected outwardly away from the lid, and by dotted lines as folded down against the upper surface of the lid. Fig. 3 is an end view of the finger piece, showing the same as applied to a cover or lid. Fig. i is a vertical sectional View on the line 44: of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a detail View of the ferrule member before the end tangs thereof are bent into position against the lower surface of the cover.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indi cated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodiment ofthe invention, the numeral 1 designates a cover or lid which may be of any conventional construction and is shown as provided at the center thereof with a slit 2. The finger piece 3 has a looped formation and is constructed from a single length of spring wire. The body portion of the wire is bent to form a ring or loop, while the extremities 3 of the wire are straight and have a parallel relation to each other. In the initial formation of the ring or finger piece 3, the opposite sides thereof are de flected laterally in opposite directions so that the extremities 3 of the wire at the base of the loop are spaced quite an appreciable distance apart. It will be observed that these straight ends or extremities 8* of the wire strip are normally disposed in a plane which is transverse and at substantially right angles to the plane of the body portion of the loop, and in assembling the parts these straight ends 8 are sprung *inwardly toward each other so as to place the wire body portion of the loop under tension, and then inserted into a flattened ferrule l. This ferrule 4 is shown as formed from a single strip of sheet material, the end portions of the ferrule being inserted through the slit I 2 of the cover 1 and then bent laterally in opposite directions against the lower surface of the cover, as indicated at 4%, so as to retain the ferrule in position upon the cover. In order to facilitate bending of the end portions or tangs 4? of the ferrule l, the strip is weakened at the places of bending in some suitable manner as by means of the rows of perforations 10, shown more clearly by Fig. 5. This enables the tangs 4 to be readily bentinto proper position and also insures a sharp angle at the point of bending, this being necessary in order that the tangs or ends 4* may fit flat against the lower surface of the cover without bulging or projecting outwardly beyond the same.

WVith this construction, it will be obvious that the body portion of the loop or finger piece 3 will normally tend to spring upwardly away from the cover or lid 1, as indicated by Figs. 2 and 3. When the finger piece 3 is folded against the upper surface of the cover 1, as indicated by dotted lines upon Fig. 2, the straight ends or extremities 3 of the wire turn or revolve freely within the ferrule 4, although they are retained in a fixed position therein, with the result that when the finger piece is folded downwardly, the two end portions 3 of the wire instead of being in a plane at substantially right angles to the body portion of the finger piece are in the same plane as the finger piece. This results in bending and producing increased tension in the wire so that as soon as the finger piece is released, it

again springs upwardly into normal and up- I right position. The finger piece 3 is thus always in such a position as to be readily grasped for the purpose of Inoving'the cover or lid and is also held away from the body portion of the cover so that it does not become heated in connection therewith. When it is desired to pack the covers, or place another article on top of one of the covers, the finger piece can be readily folded flat against the cover and a very slight amount of pressure will be sufficient to maintain it in this position. Furthermore, only a slight amount of tension is produced in thewire when the finger piece is folded against the cover, so that the finger piece will always spring upwardly into an upright position when released, regardless of the length of time the covers may have been packed.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a finger piece for the lids of cooking utensils and the like, the combination of a ferrule adapted to be applied to the lid, and a looped finger piece formed of spring wire, the ends of the wire being straight and being disposed at the base of the loop in a spaced and parallel position, the said straight ends being received within the ferrule so as to rotate freely therein although he held against shifting their position when the finger piece is swung laterally out of normal position, the tension thus produced in the wire causing'the finger piece to return to normal position as soon as released.

2. In a finger piece for the covers of cooking utensils and the like, thecombination of a flattened ferrule adapted to be applied to the cover, and a looped finger piece formed of a single length of spring wire, the ends of the wire being straight and being bent into a parallel position at the base of'the loop, the said straight ends of the Wire being fitted within the'fiattened ferrule so as to rotate freely therein and at the same time be held against shifting their position when 7 the finger piece is swung laterally, the tension thus produced inthe wire causing the finger piece to spring back to normal position as soon as released.

3. A finger piece for the covers of cook ing utensils and the like, including a trans versely fiattenedferrule adapted tobe applied to the cover, and a looped finger piece formed from a single length of spring wire,

the extremities of the wire being straight and being disposed in a spacedand parallel posltion at the base of the loop, said straight extremitles of the wire being in a plane transverse to the plane of the bodyportion of the loop and being sprung together and inserted into the flattenedferrule when assembling the parts, the'ends of the wire rotating freely within the ferrule although being held against shifting their position when the finger piece is swung laterally, and the tension thus produced in the wire causing the finger piece to swing back into normal position as soon as released.

In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS FRITZ.

Witnesses: RICHARD H. PEIPER, GEORGE IV. BROWN.

"Commissioner of Patents,

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