US1207470A - Attachment for forks and the like. - Google Patents

Description

C E. BANKS. ATTACHMENT FOR FORKS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, I916- Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

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ATTACHMENT FOR FORKS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 19116.

Application filed May 16, 1916. Seria1 No. 97,912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. BANKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Forks and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to culinary articles and table forks, and the primary object of the same is to provide a cleaning attachment for forks whereby substances adhering to forks may be readily removed or scraped off, the attachment being of such form that it may be readily applied to forks of difierent types without requiring a special construction or preliminary preparation thereof to receive the attachment.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fork showing the improved at; tachment applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of a fork and the improved attachment showing the operation of the latter in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 33, Fig. 2.

The fork as usual comprises a blade 5 with tines 6 and a handle 7. The attachment comprises an elongated attaching member or handle engaging clip 8 with an angularly bent terminal 9 having anopenin g 10 and forming a guide foot for a curved rod or shank 11 freely slidable through the opening 10. The rear end of the rod or shank 11 has a stop head 12 of any preferred form, but as shown consists of a nut and washers, and on the opposite end of said rod or shank a scraper or cleaner 13 is fixed and has an elongated slot 14: through which extend the fork tines 6. The scraper or cleaner 13 is disposed transversely with relation to the fork tines and the slot 14 is located near the lower edge of the scraper or cleaner to provide a rather broad pushing surface above the fork tines. Between the stop head 12 and the angular terminal or guide foot 9 a spring 15 loosely surrounds the curved rod or shank 11 and operates to cushion the scraper or cleaner 18 in its action and to retract the same to normal position when pressure is relieved from the head 12.

The improved attachment is preferably formed of metal as an entirety, and the attaching member or clip 8 is shaped or cut from bendable sheet metal of such thickness and stiffness as to positively retain its engagement with the fork handle when the attachment is applied to the fork. The member or clip 8 is shaped to fit the handle 7 of the fork and has side embracing members or tongues 16 and an end abutment flange 17, the members or tongues 16 being bent around a portion of the fork handle 7 as clearly shown by Fig. 8, and the flange 17 bent at an angle over the rear end of the fork handle, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2. By means of the tongues 16 and flange 17 the clip 8 is prevented from slipping out of place when applied and the attachment as a whole is thereby held against displacement from a normal operating position.

The operation of the attachment is as follows: When the fork tines 6 are inserted in any substance or article of food the cleaner or scraper 13 is forced back on the tines in proportion to the penetration of the latter, and the substance or article of food lifted by the fork may be subsequently released and cleared relatively to the fork tines by pressing forwardly on the head 12 and moving the rod or shank 11 together with cleaner or scraper 13 outwardly, and at the same time the cleaner or scraper 13 will remove any substance clinging to the tines. The cleaner or scraper 13 is cushioned when reaching a point at or near its maximum outward movement by the spring 15, and when pressure is relieved from the head 12 the said spring forces the cleaner or scraper 13 and rod or shank 11 rearwardly to normal position.

The parts of the improved attachment may be varied in size and shape to accommodate the same to different forms of fork handles and tines without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is also proposed to plate or otherwise ornament the several parts of the attachment.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with an ordinary fork having tines and a handle, of a clearing and cleaning attachment removably applied thereto and comprising a clip fitted over and embracing the greater portion of the handle and having an angular guide projecting up- .wardly at the front end thereof adjacent to the tines and provided with an opening is i fork handle andaeurved shank freely movable through said guide 'and having a' therethrough, and asliank movably mounted and shiftable in'said guide, the shank carrying a scraper movablyextendingacross and looselvengaging the tines, the handle t 7 engaging fclip carryingiall of the parts of the attachment; 7 j r 2fThe'co1'nbination with an ordinary fork having tines and a handle, of a clearing and cleaning attachment removably applied thereto andcomprising a clip fitted over and embracing the greater portion of the I 'handle and having an angular .guide' projecting cup vardly at the front end thereofv adjacent to the tines, therear end of the clip having alfiangeengaging the end; of the scraper at the forward; end provided'with a slot near its lower edge and extending 1 across the-t1nes,the tines pro ect1ng through the slot ofthe scraper -the rear end of the bet shank havinga pressure head. 7 i e' 8. The combination With an ordlnary fork having tines and a handle, -of a clearing and'cleani'ng attachment removably applied thereto and comprising a clip fitted over and'embracingthe greater portion of the handle andhaving an'angular guide at the end thereof adjacent to the tines, the rear end of the clip having aflange engaging the 7 end the-fork hand1e, a curved shank V i Copies .of this. patent may be obtained for freely movable through said guide and having a scraper at the forward end provided With a slot near its lower edge and extending across the tines, the tines projecting through'the slot of the scraper, the rear end of the shank having a pressure head, and a spring engaging the shank between the said guide and pressure head.

4:. A clearing and cleaning attachment for forks comprlslng an attachlng member formed of bendable sheet metal and shaped to embrace the handle of an ordinary fork and embodying s1de tongues, an end abutment flange for engaging the end of the fork handle, and an angularly bent front ternesses.

' CHARLES E. BANKS.

. Witnesses:

EMMA TAYLOR,

MARGARET HUNTER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

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