US2112649A - Ice pick or tool - Google Patents

Description

March 29, 1938. H. DREYFUSS ICE PICK OR TOOL Filed Aug. 15, 1935 Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES ICE PICK 0R TOOL Henry Dreyfuss, New York, N. Y., assignor to The Washburn Company, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 15, 1935, Serial No. 36,356

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to ice picks, or similar tools, adapted for either chopping off pieces of ice from a cake, or for cracking a piece of ice into small particles.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved ice pick characterized by the provision of a handle so formed that it readily fits the hand when using the pointed shank of the tool for chopping ice, the handle being weighted so that it always strikes a most effective blow when cracking ice. Furthermore the handle, while round, will not roll appreciably when laid on a plane surface, by reason of the weighting thereof which always brings the tool to rest. The above and other advantageous features of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of an ice pick embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the tool shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation of the tool shown in Fig. 1, with the eifect of weighting the handle indicated diagrammatically ,in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view along the line 4-4 of Fig, 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a view in end elevation of the tool shown in Fig. 1, looking from the shank end.

Fig. 6 illustrates the tool held in the hand for chopping ice.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring to the drawing, the ice pick or tool consists of a handle I, preferably composed of wood or other similar light material, with a pointed metallic pick 2 extending from one end of the handle which also carries a metallic ferrule 3. The opposite end of the handle terminates in a rounded bulbous portion 4, one side of which is cut away at 5 to receive a metallic weight 6 having a flat surface engaging the cutaway portion 5 and a rounded surface substantially continuous with the rounded surface of the handle portion 4.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the weight 6 provides a shank 1 adapted to make a drive fit within an opening 8 of the handle portion 4, so that the weight becomes a substantially integral portion of the handle. In view of the fact that the metallic weight 6 is of much heavier material than the handle I, it necessarily follows that when the tool is placed on a plane surface, as shown in Fig. 3, the handle will always tend to assume a position in which the weight 6 is lowermost. Furthermore, when the tool is held by the pick 2, the relatively thin pick 2 will tend to turn 5 in the fingers until the weight 6 at the free end of the handle I faces downwardly, as shown in Fig. 1.

When it is desired to use the tool for the purpose of chopping off pieces of ice from a solid cake, the bulbous portion 4 of the handle readily fits within the hand of the user, with the fingers and thumb substantially enclosing the portion 4, as shown in Fig. 6. With the handle so held, the pick 2 extends straight out from the closed hand, so that movement of the hand causes the point of the pick to penetrate the ice cake and remove pieces of ice therefrom with a minimum of effort.

When it is desired to crack up into small particles a piece of ice previously chopped off, the tool is seized by means of the pick portion 2, whereupon as previously pointed out, the tool tends to turn on its axis until the weight 6 faces downwardly. Then when blows are struck on the piece of ice by the handle portion 4, the weight 6 will always engage the ice so as to give a maximum shattering effect. Furthermore, the fact that the ice is always engaged by the weight 6 prevents damage on the remainder of the handle.

Should the tool be laid on a plane surfaceas a table, after use, it will not roll and drop to the floor, with possibility of the pointed pick 2 causing damage. On the contrary, should the tool be laid on the surface with its weight 6 to the right or to the left of the full line position of the weight in Fig. 3, the handle portion 4 will tend to roll back and forth until the weight assumes its lowermo-st position. While the handle will tend to make one or more oscillations, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, it will not make a complete revolution, due to the fact that the weight 6 will always tend to turn in the direction of the arrows, with the amplitude of the oscillations becoming less, until the weight comes to rest in the full line position of Fig. 3.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that by the present invention there is provided an improved ice pick or tool so constructed that it may be readily seized for the purpose of either chopping o-r cracking ice, and be used with a minimum expenditure of effort.

I claim:

A tool of the class described, characterized by a handle provided at one end with a pointed pick 55 ing of such form as to complete the spherical outline of the handle portion where it is cut away,

and the weight of the striking member acting to prevent rolling of the tool when laid on a support, and also to orient the tool when held in the hand for striking purposes.

' HENRY DREYFUSS.

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