US2346040A - Wooden spoon and method of making the same - Google Patents

Description

April 4, 1944 s. F. MONTAGUE 2,345,940

WOODEN SPOON AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Dec. '7, 1939 HEA TED Z7/E JEU/ONS Illllllllll ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 4, 1944 4andere UNITED STATES PATENT oFFflcEj,

WOODEN SPOGN AND METHOD F MAKING THE SAME Stephen F. Montague, Oswego, N. Y., assignor vto Berst-Forster-Dixfield Company, New York, N Y., a corporation of Maine Application December 7, 1939, Serial No. 307,955

Claims. (Cl. 1114-309) This invention relates to wooden spoons and is directed, more particularly, to the production of surface-shaped spoons from wood veneer. Wood veneer spoons have been extensively used in connection, more particularly, with the sale of frozen confections, such as ice cream, custard, and the like, but, prior to this invention, practically all of these spoons were flat, with all parts of each spoon in the same plane. The chief disadvantage of such spoons is that their portion, which corresponds to the bowl, is flat and consequently material, dipped by said spoon, is not retained thereon, but tends to slide off or drip from they fiat surface thereof.

The object of the present invention is to provide a wood veneer spoon having a hollow bowl adapted to satisfactorily retain therein solid, liquid or semi-liquid materials, and so shaped throughout as to impart appreciable structural strength to the article, while ypermitting the use of relatively thin wood stock.

In carrying out the invention in its preferred practical form, blanks of appropriate shape are stamped from wood veneer, are thereafter wetted and placed between heated die sections complementarily shaped to form a spoon to the desired 'surfacecontoun All of the blank except a portion of the handle is preferably introduced between the die sections and said sections are thereafter slowly closed, in a manner hereinafter more fully described, to form the blank into a spoon of the desired shape It is peculiar to this invention that the pressure exerted by the die sections is sufficient to actually compress that portion of the blank operated upon, so that said portion is, in the finished spoon, thinner than that portion of the .blank which remains exteriorly of the die. The use of such high pressure is of great importance because I have found it possible, by thus manipulating wood veneer to, in effect, case-harden it, i. e., soy compress the external fibers and cellular formation of the wood as to render the surfaces thereof less porousthan the uncompressed veneer. This action is facilitated by the shaping of the die sections, the surfaces of which exert a wiping action upon the contacting surfaces of the blank and impart thereto an appearance of hard polish. It is of course true. that those portions of the blank which are operated on by the die are compressed throughout the thickness of the veneer, but it appears that the surfaces are rendered harder and more impervious to liquids, to produce the socalled Case-hardening eifect. Be that as it may,

it is clear that, in the finished spoon, the fibers or cellular structure of the `shank and bowl, which have been operated upon by the die sections, are less porous than the handle portion which has not been so operated upon and the bowl and the shank do not tend to soak up liquids with the speed that the uncompressed blanks do. `Consequently, the bowl and shank tend to retain their clean appearance while in use.

A spoon made according to the preferred form of this invention has a bowl and shank .portion of less thickness than the uncompressed handle portion. The bowl is hollow with a contour similar to a conventional metal spoon. The shank is of arcuate cross section, mergingy into a handle, preferably flat, uncompressed and of greater thickness than the remainder of the spoon. The shank is preferablyA curved longitudinally, as well as transversely, and is somewhat wider than the conventional spoon so that, by this combination of curvilinear contours in directions normal to one another, an extremely strong shank is produced, well able to withstand bending and torsional strains to which a spoon of this type is subjected, whenused, e. g., inconnection with frozen confections.

Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing, `I have-,illustrated the various steps through which a blank is passed for producing4 the veneer spoon of the present invention, but the drawing is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention. n

Figure 1 is a face view of a blank out from wood veneer. l

Figure 2 is an edgeview of the blankillustrated in Figure 1 and showing that the blank is flat.

I Figure 3 shows the application of liquid to the blank.

Figure 4 sh-ows a blanky positioned between heated die sections, illustrated as retracted in this figure.

Figure 5 shows the die sections closed to form the nished spoon.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal' central section through the finished spoon, removed from the die.

Figure 7 is a face view of such spoon.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 are sections on the lines 8 8, 9 9 and Ill-l l), respectively, of Figure 7.

Referring to the drawing, B indicates a blank, stamped from wood veneer by any appropriate and it may be conventionally kiln dried for economy.

A blank made as described is preferably tumbled, sanded or otherwise operated upon to produce smooth edges and to eliminated splinters and roughness. It is then wetted. This step in the method may be accomplished by dipping or immersing the blank in water or in any othersuitable liquid appropriate for the purpose. Water is entirely satisfactory and I nd it the best practice to spray or atomize water upon the blank from a nozzle l, as shown in Figure 3. Both sides of the blank may be sprayed in this way, although the spraying of one side is ordinarily sufficient. It is desirable to apply as little water as possible, so as to produce asubstantially dry end product.

After moisture has been applied to the blank as stated, it is introduced between two die sections 2 and 3, shown retracted in Figure 4. These die sectionsare complementary male andV female and are shaped to correspond to the desired surface shape of the bowl and shank of the finished spoon. They are, moreover, heated to a temperature above 212 F. to adapt them to convert the moisture of the blank, i; e., the concomitant moisture, intosteam when the blank is manipulated by them. In Figure 4 the blank is shown as introduced betweenthe die sections, so as to leave an appreciable portion of the handle projecting exteriorly of the die sections, for it is the preferred form of the method of this invention to leave the whole or at least a portion of the handle of the blank physically unaffected by the die operation.

After the blank has been positioned in moist condition within the die sections, as shown in Figure 4, these die sections are slowly closed. The closing of said sections may be continuous or it may be intermittent. That is to say, the die sections may be forced progressively for short distances toward one another by intermittent stages of movement with intervening periods of rest. The movement during each stage should be such as not` to place sufcient stress upon the blank to break'or split it, and the periods of intervening dwell should be sufiicient to permit the softening action of the generated steam to at least partially relieve the blank of the stresses which have thus been set up during a previous closing stage, so as to permit the blank to be further manipulated during the next pressure stage. In any event, however, the closing of the die sections should keep step with, or correspond to, the ability of the blank to receive the stresses imposed thereby, without splitting. Furthermore relatively great pressures should be applied to the blank sections, particularly as the manipulation of the blank intoY finished form nears its completion and should be of such order as to actually compress the blank after it has been brought into conformity with the die contours in order that the cellular structure of the wood may be actually compressed and compacted sufficiently to effect the porosity of the surfaces of the wood.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention as described, the closing of the two die sections is accomplished by successive stages of partial closing movement. These stages are additive, in contradistinction to successive die closing movements, interspersed by die opening movements. They are incremental and accumulative and they collectively add up to the complete closing of the die couple. ,The die sections are not moved apart between stages of closing movement. On the contrary, these die sections are, throughout these periods, held in fixed relation against opening movement and they are heated to a temperature above the boiling point of the water present, i. e., the concomitant moisture, whereby their temperature is sufficient to convert such moisture into steam so that the blank may be ultimately dried and set in the compressed condition described.

Wood veneer will tend to vary slightly in thickness, particularly after it has been either air or kiln dried and consequently the dies are preferably controlled to apply desired pressures to accomplish the result described. They are not provided with stops to limit their closing, but are adapted to be forced against the blank with pres'- sures sufficient to accomplish the result and to cease forward movement only when the blank has been compressed as stated.

When a blank is so operated upon, that portion of the blank manipulated by the die sections is not only compressed, but is subjected to a wiping action against the complementary surfaces of the die sections and this produces smooth relatively hard polished surfaces upon the wood and, I believe, tends to alter the fibers or cellular structure of the Wood, particularly at the surfaces thereof, sufficiently to practically eliminate the natural porosity thereof. l

While that portion of the spoon within the die sections is being manipulated vas described that portion of the spoon which projects beyond the die sections, remains in its natural form with its normal thickness greater than the decreased compressed thickness of the portion of the spoon within the die, as will clearly appear from Figure 5, wherein thicknesses have been exaggerate in the interest of clearness. f

After the parts have been brought into, the position shown in Figure 5 and conform to the die sections, as therein illustrated, the die sections are maintained closed for a sufficient period to substantially eliminate internal stresses in the wood and to thereafter substantially dry the wood, by virtue of the heat of the dies and by the ,escape of moisture from the wood in the form of steam.

After the blank has been compressed, manipulated and substantially dried/in the manner described, the dies are opened and the blank removed and it is found that the wood has been set in the finished spoon form illustrated in Figures 6-10, inclusive. It will not thereafter tend to warp, twist or lose its shape and as it comes hotfrom the die any slight traces of moisture which remain therein will immediately dry off so that, when the spoon is cooled to room temperature, it is dry to all intents and purposes.

The finished spoon has a bowl 4, the front face of which is of concave, dished form and the back face of which is of complementary con- Vex shape, as shown in Figure 10, so that a plurality of these spoons will closely nest. The shank 5 is transversely curved and of arcuate cross section, as illustrated in Figure 9, and is longitudinally curved, as shown in Figure 6, and these curvilinear sections, normal to one another,

produce an extremely stiff shank construction made possible by the use ofra relatively wide shank. The entire spoon is compressedvup to the line E, which defines the limit to which the blank projected into the die, and abovethe line 6, the handle portion l remains in the form which it had in. the original blank B. At the line 6, the thickened portion l merges into the compressed portion with curved llets of pleasing appearance. The compressed portions of the spoon haveY the distinct appearances of polishl while the uncompressed handle portion 'l remains in its original state and has the appearance of a somewhat rougher surface, which, when grasped, does not tend to slip, duringV the handling of the spoon. The peripheral edges of the entire spoon arev substantially normal to adjoining surfaces and form distinct edges of denite dimensions which not only lend character tothe article, but alsol impart strength over that which would bepresent if the material were worked down to a thin, feather edge. With the thickened edge frozen confections and other relatively hard materials may be safely manipuated without tending to split the wood or to break splinters or particles therefrom. A relatively short spoon is shown in the accompanying drawing andthe line 6 is shown as positioned at the point where the handle merges into the shank, but the positioning of this offset or thickening may be varied withoutv departing from this invention, as will be apparent from the foregoing description.

In this description the preferred form of the invention has been described, in which the whole or at least part` of the handle ofthe spoon remains outside of thedie while the, rest-of the blank is manipulated therein. I consider that this produces the most desirable type of spoon and it is preferred to practice the invention as thus described. I have, however, made spoons by so forming the dies thatthe entire length of the spoon will be received between the die sections and compressed when the die sections are closed, so that the whole spoon is case-hardened and compressed, in the same manner as the bowl and shank are, in theforegoing disclosure. I also make claim to this procedure and the resulting product.

The present invention was primarily conceived for the making of spoons from veneer. It isentirely feasible, however, to practice the present invention on blanks, such las shown in Figures 1 and 2, but so shaped and manipulated in such dies as to adapt these blanks to the production of a fork or other similar article, such as spears and analogous devices for use in connection with beverages. Consequently the term spoon is to he so construed as used in the appended claims, and I reserve the right to every use 0f my invention as hereinbefore described. The present invention is therefore to be understood as fully commensurate with theappended claims.

Compression altered or compression treated, as referred to in the appended claims, is intended to describe that condition of the wood which results from the compression thereof in heated dies operated under suhcient pressure to actually compress the veneer, in the presence of moisture, to decreased thickness.

Heat polished, as used in the appended defines that surface condition which results from the rubbing action between the surface of wood and a heated die while the die operates upon the wood to shape the same to the desired surface contour.

Having thus fully described the invention', what I claim as newvand desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. As a new article of manufacture, a single ply wooden spoon or the like, at least a portion of the handle of which is of uncompressed thin wood stock while the remainder of the length of said article is in compressed state and of reduced thickness with heat polished surfaces.

2f; As a new article of manufacture, a single ply wood veneer spoon or the like, atleast a portion of the handle end of which has the fibrous cellular character of the veneer from which it was made, while the brous cellular structure of the remainder of the article is compression al.- tered.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a spoon or the like consisting of relatively thin single ply wood veneer, a portion of the length of which article is heat polished, while the remaining portion is lacking in such heat polish. 4. The method of forming wooden spoons and the like which comprises: positioning a flat blank of predetermined peripheral contour between two opposed die sections of a die couple which are heated to a temperature suicient to convert concomitant moisture into steam, moistening said blank, closing the two die sections of said die couple upon said blank by successive stages oi additive partial closing movement with intervening periods of lixed die section relation throughout each of which the two die sections of the die couple are held against opening movement, until the die couple is closed on the blank with the blank conformingr to said two die sections, and thereafter forcing the die sections still closer together under suflicient pressure to cornu press the wood of the blank therein to reduced thickness.

5. The method of forming wooden spoons and the like which comprises: positioning a flat blank of predetermined peripheral contour between two opposed die sections of a die couple which are heated to a temperature suflicient to convert concomitant moisture into steam, moistening said blank, closing the two die sections of said die couple upon said blank by successive stages of additive partial closing movement with intervening periods of iiXed die section relation throughout each of which the two die sections of the die couple are held against opening movement, until the die couple is closed on the blank with the blank conforming to said two die sections, thereafter forcing the die sections still closer together under suiiicient pressure to compress the wood of the blank therein to reduced thickness, and continuing to hold the thus formed and compressed blank under compression between said die sections until it is in a substantially dry iixed state.

6. The method of forming wooden spoons and the like whichooxnprises: positioning a lilat :blank of predetermined peripheral contour between two opposed die sections of a die couple which are heated to a temperature suflicient to convert concomitant moisture into steam, inoistening said biank, closing the two die'secticns of said die couple upon said blank by successive stages of additivel partial closing movement with intervening periods of xed die section relation throughout each of which the two die sections of the die couple are held against openingv movement and the duration of which is suiiicient to. permit the stresses set up in the .blank byprevious closing stages to substantially' cease, until the die couple is closed'on the blank with the blank conforming to said two die sections, and thereafter forcing the die sections still closer together under sulficient pressure to compress the wood of the blank therein to reduced thickness.

7. The method of forming wooden spoons and the like which comprises: positioning a flat blank of predetermined peripheral contour between two opposed die sections of a die couple which are heated to a temperature sufficient to convert concomitant moisture into steam, moistening said blank, closing the two die sections of said die couple upon said blank by successive stages of additive partial closing movement with intervening periods of fixed die section relation throughout each of which the two die sections of the die couple are held against opening movement and the duration of which is suflicient to permit the stresses set up in the blank by previous closing stages to substantially cease, until the die couple is closed on the blank with the blank conforming to said two die sections, thereafter forcing the die sections still closer together under sufficient pressure to compress the wood of the blank therein to reduced thickness, and continuing to hold the thus formed and compressed blank under .compression between said die sections until it is in a substantially dry xed state.

3. The method of forming wooden spoons yand the like which comprises: positioning the bowl and shank portions of a substantially spoon shaped flat blank between two opposed die sections of a die couple with the handle portion of the blank projecting beyond the die sections, moistening,1r said blank, heating said die couple to a temperature sufficient to convert concomitant moisture into steam, closing the two die sections of said die couple upon said blank by successive stages of additive partial closing movement with intervening periods of iiXed die section relation throughout each of which the two die sections of the die couple are held against opening movement, until the die couple is closed on the bowl and shank portions of the blank with said portions conforming to said two die sections, and thereafter forcing the die sections still closer together under sulficient pressure to compress the wood of the bowl and shank portions of the blank therein to reduced thickness while the handle portion remains uncompressed.

9. The method of forming wooden spoons and the like which comprises: positioning the bowl and shank lportions of a substantially spoon shaped flat blank between two opposed die sections of a die couple with the handle portion of the blank projecting beyond the die sections, moistening said blank, heating said die couple to a temperature sufficient to convert concomitant moisture into steam, closing the two die sections of said die couple upon said blank by successive stages of additive partial closing movement with intervening periods of xed die section relation throughout each of which the two die sections of the die couple are held against opening movement, until the die couple is closed on the bowl and shank portions of the blank :with said portions conforming to said two die sections, thereafter forcing the die sections still closer together under suilcient pressure to compress the wood of the bowl and shank portions of the blank therein to reduced thickness while the handle portion remains uncompressed, and continuing to hold the thus formed and compressed bowl and shank portions of the blank converting the moisture with which the blank was wetted into steam to soften the wood sufciently to permit of such shaping, thereafter applying sufficient pressure to said bowl and shank portions to compress them to reduced thickness with respect to the handle portion of the spoon, and drying the bowl and shank portions of the spoon in shaped and compressed condition before relieving them of forming pressures.

11. The method of making wooden spoons and the like which comprises: cutting a substantially spoon shaped flat blank from wood veneer, wetting said blank,-then applying force to those portions-of the blank which correspond to the bowl and shank to dish the bowl and force the shank into both longitudinally and transversely curved condition whilevconverting the moisture present into steam to soften the wood sufciently to permitr of such shaping, and thereafter applying suflicientfpressure on the thus shaped blank'to compress the` wood of such blank to reduced thickness.

12. The method of making wooden spoons and the like which comprises: cutting a substantially spoon shaped flat blank from wood veneer, wetting said blank, then applying force to those portions of the'blank which correspond to the bowl and shank to dish the bowl and force the shank linto both longitudinally and transversely curved reduced thickness.

13. The method of making wooden spoons and the like which comprises: cutting a substantially spoon shaped flat blank from wood veneer, wetting said blank, then applying force to those p01'- tions of the blank which correspond to the bowl and shank to dish the bowl and force the shank into both longitudinally and transversely curved condition while converting the moisture present into steam to soften the wood sufficiently to permit of such shaping, and thereafter applying sufcient pressure to the thus shaped bowl and shank portions to compress the wood thereof to reduced thickness, while the handle portion o the blank remains uncompressed.

14.v The method of making wooden spoons and the like which comprises: cutting a substantially spoon shaped flat blank from wood veneer, wetting said blank, then applying force to those portions of the blank which correspond to the bowl into steam to soften the Wood sufciently to permit of such shaping, thereafter applying sucient pressure to the thus shaped bowl and shank portions to compress the wood thereof to reduced thickness, and heat drying the blank while it remains under compression.

STEPHEN F. MONTAGUE.

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