US2877552A - Blade guide and slice thickness gauge - Google Patents

Description

- March 17, 1959 A. G. PQLLMAN 2,877,552

- BLADE GUIDE AND SLICE THICKNESS GAUGE Filed April 23, 1958 mm IIIIII Andrew 6. Pol/man 1N VENTOR.

. a g j.

BY 19m United States Patent BLADE GUIDE AND SLICE THICKNESS GAUGE Andrew G. Pullman, Freeman, S. Dak.

Application April 23, 1958, Serial No. 730,376

4 Claims. (Cl. 30-284) This invention relates to a simple and practical attachment for the blade of a knife and the purpose of the invention is to assist the user of the knife in guiding the blade and gauging the thickness of the slice, whereby to thus provide a reliable aid when slicing bread, cake, and other products such as cheese, meat and so on which are marketed for use in loaf form.

Persons conversant with the art to which the invention relates are well aware of the fact that many and varied styles and forms of knife blade thickness gauges have been evolved and produced. Generally speaking, it is common in this field of endeavor to provide an elongated linearly straight member, similar to a blade, and this is supported in spaced parallelism relative to the adjacent side surface of the knife blade. Devices of one type or another are employed for detachably and adjustably as well as swingably mounting one end of the gauge member on the knife, in some instances the handle portion, and in other instances the blade itself.

As generally indicative of the state of the art to which the instant invention relates, the reader might make reference to a knife blade holder and guide in the Rothman Patent, 2,777,197, of January 15, 1957. This particular patent is mentioned in that it is analogous in certain respects to the present invention. That is to say, it is characterized by a U-shaped adapter or clamp and means which is associated therewith for hingedly mounting a blade-like guage member.

As will be evident from the foregoing explanation, the present invention has to do with a generally similar combination but which is novel and distinct in varying ways. To this end, in carrying out the present invention, a U- shaped adapter clamp is provided and one limb has an outstanding support-stud. The other limb is provided with a setscrew which holds the clamp securely on the knife blade. A novel bracket is utilized for hingedly mounting the gauge blade or member on the stud. More specifically, novelty is predicated on a bracket characterized by a plate provided with selectively usable holes to accommodate the screw-threaded stud. The plate, in turn, has an extension which is of L-form and thus provides a desired offset arrangement for a hinge pin. The extension is also provided with a stop pin and the cooperating end of the gauge member has a clearance notch which cooperates with the stop pin.

Other objects, features and advantagestwill become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a bread knife or the like with the improved attachment mounted thereon and readied for use.

Fig. 2 is a side view or, if preferred, a front elevation, showing not only the invention but illustrating how it is used at the beginning of the slicing operation.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view based on Fig. 1 and showing the relationship of parts at the final cut-through of I the slice.

Fig. 4 is a section on an enlarged scale taken on the plane of the vertical line 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is an exaggerated section of a fragmentary type, taken on the horizontal line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views showing the operation of the clearance notch and stop pin.

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view wherein the components which make up the combination are all separately shown in cooperating relationship.

In the principal views, the slicing knife is conventional and comprises a suitable handle 10 and slicing blade 12.

The attachment (Fig. 8) comprises, as already mentioned, an adapter or clamping fixture, and this is denoted generally by the numeral 14. It is of U-shaped form and comprises a bight portion 16 and limbs or arms 18 and 20 which straddle the knife blade. The arm 18 has a screw-threaded hole to accommodate the setscrew 21 which functions in the manner seen in Fig. 4. The aforementioned outstanding screw-threaded stud 22 is attached to and projects at right angles from the lower portion of the arm 20. As evident in Fig. 4, the stud is equipped with two nuts the inner one of which is denoted by the numeral 24 and the outer one with the numeral 26. The latter nut is preferably a wing-type for convenience of operation. These nuts serve to hold in place the adjustable and removable hinging bracket 28. As seen in Fig. 8 this comprises a generally fiat ovate plate 30 having selectively usable holes 32 adapted to be mounted on the stud and clamped in an obvious manner. The right hand edge portion of the plate is provided with oifset hinging means. This comprises a substantially L- shaped extension the offset end portion of which is denoted at 34 and is provided with an outstanding hinge pin 36 to accommodate the hinging hole 38 on the inner end portion of the elongated linearly straight gauge member or blade 40. The inner end portion is also provided with a suitable clearance notch 42 which cooperates with the outstanding stop lug or pin 44.

Fig. 1 shows the gauge-equipped knife before the knife is brought into use. Fig. 2 shows how it is used in guiding the blade and also starting a slice on the loaf A resting on the board or support surface B. Due to gravity the gauge member 40 assumes a slightly downwardly inclined position. When the slice is finished and the blade cuts completely through as depicted in Fig. 3 the gauge member straightens up and is then substantially coplanar with the knife blade. This controlled operation is accomplished through the medium of the cooperation of the clearance notch 42 and stop pin 44, as brought out particularly well in Figs. 6 and 7.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A blade guide and slice thickness gauging attachment for a bread knife or the like comprising a hinging and attaching bracket, means for mounting said bracket on a knife blade, said bracket comprising a plate removably and adjustably mounted on said means, said plate provided with an offset member having a hinge pin and a stop pin, and an elongated gauge member having an end portion pivoted for free swinging movement on said aseaasa 3 hinge pin and also having a clearance notch cooperable with said step pin.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, and wherein said bracket mounting means coitjnprises an inverted U-shaped memberhaving'a bightportion and depending limbs, said limbs adapted to straddle the knife blade, a setscrew carried by one limb, and a screw-threaded stud carried by and extending at right angles from the other limb, said plate being removably and adjustably mounted on said stud.

3. The structure defined in claim 1, and wherein said ofisetmember is L-shaped in form and is connected with the marginal edge portion of said plate.

4. A blade guide and slice thickness gauging attachment for a bread knife or the like comprising a hinging and attaching bracket, means for mounting said bracket on a knife blade, said bracket comprising a plate removably and adjustably mounted on said means, said plate provided on an intermediate portion of one marginal edge with an offset substantially L-shaped member constituting an extension of the plate and provided with a hinge pin and a cooperating spaced stop pin, and an elongated gauge member having one end portion pivoted for free swinging movement on said hinge pin and also having a clearance notch in one end into which said stop pin is projected.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,069,189 Saltzman Aug. 5, 1913 2,737,719 Ember et al Mar. 13, 1956 2,777,197 Rothman Ian. 15, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 124,068 Austria Aug. 10, 1931

Images