US3376640A - Combined knife and fork - Google Patents

Description

April 9, 1968 A. s. KRAMER ETAL COMBINED KNIFE AND FORK SF M r n 5 was d mn Mm an M 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 13, 1966 April 9, 1968 A. s. KRAMER ETAL COMBINED KNIFE AND FORK 2 Sheets-Sheet :5

Filed July 13. 1966 S 4 gm N E V. T NW ISJU n WW I! m% aEEEIWET United States Patent 3,376,649 Patented Apr. 9, 1968 3,376,640 COMBINED KNIFE AND FORK Alfred S. Kramer, 887 Sheridan Road, Glencoe, Ill. 60022, and Milton J. Sondell, 3200 Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, 1]]. 60657 Filed July 13, 1966, Ser. No. 564,903 6 Claims. (Cl. 30-148) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combined knife and fork for use by persons having only a single hand or one which is incapacitated. The handle of the implement carries power means and mechanism to reciprocate the knife. Means are associated with the knife to guard the cutting edge thereof to avoid injury to the person, and such means is arranged for retraction to expose the cutting edge of the knife when the latter is in use. The fork is adapted to hold the food during cutting and to raise the cut piece to the mouth.

This invention relates to a power-operated combined knife and fork for use by persons who are handicapped in the use of one hand, such as would result from congenital deformity, injury, disease or amputation.

Among the objects of the invention is the provision of an implement as referred to which is capable of operation by a battery, either a dry cell or one which is re-chargable, which is of simple foolproof construction, in which the knife and fork parts may be easily disconnected for cleaning, in which the fork is arranged to hold the edible being sliced during the cutting operation, in which the knife is guarded or retracted to a safe position while the cut piece is transferred to the mouth, which can be used in either hand, which is comparatively effortless to use and is light in weight.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which, taken with the accompanying drawings, discloses certain preferred forms in which the principles of the invention may be embodied in practice.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an implement in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear end elevation thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view, partly in cross section, to illustrate the implement in working position;

FIG. 6 is a detail in perspective to show certain parts of the body associated with the switch;

FIG. 7 is a partial bottom plan view;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but of an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the modification of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a cross section taken on the line 1010 of FIG. 8.

Broadly regarded in one aspect, the invention comprises a body which is shaped for convenient grasping, and which contains motive means, a source of power therefor, e.g. a battery, a fork fixed with respect to the body, a knife supported on the body and connected to the motive means for reciprocation thereby and a retractible guard associated with the knife in such manner as to be biased to shield the cutting edge when the knife is out of use but capable of being shifted from shielding position during cutting, in which position the guard serves to hold the edible. The switch for controlling the motive means is desirably provided with a button arranged for operation by the thumb, and may have positive on and off positions or bias means to Open the switch when the button is released.

In another aspect the motive means and knife are constructed and arranged so that when the switch is off the knife is automatically retracted to a safe position to preclude injury when the cut piece of the edible is being transferred to the mouth.

Turning to the drawings there is shown by way of example (FIGS. 1 to 7) an implement comprising a hollow, generally cylindrical body '10 including a front portion 11 and a rear portion 12. A battery 14, received in the body, may comprise one or more dry cells of conventional form or the same may be of the known type which is rechargeable on an A.C. line, having a suitable rectifier associated therewith. The portion 12 is a cap which will permit access to the battery. In the case of a rechargeable battery the cap will incorporate a jack with which the plug of a line cord may be connected. Obviously the implement may be arranged for operation on the usual llO-volt line.

This motive means for reciprocating the knife blade 19 is indicated generally at 21 and may be a solenoid with means to interrupt the current thereto to obtain oscillatory movement thereof at some desired frequency and, as will be understood by those in the art, in the case of an interrupted supply, a restoring spring is employed similar to the spring 131 hereinafter referred to in connection with FIG. 8. The butt end 22 of the blade is engaged with the core 26 of the solenoid. To enable snug and reliable engagement the butt end 22 may be of resilient material cut out, as at 27-27, to provide a wedging fit. Moreover the portion 28 between the cut outs 2727 may be formed at its inner end with a detent 31 engaged in a depression in the solenoid core 26 whereby the blade may be inserted with a snap action. Thus, following use, the blade may be readily removed for cleaning. Obviously the motive means may take other forms, e.g. an electric motor driving a crank to which the butt end may be connected, either directly or through an intermediate sleeve, similar to the core 26. In any case the connection will be readily disruptible in order that the knife may be withdrawn for cleaning.

The blade 33 proper is desirably of the form shown, namely, reduced at its extremity to facilitate starting the cut in a slice of meat or other edible 35. The edge 36 of the knife may be straight, sawtoothed or scalloped as desired.

The fork 41, shown in its extended position in FIG. 1 and in its retracted position in FIG. 5, comprises two or more tines 42 formed at the ends of flat part 44 slidably engaged in grooves 46-46 in a boss 47 formed on the exterior of the body 10' (FIG. 6). The part 44 has an actuating pad 51 secured thereto, as by rivets 5252; and the pad 51 preferably has a serrated surface, as shown, whereby the same may be more positively engaged by the thumb. In order to determine the extended and retracted positions of the fork a pair of dimples 56 and 57 are provided in the boss 47 and are alternatively engageable by the hemispherical head 58 of the rear one of the rivets 52-52.

In order to allow disassembly of the fork 41 from the boss 47 for cleaning, the same may be Withdrawn from the grooves 4646 by overcoming the engaging force of the detent means constituted by the head 58 and dimple 57.

Inasmuch as the knife must be idle when the cut portion of food is being transferred to the mouth, the switch for the motive means 21 is also under the control of the pad 51, and is constituted by novel means now to be described. The circuit between the battery 11 and motive means 21 is interrupted at a pair of conductive studs 6262 (FIG. 6) set into the boss 47 which are adapted to be engaged by a conductive spring member 62 affixed to the under side of the fork member 41. Inasmuch as the boss 47 is of dielectric material the metal of the fork, and hence the member 63, are insulated from the studs 62-42. It will be noted that the spring member 63 terminates rearwardly in a V-sh'ape whereby, when the fork is retracted, this end is introduced between the studs 62-62 to close the circuit and the knife is reciprocated. Upon extension of the fork for use the circuit is opened.

There is provision to preclude the knife from injuring the user, while the fork holding the cut piece of food is moved to the mouth. This takes the form of a guard 72 having a U-shaped transverse cross section, the legs of which constitute cheeks 74-74 arranged to overlie the knife blade on both sides when the fork is extended for use and to expose the cutting edge when the fork is retracted (FIGS. 1 and The cheeks 74-74 are arcuate to glide over the food 35 as the knife is fed for cutting. The guard is supported by a pair of spaced ears 7676 each having a hole to receive a pivot pin 77, in turn carried in holes in the legs of a U-shaped member afiixed to the lower side of the fork. A torsion spring 81, employed in conventional manner, biases the guard downwardly with a force calculated to permit the guard to exert some holding pressure on the food, but not so :great as to shift the food on the plate.

From the foregoing description it will have become apparent that, by shifting the pad 51 rearwardly with the thumb, the user will retract the fork and close the switch to start the motive means, whereupon the knife will be reciprocated to slice the food as desired. When the piece has been severed the pad is shifted forwardly to extend the fork, the motive means will be switched off, the guard will occupy knife-shielding position and the fork employed to transfer the food to the mouth.

Adverting to FIGS. 8, 9 and there is shown a modification in which the fork 141 is fixed to the body 110 but the knife 119 reciprocates. Although, in this embodiment, reciprocation may be imparted by a solenoid the knife is reciprocated by rotary means driving a scotch yoke comprising a slot 91 at the inboard end of the knife wit-h which a pin 92 is engaged. The pin is carried eccentrically on a bevel gear 93 journalled in the casing 110 and such gear is in mesh with a bevel pinion 94 keyed to the shaft of a driving motor 121. Thus rotation of the motor is effective to reciprocate the knife. A suitable switch 90 including contacts 88 and 89 is interposed in the circuit connecting the motor and battery. If desired, a slide switch similar to that heretofore described may be employed.

In addition to the reciprocating blade the instant modification may embody a fixed blade 99 contiguous thereto (FIG. 10). Both blades may have a toothed edge or the movable one may be toothed and the fixed one a straight edge, and this straight edge may be blunt. By means of this arrangement the fixed blade tends to clear a path, so to speak, for the movable blade as the vibration of the movable blade imparts slight, but effective movement to the fixed blade.

The movable blade is guided at the inboard end by means of 'a mating slot 120 in the front face of the housing 110, which is desirably a metal bushing carried in the material of the housing and, at its outboard end, by means of a pin and slot connection 122-123.

Desirably the fixed blade 99, when employed, is formed integrally with the fork 124 and, in order to lend rigidity to the same an L-shaped configuration is preferred (FIG. 10). The butt end of the fixed-blade-fork component is detachably secured in the body 110 by any conventional means, e.g. a socket, together with releasable latching means. Similarly the movable knife blade may be in two detachably-secured parts. Thus the parts in contact with the food and mouth may be readily removed for cleaning. To this end the slot v123 may be of key-hole form in order that the pin 122 may be disconnected therefrom when the knife and fork parts have been detached from the housin-g.

To assure that the movable blade 119 will be in retracted position to clear the fork 124 suitable bias means is provided intermediate the blade and housing, e.g. a tension spring 131, secured at its ends to lugs 132 and 133 on the blade and housing respectively.

From the foregoing it will have become clear that the knife blade 119 will cut through the edible for the length of its stroke; the fork meanwhile holding the edible firmly. The fork is then relocated and the cut continued as desired.

If desired a mercury switch may be inserted in series with the switch controlling the motive means. This switch can be so disposed that when the implement is at rest in a horizontal position or inclined as it would be while cutting, the mercury switch is closed but when the implement is raised and invertedtotransfer the food to the mouth this additional switch will be off.

While we have shown particular embodiments of our invention, it will be understood, of course, that we do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made and we, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of our invention.

We claim:

1. A combined knife and fork comprising a housing, electrically-driven reciprocating motive means carried by said housing, switch means for controlling said motive means, a knife blade, means operatively connecting the blade to the motive means for reciprocation thereby, means supporting said blade on said housing for reciproc'ating movement, a fork, means supporting said fork ,on said housing and a retractable guard having a pair of cheeks, said guard being pivotally connected to, said fork, the blade being disposed between saidcheeks whereby the blade is shielded when the same is idle and, when the knife is in use, the guard is retracted to expose the cutting edge.

2. The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein there are means between the guard and fork to bias the guard to blade-shielding position.

3. The combination in accordance with claim 1 in which said switch means includes a pad secured to the fork-supporting means, said pad being positioned for digital engagement by the user to actuate the switch means and fork jointly.

4. The combination in accordance with claim 1 wherein the switch means comprises a fixed contact carried on the housing and a movable contact. carried by the fork-.

supporting means, whereby shifting of the fork to active position opens the switch.

5. The combination in accordance with claim 1 further characterized in that said connecting means comprises a socket and said blade has a butt end detachably securable in said socket.

'6. The combination in accordance with claim 2 fur-.

ther characterized in that the guard is of transverse, inverted U-shaped cross section, the legs of which are said spaced cheeks respectively adapted, in the active position of the guard, to overlie the blade on both sides thereof, said cheeks having convex distal edges to bear on the edible.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 96,134 10/1869 Morries 30-148 546,376 9/1895 Barry et al. 30--l48 1,324,565 12/1919 Przybylek 30-l48 2,753,470 7/1956 Armstrong 30--272 X 2,908,077 10/1959 Bahlmann 30-272 (Other references on foliowing page) UNITED 5 6 STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Lundquist 30 210 X 109,739 2/1917 Great Britain. Guttmann 30-272 THELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner. Hawley 30-210 5 W. FELDMAN, Examiner.

Toth 30272 X G. WEIDENFELD, Assistant Examiner.

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