US518116A - Mustache-guard for spoons - Google Patents

Description

(No Model) 0. A. QUENTELL.

MUSTAOHE GUARD FORSPOONS. No. 518,116. Patented Apr. 10, 1894.

Mrn ey U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL A. QUENTELL, on NEW oRLEANs, LOUISIANA.

IVIUSTACHE-GQ ARD FOR SPOONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 518,116, dated April 10, 1894.

Application filed January 9,1894.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL A. QUENTELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State 5 of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mustache-Guards for Spoons; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of spoons which are provided with mustache guards or kindred devices; and it has for its general object to provide such a spoon embodying means whereby the guard will be automatically raised when the spoon is dipped in a plate of soup or the like so as to effectually prevent any of the soup from getting upon the guard, and in turn upon the mustache of the user when the spoon is raised to the lips.

With the foregoing end in view, the invention willbefully understood from the following description and claims when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1, is a perspective view of my improved spoon with the guard in its normal closed position. Fig. 2, is a similar view illustrating the guard in the position it is caused to assume when the spoon is dipped in a plate of soup; and Fig. 3, is an enlarged, detail transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the dotted line at, w, of Fig. 1.

Referring by letter to said drawings -A, indicates a spoon, which, in general, may be of the ordinaryform and construction having a bowl as a, and a handle as b; and B, indicates the mustache guard which may form 40 a permanent part of the spoon or may be detachably connected to or mounted upon the same as desired. This guard B, may be and preferablyisformed fromasingle piece of material in the form or approximate form illustrated, and it is permanently or detachably connected with the spoon in such a manner as will admit of its being automatically raised when the spoon is dipped in a plate of soup or the like, as will be presently described.

I prefer in practice to detachably connect the guard B, with the spoon in a hinged or pivotal manner, in order to permit of its Serial No, 496,240. (N 0 model.)

7 ready removal for cleansing, and in the present embodiment of my invention, I efliect such connection with the handle b, of the spoon through the medium of the resilient branches 0, upon the rear or, inner end of the guard, which branches 0, are provided with globular heads as d, which are journaled in opposite sides of the handle at a point adjacent to the bowl, so as to permit of the guard being raised from the bowl, as illustrated. I do not however desire to be understood as confining myself to this or any other manner of connecting the guard with the spoon, since itis only necessary to connect the guard in such a manner as will admit of its being automatically raised when the spoon is dipped in a plate of soup or the like.

0, indicates the pendant or plate contact piece through the medium of which the guard B, is automatically raised when the spoon is dipped in a plate. This pendant or piece C, may be and preferably is fixedly connected to or formed integral with the guard atapoint adjacent to the free end thereof; and it normally depends below the bowl of the spoon, about the proportional distance illustrated, and is preferably provided at its lower end with a knob or button as (1, whereby it will be perceived that when the spoon is dipped in a plate, the piece 0, will engage the bottom thereof and will raise and hold the guard clear of the soup so as to prevent any of the same from getting on the guard. It will also be perceived that when the spoon is removed M guard B, as just described, I would not have it understood that it is absolutely necessary to do so inasmuch as the said piece could be mounted in such a manner as to engage the plate and the guard to efiect an elevation of the latter, without being connected thereto.

In practice my improved spoon is handled in the ordinary manner, that is to say, the bowl is slightly canted or inclined toward the user and in this position is introduced into the soup. When the spoon is so dipped in the soup, it will be readily perceived that the piece 0, will engage the bottom of the plate and will raise and hold the guard clear of the soup until the bowl is removed from the soup when the guard will resume its normal position in order to cover the bowl when the spoon is raised to the lips.

By reason of my improvements, a person, no matter how absent minded or careless, is enabled to eat soup and similar dishes in a clean manner, inasmuch as the guard B, is always clean and free from soup and serves efiectually to prevent the mustache from getting into the soup when in the spoon.

The manner herein disclosed of connecting the guard with the spoon is advantageous inasmuch, as after use, the resilient branches 0, may be readily spread apart to remove their heads (I, from the seats in the handle, and the guard may consequently be removed from the spoon in order to facilitate cleansing of both spoon and guard. A

My improvements do not increase the weight of a soup spoon to any appreciable extent; they do not interfere in any manner with the cleaning of the spoon, and they may be chased or engraved in an ornamental manner when desired so as to enhance rather than detract from the beauty of the spoon.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A spoon having a guard flexibly connected above the bowl and carrying a pendant adapted to raise the guard from the bowl, substantially as specified.

2. In a spoon, the combination with a bowl and a handle connected to the bowl; of a guard arranged upon the bowl and having resilient branches at one end provided with globular heads journaled in hearings in opposite sides of the handle, substantially as specified.

3. In a spoon, the combination with a bowl and a handle connected to the bowl and having bearing recesses in two of its opposite sides; of a guard having resilient branches 0, at one of its ends provided with globular heads adapted to engage the bearing recesses of the handle, and a depending plate-engaging piece 0, fixedly connected to and depending from the guard and having a knob or button at its lower end, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, CARL A. QUENTELL.

WVitnesses:

THOMAS E. TURPIN, K. F. MATTHEWS.

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