US2396975A - Stirring device - Google Patents

Description

March 159, 1946. H. A. vER RuGGE STIRRING' DEVICE Filed July 12, 1944 INVENTOR.

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flTTOlP/VEYS Patented Mar. 19, 1946 i 2,396,975- s'rnmme DEVICE Henry A. Verbrugge, Great Neck, N. Y. Application July .12, 1944, Serial No. 544,613

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 259-144) The present invention relates to stirring devices for mixing fluids such as'drinks, in glasses or the like.

It is the customary practice in mixing certain kinds of drinks to use a spoon, usually that type which is known as a bar spoon. With'certain drinks, particularly those which are stirred in tall, narrow glasses after ice has been included, it is necessary by reason of the configuration of such glasses to manipulate the spoon in a certain manner to properly ice the drinks. According to best practice, this is done by holding the tip of the spoon in one spot on the bottom of the glass and then dexterously twisting the handle thereof to make the spoon rotate about itslower end. This is an operation which requires skillful manipulation of the spoon in order to produce the best results and cannot be done properly by the ordinary person. The art has endeavored to facilitate the operation by providing on the handles of spoons of this type, elongated spiral threads or grooves, but while the latter have accomplished their purposes to some extent, the operation still requires more than the ordinary skill.

It is the principal purpose of the present invention to provide a mixin device which will enable an ordinary person to accomplish'the above-mentioned operation easily and properly. More specifically, it is the object of this invention to provide an improved bar spoon which is extremely simple in construction and which is moreover highly efilcient in operation even when used by a person having little skill.

A better understandin of the invention will be had from a perusal of the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevational view, partly in section, of a bar spoon embodying the invention and Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the spoon illustratin one method of manipulating the spoon.

In the drawing, the reference character A designates the handle of the article which is provided at its lower end with a conventional bowl portion B or any other suitably formed implement. The implement B is permanently secured to the handle A in any suitable manner or integrally formed therewith. On the opposite or upper end of the handle A is an enlarged portion C in the form of a cap or knob which is secured to the shaft A in any suitable manner. Intermediate the implement B and cap C is a cylindrically-shaped flange or member D which may either be secured to thehandle A or formed integrally therewith, as illustrated.

termediate the cap C and member D. The several parts mentioned may be formed of metal or of other suitable material or of combinations of material. Thus, the parts A, B and E may be made of metal, while parts C and D may be made of wood, suitably finished.

From the foregoing, it will-be understood that after the constituents of a drink have been de-' posited in a glass, they may be properly mixed by inserting the spoon into the glass until th tip of the implement B rests on the bottom F of the A sleeve E is revolvably mounted on shaft A inglass (see Fig. 2) and then while maintaining the implement in contact with such bottom F, twirlin the same. This operation is readily accomplished by the user firmly grasping the rotatable sleeve E somewhat in the manner indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and then causing the second and third fingers to impart a rotary movement to the handle about the said point of contact. When the spoon is thus manipulated, the liquid is caused to rotate around the'point of contact of the spoon, the ice being violently intermingled with the liquid by the portion of the handle intermediate the member D and implement B thus causing the several ingredients to be thoroughly mixed and at the same time iced. Durin this operation, it will be noted that the sleeve E does not move relative to the fingers while the handle A, implement B, knob C and sleeve bearing D revolve relative to the sleeve.

The device may also be used as an ordinary spoon by the user graspin the handle in the region of the sleeve E so that the little finger is curled about the knob C or so that the latter is engaged by the palm of the hand. With the cap or knob C fixed against rotation, the handle A and consequently the implement B will be prevented from rotating relative to the sleeve E and the device can readily be used in the ordinary manner to deposit ingredients into the glass.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the device of the invention can be used both as an ordinary spoon and a stirrer which is readily adaptable to the stirring of liquids in accordance with approved practice without the need for the degree of skill which is required to successfully use the bar spoons now employed. It will b apparent also that the device is extremely simple in structure and may be manufactured at relatively low cost. The construction of the device also enables it to be produced in various forms and color combinations of novel and pleasing appearance.

I claim:

1. A bar spoon comprising an elongated handle provided with a bowl at one end and a gripping knob at its other end, both said bowl and gripping knob being fixed to said handle and said bowl being disposed as a Whole at an angle to said handle and having at its outer end a contact surface ofiset from the longitudinal axis of said handle, a bearing member secured to said handle intermediate its ends and closer to said bowl than said gripping knob, and an elongated gripping member revolvably mounted on said handle intermediate said bearing member and gripping knob and being confined against substantial movement longitudinally of the handle by said bearin member and knob.

2. A stirring device for liquid in a glass comprising an elongated straight handle, an implement secured to the lower end of said handle, said implement being disposed as a whole at an angle to said handle and having a glass bottom engaging portion offset from the longitudinal axis of said handle, a knob secured to the upper end' of said handle, a bearing member secured to: said handle intermediate its ends and spaced i'romsaid implement, and a gripping member mounted on said handle intermediate said knob and bearing member, said gripping member being revolvably mounted on said handle so that when: gripped by a user the device as a whole, may be rotated about said ofiset glass engaging portion with said handle an implement rotating relative to said grippin member, said knob being adjacent to the upper end of said gripping member and having a greater cross-sectional area than the latter to render it readily adaptable to be engaged by the hand to revent movement of said handle and implement relative to said gripping member.

3. A stirring device for liquids comprising an elongated. handle, an implement secured to the lower end of said handle and. having at its lower end a container bottom engaging portion offset from the longitudinal axis of said handle and about which said handle and implement are rotat'ed' in the use of the device, a gripping member revolvably mounted on said handle and adapted to be gripped by the user to rotate said handle and implement about said engaging portion with the latter in contact with the bottom of the container for the liquid, and a bearin surface on said handle intermediate said gripping member and implement and substantially spaced irom the lat ter, said surface being engagable by said gripping member and the latter bearing thereagainst during the said rotative movements of said handle and implement.

HENRY A. VERBRUGGE.

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