US814688A - Corn-holder. - Google Patents

Description

No. 814,688. PATEN'IED MAR. 13, 1906.- A. N. GITTERMAN.-

CORN HOLDER.

nruonron run we. 21. 1905.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY UNITED sTATEs PATENT orFIoE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Eatented March 13, 1906.

Application filed August 21,1905. Serial No. 275,144.

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED N. GITTER- MAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in corn-holders; and it consists in the novel features hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of the invention is, to produce simple, inexpensive, and eflicient means by which a person may hold an ear of hot corn while eating the same.

In accordance with my invention the ear of corn will be held at each end by independ- -ent holders, one being a duplicate of the other, and each of which is formed from a rod of wire bent to form a spring-handle and a pair of claws adapted to engage the ear of corn.

The invention will be understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a corn-holder constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention, the dotted lines indicatin the position of the members of the holder when the latter has the opposite sides of its handle portion pressed toward each other to spread the claws for transversely engaging the end of an ear of corn. Fig. 2 is an edge view of same, and Fig. 3 is a top view of same.

The holders will be used in pairs, an inde pendent holder being provided for each end of the ear of corn, and said holders will engage the ends of the ear of corn transversely so that the handle portions of the holders may project in line with the length of the ear of corn. In the drawings I illustrate only one of the holders, since the holders are duplicates of each other.

The holder shown is formed from a rod of spring-wire coiled at its middle portion to form a spring 5, whence the handle members 6 extend outwardly on slightly diverging lines to about the points 7 and then converge inwardly and cross each other at the point 8, whence the end portions of the rod of wire extend in opposite directions to form members 9, and thence at right angles to said members 9 and parallel with each other to form members 10, from the outer ends of which the ends of the rod of wire extend inwardly toward each other and parallel with the members 9 and are sharpened to form claws or prongs 11, adapted to firmly engage the ear of corn under the tension of the spring 5. The members 9 10 11 form a boxlike section adapted to pass transversely upon the end of an ear of corn, and said members 9, 10, and 11 at opposite sides of the holder are normally pressed toward each other by means of the spring 5, but are restrained from passing unduly toward each other by a ring 12, which is circular in outline and encompasses the outer ends of the handle members 6 where they cross each other and is normally in contact with the outer sides of the inner ends of the members 9. The action of the spring 5 normally binds the ring 12 in the position in which it is shown by full lines in Fig. 1, and said ring by engaging the outer sides of both handle members 6 prevents the spring from pressing the prongs 11 unduly toward each other and in addition ties the said handle members in due relation to each other.

The normal condition of the holder is that illustrated by full lines in Fig. 1. When it is desired to apply the holder to an ear of corn, the handle portion of the instrument will be taken hold of and the side members 6 pressed toward each other sufficiently to spread the prongs 11 11 far enough apart to enable them to be passed upon and engage the end of the ear of corn, after which the pressure will be released from said members 6 and the spring will maintain said prongs in their engagement with the ear of corn. When a holder is applied to each end of an ear of corn, the latter may be held by the handle portions of the holders with entire convenience while the corn is being eaten. The movement of the handle members 6 toward each other causes the crossing-point of said members to recede toward the spring 5, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the ring 12 to ride in the same direction upon the converging portions of said members. The ring 12 does not require any manual attention, since when the handle members 6 are pressed toward each other the converging portions of said members will cause the ring to ride upon them and follow the crossing-point of said members without regard to what position the holder may be in at such time, and when the pressure on the members 6 is released the spring 5 will restore the prongs 11 to their initial position and the converging portions of the members 6 will compel the ring 12 to ride outwardly upon them to its initial posi tion and find a stop against the transverse members 9. The holder is thus applied to an ear of corn by first pressing the handle members 6 toward each other and then passing the prongs 11 transversely upon the end of the ear of corn, whereupon the pressure on the members 6 is released and the spring 5 causes said prongs to firmly engage the ear of corn. When it is desired to release the holder, the side members 6 will be pressed toward each other, so as to again spread the prongs 11 in a direction from each other, and thereupon the holder may be withdrawn from the corncob.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A corn-holder comprising the opposite side portions which first form the handle and then cross each other and thence extend laterally in opposite directions and thence forwardly and thence inwardly toward each mess other to form the engaging prongs, a spring for normally pressing the said prongs toward each other, and a ring whose opening is in line with the length of the instrument and which encompasses said side portions at their crossing-point at the outer end of the handle;

substantially as set forth.

2. A corn-holder comprising a piece of wire coiled at its middle portion to form the spring 5 and thence bent to form the handle members 6 having the converging sections at their outer ends which cross each other, the laterally-extending members 9, forwardlyextending members 10, and inwardly-extending prong members 11, and the ring 12 which encompasses the handle members at their crossing-p oint substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 18th day of August, A. D. 1905.

ALFRED N. GITTERMAN.

Witnesses:

CHAs. O. GILL, ARTHUR MARION.

Images