Abstract:
A hinged fork that is useful in picking up small items, such as peas, olives and spaghetti, on a plate or in a jar, and also can be used a a regular fork. The hinged implement includes first and second elongated handle portions pivotally connected together at an intermediate location, each terminating in a prong. When the handle portions are drawn together, the prongs form a curved base surface.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     None  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The invention relates generally to multipurpose hinged apparatus. More particularly, the invention is related to a hinged fork that can be used in the same fashion as a regular fork, but also is capable of engaging small objects that are difficult to engage with a regular fork.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0005]     The prior art contains numerous examples of hinged devices such as scissors, tweezers, pliers and other known implements where there is hinging action. One example of the prior art is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,954, issued to Bowers, incorporating a pair of elongated jaw members extending from scissor shaped handle portions. Cooperating severing surfaces are arranged in spaced fashion from the lower ends of the handles.  
         [0006]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,321,453, issued to Pappas, teaches arms, and an engaging pivot for rotatably securing the arms together. In one further variant gauge fingers and may be rotatably attached.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,207, issued to Patterson, teaches a main outer tube and an inner tube with an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the outer tube so that the inner tube is rotatably installed within the outer tube.  
         [0008]     Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide rotationally connected members which are simple and of greater utility than what is provided in the prior art  
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
       [0009]     In accomplishing the foregoing and related objects, the invention provides apparatus for use in grasping small items, including a first elongated handle; a second elongated handle; and a mechanism for pivotally connecting the first elongated handle to the second elongated handle at an intermediate position; wherein each of the handles is terminated by a prong.  
         [0010]     In accordance with one aspect of the invention the prong of the apparatus has a curved surface, and each of the handles can be terminated by multiple prongs.  
         [0011]     One of the handles can include a thumb-contacting element extending therefrom, or a finger-contacting element extending therefrom.  
         [0012]     Each elongated member can be rectilinear, and the multiple prongs can form a fork when the elongated handles are closed against each other, in particular a four-tine fork when the elongated handles are closed against each other. The thumb contacting element can be a curved extension from its adjoining handle.  
         [0013]     In a method of the invention for grasping small items, the steps can include (a) separating a first elongated handle from a second elongated handle with respect to a pivotal connection of the first elongated handle to the second elongated handle; thereby to separate a prong at the end of the first handle from a prong at the end of the second handle; and (b) bringing the handles together to cause the prongs to approach each other and permit the prongs to grasp an object between them.  
         [0014]     In the method the prongs can be brought together to provide a curved, scooping surface, and a plurality of prongs on each of the handles can be brought together to provide a fork.  
         [0015]     The method further includes the step of engaging one of said handles by a thumb-contacting element extending therefrom, or by a finger-contacting element extending therefrom.  
         [0016]     The method also includes the step of engaging a finger by an extension from one of the handles by a member that partially encircles the finger.  
         [0017]     In a method of the invention for manufacturing apparatus for grasping small items, the steps include (a) pivotally connecting a first elongated handle to a second elongated handle; and (b) providing prongs at opposed ends of the first elongated handle and the second elongated handle.  
         [0018]     The method of manufacture also includes the step of providing the prongs with a curved, scooping surface, to form, for example, a fork.  
         [0019]     The method further includes the step of providing one of the handles with a thumb-contacting element or a finger contacting element extending therefrom.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]     Other aspects of the invention will become apparent after considering several illustrative embodiments, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:  
         [0021]      FIG. 1A  is a plan view of a hinged fork in open position according to the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 1B  is a view of the hinged fork of  FIG. 1A  in closed position;  
         [0023]      FIG. 2A  is a plan view of an alternative hinged fork in closed position according to the present invention;  
         [0024]      FIG. 2B  is a view of the hinged fork of  FIG. 2A  in open position;  
         [0025]      FIG. 3A  is a sectional view of the hinged fork of  FIG. 2A  taken along the lines  3 A- 3 A of  FIG. 2A ;  
         [0026]      FIG. 3B  is a sectional view illustrating separated adjoining tines with respect to the composite tines of  FIG. 3A ;  
         [0027]      FIG. 4A  is a partial perspective view showing the hinged fork of  FIG. 3A  being gripped by a user;  
         [0028]      FIG. 4B  is a partial perspective view showing the hinged fork of  FIG. 4A  with curved tines;  
         [0029]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of a hinged fork of the invention patterned after the style of conventional chop sticks  
         [0030]      FIG. 6A  is a plan view of a further alternative hinged fork according to the present invention;  
         [0031]      FIG. 6B  is a plan view of  FIG. 6A  and illustrating the use of the hinged fork to grasp and object.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0032]     With reference to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the hinged fork  10  of the invention is formed by elongated members  11  and  12  which are pivotally connected to one another by a fastener F located at an intermediate position of both members  11  and  12 . Both member  11  and  12  extend in one direction from the fastener F to a plurality of tines T 1  and T 2 . At an intermediate position between the end of each member  11  and  12  opposite the tines T 1  and T 2  are curved projections  13  and  14 . The projections  13  and  14  facilitate the pivoting of the members  11  and  12  from the open position shown in  FIG. 1A  to the partially closed position shown in  FIG. 1B .  
         [0033]     When the members  11  and  12  are disposed as shown in  FIG. 1A , the tines T 1  of each member  11  and  12  are used in grasping small objects that are difficult to grasp using a fork. However, by bringing the members  11  and  12  together, to the position shown in  FIG. 1B , the invention can serve as a regular fork with the tine T 1  of the upper member  12  on top of the tine T 1  of the lower member  11 .  
         [0034]     To provide a fork where the tines T 1  and T 2  of both members  11  and  12  are coplanar, the structure  10  is modified to the form  20  as shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . The member  22  has an undercut U that allows the tines T 1  and T 2  of the members  21  and  22  to be coplanar, as well as the upper portions of the members  21  and  22 .  
         [0035]     As shown in  FIG. 2A  the members  21  and  22  are drawn together to simulate the tines and handle of a conventional fork. However, when the composite handle  21 - 22  is grasped with the index finger of the user against the projection  23  of the handle portion  21  and the thumb against the projection  24  of the handle portion  22 , the implement  20  is easily opened to the configuration shown in  FIG. 2B . This allows the hinged fork to be in grasping objects between the tine T 1  of member  21  and tine T 1  of member  22 .  
         [0036]     The role played by the undercut U is illustrated in  FIGS. 3A and 3B .  FIG. 3A  is a sectional view of the hinged fork of  FIG. 2A  taken along the lines  3 A- 3 A of  FIG. 2A . Because of the undercut U shown in  FIG. 3B , which is a sectional view illustrating separated adjoining tines with respect to the composite tines of  FIG. 3A , the tines T 1  and T 2  of the member  21  are elevated above the undercut U to coplanar with the tines T 1  and T 2  of the member  23 .  
         [0037]     It is to be noted that the projections  23  and  24  of  FIG. 2A  are absent in  FIG. 2B  since the separation of the members  21  and  22  to the position shown in  FIG. 2B  can be made by simply separating the ends of the members  21  and  22  opposite the tined ends.  
         [0038]      FIG. 4A  is a partial perspective view showing a hinged fork  40  of the invention being gripped by a user U. The hinged fork  40  has its tines T 1  and T 2  in closed position so that the hinged fork can be used in conventional fashion. In  FIG. 4B  the straight tines T 1  and T 2  are substituted by curved tines T 1 ′ and T 2 ′.  
         [0039]     In  FIG. 5  the hinged fork  50  of the invention is patterned after the style of conventional chop sticks with the member  51  pivotally connected to the member  52 . Both member  51  and  52  end in a narrow tine T 1 , supplement by a tine T 2 .  
         [0040]     A further scissor-type implement is illustrated at  60  in  FIGS. 6A and 6B  according to another embodiment of the present invention and which is useful in grabbling an object  61 . In particular, and as previously explained, the present invention is uniquely suited to securing items which are difficult to grab with a conventional fork.  
         [0041]     As also previously explained, the implement  60  of the present invention makes possible securing a selected portion of the object  61  which is otherwise difficuot to grab, for example where the object is situated in a recessed manner, such as within a tall glass enclosure or the like.  
         [0042]     The scissor-type implement  60  includes a first  61  and a second  62  elongated handle portion. Each of the handle portions  61  and  62  is constructed of a suitable material, such as a machined brass or other suitable metal exhibiting properties of durability and heat resistance. Each of the handle portions  61  and  62  further includes looped ends  63  and  64  respectively for handle portions  61  and  62 .  
         [0043]     The handle portions  61  and  62  are further pivotally connected together at an intermediate location and, as illustrated, this is accomplished by such as a stainless steel pin  66  or other suitable fastener, which inserts through aligning apertures defined in the handle portions  61  and  62  and which permits pivoting of the elongated handle portions about a generally centrally defined axis extending through the pin  66 .  
         [0044]     Asin the case of the embodiments of  FIGS. 1A through 5 , the embodiment of  FIGS. 6A and 6B  have their handle portions  61  and  62  terminated by tines T 1  and T 2 .  
         [0045]     Having described the invention, additional embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains without deviating from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.