Abstract:
A skewer gripping device ( 20 ) for use with a skewer ( 10 ) has a food engaging surface ( 24 ) and a locating portion ( 32 ). The locating portion ( 32 ) has a clamping screw ( 36 ) associated therewith. In use, food is placed on the skewer ( 10 ) between two gripping devices ( 20 ), which clamp the food in position. The gripping devices ( 20 ) act to hold the skewer ( 10 ) away from a hot surface, and thus prevent contact of the food and the hot surface.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a device used in relation to skewers during cooking.  
       BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     It is known to thread foodstuffs such as meat and vegetables onto skewers for cooking. Often, such cooking is done by placing the threaded skewer onto a hot surface such as a grill plate or a griddle.  
         [0003]     When cooking foodstuffs on a skewer using traditional methods, the primary mode of heat transfer is via conduction from the hot surface to the foodstuffs. This results in the portion of the foodstuffs in contact with the hot surface cooking much more quickly than the rest of the foodstuffs. As a result, it is difficult to avoid charring of the foodstuffs.  
         [0004]     Foodstuffs are rarely threaded onto skewers in a perfectly balanced fashion. As a result, a threaded skewer often has a tendency to roll towards a most stable position. It is thus extremely difficult to achieve a uniform cooking about the skewer. Where the foodstuff is only loosely threaded on the skewer, it can have a tendency to revolve relative to the skewer, exacerbating this problem.  
         [0005]     Further problems are encountered during the use of skewers by a tendency for food in contact with the hot surface to stick to the hot surface, thus causing damage to the food.  
         [0006]     The present invention attempts to overcome at least in part some of the aforementioned disadvantages of previous methods of cooking skewered food.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a skewer gripping device for use with a skewer, the gripping device comprising a food engaging surface, an outer periphery and a gripping means, characterised in that the gripping means is adjustable between a first configuration in which the skewer gripping device can move relative to the skewer and a second configuration in which the skewer gripping device is fixed relative to the skewer, and wherein, in use, the outer periphery of the skewer gripping device extends substantially about the skewer, providing a minimum distance by which the skewer is spaced from a surface on which it rests.  
         [0008]     In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of arranging foodstuffs on a skewer, the method including locating a first gripping device on a skewer adjacent a first end of the skewer, the first gripping device having a food engaging surface and an outer periphery, such that the food engaging surface is oriented towards a second end of the skewer; introducing foodstuffs onto the second end of the skewer; and locating a second gripping device on the skewer adjacent the second end, the second gripping device having a food engaging surface and an outer periphery, such that the food engaging surface is oriented towards the first end of the skewer; whereby a clamping force is provided between the respective food engaging surfaces to maintain the foodstuffs in position relative to the skewer.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a skewer having two skewer gripping devices in accordance with the present invention, shown in an assembled state; and  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is the skewer and gripping devices of  FIG. 1  shown in a disassembled state. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0012]     Referring to the Figures, there is shown a food skewer  10  having a first end  12  and a second end  14 . The skewer  10  is looped at the first end  12  to form a handle. The skewer  10  is pointed at the second end  14  to allow for the insertion of food thereon. Two skewer gripping devices  20  are mounted on the skewer  10 .  
         [0013]     Each skewer gripping device  20  includes a substantially hexagonal plate  22 . The hexagonal plate  22  is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the skewer  10 . The hexagonal plate  22  has a front face  24  which serves, in use, as a food engaging surface and a rear face  26 . The hexagonal plate  22  has an outer periphery in the form of an outer edge  28 . The hexagonal plate  22  has a centrally located aperture  30   
         [0014]     A substantially cylindrical locating portion  32  extends outwardly from the central aperture  30  of the hexagonal plate  22 , away from the rear face  26  in a direction perpendicular to the plate  22 . The locating portion  32  is hollow, and communicates with the central aperture  30 . The locating portion  32  and central aperture  30  are sized so as to allow the skewer  10  to slide within the location portion  30 .  
         [0015]     The locating portion  32  includes an internally threaded radial aperture  34  located along its length. An externally threaded clamping screw  36  having a bulbous head  38  is receivable within the aperture  34 . The action of the clamping screw  36  within the locating portion  32  comprises a gripping means against the skewer  10 .  
         [0016]     The gripping means has a first configuration in which the clamping screw  36  is not tightened within the aperture  34 , and does not bear against the skewer  10 . When the gripping means is in the first configuration, the locating portion  32  and thus the gripping device  20  is able to readily slide along the skewer  10 .  
         [0017]     The gripping means has a second configuration in which the clamping screw  36  is tightened within the aperture  34 , and bears against the skewer  10 . In this configuration, the clamping screw  36  provides a frictional force against the skewer  10  and prevents sliding of the gripping device  20  along the skewer  10 . It will be appreciated that a user can tighten the clamping screw  36 , and thus adjust the gripping means between the first and second configurations, using the bulbous head  38 .  
         [0018]     In use, a first gripping device  20  is located on the skewer  10  by threading the second end  14  of the skewer  10  through the rear end of the locating portion  32 . With the gripping means in the first position, the gripping device  20  can be slid up the skewer  10  to a desired location adjacent the first end  12  of the skewer  10 . The screw  36  can then be tightened, fixing the gripping device  20  in location with its food engaging surface  24  oriented towards the second end  14  of the skewer  10 .  
         [0019]     Food stuffs can then be threaded onto the second end  14  of the skewer  10  in the usual manner. The first food item is threaded along the skewer until it bears against the food engaging surface  24 . Subsequent foodstuffs are then added such that each food item is packed against adjacent food items.  
         [0020]     When the skewer  10  is sufficiently loaded with food, a second gripping device  20  is introduced onto the skewer  10  in a similar fashion to the first gripping device  20 . The second gripping device  20  is oriented such that its food engaging surface  24  is oriented towards the first end  12  of the skewer  10 , and is thus in opposition to the food engaging surface  26  of the first gripping device  20 .  
         [0021]     The second gripping device  20  is pushed against the foodstuffs on the skewer until a sufficient clamping force is distributed along the foodstuffs between the opposed food engaging surfaces  24 . The clamping screw  36  of the second gripping device  20  is then tightened to bring the gripping means into the second configuration.  
         [0022]     It will be appreciated that the outer periphery  28  of each of the gripping devices  20  now extends about the skewer  10 . When the skewer  10  is placed on a hot surface such as a grill plate, the outer peripheries  28  of the gripping devices  20  rest on the hot surface and the skewer  10  is displaced from the hot surface by at least the minimum radial extent of the gripping devices  20 .  
         [0023]     In a preferred mode of use, the foodstuffs placed on the skewer  10  do not extend past the minimum radial extent of the gripping devices  20 . In use, therefore, foodstuffs placed on the skewer are spaced from the hot surface and are thus cooked by convection and radiation rather than conduction of heat.  
         [0024]     In the preferred mode of use, the gripping devices  20  are arranged on the skewer  10  such that the outer peripheries  28  are aligned. In this way, the hexagonal peripheries  28  of the embodiment of the drawings provide  6  stable angular orientations for the skewer  10  in relation to the hot surface. The skewer  10  can thus be readily rotated through each of the angular orientations to provide even cooking of the food on the skewer  10 . The clamping of the foodstuffs between the food engaging surfaces  24  prevents rotation of the food relative to the skewer  10 .  
         [0025]     Although the preferred embodiment of the drawings shows each periphery as hexagonal in shape, it will be appreciated that any shape could be used. Clearly, a regular polygonal shape is preferred.  
         [0026]     Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.