Patent Publication Number: US-7909682-B1

Title: Shrimp peeling, deveining and head removal tool

Description:
This is a division of patent application Ser. No. 11/895,580 filed Aug. 27, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,527,549. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is for a shrimp peeling, deveining and head removal tool. Many known tools require a two-step process by which the head is separated first by hand from the shrimp body and then a second operation is undertaken to remove the vein across the shrimp&#39;s back while simultaneously removing the shrimp shell. Other shrimp hand tools involve a three-step process to first remove the head and then undertaking a second step of manually manipulating the tool to remove the shell and, following this, scraping the vein away from the shrimp body. These tools tend to be awkward and time-consuming to use. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     By this invention, a shrimp peeling, deveining and head removal tool is provided and includes upper and lower handles pivotally interconnected and urged apart by means of a compression spring with an upper blade attached to the lower handle and a lower blade pivoted to both the upper and lower handles such that when the handles are squeezed together the blades move into a close overlapping relation to cause severance of the shrimp head. A pair of elongated tines are attached, respectively, to the upper handle and to the outer edge portion of the upper blade and initially are disposed in a contacting relation. When the upper and lower handles are compressed, the tines separate resulting in removal of the shrimp shell and vein from the shrimp body while simultaneously severing the shrimp head. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a shrimp peeling, deveining and head removal tool according to this invention; and 
         FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4  depict the detailed sequential operation of the tool. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In the drawings and with particular reference to  FIG. 1 , the numerals  1  and  2  identify the lower and upper handles of the tool, respectively, which are pivotally interconnected by means of bolt  3  arrangement. Lower handle  1  and upper handle  2  are urged apart by compression spring  4 . 
     For the purpose of removing the shrimp head, upper blade  5  is provided and includes parallel extensions  5   a  and  5   b  and enlarged head portion  5   c . Upper blade  5  is attached to lower handle  1  on one side by means of screws  6  and  7  which interconnect parallel extension  5   a  and lower handle  1 . Although not shown in the drawings, identical connector means is employed with respect to parallel extension  5   b  and lower handle  1 . To complete the head removal device, lower blade  8  is provided and includes offset side extensions  8   a  and  8   b  and enlarged head portion  8   c . The free ends of side extensions  8   a  and  8   b  are pivotally connected to upper handle  2  by means of pivot pin  9 . In addition, side extensions  8   a  and  8   b  are pivotally connected to lower handle  1  at the approximate midpoints by means of pivot pin  10  which extends through tabs  11  which extend downwardly from each extension  8   a  and  8   b.    
     For the purpose of peeling and deveining the shrimp, elongated tines  12  and  13  are provided. More specifically, tine  12  is generally elongated in shape and is attached at one end to enlarged head portion  5   c . Tine  13  is offset in configuration and is attached to the associated end of upper handle  2 . When lower handle  1  and upper handle  2  are not compressed, the operating portions of tines  12  and  13  are substantially coextensive and in a contacting relationship. 
     In operation, initially in order to peel and devein the shrimp and, as shown in  FIG. 2 , tines  12  and  13  are slipped under the shrimp shell and under the shrimp vein generally disposed along the back of the shrimp adjacent the inside of the shrimp shell. Then, lower handle  1  and upper handle  2  are squeezed together which causes tines  12  and  13  to separate with tine  13  applying upward pressure on the shell and tine  12  applying downward pressure on the shrimp body. The resulting pressure causes the shell to split along the bottom of the shrimp at the leg area. This operation effectively lifts the shrimp shell and vein away from the shrimp body except for the portion of the shrimp body immediately adjacent the tail. Because the shrimp shell in the area of the tail is quite tough and difficult to split open, simultaneously with the manipulation of the tool, the user simply squeezes the last joint of the shrimp just before the tail with the free hand in order to completely separate and force the shrimp body from the tail section. The separated shell is then discarded. 
     Simultaneously with the peeling and deveining operation of tines  12  and  13 , the shrimp head is also removed. This is accomplished by means of the scissor action of upper blade  5  and lower blade  8  with upper blade  5  being of a similar configuration as lower blade  8 , but smaller in size such that upper blade  5  fits closely inside lower blade  8  when lower handle  1  and upper handle  2  are squeezed together. When tines  12  and  13  are slipped under the shrimp shell, the shrimp head is disposed between upper blade  5  and lower blade  8 . The outer surface of enlarged head portion  5   c  and the inner surface of enlarged head portion  8   c  are dimensioned to cause a scissor-like action when upper blade  5  moves inside lower blade  8  thereby causing the severance of the shrimp head, as best shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     Therefore, by this invention, a hand tool is employed to accomplish the three distinct requirements of peeling, deveining and removing the head of a shrimp in a single, quick and efficient operation.