Improvements in Toasting
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1900
Improvements in Toasting F VFAD,
I, EDWARD HOWE, of 83, Newman Street, London, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to toasting forks ordinarily used for toasting bread, or
other articles of food, and it has for its object novel methods of making such
toasting forks so that they are effective and easily used, and are very simply, and
cheaply, made.
Supposing that the toasting fork is to be used for toasting slides of bread in,
the usual way, I make the handle out of sufficiently strong iron or other wire,
by taking a piece of such wire of sufficient length and bending it into a ring or
loop at the centre, the two ends being then twisted together for a sufficient
distance, to form the handle, but a sufficient part of their ends being left untwisted
and separated slightly from each other, the extremities being bent into rings of
small diameter parallel with each other, and of such size as to serve to receive the
holder by which the slice of bread to be toasted is suspended.
This holder is made in the following way:-A piece of similar wire to that
already described has a ring or loop formed in the same way at its centre, and its
two ends are brought parallel and close to each other, and are passed through
the loops described at the end of the handle. Their ends are then bent out at
right angles so as to be in line with each other for a short distance, and are then
bent down again at right angles parallel with each other and their
ends are finally again bent in at right angles, so that they are in
line with each other and their ends meet or nearly so. In this position the ends
of the wire serve as pivots upon which turn two plates, preferably of tin plate at
the sides of which near their centre are formed lugs or ears bent up at right
angles and having holes through them fitting upon the pivot wires just described.
Round the latter wires is coiled an elastic wire forming a helical spring one end
of which is bent up and presses against the inner side of the upper half of one of
the plates, whilst the other end is similarly bent up and presses in the same way
against the other plate, so that the upper parts of the plates are constantly forced
apart, whilst their lower parts (below the pivots) are brought together. The
bottom edges of these lower parts are preferably formed with a sufficient number
of teeth which hold between them the upper edge of the slice of bread to be
toasted, and the parts of the plates above the teeth are hollowed outward so that
the bread is more conveniently and securely held. By pressing together the
upper edges of the plates, the teeth are separated and the slice can be removed or
inserted, whilst by releasing the plates the spring brings the teeth together and
firmly holds the slice.
The elasticity of the wires forming the handle is sufficient to hold the sus-
pended device sufficiently steadily. But the latter can be turned round in the
eves at the ends of the wires, so as to bring either side of the slice outward. The
edges of the plates may be flanged or strengthened in any desired way.

page_text: In a still simpler form of the improved toasting fork, which is more especially
adapted for toasting fish, or such articles, instead of bending in the ends of the
wires so that they are in line with each other and receive round them the helical
wire spring as, last described, I bend their ends forward and sharpen them so
as to form hooks upon which the article to be toasted is held directly the pivotted
plates and spring being omitted.
The relative proportions of the several parts in the improved toasting forks
described may be varied as desired.
provenLS IN Toasting Forks.
I, EDWARD HOWE, of 83, Newman Street, London, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, and accompanying drawing, that is to say:-
This invention relates to toasting forks ordinarily used for toasting bread, or
other articles of food, and it has for its object novel methods of making such
toasting forks so that they are effective and easily used, and are very simply, and
cheaply, made.
Supposing that the toasting fork is to be used for toasting slices of bread in
the usual way, I make the handle out of sufficiently strong iron or other wire, as
shown at a, Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, which is in illustration of
my invention, by taking a piece of such wire of sufficient length and bending it
iuto a ring or loop at the centre, the two ends being then twisted together for
a sufficient distance, to form the handle, but a sufficient part of their ends at c
being left untwisted and separated slightly from each other, the extremities being
bent into rings or eyes of small diameter d, d, parallel with each other, and of
such size as to serve to receive the holder by which the slice of bread to be toasted
is suspended.
This holder is made in the following way:-A piece of similar wire to that
already described has a ring or loop e formed in the same way at its centre, and
its two ends are brought parallel and close to each other, and are passed through
the loops or eyes described at the end of the handle. Their ends are then bent
out at right angles so as to be in line with each other for a short distance, and
are then hent down again at right angles parallel with each other, and their ends
are finally again bent in at right angles SO that they are in line
with each other and their ends meet or nearly so.
the ends of the wire serve
In this position
as pivots upon which turn two plates
e, e, preferably of tin plate, at the sides of which near their centre are
formed lugs or ears bent up at right angles and having holes through them
fitting upon the pivot wires just described. Round the latter wires is coiled an
elastic wire forming a helical spring g one end of which is bent
against the inner side of the upper half of one of the plates e, whilst the other
and
up
end h¹ is similarly bent up and presses in the same way against the other plate e',
so that the upper parts of the plates are constantly forced apart, whilst their lower
parts (below the pivots formed by the wire) are brought together. The bottom
presses

page_text: edges of these lower parts are preferably formed with a sufficient number of
teeth at which hold between them the upper edge of the slice of bread to be
toasted, and the parts of the plates above the teeth are shown hollowed outward
at so that the bread is more conveniently and securely held. By pressing
together the upper edges of the plates e, e¹, the teeth are separated and the slice
can be removed or inserted, whilst by releasing the plates the spring g brings the
teeth together and firmly holds the slice.
The elasticity of the wires forming the handle is sufficient to hold the suspended
device sufficiently steadily in the position shown, but the latter can be turned
round in the eyes d at the ends of the wires, so as to bring either side of the
slice outward The edges of the plates may be flanged or strengthened in any
desired way, as shown at 7.
In a still simpler form of the improved toasting fork, illustrated in Figure 2,
which is more especially adapted for toasting fish, or such articles, instead of
bending in the ends of the wires so that they are in line with each other and
receive round them the helical wire spring as last described, I bend their ends
forward at m, m', and sharpen them so as to form hooks upon which the article
to be toasted is held directly, the pivotted plates e, e', and spring a being omitted.
The relative proportions of the several parts in the improved toasting forks
described may be varied as desired..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:.
1. The toasting fork consisting of the twisted wire handle a, the eyes d, dat
its ends, the double wire passing through the eyes d, d, and bent round so that
its ends are in line and form pivots for angled plates e, e¹, the lower edges of
which hold the slice to be toasted whilst the upper parts are forced apart by a
spring g, substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 1.
2. The modified form of toasting fork, in which the lower ends of the bent
wire shown in Figure 1, instead of being bent in the form of pivots, are bent
out laterally forming hooks m, m², to receive the article to be toasted, the plates e,
el, and spring g being omitted substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 2.
Dated this 15th day of December 1899.
EDWARDS AND CO.,
Chartered Patent Agents,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.