Patent ID: 7066510

Claim:
A lifting and positioning device for food products such as poultry, roasts, and hams, said lifting device comprising: first and second clamping elements each having an upper end portion and a lower end, said each clamping element having a food product support member attached at the lower end thereof for grasping said food product via a clamping action, said first and second clamping elements being interconnected by; a disengagable hinge which provides a pivotable axis for the clamping action of said first and second clamping elements, said hinge comprising a hinge seat attached to the upper end portion of said first clamping element and a hinge pin attached to the upper end portion of said second clamping element, wherein said hinge pin is releasably engagable within said hinge seat such that said hinge pin is pivotably engaged within said hinge seat while in operational orientation and wherein said hinge pin is easily disengagable from said hinge seat when not in said operational orientation, said hinge is engagable to pivotably interconnect said first and second clamping elements thereby defining an operational orientation, and wherein said hinge is disengagable in order to provide for separation of said first and second clamping elements when not in said operational orientation; and, a handle means for transferring the squeezing action of the hands of a user to the clamping action of said first and second clamping elements, said handle means being at least releasably engagable onto each of said first and second clamping elements.