US2300671A - Article of tableware - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 3, 1942. M. R. HOWARD ARTICLE OF TABLEWARE Filed Aug. 14, 1941,

MHSHALL R HOWARD Patented Nov. 3, 1942 2 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,30l0,67l v ARTICLE OF TABLEWARE Marshall R. Howard, New Britain, Conn, assignor to Landers, Frary & Clark, New Britain, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application August 14, 1941, Serial No. 406,750 j 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to articles of tableware and more particularly to cutlery utilizing handles of composition material.

As is well known in the manufacture of such cutlery, the metal portion of the article includes a tang which is seated within a bore formed in the handle. This type of cutlery has met with general public acceptance except when the handle is made of a transparent material. In such instances, the tang remains visible and contrasts so sharply with the handle that the resultant article is unattractive in appearance and non-acceptable to the purchasing public.

The object of the present invention is to provide cutlery having transparent handles and wherein the handle is so constructed as to effectively and substantially conceal the tang. This is accomplished by so shaping the handle as to cause a refraction or bending of the light before it strikes the tang, thus efiectively concealing same.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a View of a knife embodying the invention herein;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with th handle partially in cross section;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the handle prior to the insertion of the tang;

Fig. 4 is an end view after the insertion of the tang; and

Fig. 5 is an edge view of the knife with the handle partly in cross section to show detail of construction.

Referring to the drawing, the invention is shown as embodied in a knife although it is apparent it could be incorporated in any other article of tableware. The knife comprises a metal part A having a blade III, a bolster l2, and tang l4, and a handle B of colorless, transparent acetate or other like material. The handle B is provided at one end with a circular bore IS in which the tang is seated. As best seen in Fig. 4, the width of the tang I4 is slightly greater than the diameter of the bore I6, and to permit the assembly 0f the parts, the handle is heated to expand and open the bore sufliciently to permit the insertion of the tang therein. Thereafter when th handle contracts, it grips the side of the tang, rigidly securing the parts together.

As previously stated, when the handles of the tableware are of colorless acetate or other transparent material, the tang will be visible through the handle unless means are utilized for concealing it. In the present instance, effective and substantial concealment of the tang is accomplished by so constructing the handle that light beams which would normally fall onto the tang are bent or refracted prior to reaching the tang. To accomplish this, the bore I6 is provided with longitudinally extending flutes I8 to define in effect a plurality of circumferential, closely spaced prisms 28. In the embodiment shown, the flutes are V-shaped, resulting in V-shaped prisms, although it is quite apparent that any suitable shape which would tend to bend the light away from the tang could be used. With this arrangement, when the tang is secured within the handle, th light will initially strike the prisms and be bent away from the tang, and thus substantially no light strikes the tang and reflection therefrom will not occur. As a result, the tang is substantially concealed and does not detract from th appearance of the implement.

In addition to the fluted bore I6, the outer surface of the handle may also be provided with like flutes 22 to define an outer peripheral wall of closely spaced prisms 24. As best seen in Figs. 1 and 5, these flutes and prisms are coextensive in length with bore l6, resulting in a further bending or diffusion of the light, further aiding in concealing the tang and in no way detracting from the outward appearance of the handle.

As is evident from the foregoing, tableware made in accordance with this invention may be inexpensively produced as the only additional operation that of fluting the handle. This, of course, will be done during the making of the handle and does not require the necessity of any special skill or machinery.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawirrg shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

lit is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope ofthe invention which, as a matter of language, might 'be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. An article of tableware of the character described having a metal portion provided at one end with a tang, a handle of transparent material provided at one end with a bore in which said tang is seated, the inner surface of said bore being fluted to refract or bend the light prior to its reaching the tang and thereby efiectively concealing the tang.

2. An article of tableware of the character described having a metal portion provided at one end with a tang, a handle of transparent material provided at one end with a bore in which said tang is seated, the inner surface of said bore and.

the outer surface of said handle being fluted to bend the light prior to its reaching the tang and thereby effectively concealing the tang.

3. An article of tableware of the character described comprising a metal part having a tang, a transparent handle provided at one end with a bore in which said tang is seated, said bore being provided with longitudinally extending V-shaped flutes to define a circumferential wall of V-shaped prisms to refract or bend the light prior to its reaching the tang and thereby effectively concealing the tang.

4. In an article of tableware of the character described, a metal part provided with a tang, a handle of transparent material provided at one end with a bore in which said tang is seated, said handle having a fluted area adjacent the tang to retract or bend the light prior to its reaching the tang to thereby efiectively conceal the tang.

MARSHALL R. HOWARD.

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