GB2126470A

GB2126470A - A fork

Info

Publication number: GB2126470A
Application number: GB08225806A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Clive Graham Williams
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-09-09
Filing date: 1982-09-09
Publication date: 1984-03-28

Abstract

A fork 1 comprises a shaft 6 and at one end of the shaft a plurality of prongs 3-5 onto which foodstuffs, for example, spaghetti can be wound. The shaft comprises at least two helical formations 7, 8, extending over at least part of the length thereof, such that when means slideably engageable with said formations is slid axially along the length of said formations the fork is caused to rotate. The means may consist of a finger and a thumb or a threaded nut. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A fork The present invention relates to a fork, and in particular, to a fork which can be easily used to wind "stringy" food, for example, spaghetti, noodles, etc onto the prongs thereof.

Conventional forks, comprising a number of prongs connected by a shank to a handle, can easily be used to carry to the mouth of an eater chunky items of food which can be impaled on the prongs of the fork. However, where it is desired to use a conventional fork to pick up, for example, spaghetti it is not possible to neatly impale the spaghetti on the prongs of the fork, and consequently the spaghetti has to be wound onto the prongs instead. With a conventional fork this requires very deft movement of the fingers about the fork handle to turn the fork in the spaghetti and wind the spaghetti onto the prongs.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a fork which can easily be twirled in, for example, a plate of spaghetti to wind the spaghetti onto the prongs thereof.

According to the present invention there is provided a fork comprising a shaft and at one end of the shaft a plurality of prongs onto which foodstuffs, for example spaghetti can be wound, characterised in that the shaft comprises at least two helical formations, extending over at least part of the length thereof, such that when means slideably engageable with said formations is slid axially along the length of said formations the fork is caused to rotate.

Preferably the shaft is comprised of a strip of, for example, stainless steel, and said helical formations are formed therein by twisting said strip a plurality of times about the central axis thereof.

Preferably one of said prongs is extended beyond the other prongs to provide a point on which the fork can stand and about which it can be rotated, the said point provided thereby lying on the same axis as the centre of rotation of the shaft.

The means slideably engageable with the said formations may comprise a multithreaded nut arrangement, the threads of which are complimentary with said formations, which nut arrangement can be gripped by a user of the fork to facilitate its being slid axially along the length of the formations.

Alternatively, where the helical formations comprise two helical grooves, the means slideably engageable with the formations may comprise a finger and thumb of a user of the fork, each of which engage with a respective one of said grooves and are slideable axially along the length thereof to rotate the fork.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a fork embodying the present invention; and, Figure 2 shows a blank from which the fork of Fig. 1 is derived.

Referring to the accompanying drawings there is shown a fork 1 embodying the present invention, which fork 1 is derived from a blank 2 of, for example stainless steel.

The fork 1 comprises three prongs 3, 4 and 5 connected to shaft 6. The shaft 6 is twisted a plurality of times so that each side of the original blank 2 forms a helical groove 7 and 8, respectively, each 180 out of phase with respect to the other. The pitch of the helical grooves is such that a finger or thumb may be accomadated therein. As a result, the fork 1 may be gripped between a finger and thumb of a user, each engaging in a respective one of grooves 7 and 8, and further, the finger and thumb may be slid, in the grooves 7 and 8 axially along the length of the shaft 6, thereby rotating the shaft 6 and the prongs 3, 4 and 5 connected thereto.

it will be appreciated that by placing the prongs 3, 4 and 5 of the fork 1 in a plate of, for example, spaghetti, and moving ones finger and thumb axially along respective ones of grooves 7 and 8 the prongs 3, 4 and 5 are rotated thereby winding onto the fork the strands of spaghetti.

In order to facilitate rotation of the fork 1 as ones fingers are slid axially along the length of the shaft 6, the central prong 4, of the three prongs 3, 4 and 5, is slightly longer than the two outer prongs 3 and 5, and is positioned to lie on the axis of rotation of the shaft 6. By resting the fork on the point of the central prong 4 a pivot point is provided on and about which the fork can be rotated.

In a further embodiment of the present invention a two threaded nut arrangement is provided, the threads of which are complimentary with the grooves provided along the length of the shaft, which nut arrangement can be gripped by a user of the fork to facilitate its being slid axially along the length of the shaft thereby rotating it.

It will be appreciated that where a threaded nut arrangement is provided to rotate the shaft helical formations other than grooves may be provided in the shaft, the threads provided in the nut arrangement being complimentary therewith.

It will further be appreciated that more than two helical formations and complimentary threads may be provided along the shaft and in the nut arrangement respectively.

1. A fork comprising a shaft and at one end of the shaft a plurality of prongs onto which foodstuffs, for example, spaghetti can be wound, characterised in that the shaft comprises at least two helical formations, ex

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A fork The present invention relates to a fork, and in particular, to a fork which can be easily used to wind "stringy" food, for example, spaghetti, noodles, etc onto the prongs thereof. Conventional forks, comprising a number of prongs connected by a shank to a handle, can easily be used to carry to the mouth of an eater chunky items of food which can be impaled on the prongs of the fork. However, where it is desired to use a conventional fork to pick up, for example, spaghetti it is not possible to neatly impale the spaghetti on the prongs of the fork, and consequently the spaghetti has to be wound onto the prongs instead. With a conventional fork this requires very deft movement of the fingers about the fork handle to turn the fork in the spaghetti and wind the spaghetti onto the prongs. It is an object of the present invention to provide a fork which can easily be twirled in, for example, a plate of spaghetti to wind the spaghetti onto the prongs thereof. According to the present invention there is provided a fork comprising a shaft and at one end of the shaft a plurality of prongs onto which foodstuffs, for example spaghetti can be wound, characterised in that the shaft comprises at least two helical formations, extending over at least part of the length thereof, such that when means slideably engageable with said formations is slid axially along the length of said formations the fork is caused to rotate. Preferably the shaft is comprised of a strip of, for example, stainless steel, and said helical formations are formed therein by twisting said strip a plurality of times about the central axis thereof. Preferably one of said prongs is extended beyond the other prongs to provide a point on which the fork can stand and about which it can be rotated, the said point provided thereby lying on the same axis as the centre of rotation of the shaft. The means slideably engageable with the said formations may comprise a multithreaded nut arrangement, the threads of which are complimentary with said formations, which nut arrangement can be gripped by a user of the fork to facilitate its being slid axially along the length of the formations. Alternatively, where the helical formations comprise two helical grooves, the means slideably engageable with the formations may comprise a finger and thumb of a user of the fork, each of which engage with a respective one of said grooves and are slideable axially along the length thereof to rotate the fork. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a fork embodying the present invention; and, Figure 2 shows a blank from which the fork of Fig. 1 is derived. Referring to the accompanying drawings there is shown a fork 1 embodying the present invention, which fork 1 is derived from a blank 2 of, for example stainless steel. The fork 1 comprises three prongs 3, 4 and 5 connected to shaft 6. The shaft 6 is twisted a plurality of times so that each side of the original blank 2 forms a helical groove 7 and 8, respectively, each 180 out of phase with respect to the other. The pitch of the helical grooves is such that a finger or thumb may be accomadated therein. As a result, the fork 1 may be gripped between a finger and thumb of a user, each engaging in a respective one of grooves 7 and 8, and further, the finger and thumb may be slid, in the grooves 7 and 8 axially along the length of the shaft 6, thereby rotating the shaft 6 and the prongs 3, 4 and 5 connected thereto. it will be appreciated that by placing the prongs 3, 4 and 5 of the fork 1 in a plate of, for example, spaghetti, and moving ones finger and thumb axially along respective ones of grooves 7 and 8 the prongs 3, 4 and 5 are rotated thereby winding onto the fork the strands of spaghetti. In order to facilitate rotation of the fork 1 as ones fingers are slid axially along the length of the shaft 6, the central prong 4, of the three prongs 3, 4 and 5, is slightly longer than the two outer prongs 3 and 5, and is positioned to lie on the axis of rotation of the shaft 6. By resting the fork on the point of the central prong 4 a pivot point is provided on and about which the fork can be rotated. In a further embodiment of the present invention a two threaded nut arrangement is provided, the threads of which are complimentary with the grooves provided along the length of the shaft, which nut arrangement can be gripped by a user of the fork to facilitate its being slid axially along the length of the shaft thereby rotating it. It will be appreciated that where a threaded nut arrangement is provided to rotate the shaft helical formations other than grooves may be provided in the shaft, the threads provided in the nut arrangement being complimentary therewith. It will further be appreciated that more than two helical formations and complimentary threads may be provided along the shaft and in the nut arrangement respectively. CLAIMS

1. A fork comprising a shaft and at one end of the shaft a plurality of prongs onto which foodstuffs, for example, spaghetti can be wound, characterised in that the shaft comprises at least two helical formations, ex tending over at least part of the length thereof, such that when means slideably engageable with said formations is slid axially along the length of said formations the fork is caused to rotate.

2. A fork according to claim 1, wherein the shaft is comprised of a strip of, for example, stainless steel, and said helical formations are formed therein by twisting said strip a plurality of times about the central axis thereof.

3. A fork according to claims 1 or 2, wherein one of said prongs is extended beyond the other prongs to provide a point on which the fork can stand and about which it can be rotated, the said point provided thereby lying on the same axis as the centre of rotation of the shaft.

4. A fork according to any preceding claim, wherein the means slideably engageable with the said formations comprises a multi-threaded nut arrangement, the threads of which are complimentary with said formations, which nut arrangement can be gripped by a user of the fork to facilitate its being slid axially along the length of the formations.

5. A fork according to any of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the means slideably engageable with the formations comprise a finger and thumb of a user of the fork, each of which engage with a respective one of the helical formations and are slideable axially along the length thereof to rotate the fork.

6. A fork substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.