Culinary articles and apparatus for retrieving and/or sorting the same

• US 3,972,118 A
• Filed: 04/14/1975
• Issued: 08/03/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wilton Richard
• Original Assignee: Wilton Richard
• Inventors: Richard, Wilton
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Al Lawrence
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peters, J. C.
• Application Number:
  US05/567,740
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 30/296 A, 30/327, 30/142, 248/206 A, 209/73, 209/97, 209/74 R
• US Class Current: 30/298.4
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/00 Table-ware crumb trays A47L13/52; table knives B26B
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 13/003 Separation of articles by differences in their geometrical form or by difference in their physical properties, e.g. elasticity, compressibility, hardness
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Disclosed are (i) items such as knives, forks, spoons and dishes having magnetically responsive end portions enabling the items to be retrieved and/or sorted by type by automatic apparatus, and (ii) apparatus which automatically performs such operations.

Claims

1. A plurality of different types of culinary articles in which each type of article has a magnetically responsive protuberance of essentially circular cross section extending from an end thereof, said protuberances differing in cross-sectional sizes according to the type of article, similar type articles having protuberances of the same cross-sectional size, and the balance of each of the articles, other than the protuberance, being essentially non-magnetically responsive.

2. Articles according to claim 1 wherein the outer end of each said protuberance terminates in a hemisphere.

3. Articles according to claim 1 wherein said protuberances are generally spherical in shape.

4. Articles according to claim 1 wherein said articles include plates, each said plate having its said protuberance extending outwardly from the rim thereof.

5. Articles according to claim 1 wherein said articles include cups each with a handle thereon, each said cup having its said protuberance extending outwardly from the handle thereof.

6. Articles according to claim 1 wherein said articles include

a. plates in which each said plate has its said protuberance extending outwardly from the rim thereof;

b. cups each with a handle thereon and in which each said cup has its said protuberance extending outwardly from the handle thereof; and

c. table silverware in which each article of table silverware has its said protuberance extending outwardly from the outer end of the handle thereof.

7. A plurality of different types of table silverware in which each type of article has a magnetically responsive protuberance extending outwardly from the outer end of the handle thereof, the balance of each of the articles other than the protuberance being essentially non-magnetically responsive, said protuberances differing in cross-sectional sizes according to the article, similar type articles having protuberances of the same cross-sectional size, said protuberances being further characterized (i) by being of generally symmetrical cross section, (ii) by having curved or rounded surfaces, and (iii) by being dome-shaped at their outer ends.

8. Articles according to claim 7 wherein said protuberances are generally spherical in shape.

9. Articles according to claim 7 composed predominantly of stainless steel.

10. Articles according to claim 7 composed predominantly of plastic material.