Tuna chunking apparatus

• US 5,562,533 A
• Filed: 10/23/1995
• Issued: 10/08/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: William Gallagher
• Original Assignee: William Gallagher
• Inventors: Gallagher, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Little, Willis
• Application Number:
  US08/546,823
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 452/149, 452/144, 30/279.2, 30/124, 83/167
• US Class Current: 452/149
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 1/553 with a plurality of wire-like cutting members

Abstract

A tuna chunking apparatus including a base portion that has a base front end and a base back end with a handle. The base front end has a pair of hinged extensions. The base portion has a base top and a base bottom with an opening. The base bottom is positioned on a chum bucket. The opening of the base portion has a front wall, a back wall, with a pair of side walls that have six rigid blades with a space between each blade. Included is a plate that has a plate front end and a plate back end with a handle. The plate front end has three hinged extensions that are capable of interlocking with a pair of hinged extensions of the base portion. The plate has a plate top with five rectangular projections and a front projection, with each projection proportionally spaced from another projection. Lastly, the handle of the plate is capable of rotating the plate toward the base portion along the hinges to force a fish positioned on the base top to be chunked by the blades.

Claims

1. A new and improved tuna chunking apparatus for chunking fish into pieces comprising in combination:

a generally rectangular base portion having a base front end and a base back end with a generally rectangular handle extending therefrom, the base front end having a pair of cylindrical hinged extensions extending therefrom, the base portion having a length of about 13 inches, and a width of about 11 inches, and a height of about 3 to 4 inches, the base portion having a base top and a base bottom with a generally rectangular opening therethrough, the opening encompassing about seventy percent of the base top and the base bottom to leave a border, the border covers twenty-five percent of a surface area of the base top and the base bottom, the border having a width being 11/2 inch from any end of the base portion to the opening, the base portion capable of having the base bottom positionable on a chum bucket;

the opening of the base portion having a front walls, a back wall with a pair of side walls therebetween, the side walls having six rigid blades extending therebetween, the six rigid blades having a space between each blade, one of each blade being proportionately spaced from the front wall and another blade, one of each blade being porportionately spaced from the back wall and another blade, each blade having a height extending from the base top to the base bottom with the height being equal the height of the base portion, the handle having a handle end with a generally oblong hole adjacent thereto;

a generally rectangular press plate having a plate front end and a plate back end with a generally rectangular handle extending therefrom, the plate front end having three cylindrical hinged extensions extending therefrom, the cylindrical hinged extensions of the plate capable of interlocking with the pair of cylindrical hinged extensions of the base portion and being secured thereto with a pivot pin, the press plate having a length of about 13 inches, and a width of about 11 inches, and a height of about 3 to 4 inches, the press plate having a plate top and a plate bottom, the plate top having five generally rectangular projections and a front projection extending therefrom;

each projection being proportionately spaced from another projection, the front projection being proportionately spaced from the plate front end, one of each projection being proportionately spaced from the plate back end, each of the five projections having a height of about 3 to 4 inches and a width of about 1 inch, the front projection being of equal height with each of the five projection, the front projection having a decreasing width with an interior wall sloping away from another of the five projections, the projections covering about seventy percent of the plate top leaving a border,

the border covers twenty-five percent of a surface area of the plate top, the border having a width being 11/2 inch from any end of the press plate to any one of the projections, the handle of the plate having a handle end with a generally oblong hole adjacent thereto, the handle of the plate capable assisting the plate in rotating at the interlocked hinges toward the base portion, whereby all of the projections being positioned between the spaces of each blade, the projection being capable of forcing a fish positioned on the base top to be chunked by the blades when the projection being forced between the spaces of each blade.

2. A tuna chunking apparatus comprising:

a base portion having a base front end and a base back end with a handle extending therefrom, the base front end having a pair of hinged extensions extending therefrom, the base portion having a base top and a base bottom with an opening therethrough, the opening being generally rectangular and encompassing approximately seventy percent of the base top and the base bottom to leave a border, the border covering approximately twenty-five percent of a surface area of the base top and the base bottom, the border having a width being 11/2 inch from any end of the base portion to the opening for resting on the top of a chum bucket;

the opening of the base portion having a front wall, a back wall with a pair of side walls having six rigid blades with a space between each blade;

a press plate having a plate front end and a plate back end with a handle extending therefrom, the plate front end having three cylindrical hinged extensions extending therefrom, and capable of interlocking with the pair of cylindrical hinged extensions of the base portion, the press plate having a plate top with five generally rectangular projections and a front projection extending therefrom, each projection being proportionately spaced from another projection; and

the handle of the plate capable of allowing the plate to rotate toward the base portion at the interlocked hinges, whereby the projection being capable of forcing a fish positioned on the base top to be chunked by the blades when the projection being forced between the spaces of each blade.

3. The tuna chunking apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the base being generally rectangular in shape and having a length of about 13 inches, and a width of about 11 inches, the base having a height of about 3 to 4 inches with the opening having a height equal thereto.

4. The tuna chunking apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein each blade being formed of surgical steel and having a height extending from the base top to the base bottom with the height being equal the height of the base portion, one of each blade being proportionately spaced from the front wall and another blade, one of each blade being proportionately spaced from the back wall and another blade.

5. The tuna chunking apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the handle of the base portion having a handle end with a generally oblong hole adjacent thereto and being integral the base portion.

6. The tuna chunking apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the pair hinged extensions of the base portion being secured by a pivot pin to the three hinged extensions of the plate.

7. The tuna chunking apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the press plate having a length of about 13 inches, and a width of about 11 inches, and a height of about 3 to 4 inches.

8. The tuna chunking apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of the five projections having a height of about 3 to 4 inches and a width of about 1 inch, the front projection being of equal height with each of the five projection, the front projection having a decreasing width with an interior wall sloping away from another of the five projections and being proportionately spaced from the plate front end, one of each projection being proportionately spaced from the plate back end, the projections covering about seventy percent of the plate top leaving a border.

9. The tuna chunking apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein the border covers twenty-five percent of a surface area of the plate top, the border having a width being 11/2 inch from any end of the press plate to any one of the projections.

10. The tuna chunking apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the handle of the plate having a handle end with a generally oblong hole adjacent thereto and being integral the press plate.