U.S. patent number 3,728,736 [Application Number 05/130,968] was granted by the patent office on 1973-04-24 for thumb or finger guard.
Invention is credited to Evelyn M. Pugh.
United States Patent |
3,728,736 |
Pugh |
April 24, 1973 |
THUMB OR FINGER GUARD
Abstract
A thumb or finger guard formed of resilient rubber or plastic
material molded in one piece and providing for dropped curved
gripping surfaces on the front portion of the guard. By forming the
front portion with thickened material and dropped curved surfaces
sharp ridges are provided which will increase the grip upon the
surface of the object, such as an apple, potato or carrot, when
effecting cutting, tearing or grating of the same. The curvatures,
either in single form according to one form of the invention or in
multiple and parallel forms, provide for the ridges and for
thickened material that will keep the knife or grater from
penetrating to any great extent the material of the thumb guard.
The guard is cut away at the location of the first knuckle to allow
the guard to be more easily flexed and opposing clip formations
have been provided for facilitating the insertion of the thumb or
finger into the guard or the removal therefrom and at the same time
providing for a good gripping action and allowing for further easy
flexing of the knuckles of the thumb or finger. Such opposing clip
portions are carried on the rear end of a flexible extension
leaving the knuckle open except for the very front of the thumb or
finger. The knuckle can be worked readily in and between the
opposing clip portions.
Inventors: |
Pugh; Evelyn M. (New York,
NY) |
Family
ID: |
22447253 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/130,968 |
Filed: |
April 5, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/21 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D
13/087 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A41D
13/05 (20060101); A41D 13/08 (20060101); A41d
001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;2/21,159,161,163,167,168 ;294/25 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Boler; James R.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A thumb or finger guard for use in cutting or paring a rounded
object formed of molded resilient material comprising a closed end
sleeve portion adapted to frictionally grip the thumb or finger
when extended thereover and having an integrally-formed thickened
work-engaging formation on the front thereof providing for a drop
bottom slightly concaved curved surface that nay generally conform
to the rounded surface of the object and thickened ridge formations
laterally flowing from the concaved curved surface shape and
running at their maximum thickness along the side edges thereof
whereby to allow upon application of pressure of the guard upon the
object surface the flush adaptation of the work engaging surface
therewith by the lateral expansion thereof.
2. A thumb or finger guard as defined in claim 1, and an extension
running from the front face of the guard rearwardly of the sleeve
portion and allowing for open space over the knuckle of the thumb
or finger, opposing resilient clip formations carried by the
extension rearwardly of the knuckle and adapted to grip the thumb
or finger.
3. A thumb or finger guard as defined in claim 1, and further
dropped bottom curved surfaces arranged with the first surface in
parallel runs therewith extending longitudinally of the guard over
the front thereof and providing for plural dropped curved surfaces
running at different radial angles from the closed end of the
sleeve portion to provide for different angular engagement with the
surface of the object and at the same time to provide plural sharp
edge portions to provide for better gripping of the object.
Description
This invention relates to a thumb or finger guard for use while
cutting, paring or grating apples, potatoes, carrots or the
like.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a thumb or
finger guard which will protect thumb or finger while using a knife
for cutting or paring of fruits and vegetables which will be
provided for dropped curved work surface engaging areas and
thickened sharp ridges running along the sides of the areas in
order that the object will be tightly gripped and provide a surface
area that will conform to the contour of the work object.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a thumb or
finger guard which when slipped over the thumb or finger will have
tight fitting resilient engagement therewith, and wherein an
accommodation is provided for the rear of the knuckle so as to give
adequate flexibility of the guard when being used while at the same
time providing full protection of the front of the thumb or finger
with adequate thickened material.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a thumb or
finger guard for use in cutting, paring or grating in which the
sleeve portion of the guard can be held over the end of the thumb
or finger by a tight fitting opposing clip formation that grips the
thumb or finger inwardly beyond the first knuckle allowing for some
movement of the sleeve and front grip areas to accommodate
themselves over the thumb or finger to have better and more full
area engagement with the work surface and at the same time the
guard or grip will be retained against longitudinal removal from
the thumb or finger.
Other objects of the invention are to provide a thumb or finger
guard, having the above objects in mind, which is of simple
construction, inexpensive to manufacture, of pleasing appearance
light in weight, efficient and effective in use.
For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had
to the following detailed description taken in connection with the
accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a thumb or finger guard embodying
the features of the present invention applied to the thumb of a
hand.
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the thumb or finger
guard.
FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2
and through the forward end of the guard and the multiple parallel
curved work engaging areas.
FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 2
and looking in elevation upon the separable opposing clip portions
serving to hold the guard upon the thumb or finger with
illustration made of the clip portions being separated when fitting
the guard upon the finger.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the front face of
the multiple curved work engaging areas.
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary and enlarged transverse sectional view of
the guard taken through the work engaging areas and as viewed
generally on line 6--6 of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a thumb or finger guard
according to a modified form of the invention in which the contact
engaging area is curved to provide thickened side edges but adapted
to conform to a rounded surface of an apple, potato, or similar
rounded mass which is being peeled by a paring knife.
FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the thumb or finger guard
shown in FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 9--9
of FIG. 8 and across the thickened and downwardly curved work
engaging portion.
FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the thumb or finger
guard of FIG. 7 as viewed on line 10--10 of FIG. 8.
Referring hand particularly to the first form of the invention
shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, 15 represents generally the thumb or finger
protector as applied to a thumb 16 or a had 17. The guard could be
also designed in shape to be applied to any one of fingers 18 of
the hand. This protector is formed of resilient plastic or rubber
material and of one piece. This guard 15 has a forward closed
portion 18 that fits over the thumb and its nail and extends up to
first knuckle 19 on the thumb. On the inside of the closed sleeve
portion 18 is a narrow extension 21 that bridges a space for
accommodating the knuckle 19 of the thumb and spaced from the
closed end portion 18 and extending from the outer end of the
extension 21 are opposing resilient clip portions 22 and 23 which
are spread to facilitate the placing of the guard over the thumb
and also to allow the thumb knuckle 19 to be bent while tending to
maintain the guard upon the thumb. Extension 21 is bendable also so
that the thumb can be readily worked without interference of
material extending over the first knuckle 19 of the thumb.
On the inner side of the closed sleeve portion 18 and molded
integrally therewith is a roughened work engaging portion indicated
generally at 24 which is elongated over the front of the thumb and
widened to accommodate substantially the width of the thumb. This
work engaging portion 24 has on its face while being roughened
multiple inwardly curved or dipped contact engaging areas 25, 26,
27 and 28, there being four such areas in number and they inwardly
join with one another at 29, 30 and 31, with raised parallel ridges
that cooperate with raised side edges 32 and 33 which will dig into
the work if the work surfaces are unsuited to the dipped curvatures
of the areas 25, 26 and 27 and 28. The shape of the thumb or the
manner in which the thumb is used on grasping and holding the thumb
upon the work as upon an apple or potato will allow the guard to be
accommodated to the surface of the work item. With each of the
areas 25, 26, 27 and 28 formed of roughened surfaces as
particularly well seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, a good grip from any angle
can be had upon the work piece. With the opposite hand the paring
knife can be applied to the work to start and effect the peeling of
the apple, potato or the like work piece.
As the thumb is adapted to engage proper contact surface area with
the work surface, the knuckle 19 can be worked and the opposing
spring clip portion 22 and 23 can spread or give to allow the thumb
and the guard to be a adapted to the work surface.
Referring now particularly to the FIGS. 7 to 10, there is shown a
thumb or finger guard 35 formed of plastic or rubber resilient
material adapted to be accommodated by the thumb or finger upon
pulling the guard thereover and having a closed end portion 36 with
a rearwardly extending extension 37 that is broken away into an
opening 38 into which the upper part of the knuckle of the thumb or
finger can be worked.
On the forward face of the thumb portion 36 is a thickened pad 39
formed integrally with the material and roughened on its surface.
The surface is as indicated at 40 dipped so as to conform more or
less with the curvature of the work. This curved surface 40 extends
from a thickened or sharp corner 41 at one side of the guard to a
sharp corner and thickened portion 42 of the other side of the
guard. These corners are sufficiently sharp so that if the thumb
guard is applied to the work surface of the apple or potato it can
dig into this surface and be kept from sliding thereover while the
major surface area 40 will more or less conform. It will be
apparent that the thumb will be adapted to the work surface so as
to have the maximum grip upon the work surface so that the object
can be held firmly while work is being performed upon the same with
the opposite hand. At the same time the guard will be tightly
gripped upon the thumb or finger but without hindering the working
of the thumb or finger over the knuckle. It will be apparent that
this guard will protect the thumb or finger against cuts, nicks and
bruises when cutting, paring or grating food or other substances.
With the guard being made of rubber or suitable plastic material
which is resilient and has some stretch to make for a good tight
friction grip with the thumb surface that the guard will be held
firmly upon the thumb or finger. It will be seen that the nail of
the thumb or finger is fully covered and protected. The knuckle 19
is uncovered for more flexibility. By providing as in the first
form of the invention separable clip portions 22 and 23 more
flexibility will be given to the knuckle and at the same time the
thumb guard will be adequately clamped or clipped to the thumb
inwardly of the knuckle 19.
It will be apparent that this guard can be made in various sizes to
be used by men, women and children. By having a raised gripping
surface with curved drop bottom areas not only will the gripping be
great but possibility of the knife entering the material
sufficiently to cut the thumb will be overcome. If the knife is too
sharp it will cut quickly through the object and into the guard, if
control is not kept of the knife. When the knife is dull one has to
use more pressure in order to cut or pare the object and thus more
pressure is used which could, upon being freed from the object,
enter a normal thumb guard if, as with the present invention,
thickened thumb front portion is used and if the thumb portion were
not adapted as with the present invention to provide curvatures
that can from any angle of the thumb accommodate a surface of the
work object.
It also should be apparent that with a thumb guard of this type
that where the object is firmly held that a true and accurate
cutting can be made of the object and that waste will thereby be
eliminated. The embossing within the dropped bottom curved surfaces
enhances the gripping of the object being grated or cut as well as
lessens the danger of the knife cutting through the shield or
thickened front portion of the guard. Usually when the object being
grated or cut becomes a small size, one will have a tendency to
throw the same away if it cannot be grated or cut comfortably
further for fear of hurting the hand on the grater. With this thumb
guard on the thumb and with a guard on the finger grating of the
object can and will be or easily effected of the object to a
smaller size.
While various changes in the construction of the thumb or finger
guard can be made it shall be understood that such changes will be
within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by
the appended claims.
* * * * *