Abstract: A teakettle for boiling water, the covered kettle having a spout projecting therefrom whose mouth is normally closed by a whistle cap having an extension arm terminating in a pinion mounted for rotation at one end of a bail secured to the kettle and serving as a handle therefor. The pinion is engaged by a rack attached to the front end of an arcuate strip slidable within the hollow bail, the rear end of the strip being coupled through a slot in the bail to an external finger pad. To pour boiling water from the kettle, the user grasps the bail with his hand and manipulates the finger pad with his finger to push the pad forward, thereby advancing the rack and causing the pinion to rotate and lift the cap from the mouth of the spout. Release of the finger pad causes the cap to drop back in place on the spout and to return the finger pad to its initial position.

Abstract: A spice rack and bracket assembly whose rack is adapted to hold an array of bottles containing different spices and whose bracket is selectively adapted to support the rack in any one of these modes, whereby one may hang the rack on a wall, or cause it to lie flat on a counter or to stand thereon. The rack is constituted by a staircase frame having a series of steps, each formed by a landing and a wall normal thereto, the step landing having a row of semi-circular notches therein, each of which lies in registration with a row of semi-circular wells projecting rearwardly from the associated wall to define one half of a bottle-receiving socket which is completed by a semi-circular shield projecting forwardly from the wall. The uppermost landing and lowermost wall of the frame are provided with slots which cooperate with tongues formed on the triangular sides of the bracket to support the rack in any desired mode.

Abstract: A utensil assembly constituted by a set of utensils having long handles and differently-shaped implement components for handling or processing food, the utensils being supported at separated upright positions in a rack functioning as an organizer and a carrier for the set. The rack is formed by a rectangular pedestal plate having upturned ends to which a gridwork is secured. The gridwork is defined by a lattice bent into a tube having a rectangular cross section whose lower zone is defined by the adjacent ends of the lattice and is bridged across the upturned ends of the plate at the upper edges thereof. The network of cells created by the parallel upper and lower zones of the gridwork act as receptacles for receiving the handles of the utensils, each handle passing through a respective cell in the upper zone and a cell in the lower zone to rest on the pedestal plate whereby each utensil is supported at a distinct position at which it may be readily selected and removed from the rack.

Abstract: A gridworks storage system for a kitchen or any other room requiring wall-mounted storage facilities, the system being constituted by one or more grid modules formed of a network of intersecting wires in selective combination with wire-formed shelves, racks, bins and other accessory components. The module is attached to the wall by a set of columnar brackets whose hollow, resilient heads are split to define a pair of key-hole slots having inlets which are yieldable to permit a grid wire, at the point of attachment, to be forced into and trapped within the circular socket of the slot. The accessory components are connected to the grid module by double-headed couplers, each resilient head of which is split to define key-hole slots having yieldable inlets for linking a wire of the component to the grid module.

Abstract: A dual-purpose, convertible household utensil assembly which in one mode operates as two separate implements for mixing a salad, and in the other mode acts as tongs in which the two implements are hinged together and function as a grasping device for serving portions of the mixed salad. The assembly is constituted by two implements such as a fork and a spatula, both having like shanks whose end sections define channel-like sockets, and a removable U-shaped yoke having a pair of legs which are receivable in these sockets to join the implements together and a resilient cross-piece which interconnects the legs to form a hinge.

Abstract: An egg beater having a manually-cranked drive wheelwith opposed gear faces which are engaged by a pair of pinions keyed to the shafts of intermeshing beater elements whereby the turning wheel causes these elements to rotate in opposite directions. The drive wheel and pinions are encased in a doughnut-shaped housing having a scalloped periphery, the housing being dimensioned to fit into the palm of one hand of the operator to be gripped by the fingers thereof, so that it also functions as the beater handle. The wheel is turned by a crank arm whose knob is grasped by the other hand of the operator.