Abstract: An apparatus includes a body member which has a pair of guide surfaces. A blade projects from a first of the guide surfaces and the cutting edge of the blade forms an acute angle with the first guide surface. The plane of the blade forms an acute angle with the second guide surface thereby facilitating a clean cutting action. The angle of the plane of the blade effectively maintains contact between the guide surfaces and the carton being opened and minimizes any tendency for the carton opener to leave the cut. The body member includes a curved portion forward of the blade and a projecting wall portion which serve to position the hand of the user in the correct ergonomic position for safe and efficient operation.

Abstract: A food grater is provided. The food grater includes a housing sidewall and a grater blade disposed adjacent to the housing sidewall. The grater further includes a moveable door having an extension, the moveable door being connected to the housing sidewall for movement between open and closed positions. In each of these positions at least a portion of the extension is disposed between the housing sidewall and the grater blade with a greater portion of the extension being disposed between the housing sidewall and the grater blade when the door is in the closed position than when the door is in the open position. The door cooperates with the housing sidewall to encompass the blade. The door also cooperates with the grater blade to define a variable-volume food-receiving compartment which has a greater volume when the moveable door is in the open position than when the moveable door is in the closed position.

Abstract: A two-lever implement, such as shears, is provided. The implement includes a first lever having a first handle fixed thereon and a second lever pivotally connected to the first lever. The second lever has a second handle which includes a fixed core having an axis and a rotatable outer member disposed about and coaxial with the fixed core and rotatable to and from an at-rest position about the axis. The implement also includes resilient structure carried by the second lever for biasing the outer member back to the at-rest position after the outer member has been moved from the at-rest position.

Abstract: A kettle has a hollow body defining a reservoir chamber and having a convex upper portion with a rim defining a circular filling opening into the chamber. A spout projects from the upper portion and communicates with the chamber. A handle is fixed to the body and spans the filling opening, terminating in the forward end adjacent to the spout. A concave arcuate guard extends upwardly from the body around the entire perimeter of the opening, the guard being fixed to the forward end of the handle for protecting the user's hand from steam. A concave lid removably closes the opening and has an arcuate handle which follows the contour of the body dome shape when in its closed position. A hinged spout cover has an actuator extending through a slot in the guard for manual actuation by the user's finger.

Abstract: Shears have two crossed pivotally interconnected levers, each having a blade end and a handle end, and normally biased open. Upper and lower handles are, respectively, connected to the handle ends of the levers, the upper handle having a low-friction outer surface and including front, rear and medial portions, while the lower handle has a high-friction outer surface with a downwardly convex lower portion. The front portion of the upper handle projects upwardly to stop forward movement of the hand. The medial portion is of reduced cross section to facilitate hooking of the user's thumb thereover. The rear portion has a laterally upwardly and inwardly sloping upper surface. An elastomeric loop depends from the lower handle rearwardly of the front portion of the upper handle and receives therethrough only the middle finger of the user's hand.

Abstract: A mixing bowl has a unitary inner shell including a circular base and a peripheral side wall extending upwardly therefrom to an upper peripheral rim defining the open mouth of the bowl, the side wall having a spout at one side thereof and, diametrically opposite thereto, a laterally outwardly extending two-part handle, including an upper part unitary with the inner shell of the bowl and a lower part fixed thereto. The handle has a compound upper surface and a recessed lower surface to facilitate grasping. The base and the lower portion of the peripheral side wall have the outer surfaces thereof covered with an outer shell of frictional material.

Abstract: A microwave kettle includes a cover and base of microwave-transmissive material twist-locked and adhesively secured together to define a reservoir chamber. The base has a raised, central, reentrant portion which results in the reservoir chamber having an annular portion. A spout is unitary with the cover and is provided with a press-fitted whistle cap. A handle is heat-staked to the cover. A cylindrical support flange depends from the bottom of the base.

Abstract: A cooking utensil comprising a vessel with an upstanding side wall has a unitary, one-piece, metal handle which is bent to form an elongated, generally tubular, main portion having a transverse cross section which is generally C-shaped when rotated about its longitudinal axis approximately 90 degrees counterclockwise from its use orientation. Two convex legs project longitudinally from the vessel end of the main portion at opposite sides thereof and have the distal ends thereof bent laterally outwardly therefrom along substantially vertical bend lines to define attachment feet which are welded to the vessel side wall. The legs define therebetween an opening which extends longitudinally into the handle well beyond the periphery of the vessel and has a minimum width laterally of the handle substantially greater than the maximum lateral extent of either of the legs. Two arms curve toward each other from the distal end of the handle for cooperation therewith to define a loop.

Abstract: A knife deburring or steeling device includes a frame with an elongated knife blade-receiving slot. Deburring rods are crossed over the knife slot in an X-shaped configuration, with the ends of each rod being fixed to slide members having shanks extending respectively through four complementary elongated track slots arranged in pairs which respectively diverge in opposite directions from the opposite ends of the knife slot. Each slide member has an enlarged cylindrical head at one end having a diameter larger than the width of the associated track slot, with each of one pair of slide members having a rectangular foot at the other end with a width less than and a length greater than the width of the associated track slot so that it can be passed through the track slot in a mounting orientation but is locked against removal from the track slot in a use orientation.

Abstract: A placemat rack has a plurality of wire sections with a first section having a series of vertically spaced placemat shelves for holding a stack of placemats in extended unfolded positions for viewing from a first facing plane. Each of the shelves are arranged at an angle to a vertical axis of the rack and slant downwardly from the back to the front of each section. An upwardly extending web is provided at the front of each shelf for supporting edges of the placemat. Vertically extending end members are provided at sides of a first section of shelves and provide a means for mounting an advertising display. Back to back wire sections provide for viewing of placemats at two opposed vertical planes while spaced side sections face outwardly to provide viewing at planes opposed to each other and substantially perpendicular to the first-mentioned viewing planes.

Abstract: A cooking utensil having a body sheet of iron base metal with a non-stick coating tenaciously secured to the surfaces thereof that are presented toward foods to be cooked, the non-stick coating being of composite construction including an inner layer and intermediate layer and an outer layer, the inner layer consisting essentially of a porcelain enamel ground coat providing protection for the adjacent surface of the body sheet, the intermediate layer consisting essentially of a porcelain enamel cover coat adhered both to the inner layer and the outer layer and providing resistance to wear and abrasion, the outer layer consisting essentially of a non-stick plastic material adhesively bonded to the adjacent surface of the intermediate layer.