Oyster shucking clamp apparatus and method
AssigneeEAST HAMPTON SHUCKER COMPANY, Inc.
InventorJohn Nicholas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An oyster clamp comprising a base element having an indentation for receiving an oyster to be opened. A lip coupled to the base element hangs over and impinges upon an edge of a work surface on which the oyster clamp is placed, and a plurality of rubber feet are coupled to the underside of the base element. A backstop is affixed to the base element to prevent the oyster from exiting the back of the oyster clamp when in use. An oyster clamping element is operatively coupled to a handle and to the base element, such that operating the handle causes the clamping element to push the oyster down against the base element.
Claims34
An oyster clamp comprising:
- a lower portion including:
- a base element having an indentation for receiving an oyster to be opened;
- a lip coupled to the base element configured to hang over and abut an edge of a work surface on which the oyster clamp is placed, thereby preventing the oyster clamp from sliding backwards when a force is applied to an oyster held in the oyster clamp;
- a plurality of stationary feet coupled to the underside of the base element to prevent marring the work surface and to inhibit the oyster clamp from sliding in any direction on the work surface, due to frictional forces between the feet and the work surface;
- and
- an upper portion including:
- a backstop fixedly coupled to or extending from the base element to aid in positioning an oyster to be opened, and to prevent the oyster from exiting the back of the oyster clamp when in use, the backstop having an indentation for receiving the oyster;
- an oyster clamping element operatively coupled to the base element, the oyster clamping element having an indentation to control the position of the oyster when the oyster clamp is in use;
- and
- a handle operatively coupled to the oyster clamping element to cause the oyster clamping element to push the oyster against the base element when in use.
A method of operating an oyster clamp, comprising:
- placing an oyster clamp on a work surface, with a lip of the oyster clamp overhanging an edge of the work surface;
- placing a bivalve shellfish into an indentation of the oyster clamp, with at least a portion of the seam between the valves facing away from the back of the oyster clamp;
- operating a handle to cause an oyster clamping element operatively coupled to the handle to apply downward pressure on the top of the shellfish to hold the shellfish in the oyster clamp;
- continuously operating the handle to apply downward pressure to the oyster clamping element while opening the shellfish with an oyster opening tool;
- inserting the oyster opening tool in the seam between the two valves of the shellfish while using the handle to moderate the pressure of the oyster clamping element pressing on the top of the shellfish;
- and
- when the shellfish is opened, causing the oyster clamping element to release the shellfish;
- and
- removing the opened shellfish from the oyster clamp.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.