Fork with multiple tines

An improved fork, having a handle at a rear end and a head at a forward end, the head supporting a plurality of spaced-apart, longitudinally-aligned, tines having respective distal ends for insertion into an object to engage with and transfer the same, wherein the improvement comprises:

• a first topographic discontinuity provided to a first tine, on a first side surface thereof which faces an opposing side surface of an adjacent second tine across an inter-tine gap, wherein the topographic discontinuity extends from the first side surface into the inter-tine gap to a predetermined height,
• wherein the first topographic discontinuity is shaped and disposed to permit easy insertion of the first tine into the object to positively engage therewith and to resist unintentional withdrawal of the first tine from the object.

An improved serving fork that has a handle at a rear end and two elongate, longitudinally-aligned, generally parallel, cooperating tines extending forwardly from the handle to respective pointed ends, wherein the improvement comprises:

• a plurality of barb-like projections, provided on opposed tine surfaces defining a gap between the tines,
• wherein the projections are disposed periodically away from the distal ends of the tines to permit easy insertion of the improved tines into an item of food to positively engage therewith, to thereby enhance retention of the food on the tines during transfer of the food by a user.

An improved multi-tined arrangement on a loading fork of a front-end loader machine operable to forcibly insert distal ends of the tines into a load to then lift and physically transfer the load, wherein the improvement comprises:

• a plurality of essentially triangular, short, barb-like extensions provided on a first tine, on a first side surface thereof which faces an opposing side surface of an adjacent second tine across an inter-tine gap,
• wherein the projections are disposed periodically away from the distal end of the first tine to permit easy insertion thereof into a load to positively engage the improved tine with the load when it is lifted, to thereby enhance retention of the load on the tines during subsequent transfer of the load by a user.

An improved multi-tined pitchfork comprising a plurality of cooperatively aligned tines mounted to a head supported to a handle, wherein the improvement comprises:

• a plurality of topographic discontinuities provided on at least some of the tines, each of the discontinuities being selected from a group of discontinuities consisting of (a) a plurality of short backwardly-inclined barb-like elements in circumferentially symmetric array located close to the distal end of a tine, (b) a fully circumferential barb-like ring element having a backward leaning triangular cross-section and located close to the distal end of a tine, and (c) a plurality of barb-like elements circumferentially and longitudinally distributed over a substantial portion of a tine.