Device for loading food onto skewers

A device for loading food onto skewers, comprising;

• an elongate receptacle having a base with opposite end walls, opposite side walls, a bottom wall and an open top;
• a cover for overlying an d closing said open top;
• a plurality of transversely extending partitions in said base, extending between said side walls and said bottom wall and dividing said base into a plurality f longitudinally aligned compartments dimensioned for receiving individual pieces of food;
• guide opening means formed in said end walls and said partitions for receiving and guiding one or more skewers inserted longitudinally into said receptacle for skewering pieces of food held in the compartments, said guide opening means being dimensioned and positioned to locate said skewers substantially through the centers of the pieces of food;
• and
• said guide opening means formed in one of said end walls and at least one of said partitions closest to said one end wall being differently dimensioned and configured from the other guide opening means for accommodating differently sized skewers through said one end wall.

A combined marinating tray and food holding device for safely holding a plurality of pieces of food while one or more elongate skewers are inserted through the pieces of food to form shishkabob for subsequent cooking, comprising:

• an elongate receptacle having a bottom wall, opposite end walls and opposite side walls, and an open top closable by a cover;
• a plurality of partition means spaced apart along the length of the receptacle and extending transversely between the side walls, dividing the interior of the receptacle into a plurality of longitudinally adjacent compartments each side and shaped to snugly receive and hold a piece of food, and said compartments further defining reservoirs for receiving and holding a quantity of marinating fluid for marinating a piece of food placed therein;
• said partition means further defining spacer means which causes the pieces of food to be spaced apart on a skewer inserted through the pieces of food while they are held in the receptacle, whereby when the skewered pieces of food are removed for the receptacle and placed on a source of heat to cook the food, the heat is enabled to circulate substantial completely around the food pieces, thereby enhancing the uniformity and speed of cooking of the food pieces;
• and
• guide opening means formed in the end walls and partition means for receiving and guiding a skewer inserted therethrough so that the skewer extends through substantially the center of the pieces of food held in the compartments;
• said guide opening means being formed as elongate slots extending generally one-half the depth of the compartment;
• said food holding device thereby facilitating the ease and speed of impaling a plurality of pieces of food on a skewer, and without the attendant danger of accidental injury to the person loading the food onto the skewer, which might otherwise occur with conventional methods.