Clam and oyster opener
OwnerKevin M. Boettner, Joseph J. McHughinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An opener for separating the shells of a clam or oyster. The inventive device includes a base plate having a support channel for receiving and supporting an oyster. A lever arm is pivotally mounted to the base plate and includes an engaging tip secured to the lever arm and positioned for engagement with the oyster residing within the support channel to effect cracking and opening of the oyster. The opener substantially reduces a chance of an operator sustaining a laceration during opening of a shell, thereby reducing a risk of viral contamination of the associated clam or oyster.
Claims8
A clam and oyster opener comprising:
- a base plate positionable upon a support surface;
- a support channel secured to a top surface of the base plate for receiving an object to be opened;
- a lever arm pivotally mounted relative to the base plate, whereby an individual can grasp and manipulate the lever arm to effect pivotal movement of the lever arm through a vertical plane extending through a longitudinal axis of the support channel;
- and,
- an engaging tip secured to the lever arm and positioned so as to extend into the support channel to effect cracking of the object when placed within the support channel, the engaging tip comprising a depending projection fixedly secured to the lever arm, the depending projection including a plurality of spaced transverse slots extending partially therearound and a single longitudinal slot extending into contiguous communication with the spaced transverse slots;
- an adjustable plate concentrically disposed about the depending projection, the adjustable plate including a radial projection extending radially inward and into one of the transverse slots, whereby the adjustable plate can be rotated so as to position the radial projection into the longitudinal slot to permit an axial movement of the adjustable plate relative to the depending projection to position the radial projection into another one of the transverse slots, the adjustable plate being operable to limit a distance that the engaging tip extends into the object.
A clam and oyster opener comprising:
- a base plate positionable upon a support surface;
- a support channel secured to a top surface of the base plate for receiving an object to be opened;
- a lever arm pivotally mounted relative to the base plate, whereby an individual can grasp and manipulate the lever arm to effect pivotal movement of the lever arm through a vertical plane extending through a longitudinal axis of the support channel;
- and,
- an engaging tip secured to the lever arm and positioned so as to extend into the support channel to effect cracking of the object when placed within the support channel, the engaging tip comprising a depending projection fixedly secured to the lever arm;
- and an adjustable plate movably mounted to the depending projection, the adjustable plate being selectively securable in one of a plurality of predetermined axial locations along the depending projection, the adjustable plate being operable to limit a distance that the engaging tip extends into the object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.