Method of using a device to lift, move and flip foods

Abstract

Double hooked device with the hooks being transversely positioned on the end of a shaft having a handle at its opposite end. The hooks may snag, lift, move and/or flip food or other articles by the hooks being rotated generally about the shaft's axis until one of the double hooks penetrates into the article to be lifted. A shield at the base of the handle is a guard to cover the tips of the hooks.

1 . A method to lift foods using a device having: a handle, opposing first and second pointed hooks, and a shaft connecting the opposing first and second pointed hooks to the handle, with the axis of the shaft being mainly transverse to the general plane of the opposing hooks, and the method comprising the steps of:
 grasping the handle and rotating the hooks in a predetermined direction generally about the axis of the shaft until a first of the hooks penetrates into the food to be lifted;   lifting the food using the engagement of the first hook penetrating the food; and   disengaging the first hook from the food by rotating the first hook generally about the axis of the shaft, in a direction opposite the predetermined direction, until the first hook disengages the food.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further including the steps of:
 engaging the second hook into food to be lifted by rotating the hooks in a direction opposite the predetermined direction until the second hook penetrates into the food to be lifted;   lifting the food using the engagement of the second hook penetrating the food to be lifted; and   disengaging the second hook from the food to be lifted by rotating the second hook generally about the axis of the shaft, in the original predetermined direction, until the second hook disengages the food to be lifted.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further including the steps of:
 grasping the handle using an opposite hand and rotating the hooks generally about the axis of the shaft until one of the hooks penetrates the food to be lifted; and   lifting the food to be lifted using the penetration of a hook into the food to be lifted.   
   
   
       4 . A method to lift foods from a cooking vessel having generally vertical perimeter walls using a device having: a handle, opposing first and second pointed hooks, and a shaft connecting the opposing first and second pointed hooks to the handle, with the axis of the shaft being mainly transverse to the general plane of the opposing hooks, and the method comprising the steps of:
 a user hand grasping the handle and placing the hooks in a first preferred location next to the perimeter wall of a cooking vessel;   the user then rotating the hooks in a first predetermined direction generally about the axis of the shaft until a first of the hooks penetrates into food to be lifted;   the user then lifting the food using the engagement of the first hook penetrating the food;   the user disengaging the first hook from the food by rotating the first hook generally about the axis of the shaft, in a second predetermined direction opposite the first predetermined direction, until the first hook disengages the food;   the user grasping the handle and placing the hooks in a second preferred location next to the perimeter wall of the cooking vessel with the second preferred location being generally on the opposite side of the cooking vessel from the first preferred location;   the user then rotating the hooks in the second predetermined direction opposite the first predetermined direction, generally about the axis of the shaft, until the second pointed hook penetrates into food to be lifted;   the user then lifting the food using the engagement of the second hook penetrating the food; and   the user disengaging the second hook from the food by rotating the second hook generally about the axis of the shaft, in the original predetermined direction, until the second hook disengages the food.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  further restricted by the cooking vessel being a fry pan. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  further restricted by the food to be lifted being meat. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  further restricted by the meat being bacon. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 4  where the cooking vessel is a cooking pot filled with water and the food to be lifted is corn on the cob. 
   
   
       9 . A method to lift foods from a jar using a device having a handle, opposing first and second pointed hooks, and a shaft connecting the opposing first and second pointed hooks to the handle, with the axis of the shaft being mainly transverse to the general plane of the opposing hooks comprising the steps of:
 a user hand grasping the handle and placing the hooks in a first preferred location next to one perimeter wall of the jar;   the user then rotating the hooks in a first predetermined direction generally about the axis of the shaft until a first of the hooks penetrates into food to be lifted;   the user then lifting the food using the engagement of the first hook penetrating the food;   the user disengaging the first hook from the food by rotating the first hook generally about the axis of the shaft, in a second predetermined direction opposite the first predetermined direction, until the first hook disengages the food;   the user grasping the handle and placing the hooks in a second preferred location next to a second perimeter wall of the jar with the second preferred location being generally on the opposite side of the jar from the first preferred location;   the user then rotating the hooks in the second predetermined direction opposite the first predetermined direction, generally about the axis of the shaft, until the second pointed hook penetrates into food to be lifted;   the user then lifting the food using the engagement of the second hook penetrating the food; and   the user disengaging the second hook from the food by rotating the second hook generally about the axis of the shaft, in the original predetermined direction, until the second hook disengages the food.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the food to be lifted is pickles. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the food to be lifted is olives. 
   
   
       12 . A device for snagging food comprising:
 a handle;   a shaft extending from the handle;   an upward bend at the end of the shaft opposite the handle; and   a bent downward double pointed rod linked crosswise generally at its center to the end of the upward bent end of the shaft.   
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 12  having a third pointed rod extending from the end of the shaft opposite the handle. 
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 13  where the third pointed rod bends upward. 
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 13  wherein the third pointed rod extends away from the handle beyond the double pointed rod. 
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 12  where there is a shield between end of the handle furthest from the double pointed rod and the double pointed rod. 
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 12  where the cross-section of the double pointed rod is wider than it is thick. 
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 17  where the cross-section of the double pointed rod is at least twice as wide as it is thick. 
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 17  where the cross-section is generally elliptical. 
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 12  where the cross-section of the double pointed rod is generally rectangular. 
   
   
       21 . The device of  claim 12  where the double pointed rod is bent downward in an arc. 
   
   
       22 . A device to lift foods comprising:
 a handle;   a shaft extending from the handle;   a first pointed hook linked to the end of the shaft opposite the handle; and   a shield mounted between the end of the handle furthest away from the hook and the hook.   
   
   
       23 . The device of  claim 22  where the shield is essentially flat and generally transverse to the shaft. 
   
   
       24 . The device of  claim 22  where the shield is essentially round. 
   
   
       25 . The device of  claim 22  where the shield is translucent. 
   
   
       26 . The device of  claim 22  where the shield can be manually removed from the shaft, handle, and first hook, without use of tools. 
   
   
       27 . The device of  claim 22  where the first hook is generally transverse to the shaft. 
   
   
       28 . The device of  claim 22  where there is a second pointed hook linked to the same end of the shaft as the first pointed hook. 
   
   
       29 . The device of  claim 28  where there is a third pointed hook linked to the same end of the shaft as the first pointed hook. 
   
   
       30 . The device of  claim 22  where the shield can fold. 
   
   
       31 . A device to lift and move foods and other articles comprising:
 a rod having at one end a hook transverse to a rod axis and the rod having at an opposite end a handle with a gripping section; and   a shield located between the hook and the gripping section.   
   
   
       32 . The device of  claim 31  wherein there is a second hook essentially mirror imaging the first hook. 
   
   
       33 . The device of  claim 31  wherein there is a mount and the shield attaches to the mount. 
   
   
       34 . The device of  claim 33  wherein the shield is removable from the mount. 
   
   
       35 . The device of  claim 33  wherein the shield engages the mount using a snap fit. 
   
   
       36 . The device of  claim 31  wherein there are a plurality of shield mounting positions. 
   
   
       37 . The device of  claim 31  wherein the shield is translucent. 
   
   
       38 . The device of  claim 31  wherein the shield is essentially planar. 
   
   
       39 . The device of  claim 31  wherein the shield is transverse to the axis of the rod. 
   
   
       40 . The device of  claim 31  wherein the shield is located between the terminus of the rod opposite the hook and where the handle is gripped. 
   
   
       41 . The device of  claim 31  wherein there is a section on a periphery of the shield where two spaced apart points can touch a flat surface when the device is placed on a flat surface. 
   
   
       42 . The device of  claim 41  wherein the periphery of the shield is polygonal. 
   
   
       43 . The device of  claim 42  wherein the periphery of the shield is octagonal. 
   
   
       44 . The device of  claim 43  wherein the shield can be attached in eight positions. 
   
   
       45 . The device of  claim 31  wherein there is a slot extending from the periphery of the shield to its interior. 
   
   
       46 . The device of  claim 45  wherein there is a mount to attach the shield and the slot straddles the rod while attaching the shield to the mount. 
   
   
       47 . A method of protecting a user of a device having a hook to lift and move food and other articles, with the device having a hook attached to one end of a rod and a handle attached to an opposite end of the rod and a removable shield, and the method comprising the steps of:
 linking the shield to the rod;   engaging the hook with the food or other article;   lifting and moving the food or other article;   disengaging the hook from the food or other article; and   separating the shield from the rod.   
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 17  further including a final step of placing both the shield and rod in a storage area.