The present invention relates to a movable stand which is especially intended for use together with two-piece kitchen utensils, for example spatulas having a blade and a handle detachable therefrom. A common problem in e.g. restaurant kitchens is that such utensils as spatulas, knives, whisks and so forth are lying all over the kitchen workbench. Although there are hooks etc. which are fixed to the wall and on which the utensils can be hung when not in use, such means are not entirely satisfactory.

Since the kitchen staff is frequently working under considerable stress, such means for hanging up or fixing utensils must be readily accessible and easy to use, i.e. it must be possible to fasten and remove the utensils without much effort.

A further inconvenience is that such fixed sus¬ pension means are rapidly soiled by dripping fat and similar staining, which of course is bad from the hygienic point of view. Thus, there is a need for a movable stand for utensils which is easy to clean and makes it possible to handle the utensils in a rational manner both during the actual work and during cleaning, i.e. washing. It is generally desired that it should be possible to move the entire stand and the utensils disposed therein from the workbench to a washer.

A further problem in this context is that after several washings-up, the handle, e.g. the handle of a spatula, comes loose from the blade. Thus, there is also a need for a two piece utensil whose handle is easily detachable from the blade, so that the stand carrying only the blades can be disposed in the washer.

The main object of the present invention thus is to obviate the above drawbacks by providing a stand

which, is intended especially for two-piece kitchen utensils and is provided with simple means for fixing the utensils when not in use and which, in its entirety, can be disposed in a washer without risk that the handle of the utensils comes loose from the working part.

A further object is to design the means for fixing the utensils in such manner that only minor amounts of scraps can collect on them, and such that they are easy to clean.

A still further object is to provide a two-piece utensil which is specifically adapted for use together with a movable stand and the handle of which is easily detachable from the respective working part, the same handle being useful for different working parts.

To achieve these and other objects which will appear from the description below, a movable stand, especially for two-piece utensils having a working part and a handle detachable therefrom, is provided. According to the invention, the stand is characterised by clamping means in which the working part of the utensil is clampable for storing.

Each clamping means preferably comprises members mounted on a body and projecting therefrom, said members defining between themselves a gap into which the working part is insertable and securable by clamping action, each member comprising two U clamps which, at the ends of their legs, are attached to the body and positioned closely adjacent one another to form said gap. The free end portion of one U clamp is preferably bent away from the other U clamp to form the opening of said gap.

According to the invention, a two-piece utensil is also provided to be used together with a stand which conveniently is of the above-mentioned type, said utensil comprising a working part and a handle detachable therefrom, and being characterised in that

said handle is formed with a recess into which a tang on the working part is insertable and fixable, while being clamped between part of said handle and a spring- loaded operating member hingedly mounted ih said handle.

Further advantages and characteristic features of the invention are stated in the appended claims. The invention will now be described in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a stand accord¬ ing to the invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a two-piece utensil, and Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the handle of the utensil.

Fig. 1 shows a movable stand according to the invention, generally designated 1 and comprising a support 2 having five identical clamping means, each in the form of two U clamps 3, 4 which will be described later. The support 2 is connected with a base plate 5 which is fixable to a further plate 6 which is, in turn, screwed to a workbench 7. The plate 6 is, along three of its sides, formed with grooves 8 which serve to guide the base plate 5 during insertion and removal thereof, and to secure the base plate in the inserted position. The grooves 8 and the open end of the plate 6 are preferably provided with resilient means 9 which are adapted to assist in fixing the base plate 5 on the plate 6 which may be provided with further fixing means (not shown).

The uppermost clamping means 3, 4 holds a utensil which, in this embodiment, is a spatula 10 having a working part in the form of a blade 11 and a handle 12 which will both be described in detail later.

To position the spatula 10 in the stand 1, the blade 11 is inserted in a gap 13 between the two U clamps 3, 4 closely adjoining each other. The upper U clamp 3 is smaller than and positioned inwardly of the lower U clamp 4. The lower U clamp 4 extends

substantially perpendicular away from the support 2, while the upper U clamp 3 whose leg ends are attached slightly above and inwardly of the leg ends of the lower U clamp 4, is somewhat sloping to the workbench 7. When the stand 1 is seen straight from the side, it appears that the planes of the two U clamps 3, 4 converge in a direction away from the support 2, while forming between said planes an acute angle of some degrees. To facilitate the insertion of the blade 11 in the gap 13, the free end portion or web 14 of the upper U clamp 3 is bent upwards in relation to the lower U clamp 4 so as to form the opening of the gap 13. As a result, the web 14 of the upper U clamp 3 makes an angle of about 20° with the plane of the lower U clamp 4.

For the sake of simplicity, Fig. 1 shows only one spatula 10 positioned in the stand 1, but it will be appreciated that various utensils can be disposed in each of the clamping means 3, 4. When the kitchen staff is working, the utensils are conveniently stored in the stand 1 which is easily accessible on the work¬ bench 7 and which, because of the design of the clamping means 3, 4, is easy to clean, since only minor amounts of fat and scraps can collect on the U clamps 3, 4.

When convenient, such as after work, the stand 1 is filled with utensils and placed in its entirety in a washer (not shown). If a utensil of the type as shown in detail in Figs 2 and 3 is used, it is sufficient to let the working parts of the utensils, e.g. the blade 11 of the spatula 10, remain in the stand 1 , whereby the problem is solved which was discussed by way of introduction and concerned the handle which, after repeated washing, comes loose from the working part. A further considerable advantage is that one and the same handle 12 can be used for different working parts, e.g. spatulas of different size and shape,

or other working parts such as forks.

Fig. 2 shows in detail the spatula 10 used in the stand 1 as illustrated in Fig. 1, the blade 11 and the handle 12 being separated. The blade 11 com- prises a tang 15 which is insertable into a recess (see Fig. 3) in the handle 12 and the free end of which has a V-shaped recess 16. The end of the handle 12 facing the blade 11 is provided with a projection 17 which is adapted to protect the user against spatter- ing fat, heat radiation etc.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the handle 12, the blade 11 being indicated by dash-dot lines. As said above, the handle 12 is formed with a recess 18 into which the tang 15 of the blade 11 is inserted, while the recess 16 engages a pin 19. An operating member 20 is hingedly mounted in the handle 12 by means of a spindle 21. The tang 15 of the blade 11 is clamped in the front end portion of the handle 12, i.e. to the left of the spindle 21 in Fig. 3, between the upper wall of the recess 18 and the surface of the operating member 20 opposite this wall. To remove the blade 11 , the operating member 20 is pressed in the direction of the arrow F against the action of a return spring 22, whereby the clamping action on the tang 15 at the front end of the handle 12 is neutra¬ lised, and the blade 11 can be withdrawn.

It should be pointed out that the invention is in no way limited to the embodiment described, and that several modifications are conceivable within the scope of the appended claims. As mentioned above, the stand can be used also for other types of utensils, for example knives which of course need not be in two pieces. Moreover, the stand need not be vertically positioned; it can just as well be mounted horizontally, or in any desired position.

It should, finally, also be noted that other types of clamping means (not shown) can be used, e.g.

two outwardly converging planar plates formed in one piece, the desired clamping action being exerted between said plates. Furthermore, a conventional helical spring can be used, in which case the blade of the spatula is inserted between two coils abutting each other or extending close to one another.