Posts Tagged: "turkey patents"

At this festive time of year we always profile a handful of turkey patents, because after all what better way is there to celebrate a holiday than to celebrate American ingenuity? This year the first patent I profile, is U.S. Patent No. 8,256,130, which is titled An apparatus and method for pre-measuring turkey frying oil. Someone has finally patented a way to properly measure the amount of oil used when frying a turkey. We can only hope this saves a home or two from the inevitable Thanksgiving disaster caused by filling the turkey fryer to the top and then lowering the bird into the pot, which causes the oil to overflow and ignite thanks to the open flame.

It is a bit difficult to take this invention too seriously for several reasons. First, according to Oregon State University poultry scientist Tom Savage, turkeys are “smart animals with personality and character, and keen awareness of their surroundings.” That being the case, exactly which turkeys are likely to be attracted by a 6 foot turkey plastered onto a giant umbrella laid on its side, as pictured in the main drawing in the patent? Furthermore, Figure 13 (see below) is exactly an umbrella with a turkey decoration, yet the patent describes Figure 13 as a “fully deployed configuration of a blind as as to illustrate turkey decoy image.” Really? A hunting blind? This is an old fashion umbrella.

The pardoning of the Presidential turkey caught my imagination as I was trying to figure out what holiday patents to profile for this Thanksgiving, something I always try and do whenever possible. So what better thing to focus on than on turkey patents, and there are many of them. I easily found multiple dozens of turkey callers and all kinds of turkey transportation devices used by hunters to carry their prey home, but these were the ones that really caught my attention for one reason or another.

It is that time of the year for Americans to give thanks for all the many things we have and enjoy — family, friends, country and of course patents!  Here is hoping that everyone has a restful, peaceful and very Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving Embossed Insert for Baking Pan US Design Patent No. D527,217 Issued August 29, 2006

Process for Deboning a Turkey US Patent No. 6,572,467 Issued June 3, 2003 Being in a festive mood on turkey day I thought I would profile this patent, which covers a process for deboning a turkey.  Happy Thanksgiving!