Device for spiking tobacco

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR SPIKING A TOBACCO STALK COMPRISING: (A) A PLATFORM HAVING AN EXPOSED TOP SURFACE OF NONMAGNETIC MATERIAL, UNOBSTRUCTED WORKING SPACE ABOVE SAID TOP SURFACE, A REAR EDGE AND A LONGITUDINAL AXIS, (B) THE LENGTH OF SAID TOP SURFACE BEING SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT SAID STALK LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, (C) AN OPERATOR''S STATION ADJACENT SAID REAR EDGE, (D) A MAGNET, (E) MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID MAGNET IN SAID PLATFORM TO PROJECT UPWARDLY FROM SAID TOP SURFACE, AND SPACED FORWARDLY OF SAID OPERATOR''S STATION WITHIN ARM''S REACH OF THE OPERATOR, (F) AN ELONGATED SPIKE HAVING A POINTED END AND A REAR OPENING IN ITS OPPOSITE END, (G) SAID SPIKE BEING OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL AND POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PLATFORM IN MAGNETIC ENGAGEMENT UPON SAID MAGNET, (H) THE FORCE OF SAID MAGNET BEING CONTINUOUS AND SUFFICIENT NORMALLY TO RETAIN SAID SPIKE UPON SAID MAGNET AGAINST DISPLACEMENT, BUT TO PERMIT SEPARATION OF SAID SPIKE FROM SAID MAGNET WHEN A TOBACCO STALK IS MANUALLY AND POSITIVELY THRUST OVER SAID SPIKE, (I) A STICK RACK HAVING A REAR WALL, OPPOSED SIDE WALLS, AND A FORWARD OPENING, (J) A TOBACCO STICK HAVING A FRONT END AND A REAR END, SAID FRONT END BEING ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED IN THE REAR OPENING OF SAID SPIKE AND SAID REAR END BEING ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED IN SAID STICK RACK THROUGH SAID FORWARD OPENING, (K) MEANS FOR FIXEDLY MOUNTING SAID STICK RACK BEHIND AN IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID SPIKE TO PERMIT SAID STICK TO BE RECEIVED WITHIN SAID SPIKE AND ABUTTING SAID REAR WALL, SAID STICK FORMING ONE SIDE OF SAID OPERATOR''S STATION.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR SPIKING A TOBACCO STALK COMPRISING: (A) A PLATFORM HAVING AN EXPOSED TOP SURFACE OF NONMAGNETIC MATERIAL, UNOBSTRUCTED WORKING SPACE ABOVE SAID TOP SURFACE, A REAR EDGE AND A LONGITUDINAL AXIS, (B) THE LENGTH OF SAID TOP SURFACE BEING SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT SAID STALK LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, (C) AN OPERATOR''S STATION ADJACENT SAID REAR EDGE, (D) A MAGNET, (E) MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID MAGNET IN SAID PLATFORM TO PROJECT UPWARDLY FROM SAID TOP SURFACE, AND SPACED FORWARDLY OF SAID OPERATOR''S STATION WITHIN ARM''S REACH OF THE OPERATOR, (F) AN ELONGATED SPIKE HAVING A POINTED END AND A REAR OPENING IN ITS OPPOSITE END, (G) SAID SPIKE BEING OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL AND POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PLATFORM IN MAGNETIC ENGAGEMENT UPON SAID MAGNET, (H) THE FORCE OF SAID MAGNET BEING CONTINUOUS AND SUFFICIENT NORMALLY TO RETAIN SAID SPIKE UPON SAID MAGNET AGAINST DISPLACEMENT, BUT TO PERMIT SEPARATION OF SAID SPIKE FROM SAID MAGNET WHEN A TOBACCO STALK IS MANUALLY AND POSITIVELY THRUST OVER SAID SPIKE, (I) A STICK RACK HAVING A REAR WALL, OPPOSED SIDE WALLS, AND A FORWARD OPENING, (J) A TOBACCO STICK HAVING A FRONT END AND A REAR END, SAID FRONT END BEING ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED IN THE REAR OPENING OF SAID SPIKE AND SAID REAR END BEING ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED IN SAID STICK RACK THROUGH SAID FORWARD OPENING, (K) MEANS FOR FIXEDLY MOUNTING SAID STICK RACK BEHIND AN IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID SPIKE TO PERMIT SAID STICK TO BE RECEIVED WITHIN SAID SPIKE AND ABUTTING SAID REAR WALL, SAID STICK FORMING ONE SIDE OF SAID OPERATOR''S STATION.