Temperature indicator

Claim 2

A temperature indicator comprising an elongated body constituting a handle for said indicator, said body having opposite ends, and coating means in the form of a gob of material encapsulating one end of said body to cover the same and having a contrasting color relative to said one end of said body, said gob of material having an outer surface which is exposed and uncovered, said gob of material being composed of a non-toxic material having a melting temperature slightly above 98.6* Fahrenheit so that the indicator can be utilized orally and when the gob of material melts, said gob of material will dissolve away and no longer cover the end of the body whereby the contrasting color of said end of the body will be exposed to indicate the presence of a temperature higher than the melting temperature of said gob of material, said handle being nonabsorbent of said gob of material.

Claim 3

A temperature indicator as claimed in claim 1, comprising a support means for a plurality of said bodies, said support means holding the bodies in separate, removable relation, each of said bodies being a thin, flat member, said support means being constituted as a folded cover holding said member in an aligned array in the manner of matches in a match book.

Claim 4

A temperature indicator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coating means is methyl stearate.

Claim 5

A temperature indicator comprising an elongated body constituting a handle for said indicator, said body having opposite ends, a first coating means in the form of a gob of material encapsulating one end of said body to cover the same and having a contrasting color relative to said one end of said body, said gob of material having a melting temperature slightly above 98.6* Fahrenheit so that when the indicator is utilized and the gob of material melts, said gob of material will dissolve away and no longer cover the end of the body whereby the contrasting color of said end of the bodY will be exposed to indicate the presence of a temperature higher than the melting temperature of said gob of material, and a second coating means on and covering the first said coating means and having an outer surface which is exposed and uncovered, the second coating means having a contrasting color relative to the first coating means and relative to said one end of the body, said second coating means having a melting temperature slightly different than the melting temperature of the first coating means.

Claim 6

A temperature indicator comprising an elongated body constituting a handle for said indicator, said body having opposite ends, a first coating means in the form of a gob of material encapsulating one end of said body to cover the same and having a contrasting color relative to said one end of said body, said gob of material having a melting temperature slightly above 98.6* Fahrenheit so that when the indicator is utilized and the gob of material melts, said gob of material will dissolve away and no longer cover the end of the body whereby the contrasting color of said end of the bodY will be exposed to indicate the presence of a temperature higher than the melting temperature of said gob of material, and a second coating means on and covering the first said coating means and having an outer surface which is exposed and uncovered, the second coating means having a contrasting color relative to the first coating means and relative to said one end of the body, said second coating means having a melting temperature slightly different than the melting temperature of the first coating means.

Claim 7

A temperature indicator as claimed in claim 4, wherein said one end of the body has a contrasting color compared to the rest of the body.

Claim 8

A temperature indicator as claimed in claim 4, wherein said second coating means has a melting temperature below 98.6*F.

Claim 9

A temperature indicator as claimed in claim 4, wherein said second coating means has a melting temperature slightly lower than the first melting temperature but above 98.6*F.