There is disclosed a power-assisted corn kernel remover comprising a rigid frame supporting an annular corn kernel cutter. A powered mechanism mounted above the cutter activates a piston downward to push shucked ears of fresh corn onto the cutter. The cutter is sized and has a sharp cutting edge that severs the corn kernels from the cob as the ear descends. The cob is pushed downward through a passage to a disposal bin, while the kernels are captured by a basket surrounding the cutter. The cutter is formed of spring steel and is loosely held within the frame to allow for some expansion due to different sizes of corncobs. The powered mechanism may be a pneumatic piston and cylinder assembly supplied with compressed air and having a control mechanism that permits partial activation.

There is disclosed a power-assisted corn kernel remover comprising a rigid frame supporting an annular corn kernel cutter. A powered mechanism mounted above the cutter activates a piston downward to push shucked ears of fresh corn onto the cutter. The cutter is sized and has a sharp cutting edge that severs the corn kernels from the cob as the ear descends. The cob is pushed downward through a passage to a disposal bin, while the kernels are captured by a basket surrounding the cutter. The cutter is formed of spring steel and is loosely held within the frame to allow for some expansion due to different sizes of corncobs. The powered mechanism may be a pneumatic piston and cylinder assembly supplied with compressed air and having a control mechanism that permits partial activation.

Devices and methods for use in removing the foliage from stems of leafy vegetables and sprigs of herbs are shown and described. The device has a body that is sized and shaped to fit comfortably into a one hand. The body can be generally flat and can have at least one edge following a convex curve. A trimming blade projects outwardly from at least a portion of the convexly curved edge of the body. A selection of apertures of different sizes extends through the body. The user can select an aperture large enough to allow the stem to pass through, but too small for the foliage to pass through. During use, a user can use the trimming blade to trim off unwanted parts from a sprig of herb or a piece of leafy vegetable, pass the sprig through a selected aperture sized to remove the foliage therefrom, and cut the foliage to the desired size by rocking the trimming blade along its length over the foliage.

Devices and methods for use in removing the foliage from stems of leafy vegetables and sprigs of herbs are shown and described. The device has a body that is sized and shaped to fit comfortably into a one hand. The body can be generally flat and can have at least one edge following a convex curve. A trimming blade projects outwardly from at least a portion of the convexly curved edge of the body. A selection of apertures of different sizes extends through the body. The user can select an aperture large enough to allow the stem to pass through, but too small for the foliage to pass through. During use, a user can use the trimming blade to trim off unwanted parts from a sprig of herb or a piece of leafy vegetable, pass the sprig through a selected aperture sized to remove the foliage therefrom, and cut the foliage to the desired size by rocking the trimming blade along its length over the foliage.

A corn creamer may include a creamer base. A rotatable sleeve drive shall may be carried by the creamer base. A creamer sleeve may he drivingly engaged for rotation by the sleeve drive shaft. The creamer sleeve may have a sleeve wall and a sleeve interior formed by the sleeve wall. At least one creamer blade assembly may include at least one blade shaft carried by the sleeve wall of the creamer sleeve. At least one creamer blade may be carried by the at least one blade shaft in the sleeve interior of the creamer sleeve. In some, applications, a hand drill may be coupled to the sleeve drive shaft to rotate the sleeve drive shaft as an ear of corn is inserted into the rotating creamer sleeve. The at least one creamer blade of the at least one creamer blade assembly may contact the corn kernels on the ear of corn to remove the corn kernels typically for preparation of creamed corn.

A slicer device and a method of using a slicer device for slicing and removing a fleshy part of a watermelon surrounded by a rind. The device includes an elongated handle and a scraper head with a scraping portion having at least one scraping edge configured to follow the contour of the watermelon while scraping the fleshy interior of the watermelon.

A slicer device and a method of using a slicer device for slicing and removing a fleshy part of a watermelon surrounded by a rind. The device includes an elongated handle and a scraper head with a scraping portion having at least one scraping edge configured to follow the contour of the watermelon while scraping the fleshy interior of the watermelon.

A herb stripper and method of use. The herb stripper includes a base with a plurality of differently sized holes therein and through which herb stems may be inserted and pulled to strip leaves from the stem. A cutting edge is provided adjacent each hole and may be around 0.001 in width and oriented at an angle relative to an axis of the hole. The cutting edge may be protected by recessing the cutting edge relative to the surrounding surface or by providing a raised overmolded region on the surface adjacent the cutting edge, or by forming the hole and cutting edge in a depression formed in the surface of the base. A groove circumscribes the cutting edge and aids in diverting cut leaves away from the hole through which the stem is being pulled.

A herb stripper and method of use. The herb stripper includes a base with a plurality of differently sized holes therein and through which herb stems may be inserted and pulled to strip leaves from the stem. A cutting edge is provided adjacent each hole and may be around 0.001 in width and oriented at an angle relative to an axis of the hole. The cutting edge may be protected by recessing the cutting edge relative to the surrounding surface or by providing a raised overmolded region on the surface adjacent the cutting edge, or by forming the hole and cutting edge in a depression formed in the surface of the base. A groove circumscribes the cutting edge and aids in diverting cut leaves away from the hole through which the stem is being pulled.

Conventional herb strippers can be tedious, time consuming, and awkward to use. Accordingly, the present inventors devised new tools and methods that allow faster and easier herb stripping. One tool includes an herb stripping notch configured to engage the plant stem of an herb at an intermediate point between its two ends, with the edges of the notch stripping leaves as the notch is moved over the stem or the stem is pulled through the notch. In some embodiments, one or more of these notches, for example six, are included in a blade structure, with the notches arranged in a smallest-to-largest sequence. The blade structure may also includes a knife edge, enabling it to serve the added function of a knife.