Muffin separator and muffin holder and safety guard
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a combination of a muffin separator and a muffin holder and safety guard. 
     Muffin separators are known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,818,097 to S. R. Glanz, 3,828,995 to J. E. Shorin et al. and 4,069,581 to R. E. Gray. These devices generally comprise a pair of hinged or relatively pivoted members each carrying a plurality of prongs. When the pair of hinged members are adjacent the prongs are aligned and a muffin or like bakery product is impaled on them. Then, the pair of hinged members, and the respective pluralities of prongs, are pivoted to a separated position and as the prongs separate they are effective to separate the muffin into two halves. 
     To effectively impale the muffin the prongs should terminate at sharp points. However, this creates a danger that a user of the device will run the prongs all the way through the muffin and impale his hand. A muffin tearing device wherein this danger is eliminated is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,840,129 to Jovis. This device includes a hinged assembly which separates into two halves. Each half has a relatively movable plurality of prongs and a stationary wall. When the two halves of the assembly are together a muffin fits between the two walls and the two pluralities of prongs are displaced to impale the muffin. Then the two halves of the assembly including the two pluralities of prongs are separated and the muffin is divided into halves. However, this device is complex, requires many parts and is thus costly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a muffin separator and a muffin holder and safety guard for use with the muffin separator which has simple structure and which is simple to use. 
     According to the present invention the muffin holder and safety guard is a box-like member having an open end and dimensioned to receive a muffin separator therein. The holder and safety guard further includes means for releasably holding a muffin or like bakery product within the holder. When the muffin separator is inserted into the box-like member the muffin is impaled, and when the muffin separator is withdrawn from the box-like member the muffin is released for subsequent separation. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of a muffin separator for use in the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the muffin separator shown in FIG. 1 with its two halves adjacent; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the muffin separator shown in FIG. 1 with its two halves separated; 
     FIG. 4 is a front view of a muffin holder and safety guard for use in the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the muffin holder shown in FIG. 4; and 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of the muffin holder shown in FIG. 4 with its top wall raised. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A muffin separator 1 shown in FIGS. 1-3 is comprised of a pair of U-shaped open frames 2,3 connected by hinges 4 to allow them to pivot between an adjacent position as shown in FIG. 2 and a separated position as shown in FIG. 3. A plurality 5 of prongs 7 are carried by the U-shaped open frame 2, and a plurality 6 of prongs 7 are carried by the U-shaped open frame 3. 
     A muffin holder and safety guard 10 is comprised of a box-like member having upper wall 11, lower wall 12, side walls 13, 14 and rear wall 15. The box-like member 10 has an open front 16 which is slightly larger than the muffin separator 1 when the two U-shaped frames 2,3 are adjacent. The muffin separator 1 can be smoothly inserted into the box-like member and it extends sufficiently far so that the pluralities 5,6 of prongs 7 extend almost completely into the box-like member. 
     The muffin holder 10 further comprises elongated resilient strips 17-20 within the box-like member on the top and bottom walls 11,12. A muffin M is inserted into the box-like member through the open front 16. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 the strips 17-20 are effective for holding the muffin M within the box-like member and aligned for being impaled by the prongs 7 when the muffin separator 1 is inserted through the open front 16 into the box-like member. Moreover, the strips 17-20 release the muffin M when the muffin separator 1 is withdrawn from the muffin holder and safety guard so that the muffin is impaled for being subsequently separated into two halves. Thus, after the muffin has been inserted into the muffin holder and safety guard it can be impaled on the separator and separated safely without risk of injury to the user of this device. 
     The top wall 11 is hinged. As shown in FIG. 6 the top wall 11 can be raised to provide access to the inside of the box-like member for the purpose of cleaning it.