The present invention is directed to the field of serving food portions, and is more specifically directed to a device for inserting a filling into a taco shell or the like. Taco shells, as found in restaurants or as packaged for sales to consumers in food stores, have a substantially uniform shape and size. However, the shape, which in profile is substantially semi-circular, does not lend itself easily to filling with presently available devices. For example, a teaspoon, tablespoon, or large serving spoon can be used to deposit the filling in the taco shell, but this generally results in the entire portion of the filling being deposited in the center, and none in the sides. If a spoon is used, additional portions of filling can be inserted on either side, but because of the semi-circular shape, the filling will tend to fall out at the sides. Likewise, if the spoon is used to more evenly distribute the filling across the bottom of the taco shell, there will be too much filling at the sides, which will tend to fall out, and not enough filling at the center.
There are many specialized devices for serving specific kinds of food, but I have found that none of these are suitable for filling taco shells. For example, a number of different devices are known for serving a portion of food such as ice cream or hamburger meat. A common type of device for serving ice cream includes a scoop, a handle extending rearwardly from the scoop, and a plunger with an ejector bar mounted for reciprocating motion in the handle. The shape of the scoop is dependent upon the shape of the ice cream portion which is desired. Thus, the scoop is often triangular, to produce a portion which will fit into an ice cream cone or a tall ice cream dish. In such devices, the end of the scoop which is inserted into the ice cream forms the point of the triangle, to make introduction of the scoop into the hard ice cream easier. Such devices are characterized by U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,688,595 and 1,798,490 to Parr and 2,178,648 to Rothenbush. In other devices, the scoop is rectangular in shape, to form a rectangular brick for filling an ice cream sandwich. Such devices are characterized by U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,352,755 to Levy and 1,529,782 to Gerstein. Although all of these devices are excellent for their stated purpose, that is, serving portions of ice cream, the sizes and shapes of the various scoops prevent turning them to use in filling a taco shell.
Somewhat analogously, devices have been provided for slicing an opening in a sandwich bun and inserting into the opening the filling, for example a hamburger or a hot dog. Again, the shape of the scoop is dependent upon the shape of the sandwich bun, and the front is provided with a pointed blade for cutting the opening in the sandwich. Such a device is characterized by U.S. Pat. No. 2,784,682 to Clevenger. The size and shape of this type of device also renders it unsuitable for use in filling a taco shell.
In summary, no simple device exists which in shape and size is adapted to fill a taco shell with an amount of filling which corresponds to the shape of the taco shell. It is the solution of these problems to which the present invention is directed.