What is a Spork?
The name "Spork" is a blend of the words (sp)oon and f(ork) and has also been called the runcible spoon (mentioned by Edward Lear in his 1871 poem "The Owl and the Pussycat"). A spork is a eating utensil that can be used as both a spoon or a fork.
Spork Trademerks & Patents
The name Spork was trademarked registered by the Van Brode Milling Co., Inc., of Clinton, Massuchests in 1969 for a piece of cutlery combining the features of a spoon, a fork and sometimes a knife. A New York Times article mentions that Hyde Ballard of Westtown, Pennsylvania filed an application to register "Spork" as a trademark around 1952. In the United Kingdom, "Spork" has been trademark registered by Plastico Limited (TM 1052291) since 1975.The name spork has been in common use since at least 1900 and appeared in the 1909 Century Dictionary supplement. There are many patents for sporks with or without the use of the name itself dating back over one hundred years.
