Background
Responding to a challenge by GIAN West to design a user-friendly tong, Vinodbhai Gajjar (31) came out with a low cost and highly effective version.Vinodbhai continued his education up to 11th standard and thereafter joined his family business of making agricultural implements. He lives in a joint family of thirteen with his parents, two elder brothers, their families, and his wife and son. He has a interest in music and plays various musical instruments like keyboard, flute and tabla. His wife Urvashi is a graduate and his little four-year-old son, has already started playing tabla really well.His father had a workshop in Motipura village but due to electricity problems, they shifted to Mansa where he started his workshop that makes different agricultural implements and custom machines.GIAN West, while working on their small 10 HP tractor project could not find an appropriate plough fitting the small tractor anywhere in Ahmedabad. On hearing about Vinodbhai, who specialized in making ploughs of different sizes, they met and the required items were made.GIAN-West, recognizing the ability and craftsmanship of Vinodbhai asked him to solve the universal "tong problem", which had been solved differently by another innovator Arvindbhai Patel. He took up the challenge and came out with a low cost highly effective version.
Genesis
Lifting heavy or hot utensils safely and carrying them is a problem for women and also for people in the catering sector and other industries who handle large and heavily laden utensils. This is because many of these large utensils do not have side handles built into them and their lip profile is generally too small or insufficient to have proper grip to hold them Existing grippers, which lift from one or both sides, are impractical, ergonomically improper and unsafe option for heavy loads.This was the universal "tong problem" for which NIF and GIAN had tried to get the designs developed. To address this, Arvindbhai Patel built a tong version - the Suraksha tong. After this, GIAN- West entrusted Vinodbhai with the task of building an improved version. Vinodbhai started working on the improved tong and came up with the first prototype in year 2004. After getting the initial feedback from various users, he thought of putting the tong in the market and came up with the brand name of ?Vatsal? which is his son?s name. Thereafter, he got the required help from GIAN- West for taking up the innovation further and getting its design registered.
Innovation
Existing lifting devices fall short in clamping action, load balancing or bearing capacity and in the ergonomics of gripping and transporting. This innovation addresses all these requirements effectively.The principle used in Vatsal tong involves enabling secure gripping action by a pair of spring loaded wire clamps on either side fitted with an elastomer handle attachment on top, so that the load is gripped securely from the edge of the vessel from both sides and lifted easily and gracefully.It consists of 210 mm and 400 mm spring steel grade rod (3mm diameter) which is bent in such a way that device can hold the edged utensils. A pair of tongs is used to lift a single vessel with the tongs fixed at the two opposite edges of vessel Currently the maximum load capacity is 25 kilograms. The load is evenly distributed to two hands and a contoured polypropylene handle helps in secure comfortable gripping. Being insulated, the handle does not get heated by the heat generated from the vessel.At a selling cost of Rs 40, this is a "low cost, high value for money" product, which is useful for life and a must for every home and industry unit.The design is registered with the Indian Patent Office and its IPR rights are protected for its shape, configuration, ornamentation and surface pattern.
