GB2101285A - Mortuary cold store - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to means for slidingly supporting body racks 5 in a mortuary cold store without hindrance to access to the store for cleaning, and provides a plurality of rollers 19 at each side of the store for engagement with respective lateral edges of the racks. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Mortuary cold store The invention relates to cold stores and in particular to mortuary cold stores incorporating a body rack system.

In conventional mortuary cold stores incorporating a plurality of body racks, for example in four tiers, each body supporting rack in arranged to be slidable endwise out of the store to facilitate the introduction and removal of bodies, and the arrangement has been that each rack is slidingly supported on horizontal rollers extending across the store from one side wall to the other and transverse to the length direction of the rack.

The presence of these rollers tenders access to the store for cleaning purposes very difficult, and attempts have been made to solve the problem by designing the rollers to be removable, but the removal and subsequent replacement of a number of rollers is time consuming and inconvenient.

According to the invention there is provided for a mortuary cold store, one or more body supporting racks and, for the or each rack, support means spaced apart transversely of the rack for supporting a rack for sliding movement lengthwise of the rack. Preferably the support means engage the respective lateral edges of the rack. Each support means may comprise a plurality of rollers and may also comprise guide means for guiding the rack onto the rollers.

The rollers arranged for supporting each side of the rack may be rotatably mounted in a guide channel, one wall of which may provide said guide means. Each guide channel may be removably supported interiorly of the store.

Embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a mortuary cold store equipped with removable body racks; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one body rack; Fig. 3 is a section of line Ill-Ill of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a rack support channel; Fig. 5 is a section on line V-V of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a partial plan view of the channel of Fig. 4; and Fig. 7 is a partial elevation on a rack support upright.

As shown in the figures the mortuary cold store is a substantially rectangular enclosure 1 having thermally insulating side walls 2, top 3 and bottom 4, and accommodating four tray-like body racks 5, each supported at its edges by rollers mounted in channels 6. The store is closed at end 7 by insulating doors (not shown) and may be closed at end 8 either by an end wall or, so that the store may be operated from either end, by further insulating door or doors. Each of the racks 5 comprises a tubular steel frame 9 which forms a closed loop of substantially rectangular shape with somewhat rounded ends 10 by which the rack may be conveniently handled. A shallow, pressed steel tray 11 is slung between the para!lel portions 12 of the frame 9 between the ends 10.The tray is formed with a pair of longitudinal ribs 13 which serve to strengthen the structure and to serve a further purpose which will be described below.

Each of the channels 6 comprises a base 14, a rear wall 1 5, a front wall 1 6 and a top 17. Each of a series of four rollers 1 9 is rotatably mounted on a spindle 20 mounted horizontally between the rear and front walls. The rollers are flared from a smaller diameter adjacent the front wall 16 to a larger diameter adjacent the rear wall 1 5 so that the upper profile has a shape which approximately conforms to the rounded edge of the rack 5.

One of the channels 6 is arranged at the same level at each side of the store 1, adjacent the inner surface of the walls 2, and the width of the rack 6 approximates to the spacing between the flares of opposed rollers, so that the flares also perform a centring function on the racks. The rollers 1 9 are set sufficiently below the top 1 7 to allow the introduction of a rack in between.

The front wall 16 is inclined downwardly towards each end, the inclined portions 1 8 providing guide surfaces for facilitating the loading of a rack onto the first roller and to assist in offloading.

The channels 6 are supported horizontally against the inner surfaces of the side walls 2 of the store by means of uprights 21 of angled section adjacent each wall 2 at each end of the store. The uprights have, for each tier, a slot 22 and a hole 23. Each of the channels is provided at each end with a hook-like projection 28 dimensioned so that the downward portion 24 is capable of passing through the slot 22 and the channel can be slightly lowered so that the horizontal portion 25 can rest on the lower edge 26 of the slot 22. A peg 27 projects outwardly from the back of the channel and this locates in the hole 23.

In an alternative embodiment of the channel support system, the hook-like projection 28 is arranged to project from the channel in the lengthwise direction of the channel and slot 22 is formed in the other limb of the angled upright.

From the foregoing description it will be clear that when the or each rack has been removed from the store, access to the interior of the store is quite easy, there being no members remaining extending from one side wall 2 to the other.

Moreover, it will be relatively easy to remove the channels 6 by tilting them about the edge 26 upwardly and outwardly so that the pin 27 disengages from the hole 23 after which the channels may be lifted vertically so that the downward portion 24 of the projection may clear the edge 26 and the channel be removed forwardly, the hook 28 clearing the slot 22. The channel may then be taken from the store, the further to facilitate cleaning both of the inner walls of the store and of the channel itself.

In the hitherto conventional arrangement, rollers extend as has already been mentioned transversely of the store from one side wall to the other, and these rollers have commonly been provided with a pair of circumferential grooves equi-distant from the centre and conventional racks have been provided with longitudinal ribs similarly spaced apart for location in the grooves.

Ancilliary equipment, such as trolleys, have also been constructed to accommodate such ribs, and the ribs 1 3 of the invention, whilst not being used for support or guidance when in the store nevertheless may perform such functions with regard to conventional auxiliary equipment.

In an embodiment for use with a closed-end store, a stop may be attached to one end of the wall 1 5 of each channel to prevent the racks bumping into the store end wall 8. In another embodiment the tray 11 may be made of glass fibre reinforced plastics material.

Claims (8)

1. The combination of at least one body supporting rack for a mortuary cold store and, for the or each rack, support means spaced apart transversely of the rack for supporting a rack for sliding movement lengthwise of the rack.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support means engage respective lateral edges of the associated rack or racks.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein the support means engaging each lateral edge of a rack comprise a plurality of rollers.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein said support means further comprise guide means for guiding the rack onto the rollers.

5. The combination according to claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the support means comprises a guide channel wherein the rollers are rotatably mounted at space locations therealong.

6. The combination according to claim 5 when dependent upon claim 4 wherein the guide channel provides said guide means.

7. A morturary cold store comprising the combination of claim 5 or claim 6 wherein each guide channel is removably mounted interiorly of the store.

8. a mortuary cold substantially as described with reference to the drawings.