US1223943A - Automatic table-service apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

APPLICATION FILED 1AN9| 1915.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

fil-f I. F. DASCHNER.

AUTOMATIC TABLE SERVICE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 9. 1915.

IIutented Apr. 24, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. F. DASCHNER. AUTOMATI TABLE SERVICE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.9. 1915.

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JOHN F. DASCHNER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC TABLE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

Application led January 9, 1915.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that l, JoiiN F.. DAsciiNER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Table- Service Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus adapted to use in restaurants or hotels, for serving guests. It is well known that the methods in common use for serving patrons of restaurants and hotel dining rooms, possess many objectionable features, and while they may vary more or less according to the ability or experience of waiters, they are inconvenient and annoying at the best. The inattention of the waiters, the expectancy of tips, the mistakes and confusion of orders, the unsanitary handling of the accessories, and numerous other undesirable features are incidental and common to the present methods in use in the high class establishments as well as in hostelrics and eatin houses of the lower grades. Among the objects of this invention are the provision of means whereby the patrons, While comfortably seated at a table can give their order direct to the kitchen or other serving department, and have them served on the table direct from said serving department or without an intermediate attendant, thereby economizing in expense, lessening confusion, saving in time and eliminating the annoying common practice known as tipping -Coincident to this object is the provision of an elevator that is adapted to operate in a shaft communicating with the serving department and terminating in the table top. Another object of the invention is to provide means adapted to be conveniently manipulated by the patrons, foi' despatching the elevator, on which they have placed their orders, to the serving department, the said means being preferably so arranged that the lowering operation only is controlled by the party at the table, while the attendant in the serving room can cause the elevator to be raised or lowered as may be desired. Other desirable features and objects of the invention will be apparent fromv the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 24. 1917.

Serial No. 1,400.

1 is a perspective view, partially in section, of an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a table top adapted for use in the improved apparatus.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the elevator, a portion of one of the guide rods and the ower endof the actuating member.

Fig. 4 is a view in direction of arrow 4, Fig. 3, with-upper parts of elevator broken away.

Fig. 5 is a plan of one of the shelves of the elevator, detached.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, vertical section online .t3-(3 Fig. 2, enlarged scale, and Fig. 7 is'a similar section 0n line 7-7 Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a central, vertical section of the table, elevator, shaft, and guide rods, showp'ig the elevator in the extreme upper posiion.

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 illustrates a switch, electric connections and motor that may be used for operating the apparatus, and Fig. 11 is a detail of the brake mechanism.

Throughout the drawings and specfication similar characters of reference are employed to designate similar parts.

In the embodiment of the invention as herein shown and described, electric motive power is employed for operating the apparatus, and while this is a suitable means of obtaining` the desired result, I wish it to be understood that other operative mechanism may be used without departing from the spirit or broad principles of the invention, which consist of elevator service from a serving department below, through a shaft in the table support and terminating in an opening in the table top, means for actuating the elevator from the table and from the serving department, and the closing of the opening in the table top.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 1, 1 represents the fioor of a dining room, 2 the top of a stationary table, the support 3 of which is hollow and extends through the floor as shown at 3*. The hollow table support forms a shaft 3b which communicates with the serving department below the floor 1 and has its upper terminal opening 2 in the table top 2. A closure member 2b is provided for said opening.

4 represents the top of a shelf, platform or table in the serving department. Guide rods 5, 5 are supported on the shelf 4 and extend upward through the shaft 3b, being attached to the walls of said shaft at 5, 5. A preferred construction of the elevator consists of a rectangular base 6, having the uprights 6 attached to the four corners thereof. The uprights are provided with bosses 6b, equally spaced, which form sug- )rts for a series of removable shelves l)epending from the base 6 are guides 6, which are adapted to slide on the guide rods 5. A yoke 6d connects the lower terminals of thel guides 6. Several grooved pulleys are mounted on the apparatus as follows: The pulley 8 is mounted in the shaft 3b near the top thereof, the ulley 8 is mounted outside the lower terminal of said shaft, and the pulleys 8b and 8c are mounted on the yoke 6d of the elevator. A driving cable 9 has one end 9 thereof made fast to the wall of the shaft 3" near the top, and opposite the pulley 8. The cable passes downward, under the pulleys 8C and 8b, upward over the pulley 8, downward under pulley 8, and to a winding drum 10.

As hereinbefore stated the apparatus shown is electrically driven, and for this purpose the motor 11 may be located at any 'suitable point, as for example on the ceiling of the serving department, as shown in Fig. 1. The shaft 12 is driven by the motor 11 through the medium of the pulley 12, belt 13, and pulley 11a on the motor shaft 11b. The drum 10 is driven by the spur gear 10 in mesh with the pinion 12b on the drive shaft 12.

A switch is mounted on the lower end of the table support 3. The switch and its connections is best explained by reference to Fig. 10, in which it is shown in its neutral position. The switch is actuated by the bellcrank lever 14. It will be seen that when the bars 15, 15a are moved into contact with the binding posts 16, 16, the circuit is closed through the motor 11, by the connections a, b, c, and d, this causes the unwinding of the drum, thereby allowing the elevator to descend. The reverse direction of the motor is brought about through the connections e and f when the bars 15, 15a are thrown into contact with the binding posts 17, 17. A rod 18 is connected with the arm 14 of the bell-crank 14, as shown at 14". The rod 18 extends through the shaft 3b and is connected at its upper end with a lever 18, the lower end being connected with lever 18". A push-button 18c is connected with the lever 18a and is located at a convenient point for manipulation by a patron seated at the table. The fulcrums of the levers 18B and 18b are so arranged that when the ush-button 18 is depressed the arm 14 o the bellcrank 14 will be depressed, as shown by broken lines Fig. 10, and thereby close the circuit through the connections d and 0 with the motor, causing the elevator to descend. Provision for automatically stopping the elevator at the desired extreme upper and lower fposition, is made as followsz-A tripping nger 6 is attached to the base of the elevator, and when the elevator reaches the predetermined, extreme lower position, the finger 6e strikes the lever 18", causing the bars 15 and 15 to break Contact with the connections 16 and 16, through the medium of the bell-crank 14. It is necessary to arrest the elevator when the switch is in the neutral position, this is provided for by use of the magnet 19, having the connections g and z, with the bindingposts 16 and 16 This magnet actuates a brake on the motor shaft. The brake band 20 is normally held in braking contact with the wheel 21 on the motor shaft, by its spring action, accelerated by a supplemental spring 21. A rocker lever 22, provided with a cam 22, is fulcruined on the tongue 20l of the brake band 20, the cam 22 being adapted to operate on the tongue 2()b and thereby release the brake by opening the band. The lever 22 is connected with the core of the magnet 19 by the bar or link 23. It will be seen that when the circuit is closed and the motor is operating, the magnet is energized through the connections g and h, causing a pull on the lever 22 and a releasing of the brake by the action of the cam on the member 20", and at the instant that the circuit is broken, by disconnection of the switch, the magnet becomes dead, the brake is appliedauto matically arresting the elevator.

When it is desired to raise the elevator, the attendant in the serving department, through the medium of the rod 18 and the bell-crank 14, throws the switch into contact with the connections 17, 17 resulting in the actuating of the motor 11 in the direction for winding the cable 5 on the drum 10. As the elevator ascends the finger 6e trips the lever 18, thereby returning the switch to the neutral position.

As the elevator ascends the terminals 6t of the uprights 6 register with recesses 2 in the under side of the closure member 2", said closure member is carried up with the elevator and the shelves 7 are exposed above the table top 2. The mechanism is so arranged and timed that the base 6 is level with the table top when the elevator is in its eXtreme upper position.

When the table is unoccupied it is preferable that the elevator shall be in the upper position as shown in Fig. 8, if however the elevator should be down and parties wish to be served, the attendant in the serving department may be notified by some suitable signal, as or example an electric bell or signal light. As there are numerous well known signal systems that are applicable, and as this is no part of the invention, it is not deemed necessary to show or describe any particular means.

In the practical operation of the improved apparatus, when patrons wish to be served, they are seated at a table and given a billof-fare on which is marked the number of the table, and the number of guests to be served at that particular table, the articles desired are checked by the patron, on the bill-of-fare, which is then placed on the elevator, the button 18c is pushed and the elevator descends to the serving department.

As the elevator descends it leaves the closure member 2b in the opening 2a, and when it reaches its lower position the articles checked .on the bill-of-fare are placed on the shelves 7, 7, and the base 6, by an attendant. When the order is filled, the elevator is raised by the attendant manipulating the actuating rod 18. The articles are removed from the elevator by the guests, the button 18 is again pressed, causing the elevator to descend and closing the opening in the table.

It is preferable that only the descent or the elevator can be governed by the guests, as by this arrangement they cannot interfere with the attendant in fillin the order, by raising the elevator premature y. In case the elevator is down and the guest desires further service, he can notify the serving department by signal.

The foregoing is a description of a practical apparatus embodying my invention, but

it is to be understood that there may be many modifications made in the details of construction, without departing from the nature of the invention. I therefore do not expect to be confined to the particular construction shown and described, only so far as limited by the scope of the claim and the existing state of the art.

Having now described the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- In an apparatus of the character de-f scribed, the combination of a table having an opening therein, an elevator shaft extending downwardly therefrom, an elevator movable in said shaft, a motor and driving connections for moving the elevator in either direction, a motor controller, a connection with the controller extendin to the table and to the base of the shaft, means on the elevator adapted automatically to operate said controller connection t0 stop the elevator at the table and at the base of the shaft, means at the table for manually operating said controller connection to lower the elevator, and means at the base of the shaft for manually operating the said controller connection to raise or lower the elevator.

JOHN F. DASCHNER.

Witnesses:

A. SNIDER, L. F. GRIswoLD.

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