US1570811A - Combined refrigerator and display counter - Google Patents

Description

Jan. ze ,1926. 1,570,811

E. A. wu KlNsoN COMBINED REFRIGERATOR "ND DISPLAY COUNTER Filed August :5, 1925 .enlarged scale; and

Patented Jan. 26, 1926.

Umrun lsrmlzs ELZA A. WILKINSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

COMBINED REFRIGERATOR AND DISPLAY COUNTER.

Application led August 8, 1925. Serial No. 47,915.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ELzA A. WILKINSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Francisco, in the count of San Francisco and State of California, llave invented a new and useful Combined Refrigfor relatively large cuts of meat. By com bining the storage feature of the present invention with a display counter, the counter attendant is anabled to obtain yreplenishments for the stock on display from the storage space of the counter and thereby avoid the delay which has heretofore resulted in making trips from the counter to the well known form of storage box usually located in a remote portion of the establishment.

The above and other objects are accomplished by instrumentalities `pointed out in the following specification.

I The invention is clearly defined in the claims. y

A satisfactory embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of the speclication and in which: v

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectio of the complete invention;

' Figure 2 is a vertlcal cross section takenon the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and on a slightly Figure 3 is a vertical cross section -on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, wherein the contents is removed from the storage compartment. In carrying out the present invention, I

provide a cabinet or counter 'a of conventional contourand modify this element in certain exterior and interior details of construction so as 'to conformwith my invention.

' The cabinet a has the vusual insulated bottomA 5, side walls 6 and 7 end wallsS and 9, and top 10. To adapt the cabinet to function as a refrigerator,"the front side wall 6 is by preference constructed with a lower imperforate area extending for the length'of the wall and indicated jby`11, land lthe upper portion of the said side wall 6 is constructed as a frame in which are set several transparent plates 12 of glass so as to afford a view of the interior of the casing, the plates being arranged in spaced relation one behind the other so as to provide the conventional insulating airl pockets.

The top 10 is constructed as a frame and has an internal continuous rabbet 13. The top frame receives the top plate 14 which is rabbeted to interfitl with the rabbet 13 and is removably secured to the top frame by the screws 15. lThe top plate is also constructed as a frame and has fitted therein transparencies in the form of plates of glass 16 through which the interior'of the cabinet may be observed. By having the top v plate removably secured, ready access to the interior of the cabinet for the purpose of introducing, removing or inspecting the refrigerating ap aratus (hereinafter to be descrlbed) is ha he upper and lower portions of the inner sidewall 7 are formed each with a plurality of door framesv for the reception of a plurality of 'lower doors 17 and up er doorsl 18. These several doors are by pre erence connected to the cabinet by hinges, and close the openings in which they are arranged, the said openings being provided for giving access to the upper and lowerV portions of the cabinet.

The interior' of the cabinet is divided into an upper or display compartment19 and a lower or storage compartment 20. The division wall between these compartments is indicated generally by b and extends in the direction of the length of thecabinet and is disposed at the middle portion thereof. This division wall is constructed so that its opposite sides are connected to the oposite side walls 6 and 7 ofthe cabinet, but

its end walls are spaced from the adjacent through the coil. cThe unit 23 is horizontally disposed within the cabinet or counter and is arranged above a drip pan 26 which has upstandin ianges 27 providing supportingsills for t e opposite end portions of the unit 23. The opposite side portions of the drip pan 26 bear upon ledges 28 longitudinally disposed on the innerfaces of the side ' walls 6 and 7. The drip pan slopes down- Wardly from. the passage 21 to the passage 22 and terminates in a gutter29 provided with an outlet pipe 30 which is directed l counter. v d

into an-outlet 31 in the bottom 5 of the Ardisplay tray comprising a body 32 of foraminousmaterial is disposed above'the refrigerating unit 23 andby preference is arranged so as to slope upwardly and rearwardly from the front side wall 6, in which position it is supported by longitudinally disposed ledges 33 on theopposite inner faces ofthe side walls 6 and 7. The display tray 32is adapted to form a support for r the material to be displayed, which in pracof its entire contents.

tice is usually arranged upon dishes ortheir equivalents 34C, and the tray is so disposed' with relation to the transparencies 12 and-V permit observation 18 of the side walls as to In additionpto the communication between the compartments 19 and 20 afforded by the passages 21 and 22, further communication is elected through a series of ducts in l the form of tubes 35 which are arranged for 35 wardly through the middle portions'of the.`

spaced distances apart and extend downcasing-23 and through the corresponding portion of the dri pan 26. The upper ends of the tubes are anged as indicated b 36 in Figure 2, the tubes being removably tted in the openings of the casin and pan, as shown, and supported by the anges36.

`A transversely disposed bridge. wall or i baille 37 extends .upwardly from oneend of the' drlp pan 26 remote from the gutter 29.V

This baffle extendsv across-the space between u"the side -walls'6 andv 7 and yforms one side of the'passage 21, and its upper-end extends v abovethe display tray 32 and adacent Vto the top 10, the intervenin [fspaceetween the baille and the top vformurga continuationof `the passage 21.

meats such` as steaks, chops, or other perishable material for vfilling small orders, are

arranged for display in the receptacles 34 upon the display tray 32, while the larger or market cuts' are disposed within the' lower compartment'20, where their presence is hidden by the walls of the counter. When the refrigerating unit is rendered active by circulation of refrigerant through the coil thereof, the air in the lowerV compartment is first chilled and moves downwardly. This establishes a circulation of air through the AIn he as@ of the device', smul ne o fy this difference in the rate of circulation iny different portions of the interior of the counter, the entire body of air Within the counter is constantly and rapidly circulated with the result that low temperatures are qulckly had and readily maintained throughout the interior of the counter.

In instances where conditions might requlre the provlsion of mechamcal means as lan auxiliary for eiectmg clrculation within the counter,'a fan blower 38 may be provided and arranged within one `end portion of the lower space 20, preferably at the lower end of the passage 22, as shown in Figure 1.

, From tle foregoing it is'to be observed that when the counter of the present invention 1s in use, the cooll air is permitted to circulate entirely around the material dis posed within the counter, in that the foraminous body 32oifers no impediment to circulation in connection with the displayvshelf, andanother layerof foraminous material '39 arranged upon the upper face of the bottom 5 permits of circulation of the cold air around the material arranged thereon. Condensation formingupon the surface of the receptacles 34 or upon the casing 23 and fallingl therefrom is intercepted by the drip pan 26 and conveyed Vto the outlet 31. Although I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is to be `understood that the same is susceptible of various changes; and I reserve the right to employ such as ma come within the scope of the appended c aims.

Iclaimr 1 1. A combined refri erator and display counter comprising a ca inet interio-rly provided withan u per com artment for receiving the material to be isplayed, a lower compartment for receiving the materialto be stored and vertically extending passages `at the opposite ends of the compartments for placing the compartments-in communication with one another, a division'wall between said compartments extending longitudinally.V and transversely of the centralportion ofy theA cabinet fromone of said passages to the other and includin a refrigerating unit, and means for circulating air from one of Said vcompartments into the other and through the said passages.

2. yA combined refrigerator and display rcounter comprising.V a cabinet having opposite sideV and end walls, a division wall centrally located within the cabinet and extending from apoint adjacent to one of the end walls thereof to a point adjacent the oppo-` site end lwall whereby end passages are prolvvided, and upper and lower compartments,

said division wall including a tray having a oraminous base ortion for supporting the material to be isplayed, a refrigerating unit located below and in spaced relation to the tray, a drip' pan inclining downwardly from one end of thelower side of the refrigerator unit, and a baille plate located at. the higher end of the drip pan in one of said passages and extending upwardly in spacedy relation to the tray beyond the space between the refrigerating unit and the tray for deflecting currents of air upon the downvwardly inclined surface of the drip pan and into the space between the refrigeratlng unit and the tray.

3. A combined refrigerator and 'display counter comprising a cabinet having opposite side and end Walls, a divisionvwall centrall located within the cabinet and extend` ing rom a point adjacent to one of the end walls thereof to a point adjacent the opposite end wall whereby end passages are provided, and upper and lower compartments,` said .division wall including a tray having a foraminous' base portion for supporting the material to be displayed, a refrigcrating unit located below and in spaced relation to the tray,'a drip pan located below and in spaced relation to the refrigerating unit, and a plurality of'open ended tubular sections extending through the drip pan and the refrigerati-ng unit and into the space between the tray and the drip pan and into the lower compartment,

ELZA A. wILKINsoiv.

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