US1657226A - Adjustable rack - Google Patents

Description

s. w. NELDNER ADJUSTABLE RACK Filed April 22. 1927 Jan. 24," 1928.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Stephen 74 N eldn er his Attorney Jan. 24, 1928. k 1,657,226

s. w. NELDNER ADJUSTABLE RACK Filed April 22. 19.2.7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig, 4 7 J2 Patented Jan. 24, 1923.

. UNITED STATES res ns STEPHEN W. NEL'DNEB, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ADJUSTABLE RACK.

Application filed April 22, 1927. Serial No. 185,876.

I This invention relates generally to adjustable racks but more particularly to such racks used in ovens. j

An object of this invention isto support a vessel in a container in such a manner that it may be raised or lowered therein without requiring its withdrawal therefrom.

A more specific object of the invention, is to enable cooking vessels placed in thelower portion of an oven to be elevated without necessitating the opening of the ovendoor.

lVhen baking it is customary to start the process near the lower pOitlOIl of an oven so that the product becomes thoroughly cooked before it is permitted to brown over the top which object is usually accomplished by withdrawing the product and replacing it on a shelf near the top of the oven. Such withdrawal andv replacementhas been found quite inconvenient and even dangerous as frequently serious injury has resulted by the spilling of t e product over the hands and person of the individual conducting the baking. Furthermore such method requires that the oven door he kept open during the shifting of the position of the product which lowers the temperature of the oven and not only wastes heat but oftentimes the cool air.

striking the product destroys its character to such a degree as to necessitate its abandonment.

It is therefore a more specific object of the invention toenable the product to be moved from the bottom to the top of an oven or vice versa without opening the oven door and consequently eliminate the danger and waste attending the methods heretofore in use.

Astill further object of the invention is to enable the product to be removed from the oven without requiringthat the individual. conducting the baking inject his hands into the heated area. I

A feature of the invention is its ability to be withdrawn from an external housing to such. a position as to give complete access to a vessel placed thereon.

Another feature of the invention is its adjust-ability which enables vessels carried thereby to be raisedor lowered to varying positions and to accommodate vessels varying in height.

A further feature of the invention is its nicety of control which enables the user to secure the exact adjustment desired.

Other objects and advantageswill be apparent from the following description taken forming the present invention.

in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a stove showing the present invention mounted in the oven.

I Figure 2 is a sectional view through the oven shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation ofthe rack Figure l is a side elevation of the rack' shown in Figure 3.

Referring to the figures of the drawings in detail, the present invention is illustrated applied to a gas range 10, mcludlng an oven 11 provided with the usual top wall 12',

and bottom wall 13. This oven is provided with double side walls 14:. and double rear walls 15 leaving a space 16 between. said walls and a space 17 between said rear walls. A; door 18 is hingedly mounted on the range. To the right ofthe oven 11 is an open coinpartmentprovided with a top wall 19, rear wall 20 and floor 21.. Grates 22 are formed in said compartment at a point somewhat re- This is accomplished. in the present invention by mounting in the oven 11 a rack 25 (see Figures 3 and 4t). i i Thisraclr 25 comprising a. base consisting of a pair of side rails 26 connected at their front ends bya rail 27 and at their rear ends by a plate 28. l i

lonnected tov the base atth'e rear thereof is an inverted U-shaped support. This support includes side plates 29 joined attheir top ends by a top plate 30. Formed integrally with each of the side plates-29 is an elongated bracket 3i. provided with an Underneath inwardly. extending flange 32. Provided be Q brackets 31, adjacent the top thereof and in vertical alignment with another bracket3 l.

the flange 32 Adjustably mounted on this rack is-a Ill) shelf indicated generally at for holding a vessel ofanyhlhd (not shown). An nnportant feature of the present invention is means to adjust this shelf.35,thorizontally so that it may readily heinoved lip and down away or toward the floor of the oyen nnder which is the flame (not shown), which means is readily accessible from "the exterior of the oven. This shelf 35 comprises a rear plate 36, SldOVPlLlZGS 37, said side plates 37 being joined at their front ends hy a rod 38'. Passingxhetween said rear plate 36 and frontrod 38iis aplurality of rods 39 forming the floor of said shelf. *Riveted to the rear a'nchside plates of .the shelf atithe points where said plates are joined is a bracket 40, whichlhracket is fornied with a central internally serew threadecl OpGlllngAll. This shelf 35 is mounted oh a:pai1of upright screw rods 42jo1irnalledin the hra'oltets 3i; and flanges "32, the sei'ew threads of which rods lQQrre adapted to engage with the screw threa ds on the iinteri or of :the 'openin l1 ofthe brackets 40, permitting said shelf fto iride'up and downnpon the rods 4-2.

- .The means for drivin said shelf up and down comprises the :tollowin iz Passing through one ofthe tuhhlar side rails 26 of the base is a main driving shaft l3, the inner end of which is jonrnalled in a pair of cars formed on' the lower end of said side plates 29 of the support. Fined on said shaft 43 at a pointi'eino red aem its inner end is a pinion 45. 'It will be noted from Figure Qthat this shaft 43, when the raeleisin normal position in the oven 11,

extends outside itheloven and mounted on the outside end lOftlJlmSllt Yf l .43 is a hand wheel 46 .ffll. convenience in rotating the said" shaft x 513. Mounted bnthe exterior of one of the side plates 29 of the "support, adjacentythe toppahd hottoin thereof is a braelret li'. Journalled in these .hraeketseti is an intermediary "upright drive shaft 48 'PIOVlL'lECl with pinions 4 9 and 50, at its lower and upper ends, "respectively The positions of thesedrii e shafts as and 2&8 f are suoh that the 1 pinions a5 and 4-9 are conti nb allfy in meshfi Journalled in the side plates 25) of the support is another shaift halywhich sh aftis disposed at right angles to the shaft thereof is a pinionx53 whichpinions L53 are continuously inimesli with pinions oatlfiz'ced toithertop lelldi oftlie iipright screw rodsil'Q,

1t" The apparent 1 ifroi'n" Fig. i that the ran-k ieompfrisin ftlie base-support and shelf forms a unitary stnictiii'et fllhis unitary str t re i a p ed to e Altered f ite and out of the oven 11 and the means fo' accomplishing this movement istan important feature of the present invention. Fi l illnstratesnthe str netnre partially out of the oven; lteferriiig "particdl'arly to Figs. 1 and 2,,it will he noticed that a handle 55 mounted on the front rail of the base. iIt will he seenLthat when the structure is in normal position as shown in Fig. the side rails 26 are disposed withinthespace '16 hetweeirthe double side walls ll l; of the oven 11 and extending through openingsfiti in the front ofl'the haseof the oven; and that theifront rail-27 normally cflisposial outside the oven. The said side 1' il... ill; slide freelylhetween thesidc "walls-Ji l; fie euredtotheinterior-ofeach of the said side walls of the oven at a point adjacent the itop ithereof and (intending from the l'roat to the rear-is a rail 57. in normal position, this rail (attends tlnrough the' openings 33 oftthevhraciceis ill permitting the rack to slide freely thereon.

lf desired, roller-s58, illustrated in llligr.

inayzhe mo ilnted on the; inner'sides of the plates 29 to facilitate the movement "of the rack on the rail 57.

will tli'ive tile main shalftslh nrhieh,firmitagh the meshing i pinioiis drives the intermediary shit-ft 1&8, which latter shaft d8" in .t urn tllrongh the 'ineshlng pinions drives the shaft 51, and this :latter sha'l't' ill heinglop- UUfllilVUly connected to the nprigrht st reds +19, turns "the :latter rhds alnd due to llllfi rooperation' of thewthreads on said rods and thenthreads on the shelfhi, said shelf moves up and down as will be apparent. It will the notedl that this is zuzcoinplished ilrrini the outside i of lithe' i'ange .hy means of the hand wheel so and that it is not IKGC at}; to in-i sent uthe's hands inside the oven and fartherinoretl'iat a very Tline\adjustinent may he had. If *it \is deeired lto :inspee the ifood in the re 1 oniithe shelf 35 Ol' l"l1ll3 food the food after it isucoiihed, thefrauhcomprising! the fhaso, support amlshehf ifllilirll fi vessel may he witlulrawn l'lfoarthu rolmn fill so that said :ressel. is posil'oiaafl o '1"- of llllfiwil'l'flll where it readily a m and can he? attended ,to as dosh-ml. if s ill: accomplished by simply openingthethan of the men and pullingon the lzarallh 55 onthe rail 27. asemul tion11a side irailsQIl) slideloutwardly of i e spz between the clbuhle walls lrlof the even while the support moves freelyontwartlly f the oven along the rails 5T carrying-She shelf. 35 alofig. withliit, said rails 57 and openings 56 guiding elillQQlDOYfilllfllTtt hf the rack as: will he mncleissteod.

Awhile 1 have illus rat d and cle cariherl g1 ti l preferred embodiment of my invention, it

will be understood that changes may be made in the details thereof without depart ing from the spirit of the invention and it is desired to be limited only by the state of the art and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable rack comprising a base having continuous front and side rails and a rear plate, a support including side and top plates mounted on the rear end of said base, a shelf movably mounted on said support and means to move said shelf, said means comprising a main drive shaft, an intermediary drive shaft operatively connected. to said main shaft, a third drive shaft operatively connected to said. intermediary shaft, a pair of screw rods operatively connected to said third drive shaft and mounting said shelf: anda hand wheel. mounted on said main drive shaft to rotate the same.

in combination with a container, a rack mounted within said container, said rack comprising a base having side and frontrails and a rear plate, a support mounted on the rear end of said base, a shelf adjustably mounted on said support and means to adjust said shelf comprising a main drive shaft having one end extending outside the container, an intermediary drive shaft operatively connected to said main drive shaft, a third drive shaft operatively connected to said intermediary drive shaft, :1 pair of screw rods operatively connected to said third drive shaft, said screw rods mounting said shelf and a hand wheel mounted on the exterior end of said main drive shaft to rotate the same.

3. In combination with a container, pro vided with double side and rearwalls having a space therebetween, a rack movably mounted in said container, saidrack comprising a base having side and front rails and a rear plate, said side rails disposed in the space between the double side walls and hereto.

said front rail disposed exteriorly of the container, a support comprising side and top plates mounted on said base, said side plates being disposed within the space between the double side walls, a shelf mounted on said support, and a handle on the front rail of the base whereby said base, support and shelf may be moved outwardly and inwardly of said container.

4. In combination with an oven, a rack mounted within said oven, said rack comprising a base having side and front rails and a rear plate, a support mounted on the rear end of the base, a shelf adjustably mounted on said support and means to adjust said shelf comprising a main drive shaft having one end extending exteriorly of the oven, an intermediary drive shaft operatively connected to said main drive shaft, a third. drive shaft operatively connected to said intermediary drive shaft, a pair of screw rods operatively connected to said third drive shaft, said rods mounting said shelf, and a hand Wheel mounted on the exterior end of said main drive shaft to rotate the same.

5. In combination with an oven provided with double side and rear walls having a space therebetween, a. rack movably mounted in said oven, said rack comprising a base having side and front rails and a rear plate, said side rails disposed in the space between the double side walls and said front rail disposed exteriorly of the oven, a support comprising side and top plates, said side.

plates being disposed within the space between the double side walls, a shelf mounted on said support and a handle on the front rail of the base whereby said base, support and shelf may be moved outwardly and inwardly of said oven.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name STEPHEN w. NELDNER.

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