US1914473A - Incubator - Google Patents

Description

L.. A. WILSON June 20; 1933.

INCUBATOR Filed April 29,. 1929 INVENTOR ze/m /60/7 A'TTORNEY Patented June 20, 1933 UNITED STATES LELAND A. WILSON, F MERRIAM, KANSAS INCUBATOR Application filed April 29, 1929. Serial No. 359,065.

My invention relates to incubators and more particularly to supports for incubator housings, the principal objects of the invention being to retain the housing in a tilted position, and to facilitate the repositioning of a housing for readjusting the positions of the eggs.

In ordinary incubating practice, a housing is adapted for support in fixed position and the eggs must be turned at frequent intervals by hand or by manipulation of trays to promote the incubating process, and the housing must be opened, with consequent hazard of cooling the eggs, for this purpose. A particular object of my invention is to provide for tipping the housing to effect the repositioning of the eggs so that the eggs and egg trays need not be touched during the incubating process, and the eggs need not be exposed to atmosphere.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of an incubator constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section from front to back illustrating the incubator in one tipped position, an alternative position being shown in dotted lines.

Referring in detail to the drawing:

1 designates generally a housing including front and rear walls 2 and 3 forming a chamber 4 in which are slats 5 secured to the housing to receive trays 6 on which eggs 7 may be positioned.

Heating elements 8 are mounted in the housing and a water pan 9 is supported in the chamber adjacent the bottom thereof. A door 10 is provided in the front wall 2.

My invention relates particularly to a housing support comprising rockers 11 which may be integral with the end walls and having lower edges including arcuate middle portions 12 limited to the middle portion of the casing and flat end portions projecting beyond the sides of the casing to engage a supporting surface whereby the housingmay be tipped or tilted in one or another direction.

In order to limit the rocking movement of the support and retain the housing in a desired tilted position, I limit the arcuate edges and mount adjustable stop elements generally designated 13 on the outer faces of the rockers at opposite sides of the apices of the rockers. he stops comprise brackets including tubular sockets 15, and pins 16 siidable in the sockets and adapted to extend beyond the arcuate edges of the rockers and to be latched in extended position. The stops may be of ordinary construction such as those used for latching a door in a selected position, the pins having ears 17 whereby the conventional ratchet-like latch may be operated. J i

In. using the device the housing will normally be supported in vertical position due to the balancing of the housing on the rockers. The housing may be tilted, for example to the left in Fig. 2, the latches on the left hand side of the rockers viewed from the front yielding and being retracted into their socketlike supports. The rockers are stopped and retained by engagement of the flat face portions with the floor, and the stops on the left hand side are then latched in extended position projecting from the edges of the rockers, 30 so that the stops will engage the floor and prevent the return of the housing to vertical position. .The eggs will thus be tipped due to their close assembly in the trays and if they are loosely supported in the trays they 35 will tend to roll to assume new positions.

hen it is desired to turn the eggs the stop members which engage the floor are released and the housing tilted in the other direction, whereupon the eggs are turned and assume new positions with reference to the horizontal floor and may roll if loosely arranged on the trays as is the case with the majority of the eggs shown in the drawings.

When the housing is thus tilted to the desired new position, the opposite stops are operated and latched in projecting position to engage the floor and prevent return of the rockers and housing from the new position.

The housing therefore need not be opened 1109 for turning the eggs, and since the eggs may be turned without handling, they may be arranged on end, and a larger number may thus be assembled on a tray.

hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a casing, means for tiltably supporting the casing including a'rocker provided with an arcuate floor engaging face having its center portion located midway of the Width of the casing and having a flat end portion to engage the fioor for stopping tilting movement of the casing in one direction, and means operable adjacent said free end portion for preventing tilting movement of the support in the opposite direction.

2. In a device of the character described, a casing, means for tiltably supporting the casing including arocker provided with an arcuate floor engaging portion having its center arranged midway of the width of the easing and having a fiat end portion to engage the floor to stop tilting movement of the easing in one direction and a stop member mounted on said rocker including means projectible beyond the arcuate face portion at a point adjacent said fiat end portion to engage the floor, and means engaging said projectible means to retain the said means in floor engaging position.

3. In an incubator, a casing, means for supporting the casing including rockers arranged transversely of the casing to tiltably support the same and including middle portions having arcuate floor engaging faces limited to the middle portion of the casing and end portions having flat faces extending tangentially from the ends of the arcuate faces substantial distances beyond the sides of the casing, stop members, means for movably mounting the stop members on said middle portion of one of the rockers adjacent said flat faced end portions to be projected beyond the arcuate face of said rocker, and means for retaining the stop members in projected position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LELAND A. WILSON.

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