US2002328A - Serving tray - Google Patents

Description

May 21, 1935. o. MITCHELL SERVING TRAY FiledMarch 10, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I FREDIIENV FE FIG. 2.

INVENTOR ORV/LLE MITCHELL May 21, 1935. o. MITCHELL 2,002,328

SERVING TRAY Filed March 10, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheef, 2

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" ORV/LL: MITCHELL E MMW nrro'mvey V Patented May 21, 1935 rif T omrso j :The general objects ofitheinvention are to proi: .f i 902 3 8 r H @zgooaezs f I r @sERvING TlAY. -l' i 1 Orville h uan nas 1a.. was Ins-m a mpany; of Texas a corporation A dpplicati onMarclr lt, mag -seams. sites 6: (c1142) This invention 'relates to a novel construction of service trayrin-tended to be' supported from the lower sill. of the door window of ana t and to extend into the car.

duce a simplifiedconstruction of tray of this character, to render the sameeasy of application to the window; toifacilitate adjustingthetrayto a level positionywithin the car and to insure that the tray when once adjusted innposition will be prevented from displacement in the ordinary-fuse to which \it'is subjected. i In effect, my invention aims to improve the construction of service-tray described and claimediniLetters Patent toGraiham, No. 1,921;463,"dated'August 8, 1933; 1 The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, ingwhich: t. 1 Figure. 1 is a. sectional view through the right hand front doortof a carwithgthewindow in a grFigure .6 is a perspectivejview illustrating a modified construction of tray and hanger; and

Figure '7 is a longitudinal sectionalview. through aportion of the support shown .inFigure 6 Referring now to the drawings, the numeral I indicates a tray, and 2 a combined support and hanger therefon This combinedlsupport and hanger comprises a metal bar, preferably round in cross section, and bent uponitself at right angles at either end to form parallel arms 3, upwardly converging sidebars 4; and a horizontal portion '5. j The arms 3 are positioned on either side of the tray; at one end thereof and extend along said sides toapproximatelyone' half the length of the tray, and are secured'to the o-traywithin flanged portions 6 on the sideof the tray which are curved about the arms 3, as more clearly; shown in Figures l and 5.- The arms 3; where theyjoin the side barsl project-somedistance beyond the end of the tray, asshown byvFigure 2, and mounted oneach corner of the hanger 2 is-a metal 'clipJ, having a portion 8, partially encircling the arm 3 and forming a continuation of the; curved flange B, as shown by, Figure 5, and another portion 9,

curved about the lower endyportions of the side bars ,as shown"more particularly inFigures 3 and 5. The portions Band 9 of the clipsextend at right angles to each other, an'd'are joined toan integral substantially flat portion 10; whichprosionhook therewith.

j ects rearwardly beyond the side bars 4 and is then bent :inwardly at right anglesto provide a circular' flang'e H, Figures 1, 2 andr5, on which is secured arubber button I 2, which rests upon the insidel of thezcar when the tray isrmounted in position-onthe sillsof the window of the door.

so For suspending the tray in position I secure centrally of thehorizontal portion 5, of the hanger, a suspension member l3, Figures 2 and 4, the same comprising a body portion l4, whichis bent around and rigidly secured to the horizontal portion 5,?an'd an arm; l 5, which projects rearwardly at right angles ;to .the body. portion M. The arm i5 is provided with a slot 16, and adjustably mounted on the under side of saidarm is a suspensionhook I], Figures-1 and t4, which is adapted to be held in adjusted positions on the arm l5 on the-under-isi deof a horizontal portion 20 of the suspension hook [1, the bolt extending upward through; said horizontal portion and through the slot I S end having a hand wheel 2| mounted 'thereon, -between WmGh, nd the arm [5, is inter- .posed awasher, 22.; Asjillustrated in Figures 1, Zandghthearm 15 is corrugated at its sides to provide outwardly and upwardly inclined beads 2 am depending zfianges 24, serving as guides to secure themovement of the suspension hook :inright lines, anda relatively narrow central portion; 25, which contains the slot l6 and against the'under side of whichtthe horizontal portion 20 of the suspensionhook will bind when the hand lwheel2 turnedfdbwn to force the washer 22 into engagement with theupper surfaces'of the lateraljtapering beads 23. The construction presents, in efiect, a wedge engaged between the hand wheel and the horizontal portion 20 of theadjustable suspension hook, tending to increase the binding action between these parts, or to produce such binding action in the event the hand wheel is not turned into sufficiently firm' engagement "sill of the'window and prevent marring or scratching of the same by contact of the metal suspen- In practice, as shown by Figurel, the suspension .hook I1 is designed tobejinserted in the well of the' door which houses the glass window 21, when thelatteris lowered; As also indicated in Figure 1, thesidebars converging upwardly from :the extreme outer'sides .of the. device, will extend on either side \of. the operating handle 28, for

:by means of a bolt l8,=having ahead I9 secured 2a, having a horizontal portion 5a, this element being similar to the combined support and hanger 2, of the previous construction, but being of less F height. Secured on the horizontal portion. 5a is a hanger, 29, which is substantially'triangular' in shape, its lower portion being recessed as shown at 30 in Figure 7, to provide securing members; I,

which are curled about the horizontal portion 5a and spot-welded thereto, as indicated at 32 in Figure '7."- r

Atits upper end or apex, the hanger 29 is provided with an elongated opening 33. Fonsupporting the deviceon the sill iofthe window, I provide a suspension hook 34, which is..in the form 1 of a flat metalbar bent twice upon itself at right angles to form the hook and to'provide a narrow depending portion 35, which at its lower end is caused to partly encircle the horizontal part 5a of the support so as to pivot thereon as indicated at 36 in Figure '7. Secured to and projecting inwardly beyond the suspension hook 34 and through an elongatedopening- 33, is a bolt 31 having a hand wheel 38 screwed on the outer end thereof and having a central integral boss 39, which is adapted to bear against the upper end of the hanger,29.= 1 a r The above construction presents, in certain cases, some advantages over the preceding construction, particularly in rendering it easier to adjust the position of thetray to level the same when the window 21 is raised. It'will be seen that in the modified construction, the hand wheel 38 is disposed at the side of the hanger instead of being located ontop-of thesuspension hook, as in the preceding construction, thus rendering it quiteeasy for an occupantof the car to turn the hand wheel 38 to adjust the level ofthe tray.

Another advantage resides in-the fact that the leveling of the tray is accomplished inerely by turning the hand wheel, requiringthe use of only one hand, whereas, in'theprevious construction, the hand wheel must be turned with one hand and the trayraised or' lowered with'the other.

An impo'rtant'feature of the invention is the fact that in the main construction the sidebars 4 converge upwardly to provide a relatively narthe tray and prevents accidental turning or misplacement of thereof. A I s i The same principleis preserved in the modified construction, where the hanger 29 tapers upwardly to the-hook 34; V

In adjusting the'tray'lengitudinally, the but- I the trayin making adjustment tons #2 act asp'ivots or trunnions-for the tray,

and the narrow "suspension member at the top permits ready adjustment of the tray transversely. Another distinctive feature of the invention is the tapered or wedge shape ofthebinding surfaces of the arm I5, afi'orded by the beads 23 and central fiat portion 25, clearly illustrated in Figure 4. If the arm l5 were perfectly flat on opposite sidesany slight loosening of the hand wheel 2| or the failure of the operator to properly tighten this hand wheel when adjusting the tray to a level position would permit the arm to be drawn inward by weight applied on the tray, the latter turning on the trunnions l2, with the liability of discharging the contents of the tray into the laps of the occupants of the car. By providing binding surfaces on the arm l5 which form a Wedge between the corresponding binding surfacespofthe suspension hook and hand wheel, it

. will be obvious thatif the hand wheel should not be turned to force the respective binding surfaces into engagement, or if the hand wheel should be accidentally loosened, or unturned, the gradual outward divergence between the fiat surface 25 and the beads 23 will insure these parts moving into binding engagement with the hand wheel and suspension hook 20 and thus prevent any but a slight downward movementof the tray.

I claim: v

1. A serving tray. adapted-to be supported from the window. sill of' an automobile .comprising, in combination, a tray, an integral supporting structure therefor consisting of a one-piece metal bar having parallel portions extending along opposite sides of the tray, side'portions extending at right angles to said parallel portions and converging upwardly therefrom and a horizontal portion connecting the upper ends ofv said side portions, flanges on the sides of the trayinclosing and securing said parallel portions totheJtray, metal clips secured to said supporting structure at the therefor consisting of a one-piece metal bar having parallel portions projecting along opposite sides of the tray and a hanger portion consisting of side portions extending at right angles to said parallelportions and converging upwardly to a horizontal portion of the bar, flanges on the sides of said tray inclosing and securing said parallel portions to the tray, bumpers mountedon said supporting structure in line with said parallel portions, a suspension membersecured to and projecting outward from the horizontal portion at the upper end of said hanger and'a hook for engaging over' the sill of the window'adjustably mounted on'said suspension member. v

3. A serving tray adapted to be supported from the window sill of an automobile comprising, in

combination, a tray, a supporting structure therefor consisting of a one-piece metal bar having parallel portions projecting along opposite sides "of the tray and side portions converging upwardly to a horizontal portion of the bar, flanges on the sidesof said tray inclosing and securing said parallel portions to the tray, bumpers mounted on said support in line withsaid parallel portions,

a hanger secured to and projecting upwardly from the horizontal portion of said bar, a suspension member pivotally mounted centrally of the horizontal portion of said bar opposite said hanger wheel mounted on said bolt and engaging said and having a hook for engaging over the sill of hanger, whereby the upper end of the latter may the window, and means for adjusting'said supbe moved toward or from the suspension memport relative to said suspension member comprisher by turning said hand wheel in one direction 5 ing a bolt mounted on the latter and extending or the other.

through the upper end of said hanger, and a hand ORVIILE MITCHELL.

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