US2323870A - Cooler lid - Google Patents

Description

July 6, 1943; w. G. KALISKA 2,323,870

I COOLER LID Filed D60. 2, 1939,

Patented July 6, 1943 COOLER LID WilliamGLKaliska, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to The Coca-Cola Company, Wilmington, Del., acorporation of Delaware Application December 2, 1939, Serial No. 307,237 4- Claims. .(Cl. 220-24) This'invention relates tothe beverageindustry, and more particularly has to do with means of preventing losses to merchants using certain auxiliary equipment in the retailing of soft drinks.

Throughout the United States and the world it has in recent years become customary to sell bottled beverages from refrigerators or what is commonly known a coolers. These devices are generally made of metal, are insulated, and their interiors comprise a tank into which the bottles are placedalong with ice and water for the purpose of reducing their temperature .to a point of optimum potability. The tops of conventional coolers now in use usually consist of two hinged lids; and the customer frequently serves himself as by raising one of the lids, selecting the beverage which he desires, removing the crown from the bottle with an opener attached to the cooler for that purpose, and paying the owner either after finishing his drink or during the process of consumption. Such a practice enables a small merchant to look after more customers than he otherwise could, and in the case of filling station operators, make possible a profitable side-line Without the necessity of hiring extra help. The i regular attendants as a general thing spend their entire time looking after the duties normally associated with servicing cars, and insofar as the soft drink business is concerned are only cashiers.

The common American practice of placing beverage coolers in filling stations, where travelers and others may take advantage of brief stops and necessary waits to refresh themselves, has, however, led to some special problems. For example, filling station are not as a rul large, and by the time necessary articles such as cans of oil and grease, water buckets, and the like have been brought inside at night there is no room for a device the size of a cooler, and accordingly such are generally left out. Initially, this meant that the entire contents thereof had to be removed at closing time and brought into the building, this resulting in loss of refrigeration, some breakage clue to the excessive handling of bottles, and extra work. It was necessary to do this though because otherwise a passer-by in the night might rifle the cooler of its contents.

In order to prevent these economic losses certain instrumentalities were next devised for locking the lids of coolers, these initially consisting of a pair of locks, somewhat similar to those found on automobile doors, being placed at opposite ends of the lids. While this expedient was at first satisfactory, it was soon discovered that thieves were opening coolers by prying th lids up in the middle, the hinges there giving way under no g-reat'strainand the vandal then being able to help himself to the contents of the refrigmater and depart, leaving behind a badly sprung and potentially deficient refrigerating device.

To remedy this situation, means in the nature of sliding bars were provided, which members operated on the under side of the lid by being pushed into position across the inner meeting points thereof, thus tending to prevent their being pried upwardly. The chief objection to this expedient was that the human element often resulted in said bars not being pushed into operati'v'e position when the cooler was closed for the night with the result that thieves regularly came along and pried open lids where a dormant safet'y device served no useful purpose.

An object of my invention is to provide automatic means for preventing the prying open of cooler lids.

Another object is to provide economical locking means for such refrigerating devices.

A still further object is to provide simple and efficient means for preventing the riding of 0001 61s when such have been locked.

Another object is to provide cheapnes of construction and simplicity in a safety device of the instant type.

These and other objects made apparent through the further progress of this spec fication are accomplished by means of my improved cooler lid, a full and complete understanding of which will be facilitated by reference to the drawing herein, in which Fig; 1 is a view in perspective of a cooler embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in vertical crosssection of the structure shown in Fig. 1, said view being taken along the line 2-2 of said figure lookingin the direction of the arrows;

Fig; 3 is an enlarged View in' vertical cross-section-of the structure shown in Fig. 2, said view being taken along the 1ine'3'- 3 of said figure; and

Fig. 4 is an exploded view in perspective show ing the variou elements of the hinge member, which may be said to constitute the essence of my invention.

Referring now to the drawing, l0 illustrates a cooler of the type described heretofore, said cooler having top elements or lids H and I2, positioned at either end of which are locks I3 and I4, same not being described in detail herein since per se they do not constitute part of the instantinvention.

Attention is now directed to the hinge members which join said lids together along their inner meeting line and permit such to be pivoted upwardly upon the handle members l5 or 16 of locks 13 and I4 being grasped and suitable directional force applied, such movement resulting in exposing the contents of the cooler to the eye of the prospective purchaser.

Said hinges embody a more or less conventional element I! which is attached to one of the lids as through the medium of appropriate screws such as I8, said hinge element having suitably spaced circular apertures l9 contemplated to be associated with similar elements 20 of a second hinge element 2!, a pintle 22 then being passed through said openings and thereby pivotally joining the members.

Directing special attention to hinge element 2|, it will be noted that such is not conventional in form in that fabricated integral therewith and at right angles to the normal plane surface thereof is auxiliary element 22, same extending a suitable distance to insure the results described infra and preferably being formed of metal of the same thickness as the remainder of the hinge. Or, if desired, greater than ordinary strength may be afforded this wing member by increasing the thickness or making it from metal having a high carbon content. Element 2| is affixed to the lid opposite element I! as through the instrumentality of screws IS.

The operation of my device is as follows:

When it is desired to lock the cooler, as when a business establishment is being closed for the light, locks 13 and M are actuated by means of keys provided for that purpose. The cooler is now automatically sealed against pilferers, it being apparent that any attempt to pry open the lids in the middle will be thwarted by virtue of the fact that elements 22 extend under lid H in such manner as to in effect make said lid, with corresponding element I2, one piece, a rigid and substantially tamper-proof structure being thereby afforded. No adjustment is necessary to make this safety device operative, it always being in place yet interfering in no way with the normal operation of the lids, it being apparent that lid l l is free to be pivoted upwardly without interference from elements 22 and it likewise being clear that lid l2 may be readily raised, said locking elements then traveling downwardly in an arc and in no way obstructing the operation of the lid, the space at the top of the cooler always being ample to allow such a movement.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have disclosed a new and useful locking and safety device of the instant type, which device is simple and automatic in its operation, economic in its manufacture, devoid of moving parts to get out of order, and in general thoroughly satisfactory for its intended purpose.

While I have described my invention with particular reference to coolers, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to such use, but on the contrary intend that the scope of protection to be accorded me shall be such as to embrace any other use to which the instant device may be suitably put. Also, I have described in some detail the specific structure of a preferred form of my invention and made some reference to materials, but this is not to be taken in any limiting sense, I intending on the contrary that the appended claims shall be accorded a scope fairly in keeping with my contribution to the art.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a refrigerator, 2, pair of abutting lids closing the top thereof, locks for said lids, and means preventing the lids from being forced upwardly at their abutting faces, said means comprising a hinge member attached to one of said lids on its abutting face and having an elongated lower portion bent at substantially right angles and extending beneath and in contact with the inner portion of the lid opposite to that to which it is attached, said lower portion being of a length at least equal to that of the section of the hinge directly attached to the lid.

2. In a device of the character described, a plurality of abutting lid members, and means for preventing same from being forced upwardly along their abutting faces, said means comprising a hinge member attached to one of said lids on its abutting face and having an elongated lower portion bent at substantially right angles and extending along the lower surface of and in contact with the lid opposite to that to which said hinge member is anchored, said elongated lower portion being of a length at least equal to that of the segment of the hinge attached to the lid.

3. In a device of the character described, in combination, a refrigerator box, abutting lids registering with the top thereof, locks for said lids, and means preventing the lids from being pried upwardly in the region of their abutting faces, said means comprising a flat hinge member secured to one of the lids on its abutting face and pivotally associated with a second hinge member secured to the opposite lid and having its lower edge bent at substantially right angles and extending beneath and contiguous to the lid opposite to which it is secured, said lower edge being of a length at least equal to that of the portion of the hinge attached directly to the lid.

4. In combination with a pair of abutting lids, a hinge member consisting of an element having a plane surface and pintle receiving apertures said element being secured to one of said lids on its abutting face; and a second element having cooperating apertures, associated with said first element and mounted on the abutting face of said other lid, said second element having an elongated lower portion bent at substantially right angles to contact the lower portion of the lid opposite to which it is anchored, said elongated lower portion being of a length at least equal to that section of the element attached directly to the lid, and a pintle uniting said hinge elements in pivotal relationship.

WILLIAM G. KALISKA.

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