US2384112A - Twin portable tubs and supports therefor - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 4, 1945. H. E.- MEYER 2,384,112

TWIN PbRTABLE TUBS AND SUPPORTS THEREFOR Filed April 2, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVE -INTOR HARVEY'E'MEYER Sept. 4, 19 45. H. E. MEYER 2,384,112

TWIN PORTABLE IUBS AND SUPPORTS THEREFOR Filed April 2, 1941 Y 2 Sheet s-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HAnyzv a; MEYER ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 4, 1945 OFFICE TWIN PORTABLE TUBS AND SUPPORTS THEREFOR Harvey E. Meyer, Kansas City, Mo. Application April 2, 1941, Serial No. 386,483

2 Claims.

My invention relates to portable tubs, and more particularly to twin portable tubs.

It is highly desirable in connection with home laundry work to have a pair of tubs in close adjacency to each other, and it is also desirable to have the tubs portable. In order that the tubs could be placed closer together and more easily moved from place to place without tipping, it is desirable that the portable tubs be mounted in pairs so as to have common supporting means. While frameworks have been previously provided on which a pair of tubs was mounted in close adjacency, so that the same were fixed to the framework, a rather expensive framework was necessary in order to mount the tubs in pairs in such close adjacency, so that the same could be moved together as a unit. While single portable tubs have been previously provided, that were mounted directly on legs, so as to avoid the necessity of any additional framework, the advantage of mounting a pair of tubs on the same set of legs was largely lost, from an economy standpoint, because of the fact that additional framework wasnecessary to mount the pair of tubs on the legs, which made the cost of production of a pair of tubs so united to be movable about as a unit at least as great or greater than the cost of production of two separate portable tubs.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide twin portable tubs that are so constructed and mounted that the same can be produced very cheaply, all supporting framework under the tubs between the legs being dispensed with, and that are mounted firmly on the portable supporting means in fixed relation to each other, so as to bridge the space between the upper ends of the legs upon which the same aremounted, to pro vide portability therefor, in a manner to form a beam-like member made up of 'the tubs and the means fixedly securing the same together at their adjacent portions, which is strong and which will support all of the weight required of the structure with an ample factor of safety.

More particularly my invention comprises clamping means, mounted between the adjacent portions of a pair of tubs, securing the same together in fixed relationship so that the pair of tubs form a unit extending from one supporting means at the remote portion of one tub to the other supporting means at the remote portion of the other tub that is of suflicient strength and rigidity 'to support any load to which the same maybe subjected in normal use.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide a portable twin tub structure of the above mentioned character, that is provided with supporting means comprising pairs of legs at remote ends of the pair'of connected tubs, which legs are connected near their lower ends by means of bracing members that are angular in cross section and which are secured to the legs at one end of each thereof," and which are secured together at their other ends to unite'thesame at the junction points-of the diagonal braces, firmly in fixed relation to each other,.said bracing means and said legs and the clamping means, above referred to, being made up of members of such lengththat the same can be readily inserted within 'oneof the tubs of the pair-andthe tubs nested soias .to make a compact package'for'shipmentfrom the place of manufacture to theplace of use or sale, and providing a package that can be shipped :at a much lower freight rate than tubs mounted on a frame which must be'left set up, or partly set arranged for use in connection with what are,

commonly known as. square" tubs. 2

Fig. 2 is a similar view, partly broken away, showing-my invention as used in connectionwith what are commonly referred to as round tubs.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional viewon an enlarged scale through the clamping means utilizedin'Fig. 1, showing fragmentaryportions'of the tubswith which the clamping means engage. v

Fig. 4 is a top plan viewof the lower plateof the clamping means shown in, Fig.3, taken on somewhat smaller scale than Fig. 3. a

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the upperplate, or

bar, of the clamping means shown in Fig.- -3, taken on the same scale as Fig. 4. V Fig.6 is a section taken on the line lie-6 of Fig. 4, on an enlarged scale.

I Fig, '7 is a section taken on the line "l1 of Fig. 5, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section throughthe top clamping means and the square tubs engaged thereby. W W

Fig. 9 is a view similar toFig. 4, of the bottom clamping plate utilized in conjunction with round tubs. I

Fig.10 is a view similar .to. Fig. 5 of the top clamping plate utilized in conjunction with round tubs.

Fig. 11 is a section taken on the line of Fig. 9, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 12 is a section taken on the line |2l2 of Fig. 10, on an enlarged scale.

Fig, 13 i a fragmentary section through the top clamping means and the round tubs engaged thereby.

Fig. 14 is a detail horizontal sectional view of means for securing the adjacent ends of the diagonal bracing means to each other. 7

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary section taken on the line |-|5 of Fig. 14, the securing element being shown in elevation.

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary detail view, partly in horizontal section, of the connection between the bracing means and the legs, and

Fig. 17 is a vertical sectional view through the annular body portion of one of said bracing members.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in Fig. 1 is shown a pair of tubs 2| and 22, which are identical in shape and size, and which are what is commonly known as square tubs. As is obvious, said tubs have inclined sides, so that the bottom ortion thereof is somewhat smaller than the top portion thereof, and ordinarily such tubs are provided with beads 23 running around the top thereof, that may be made in any desired manner, and which follow the contour of the tub at its top edge. While these tubs are referred to as square tubs, the same are not actually square, but have straight sideportions 24, that are connected with each other by means of curved portions 25, the beads, of course, having similar straight and curved portions.

Said tubs are arranged with one of the straight side faces of one thereof in adjacency with the straight side face of the other tub, and are provided with legs 26 at the ends, or portions thereof that are remote from those portions that are adjacent each other, said legs being provided substantially at the rounding corner portions 25 that are remote from the adjacent sides of said tubs. The legs 26 diverge slightly away from each other in all directions, so as to provide greater stability for the unit made up of the portable unit comprising the pair of tubs,'with, of course, the lower ends thereof more widely spaced from each other than the upper ends thereof. The upper ends of the legs are secured, by any suitable clamping means 20, to the tubs adjacent the bottoms thereof, this clamping means not forming a part of this invention and being well known, the flanges depending from the bottoms of said tubs, which are shown at 21 in Fig. 3, being utilized to clamp the legs to the tubs, it being obvious that the clamping means can be readily engaged with shoulders formed by means of said flanges, so as to fix the legs to the tubs in depending diverging relation, as above referred to. 1

In order to dispense with all the underframes for the tubs and to make the tubs self-supporting on said legs, I provide clamping means for fixedly securing the adjacent portions of the tubs to each other so that the tubs will form a rigid bridging or beam-like member in conjunction with said clamping means, extending from one pair of legs 26 at one end of the unit to the other pair of legs 26 at the other end of the unit. Said clamping means for the so-called square tubs is shown more in detail in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, and com-- prises a lower clamping plate 28, which ha flanges 29 thereon projecting upwardly from the longitudinal edges of said clamping plate, said clamping plate having curved edged enlargements at the opposite ends thereof and said flanges having curved portions 30 that extend along the edges of said curved edged enlargements, so as to follow the contour and interfit with similarly curved. portions on the depending flanges 2'! on the tubs 2| and 22. The straight portions of the flanges 29, .of course, fit the straight portions of the flanges 21 that lie at the bottom edges of the straight walls 24, and the curved portions 30 of the flanges follow the contour of and engage the curved portions of the flanges 21 lying at the bottom edges of the curved wall portions 25 of said tubs that are adjacent each other. Thus the bottom plate 28 is mounted in interfitting relation to the bottoms of the adjoining tubs, with the flanges 29 and 21 in inter-engagement with each other, so as to prevent any tendency of the tubs 2| and 22 to separate at their bottom edges. Also any tendency of the tubs to get out of transverse alignment with each other is avoided, due to the curved flange portions 30 cooperating with the correspondingly curved flange portionsdepending from the tubs 2| and 22.

Said clamping means further comprises a top clamping plate 3|, which is substantially channel-shaped in cross section, with straight parallel flanges 32 depending therefrom throughout the major portions of their length and engaging the inner sides of the straight portions of the beads 23 at the top edges of the walls 24 of the tubs 2| and 22 that lie adjacent each other. Said top clamping plates 3| are provided with end enlargements having curved side edges 33 that have curved portions 34 of the flanges 32 depending therefrom, said curved flange portions 34 engaging the inner sides of the curved portions of the beads 23 in a manner clearly evident from Figs. 1 and 8. Referring to Figs. 5 and -8 it will be noted that'the enlarged ends 33 have offset portions 43 therein defining diverging curved grooves l9, receiving the beads 23 therein at the curved top edge portions of the tubs. All tendency for the tubs to get out of'alignment with each other longitudinally of the clamping plate 3| and to move toward each other is avoided, due to these curved grooves |9 thereon that engage said beads 23 at the curved ortions thereof to prevent any shifting of the tubs relative to the clamping plates 3| lengthwise and transversely of said clamping plates, the flanges32 on the plates 3| preventing any separation of the tubs and the clamping plates and tubs thus being fixed relative to each other.

The clamping plates 28 and 3| are provided with openings 35 and 36, respectively,that align with, each other, through which the headed screw-threaded securing elements 31 extend to firmly clamp the plate-like members 28 and 3| to the tubs and thus rigidly fix the tubs to each other at their adjacent portions, said fastening elements 31 being made in the form of long headed rod-like members receiving the nuts 38 on the screw-threaded ends thereof.

The-clamping plates 28 are, preferably, provided with aplurality of transverse stiifening formations 39 and a plurality of longitudinal stiffening flanges 40, and with transverse stiffening flanges 4| along their opposite end edges. The wide end portions of the clamping plates 3| are also provided with stiffening flanges 42, similar to the flanges 4|, and theoflfset portions 43, in which the openings 36 are located. The

The legs 26 are, of course, provided with casters 44, which are mounted in any desired manner, as with the upstanding stem portionsthereof mounted in openings 45 in the legs, such as shown in Fig. 16. Adjacent the bottom ends of the legs 26 bracing membersare provided, comprising the transverse bracing members 46 and the obliquely or diagonally extending bracing members 41. The bracing members 46" and the bracing members 41 are all made angular in cross section, as illustrated for the one bracing member 41 in Fig. 17. However, the ends thereof are flattened, as shown at 48 in Figs. 14, and 16, and said flattened ends 48 of a diagonal bracing member 41 and of a transverse bracing member 46 are secured to each leg 26 in the manner shown in Fig. 16, the flattened portions 48 being perforated to receive the headed screw-threaded securing element 49, and the leg portions 26 being shaped so as .to become substantially U-shaped in cross section at their lower ends for receiving the flattened end portions 48 of the braces 46 and 41 between the parallel leg portions of said U- shaped ortion of said leg.

Four of the members 41 comprise a diagonal bracing means, and these are secured together at their meeting ends in the manner shown in Figs. 14 and 15, said members being made in this manner and secured together at their junction so that the entire portable tub device can be readily compactly packed for shipment. The tub 2| can be nested in the tub 22, or vice versa, when these are separate, such as when the clamping means are not in place, and all the parts, including the legs 26, upon release of the clamping means 20, the braces 45, the braces 41, and the clamping means 28, 3| and 31 can be placed within one of the nested tubs, the same being all of such length as to be no greater than the greatest diameter of the tub 2| or 22.

The means for securing the adjacent ends of the diagonal braces 41 together comprises a pair of channel members 50, which are arranged back to back, and which have flaring or diverging flanges 5|, thus providing tapering grooves, having their narrowest transverse dimension at the bottoms thereof, on opposite sides faces of said clamping means. Said channel-shaped members 50 can be permanently secured together back to back, if desired, or can be made as shown in Fig. 14, in which each of said channel-shaped members has a lug 52 struck out from the material of said member, which engages in a slot 53 of the other of said members, so as to hold said pair of members 50 from any longitudinal movement relative to each other, any other suitable means for preventing such longitudinal movement being also usable, of course, but the particular means shown being economical in manufacture and cheap, while serving the purpose satisfactorily. The flattened end portions 48 of said bracing members 41 are mounted in the grooves formed between the flanges 5|, and the screw-threaded headed fastening elements 54 are passed through aligning openings in the flattened portions 48 and channel members 50, and tightened up to firmly clamp the flattened ends in the tapering grooves formed by means of the flanges 5|, to thus firmly fix the diagonal bracing (ill members 41 to eachother at their Junction and:

gform a substantially X-shaped unitary brace thereof extending from one, pair of .legs 26 to the,

other 'pair of legs 26. Y I

. In Fig. 2 my invention isshown as modified for use in connectipn with round tubs. The legs 26 are secured in the samemanner as previously described and are provided with similar bracing means to those shown inFig. 1, and these accordingly are not again shown, said legs being secured in a similar manner to that previously referred to. The tubs 2| and 22 are provided witha circular top edge that has thebead 23' thereon and flanges 21, similar to 'theflange 21, depend from the rounded bottoms of the tubs,

said tubs flaring upwardly in a similar'mannerto that of the squaretype of tub shown in Fig. 1, as will be obvious from Fig. 2.

A bottom clamping plate 28' and a top clamping plate 3|, secured together by means of the headed screw-threaded securing members 31, are provided for fixedly securing the adjacent portions of the tubs 2| and 22' to each other. The clamping plates 28 and 3| are shown more in detail in Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13. Said clamping plate 28 has a pair of concavely curved edge portions, which are provided with upstanding curved flanges 55, which are curved on the same are as the depending peripheral flanges 21 on the tubs 2| and 22' and fit around thesein a similar manner to the flanges 29 and 30, previously described in connection with Figs. 1, and 3 to 8, inclusive. stiffening formations 39, similar to the formations 39, and openings 35 are provided, as in the form of the invention previously described, and longitudinal stiffening formations the tubs 2| and 22. Said clamping plate is also provided with the end flanges 42, similar to the flanges 42, for stiffening the same, and with offset portions 43', said offsets 43 and flanges 51 defining curved grooves l9 receiving the beads 23' therein to hold the tubs in flxed position relative to said top plate 3|. The clamping plates 3| have the openings 35 in said ofiset portions 43 in a similar manner to that described in connection with the form of the invention shown in Figs. 3 to 8, inclusive. It is, of course, ob-

vious that when the clamping plates 28' and 3| are clamped in position by means of the screw-threaded headed fastening elements 31, the same will rigidly secure the tubs 2| and 22 in fixed posit on relative to each other, so that the same will not shift lengthwise of the members 3| and 28' nor transversely thereof. It will also be obvious that the tubs 2| and 22' can be nested in a similar manner to the tubs 2| and 22 and the various parts of the clampin means for connecting the tubs, the braces, and the legs, nested within one of said tubs so as to make a compact package for shipping.

What I claim is:

1. In a portable tub structure, tubs. and means for supporting said tubs comprising legs on which said tubs are mounted and diagonal braces con-' necting said legs to form a framework having said, legs projecting upwardly from the corners thereof, said braces comprising a plurality of members of angular cross section having flattened ends, means for securing one of said flattened ends ofueach of said members to a leg and clamping means for securing the other flattened ends of all said le'gs together, comprising a pair of channel-shaped members arranged back to back, means for holding said channel-shaped -members against relative longitudinal movement and means for clamping saidlother flattened ends in the channels of said members. r

, 2. In a tub support of the character described, a framework comprising pairs of spaced upstanding legs and means preventing the separation of said legs at thelower'ends thereof; comprising diagonal braces connecting said legs, said braces ing said other flattened ends in the channels of said members, said channel-shaped members having flaring flanges with which said ends have 15 wedging engagement.

HARVEY E. MEYER.

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