US2407627A

US2407627A - Pressure cooker

Info

Publication number: US2407627A
Application number: US498347A
Authority: US
Inventors: Chandler James Harvey
Original assignee: Ekco Products Co
Current assignee: Ekco Products Co
Priority date: 1943-08-12
Filing date: 1943-08-12
Publication date: 1946-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 1963-09-17
Also published as: GB586581A

Description

SePt- 17. 1946 J. H. CHANDLER 2,407,627

` PRESSURE COOKER Filed Aug; 12, 194:5 zsheets-sheet 1 f3.9 27 Il lll" /9 2@ -fea /7 l 2 9 J/ 20 3 g /2 y ,5 /3 l ,a Y*

H' )lK y /6 ;l` r A R1 22 2/ mllllllili Sept. 17, 1946.A J. H.`cHANDLER 2,407,627

PRESSURE cooKER Filed Aug. 12, 1945 -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 17, 1946 PRESSURE COOKER James Harvey Chandler, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to Ekco Products Company, a corporation of Illit nois Application August 12, 1943, Serial No. 498,347

3 Claims. l

This invention relates to pressure cookersof the type wherein an annular portion of the closure or cover extending beyond the area' thereof corresponding to the area of the closure receiving opening is adapted to be confined within the container through upward pressure of said annular portion of the cover against an `internal annular seat around the opening.

It is an object of this invention to provide a Yclosure for use 'in conjunction with `an internal seating arrangement of this character embodying features of construction whereby the introduction and removal of the closure are facilitated. `This inventionaccordingl'y contemplates the Vuse of a closure adapted to be temporarily flexed linto a shape wherein its dimension is sufficiently reduced to be passed throughthe cooker opening toward and away from a position below the annular seat within the cooker receptacle through the action of flexing mechanism directly associatedV with the closure.

These and various other objects and advantages are attained'with this invention, as Will be lapparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein the invention is shown in its preferred form, it being evident that other forms of construction and modifications may be adopted in `carrying out the objects and purposes of this invention.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevational view with parts of the cooker receptacle in central vertical section,

illustrating the arrangement of parts when the rof the cooker receptacle in central vertical section, wherein the closure is shown in exed shape and prepared for insertion through the closure receiving opening of the receptacle.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken online 5-5 of Fig. 4, with part of the receptacle included to indicate relative width of the closure and the closure receiving opening when the Aclosure is exed as shown.

Reference being had more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I0 designates a pressure vessel of a type with which a preferred embodi- 2V ment of a closure I5 `of this invention may be effectively used. As illustrated, the vessel is of cylindrical shape having its side wall terminating at its upper limits in an inwardly and downwardly curled edge I l to dene a mouth or' opening at thel top of the vessel through which the contents of the vessel may be introduced or withdrawn. The curled edge II is adapted to receive a suitable gasket or packing member I2 in such a manner that the member I2 thus provides an annular downwardly facing seat within the vessel.

The closure i5 is circular in plan so as to provide an annular portion adapted to underlie the seat formed `by the-member I2 surrounding the closure portion corresponding to the area of the mouth of the vessel I0. The closure is made of relatively thin sheet metal or other suitable material which contains suiiicient resiliency to permitof a certain amount of distortion (under the `action of flexing means associated with the closure and more fully hereinafter described) whereby it may be temporarily sprung into a shape inserta-ble through the-mouth of the vessel as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, during movement toward and away from a position wherein the `annular portion of the closure underlies the seating member I2.

` Means for temporarily flexing the closure I5 are preferably provided through the use `of a, yoke or bar I3 adapted to extend across the Vclosure I5, in the manner sho-wn in Fig. 3, which yoke has a central aperture or bearing through which an axially projecting cylindrical stem or post I4, fastened as at I6 to the center of the closure l5, may project. The collar II fixed to the stem I 4 provides a stop against which the `yoke I3 may bear to prevent withdrawal of the stem I4 from the yoke. Movement of the ste-m I6 relative to the yoke I3 from a position wherein the collar I'. is engaged by the yoke I3` as shown in'Fig. 5 to aV positionwherein the collar `II is` spaced upwardly therefrom accordingly causes the ends of the yoke to press against diametrically'opposite surface portions of the closure I5 inwardly from the annular portion of the closure normally adapted to engage the seating member I2 whereby the closure is warped or iiexed on an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the yoke I3. It will be observed that sliding movement between the opposite ends of the yoke I3 and the surface of the closure contiguous thereto incident to flexing of vthe cover is facilitated by giving a rounded or bulged shape Vto said yoke ends. -The yoke I3 is also provided 3 with a lateral extension or support I8 into which the shank I9 of a handle ZIJ may be fastened. The handle 20 is preferably of such length as to overhang the handle 2l secured to the side wall of a vessel I through a ferrule 22, when the closure I is in operative position as shown in the drawings.

Pivoted at 23 between the upper ends of a pair of spaced parallel arms 24 rprojecting upwardly from the outer end of the bracket or support I8 for swinging movement in a vertical path in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the closure handle 20, is a lever 25.

The inwardly projecting end of the lever 25 is forked as at 26 for the purpose of embracing aA lportion of the stem I4 between the collar I"I and a similar collar or projection 21 fixed to stem I4 and spaced upwardly from said collar II. Y The closure I5 is accordingly forced into a diametrically warped shape against the opposite ends of the yoke I3 through pulling force exerted on the stem I4 upon upward swinging movement of the forked end of the lever 25. A thumb-piece 28 carried at the free outer end of the lever 25 provides a bearing which the user may press with the thumb of the hand which grasps the closure handle 25 whereby the lever 25 is easily operated to cause flexing of the closure. Upon release of V(pressure on the thumb-piece 28,'the resiliency of the closure will immediately cause it to` spread or relax into normal shape effective to position the annular edge portion thereof in a plane effective to engage the seating member I2. Because stem Ill provides a bearing or` pivot on which the yoke I3 may turn, the axis on which the closure I5 is warped as described herein, may be varied as the relative angular position of the yoke I3 is changed with respect tov a selected diametrical line across the closure. This arrangement rnakes it possible to avoid a permanent set or Warped shape in the closure member i5 when it is no longer sub-jected toexternal iiexing stresses by the yoke I3, .which might otherwise develop where bending or flexing is confined to the same axis each time the closure is applied to or removed from the seat I2.

After the closure I5 is confined within the vessel and released from pressure of the flexing mechanismes above described, the closure I5 is adapted to be lifted into a position against the' seating member I 2 by rocking the closure handle toward the vessel handle 2l, A suitable fulcrufm for this purpose consists of a downwardly projecting leg 29 provided at the inner end of the handle 2i] which leg is adapted to pivot in a recess or seat 3i) on the ferrule 22 of the vessel handle 2 I. The closure is preferably held in place against the seating member I2 by any suitable means such, for example, as a latch 3| mounted for swinging movement on the handle 20 toward and away from a position in engagement with the vessel handle |2I as shown in Figs. l and 4. As the closure I5 is moved upwardly toward the seating member I2 through rocking movement of the closure handle on its rpivot as aforesaid,

a pair of

ridges

32 and 33 at transversely opposite internal sides of the vessel I0 and arranged vertically below the seat I2 are adapted to be engaged by the edges of the closure I5 whereby the closure may be easily guided into a central position with reference to the mouth of the vessel.

As pressure is built up within the vessel I0 it is apparent that the closure I5 will be more tightly pressed against the seat member I2 so as to provide a more effective leak-proof seal between the seat member I2 and the surface of the closure I5. In order to provide a vent through which steam pressure may be released as desired, the stem I is preferably hollow throughout its length thereby fonming a passage in communication with the interior of vessel Ill. Under this arrangement the upper end of the stem I4 provides a seat for a suitable valve such as a weight 34 as shown in Fig, 5. A safety steam vent in the form of a rubber plug 35 may also be fitted on the closure I5. The particular type of fittings described and shown herein are, however, merely indicative of any suitable form of fitting adapted for use in connection with a pressure cooker as contemplated 'by this invention.

A thin flexible closure member, such for example as a circular disc of sheet metal stock of .018 inch to .020 inch thickness, of suitable spring temper, with only the use of a relatively fiat smooth peripheral face portion in Contact with the underside of a rigid circular annulus surrounding the opening in the top ofA a container, such for example as a two-quart capacity drawn cylindrie vessel of sheet metal stock of .040 inch thickness, corresponding substantially to the shape of vessel I5 as shown in the drawings, including an inwardly curled edge II, is illustrative of one preferred embodiment of a pressure container as contemplated by the present invention. However, it will be apparent that various changes might be made lin the structure and design of the elements involved in said example to form a pressure container of the general character described, all without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined in the annexed claims. f

What is claimed is:

l. In a pressure cooker, a vessel having an opening through which contents of the Vessel may be admitted or discharged, a downwardly facing seat within the vessel `surrounding said opening, means engageable with said seat to seal said opening including a flexible closure member having an annular portion extending peripherally beyond the area thereof corresponding to the area of said opening and adapted to betemporarily flexed into a shape enabling its passage Vthrough said opening toward and awayfrom a position wherein said closure engagesV said seat, a rigid yoke member having contact faces presentable toward upper surfacel portions ofthe closure in downwardly advanced position relative tothe central portion of the yoke against whichvdiametrically opposite upper surface portions of the closure located inwardly from its annular portion may be drawn upwardly to ex the closure into a shape enabling its passage through said vessel opening when the central portions of said yoke and closure are in vertical alignment, means for maintaining said central portion Yof the yoke and said central portion of the closure in vertical alignment including a stem fixed to andproject# Y ing upwardly from the central portion of the closure, said yoke and stem being connected for relative movement axially of said stem between an advanced position wherein said closure is placed under strain by said contact faces of the yoke to flex the closure into a shape enabling its passage through the vessel opening and an initial position wherein said closure is freed from strain to resume its normal uniiexed shape, a handle having a forward portion fixed to said yoke and a rearward portion which projects laterally beyond the edge of the closure and about which a hand may be flexed into operative position to support the closure, a lever movable about an axis in fixed relation to said yoke and operatively engaging said stem for moving said stem from initial position to advanced position relative to said yoke, said lever having a free end operable in such proximity to the handle throughout', the travel of the lever between initial and advanced positions of the stem relative to said yoke as to be within range of normal movement of the thumb of the hand operatively flexed about said handle whereby the lever may be operated to move said stem from initial position to advanced position relative to said yoke through the agency of pressure applied on said free end of` the lever by said thumb.

2. In a pressure cooker as dened in claim 1, means providing a steam vent in communication with the interior of said vessel when said closure is in engagement with said seat including a passage extending lengthwise through said stem.

3. In a pressure cooker as defined in claim 1 wherein said yoke and stern are connected for relative pivotal movement about said stem as an axis.

JAMES HARVEY CHANDLER.