US2430049A

US2430049A - Serving tray

Info

Publication number: US2430049A
Application number: US559926A
Authority: US
Inventors: Flory Ray Eugene
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1944-10-23
Filing date: 1944-10-23
Publication date: 1947-11-04
Anticipated expiration: 1964-11-04

Description

R. E. FLORY Nov. 4, 1947.

SERVING TRAY Filed Oct. 23,

INVENTOR RAY G FLORY ATTORN EYE Patented Nov. 4, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,430,049 SERVING TRAY Ray Eugene Flory, Eaton, Ohio Application October 23, 1944, Serial No. 559,926

2, Claims. 1

This invention relates to an apparatus adapts to be used in serving a number of persons.

The well-known roadside food establishment is now a part of the American system of obtaining quick luncheons, these establishments catering to transient trade, and as one form of their service, food is taken to the automobile upon demand by the customer. In catering to a transient trade in automobiles, it is necessary that each individual customer shall have a lap.

tray so that his portion of the food can be placed before him. When using individual lap trays to supply each of the customers with their individual order, the attendants of the food establishment are caused considerably extra work and effort in traveling between the car and the service counter to pick up all of the individual lap trays to serve even a number of people in a single automobile.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a serving tray or serving "apparatus that is constructed and arranged in. such a manner that it will contain a plurality of individual lap trays, and one of the lap trays will be adapted to carry the edibles to the point of service, and from which they can be distributed after the individual lap trays have been distributed to the customers in the automobile.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a serving device that is adapted to be supported upon a window ledge of the automobile, wherein the serving device is provided with a plurality of removable serving trays, the top serving tray being adapted to support the edibles for distribution after removal of the other of the serving trays from the serving device.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a serving device that consists of a frame constructed and arranged to removably support a plurality of individual serving trays, and Wherein the top tray can be used to support materials to be served, and being also removable from this frame.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a serving device in accordance with the foregoing object that is provided with means by which the device can be supported upon a window ledge of an automobile.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the drawings and the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side eIeVatiOn J view of the serving device of this invention, also showing the method of its use.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the serving device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top view of the serving device.

Figure i is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the frame that supports the serving trays, and is taken along line 1-4 of Figure 3.

In this invention the serving device I!) consists of the side Walls II and i2 disposed in parallel relationship, and are joined by a rear wall i3, thereby forming a U-shaped frame member. A suitable bottom wall M is secured to the side walls II and I2 and the rear wall l3 to add to the rigidity of the frame l0. It will, of course, be understood that the bottom wall I4 need not be a solid Wall, but may consist of one or more straps extending between the side and rear walls.

The side Walls H and !2V are each provided with a plurality of ledges i5 along the inner faces thereof. The cooperating ledges I5 on the side walls H and i2 are each adapted to support a lap tray it, whereby each of the lap trays are removable from the frame It. The la'p trays l6 are each provided with a handle IT for pulling the same out of the frame I0.

The top tray [Ed has the upper surface It thereof exposed so that various articles can be placed upon the tray lGa, as illustrated by the glasses i9 and the food receptacle 20.

It will be quite apparent from the foregoing description that the serving device is readily capable of being used for serving a number of individual customers and supplying the individual customers with individual lap trays. The articles to be served are placed upon the top tray Mia, and the entire serving device It is then taken to the place of service. The individual lap trays l6 may be passed to the individual customers and the articles being served transferred from the top tray lta onto the individual lap trays l6. The last customer served may use the top tray I60, for his or her individual lap tray. It will, therefore, be seen that a conveniently arranged device has been provided for serving a number of individual customers at a place of service and supplying each of them with a lap tray, and being able to carry all of the articles to be served with the lap trays to the place of service in only one trip.

The serving device of this invention is particularly adaptable for use in those serving establishments that cater to a transient trade, such as the automobile tourist trade wherein the establishment provides as a part of its service, car service to the automobiles. Under these circumstances it is convenient to have the tray or serving device arranged so that it can be supported upon a window ledge of the automobiles.

As shown in Figure 1, the serving device In is supported upon the door of an automobile. The front edge of the bottom wall M of the serving device In is provided with a plurality of downwardly extending ears 26 that are adapted to extend into the groove or slot 21 that receives the glass 28 of the door, the glass 28, of course, being placed in a down position to permit the ears or tabs 26 to extend into the slot 2'1.

A support arm 29 is pivotally secured to a bracket 39 by means of a pivot pin 31, the bracket 30 being secured to the bottom wall l4 of the serving device It. The free end of the support arm 29 is provided with a rubber vacuum pad 32 pivotally secured on the end of the arm 29 by the pivot pin 33. In fact, the vacuum pad or cup 32 engages the outer door panel 34 to support the serving device thereupon, and prevents relative movement between the arm 29 and the door 25 so that the serving device In will not fall from its position as illustrated in Figure l, v

To prevent rearward tilting of the serving device l0 about the pivot pin 3| in the bracket Bil, an arm 35 is provided on the bracket 30 that engages the arm 29 when in position to support the serving tray. ll].

It will be understood, of course, that various materials, such as metals, plastics, wood, and others can be used in the manufacture of the serving device in this invention.

It will also be understood that while the device disclosed and described herein constitutes a preferred form of the invention, yet it can be changed mechanically Without departing from the spirit of the invention and that all of the thereupon and position the device above the upper edge of the door of an automobile to allow removal of all of said serving trays from the device over the top edge of the door when supported upon the automobile door, and a bracket arm pivotally carried from another part of the brace means extending downwardly and angularly forward toward said ledge means whereby to provide therewith a triangularly arranged support en gaging a wall of the member upon which the serving tray is to be supported.

2. A portable serving device adapted to be removably supported upon a door of an automobile including in combination, a pair of side walls and an end wall joining said side walls to form a substantially U-shaped frame structure having at least the top portion and a front wall portion thereof unobstructed by any structural members,

modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims are intended to be included herein;

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A portable serving device adapted to be removably supported upon a door of an automobile including in combination, a pair of side walls arranged in parallel and a wall joining said side walls to form a rigid frame structure having at least the top portion and a front wall portion thereof unobstructed by any structural members,

a plurality of vertically spaced guide means on each of said side walls for providing supports for. serving trays and positioned closely relative to each other to provide only sufiicient space therebetween to receive a serving tray, a plurality of serving trays carried upon said guide means remoVable therefrom through the open front wall portion of said frame structure, the uppermost serving tray only being adapted when in the device to support articles to be served, means eX- tending between the lower edges of said side walls to provide brace means therebetween, ledge means depending from said brace means adjacent the open front wall portion of said frame for insertion in the glass receiving slot in the upper edge of the door of an automobile to support the device a plurality of vertically spaced guide means on each of said side walls for providing supports for serving trays and positioned closely relative to each other to provide only sufficient space therebetween to receive a serving tray, a plurality of serving trays carried upon said guide means removable therefrom through the open front wall portion of .said U-shaped frame structure, the uppermost serving tray only being adapted when in the device to support articles to be served, wall means attached to the lower edges of said side walls, ledge means comprising at least two projections depending from said last mentioned wall means adjacent the forward edge thereof for insertion in the glass receiving slot in the upper edge of the door of an automobile to support the device thereupon and position the device above the upper edge of the door of an automobile to allow removal of said serving trays from the device over the top edge of the door when supported upon the automobile door, one of said projections being positioned adjacent each of said side walls for providing at least a two-point engagement with the automobile door upon which the serving device is supported, arm means pivotally carried upon said last mentioned wall means and extending forwardly toward said ledge means to engage a wall'of the door upon which the serving device is supported, and a friction pad on the end of said arm means whichengages the door to prevent movement of the arm means relative to the door.

RAY EUGENE FLORY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,533,857 Hart Apr. 14, 1925 1,951,261 Thompson Mar. 13, 1934 1,958,266 De Foe et a1, May 8, 1934 2,049,386 Temperli July 28, 1936 2,271,884 Blair 1 Feb. 3, 1942 2,275,060 Griffin Mar. 3, 1942