US2440035A - Grate for kitchen ranges - Google Patents

Description

April 9 E. H. WILLIAMS ETAL 2,440,035

GRATE FOR KITCHEN RANGES Filed July 31, 1945 INVENTORS E.H.WILLIAM$ BY F.F.TUNKE ATTORNEY Pa tented Apr. 20, 1948 GRATE FOR KITCHEN RANGES Edward H. Williams,

Ridgewood, N. Y.,

Bayside, and Paul assisnors to The Welbilt F. Tunke,

Stove Company, Incorporated, Maspeth, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 31, 1945, Serial No. 607,970

3 Claims.

l The present invention relates primarily to grates of the type that a kitchen range wherein the heat is supplied Grates of this type, normally located on the top cooking surface of the stove or range, are employed to support the cooking utensils over the flame.

Heretofore grates of this type have usually been made by casting them from some suitable material such as cast iron. Cast iron grates, however, have the disadvantage of requiring considerable mass and weight of material in order to give suflicient strength, and-also, such grates are easily broken.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a grate made of sheet metal that may be used in conjunction with an open flame kitchen range.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a sheet metal grate which may be made by a stamping operation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a sheet metal grate which will not warp or become distorted when subjected to heat. To

this end the sheet metal grate is so constructed that the stresses set up therein when in use, as when a utensil is placed thereon, are not such as to cause bending of the grate. In other words, the component parts of the grate of the present invention are so arranged that they tend to reinforce one another to prevent undue bending or flexing of the grate while at the same time being so arranged that the grate ean'be produced by a simple stamping operation.

A more comprehensive understanding of the objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description thereof wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a grate constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 through the center of the grate;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1 through one of the radial arms of the grate;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring first to Fig. 1, which shows in elevation the preferred form of a grate constructed in accordance with the present invention, it will be noted that the grate comprises a circular center section, referred to generally hereinafter by reference numeral I I, and a plurality of radially extending arms indicated generally by reference numeral l2. The arms I2 extend outwardly from the center section I I. In the embodiment of the invention shown there are six arms I! and it will be obvious that a grate could be constructed in accordance with the present invention employing fewer or more arms l2.

The center section II, which is substantially circular, has an inner flange I 3 which, as shown in Fig. 2, extends downwardly or toward the heating flame when the grate is employed in the ordinary type of open flame kitchen range. The flange I3 increasesthe rigidity of the grate and in co-operation with other parts thereof hereinafter pointed out, assists in imparting to the grate the desired rigidity and prevents undue flexing or bending thereof when a weight, such as a heavy cooking utensil, is placed thereon. As will be apparent, the rigidity of the grate is maintained even though the parts thereof are heated to a high degree when the grate is in use. The arms l2, as shown most clearly in the sectional view, Fig. 3, are throughout the greater part of their length in the form of an inverted U-shaped channel with the open side thereof presented to the flame over which the grate may be placed. The side sections, such as M, of the arms 12, as they approach the center section' II, bend outwardly therefrom as at 1, 2 and 5, and merge l6, Figs. into an outer flange I! of, the center section II. The outer flange l'l extends downwardly in the same direction as the inner flange I3 of the center section II. The sections of the outer flange I 1 between adjacent arms I! are substantially concentric with the inner flange I3.

The top surfaces of the inner ends of the arms l2 are raised above the flat disc surface of the c i rcular center section II, as shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 4, and the top inner surfaces of the arms I 2 are formed and bent so as to merge with the inner flange l3.

The feature of having the inner top surfaces of the arms l2 extend through the center section II and raised slightly thereabove enables this section of the arms and the center section to mutually reinforce one another and thereby impart rigidity to the structure in the center section thereof. Similarly, the two depending flanges l3 and I! of the toroidally shaped center section co-operate with the flat disc-like section thereof to reinforce the same. Thus, no appreciable bending of the grate through the center section II between the extending arms l2 will occur in the normal usage of the grate.

As shown more clearly in Fig. 2, the sides 14 of the arms [2 gradually increase in depth to a point near the outer extremities thereof, at which point the depth thereof is reduced; This shaping of the sidesi lof the arms l2forms downwardly projecting lugs, such as [8, which assist in locating or positioning the grate in the opening in the top of the stove where the same is employed The sides 14 of the arms which will be located above the "opening inthe" range where the grate is employed.

As will be noted in Fig. slightly toward the center section so that a cooking utensil placed thereon will be supported, pro vided the bottom thereof is flat, at points adjacent-the outere'dge thereof.

From the above it will 'he evident 'that the'invention provides a grate which is very lig'ht in comparison with 'grates for similar purposes made from castings, and which is extremely rigid and reinforced throughout by mutually cooperative parts to withstand all -ben'ding'stresses that it mightbe subjected to in the-normal-use of such a grate. Furthermore, the :above described grate is formed from a'single'blank of sheet'metal, requiring no -assembly of component parts thereof, asby riveting or welding, and-in accordance with the teachingsoithe present invention,the strong and rigid butlig'ht grate may be I easily I and cheaply-produced.

While the invention has been described herein with reference to but a single "modification thereof, it will be apparent tothoseskilled'in the art that various modifications thereof -rnay'be made without'departing'from thespirit or essential 'attributes'thereof, "and it is desired, there fore, that only such-l'mitations-be placed thereon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

l2 at the extremities thereof are bent toward each othersoas to iorm a rounded closed end On the part of the ,arms

said center section with said web in between the successive arms and said center section having an outer downwardly extending flange merging with the sides of said extending arms.

2. A grate of the type described formed from a single blank of sheet metal, said grate comprising a substantially toroidally shaped center section having substantially fiat web portions and a downwardly projecting circular inner flange and a plurality of arms extending substantially radially outwardly therefrom, said arms being substantially Ll-shaped in cross section with the inner ends thereof; extending above said web portions 'and'rrierging'with the inner flange or said 2, the arms t2 ,slope tially radially outwardly therefrom, section including inner and outer downwardly extending flanges and a web portion therecenterjsection with said web in between the successive arms, said center section also having an outer downwardlyeextending flange between said arms and merging with the sides thereof extending outwardly therefrom.

3. A grate of the type described formed from a single blank ofsheet metaLsaidgrate; comprising a substantially toroidally shaped center -'section and a pluralityof arms extending substansai'd' center between, said arms being substantially -u-snapeu in cross section and. extending to the inner -ilange of said center section with the top surfaces (if said arms abovethe said'web portion with'said web portionin between the successive-arrns, =said outer downwardly extending flange on said centersection between said arms merging with the sides thereof extending outwardly therefrom, and said arms having downwardly projectingposition'ing lugs adjacent the free'sends thereof.

EDWARD n 'WILIJAMS. PAUL F. g REFERENCES iorrnn L The following references are of record .in vthe file of this .patent:

UNITED. STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 533,439 Converse Feb. 5, 1895 849,634 Nicolaus AprqQ, "1907 928,634 Cruickshank July/20, 1909 1,095,075 Brauback ape- 23, 1914 1,168,852 Caverly "ca 18, .1916 1,392,868 Cruickshank -{Oct. 4, .1921 1,442,074 Kielberg Jan.j16,'1923 1,738,297 Hoffman Dec.3,'1929

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