US2458461A - Combination door lock and valve for steam cookers - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 4, 1949. C, C. YQUNG' ET AL COMBINATION D OOR LOCK AND VALVE FOR STEAM COOKERS Filed Aug. 28, 1944 A Trae/wir.

Patented Jan. 4, 1949 COMBINATION DOO LOCK AND VALVE FOR STEAM COOKERS Cyril Charles Young and Donald F. Troupe,

Kansas City, Mg., assignors to The Vendo Company, KansasV City, 4 lt o.,

Missouri a corporation of Application August 28, 1944, Serial N0. 551,589

6 Claims. (Cl. 126-20) This invention pertains to closure locks and steam supply mechanism for cookers, and has for a primary aim to provide a unique assembly of parts capable of manual manipulationby the operator when it is desired to seal the cooking compartment, introduce steam thereto, and exhaust the same in sequence and at related times having regard to the locked condition of the closure.

One of the important objects of this invention is to provide a steam supply and exhaust valve assembly for cookers, the operation whereof occurs during certain cycles as the closure lock is manually moved to hold the closure shut and sealed.

This invention has for a still further aim the provision of a combination closure lock and steam supply valve assembly, the parts of which are disposed in operative relation with each other and in a compact group adjacent to the manually manipulable grip carried by the closure at a point convenient to the user of the cooker.

Other objects of the invention include the specific manner of forming steam valve operating parts on a latch so that the latch may successively hold the closure in a shut position, open the valve to introduce steam to the closed compartment, and thereafter exhaust the steam from the compartment immediately prior to releasing the closure for movement to an open position.

Other objects of the invention, including specic details of construction and the manner of exhausting the steam valve and latch, will appear during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the front of a steam cooker closure having the combination door lock and valve made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational'jview of the closure illustrating the latch in an inoperative position, parts of the closure iront being broken away to completely reveal the latch portion of the lock.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on line IV--IV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but with the latch in a position to hold the supply valve in an open position.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line VI--VI of Fig. 5; `and Fig. 7 is an longitudinal sectional view through the steam supply valve per se.

The steam cooker of which the assembly about to be described, is a component part, constitutes the subject matter of our co-pending application for U. S. Letters. Patent, filed August 28, 1944, Serial No. 551,588, now matured into Patent Number 2,444,587.

The steam cooker comprises a body lll having a compartment l2 formed therein for the reception of food or the like vto be treated when the appliance is in normal use.

The body of the cooker carries a closure lil swingably mounted as at liifor movement to and from the operative position illustrated in Fig. 2, Where compartment l2 is sealed. This closure is oi the type generally employed in that it is movable by the operator when a conveniently disposed latch is manipulated from the locked position.

One of the aims of the invention is to maintain the more or less standardized character of stove or cooker door and at the same time, equip the steam cooker with parts embodying the invention and capable of fulfilling the aforesaid objects. t is also desirable to permit the' parts made to embody this invention, to function in a familial' manner in the interest of safety, convenience, and public acceptance of the improvements.

In the steam cooker of which the assembly about to be described in detail is a part, compartment I2 receives the food to be treated, and steam is supplied thereto through a tube lil extending from any suitable source of supply such as a small boiler not here shown. The port 26 for the steam is in communication with compartment I2 and the hollow interior of valve 22. f

Plunger 24 extending longitudinally from the body of valve 22 has a pair of spaced pistons 26 and 23 respectively, normally held in place by a spring 35 where port 2li is in communication with tube 32, leading to a drain'or such receiver as may be provided in the cooker. This tube 32 is the exhaust conduit of valve 22 and to insure safety, compartment l2 is always normally being exhausted until plunger 24 is manipulated by the operator, as will more fully hereinafter be disclosed.

When plunger 24 is in the position shown in Fig. '7, steam tube i8 is closed and the compartment l2 is being evacuated by way oi port 2Q and tube 32. Port 20 serves as both an inlet and an outlet port. When serving as an inlet port, its flared form and baffle 2l precludes a jet of steam from entering compartment lf2. The steam is broken into several streams so as to protect the contents of compartment i2.

Grip 34 mounted on pintle 3B rotatably journalled in closure I4, as illustrated in Fig. 2, is exposed to view and within easy reach.

A specially formed latch plate, broadly designated by the numeral 38, is mounted upon pintle 36 and formed tofpresent twoy parts 40,. and 42 respectively. Each part is an arcuate cam face, substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of grip 34, and disposed a distance from` this center to cooperate with plate 44. This latch plate 44 is rigid to body II'IA of the steam cooker, and enters the double walled closure I4 through an opening 46 to corne-into` engageable position with cam 40. An elongated, relatively wide aperture 48 formed through plate 44're-1- ceives latch 38 as grip 34 is rotated about the axis of pintle 36.

In Fig. 3, the lock assembly is inoperative and the closure may be moved about its hinge connection I6. Plunger 24 is in the normal position where chamber I2 isbeing exhausted if any steam should remain therein. When the closure I4 is swung. across the open front of compartment I2, the sealingmeans 50' carried by closure I 4 and. lying between the same and body II), insures a steam-tight joint. As grip 34 is turned in the direction of they arrows shown in Fig. 3, part 4D, which is a cam face, enters aperture 48 and frictionally engages theedge of plate 44, as shown in Fig. 2. This cam 4I] is so formed as to draw closure I4- against body I0 and maintain the relation between these parts as grip 34 is forced through the latter portion of its path of travel toward a stop 52 mounted in any suitable place upon closure I4 to engage grip 34.

After closure I4 is locked, cam 42 -moves through aperture 48 and into engagement with plunger 2-4. Plunger 24 will be moved inwardly against the pressure of spring 30 and interconnect tube I8 and outlet port 20 to introduce steam into compartment I2. While this action is occurring, cam 40 is in engagement with plate 44 and closure I4 is held inplace. To the end that this operation may be successful, cam 40 is in overlapping side-by-side relation with cam 42, and cam 42 is shorter than cam 40, whereby plunger 24 will be disengaged as grip 34 is returned to the position shown in Fig, 3. Cam 40 will not release its hold upon plate 44 until after plunger 24 has been released by cam 42 and outlet port 20 has been placed to communicate with tube 32. Thus, any steam remaining in compartment I2 will escape before closure I4 can be opened. The advantages of this are obvious, and even though a low pressure steam is employed in the cooker, it is desirable to eliminate the fear due to the presence of any steam within compartment I2 and/or its escape through the open front when and as closure I4 is unlatched and swung open Plunger 24 of valve 22 should be so disposed as to enter the space within closure I4 when the latter is in the position shown in Fig. 2. all to the end that a compact and inter-related assembly of valve and lock' may be provided.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a steam cooker having a body provided with a compartment, a connection with a steam supply, an exhaust tube, a closure swingable to and from a position closing the compartment, and a steam supply and exhaust valve constructed to admit steam to the compartment when in one position and toexhaust steam from the compartment through the exhaust tube when in the normal position; a latch having parts on the closure and parts on the cooker body, said parts on the closure being manually movable through a path of travel during the rst portion whereof the partson the closure interconnect with the partsA on. the body to hold the closure shut, the parts on the closure being formed to engage and actuate the valve from said normal position exhausting the compartment through said` tube to the position supplying steam to the .compartment as the latch is moved' throughthe last portion of its path of travel.

2. In av steamv cooker having a body provided with a compartment, a connection With a steam supply, an exhaust. tube, a closure swingable to and from a position closing the compartment, and a steam supply and exhaust valve constructed to admit steam to the compartment when in one positionand to exhaust steam from the compartment through the exhaust tube when in the normal position; a latch having parts on the closure'and parts on-.thev cooker body, said parts on the closure being manually movable through a path, of travel during thefirst portion whereof theparts onthe closure interconnect With parts on thebody to hold the closure shut, the parts on the closure being formed to engage and actuate the valve from said normal position exhausting the compartment through said tube to the position supplying steam'to the compartment as the latch is moved through the last portion of its path of travel, said parts on the body and parts on the closure being continuously interconnected to maintainA the closure shut while the parts on the closure are moved through said last portion ofv their path of travel to actuate the valve to supply steamv to the compartment.

3. A steam cookerhaving a latch as described in claim 2 wherein the part on the closure com-v prises a pair of cams, one of the said cams being formed to engage the part of the latch on the cooker body, thel other of said cams being positioned and formed to operate the steam supply valve after the first mentioned cam has functioned.

4. A steam cooker having a latch as described in claim 2, wherein the part on the closure comprises a pair of cams, one of the said cams being formed to engage the part of the latch on the cooker body, the other of said cams being positioned and formed to operate the steam supply valve after the first mentioned cam has functioned, said cams being movable as a unit about a common axis of rotation.

5. In a steam cooker having a body forming a compartment, a connection with a steam supply, an exhaust tube, and a. closure swingable to and from a position closing the compartment; a lock and steam supply and exhaust valve assembly. constructed to admitsteam to the compartment when in one position and to exhaust steam from the compartment through the exhaust tube when in the normal position, in combination with a latch on the closure manually shiitable in one direction to a place where the closure is locked in a shut condition, said body and said latch each having. parts interengageable as the latch is shifted in said direction, said parts of the latch being engageable with said valve after the closure is locked shut and upon further movement of the latch in said one direction to actuate the steam supply valve to a condition where steam is admitted to thecompartment, said valve having yieldable means for normally maintaining the same in a condition to exhaust the compartment through the exhaust tube, said latch having parts for releasing the valve to permit its return to the normal condition as the latch is manually shifted in another direction toward a position Where the closure is unlocked, whereby the compartment is exhausted before the closure is swingable to an open condition.

6. In a steam cooker having a body forming a compartment, a connection with a steam supply, an exhaust tube, and a closure swingable to and from a position closing the compartment; a lock and steam supply and exhaust Valve assembly constructed to admit steam to the compartment when in one position and to exhaust steam from the compartment through the exhaust tube when in the normal position in combination with a latch on the closure manually shiftable in one direction to a place Where the closure is held shut, said body and said latch each having parts interengageable as the latch is shifted in said direction, said parts of the latch being engageable with said steam supply valve upon further movement thereof in said one direction to actuate 6 said valve to a condition Where steam is admitted to the compartment; and yieldable means for holding the valve normally in a condition to eX- haust the compartment through the exhaust tube until the latch has secured the closure in a shut position.

CYRIL CHARLES YOUNG. DONALD F. TROUPE.

REFERENCES CITED

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