US2556631A - Food container - Google Patents

Description

June 12, 1951 V. L. POOL FOOD CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 19, 1948 Virgil L. Pool Fig. 7.

' INVENTOR.

June 12, 1951 POOL 2,556,631

FOOD CONTAINER Filed Aug. 19, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Virgil L. Pool INVENTOR.

Patented June 1 2, 1951 UN [TED STATES TENT orrrce FOOD CONTAINER- VirgiLL. Pool, Encino, Calif.

Application August'19, 1948, Serial No. 45,029

1 Claim. I

This invention relates to new and useful. improvements and structural refinements in food containers, particularly those of a portable nature, and the principal object of the invention is to preserve food in good condition while it is being stored or transported from one location to another.

Generally speaking, the invention contemplates the provision of a plurality of receptacles which may be nested in a superimposed relation, together with the provision of a frame in which the nested receptacles may be readily placed and whereby they may be easily and conveniently carried.

An important feature of the. invention resides in the provision of tWo types of. adjusting means in the carrier, so that it may accommodate not only receptacles of various sizes or diameters, but also that it may accommodate a different number of receptacles, as the occasion may demand.

An additional feature of the invention resides in the provision of openings in the receptacles to facilitate removal of their contents, together with means for automatically closing such openings as soon as a cover with which each receptacle is equipped is installed in position.

An additional feature of the invention resides in the provision of. means for releasably retaining the covers on the receptacles.

Important advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, in its pleasing appearance and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may becomeapparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention in its fully assembled formandin readiness for carrying,

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof,

Figure 3 is an under side; plan view of the same,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the containers used in the invention, the same being complete withits cover,

Figure 5 is a group perspective view, similar to that shown in Figure 4, but illustrating the cover separated from the receptacle,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view, takensubstantially in the plane of the line 6-43 in Figure 5, and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary cross sectionalv-iew, taken substantially in the plane of the line '!'H in Figure 4 and illustrating a dish of food in situ in the container.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a food container andcarrierdesignated generally by the reference character It, the same embodying in its construction a plurality of nestable container units l 2 and a carrier unit: 14 therefor, the structureof the container units first being explained, but inasmuch as. they are identicalin-construction, a description of one will-sufii'ce for all.

Accordingly, referring to the accompanying Figures 4-7, inclusively, eachofthe container units l2 embodies in its construction a-substantially circular, comparatively shallow receptacle it having a bottom l8 and a circumferential side Wall 20, the upper edge portion of theside wall 20 being outwardly offset as indicatedat 22', so that several receptacles may be nested together, as will be clearly apparent.

The side wall we also formed with apm rality of openings 24 which extend-downwardly from the upper edge 22 almost to thebottom l8, so that when adish of food, indicatedat 26 in Figure '7, is positioned inthe receptacle; the dish may be readily lifted'from the receptacle by simply inserting fingers through the openings 24.

A circular cover 28 is receivable in the diamet-- rically enlarged upper edge portion 22 of the receptacle [6, the cover being formed with an opening 30 (covered by a transparent window, if desired) so that the contents of the receptacle and of the dish 26 therein may be inspected without the necessity of actually removing the cover.

A plurality of downwardly extending closure plates 32" are provided at their upper ends with lateral flanges 34 whereby they may be welded or otherwise suitably secured to the under surface of the cover 28, the closure plates 32 being receivable in the receptacle I6 and matters being so arranged that when the cover 28 is placed on the receptacle, the closure plates 32 are in register with the openings 24' and close those openings, as Will be clearly apparent from the accompanying drawings. In this manner, the container, when closed, is substantially airtight, and proper preservation of food therein is facilitated.

Means are provided for preventing the cover 28 from rotating on the receptacle, these means including radially projecting tongues 36 which extend outwardly through the openings 24 when the cover is in its closed position, so that thesetongues prevent the cover from turning or rotating and thereby eliminate the possibility of the closure plates 32 from becoming displaced, so to speak, with respect to the openings 24. It is to be noted that the tongues 36 also perform a secondary function, namely, that of providing handles whereby the cover 28 may be conveniently removed from the receptacle.

Means are also provided for frictionally retaining the cover 28 in position, that is, for releasably preventing the cover from lifting from the receptacle, these means comprising a plurality of resilient clips 38 secured to the bottom l8 of the receptacle and equipped with upwardly angulated portions 40 which are frictionally engageable with the lower end portions of the plates 32 when the cover is installed in position.

Referring now to the aforementioned carrier 14, this embodies in its construction What may be referred to as a carrying frame 42, illustrated in the accompanying Figures 13, inclusively.

The frame 42 consists of a plurality of substantially U-shaped members 48 including intermediate portions 48 and upper and lower end portions 50, 52, respectively, the intermediate portions 48 constituting the sides of the frame, while the end portions :50, 52 define the upper and lower ends, respectively, of the frame, as will be clearly apparent.

The end portions 56, 52 of the members 46 are formed with longitudinal slots 54, 56, respectively, a pin or rivet 58 being loosely positioned in the slot 56, whereby the member portions 52 at the lower end of the frame are adjustably and foldably secured together.

Similarly, a clamping screw 60 extends through the slots 54 at the upper end of the frame and also passes through a central aperture provided in a disk 62, this disk, in turn, being equipped with a carrying handle 64.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that when the clamping screw 66 is tightened, the several members 48 will be securely retained in a predetermined spaced relation as is best shown in Figures 2 and 3, so that a plurality of the nested containers 12, positioned on the lower frame portions 52, may be conveniently carried.

However, by simply loosening the screw 60, the slots 54, 56 will not only facilitate adjustment of the carrying frame diametrically, so to speak, permitting it to accommodate containers of various diameters, but also folding or collapsing of the members 46 will be permitted so as to facilitate insertion or removal of the containers. That is to say, the members 48 may be swung or drawn together as illustrated by the arrows 66, 68 in Figure 2, to facilitate installation or removal of the containers.

Means are also provided for adjusting the carrying frame 42 to accommodate different numbers of containers, these means involving the formation of each of the members 46 in two substantially L-shaped sections 70, '12, as illustrated in the left-hand portion of Figure 1. It will be observed that a portion of the section 12 is of a channel-like configuration to slidably receive a portion of the section 10, the latter being formed with a longitudinal slot 14, substantially as illustrated. A clamping bolt 16 extends through the slot 14 and through an aperture in the section 12, whereby the two sections are adjustably secured together so that their overall length may be increased or decreased as desired, in accordance with the number of containers which the carrier is intended to accommodate.

It is to be also noted that the sections 12 of the several members 46 are provided with downwardly extending, angulated portions 18, these functioning as legs, whereby the entire carrier may be effectively supported.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure, and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a food container, the combination of a substantially circular receptacle including a bottom and a marginal side wall provided at diametrically opposite sides thereof with a pair of openings extending downwardly from the upper edge of the side wall, a food receiving dish removably positioned in said receptacle and provided at the upper edge thereof with an outturned rim accessible through said openings, a circular cover plate receivable in the upper portion of the receptacle, downwardly extending plates provided at diametrically opposite points on said cover plate and constituting closures for said openings, lower edges of said downwardly extending plates resting on said bottom and sup-- porting the cover plate above said dish, laterally projecting tongues provided at diametrically opposite points on said cover plate and constituting handles therefor, said tongues being receivable in said openings to prevent rotation of the cover plate in said receptacle, and a pair of L-shaped retaining clips secured in diametrically opposite relation to said bottom and aifording upstanding portions in frictional engagement with said downwardly extending plates.

VIBGIL L. POOL.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 640,933 Osborne Jan. 9, 1900 644,513 Hall Feb. 27, 1900 1,451,146 Fate Apr. 10, 1923 1,481,415 Casper Jan. 22, 1924 1,820,497 Rose Aug. 25, 1931 2,087,385 Ehrhardt July 20, 1937 2,144,523 Brown Jan. 17, 1939 2,157,476 Brodesser May 9, 1939 2,401,598 Wood June 4, 1946 2,420,184 Mekelburg May 6, 1947 2,435,371 Stout Feb. 3, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 9,560 Great Britain 1905

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