US3094362A - Rotary racks for kitchen cabinets and the like - Google Patents

Description

June 18, 1963 H. B. MURRAY ROTARY RACKS FOR KITCHEN CABINETS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 51, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l lllllllllllll'tk ||lll'l..l||||ll|l| INVENTOR HILTON B. MURRAY ATTORNEY H. B. MURRAY June 18, 1963 ROTARY RACKS FOR KIIGHEN CABINETS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 51, 1961 Z Sh gtS-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HILTON B. MURRAY Wu f a ATTORNEY 3,04,362 ROTARY RACKS FOR KHQHEN CABINETS AND THE LIKE Hilton B. Murray, 66 N. Murray Place, York, Pa. Filed Jan. 31, 1961, Ser. No. 36,196 3 Claims. (Cl. 312267) This invention relates to a rotary rack structure of what may be called the Ferris'wheel type, revolvable about a horizontal axis, and to the combination of such a rack structure with two household kitchen cabinets whose lengths are at right angles to each other in an L-shaped arrangement forming a corner cabinet installation.

A problem which arises in kitchen cabinet installations in which cabinets are arranged in an L-shaped configuration is that there occurs a dead corner where two right angularly related cabinet sections come together. This dead corner in a conventional installation is 24 inches X 24 inches, and in the past has not usually been utilized in any practical manner. Occasionally, a base cabinet is extended into this dead corner with shelving which is available for storage but difficult to get to, and requiring that the user get down on one knee in order to reach back into the corner.

It has also been proposed to install a Lazy Susan type of rotary rack in the dead corner just mentioned, with the Lazy Susan being revolvable about a vertical axis. Such an arrangement is shown, for example, by United States Patent 2,629,643. However, if a Lazy Susan revolving about a vertical axis were to be installed strictly within the confines of the 24 inch x 24 inch dead corner space of the conventional kitchen cabinet installation, the area of the Lazy Susan shelves as limited by the size of the largest circle which may be inscribed within the confines of the dead corner space would be so small as to reduce the storage capacity of such a rack to an unacceptable minimum. Because of this, the area of the best of the Lazy Susan racks was extended beyond the dead corner space and projected forwardly into the kitchen area beyond the normal perimeter of the conventional cabinet installation and laterally beyond the dead corner area into the otherwise usable cabinet region, thus requiring the sacrifice of valuable drawer or other storage space.

Rotary dispensing racks of this kind not only have the disadvantage that they must be extended beyond the confines of the dead corner area in order to have any practical storage capacity, but also have the disadvantage that even when so extended they are inefficient in their utilization of the space they occupy and are unable to provide storage in depth.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to pro vide a Ferris-wheel type of rotary dispensing rack which is particularly adapted to fit into the dead corner space between two right-singularly related cabinet sections in an L-shaped kitchen cabinet installation.

It is another object of this invention to provide in combination with a kitchen cabinet installation having a dead corner space a Ferris-wheel type of rotary rack which is confined strictly within the perimeter of the dead corner area and which does not project beyond the perimeter of the dead corner area either into the kitchen beyond the normal confines of the cabinet structure, or into otherwise usable cabinet regions.

It is still another object of the invention to provide in combination with a kitchen cabinet installation having a dead corner space a Ferris-wheel type of rotary rack which can be rotated about a horizontal axis to bring the items stored by the rack substantially to counter height, permitting removal of the stored items without stooping or kneeling.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a Patented June 18, 1963 rotary dispensing rack of the Ferris-wheel type revolvable about a horizontal axis which provides storage in depth not possible with rotary racks or Lazy Susan revolvable about a vertical axis, and which has a substantially higher efiiciency of space utilization than rotary racks revolvable about a vertical axis.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a Ferris-wheel type rack which is inexpensive to manufacture and easily installed.

In achievement of these objectives, there is provided in accordance with the invention a Ferris-wheel type of rotary dispensing rack particularly suited for installation in the dead corner space between two cabinets whose lengths extend in directions at right angles to each other. The frameworks of both the stationary and rotatable portions or the Ferris-wheel rack structure are preferably formed of inexpensive metal rod material. The Ferriswheel rack includes a rotatable structure or rotor including an axle member with oppositely disposed hub members supported for rotation by the stationary framework of the rack. A plurality of easily removable basket-like containers are suspended from pintles located at the outer ends of arms radiating outwardly from the oppositely disposed hubs. The baskets are loaded and unloaded through an opening in the counter top overlying the dead corner area, this opening being of suflicient size to permit the complete removal of an entire basket if desired. A further feature of the construction is the provision of a brake and detent means for properly braking the rotor during its rotation and for stopping it when a basket reaches uppermost, i.e., loading or unloading position.

Further objects and advantages will become obvious from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention which is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a cabinet installation showing one of the baskets of the Ferriswheel rack in position for loading or unloading directly beneath the opening in the counter top;

FIG. 2 is a view in vertical section along the line 22 of PEG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a View in vertical section parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotating rack structure, taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a detail view showing engagement of the rotating rack structure with the brake and detent member mounted on the stationary supporting framework;

FIG. 5 is a relatively enlarged view in vertical elevation showing details of one of the lioonmountcd bracket members by means of which the supporting framework is anchored to wood positioning pieces or base members adjacent the kitchen or cabinet floor; and

FIG. 6 is a detail view, partially in section, of one of the hub members of the rotatable rack structure.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, there are shown two cabinet sections generally indicated at 10 and 12 whose lengths extend at right angles to each other. *In a conventional cabinet installation of this type, the square corner space bounded by the walls 14, 16, 18 and 20' normally constitutes a dead space which is not utilized, since this space is substantially inaccessible.

In accordance with the present invention, a rotatable rack of the Ferris wheel type generaly indicated at 22 revolvable about a horizontal axis is installed within the dead corner space just defined between the cabinets 10 and 12., and an opening 26 is cut into the counter top 24 to give access to the baskets or other containers carried by the rotating rack structure. The opening 26 in counter top 24 is closed by a removable cover member 28 having rabbeted edges which engage the perimeter of the counter top 24 bounding the opening 26 The removable cover 28 is preferably made of maple or other hard Wood so that it may be used as a cutting board when removed from the opening 26.

The rack structure 22 includes a stationary supporting framework generally indicated at v2.3 and a rotating framework or rotor generally indicated at 25 which carries storage containers such as baskets 27. The stationary supporting framework 23 includes two standards or A-frame members respectively indicated at 39, 32, each being formed of a single piece of metal rod bent to include a pair of downwardly diverging leg members 34, 36 connected at their upper ends by a cross portion 38. The cross portion 38 includes a downwardly bent loop 4%) which forms a cradle or bearing for the hub and axle of the rotating framework 25 and baskets 27. The legs 34 and 36 of each of the standards 30, 62 are bowed slightly outwardly in a lateral direction with respect to the view shown in FIG. 2 and are also bowed slightly away from the oppositely disposed leg of the other standard as shown in FIG. 3. The bowing of legs 34, '36 just described is for the purpose of counteracting any tendency for the leg members to bend inwardly which might possibly prevent proper rotation of the rotating portion of the rack structure.

A metal reinforcing rod 39 extends between and is welded to leg members 34, 36 of each of the standards 30, 32 approximately 6 inches above the bottoms of the legs to stiffen the frame and prevent spreading of the legs. The height of the reinforcing rods 69 above the bottoms of legs 34, 36 permits the legs to be shortened by cutting off portions of the lower ends thereof if necessary without afl'ecting the reinforcing rods 39.

A metal reinforcing cross-bar 41, preferably of stiff channel shape, is positioned adjacent the upper end of each of the standard members 30, 32 between the respective leg members 34, 36, the bar being rigidly secured, as by welding, to legs 34, 36. As best seen in FIG. 3, the bar 41 of each standard carries a pair of bolts or machine screws 42 which are received in threaded open ings in the bar, permitting adjustment of the length of the bolts 42 which extend axially beyond the surface of the bar. The bolts 42 carry rubber caps 43 or the like thereon and are adapted to bear against the adjacent walls 14, 18 bounding the corner area of the cabinets to provide side stability and vertical plumbing of the rack structure. Lock nuts 44 are screwed onto the bolts 42 to prevent the bolts from loosening due to vibration.

In order to further add to the stability of the station- 'ary framework, bar members 46, which are preferably made of wood, are drilled to receive the ends of the reinforcing rods 39 of the oppositely disposed standard members 30, 32, with bars 46 extending in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the rack between and connecting rod members 39 carried by the respective standards 30 and 32.

In order to aid in anchoring rack 22 securely in position, as best seen in FIG. 2, board members 48 are posirtioned on the cabinet floor or on the kitchen floor, as the case may be, adjacent walls 20 and 16, and extend lengthwise between the opposite walls 14 and 18 in the corner space. Board members 48 are cut to a length which makes them fit snugly between walls 14 and 18. The lower ends of the legs 34, 36 of each of the stand- 'ards are received in drilled openings in the respective board members 48, the openings being drilled for less than the entire thickness of the boards so as to define sockets which receive the lower ends of legs 34, 36.

To further anchor the rack structure securely in position, a pair of hold-down brackets generally indicated at 50 are provided adjacent the bottom end of each standard 30, '32, a total of four brackets 50 being used with the two standards. As best seen in the detail view of FIG. 5, each hold-down bracket 50 includes a vertical portion 52 having at its upper end an undercut slot 54 which hooks over the reinforcing cross rod 39. The

bold-down bracket 58 also includes a horizontal leg portion 56 which is fastened by a suitable screw or other fastening means to :the WOOd board 48. The bracket 50 may be bent to conform to different heights of the standards 30, 32 for different installations, with the horizontal leg 56 being correspondingly longer if vertical leg 52 is shortened. The bracket 56 is provided with a plurality of screw holes 58 which may be used at different heights to which the bracket may be bent.

The rotating rack structure 25 which is supported for rotation by the stationary standards 30, 32 includes an axle 6b of round cross section which has attached to each of its opposite ends a hub generally indicated at 62. Hub 62 includes a drilled passage 64 at its inner end which receives an end of axle 60. Axle 60 is secured to hub 62 by means of a bolt 66 which extends through aligned drilled passages in the shank portion 68 of the hub and in the end of axle 60. A nut 70 is fastened to the outer end of bolt 66. Each hub 62 includes a reduced neck portion 72. which is received in the cradlelike loop or bearing 48 formed at the upper end of cross portion 38 of each of the standards 30, 32.

Hub 62 also includes a flange portion 74 located a short distance inwardly of reduced neck portion 72. A plurality of generally U-shaped arm members 76 radiate equidistantly from flange 74 of each of the hub members, the inner ends of each of arm members 76 being rigidly attached as by welding to the hub flange 74. In the illustrated embodiment, five radial arm members 76 are shown for supporting the five baskets 27 to be hereinafter described. At the outer end of each arm member 76 and within the bight of the member, a pintle 78 is rigidly attached as by welding to the arm.

As best seen in FIG. 4, each pintle 78 extends in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the rack on both sides of the arm member 76 to which the pintle is attached. The axially inner end of each pintle 78 serves as a support for one end of one of the wire baskets 27. For this purpose, each basket 27 is provided at its axially opposite ends with a rigidly attached loop 82 which extends outwardly from the upper peripheral edge of the basket and which engages an adjacent pintle 78. To facilitate easy removal of the basket from its two pintle supports, each loop 82 may be canted upwardly at an angle of 45 more or less. However, a very satisfactory construction involves a slight change in the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, by which the loops are directed straight vertically, with the central vertical wire in each end of the basket omitted. This permits easy removal of a basket, by slight bending of the loops, and permits the baskets to be somewhat increased in length.

A small steel ball 83 of inch diameter is welded to the basket-supporting end of each pintle 78 to aid in retaining the loop 82 of the basket securely in position on the pintle. The ball 83 or otherwise rounded end of each pintle 78 serves the additional important function of eliminating the possibility of puncturing bags, boxes, etc., which may be stored in the baskets. It will be seen that the loops and pintles provide a pivotal suspension for the baskets which insures that they will always hang in a horizontal position as the rack is rotated. i

In order to reinforce the rotating rack structure, a round steel ring 86 is welded to all of the arm members 76 a short distance radially outwardly of hub 6'2, so as to tie together and equalize pressure on'all of the arm members 76. A larger steel reinforcing ring 88 is welded to the arm members 76 adjacent their outer ends. The outer ring 88 cooperates with .the bights at the outer ends of the arm members to engage the pintles, which are welded to the inside or outside of the ring and thus provide substantial support for the baskets under any possible conditions of load.

To retard the motion of the rotating rack and also to hold it at a loading or unloading position as is shown in FIG. 2, for example, there is provided a brake arm generally indicated at 90 formed of the same steel rod material as the rest of the structure, brake arm 90 being suitably attached by welding or the like to the upper end of one of the standards, e.g., standard 32. A brake shoe, in the form of a strip of spring metal 92, is fastened to the upper end of the brake arm 90 in the peripheral path of movement of outer ring 88 of the rotating rack and also in the path of peripheral movement of the outer ends of the pintles 78.

As best seen in the view of FIG. 3, brake arm 90 is bent inwardly toward the rotating rack structure so that metal strip 92 bears against the outer ring 88 during the rotation of the rack, thereby exerting a braking action on the rotating structure.

As one of the baskets 27 approaches the loading and unloading station, i.e., the 12 oclock position or top of its circular path, the brake shoe 92 becomes engaged by the end of the adjacent pintle 78 supporting the basket. The yieldable, flexible brake arm 90 backs slightly away from the rotating structure until the end of the pintle 78 snaps into the center indentation 94 of the shoe 92. The engagement of the pintle with the indentation of the shoe thus serves as an indexing means to hold the rotating rack structure 25 from further rotation while the basket 27 is being loaded or unloaded. When the user wishes to move the rotating portion 25 of the rack to position another basket directly beneath opening 26, the upper end of brake arm 90* is pushed back to release the pintle member 78 from the indentation 94 to permit further rotation of the rack structure.

As a further feature of the construction, the outer ring member 88 at the end of the rotating rack structure adjacent the standard 32 which carries the brake arm 90 may have auxiliary pintle members 96 Welded or otherwise suitably attached thereto at points midway between each pair of adjacent baskets. Auxiliary pintle members 96 extend from ring 88 only in the direction of brake arm 90 and do not project beyond ring 88 in the direction of baskets 27. The auxiliary pintle members engage the indentation 94 of brake shoe 92 to hold the rotating rack at locations at which a pair of adjacent bas- =kets are both accessible for loading or unloading through the top opening 26 of counter 24, with neither basket directly beneath the opening.

In order to avoid any possibility of the pintle members '78 or 96 carried by the rotating structure from striking the legs of the vertical standards 30, 32, each of the legs 34-, 36 is provided with an outward bend or loop 98 adjacent the path of peripheral movement of the pintle members 78 and 96.

While in the illustrated embodiment the baskets 27 are made of wire-like steel rod, they may also be fabricated of plastic material, aluminum, wood, or combinations thereof. The baskets are tapered downwardly to provide better clearance when rotating, and to provide for nesting in shipment. The baskets are so shaped and constructed that no wire or other surface element lies directly vertically below the loops 82 so as to strike against the supporting pintles 78 when the baskets are being removed. A cloth or plastic liner may be used in one or more baskets for storage of potatoes, onions, and the like, so that no dirt from the store items may sift through the baskets. Such liners may be removed easily for cleaning. Also, a box-like container or liner of tin, stainless steel or plastic material, having a hinged or detachable cover, may be used in one or more baskets for storage of bread, rolls, crackers, pretzels and the like.

The easy removability of the baskets which is accomplished merely by lifting them off the supporting pintles has many advantages. It permits removal of the baskets from the rotating frame for the purpose of loading and unloading if desired. This feature also provides easy access to the hubs and to the adjustable bolts on the supporting framework, as well as to the floor below the rotating rack to retrieve a fallen object or to permit the cleaning of the floor.

While the rotary rack structure hereinbefore described has particular utility when installed in the dead corner space between two cabinets whose lengths are at right angles to each other, as previously described, it may also be used in other cabinet installations. For example, the rotary rack may be used in a straight line of cabinets, with access to the rack being either from the front through a door, or from the top through an opening in the counter. Such an embodiment of the invention permits the use of baskets which are longer in the direction of the line of cabinet length than those used in the dead corner installation since in the straight line cabinet installation there is no restriction on the length of the baskets to some what less than cabinet width, as in the dead corner installation. When the rotary rack is installed in a straight line of cabinets without access from the top, the brake arm may be released by a linkage operated from the front of the cabinet.

It can be seen from the foregoing that there is provided in accordance with this invention a rotary rack of the Ferris-wheel type which has particular utility when installed in the dead corner space between two cabinets whose lengths are at right angles to each other, but which may also be used in other types of cabinet installations. When used in the dead corner installation the rack may be installed strictly within the confines of the dead corner without projecting beyond the normal perimeter of the cabinet installation and without extending into cabinet areas which can be utilized for conventional shelving, drawers or other storage means. The Ferris-wheel type of rack is easy to use since it carries the baskets substantially to counter height, permitting removal of the stored items without stooping or kneeling. It provides storage in depth not possible with Lazy Susans revolvable about a vertical axis and has a substantially higher efficiency of space utilization than such racks. Furthermore, the rack is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to install.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention which has been found in actual use to be entirely satisfactory, and which is accordingly at present preferred, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made in this exemplary construction without departing from the spirit of the invention. All such changes and modifications are to be deemed within the true spirit of the invention and the scope and purview of the more broadly worded of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rotary rack structure of the Ferris-wheel type revolvable about a horizontal axis comprising a pair of spaced vertical standard members, a rotor supported for rotation by said members and including an axle member, hub members attached to opposite ends of said axle members, a plurality of arm members extending radially outwardly from each of said hub members, a ring member connecting the arm members of each hub member adjacent the outer ends of the arm members, a plurality of horizontally extending main pintles carried by said rotor in circumferentially spaced relation to each other adjacent said ring member, a plurality of storage containers each having means at its opposite ends pivotally engaging the inner ends of aligned main pintles at opposite sides of said rotor whereby each of said containers is removably supported in constantly horizontal position on said rotor, detent means supported by one of said standards adjacent the path of movement of said main pintles, each of said main pintles having its outer end engageable with said detent means to stop said rotor in a predetermined position, and auxiliary pintle members at one side of said rotor positioned in circumferentially spaced relation to the container-supporting main pintles and intermediate successive containers, said auxiliary pintle members being engageable with said detent means to permit stopping said rotor in a position in which two successive containers are positioned at the same level above the other containers and equally spaced on opposite sides of the rotor axis.

2. In combination, a first and a second kitchen cabinet each resting on a common floor surface and having their tops lying in a common horizontal plane providing portions of a counter surface, said cabinets having ends meeting at right angles to each other and having front walls meeting in a common vertex thereby providing immediately beyond said ends of the cabinets a corner space bounded solely by said cabinet ends and the room walls behind the cabinets, a rotary storage rack positioned in said corner space comprising a rotor revolvable about a than the Width and length of each of said containers, and a closure mounted on said opening and being movable to uncover the opening for withdrawal and replacement of any one of said containers which has been moved to the top center of the rotor and providing access to each of any two adjacent containers which have been moved to topmost positions symmetrically disposed relative to the top center of the rotor.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the closure for the opening in the counter top covering the corner space is separable from said top and comprises a board having raboeted edges engaging the margins of the top surrounding the opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS "1,227,704 Ulrich May 29, 1917 1,259,080 Chittim Mar. 12, 1918 2,313,690 White Mar. 9, 1943 2,629,643 Davidson Feb. 24, 1953

Claims (1)

1. 2. IN COMBINATION, A FIRST AND A SECOND KITCHEN CABINET EACH RESTING ON A COMMON FLOOR SURFACE AND HAVING THEIR TOPS LYING IN A COMMON HORIZONTAL PLANE PROVIDING PORTIONS OF A COUNTER SURFACE, SAID CABINETS HAVING ENDS MEETING AT RIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER AND HAVING FRONT WALLS MEETING IN A COMMON VERTEX THEREBY PROVIDING IMMEDIATELY BEYOND SAID ENDS OF THE CABINETS A CORNER SPACED BOUNDED SOLELY BY SAID CABINETS ENDS AND THE ROOM WALLS BEHIND THE CABINETS, A ROTARY STORAGE RACK POSTIONED IN SAID CORNER SPACED COMPRISING A ROTOR REVOLABLE ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS AND A PLURALITY OF STORAGE CONTAINERS REMOVABLY SUSPENDED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EQUIDISTANTLY ON SAID ROTOR, A COUNTER TOP COVERING SAID CORNER SPACED AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR WITH THE TOPS OF THE CABINETS SO AS TO COOPERATE THEREWITH IN PROVIDING OTHER PORTIONS OF SAID COUNTER SURFACE AND HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY OVER SAID STORAGE RACK AN OPENING SLIGHTLY WIDER AND LONGER THAN THE WIDTH AND LENGTH OF EACH OF SAID CONTAINERS, AND A CLOSURE MOUNTED ON SAID OPENING AND BEING MOVABLE TO UNCOVER THE OPENING FOR WITHDRAWAL AND REPLACEMENT OF ANY ONE OF SAID CONTAINERS WHICH HAS BEEN MOVED TO THE TOP CENTER OF THE ROTOR AND PROVIDING ACCESS TO EACH OF ANY TWO ADJACENT CONTAINERS WHICH HAVE BEEN MOVED TO TOPMOST POSITIONS SYMMETRICALLY DISPOSED RELATIVE TO THE TOP CENTER OF THE ROTOR.

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