US3198594A

US3198594A - Rotary storage rack

Info

Publication number: US3198594A
Application number: US292627A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hilton B Murray
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-07-03
Filing date: 1963-07-03
Publication date: 1965-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 1982-08-03

Description

Aug. 3, 1965 H. B. MURRAY ROTARY STORAGE RACK 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 3, 1965 INVENTOR Aug. 3, 1965 H. B. MURRAY ROTARY STORAGE RACK 3 Sheebs-Sheecl 2 Filed July 3, 1963 w Wws 0 i n )M INVENTOR.

(www I+ Es-M y Aug 3, 1965 H. B. MURRAY 3,198,594

ROTARY STORAGE RACK Filed July 3, 1963 s sheets-sheet s T T; E.

INVENTOR.

@afa/M11..

United States Patent C 3,198,594 RTARY S'RAGE RACK Hiiton E. Murray, 66 N. Murray Place, York, Pa. Filed July 3, 1963, Ser. No. 292,627 8 Ciairns. (Cl. S12-23S) This invention relates to storage racks and more particularly to the combination of a special type of 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 rightangularly related cabinet sections come together.

It has been proposed to install a lazy susan type rotary rack in such a dead corner and in the cabinet regions Iadjacent thereto, with the lazy susan shelves fixed to and revolvable with a vertical shaft. Such an arrangement is shown, for example, by United States Patent 2,629,643. Lazy susan rotary racks of the prior art'fall into two broad categories: (l) horizontally rotating shelves having a 90 degree cut-out sector or pie cut, with the doors of the rack attached to the sides of the pie cut area and revolving with the shelves; and (2) lazy susan racks having full circle horizontally rotatable shelves in which a door is positioned at a i5-degree angle across the forward corner of the cabinet enclosure for the lazy susan, the door being operated independently of the rotating shelves.

Both types of lazy susan rack structures just described when prebuilt into cabinets at the factory for installation in a kitchen have the diameter of their shelves limited by the fact that the lazy susan cabinet must be carried into the house through interior doorways which conventionally do not exceed inches in width. The standard space utilized for the lazy susan cabinet installation eX- tends for 36 inches in two perpendicular directions, and the standard height of factory-built kitchen cabinets is 341/2 inches. These two dimensional limitations prevent the corner lazy susan cabinet from being carried through a Sil-inch doorway even when the cabinet is turned on its side unless the back of the cabinet is cut oi at a iS-degree angle to permit the cabinet to be carried sideways through a conventional door opening. As a result of these dimensional limitations, the average factory-built lazy susan utilizes less than half of the available area of the corner in which it is installed.

A further undesirable construction feature of both of these prior art lazy susan structures is that the shelves are mounted on a common vertical shaft which not only takes up valuable space but also, due to its location, makes it very diiiicult or impossible to store certain types of bulky .articles such as pots, pans, roasters and the like. Furthermore, in both types of prior art lazy susan structures, the fact that the shelves rotate in unison places the storage portion of one shelf directly above that of the other shelf at all times, which makes it diiicult to remove items from the lower shelf or shelves, particularly items which are placed inwardly from the shelf edge, so that it becomes necessary to tilt tall bottles or the like being removed frorn a lower shelf in order to clear the bottom of the shelf above.

Also, in the prior art lazy susans the edges or galleries around the periphery of each rotary shelf must be kept low due to the proximity of the shelf above; otherwise the difficulty of removal of objects would be increased. The necessity of having low galleries to facilitate access to the lazy susan shelves of the prior art adds to the probability that when the shelves are rotated, objects will tend to fall oii' the rotating shelves.

A further disadvantage of the pie-cut lazy susans of the lghd Patented Aug. 3, 1965 ICC prior art, in which the doors turn with the shelves, is the fact that if the shelves are loaded unevenly, the doors are caused to cant and therefore strike the top 'or bottom, or both, of the frames through which they pass. Furthermore, the fact that in this type of lazy susan the doors travel with the shelves makes it difficult to retrieve fallen items since the doors prevent reaching through the opening for access to the fallen object.

While the full circle type lazy susan provides more storage capicity than the pie-cut type, the full circle type has the disadvantage that the cabinet door extends at a tS-degree angle across the front of the lazy susan cabinet and occupies floor space which prevents the householder approaching the kitchen corner as completely as is desirable, making it difficult to reach the corner of the counter top and the wall cabinets above it.

ln addition, the full circle lazy susan of necessity has all areas of the lower shelf directly covered by some area of the upper shelf, thus making access to the lower shelf difficult. ln the present construction any portion of the lower shelf is readily reached by simply rotating it to a position below the pie-cut in the upper shelf.

it is. a principal object of this invention to provide a rotary storage rack of the lazy susan type for use at the corner of an L- or U-shaped cabinet configuration in which the available corner space in which the rack is mounted is utilized more eiiiciently than in prior art installations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rotary rack of the lazy susan type for installation between two right-angularly related cabinet sectionsrin an L- or U- shaped kitchen cabinet installation comprising an improved construction in which each shelf rotates independently of the other shelf.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rotary rack of the lazy susan type for kitchen cabinet installations which does not require a center post as in the piecut lazy susan cabinets of the prior art.

Another object is to provide a lazy susan type rotary storage rack which may be delivered to the point of installation in a knocked-down form and be erected in the kitchen, with elimination of the limitations inherent in factory prebuilt lazy susan devices due to the necessity of carrying such devices through the interior doorways of a house.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lazy susan storage rack so constructed as to permit installation in an out-of-square corner formed by walls which are not in true right angular relation to each other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lazy susan storage rack for a kitchen cabinet installation which may be easily levelled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lazy susan storage rack adapted for kitchen installation which is so'constructed as to facilitate the retrieval of fallen objects and to facilitate cleaning of the floor below the rack.

In achievement of these objectives, there is provided in accordance with an embodiment of this invention a lazy susan structure adapted for installation in the corner formed by an L- or U-shaped cabinet installation, and including a support framework on which are mounted a desired number of vertically superposed independently rotatable shelves of the pie-cut type, each shelf being mounted for independent rotation on its own bearing carried by a horizontal support frame. The vertical support `members of the support framework include means to level the framework relative to the floor. A cabinet enclosure for the lazy susan structure includes two access doors which are movable into a closed position in which they lie in vertical planes perpendicular to each other. The lazy susan structure can be transported in knocked- :incassa down form for onthesite erection. The lazy susan structure, while cooperatively related to the cabinet structure,

is not structurally connected to the cabinets but is a freestanding unit.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become obvious from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of the exterior of two right-angularly related cabinets forming a corner cabinet installation which houses the lazy Susan rotary rack of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the room corner in which the lazy susan rotary rack structure is positioned, showing the horizontal frarne members of the lazy susan support structure meeting in an obtuse angle whereby the rear vertical support member attached thereto is located in spaced relation to the corner of the adjacent walls;

FIG. 3 is a view partially in vertical section showing one of the levelling devices for the supporting framework of the lazy susan structure;

FlG. 4 is a perspective view showing the lazy susan structure including the supporting framework and the rotatable shelves;

FIG. 5 is a View in vertical section, partially broken away, showing the bearing support arrangement for one of the rotatable shelves;

FIG. 6 is a view in horizontal section showing the lazy susan in a position in which the cabinet doors providing access to the shelves are in closed position; and

FIG. 7 is a View in horizontal section similar to FlG. 6 but with the access doors in open position, and with at least one of the rotatable shelves of the lazy susan in a position in which the circular part of the shelf has been rotated into the door region to give access to the con- `tents of the shelf.

Referring now to the drawings, and first to FIG. 1, there is shown an L-shaped cabinet arrangement generally indicated at 1t) including a pair of

cabinet sections

12 and 14 whose lengths extend perpendicularly or` at right angles to each other, these cabinet sections respectively extending parallel to the walls 1-6 and 18 which lie in planes perpendicular to each other and meet in a corner vertex indicated at 2li. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, cabinet secn tion i2 includes an end Wall 22 parallel to but spaced from kitchen wall 18, while cabinet section 145 includes an end wall 23 parallel to but spaced from kitchen wall 16.

Cabinet sections

12 and 14 are so located with respect to the

adjacent walls

16 and 18 that the

respective end walls

22 and 23 are spaced equal distances from the respective walls which they face and, in accordance with the standard spacing for lazy susan installations, this distance is preferably 36 inches from each of the respective walls 16 and 1S.

Door frames generally indicated at 24 and 2S are respectively secured to

cabinet sections

12 and 14 and

doors

26 and 23 are respectively hinged to

door frames

24 and 25, the two doors when in closed position lying in planes perpendicular to each other. The door 26 is closed first and its front free edge margin is lapped by the free end edge of the door 2S when the latter is closed. A handle 3@ is attached to door 23.

The lazy susan structure is generally indicated at 32 and includes a first and a second vertical side frame respectively indicated at 33 and 34. Side frame 33 lies in a vertical plane parallel to but spaced from the plane of end wall 22 of cabinet section 12, while side frame 34 lies in a vertical plane parallel to but spaced from the plane of end wall 23 of cabinet section 114. Side frame 33 includes at its forward end a vertical support member 3S, preferably formed of liat metal stock, and at its inner end a vertical support 35 of angle cross section.

Support members

35 and 36 are connected together at their upper ends by a cross piece 33 which is welded to

members

35 and 36. Similarly, side frame 34 includes at its forward end a vertical support member 49 of iiat metal stock, and

at its inner end a vertical support 42 of angle cross section. A cross member 44 extends between and is welded to the upper ends of vertical members 4? and 42.

Each of the

vertical support members

35, 35, titl, 42 includes adjacent the lower end thereof a laterally inwardly projecting lug 4S which is in threaded engagement with a levelling screw Si) which bears on the tloor to permit each of the vertical support members to be adjusted as may be required properly to balance` and level the lazy susan structure. In order securely to anchor the support framework to the floor, a metal anchor strap 52 is provided for each of the forward vertical support members 35 and et). Each anchor strap is provided at its outer end with a hole which. tits over the upper end of the adjacent levelling screw 50, and is provided at its inner end with a hole which receives a screw fastening 54 which anchors the strap 52, and hence also the support framework to the floor.

A vertical support member 55 of angie cross section is located at the rear of the support framework adjacent but spaced from corner FlG. 2). T he rear vertical support 56 is provided at its lower end with a lug 4S which cooperates with a levelling screw, as in the case of the other vertical support members. Also, the rear vertical support 55 is provided at its u-.fper end with an adjusting screw vhich is in threaded engagement with a lug or web 6d carried by vertical support 56. Adjusting screw Sii permits levelling of the counter' top which is supported by the upper ends of side frame 3-3 and Sfiand by rear vertical support 56. Apertured lugs o2 extend laterally inwardly from cross members 3S and d at the upper ends of the side frames, and suitable fasteners may be passed through lugs 62 and into engagement with the undersurface of the counter top to secure the counter top in place.

Two independently rotatable lazy susan shelves, each generally indicated at dll and are supported by upper and lower horizontal support frames respectively indicated at 68 and 7%. Only rotatable shelf tif-l and its support frame @S3 will be described, it being understood that the other rotatable shelf and horizontal support frame 7@ are the same as the respective elements and Horizontal support frame 63 is a sub-assembly preferably formed of flat steel stock and includes bars FZ, '74, it?, 7S, Si), and S2, which are welded or otherwise integrally connected to each other to form a unitary subassembly. Bar 72 extends parallel to but spaced inwardly from end wall 22 of cabinet section 12; bar '74 is perpendicular to bar 72 and substantially parallel to the plane of the forward wall of cabinet section 12 and of door 26 when the door is in closed position. Bar '75 is parallel to the plane of the forward wall of cabinet section 11i and of the door in its closed position, but spaced inwardly from the planes of these members. Bar 73 is parallel to but spaced inwardly of end wall 23 of cabinet section 14. The bars 8l? and S2 are each at an angle slightly less than perpendicular to the respective bars 7? and 72 and thus diverge inwardly at a slight angle from the respective walls 1d and 18 to which they are adjacent, so that bars Sil and S2 meet each other in an obtuse angle A at a junction spaced inwardly a short distance of the order of 11/2 inches, for example, from the corner 2li formed by the junction of walls 1d and 18. By thus forming the horizontal frame members and 32 to extend in slightly diverging relation from the kitchen walls along which they lie and to meet each other in an obtuse angle, the lazy susan assembly can be iitted into corners which are out of square, whereas if the members and S?. were to meet in accurately perpendicular relation to each other adjacent rear corner 2d, dicultf might be encountered in installing the lazy susan rotary rack in a kitchen corner formed by walls which were not in truly perpendicular relation to each other.

The horizontal support frame is attached at the site of the installation to the

vertical support members

35, 36,

49, 42, and 56 by bolts or other suitable detachable fastener means S3. Horizontal frame 68 is provided with four cross braces 84, 86, S3, and 9), respectively, made of iiat steel stock, which substantially bisect the angles formed by the side members 74-76, iS-80, titl-S2, and 72-82. The four brace members meet at a common zone of intersection and each includes a laterally projecting lug extending therefrom adjacent the zone of intersection. The four lugs which extend from the four brace members are fastened to the lower race 94 of a ball bearing support generally indicated at 92. The upper race lid of the ball bearing support is attached to the under surface of the revolvable lazy susan shelf 64. The lazy susan shelf 64E is of generally circular shape except for a S-degree angle pie-cut sector, and includes a bottom wall 93 bounded by an arcuate side wall or gallery portion lltlt which extends for 270 degrees, and perpendicular side wall or gallery portions 1%2 and N4 which lie on chords spaced 90 degrees apart to define the pie-cut sector removed from the otherwise circular-shaped lazy susan shelf.

In installing the lazy susan structure,

cabinet sections

12 and 14 are positioned along the

respective Walls

16 and 18 with the

respective end walls

22 and 23 of the sections spaced the conventional 36-inch distance from the respective walls 18 and lo which they face. The vertical side frame sections 33 and 3f of the support frame assembly and the horizontal support frames 68 and iti are transported to the site of the installation in knockeddown form. The horizontal support frames 63 and 7i! are secured to the vertical side frames 33 and 34 and to the rear vertical support angle member 56 by bolts or other suitable detachable fasteners at the site of the installation, and the rotatable lazy susan shelves or trays 64 and 65 are suitably secured to the upper bearing race 96 of the corresponding ball bearing assembly 92 mounted on the respective horizontal support frames 68 and 7i? by means of bolts passing through the bottom surface 9% of the rotatable shelf, the bolts being received in the upper bearing race 96 to secure the revolvable shelf t0 the upper bearing race. The forward vertical supports 35 and 4t) of the side frames 33 and 34 are secured to the door surface by means of anchor straps 52 which engage the upper ends of the levelling screws 5i?. The

vertical support members

35, 36, dil, 42, and 56 are levelled by adjustment of the levelling screws 5% and the levelling screw 5S at the upper end of rear vertical support 56 is adjusted to level the counter top if required.

Doors

26 and 23 are secured by means of hinges 195 to

door frames

24 and 25. h1 use, when it is desired to remove an article from one of the shelves 64 or 7d, or to position an article thereon, door 28 is rst opened by means of handle 3% and then door 26 is opened. With both doors open,

shelf

64 or 66 is rotated on its ball bearing support until the desired portion of the tray or shelf is turned into the door opening.

When it is desired to close the cabinet doors, each lazy susan shelf is revolved on its ball bearing support 92 until the pie-cut section bounded by walls M52 and Mld is again in the recessed position shown in FlG. 6, in which walls 162 and 164 are spaced inwardly of and parallel to the planes of the respective doors 26 and 2S, permitting the doors to be closed.

if desired, the

rotatable shelves

64 and 66 may be provided with removable dividers which partition the storage space into segments. The dividers may be so dimensioned, for example, as to taper from a height of approximately l1 inches at the center of the respective shelf to a height of approximately 6 inches at the outer periphery of the shelf. This removable divider creates a wall against which canned goods and the like may be stacked, provides stability for stacking can-on-can, and permits storage in depth lacking in other lazy susans. Another function of such a divider is to establish zones for the separation of foodstuffs by can size, brand, or content, thereby greatly facilitating locating a desired selection. The divider and revolving shelf may be faced with a plastic laminate, or other waterproof material, and thus be used for storage of fresh fruits -or vegetables.

Due to the large diameter of the rotatable shelves, it is possible to install drawers on the shelves which can be made of such width as to permit their withdrawal through the

access doors

26 and 28, and of suicient length, front- -to-back, to accommodate kitchen cutlery or the like. Installation of such drawers would still leave a shelf area for use in storing other items. If an extra rotatable shelf, in addition to :the

shelves

64 and 66, were to be used, the top shelf might be used with drawers as just described, while the two lower shelves could be used for the storage of canned goods or the like.

Since each rotating shelf, such as 64 or 66, independently supported by its own

horizontal support frame

68 or 76, and by its own bearing assembly 92, it is possible to have a lazy susan installation in which only a single shelf is installed in a given corner. In such case, the side support frames 33 and 34 would be of lesser height than shown in FG. 4, or, in fact, the horizontal support such as support 68 could be attached to the adjacent cabinets and walls rather than requiring side frames for its support. rI'hus, this would make possible totally new styles in kitchen cabinetry and would permit, for example, the use of

base cabinets

12 and 14 having wide drawers at the top which meet at the corner Ztl, and a single or double shelf lazy susan structure below the drawers, with access doors to the lazy susan of corresponding height located below the drawers in .the upper level of the cabinet.

It is believed to be evident from the foregoing that the lazy susan structure hereinbefore described has many advantages over the prior art. The structure is adapted for shipment to the site of the installation in knocked-down form, thereby avoiding size limitations previously inherent in factory prebuilt lazy susan devices imposed by the limiting dimensions of the interior doorways of the house in which the lazy susan was to be installed. This permits the shelves of the lazy susan structure of the present invention to have substantially larger diameters than the prior art devices, thereby utilizing available corner space much more efficiently than the prior art devices and providing much greater storage space in the same available corner area than any of the lazy susan devices of the prior art. Also, elimination of the conventional center post is productive of many advantages, since this not only provides more storage space but also permits the storage of many articles which would be precluded by the presence of the center post. Furthermore, the fact that each shelf is independently rotatable results in much greater accessibility of the contents of the shelves than where both shelves revolve together and also permits the side wall or gallery of the individual shelves to be made much higher than when the shelves are rotatable together. For example, the galleries of the lazy susan shelves of the present invention may be made 3 inches or more in height, whereas the galleries of shelves of the prior art devices generally do not exceed 3%: inch in height. The higher galleries possible with the new lazy susan construction minimize the likelihood of articles falling off the shelves, as frequently occurs with the low gallery shelves necessitated by the prior art constructions in which all shelves revolve together. Furthermore, the fact that the support framework and the rotatable shelves are not structurally connected to the cabinet doors as in the prior art devices avoids problems which have been presented in such prior art devices, such as binding of the rotatable structure with respect to the cabinet clearances through which the rotatable structures of the prior art had to pass.

Moreover, it will be appreciated that the pie-cut lazy susan structure of the present invention actually requires no cabinet. The entire mechanism is independent of all cabinet structure and requires only a pair of front doors and a door frame for mounting such doors. 0f course the door mounts will normally be attached to the abutting cabinets, but the lazy susan strucure itself requires no cabinet to house or support it.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention, which has been the subject of actual reduction to practice and has been found entirely satisfactory and hence is presently preferred, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and therefore it is intended to comprehend within the scope and purview of the appended claims all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. In combination, a first and a second kitchen cabinet both resting on a common floor surface and having their tops lying in a common horizontal plane providing a counter surface, each of said cabinets having an end extending in a vertical plane at a right angle to the adjacent end of the other cabinet, said ends being respectively spaced substantially equal distances from a pair of vertical kitchen walls extending in planes perpendicular to each other at a corner of the kitchen, thereby providing a corner space bounded by said ends, by the projection of the planes of the front walls of said cabinets and by sai-:l pair of vertical kitchen walls, a rotary storage rack positioned in said corner space and mounted directly on said floor surface, said rack comprising a vertical frame having .feet secured to said ioor surface, a horizontal frame mounted on said vertical frame, a rotatable shelf of the lazy susan type, bearing meansI mounted on said horizontal frame, entirely below said shelf, supporting said shelf for rotation about a vertical axis, and kdoor means connected to at least one of said kitchen cabinets and closing the front of said corner space, said door means including two door portions lying in planes at a right angle to each other and substantially in the same planes as the front walls of the respective first and second kitchen cabinets.

2.. The combination defined in claim 1 in which said door means comprises a separate door hinged to each. of said kitchen cabinets, said doors when in closed position lying in planes'at right angles to each other.

3. In combination, a first and a second kitchen cabinet both resting on a common floor surface and having their tops lying in a common horizontal plane providing a counter surface, each of :said cabinets having an end extending in a vertical plane at a right angle to the adjacent end of the other cabinet, said ends being respectively spaced substantially equal distances from a pair of vertical kitchen walls extending in planes perpendicular to each other at a corner of the kitchen, thereby providing a corner space. bounded by said ends, by the projection of the planes of the front walls of said cabinets, and by said pair of vertical kitchen walls, and a rotary storage rack positioned in said corner space and mounted directly on said floor surface, said rack comprising a vertical frame having feet secured to said floor surface, a horizontal frame mounted on said vertical frame, a rotatable shelf of the lazy susan type mounted on said horizontal frame, said shelf having an outer circular edge extending through an arc of substantially 270 degrees and havu ing straight right angularly intersecting edges defining an open sector having an arc of substantially 90 degrees, bearing means mounted on said horizontal frame, entirely below said shelf, supporting said shelf for rotation about a vertical axis extending through the circular center of the shelf, and door means connected to at least one of said kitchen cabinets and closing the front of said corner space, said door means including two door portions lying in planestat a right angle to each other and substantially in the same planes as the front walls of the respective first and second kitchen cabinets.

4. The combination defined in claim 3, in which the circular edge of the shelf extends through an arc of slightly more than 270 degrees and the sector has an arc 8 of slightly less than degrees and is bounded by straight lines related as chords to the circular edge of the shelf.

5. In combination, a first and a second kitchen cabinet both resting on a common floor surface and having their tops lying in a common horizontal plane providing a counter surface, each of said cabinets having an end extending in a vertical plane at a right angle to the adjacent end of the other cabinet, said ends being respectively spaced substantially equal distances from a pair of vertical kitchen walls extending in planes perpendicular to each other at a corner of the kitchen, thereby providing a corner space bounded by said ends, by the projection of the planes of the front walls of said cabinets and by said pair of vertical kitchen Walls, a rotary storage rack positioned in said corner space and mounted directly on said fioor surface, said rack comprising a vertical frame having feet secured to said door surface, first and second horizontal frames mounted on said vertical frame in vertically spaced relation to each, other, a rotatable shelf of the lazy susan type mounted on each horizontal frame, a separate bearing means on each horizontal frame supporting the corresponding rotatable shelf for rotation about a vertical axis independently of the other shelf, each bearing means being mounted on one of the horizontal frames and being located entirely below the shelf which it supports, whereby the entire surface of each shelf is clear and unobstructed, and door means connected to at least one of said kitchen cabinets and closing the front of said corner space, said door means including two door portions lying in planes at a right angle to each other and substantially in the same planes as the front walls of the respective first and second kitchen cabinets.

6. in combination, a first and a second kitchen cabinet both resting on a common fioor surface and having their tops lying in a common horizontal plane providing a counter surface, each of said cabinets having an end extending in a vertical plane at a right angle to the adjacent end of the other cabinet, said ends of said cabinets being respectively spaced substantially equal distances from a pair of vertical kitchen walls extending in planes perpendicular to each other at a corner of the kitchen, thereby providing a corner space bounded by said ends, by the projection of the planes of the front walls of said cabinets and by said pair of vertical kitchen walls, a rotary storage rack of the lazy susan type positioned in said corner space and mounted directly on said floor surface, said rack comprising a vertical frame having feetsecured to said floor surface, first and second horizontal frames mounted on said vertical frame in vertically spaced relation to each other, a rotatable shelf of the lazy susan type mounted on each horizontal frame, each shelf having an outer circular edge extending through an arc of substantially 270 degrees and having straight right angularly intersecting edges defining an open sector having an arc of substantially 90 degrees, a separate bearing means on each horizontal frame supporting the corresponding rotatable shelf for rotation independently of the other shelf about a vertical axis extending through the circular center of the shelf, each bearing means being mounted on one of the horizontal frames and being located entirely below the shelf which it supports, whereby the entire surface of each shelf is clear and unobstructed, and door means connected to at least one of said kitchen cabinets and closing the front of said corner space, said door means including two door portions lying in planes at a right angle to each other and substantially in the same planes as the front walls of the respective first and second kitchen cabinets.

7. A rotary storage rack of the lazy susan type adapted to be positioned in a corner space bounded by a pair of kitchen Walls meeting at substantially a right angle to each otherand by the ends of two kitchen cabinets whose lengths extend at a right angle to each other, said rack comprising a pair of side frames disposed in right-angularly related spaced vertical planes, first and second horizou- Q tal frames mounted in vertically spaced relation to each other on both of sai side frames, each of said horizontal rarnes including a iirst pair of bars respectively adapted to lie along but spaced from said pair of kitchen Walls, each ot' said bars of said first pair having one i its ends connected to a corresponding end of the other of said oars with the connection between the corresponding ends adapted to be positie ed at a location adjacent to but spaced from corner deliri by said 1rritchen Walls, a second pair of bars adapted to lie adjacent but spaced from said ends of said cabinets in substantially parallel relation thereto, each bar of said second pair being connected at an end thereof to an end of a bar of said iirst pair opposite said one end, a third pair ot bars subten-ding an angle of substantially 9() degrees therebetween and connecting the opposite ends of said second pair or bars to each other, a rotatable shelf of the lazy susan type mounted on each horizontal trarne, each shelf having an outer circular edge extending through an are of substantially 270 degrees and having straight right angularly intersecting edges defining an open sector having an are of substantially 90 degrees, and a separate bearing means supporting the corresponding rotatable shelf for rotation independently of the other shelf about a Vertical axis extending through the circular center of the shelf, each bearing means being mounted on one of the horizontal frames and being located entirely below the shelf which it supports, whereby the entire surface of each shelf is clear and unobstructed.

8. A rotary storage rack as defined in claim '7 in which the bars or" said first pair subtend an interior angle of more than 90 degrees.

References (Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HRRS, Examiner.

Claims

1. IN COMBINATION, A FIRST AND A SECOND KITCHEN CABINET BOTH RESTING ON A COMMON FLOOR SURFACE AND HAVING THEIR TOPS LYING IN A COMMON HORIZONTAL PLANE PROVIDING A COUNTER SURFACE, EACH OF SAID CABINETS HAVING AN END EXTENDING IN A VERTICAL PLANE AT A RIGHT ANGLE TO THE ADJACENT END OF THE OTHER CABINET, SAID ENDS BEING RESPECTIVELY SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL DISTANCES FROM A PAIR OF VERTICAL KITCHEN WALLS EXTENDING IN PLANES PERPENDICULAR TO EACH OTHER AT A CORNER OF THE KITCHEN, THEREBY PROVIDING A CORNER SPACE BOUNDED BY SAID ENDS, BY THE PROJECTION OF THE PLANES OF THE FRONT WALLS OF SAID CABINETS AND BY SAID PAIR OF VERTICAL KITCHEN WALLS, A ROTARY STORAGE RACK POSITIONED IN SAID CORNER SPACE AND MOUNTED DIRECTLY ON SAID FLOOR SURFACE, SAID RACK COMPRISING A VERTICAL FRAME HAVING FEET SECURED TO SAID FLOOR SURFACE, A HORIZONTAL FRAME MOUNTED ON SAID VERTICAL FRAME, A ROTATABLE SHELF OF THE LAZY SUSAN TYPE, BEARING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID HORIZONTAL FRAME, ENTIRELY BELOW SAID SHELF, SUPPORTING SAID SHELF FOR ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, AND DOOR MEANS CONNECTED TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID KITCHEN CABINETS AND CLOSING THE FRONT OF SAID CORNER SPACE, SAID DOOR MEANS INCLUDING TWO DOOR PORTIONS LYING IN PLANES AT A RIGHT ANGLE TO EACH OTHER AND SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE SAME PLANES AS THE FRONT WALLS OF THE RESPECTIVE FIRST AND SECOND KITCHEN CABINETS.