US3269548A - Rack construction for dishwashing machine - Google Patents

Description

0, 1966 R. c. GEiGER ETAL 3,269,548

RACK CONSTRUCTION FOR DISHWASHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 20} 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M III INVENTORS RUSSELL C. GEIGER 8: BY PAUL B. GEIGER ATTORNEYS Aug. 30, 1966 R. c. GEIGER ETAL RACK CONSTRUCTION FOR DISHWASHING MACHINE Filed NOV. 20, 1964 FIG -5 2 $heets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS RUSSELL C. GEIGER 8 PAUL B. GEIGER FIG-6 ATTOR NEYS 3,269,548 Ice Patented August 30, 1966 3,269,548 RACK CQNSTRUCTIGN FOR DISHWASHING MACHINE Russell C. Geiger, Troy, and Paul B. Geiger, Piqua, Ohio,

assignors to The Hobart Manufacturing Company,

Troy, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Nov. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 412,721 8 Claims. (Cl. 21141) This invention relates to an improved rack system for domestic dishwashing machines, and more particularly, to a rack system which is adapted to accommodate flexibly a large number of tableware articles for obtaining the maximum capacity and which is also adapted to accommodate large articles such as deep bowls and pots and pans as well as tall glasses and the like.

Manufacturers of domestic dishwashers are confronted with the dilemma of how to construct a rack system for a household dishwasher which can accommodate a substantially large number of place settings of tableware articles and also can accommodate large serving and mixing bowls, pots and pans, roasters, serving platters, tall bottles, and glasses and other similar large articles. This situation is further aggravated by the fact that each of the above articles is manufactured in hundreds of different sizes and configurations. The ideal rack system, of course, is one which can receive any size or shape of the different articles and position each of them in relation to the cleansing spray system so that the article receives the optimum washing, rinsing and drying action.

In a front loading dishwasher a two level rack system is most commonly employed for the purpose of holding the maximum number of articles. It is desirable, however, to have the lower rack positioned at the highest possible elevation in relation to the floor to minimize the extent of bending over by the person loading and unloading the machine. On the other hand, in view of the overall standardized dimensions of the dishwasher cabinet, the higher the lower rack is positioned from the floor, the smaller the space in which the articles must be accommodated. Thus, usually a compromising elevation for both the upper and lower rack is selected in order that the dishwashing machine will accommodate a large majority of the articles of varied sizes. In compromising, however, there results an inability of the rack system to accommodate relatively large articles such as those mentioned above. The present invention is directed to a rack system for a dishwashing machine which is adapted to accommodate and properly to position a much wider variety of articles, including either a large number of single tableware articles or a number of large articles, or a mixed load having a combination of these different articles, according to the requirements of the operator.

Accordingly, one primary object to the present invention is to provide for a dishwashing machine a novel rack system which is adapted to accommodate a large variety of tableware and food preparing articles to be cleansed, including a large number of articles such as plates, dishes, cups and saucers, and/ or a number of large articles such as deep serving bowls, pots and pans, and tall glasses and to position each of the articles for optimum washing, rinsing and drying action.

As another object, the present invention provides a novel upper rack system for a front loading type dishwashing machine wherein the rack is connected to the cleansing chamber by a movable track system spaced between each side of the rack and the inside walls defining the chamber and operating so that the rack is completely carried out of the work chamber for easy loading and unloading of the articles, and wherein the rack is adapted to be removably attached to the track at different levels, thus permitting the rack to be positioned at different elevations within the chamber for accommodating a wide variety of tableware and food preparing articles in both the upper and lower racks.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a rack system for a dishwashing machine as outlined above wherein the rack includes a series of generally upright pins defining pockets for receiving a maximum capacity of tableware articles such as plates, dishes, cups and saucers and wherein the pins are collapsible against the bottom of the rack making the rack adaptable for receiving large articles, such as serving and mixing bowls, tall glasses and the like, and to position them for optimum washing and rinsing action as well as drying.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a rack system as outlined above wherein the feature of collapsible pins is adapted to be combined with the feature of attaching the rack to the movable tracks at different levels in order for the rack to accommodate a large variety of tableware and food preparing articles.

As another object, the present invention provides a novel rack system as outlined above wherein the collapsible pins are generally dog-leg in configuration and are adapted to be retained in an upright position by a detent mechanism which is simple in construction and easy to operate for collapsing the pins.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

In the drawings FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of a front loading type dishwashing machine which is partially cut away to show the general position of a rack system according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the dishwashing machine in FIG. 1 and with a portion of the door cut away to show the position of articles placed within the upper and lower racks;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a loaded upper rack formed according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of an unloadlfd upper rack including the movable rack supporting rac s;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the upper rack system as shown in FIGS. 1-4;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the upper rack shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the right hand movable rack supporting tracks as shown in the top view of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section view on an enlarged scale of the upper rack and movable tracks as viewed along the line 88 of FIG. 5 and showing the adjustable feature of mounting the rack on the track for providing difierent elevations of the rack within the dishwashing machine; and I FIG. 9 is an elevational section view of the movable rack tracks as viewed along the line 99 of FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 shows the general arrangement of a front loading type diswashing machine or automatic dishwasher which includes an improved rack system according to the invention. The dishwasher includes a cabinet, indicated generally by the reference member 10, having a base 12 and enclosing a tank 13 which defines a cleansing chamber 15. Access to the chamber 15 is provided by a door 17 hinged at the front of the machine about an axis 18 to swing downwardly to a horizontal position as indicated by the dotted lines. A top 19 is mounted on the cabinet 10 to provide a dishwashing machine of the free standing type. Frequently however, the cabinet 10 and top 19 are not used 3 when it is desired to install the machine within a kitchen under a built-in countertop.

Within the chamber 15, a suitable cleansing spray system (not shown) is provided and normally functions to recirculate a quantity of cleansing liquid supplied to the chamber 15, in a manner well known in the art. Details of this system, such as the pump, drive motor, timer controls, and plumbing connections have all been omitted since they may take various forms well known in the art, and since they form no particular part of the present invention. Details of suitable such apparatus are shown and described in United States Patents Nos. 2,681,658 and 2,862,510, both issued to the assignee of this application.

As mentioned above, the exterior cabinet dimensions of domestic dishwashing machines of the front loading type are generally standardized and thus, the cabinet occupies a perdetermined space. These standard dimensions, which enable the dishwashing machine to be installed under a built-in counter, include a width of about 24 inches, a depth (front to back) of about inches, and an overall height, not including the top 19 of about 34 inches. Within this predetermined space, however, it is highly desirable to provide a dishwasher which will hold a large capacity of tableware and food preparing articles in a position which provides the most effective washing and rinsing of the articles. To accomplish this capacity, a front loading type dishwasher is commonly provided with a lower rack 22 which is adapted to roll out over the open door 17 when it is in its open position for the convenient loading and unloading of the tableware articles, such as the illustrated large dinner plate 23. The present invention relates to the upper rack system 25 which includes generally a rack 27 which is supported by a movable track system 29 and 30 spaced on the sides of the rack 27 and mounted on the side walls of the tank 13. The track systems 29 and 30 are adapted to move horizontally so that the upper rack 27 may be pulled completely out of the chamber 15 (FIG. 1) and the entire upper rack 27 may be conveniently loaded and unloaded.

As shown in FIG. 2, the upper rack system according to the invention is adapted to receive large articles, as illustrated by the mixing bowl 33 and the jar 34. Both of these articles are positioned on a tilt with the open portion facing downwardly to allow the cleansing liquid to enter the inside portion of the articles and to provide for good draining of the articles. When desired, however, the rack system 25 will also accommodate a large number of similar articles, as shown in FIG. 3, and illustrated exemplary by the plates 36, cups 37 and glasses 39.

As shown in the partial view of FIG. 4, the rack 27 includes an open mesh bottom 40 having an elevated control portion 41 for providing clearance for articles in the lower rack 22, and a surrounding frame 42 which are defined by a series of parallel spaced elongated U-shaped longitudinal members 45, 46 and 47 extending from front to back and connected to a series of parallel spaced generally U-shaped lateral members 48. The leg portions of the longitudinal members 46 and 47 are formed upwardly and are connected to the top frame member 49 extending across each end of the rack 27 to define the front and rear end of the rack frame 42. The leg portions of the lateral members 48 are formed upwardly and are connected to the longitudinal support members 52 and 54 (FIG. 6) to define the sides of the rack frame 42. The forward leg portion of each of the longitudinal members are shown extending upwardly in FIGS. 4 and 6 where the top ends of the members are releasably locked in corresponding sockets 58 formed within a fiat spring detent member 60. The ends of the spring members 60 are secured to the rack by attachment to the upwardly extending leg portions of the two outermost longitudinal members 46.

Mounted in a predetermined spaced relationship along the longitudinal members 45 and 47 are a series of generally dog-leg shaped pins 65 and 66, respectively, which are adapted to receive a number of similar articles such as the plates 36 or cups 37 shown in FIG. 3. It has been determined that the successive mounting of the dog-leg configuration of the pins provides the maximum versatility for receiving a wide variety of articles and to position the articles for an optimum washing, rinsing and drying action.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the pair of longitudinal members 45 spaced on each side of the rack 27 are adapted to rotate within the hinge clips 67 mounted on the lateral members 48. Thus, by releasing the upwardly extending end portion of the members 45 from the sockets 58 within the detent member 60, the longitudinal members 45 can be rotated whereby the dog-leg shaped pins 65 may be collapsed against the bottom of the rack, as shown by the left side of the rack 27 in FIGS. 5 and 6, and thereby prevent the pins 65 from blocking the space required for large articles, such as the bowl 33 and jar 34 shown in FIG. 2. Since the rack is symmetrical about its center line and there are two sets of rotatably mounted longitudinal members 45, it can be seen that it is not necessary to collapse all of the pins 65. Instead, only one or two rows can be collapsed depending upon the particular number and size of articles which are to be loaded. It has been determined, however, that by rotatably mounting only the longitudinal members 45, the rack will accommodate practically all sizes and shapes of bowls, pots and pans and other relatively large articles. For this reason, the longitudinal members 47 are connected rigidly to the lateral members 48 and the pins 66 can not be collapsed. It is to be understood, however, that the two longitudinal members 47 and attached pins 66 could be rotatably mounted in the same manner as the members 45, in which case, all of the projecting pins 65 could be collapsed against the bottom of the rack, if desired.

The left and right track system, generally referred to as 29 and 30 respectively, are preferably formed from stainless steel sheet material and include a right and left hand outer track 70 and 71, respectively, which are telescopically mounted over corresponding inner tracks 73 and 74. These tracks are formed in an inverse manner to define a right and left hand track system. Typically shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the right hand outer track 70 includes a pair of tabs 77 lanced out of the track and extend outwardly to engage one of the three longitudinally extending support members 54 which are vertically spaced apart to enable the rack to be supported at three different elevations within the chamber 15. Preferably, the longitudinally extending support members 54 have an outwardly formed portion 79 (FIG. 4) spaced between two adjacent lateral members 48 to reduce the extent which the tabs 77 project inwardly into the rack 27 and also to prevent end-wise shifting of the rack in relation to the outer track 70.

As FIG. 8 shows, the end portion 82 of each tab 77 extends upwardly around the portion 79 to define a slight detent to provide for a snap engagement between the rack and the outer track 70. To change the rack 27 to a different level or elevation within the dishwashing machine, each side of the rack is lifted separately so that one of the members 54 disengages from the set of tabs 77 and another longitudinal member 54 is hooked over the tabs 77. In this manner, the rack can be quickly and easily positioned at different levels within the chamber 15 according to the size and configuration of the tableware and food preparing articles.

The outer track 70, and likewise the left outer track 71, is formed having a general channel configuration with the top portion 86 having an inverted V-shape to receive a correspondingly shaped support roller 88 rotatably mounted on the forward end of the inner track 73. The bottom portion 90 of the outer track 70 slopes downwardly to provide for good drainage of the cleansing liquid from the inside of the track in the same manner as the V-shaped configuration provides for good drainage from the top portion 86 of the track 70. This effective drainage is highly desirable to prevent small food particles from collecting or depositing on the track 70 after an extended period of use of the machine.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the rear end portion 92 of the outer track 70 has a right angle channel shaped configuration which is similar but slightly larger than the configuration of the inner track 73. To provide for smooth movement of the outer track 70 in a telescopic manner over the inner track 73, a suitable plastic button 94 is spaced on top and bottom between the inner surface of the end portion 92 and the outer surface of the inner track 73. Preferably the button 94 is formed from a suitable plastic material having a low coefficient of friction to provide the smooth movement of the outer track 70 along the inner track 73.

To enable the upper rack 27 to be moved completely out of the chamber 15, as shown in FIG. 1, for easy loading and unloading, each of the inner tracks 73 and 74 is mounted to a side wall of the tank 13 by a pair of rollers 97 having an outside diameter substantially equal to the vertical distance between the opposite inside surfaces of the inner track 73 (FIG. 9). This arrangement permits the inner tracks 73 and 74 to move horizontally on the tank 13 as the rack is pulled outwardly until the resilient bumpers 99 mounted on the end of the inner tracks 73 and 74 engage the roller 97 mounted near the rear of the tank 13.

In operation, when the upper rack 27 is moved outwardly over the open door 17, the rack carries with it the outer tracks 70 and 71 as a result of the engagement between the tabs 77 and the longitudinal members 54. The outer tracks, in turn, carry with them the inner tracks 73 and 74 as a result of the frictional drag between the buttons 94 and the inner tracks. When the resilient bumpers 99 engage the rollers 97, the inner tracks stop and the outer tracks move along the inner tracks as a result of the rollers 88 and the sliding engagement between the buttons 94 and the inner tracks 73 and 74.

A forward stop is provided by the tabs 102 extending from the outer tracks and which are adapted to engage the tabs 104 extending downwardly from the forward end of the inner tracks 73 and 74. When the rack is pushed backwardly into the chamber 15 after loading, the first movement of the rack causes the inner tracks 73 and 74 to move rearwardly until the resilient bumpers 99 engage the rear Wall of the tank 13. The outer tracks 70 and 71 then continue to move rearwardly by telescoping over the inner tracks until the rack is positioned completely within the cleansing chamber 15.

It can be seen that the improved rack system constructed in accordance with the present invention has several desirable features which cooperate to provide a dishwashing machine which can accommodate a greater variety of articles. Specifically, the series of spaced apart dog-leg shaped pins serves to accommodate a large number of tableware articles and thereby provides for a maximum capacity load. However, when it is desirable to accommodate a mixed load of a number of similar tableware articles and large serving bowls, pots and pans and the like, one or more rows of pins 65 may be collapsed against the bottom portion of the rack so that the pins do not interfere with the accommodation and proper positioning of the large articles. Furthermore, when exceptionally large articles are placed either within the upper rack or the lower rack, the upper rack may be easily adjusted vertically depending upon the space required to accommodate the large articles. This feature is provided by the plurality of longitudinal members 54 which are spaced apart vertically and can be engaged by the tabs 77 according to the desired elevation of the rack within the machine.

The construction of the rack system also permits the upper rack to be moved completely out of the cleansing chamber 15 for convenient loading and unloading of the upper rack. This feature is provided by mounting the inner tracks 73 and 74 so that the inner tr-acks may move horizontally several inches in relation to the side Walls of the tank 13.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitute a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved upper rack system for a dishwashing machine having a tank defining a cleansing chamber and adapted to accommodate a large capacity of tableware articles as well as large articles such as deep bowls, pots and pans and tall glasses, said rack system comprising a rack having an open mesh bottom and frame through which a cleansing spray can pass, said rack including a series of generally parallel spaced longitudinal members extending from front to back and having connected thereto a series of generally parallel spaced lateral members extending across said longitudinal members, a means connected to a plurality of said members to define a support for the tableware articles, a track spaced between each side of said frame and side walls of a tank, means adapted to mount said tracks to the side walls of a tank at a predetermined elevation providing for horizontal movement into and out of the chamber, and means on said tracks for supporting said frame at different elevations for accommodating the large articles.

2. An improved upper rack system for a dishWash-ing machine having a tank defining a cleansing chamber and adapted to accommodate a large capacity of tableware articles as Well as large articles such -as deep bowls, pots and pans and tall glasses, said rack system comprising a rack having an open mesh bottom and frame through which a cleansing spray can pass, said rack being formed by a series of generally parallel spaced longitudinal members extending from front to back and a series of generally parallel spaced lateral members extending across said longitudinal members and connected thereto, a plurality of spaced apart upright pins fastened to a plurality of said members to define a series of successive pockets for receiving and supporting the tableware articles in a predetermined spaced relationship, a track spaced between each side of said frame and side walls of a tank and having a plurality of tabs extending therefrom, means adapted to mount said tracks to the side walls of a tank for horizontal movement of the tracks to carry the rack into and out of the chamber, and means on each side of said frame for engaging at different elevations said tabs extending from said tracks to position said rack at the optimum level for accommodating the large articles.

3. An improved upper rack system for a dishwashing machine having a tank defining a cleansing chamber and adapted to accommodate a large capacity of tableware articles as well as large articles such as deep bowls, pots and pans and tall glasses, said rack system comprising a rack having an open mesh bottom and frame through which a cleansing spray can pass, said rack being formed by a series of generally parallel spaced longitudinal members extending from front to back and a series of generally parallel spaced lateral members extending across and connected to said longitudinal members, means connected to a pluarlity of said members to define a support for the tableware articles, an outer track spaced between each side of said frame and side walls of a tank, an inner track mounted for relative telescopic movement within each of said outer tracks, means adapted to mount each of said inner tracks to a tank for horizontal movement to enable said rack to be moved completely out of the chamher for convenient loading and unloading, and means on said tracks for receiving said frame at different elevations to :position said rack for accommodating the large articles.

4. An improved upper rack system for a dishwashing machine having a tank defining a cleansing chamber and adapted to accommodate a large capacity of tableware articles as well as large articles such as deep bowls, pots and pans and tall glasses, said rack system comprising a rack having an open mesh bottom and frame through which a cleansing spray can pass, said rack being formed by a series of generally parallel spaced longitudinal members extending from front to back and a series of generally parallel spaced lateral members extending across and connected to said longitudinal members, spaced apart upright pins fastened to a plurality of said members to define a series of successive pockets for receiving and suppolting tableware articles in a predetermined spaced relationship, means for rotatably mounting at least one of said members having pins thereon to collapse said pins against the bottom of said rack for accommodating the large articles, means for releasably locking said rotatably mounted member with said pins in a generally upright position for defining said pockets, a track spaced between each side of said frame and side walls of a tank, means adopted to mount said tracks to a tank for horizontal movement, and means on each side of said frame for engaging at different elevations the movable tracks to position said rack at the optimum level for the large articles.

5. An improved rack system for a dishwashing machine having a tank defining a cleansing chamber and adapted to accommodate a large capacity of tableware articles as well as large articles such as deep bowls, pots and pans and tall glasses, said rack system comprising a rack having an open mesh bottom and frame through which a cleansing spray can pass, said rack being formed by a series of generally parallel spaced longitudinal members extending from front to back and a series of generally parallel spaced lateral members extending across and connected to certain of said longitudinal members, spaced apart upright pins fastened to a plurality of certain of said parallel members to define a series of successive pockets for receiving and supporting the tableware articles in a predetermined spaced relationship, means for rotatably mounting at least one of said parallel members having pins thereon to collapse said pins against said bottom for accommodating the large articles, and means for holding said rotatably mounted member with said pins in a generally upright position for defining said pockets.

6. An improved upper rack system for a dishwashing machine having a tank defining a cleaning chamber and adapted to accommodate a large capacity of tableware articles as well as large articles such as deep bowls, pots and pans and tall glasses, said rack system comprising a rack having an open mesh bottom and frame through which a cleansing spray can pass, said rack being formed by a series of generally parallel spaced longitudinal members extending from front to back and a series of generally parallel spaced lateral members extending across and connected to certain of said longitudinal members, a plurality of spaced apart generally dog-leg shaped pins fastened to at least three pairs of said longitudinal members to define a series of successive pockets for receiving and supporting the tableware articles in a predetermined longitudinal spaced relationship, means for rotatably mounting at least one pair of said longitudinal members having pins thereon to collapse said pins against the bottom for accommodating the large articles, means for releasably locking the end portion of said rotatably mounted longitudinal members with said pins in a generally upright position for defining said pockets, and means including a series of vertically spaced members on each side of said frame for mounting said rack at different elevations within said chamber.

7. An improved upper rack system for a dishwashing machine having a tank defining a cleansing chamber and adapted to accommodate a large capacity of tableware articles as well as large articles such as deep bowls, pots and pans and tall glasses, said rack system comprising a rack having an open mesh bottom and frame through which a cleansing spray can pass and being formed by a series of generally parallel spaced longitudinal members extending from front to back and a series of generally parallel spaced lateral members extending across and connected to certain of said longitudinal members, a plurality of spaced apart upright pins fastened to at least two of said members to define a series of successive pockets for receiving and supporting the tableware articles in a predetermined spaced relationship, means for rotatably mounting at least two of said members having pins thereon to collapse said pins against the bottom for accommodating the large articles, means for releasably locking said rotatably mounted member with said pins in a generally upright position for defining said pockets, a track spaced between each side of said frame and side walls of a tank and having tabs extending therefrom, means adapted to mount said tracks to a tank for horizontal movement, and means on each side of said frame for engaging at different elevations said tabs extending from said tracks to position said rack at the optimum level for the large articles.

8. An improved upper rack system for a dishwashing machine having a tank defining a cleansing chamber and adapted to accommodate a large capacity of tableware articles as well as large articles such as deep bowls, pots and pans and tall glasses, said rack system comprising a rack having an open mesh bottom and frame through which a cleansing spray can pass, said rack being formed by a series of generally parallel spaced longitudinal members extending from front to back and a series of generally parallel spaced lateral members extending across and connected to certain of said longitudinal members, a plurality of spaced apart generally dog-leg shaped pins fastened to at least three pair of said longitudinal members to define a series of successive pockets for receiving and supporting the tableware articles in a predetermined longitudinal spaced relationship, means for rotatably mounting at least one pair of said lonm'tudinal members having pins thereon to collapse said pins against the bottom for accommodating the large articles, spring detent means for releasably locking the end portion of said rotatably mounted longitudinal members with said pins in a generally upright position for defining said pockets, a series of vertically spaced longitudinal members connected to each side of said frame, an outer track spaced between each side of said frame and side walls of a tank and having tabs extending therefrom for engaging said vertically spaced members to position said rack at different elevations within a chamber, an inner track mounted for relative telescopic movement within each of said outer tracks, and roller means adapted to mount each of said inner tracks to a tank for horizontal movement to enable said rack to be moved completely out of the chamber for convenient loading and unloading.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,644,588 7/1953 Brown l08l02 2,648,588 8/1953 Ruspino 312308 2,841,288 7/1958 Field et al 211-41 3,126,098 3/1964 Geiger et al 211-41 3,194,610 7/1965 Stewart 3083.8

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. AN IMPROVED UPPER RACK SYSTEM FOR A DISHWASHING MACHINE HAVING A TANK DEFINING A CLEANING CHAMBER AND ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE A LARGE CAPACITY OF TABLEWARE ARTICLES AS WELL AS LARGE ARTICLES SUCH AS DEEP BOWLS, POTS AND PANS AND TALL GLASSES, SAID RACK SYSTEM COMPRISING A RACK HAVING AN OPEN MESH BOTTOM AND FRAME THROUGH WHICH A CLEANSING SPRAY CAN PASS, SAID RACK INCLUDING A SERIES OF GENERALLY PARALLEL SPACED LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS EXTENDING FROM FRONT TO BACK AND HAVING CONNECTED THERETO A SERIES OF GENERALLY PARALLEL SPACED LATERAL MEMBERS EXTENDING ACROSS SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS, A MEANS CONNECTED TO A PLURALITY OF SAID MEMBERS TO DEFINE A SUPPORT FOR THE TABLEWARE ARTICLES, A TRACK SPACED BETWEEN EACH SIDE OF SAID FRAME AND SIDE WALLS OF A TANK, MEANS ADAPTED TO MOUNT SAID TRACKS TO THE SIDE WALLS OF A TANK AT A PREDETERMINED ELEVATION PROVIDING FOR HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF THE CHAMBER, AND MEANS ON SAID TRACKS FOR SUPPORTING SAID FRAME AT DIFFERENT ELEVATIONS FOR ACCOMMODATING THE LARGE ARTICLES.

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