US3306281A

US3306281A - Collapsible and portable barbecue or cooking device

Info

Publication number: US3306281A
Application number: US403706A
Authority: US
Inventors: William S Hoebel
Original assignee: JOHNSON STUART CO
Current assignee: JOHNSON STUART CO
Priority date: 1964-10-14
Filing date: 1964-10-14
Publication date: 1967-02-28
Anticipated expiration: 1984-02-28

Description

Feb. 28, 1967 s, HOE EL 3,306,281

COLLAPSIBLE AND PORTABLE BARBECUE OR COOKING DEVICE Filed Oct. 14, 1964 Z we; 6.1909152! 0 MAX PM, KRAUS ATTY United States Patent Gfifice 3,306,281 COLLAPSIBLE AND PORTABLE BARBECUE OR COOKING DEVICE William S. Hoebel, Long Grove, 111., assignor to Johnson-Stuart Company, Skokie, Ill. Filed Oct. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 403,706 3 Claims. (Cl. 126-25) This invention relates to improvements in a collapsible and portable banbecue or cooking device.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a barbecuing or cooking device which is collapsible to occupy a minimum of space, which is light in weight and of a compact size as to be readily carried or transported by a person, which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and which -is highly efficient in operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a barbecue or cooking device comprising a gridiron or grating with pivotally mounted legs at the opposite ends of said gridiron, which legs may be readily positioned in extended position to support the gridiron for barbecuing or may be readily collapsed adjacent the gridiron to occupy a minimum of space, and in which the fuel pan is supported by the legs in their extended position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a structure of the foregoing character in which, when the supporting legs are in a collapsed position, the gridiron and legs may be positioned within the fuel pan so that the overall dimensions of the device when packaged and/or stored is within the dimensions and confines of the fuel pan.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device aforedescribed which has a handle readily attachable to the fuel pan.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device of this invention set up in position for barbecuing or cooking.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view taken on lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view taken on lines 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the legs supporting the gridiron in collapsed position, with the gridiron positioned within the fuel pan, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on lines 5-5 of FIG. 4.

The gridiron or grating is generally designated by the numeral and is formed of a pair of spaced longitudinally extending wire or rod members 12 and a plurality of spaced transversely extending wire members 14 which have been welded or otherwise secured thereto. Pivotally secured to the opposite ends of the gridiron are leg or supporting members, generally designated by the numeral 16.

Each leg member 16 is formed of a single strip of wire bent to the configuration shown. As viewed from its supporting position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each leg member has a substantially straight intermediate side portion 18, a rounded bend portion 20 which continues inwardly and angularly upward to form a lower side portion 22 and is then bent inwardly to form a transverse portion 24 connecting the two spaced sides. Extending upwardly and angularly inward from the intermediate side portion 18 is the upper side portion 26 which is curved or looped to form a hook portion 28. The hook portions 28 are pivotally secured to the transverse wire members 14a whichare adjacent the outermost wire members 14b. This connecting arrangement permits the leg members to he pivoted inwardly in a collapsed position, as shown in 3,306,281 Patented Feb. 28, 1967 FIGS. 4 and 5, whereby the transverse connecting portion 24 of the leg is adjacent the gridiron. In this position the legs occupy a minimum amount of space for the purpose to be hereinafter described. It also permits the legs to be readily pivoted to extended or upright or leg supporting position, such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, to support the gridiron or grating 10 in position for barbecuing. In the extended position the upper side portion 26 of the leg will rest and engage the end transverse wire 14b to limit the outward pivoting movement of said legs so that said legs cannot collapse outwardly when they are in leg supporting position.

The fuel pan for supporting the charcoal, fuel, or the .like, is of rectangular shape and is designated generally by the numeral 30. The bottom 32 of the pan is provided with a pair of spaced transversely extending recesses or indentations, designated by the numeral 34, adjacent the opposite ends of the pan. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fuel pan 30 is adapted to rest on the transverse portions 24 of the legs, with the transverse portions nested within the transverse identat-ions 34 of the pan to position the pan and to maintain it in a secure position and keep it from being accidentally dislodged. The pan, however, may be readily removed from the supporting legs by lifting same so that the legs may be collapsed.

For the purpose of readily engaging the pan there is provided a removable handle, designated by the numeral 36, which is formed of a wire or the like, having a substantially U-shaped portion 38 which terminates in offset L-shaped ends having vertical portions 39 and forwardly extending horizontal portions 40. The bottom wall 32 of the pan 30 is provided with a pair of spaced openings 42 and the side wall 44 of the pan adjacent said openings is provided with V-shaped recesses or cutouts 46. The handle 36 is secured to said pan by inserting the L-shaped ends through the openings 42 and then positioning the handle as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, in which the horizontal portions 40 of the handle are positioned horizontally underneath the bottom 32 of the pan, with the vertically extending portions 39 adjacent the inside of the side wall 44 and the U-shaped portion 38 extending outwardly of the pan to be manually engaged. In this manner the pan may be moved and handled by the person, yet, the handle may be readily removed from the pan by manipulating the handle so that the ends 40 of the handle are withdrawn through the openings 42.

A feature of this invention is the construction of the device in such a manner that it can he collapsed to occupy a minimum of space and be contained within the confines of the fuel pan. This is best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 in which the legs 16 are positioned in a collapsed position and the gridiron and legs are positioned to be confined and contained within the pan 30, as shown in said figures. For example, one commercial embodiment of this invention is a construction in which the fuel pan 30 is approximately 16 inches by 11 inches, with the height of the side Walls of the pan approximately 1 /2 inches. Within these dimensions the gridiron which has an overall length and width dimension slightly less than that of the pan may be positioned so that it is wholly confined and contained within the pan, as shown.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the aforementioned dimensions but the foregoing is mentioned as a representative embodiment of the concept. In such collapsed condition the handle 36 is likewise positioned within the pan wholly within the confines of the sides and top.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible barbecuing device comprising a gridi- Ion formed of a plurality of spaced longitudinally and transversely extending wire members, a leg member pivotally secured to said gridiron adjacent each of the opposite ends of said gridiron, each said leg member formed of a single strip of wire bent and shaped to form a pair of spaced side members and a transverse member connecting said side members, each said side member having an upper, an intermediate, and a lower portion, with the upper portion having a looped terminal engaging a transversely extending wire member inwardly of the end thereof pivotally connecting said leg to the gridiron, said intermediate portion forming an obtuse angle with said upper portion, said lower portion extending inwardly and angularly upward of the intermediate portion and with the transverse member extending above the bottom of the intermediate portion, a fuel pan supported between said legs and on said transverse member of said legs, said pan being removably positioned on said legs to permit collapsing of said legs with respect to said gridiron.

2. A structure defined in claim 1 in which the pan is 4 provided with a transverse groove adjacent each of the opposite ends thereof to engage the transverse member of each of said leg members.

3. A structure defined in claim 1 in which the side members of the leg are inwardly of the longitudinally extendin-g wire members which form the border of the gridiron and when the leg members are in collapsed position the transverse connecting members of the leg are positioned between certain of the transversely extending wire members of the gridiron to permit the gridiron to be confined and contained within the pan.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,199,257 9/1916 Ferdon. 2,122,275 6/ 1938 Bitney 12625 2,780,215 2/1957 Vacanti 12625 X FREDERICK KETTERER, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A COLLAPSIBLE BARBECUING DEVICE COMPRISING A GRIDIRON FORMED OF A PLURALITY OF SPACED LONGITUDINALLY AND TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING WIRE MEMBERS, A LEG MEMBER PIVOTALLY SECURED TO SAID GRIDIRON ADJACENT EACH OF THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID GRIDIRON, EACH SAID LEG MEMBER FORMED OF A SINGLE STRIP OF WIRE BENT AND SHAPED TO FORM A PAIR OF SPACED SIDE MEMBERS AND A TRANSVERSE MEMBER CONNECTING SAID SIDE MEMBERS, EACH SAID SIDE MEMBER HAVING AN UPPER, AN INTERMEDIATE, AND A LOWER PORTION, WITH THE UPPER PORTION HAVING A LOOPED TERMINAL ENGAGING A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING WIRE MEMBER INWARDLY OF THE END THEREOF PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID LEG TO THE GRIDIRON, SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION FORMING AN OBTUSE ANGLE WITH SAID UPPER PORTION, SAID LOWER PORTION EXTENDING INWARDLY AND ANGULARLY UPWARD OF THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION AND WITH THE TRANSVERSE MEMBER EXTENDING ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION, A FUEL PAN SUPPORTED BETWEEN SAID LEGS AND ON SAID TRANSVERSE MEMBER OF SAID LEGS, SAID PAN BEING REMOVABLY POSITIONED ON SAID LEGS TO PERMIT COLLAPSING OF SAID LEGS WITH RESPECT TO SAID GRIDIRON.