US3731839A

US3731839A - Dishwashing tank having integral handling means

Info

Publication number: US3731839A
Application number: US00135643A
Authority: US
Inventors: O Long
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
Current assignee: CBS Corp
Priority date: 1971-04-20
Filing date: 1971-04-20
Publication date: 1973-05-08
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-08
Also published as: AU4043172A; CA978447A; AU472006B2

Abstract

The invention provides a formed dishwasher tub or the like that includes integral, strengthening embossments situated and extending along the two top edges of the tub and with the same including integral, indented portions mediate their ends to accommodate processing hangers which suspend the dishwasher tub or the like as it proceeds through the manufacturing or process which may include the application of a coating material.

Description

O United States Patent 1 [111 3,731,839 Long 1 May 8, 1973 54] DHSHWASHING TANK HAVING 2,656,066 10 1953 Riemenschneider ..22o 74 INTEGRAL HANDLING MEANS 1,948,041 2/1934 McCowan ..220/94 A Inventor: Ola L g, Columbus Ohio 2,457,841 1/1949 Smith et al. ..22()/l.5

[73] Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Primary Examiner-Allen N. Knowles Pittsburgh, Pa. Attorney-F. H. Henson, E. C. Arenz and R. B. Farley [22] Filed: Apr. 20, 1971 [57] A ST 21 Appl. NO; 135,643

The invention provides a formed dishwasher tub or the like that includes integral, strengthening emboss- [52] U.S. Cl ..220/74, 220/94 A mems Situated d extending along the two top edges [51] Illt. Cl. ..B65d 7/42 of the b d ith the game including integral, in- [58] Field of Search ..220/l.5, 74, 94 A; dented portions mediate their ends to accommodate 224/45 P processing hangers which suspend the dishwasher tub or the like as it proceeds through the manufacturing [56] References Cited or process which may include the application of :1

UNITED STATES PATENTS coating material- 788,055 4/1905 Mathy ..220/94 A 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented May 8, 1973 3,731,339

2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. 2

Patented May 8, 1973 3,731,839

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention:

This invention relates to a formed article which requires conveyorizing during its manufacture and, more particularly, relates to a formed dishwasher tub or the like having integral connecting means provided for attachment to a conveyor system.

2. Description of the Prior Art:

During the manufacturing operations required for construction of production dishwashers or similar appliances and during the manufacturing process of many individual generalized components, the dishwashers, appliances or generalized components require that a coating such as plastisoling or enameling be provided for them. The most efficient and therefore inexpensive method of providing such a coating usually utilizes a conveyor system which carriesthe parts through an automatic station for processing to provide the required coating to each component automatically or manually on a production line basis.

Thus, these components, whether they be dishwasher tubs or some other manufactured component require some manner of attachment between them and the conveyor system which carries them through the coating station. Prior art arrangementshave utilized hanger brackets or bracket mounting holes disposed in or attached to the component, with these hanger brackets or bracket mounting holes providing a connecting means for engagement by complementary means carried by the conveyor itself.

Since conveyorizing of the coating step for manufactured components reduced the overall cost of such components they have been widely adopted. However, an added cost is built into such a component in that at least one additional manufacturing step was required for the provision of the aforesaid bracket mounting holes or attached hanger brackets.

Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an integral conveyor connecting means for a component requiring a coating which could be formed in the component during the general forming operation for it. Thus, no additional cost would be engendered in construction of the component save for the additional slight tooling cost required to provide for forming the connecting means later to be utilized for attachment to a conveyor system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a dishwasher tub which has integrally formed therewith a pair of embossed strengthening ribs that extend linearly from near the front to near the rear of the dishwasher tub, the same being provided essentially at two of the upper edges of the tub. The embossed strengthening ribs each include an embossed indented portion disposed substantially medial of the length of the embossed ribs on each side of the dishwasher tub, with these embossed indents later providing connecting means for utilization by a conveyor connector means so that a cooperation therebetween is achieved and the dishwasher tub may be easily and conveniently mounted to a conveyor system and the same then process coated with an enamel or plastisol to provide a corrosion resistant surface to the dishwasher tub.

DRAWING DESCRIIPTION For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the preferred embodiment, exemplary of the invention, shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the dishwasher tub which incorporates my invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the same dishwasher tub;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the invention taken on line IIIIII of FIG. 1 showing the strengthening ribs located on each side thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of the dishwasher tub and the conveyor connecting means which may be utilized therewith.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The invention is provided on a tub 10 of a dishwasher or the like, with this tub taking the general configuration of an open ended container having a bottom and top sloping towards the front and including a top 12,

sides

14 and 16, back 18 and bottom 20. Since the tub 10 is formed to shape in its manufacturing, all edges of the tub 10 including a pair of

edges

22 and 24 that extend from the front to the back of the tub between the top 12 and the

sides

14 and 16 have a radiused configuration so as to be easily formed and reduce the stress imposed on the metal in these areas during forming.

The

edges

22 and 24 are interrupted between their front and rearward ends by embossed

ribs

26 and 28, respectively, extending alongsubstantially two thirds of the length of the

edges

22 and 24, respectively, with these embossed ribs required to provide strengthening and rigidity to the overall tub configuration so that it may function satisfactorily in a dishwasher configuration. Each of the

ribs

26 and 28 are struck out, during the forming operation, from the metal skin forming the tub 10 so as to be integral therewith and yet provide an offset of material relative to the remainder of the

edges

22 and 24 to effectively increase the cross sectional strength of the metal skin of the tub 10.

The

ribs

26 and 28, in cross-section, take the general form of a filleted radius having long legs 30 and short legs 32 joined together by a rounded, curved portion 34 so that the strengthening

ribs

26, 28 may be easily formed without undue stretching of the metal skin and also do not give rise to undue stress concentrations within them (FIG. 3) and so that the overall configuration of each of the embossed

ribs

26 and 28 is fairly streamlined. The cross sectional shape of each of the strengthening

ribs

26, 26 is completed by two

offset portions

31, 33 which, join the

legs

30 and 32 to the tub 10, proper, and place these legs outwardly disposed relative to the general surface of tub 10. The overall configuration of the strengthening

ribs

26, 28 is completed by front and

rear offset ends

35 and 37 which are continuations of

offset portions

31 and 33 and merge in streamline curved fashion with them.

Intermediate the forward and rearward terminations of each of the embossed

ribs

26 and 28 and located es- FIGS. 1 to 3, the embossed indent 36 is offset inwardly generally, relative to each of the respective strengthening ribs 26 or 2% in which it is disposed so that an inwardly disposed reception means is provided for the connecting means which attaches the dishwasher tub to a conveyor system, and so the opening for attachment to the conveyor connecting means is generally shaped like a C in elevational view with the open part of the C facing downwardly.

In order to provide an area of flow for the metal skin of tub l0, moved from within the embossed indent 36, the wall of the

ribs

26 and 28 immediately above their respective indents is bulged outwardly in both the vertical (FIG. 3) and horizontal direction (FIG. 2) to provide a domed, bulbous portion 38 that smoothly merges with the remainder of the

ribs

26 or 28 of which it is a part. Each of the bulbous portions 38 also provide the additional function of heightening the depth of their respective embossed indent 36 so as to increase the ability of the embossed indents to receive the cooperative connecting means of a conveyor system.

The cooperation between the dishwasher tub 10 and the connecting means for a conveyor system can be easily seen in FIG. 4, wherein a pair of hook means 40 and 42 are seen to depend downwardly from a conveyor arrangement shown fragmentarily at 44 so that the downwardly depending

ends

46 and 48 of the hook means may be received within the embossed indents 36 to provide an easily attachable and detachable means so that the dishwasher tub 10 may be carried by the conveyor arrangement 44 for a coating or similar process.

It should be clear from the foregoing description that the described invention provides all the advantages set out for it in the beginning portion of the specification and, further, that many modifications be made to the invention which still fall within its spirit and scope.

What is claimed is:

l. A formed dishwasher container including:

a. a pair of strengthening ribs disposed to extend substantially from front to back along the upper two edges of the container;

b. said elongated strengthening ribs having a crosssection, generally of a filleted radius;

c. a formed indent provided in each of said strengthening ribs;

d. said formed indent being disposed below a portion of said elongated strengthening rib and providing for connection of said formed container to a conveyor means; and

e. said portion of said elongated strengthening rib above said formed indent is domed outwardly from the remainder of said strengthening rib.

2. The formed dishwasher container of claim 1 wherein:

a. said portion of said elongated strengthening rib above said formed indent is domed outwardly from the remainder of said strengthening rib.

3. The formed dishwasher container of claim 1 wherein:

a. said formed indent forms a C-shape opening downwardly.

4. The formed dishwasher container of claim 1 wherein:

a. said elongated strengthening r1bs include offset portions that place said filleted radius shape outwardly from the general surface of said formed container.

5. A formed metal dishwasher tub adapted during manufacture to be carried by a conveyor through a station in which said tub is coated:

said tub including front, bottom, side and rear walls and an open front face;

a pair of opposite ones of said walls each includes indent means formed in the metal forming said walls at a location directly opposite each other across said tub and closely adjacent the edges formed between said pair of opposite walls and the intervening wall;

said indent means forming seats for the clamping hooks of said conveyor system.

6. A formed tub according to claim 5 wherein:

each of said edges includes metal stretched outwardly from the general line of said edge to form a cowl-shaped configuration disposed in hooded relation to said indent means. 7. A dishwasher tub according to claim 6 wherein: each of said edges includes strengthening ribs formed by metal stretched outwardly from the general line of said edge, said strengthening ribs extending along said edges for the major portion of their length, and including said indent means and said cowl-shaped configuration at an inter-mediate point along said length.

Claims

1. A formed dishwasher container including: a. a pair of strengthening ribs disposed to extend substantially from front to back along the upper two edges of the container; b. said elongated strengthening ribs having a cross-section, generally of a filleted radius; c. a formed indent provided in each of said strengthening ribs; d. said formed indent being disposed below a portion of said elongated strengthening rib and providing for connection of said formed container to a conveyor means; and e. said portion of said elongated strengthening rib above said formed indent is domed outwardly from the remainder of said strengthening rib.

2. The formed dishwasher container of claim 1 wherein: a. said portion of said elongated strengthening rib above said formed indent is domed outwardly from the remainder of said strengthening rib.

3. The formed dishwasher container of claim 1 wherein: a. said formed indent forms a C-shape opening downwardly.

4. The formed dishwasher container of claim 1 wherein: a. said elongated strengthening ribs include offset portions that place said filleted radius shape outwardly from the general surface of said formed container.

5. A formed metal dishwasher tub adapted during manufacture to be carried by a conveyor through a station in which said tub is coated: said tub including front, bottom, side and rear walls and an open front face; a pair of opposite ones of said walls each includes indent means formed in the metal forming said walls at a location directly opposite each other across said tub and closely adjacent the edges formed between said pair of opposite walls and the intervening wall; said indent means forming seats for the clamping hooks of said conveyor system.

6. A formed tub according to claim 5 wherein: each of said edges includes metal stretched outwardly from the general line of said edge to form a cowl-shaped configuration disposed in hooded relation to said indent means.

7. A dishwasher tub according to claim 6 wherein: each of said edges includes strengthening ribs formed by metal stretched outwardly from the general line of said edge, said strengthening ribs extending along said edges for the major portion of their length, and including said indent means and said cowl-shaped configuration at an inter-mediate point along said length.