US3759593A

US3759593A - Rack for bottles and cans

Info

Publication number: US3759593A
Application number: US00184779A
Authority: US
Inventors: G Walter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-09-29
Filing date: 1971-09-29
Publication date: 1973-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 1990-09-18

Abstract

An open top rack for receiving bottles and/or cans to be maintained under refrigeration within an upwardly opening refrigeration compartment such as that conventionally found behind a bar or counter area, together with a specifically designed refrigeration cabinet in which one or more racks may be positioned and supported for vertical shifting therein. The cabinet includes an upper door which may be opened for access to the bottles or cans supported within the associated rack from the above and also a side door through which a rack to be supported in elevated position within the refrigeration cabinet may be placed within the latter. A hand truck may also be provided for transporting a rack, when full, from a storage area to the associated refrigeration cabinet. The cabinet includes rack supporting and elevating structure whereby after placement of an associated rack within the cabinet in a lower position therein the rack may be elevated upwardly in the cabinet into position for ease in dispensing bottles or cans from the rack through the top door opening of the cabinet.

Description

United States Patent n 1 Walter 1 Sept. 18, 1973 RACK FOR BOTTLES ANl) CANS [76] Inventor: Glennon P. Walter, R.F.D. l,

Perryville, Mo. 63775 [22] Filed: Sept. 29,1971

[21] Appl. No.: 184,779

[52] US. Cl. 312/312, 312/290 [51] Int. Cl. A47b 51/00, A47b 81/00 [58] Field of Search 312/312, 351, 247, 312/249, 272, 272.5; 108/145, 148

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 677,624 7/1901 Beckwith 211/151 X 1,668,781 5/1928 Pierce 312/312 X 2,549,664 4/1951 Collins 312/319 X 2,717,085 9/1955' Waddington... 312/312 UX 1,747,750 2/1930 Beatty 312/312 2,495,046 1/1950 Wolters 312/312 526,144 9/1894 Carver 312/312 2,093,856 9/1937 Wales 312/312 2,276,711 3/1942 Bilde 312/2725 2,181,406 11/1939 Madden..... 312/312 X 2,445,394 7/1948 Glralt 312/312 X Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Attorney-John A. Mawhinney [57] ABSTRACT An open top rack for receiving bottles and/or cans to be maintained under refrigeration within an upwardly opening refrigeration compartment such as that conventionally found behind a bar or counter area, together with a specifically designed refrigeration cabinet in which one or more racks may be positioned and supported for vertical shifting therein. The cabinet includes an upper door which may be opened for access to the bottles or cans supported within the associated rack from the above and also a side door through which a rack to be supported in elevated position within the refrigeration cabinet may be placed within the latter. A hand truck may also be provided for transporting a rack, when full, from a storage area to the associated refrigeration cabinet. The cabinet includes rack supporting and elevating structure whereby after placement of an associated rack within the cabinet in a lower position therein the rack may be elevated upwardly in the cabinet into position for ease in dispensing bottles or cans from the rack through the top door opening of the cabinet.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SHEEI 1 Bf 2 PATENTED8EP'8'975 Glenna/7 P. Walter INVENTOR ATTORNEY PATENTEDSEPI 81973 37595 sum 2 or 2 Fig. 2 7/ I [a INVENTOR Glen/ran A Waller ATTORNEY RACK FOR BOTTLES AND CANS The cabinet and rack supporting and elevating structure of the instant invention has been specifically designed to provide a means whereby a rack full of bottles and cans to be maintained under refrigeration may be readily placed and elevated within a refrigeration cabinet. By providing such device a large percentage of the otherwise required physical effort involved in placing a rack loaded with bottles or cans within an open top refrigeration unit is eliminated and the operator of an establishment which manually vends canned or bottled beverages from an open-top refrigeration cabinet need not be required to exert excessive physical effort in the process of replenishing the supply of bottled and canned beverages within the refrigerator cabinet from which they are manually vended.

The main object of this invention is to provide a system whereby a rack containing bottles and cans of beverages may be readily transported to, placed within and elevated into position adjacent the open top of a chest type refrigeration cabinet.

Another object of this invention is to provide an assemblage in accordance with the preceding object and constructed in a manner whereby no mechanical knowledge and very little manual dexterity is required.

A final object of this invention is to provide an assemblage of the type set forth which will conform .to the conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, of long life and relatively trouble free.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter,- and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. I is a fragmentary perspective view of a refrigeration cabinet constructed in accordance with the present invention and with a bottle and can rack supported in elevated position within one compartment of the refrigerated cabinet;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of one section of the refrigeration cabinet with the bottle and can rack supporting an elevating components of the invention operatively associated and illustrated in alternate positions by phantom lines;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the rack elevating structure of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the adjacent ratchet dog component of adjacent sections of the refrigeration cabinet by which associated bottle and can supporting racks may be removably supported in adjusted elevated position within the cabinet.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional form of chest type refrigeration cabinet, including longitudinally spaced individual sections I2 in which racks of cans and bottles to be maintained under refrigeration may be received.

Each section of the cabinet 10 includes an open rear wall 14 closed by means of a removable wall 16 and an open top wall portion 18 removably closed by means of a slidable top door 20. Conventionally, racks or other containers of bottles or cans to be maintained under refrigeration are admitted into the cabinet 10 through the open top wall portions 18 after which the doors 20 are placed in their closed positions. Then the bottles or cans maintained under refrigeration within the cabinet 10 may be withdrawn from the latter through the open top wall portions ll8 after the top walls 20 have been slid to their open positions. However, it may be readily observed from FIG. 1 of the drawings that a rack supported in the bottom of the section 12 is disposed at an elevation considerably below the lowermost portion of the open top wall portion 18 and therefore that a person wishing to dispense a refrigerated can or bottle from the cabinet 10 must reach far down into the latter in order to withdraw the desired can or bottle.

In the instant invention, however, the cabinet 10 is specifically designed to include the open rear walls 14 and the removable walls 16. Further, racks 22 are provided for the sections 12 and may be adjustably supported within the upper portions of the sections 12 by means of pivoted ratchet dogs 24 supported from the side wall portions of the sections 12, (FIG. 6). In this manner, a can or bottle to be vended from a rack 22 may be readily grasped by a person behind the cabinet 10 through the corresponding open top wall portion 18 after the top door 20 has been slid to its open position with the ambient light more completely illuminating the rack 22 and its contents for ease in locating a specific bottle or can supported therein in the event bottles and cans of different material are supported from the same rack 22.

The cabinet 10 includes double partition wall defining straps 26 between adjacent sections 12 and each partition wall 26 includes a plurality of vertically spaced openings 28 formed therethrough and arranged in front and rear rows of openings 28. Each opening 28 has one of the spring-urged pivoted ratchet dogs 24 operatively associated therewith whereby the outer triangular portion 30 including an inclined cam surface 32 and a horizontal abutment surface 34 may be swung from the operative-limited position illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 6 of the drawings, laterally outwardly of the associated section 12, to the retracted phantomline position illustrated in the lower right-hand portion of FIG. 6. Each of the racks 22 includes a full length double flanged detent bracket 36 including upper and lower flanges 38 and 40 for engagement with the corresponding ratchet dogs 24 and accordingly, it may be seen that engagement of the four front and rear opposite side detentbrackets 36 of each rack 22 with corresponding pivoted ratchet dogs 24 result in the rack 22 being supported in adjustedelevated position relative to the bottom of the section 12 of the cabinet 10.

The cabinet 10 is further distinguished from conventional cabinets in that the lower portion of each section 12 a pair of opposite side upstanding central mounting plates 42 are, provided, the plates 42 each having a plurality of variously vertically spaced apertures 44. Further, each side of each compartment or section 12 includes a pair of inclined rail defining straps 46 pivotally secured to structural members of the cabinet 10 at their rear ends as at 48 and adjustably secured to the corresponding mounting plate 42 at their forward ends as at 50 by any suitable removable fasteners.

In addition, a mechanical lift device referred to in generaly by the reference numeral 52 is provided in each section 12 of the cabinet and each lift device includes an L-shaped frame having a generally rectangular upstanding rear portion 54 and a pair of horizontally and forwardly projecting arms 56 carried by the lower end of the rear portion 54. Each rear portion 54 consists of a pair of generally parallel uprights 58 interconnected at their upper ends by means of a cross member 60 extending and secured therebetween and at their lower ends by means of a lower cross member 62 extending and secured between the lower ends of the uprights 58. The arms 56 are secured to and project forwardly from the lower ends of the uprights 58 and are provided with inwardly projecting lifting pins 64 at their forward free ends and outer side grooved wheels 66 at their rear ends.

The grooved wheels 66 are rollingly engaged with the upper edge portions of the traps 46 for movement therealong and disposed within each section 12 is an elevator assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 68 with which the lift pins 64 are engaged.

Each elevator assembly 68 includes an upstanding rectangular frame 70, see FIG. 3, including pairs of opposite side upper and lower flanged wheels 72 and the wheels 72 are received in opposite side guide slots 74 defined between pairs of opposite side angle brackets 76 secured within the rear portion of each section 12. Also, the straps comprising the partition walls 26 are secured between the corresponding opposite side upper and

lower members

71 and 73 of each frame 70 and thus the partition walls 26 do not prevent free circulation of air in the cabinet. Further, the angle brackets 76 are vertically disposed for guiding the elevator assembly along a vertical path within the section 12 and the elevator assembly further includes a pair of lower horizontally projecting lift arms 78 which project toward the open rear wall 14 and rotatably journal a plurality of slightly spaced side-by-side rollers 80 between their free ends. Also, the lift pins 64 are joumaled through the mid portions of the lift arms 78 whereby the manual lifting device (normally recessed within the section 12) may have its uprights 58 oscillated from vertical positions to the positions illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 2 of the drawings in order to intially elevate the elevator assembly 68 from its lowest position to the solid line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 2

and further swinging of the manual lift device 52 to the phantom-line position illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings will raise the elevator assembly 68 to its uppermost position illustrated in phantom-lines in FIG. 2 of the drawings, which uppermost position may be adjusted by changing the inclination of the straps 46. Of course, any rack 22 supported from an elevator assembly 68 may be elevated thereby.

In operation a plurality of racks 22 may be stored in a suitable cooler with bottles or cans of beverages dispposed therein. Then, when a rack within the section 12 has its supply of bottles or cans depleted, any suitable cart may be utilized to transport a second rack 22 from the cooler to a position in substantial horizontal registry with the rollers 80 of one of the elevator assemblies 68 within a section 12. Such a cart may also include rollers corresponding to the rollers of the elevator assembly 68 and therefore the full rack 22 of bottles or cans may be rolled from the cart onto the rollers of the elevator assembly 68 when it is in its lowered position. After the new rack 22 has been positioned on the elevator assembly 68 wholly within the section 12, the manual lift device 52 may be utilized to cam the elevator assembly 68 upwardly with the new rack 22 disposed thereon until the new rack 22 abuts the old empty rack disposed thereabove and elevates the latter into a position for easy removalthrough the top wall portion 18 of the cabinet 10 after the top panel 20 has been slid to the open position. Also, each empty rack 22 may be removed from the cabinet 10 through the rear wall 14 when the door 16 is removed by rearwardly sliding the rack 22 on the flanges 38 thereof supported from the corresponding ratchet dogs 24. Thereafter, the manual lifting device 52 may be further elevated in order to elevate the new rack 22 toward its uppennost position for each in removal of bottles and cans therefrom through the top wall portion 18. Thereafter, the manual lifting device 52 may be swung back to its stored upright position within the section 12 and with sufficient vertical spacing between the lower extremity of the newly elevated rack 22 and the rollers 80 to receive the next new rack 22 on the elevator assembly 68 when it again becomes necessary to replenish the support of bottles and/or cans within the section 12.

Of course, as each rack 22 is elevated within the section 12, the pivoted ratchet dogs 24 are successively engaged by the detent bracket 36 in order that the rack 22 may be supported in adjusted elevated position within the section 12 against a downward movement therein and yet in a manner in which the rack 22 may be freely elevated within the section 12.

Although I have disclosed herein the best form of the invention known to me at this time. I reserve the right to all such modifications and changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What 1 claim is:

1. In combination, a cabinet defining a vertically extending storage section open at its top and including upright track means and a side wall having an opening formed therein opening into a lower portion of the interior of said cabinet section, support means mounted within said cabinet and including follower means operatively engaged with said track means for free guided vertical shifting of said support means within said cabinet between upper and lower positions therein, a rack horizontally movable through said opening and removably positionable on said support means when the latter is in its lower position, movable upwardly in said cabinet with said support means upon raising the latter toward said upper position and upwardly removable from said support means through said open top after said support means has been elevated above said lower position, said support means including rollers joumalled therefrom for rotation about axes generally paralleling the plane of said opening and operable to at least partially rollingly support said rack during its movement through said opening onto said support means, fulcrum lever means supported from said cabinet for oscillation between first and second positions and operatively associated with said support means for shifting the latter between said upper and lower positions in response to movement of said lever means between said first and second positions, respectively, said cabinet and rack including coacting ratchet means operable to allow free upward movement of said rack in said storage section upon upward movement of said support means from said lower position toward said upper position and further operative to prevent downward movement of said rack below predetermined vertically spaced positions in said cabinet section after said rack has been elevated, by said support means, above said predetermined positions.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said ratchet means includes horizontally outwardly projecting opposite side portions defined on said rack and upstanding rows of vertically spaced spring biased ratchet dogs supported from said cabinet on opposite sides of said storage section engageableby said opposite side portions of said rack.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said cabinet includes opposite side generally horizontal rails inclined slightly upwardly and away from said opening,

said fulcrum lever comprising an L-shaped frame including opposite side portions each consisting of a long upright and a shorter generally horizontal arm projecting inwardly of said cabinet section from the lower end of the corresponding upright, the free ends of said arms being pivotally attached to opposite side portions of said support means and the opposite side portions of said frame, adjacent the junctures of said uprights and arms, including journalled wheels rollingly engaged with said rails.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said rails and cabinet include means for adjustably varying the incline of said rails. I

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said cabinet comprises a refrigeration cabinet provided with a top door for closing said open top and a side door for closing said opening in said side wall.

Claims

1. In combination, a cabinet defining a vertically extending storage section open at its top and including upright track means and a side wall having an opening formed therein opening into a lower portion of the interior of said cabinet section, support means mounted within said cabinet and including follower means operatively engaged with said track means for free guided vertical shifting of said support means within said cabinet between upper and lower positions therein, a rack horizontally movable through said opening and removably positionable on said support means when the latter is in its lower position, movable upwardly in said cabinet with said support means upon raising the latter toward said upper position and upwardly removable from said support means through said open top after said support means has been elevated above said lower position, said support means including rollers journalled therefrom for rotation about axes generally paralleling the plane of said opening and operable to at least partially rollingly support said rack during its movement through said opening onto said support means, fulcrum lever means supported from said cabinet for oscillation between first and second positions and operatively associated with said support means for shifting the latter between said upper and lower positions in response to movement of said lever means between said first and second positions, respectively, said cabinet and rack including coacting ratchet means operable to allow free upward movement of said rack in said storage section upon upward movement of said support means from said lower position toward said upper position and further operative to prevent downward movement of said rack below predetermined vertically spaced positions in said cabinet section after said rack has been elevated, by said support means, above said predetermined positions.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said ratchet means includes horizontally outwardly projecting opposite side portions defined on said rack and upstanding rows of vertically spaced spring biased ratchet dogs supported from said cabinet on opposite sides of said storage section engageable by said opposite side portions of said rack.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said cabinet includes opposite side generally horizontal rails inclined slightly upwardly and away from said opening, said fulcrum lever comprising an L-shaped frame including opposite side portions each consisting of a long upright and a shorter generally horizontal arm projecting inwardly of said cabinet section from the lower end of the corresponding upright, the free ends of said arms being pivotally attached to opposite side portions of said support means and the opposite side portions of said frame, adjacent the junctures of said uprights and arms, including journalled wheels rollingly engaged with said rails.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said rails and cabinet include means for adjustably varying the incline of said rails.