US891155A - Waiter's cabinet. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908.

B. H. FARRELL. W'AITBRS CABIN-ET.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4.1901,

TIT].

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

rm: NLKRRIS PETERS 00., WASHINGTON, n c.

No. 891,155. PATENTED JUNE'IG, 1908.

B. H. FARRELL WAITERS CABINET.

APPLIOATIO II FILED JUNE 4. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wii'mmom c in. Z4 21, NZZI THE Mamas PETERS cm. WASHINGTON, n. c.

PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908.

9 B. H. FARRELL.

WAITERS. CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4 1907 3 SHEETB BHEET 3 Fi l2 M D E@ m THE NORRIS PETERS co wAsHluc-Tcu, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

BURT H. FARRELL, OF DEADWOOD, SOUTH DAKOTA, ASSIGNOR TO FARRELL CABINET & SYSTEM COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

WAITERS CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1908.

Application filed June 4, 1907. Serial No. 377,147.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, BURT H. FARRELL, a resident of Deadwood, in the county of Lawrence and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful-Improvements in Waiters Cabinets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to waiters individual cabinets of the general character set forth in my application number 336,050, filed Sept. 24, 1906, that is, cabinets for use in hotel dining rooms etc, where each waiter has a cabinet near the tables to be served by him, in which cabinets are stored a quantity of table ware, table linen, and other articles such as ordinarily needed in serving guests, each cabinet containing as many of these articles as the corresponding Waiter will need at any one meal, and confusion and loss of time occasioned by goin to a distant or to a common supply avoided. Each waiter has means for locking and unlocking his cabinet, as set forth in said application, or otherwise. Thus the waiter can be held responsible for all articles stored in his cabinet, the manager keeping record of supplies by means of a chart.

i t is desirable that cabinets of this character be adapted for use either in groups of four, or of two, or separately, according to the size and arrangement of the dining room; also that floor space be economized, particularly when cabinets are grouped, and that each cabinet comprise also an efficient tray support which utilizes the same floor space as the body of drawers.

The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a group of four cabinets; Fig. 2 is a partial plan of said group; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing form of the lower parts of the cabinets, and arrangement of extensions; Fig. 4 is an en larged side view of a bracket detached; Fig.

5 is a perspective view of two cabinets grouped; Fig. 6 is a side view of a screen; Fig. 7 is a vertical section of a holder; Fig. 8 is a partial section of another holder; Fig. 9 is a view, partly diagrammatic showing the use of the screen on a single cabinet; Fig. 10 is a vertical section of-the butter drawer,

showing cutter in operated position; Fig. 11 is a perspective view of said drawer, the cutter being in position to be operated; Figs. 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 are plan views of several cabinet drawers, the last three being on a reduced scale; Fig. 17 is a section on line 17, 17; Fig. 18 is a vertical section of a cabinet showing locking means; and Fig. 19'is a front view of the locking means enlarged.

Each cabinet 1 comprises a main body containing several drawers 2, for various articles of table service, and an elevated traysupporting frame secured to the top of the body, and of convenient height to receive a waiters tray in service. Said frame consists of two bent metal bars 3, the feet of which are secured by screws. As shown, the top parts of these bars have parts 4 extending to one side of the leg parts thereof for a purpose hereinafter described. The bars 3 of the frame are connected by a brace bar 5, which extends around three sides of the frame leaving the fourth side open for admission and removal of the open drawer 6 designed tables. Bar 5 is placed at a level below or at the top of the drawer.

In grouping four cabinets they stand corner to corner, leaving a square well or central space at the top all of which is utilized. Along the proximate sides of the four cabinets are placed washers or holders 7 for used silver (knives, etc.) as it is brought from the tables. Preferably these washers have restricted openings in their tops to prevent easy unauthorized removal of articles therefrom. Each of these holders is made as much shorter than the depth of a cabinet as the width of a holder, whereby they fit together snugly around the well, and so as to slip into and out of place readily. The trough-like tops of the holders have slots 8 to admit one article at a time, and below each slot is an inclined plate 9 (Fig. 5) to break the fall of deposited articles and to prevent unauthorized withdrawal thereof, the top of the holder being locked by suitable means controlled by the corresponding waiter. Below plate 9 is a plate 9 normally held horizontal to catch deposited articles to avoid noise that would occur if they fell into the bottom box, said plate being movable to vertical position to drop articles below it. Both plates 9 and 9 may have a surface layer of cork, rubber, or the like to further reduce to receive soiled dishes from the noise. In the space left by holders 7 and arranged in the same manner, are other holders 11, for miscellaneous articles needed by waiters, as catchup, mustard, etc. Holders 11 are open on one side and are pulled out vertically when an article is to be taken therefrom. Between holders 11 is a space for an electric light'support, which may carry a platform 11 for any desired use.

The lower part of the cabinet is made with a cut away corner 12, most clearly shown in Fig. 3. To the inner end of each cabinet and at the front thereof, at 13, is hinged an extension body 14 containing several drawers, said extension body is of less depth than the main body, that is, it does not extend back as far as the main body, as shown.

Drawer 15 is designed for ice, and may have a compartment for other use.

Drawer 16 is specially constructed for butter, having attachments for'conveniently, quickly and evenly dividing butter in 00111- paratively large blocks into individual orders of known number. The metal bottom 16 of this drawer rises to a central grooved ridge 16 and each inclined surface has parallel grooves 17 to receive the cutting wires, in-

suring a clean out at the bottom. The cutter comprises side wires 18, a central wire 19, and two series of cutting wires 18 connected to the side and central wires by loops 21. One side wire is hinged in the drawer at the bottom of one side at 18. The opposite side wire has a handle 22 hinged to it. In use the cutter is raised as in Fig. 11 and blocks of butter placed on the bottom, on one or both of the opposite inclines thereof, as much as one waiter will need at a meal; the cutter when pulled over and pressed down as in Fig. 10 divides the butter into small parts. The jointed and swinging construction gives a good cutting operation, which is aided by the inclined position of the blocks. 21 are catches, one or more, to pull the cutter taut as it is pressed down. The portions on the opposite inclines are kept apart, and of course a single block can be cut when desired.

Drawer 26 is a water box closed except for a filling opening 27, and having a suitable faucet. When four cabinets are grouped the extensions 14 are swung to the angular, overlapping and meeting situation most clearly shown in Fig. 3. This leaves them in such position that access to the drawers in extension 14 of each cabinet is not obstructed by the adjacent cabinet. Spaces 28 are left, one for each cabinet, which can be reached from above, and are convenient for soiled linen from the tables before it is sent to the laundry. Further, parts 14 form all the support required for the holders 7 and 11.

When but two of the cabinets are grouped the arrangement may be that shown in Fig. 5, that is, side by side and oppositely facing,

in which case extension bodies 14 are swung close to and parallel with their respective cabinets. This affords space and support for the holders 7 and 11, as shown. It also provides a space 28 at the rear of each cabithe body, and the holders rest thereon in the same manner as on either cabinet in Fig. 5.

In this case the space 28 is inclosed by the screen arranged as indicated in Fig. 9. One or more braces 33 secured to opposite leaves, at 33, may be used to increase the stability of the screen, if desired, since it supports or aids in supporting a holder 7 or 11. Preferably holders 11 are provided with hooks 34,v

one or more, to engage a holder 7 or other more stable part to reduce danger of accidental displacement.

35 denotes a waiters serving tray, to the bottom of which are secured two oppositely bent plates forming channels 36. The distance between the bottoms of the channels is a trifle greater than the distance between the outer edges of the extensions 4 of bars 3; and the distance between the inner ends 37 of the plates is a little greater than the distance between the outer edges of the leg parts of said parts 3. makes it possible to slip the tray endwise onto the support, parts 4 entering channels 36 and forming a sure means for preventing accidental displacement of the tray when loaded. Further when necessary two such trays can be placed on a support at the same time, as owing to the connection described the trays can safely project considerably at either end. It is however preferred when more than one waiter are to be assigned to one cabinet to provide an extension-traysupport frame, comprising bars 3 hinged ,to bars 3 at 38, connected by a cross bar 39, and having collapsible brackets 40 adapted to hold the extension in line with the main frame, as in Fig. 1, or to lower the same.

To facilitate keeping account of the various articles in the waiters cabinets by means of suitable sheets or charts on which they are recorded, the drawers are specially formed for the articles to be put therein. Drawer N o. 1 has spaces for silver as spoons, forks, etc. each space being marked with a numberbeing the number of articles belonging in that space. The articles for eachdrawer are marked to show what cabinet they belong in so that they may not be mixed with those of other cabinets. One or more drawers,

see N0. 2, is or are fixed with racks 41 for This construction I knives etc.- The spaces are numbered in order and preferably so that when a knife is put in place it covers the number. The knives have corresponding numbers, as well as cabinet numbers. Some of the drawers, as No. 3 and No. 4, have partitions and shelves 42, 43, to provide spaces for articles of various sizes and shapes. The space under shelf 43 drawer No. 3 is reached through a slot 44 (see Fig. 5) in the front end of the drawer. This is a convenient place for the crumb tray accessible without opening the drawer. Drawer N0. 4 has strips 45 supported above the bottom and leaving a slot between them into which the stems of glasses can be slipped. The drawer or drawers for cups, plates, etc. have specially marked or shaped spaces 46, and these lower drawers preferably have perforated bottoms, as in Fig. 16, to allow circulation of warm air rising from a heater in the bottom space, here shown as an electric heater 47. This space has no drawer but is closed by a door hinged at 48 at the lower edge and held up by a catch 49 The perforations are between the special places assigned for designated articles so as not to be covered by said articles, and so as not to hide markings of the spaces when such markings are used.

At the rear of the drawers inside the cabinet is a vertical bar 50 with slotted ends and cut out at the center with cross pieces 51 at intervals securedto the bar. Several of the drawers have hooks 52 which when the drawers are closed stand above pieces 51. One drawer, preferably the top one, has a wedge-end piece 53 which when the drawer is out allows bar 50 to drop but when pushed in engages a cross piece 54 suitably placed and secured, and raises the bar engaging all the hooks. The top drawer is then locked by any suitable lock and key, indicated at 55.

What I claim is 1. A waiters cabinet comprising a main body containing drawers, an end extension body of less height than the main body, said extension body being hinged to a front corner of the main body and movable to a position alongside thereof or diagonally therefrom, and drawers in the extension body accessible from the outside in either position of said extension body.

2. .A cabinet comprising a main body containing drawers, a corner of the body being cut away or beveled, and an end extension body containing drawers, adjustably fixed to the end of the main body having the cut away corner.

3. The combination of several cabinets forming a compact group, each cabinet comprising a main body having drawers, and an extension body extending diagonally from the main body meeting and fitting similar parts of other cabinets of the group.

4. The combination of several cabinets forming a compact group, each cabinet com prising a main body containing drawers, and an extension body also containing drawers and extending diagonally from the main body, meeting and fitting similar parts of other cabinets, the several extension bodies constituting supports for holders fitting the space between the grouped cabinets above the extensions, and said holders.

5. The combination of several cabinets forming a group, each cabinet comprising a body with drawers, a rear corner of each cabinet being cut away, and an extension body also having drawers and extending diagonally from the main body, said cut away corner of each cabinet allowing the drawers of the diagonally arranged exten sion of the proximate cabinet to be moved out and in at an angle with the drawers in the main body.

6. The combination of several cabinets forming a group, each cabinet comprising a main body the upper part of which is rectangular, and the lower part of which has a cut away corner, said upper part meeting corner to corner, and diagonally supported drawers movable in and out by said cutaway corners.

7. A waiters cabinet comprising a main body having drawers, an end extension body of less depth than the main body, said extension body being hinged to a front corner of the main body and movable to a position alongside thereof or diagonally therefrom, and drawers in the extension body accessible from the outside in either position of said extension body, whereby when a plurality of cabinets are grouped said extensions fit together and form receptacles adapted to receive articles such as table linen, as set forth.

8. The combination of a cabinet body having a cut away corner, an extension body, a screen having hinged sections, means for securing the screen to the extension and to the main body to inclose the cut away corner, and a brace between separate sections of said screen.

9. A waiters cabinet comprising a main body having drawers, a tray supporting frame fixed to the top of said body, the frame having legs, and horizontal portions wider transversely than said legs, and of convenient height to receive a tray in service, and a tray having channels secured to its bottom adapted to engage said wider horizontal portions, the channels being at such distance apart as to pass endwise into engagement therewith without striking the le s.

1.0. The combination of the main cabinet, the tray supporting frame comprising horizontal and leg portions, said frame being secured to the top of the cabinet, an open drawer between the cabinet and the tray supporting frame, and means for bracing the supporting frame above the cabinet and at or below the top of the drawer.

11. The cabinet body, the main tray-supporting frame fixed to the top of said body, and the extension tray-supporting frame hinged to the end of the main frame.

12. The cabinet body, the main tray-supporting frame, fixed to the top of said body,

and an adjustable eXtension tray-supporting frame comprising bars 3 a connecting bar therefor, hinge connections wlth the main tray-supporting frame, and means for holding said extension frame 111 line with the main frame, or, alternatively, allowing the same to be lowered.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribng witnesses BURT H. FARRELL.

WVitnesses EDWARD TREVASKIS, LEE H. FARRELL.

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