Multi-shelved Slide Rack

Abstract

This device is a rack and a number of multi-shelved slides detachably secured thereon for supporting as many as eleven different size pans and/or trays. The rack, made generally of high tensile aluminum alloy, is rectangular in shape, and has four vertical uprights, one at each corner supporting a roof and mounted on a base, preferably with four swivelled caster wheels on the bottom of the base for portability. It is open at least at the front, and the confronting sides of each pair of side uprights are provided with a number of suitable vertically spaced female keyhole slots in which the pan or tray supporting slides, made generally of extruded aluminum, are secured or mounted by means of male headed studs extending the backs of the slide. These studs extend from the back wall of the slides, and on the front wall of the slides, there are at least three shelves of various sizes, the middle shelf extending further than the upper and lower shelf, and the middle shelf terminates in a small upstanding ridge, and so does the bottom shelf. In addition, the middle shelf has an intermediate ridge, higher than its end ridge, but stopping short of the top shelf and further out than the end of the top shelf so that one size of tray may be supported on this middle ridge, a different size on the outer ridge, yet another size on the top shelf, which is flat, yet still another size on the bottom shelf, etc., as a result of which eleven different sizes or types of conventional pans or trays may be selectively carried by the rack. It is mainly used in the food industry, such as in restaurants, cafeterias, bakeries, etc. but also may be used in industries wherever desirable. With the slides suitably spaced on the rack, a number of different sizes of trays or pans may be used simultaneously.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Portable racks used in the food industries usually have fixed slides for supporting one size of tray or pan, but some racks have been provided capable of being adjusted to carry two different sizes of pans, but not simultaneously, such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,972,418; 3,162,416; and 3,199,683. In these prior racks, mechanical changes are necessary to convert them from one size to the other size. As a result, where there are more than two sizes of racks or pans in use, it is necessary to provide additional racks to fit the other sizes.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide a rack, usually of the portable type, which is capable of supporting quite a number of different size and type pans or trays, not only sequentially, but, also simultaneously.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a multi-shelved slide capable, with confronting pairs of multi-shelved slides, of supporting many different size and type trays and/or pans, wherein the slides are readily attachable and detachable, so that a tray of greater height than the normal vertical spacing between the slides may be accommodated by removing or omitting a pair of the confronting slides.

A further object of this invention is to provide a slide with different size and shape shelves for supporting different size and types of trays and/or pans, so that one pair of shelves will support several types or sizes of pans or trays, and another pair of shelves support other types or sizes of pans or trays, and the third pair of shelves still other types or sizes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is a plurality of multi-shelved slides and a rack in which they are attachably secured or mounted in supporting confronting pairs. The rack is made generally of high tensile aluminum alloy, while the slides are made of extruded aluminum. There are at least three different shelves on each rack, each being different and capable, in confronting position, for providing upstanding or hanging support for particular different types or sizes of conventional sizes and type of trays and/or pans. The pairs of racks are spaced vertically, and most, but not all sizes, may be supported thereon with the slides closely adjusted. Some types of trays, such as trays for tall glasses or deep pans, for instance, occupy more vertical space than exists between two adjacent pairs of slides. In such cases, one pair of confronting slides may be omitted or removed, thus making space for a tall tray or deep pan. In one size of cabinet, for example, having a height of 711/4 inches, a width of 231/2 inches and a depth of 28 inches, various selected combinations of the following 11 different size or type trays and pans may be accommodated.

18" .times. 26" bun pan

14" .times. 18" half size pan

20" .times. 24" maxi pan

20" .times. 24" .times. 31/2" roast and bake pan

20" .times. 20" .times. 31/2" roast and bake pan

20" .times. 20" cup, glass and dish tray

14" .times. 20" cup and glass tray

15" .times. 20" service tray

12" .times. 20" .times. 21/2", 4" or 6" steam table pans

12" .times. 18" .times. 21/2", 4" or 6" steam table pans

18" .times. 26" .times. 21/2" bake pan

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

With the above and other related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a portable rack in which this invention has been installed.

FIG. 2 is a back elevation view of a slide on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 is a back fragmentary, elevation view of a rack angle iron corner upright, with the lower slide completely installed, and the upper slide partially installed.

FIG. 4 is a perspective fragmentary view of a single multi-shelved slide.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

There is shown at 10 a portable rack in which this invention has been installed. Obviously, this invention is equally applicable to any stationary rack. This rack 10 is a rigid skeleton consisting of two pairs of confronting uprights 12 on a base 14 and supporting a roof 16. The uprights 12 may be angle irons. Four caster wheels 20 fastened on the bottom of base 18 provide portability when desired, but if omitted, the rack 10 is stationary.

This invention includes the multi-shelved slides 22, each slide 22 having a male-headed stud 24 extending from its back wall 26 adjacent each of its ends 28, and each male stud 24 terminates in an enlarged head 30, thus providing the mounting or securing means part of the slide 22. The mounting or securing means part of the rack 10 are the female keyhole slots 32, in the confronting upright walls 48 on opposite sides, extending in parallel downward angles from an enlarged aperture 34. The width of the slots 32 is such as to admit the studs 24 but not permit the stud head 30 to pass therethrough, while the enlarged apertures 34 do permit the stud heads 30 to pass readily therethrough.

Each multi-shelved slide 22 is shown as having three different horizontally extending shelves, the top shelf 36 being substantially flat, the bottom shelf 38 extending a slight bit more than the top shelf, but terminating in a slight upstanding ridge 40 at its forward end. The intermediate shelf 42 also terminates in an upstanding ridge 44, and extends approximately twice as far as the other shelves 36 and 40. Also, intermediate shelf 42 is thicker and hence stronger than the other two shelves 36 and 40, and is provided with an upstanding ridge 46 extending vertically about one third to one half the distance between the longer middle shelf 42 and the top shelf 36, and is located intermediate the outer end of the top shelf 36 and its own end ridge 44.

Pairs of shelves 22 are placed in confronting position by inserting their headed male studs 24 through the enlarged apertures 34 of the female keyhole slots 32. These keyhole slots 32 are located in the confronting faces 48 of the angle iron uprights 12, and are spaced vertically a distance slightly greater than the combined vertical height of a slide 22 plus the keyhole slot 32 including its large aperture 34 so that each slide may be inserted into secured position, or removed thereom, irrespective of the presence of an adjacent upper or lower slide 22 in position. The number and position of the slides 22 may thus be adjusted according to the need, as shown in FIG. 1, wherein various trays and pans, all of conventional types and sizes, are supported either above or hanging down from one or another of the various slide shelves, some of the slides 22 being vertically adjacent each other, while some slides are omitted to permit taller trays or deeper pans to be supported, such as the tall glass trays 50 on the intermediate ridge 46 of the middle shelf 42 of a slide 22.

OPERATION OF THE INVENTION

In operation, the slides 22 are installed or omitted as needed for proper spacing according to the size and type of trays and pans to be accommodated. As pointed out above in the summary, eleven different types and sizes may be accommodated in practically any combination needed. As a result of the headed studs 24 on the back ends of the slides, and the vertically spaced keyhole slots 32, each desired slide is installed by inserting its heads 30 through the apertures 34 of two side uprights 12, as in the upper portion of FIG. 3, then moved down the angular slots 32 to the secured position, and another slide 22 is similarly installed on the two confronting upright walls, at the same height. Where shallow pans or trays 52, 54, 56, 58, 60 and 64 are to be supported, several pairs of slides 22 are installed vertically adjacent. Where the tall glass tray 50 is to be supported, one pair of confronting slides is omitted, as shown in FIG. 1. Similarly, such slides are omitted above where the tall pan 62 is to be supported, and likewise, below the slides 22 where a deep pan 66 is to be hung thereon, on the lower shelf ridge 40. Obviously, the position of the pairs of slides are adjusted as needed. Some of the pans, as at 56, may be supported upside down, as shown. Thus, the positioning of the multi-shelf slides 22 is very versatile.

ABSTRACT OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, like numbers refer to like parts, and for purposes of explication, marshalled below are the numbered parts of the MULTI-SHELVED SLIDE RACK of this invention.

10 rack

12 confronting angle iron uprights

14 base

16 roof

18 base

20 caster wheels

22 multi-shelved slide

24 male stud

26 back wall of slide 22

28 ends of slide 22

30 head on male stud

32 female keyhole angular slot

34 enlarged aperture for 32

36 flat top shelf

38 bottom shelf

40 upstanding ridge at edge of bottom shelf 38

42 thick middle shelf

46 upstanding intermediate ridge on 42

44 upstanding ridge at edge of middle shelf 42

48 confronting walls of uprights 12

50 - 66 various sizes and types of trays and pans

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Claims

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A multi-shelved slide rack (10) comprising a rigid fixed skeleton structure including two pairs of confronting uprights (12) having confronting walls (48), the uprights (12) being secured in rigid, spaced apart rectangular relationship, in combination with a plurality of pairs of multi-shelved slides (22), cooperating means (24 and 30, 32 and 34) on said slides (22) and on said confronting upright walls (48) for securing pairs of slides (22) in confronting relationship, said multi-shelved slides (22) of each pair having identical, various size, spaced, rigid shelves (36, 42, 38) thereon for selectively supporting any one of a plurality of various size trays and/or pans (50-66) on the selected confronting pairs of shelves, said slide (22) cooperating means (24, 30, 32, 34) comprising a pair of headed male stud means (24, 30) and a pair of complementary female keyhole slot means (32, 34), at least one pair of cooperating securing means being provided on each slide (22) and a plurality of vertically spaced cooperating securing means being provided on each confronting upright wall (48) in confronting relationship, whereby pairs of slides (22) may be secured on said confronting upright walls (48) in selectively spaced confronting relationship, said male-headed stud securing means (24, 30) being provided on the back walls (26) of said slides (22), said shelves (36, 42, 38) being provided on the front walls thereof, and said female keyhole slot securing means (32, 34) being provided in the confronting walls (48) of said pairs of confronting uprights (12), said female keyhole slot securing means being vertically spaced in each said upright confronting wall (48) a distance at least somewhat greater than the vertical height of said slides (22), whereby pairs of confronting slides (22) may be selectively spaced on said upright confronting walls (48), there being three shelves (36, 42, 38) on each slide (22), the middle shelf (42) extending further forward than the top and bottom shelves (36, 38), and a vertically extending ridge located intermediately on said middle shelf (42) but forwardly of the edge of said top shelf (36).

2. The combination of claim 1, and a small upstanding ridge (44) on the forward end of said middle shelf (42).

3. The combination of claim 2, and an upstanding ridge (40) on the forward end of one of the other two shelves (36, 38).

4. The combination of claim 3, the other of the other two shelves (36, 38) being flat.

5. The combination of claim 4, said flat shelf being the top shelf (36).