Bottle Draining Rack

Abstract

The rack includes a base for positioning a plurality of bottles, and a pair of supporting arms for positioning bottles to be drained through a funnel into the bottles in the base. The arms and the base are so arranged that the flow of material from the draining bottles will automatically stop when the receiving bottles are filled.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for draining viscous material, such as ketchup, from one bottle to another bottle.

In restaurants in which ketchup bottles are used, it is usually the practice that the contents of bottles which are almost empty are transferred to another bottle having more ketchup. In many restaurants, this is done daily at the time of opening so that a supply of full bottles is available. If this task is simply done manually, it is an inconvenient, time consuming and messy operation. Apparatus has previously been suggested for simplifying this operation by supporting the bottles while draining. However, these prior art arrangements are constructed such that it is necessary to provide constant attention to the operation to prevent spillage when the receiving bottle is full.

In accordance with the present invention an improved transfer rack is provided wherein it is only necessary to position initially the bottles in the rack and then the rack can be left unattended because the flow of ketchup or similar viscous material, from the draining bottle is automatically interrupted when the receiving bottle is full. In accomplishing this the draining bottle is supported with its open lower end extending into a funnel in the upper open end of a receiving bottle. The lower open end of the draining bottle extends into the funnel below the upper rim of the funnel so that when the receiving bottle is filled and the ketchup in the funnel gets to the level where the lower end of the draining bottle is covered, air cannot enter the draining bottle and the flow of ketchup is interrupted.

In its preferred form, the rack includes a base having a plurality of sockets for receiving bottles to be filled. A column is centrally supported on the base and a bottle support member is removably mounted on the column. The bottle support member has a pair of arms extending outwardly from opposite sides of the column and each arm includes yoke means for supporting a pair of bottles in draining position at the proper distance above receiving bottles positioned in sockets in the base.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

For a more thorough explanation of the invention refer now to the following detailed description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the rack showing it in use;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the structure of FIG. 1 showing ketchup being drained from one bottle to another; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. 2 showing the situation when the receiving bottle is full.

As can be seen, the rack of the invention includes a rectangular base 10 having a plurality of circular sockets 12, each of which is sized to receive a ketchup bottle, such as that illustrated in one of the sockets at 14. A column 16 is attached to the base near its center between the four centermost sockets. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the column has a rectangular cross-section which tapers from a smaller area at its upper end to a larger area at its lower end. A handle 16a is formed on its upper end.

A bottle support member 18 preferably molded as a single plastic unit, is removably mounted on the column 16. More specifically, the support member 18 includes a generally rectangular central collar 18a having an opening the same shape as the cross-section of the column. The size of the opening in the collar 18a is such that the support member can be easily slipped onto the upper end of the column but will interfere with the column at a desired point as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Thus, the support member 18 is supported on the column, but yet is readily removable for cleaning and storage purposes.

The support member 18 has a pair of arms 18b and 18c integral with and extending outwardly from the shorter sides of the central collar 18a. Each arm includes means forming a pair of spaces 19 for receiving a ketchup bottle to be drained. More specifically, each arm includes an inner plate 18d attached directly to the shorter sides of the central collar 18a. The upper edges of the inner plates have a pair of upwardly opening, semi-circular recesses 18e and 18f which form yokes for receiving the necks of a pair of ketchup bottles to be drained. The supporting arms 18b and 18c further include an outer plate 18g spaced upwardly and outwardly from the inner plate. The upper edge of the outer plate 18g has a pair of upwardly opening, semi-circular recesses 18h and 18i forming yokes sized to receive the larger diameter portion of a pair of bottles near the closed end of the bottles. The recesses 18h and 18i are respectively axially aligned with the recesses 18e and 18f. The inner plate 18d and outer plate 18g are interconnected by a central strut 18j and two side struts 18k and 18l which extend at an angle of about 45.degree. with respect to horizontal so that the inner plate 18d is lower than the outer plate 18g.

In use, the bottle 14 to be filled is positioned in one of the sockets 12 in the base 10, and the elongated lower end of a funnel 20 is placed in the open upper end of the receiving bottle 14. A bottle 22 to be drained is simply positioned in a pair of the yokes 18f and 18i of one of the arms 18c of the bottle support member 18 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The bottle is supported at an angle to permit its contents to readily drain. For ketchup an angle of about 45.degree. is preferable. The distance between the base 10 and the support member 18 is such that the open lower end of the draining bottle 22 extends into the mouth of the funnel 20 sufficiently far that the upper rim of the funnel is above the open end of the draining bottle. Note from FIG. 2 that the funnel is offset on one side rather than being circular so that the end of the draining bottle can be more easily received into the funnel.

With this arrangement the ketchup 24 from the draining bottle simply drains into the lower bottle by way of the funnel. When the bottle 14 becomes filled to the point slightly above the lower end of the funnel, the ketchup will essentially stop flowing or else greatly reduce flow out of the lower end of the funnel because of the viscosity of the ketchup and because the funnel restricts the escape of air from the receiving bottle 14. This condition is indicated in FIG. 3. Ketchup will continue to flow into the funnel 20 until ketchup is above the lower end of the draining bottle, also as indicated in FIG. 3. At that point, the flow from the draining bottle will be automatically interrupted since air can no longer enter the draining bottle 22. Consequently, the draining operation need not be attended. When a bottle is filled, the person handling the operation can easily move the draining bottle and the funnel to a position for draining into another partially empty bottle.

When a draining operation is complete, the bottle support member 18 can be easily removed for cleaning or storage, and the base 10 can serve as a storage rack, or carrying rack while distributing the bottles. For this reason, the base 10 is formed with eight sockets even though the supporting member 18 shown can only support four bottles at one time. Of course, the capacity of the rack can be constructed as desired, but the arrangement illustrated is a convenient size for most restaurant operations.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A rack for supporting bottles containing a viscous material such as ketchup in a manner to facilitate transferring or draining the material from an emptying bottle to a receiving bottle comprising:

a base for resting on a supporting surface;

a vertical support column extending upwardly from the base said column having a cross-section which tapers from a smaller upper end to a larger lower end; and

a bottle support member having a central collar with a central opening having a cross-section shaped similarly to the column and being larger than the upper end of the column and smaller than the lower end so that the collar fits easily onto the upper end of the column and is supported on the column by interferences between the collar and the column of a desired height above the base, said collar having a pair of arms extending outwardly from opposite sides of the collar, each arm having a pair of yokes for supporting a bottle with its open end extending downwardly at an angle such that its contents will flow out by gravity, one yoke being adapted to engage the neck of the bottle near its open end and the other yoke being adapted to receive a larger diameter portion of the bottle near its closed end, the bottle support member being constructed such that the open end of the bottle supported by the member is positioned so that a receiving bottle having a funnel in its open upper end may be positioned below and aligned with the open end of the supported bottle and with the open end of the supported bottle extending into the funnel so that the material flow is interrupted when the level of material in the funnel is above the open end of the emptying bottle.

2. The rack of claim 1 wherein said support member arms include yokes for supporting a pair of bottles on each arm, the arms being arranged in opposing relationship such that the yokes for supporting the open ends of the bottles are located closer to the vertical support column than are the yokes which support the other ends of the bottles.

3. The rack of claim 1 wherein said base includes a plurality of sockets for receiving the closed end of a receiving bottle, the sockets being located so that the receiving bottle is properly vertically aligned with the open lower end of a bottle supported by the support member.

4. A bottle draining rack comprising:

a base having a plurality of sockets for receiving the lower ends of bottles to be filled;

a vertical support column attached to the central portion of the base and extending upwardly from the base, said column having a cross-section which tapers from a smaller upper end to a larger lower end; and

a bottle support member having a central collar with a central opening having a cross-section shaped similarly to the column and being larger than the upper end of the column and smaller than the lower end so that the collar fits easily onto the upper end of the column and is supported on the column by interferences between the collar and the column at a desired height above the base;

said support member further having a pair of inner plates attached to opposite sides of the collar and a pair of outer plates spaced from the inner plates and rigidly connected to the inner plates by a plurality of spaced struts, said inner plates being lower than said outer plates and said struts extending between the plates at an acute angle with respect to horizontal;

each of said inner plates having an upwardly opening recess on opposite sides of the column for receiving in each recess the neck of a bottle to be drained, each recess being smaller than the main body of each of the bottles, said outer plates having a pair of recesses each aligned with a respective one of the recesses in the adjacent inner plate for receiving the side of said bottle to be drained adjacent the closed end of the bottle, the inner and outer plates on each side of the column being spaced so that their recesses can engage said neck and said side of said bottle to be drained, said struts being spaced to define spaces for receiving the bottles to be drained when the bottles are supported by the plates,

said collar and the recesses in the inner plates being sized and positioned so that the lower open end of each bottle being supported is vertically aligned with the upper open end of a bottle positioned in a socket in the base, and said collar being sized so that said inner plates are spaced from each other a distance to permit four bottles at one time to be supported by the support member for draining purposes, said collar and column being sized so that the lower ends of the bottles to be drained are spaced a predetermined amount above the open ends of the bottles in the base sockets to be filled.