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US3698782A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Multi-shelved slide rack

Assignee: Middleby Marshall Inc
•
Filing: 1971-04-09
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Granted: 1972-10-17
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Expires: 1991-04-09
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Abstract

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.

Inventors

  • 👤 Bruno Onori

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 14:46
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47B; A47B55/00; A47B31/00; A47B88/00; A47B88/40; A47B88/423; A47B88/43; A47B2031/003

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim 342 words
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 multishelved 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).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 342 words
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 multishelved 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).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 20 words
The combination of claim 1, and a small upstanding ridge (44) on the forward end of said middle shelf (42).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 23 words
The combination of claim 2, and an upstanding ridge (40) on the forward end of one of the other two shelves (36, 38).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 16 words
The combination of claim 3, the other of the other two shelves (36, 38) being flat.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 13 words
The combination of claim 4, said flat shelf being the top shelf (36).

References Cited (Backward Citations)

No citation records indexed.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1975-10-17 1976-04-17 1976-10-17 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1979-10-17 1980-04-17 1980-10-17 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1983-10-17 1984-04-17 1984-10-17 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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