US2609267A - Adjustable shelf - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 2, 1952 R. HALLOCK 2,609,267

ADJUSTABLE SHELF Filed Jan. 16, 194? 2 SI-lEETS-Sl-IEET z INVENTOR.

W1 W BY Patented Sept. 2, 1 952 v Applicafim January'lfl, s'e lie N-b'. 722,369; I

'2fClaims. (o era-sot) My invention relates to shelves, and more par .ticularly to adjustable shelves for use in refrigerators, cooking ranges, or the like.

In refrigerators of the domestic type, for example, the loading requirements on the shelves vary considerably and in many instances it becomes necessary to adjust one or more shelves to different positions in order that the refrigerator storage space will accommodate all of the food products desired to be stored at a particular time. While one or more shelves may be moved from one set of fixed supports to another set of fixed supports at a different height, this is objectionable because usually the shelf first must be unloaded before it is moved and then loaded againafter being placed in a different position. When a complete reorganization of food loading is required, it is often necessary to remove all of the food products from the storage space and then place such food products back into the space after the shelves have been moved to new positions' which the housewife upon visual inspection believes will satisfy the new loading requirements.

Likewise, with domestic cooking ranges, in order to satisfy different cooking requirements, it is often necessary toad'justthe position of the oven shelves. Should such adjustment be required during a cooking operation it is necessary that the foodstuff be removed from the oven, that the shelf or shelves be removed and inserted into different sets of fixed supports, and that the foodstuff be returned to the oven.

In accordance with my invention, in order to adapt a refrigerator food storage space, a range oven or the like, to different loading require ments with a minimum amount of effort and as quickly as possible, I provide'an adjustable shelf structure which can :be moved to any position desired in a range of vertical movement. With an adjustable shelf structure of this character the shelf can be moved vertically through its entire range of movement or any portion thereof to take care of any load variations without the necessity of completely unloading all of the food products from the shelf. Moreover, I accomplish this by providing a single operating member for raising or lowering the shelf proper which may be referred to as a shelf slab, and such member is preferably arranged to-move along the forward or front edge of the shelf slab to raise and lower the same. The shelf structure is constructed in such a manner that the shelf slab will always remain horizontal irrespective of the position to which it is adjusted, so that objectionable cocking or mung of the*s'helf"-slab is avoided. in"

addition, the shelf structure is arranged for sliding movement on its supports in any position to which it is adjusted. Hence, in addition-to-the vertical adjustment, the shelf may be pulled outward from and pushed inward into a food storage space, an oven, or the'like, to facilitate the re moval and placing of food' -produ'cts from and onto the shelf slab. Also, to facilitate cleaning, the shelf structure may be removed as a unit from a food compartment, or the like.

The principal objects of my in'vention, therefore, are to provide animproved shelf structure of the character described above; to provide such an adjustable shelf structure in which the shelf slab is s lidablehorizontally in all of its positions; to provide such an adjustable shelf structure in which vertical adjustment of" the shelf slab is effected by movement of a single operating memher or part; to provide suchan operating memher or part which is movable along'the forward or front edge of the adjustable shelf to adjust it vertically any distance desired'within arange of vertical movement; and to provide an adjustable shelf structure which is removable as a unit from a refrigerator, or the like.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and of which:

Fig; 1 is a top-plan view of a shelf structure incorporating my invention;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are front elevational views showing the shelf in different positions of 'vertical adjustment; p

Fig. 5 is a front view of a refrigerator showing shelves in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of an operating mechanism at the rear center portion of the shelf shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a rear elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal view, in vertical secframe. A pair of longitudinal members 19 are;

rotatably and slidably mounted in the stationary supports [5 on opposite side walls ofthe food compartment. Each of the longitudinal members H! is provided with projections 29in the form of hell cranks at the front and rear portions thereof, which cranks are journaled in bearing members 2| at the front and rear corners of the rectangular frame .11. Each of the rear bell cranks is provided with an upwardly projecting z- 5 As shown in Figs, 6 tot inclusive, the rear portion of the rectangular frame 11 is provided with an upwardly-projecting offsetportion ll to which is attached, asb Welding or the like, an

angular gusset plate 23. The rear portions of the center four supporting strips l8 rest upon and are secured to the gusset plate. With this arrangement the lower portions of the shelfoperating mechanism, to be described hereinafter, do not project appreciably below the bottom surface of the shelf slab, so that when an upper shelf is partly withdrawn from the refrigerator there are no projections therebelow that may contact and upset tall receptacles that may be positioned on the next lower shelf. a

The operating mechanism includes a 1ever'24- which projects from the rear to the front of the shelf slab and is pivotally connected to the gusset plate 23 by a rivet25, A link 29, including alower horizontal portion 21, an upwardly projecting portion 28, an upper horizontal portion 29 and a downwardly projecting portion 30;, is pivotally connected at one end to the lever 24by a rivet SI, and the opposite end of this link is pivotally connected to the upstanding arm 2-2 of the right rear crank 20, as viewed in Fig. '1. link 32, including a lower horizontal portion 33, an upwardly projecting portion 34, an upper horizontal portion 35 and a downwardly projectingportion 36, is pivotally connected atone end to the; end of lever 24 by a rivet 3'7, and the'opposite end of this link is pivotally connected to the upstanding arm 22 of the left rear crank 20-. As shown, particularly in Fig. 7, theupper horizontal portions 29 and 35 of links 26 and 32, respectively, project an appreciable distance above the top surface of the food supporting strips Iii-and l8" of the shelf slab. That is, these portions of the links form back guards for the-shelf slab. The lower horizontal portions 21- and 3:3 of these two links are each substantially flush with the lower surface of the rear portion of. the rectangular frame I1.

The operating lever 24 includes a rear portion 38, to which the links 26 and 3.2 ar 'pivotally attached, a tubular portion 39' attaohedto the rear portion, and a forward" or extensible portion 4a which fits telescopically within and is movable into andout ofthe tubular portion. .A spring clip 4:], made'of spring-steel or: th like,

is. attached toQt-he forward end of the lever and;

A similar acts to hold this end of the lever in frictional contact with the front portion of the rectangular frame II, as shown in Fig. 8. A push button 42 is attached to the spring clip and is operable to move the clip from the position shown in Fig. 8 to that shown in Fig. 9, thereby releasing the lever for movement along the front edge of the shelf slab. A stop 43 is attached to the forward portion of the lever just behind the front portion .ofjrectangular frame ll. Thisstop cooperates "with the front portion of the rectangular frame to limit outward movement of the extensible portion of the lever relative to the shelf slab.

Itis to be noted that the shelf structure, with the exception of the supporting elements I5 which are permanently attached to the side walls of the food compartment, is a self-contained structure that is movable as a unit into and out of the refrigerator in any of the different positions of vertical a'd-jnstment. In order; that the shelf structure may not be accidentallyremoved entirely from the food compartment; spring clips 44 are applied tothe tworear supporting elements 15, which clips contact the rear crank arms 28 when the shelf isv moved foiwvard andstop such movement when the shelf is approximately half way outof the food compartment. Clips M each includes an open ring portion 44* that is sprung over the end of the lower prong of the rear supporting elements, and a hook portion 44 that projects from the ring portion and fits into a groove in the upper prong of these supporting elements. The lower prong of each of the forward supporting elements I5 is providedwith. an open ring clip #5, which clips cooperate with the ring portions M on th rear supporting elements in centering the shelf when it is moved from; the position shown in Fig; 2 to that shown in either Figs. 3 or 4. Thering clips 5 on. the lower prong of the forward supporting elements do not inter-- fere with thepassageof the rear cranks through these elements. 1 7

In operation, when it is desired to raise or lower the shelf, push button 42 is moved. from the position shown in Fig.8 to that shown in Fig. 9 so that the lever may be moved to either the right or to the left as viewed in Fig. l of the drawing. The lever may be moved through.

any increment of the, distance between the fullline position and. the two dotted-line positions: shown in 1, and when theforward end of the lever is stopped between any two of the-strips Hi, and the pushbutton 42 is released, the lever is heldinthis position; In moving the lever toward the right, from the center position shown in. Fig. l to the dotted-line position shown at.

the right thereof,v the-links-2B and 32- are moved toward the side walls of thefood compartment-,.

the rear cranks .20 are, rocked upwardly, the longitudinalmernber 9 at the right is rotated clock-- wise, the longitudinalmember I9 at theleft is rotated counterclockwise, the'forward cranks 20 are rocked upwardly in unison with the upwardmovement of the-rear cranks, whereby the shelf slab, while-in a horizontal position and without tilting or cooking, israised from the position shownin Fig.2 to thatshown in Fig; 3.- In moving thelever from the full-line position to the ex-- tremedotted-line'position shown. 2.1711181 left in Fig; l; the links, cranks: and longitudinal memineFig. 4: The-lever maybe 'moved along the front of the shelf slab through any portion of the distance between the two extreme positions, and when the shelf slab has been raised or lowered to the desired position, the operator merely releases the push button, whereby the spring clip 4! assumes the position shown in Fig. 8. In this position, the inner end of the spring clip fits between the outer ends of two of the strips I8 and the spring clip holds the forward end of the lever in frictional engagement with the rectangular frame 11, whereby the shelf slab is held in the adjusted position. As

the lever is moved back and forth along the front edge of the shelf slab, the stop member 43 slides along the rear surface of the front rectangular frame member l1, whereby outward movement of the forward end of the lever is limited. The vertical portions of clip 4| and of stop 43 that face the front rectangular frame [1, as viewed in Figs. 8 and 9, are arcuate in horizontal cross section and are spaced a sufiicient distance apart that, when the clip is released as shown in Fig. 9, the front end of the lever may be moved back and forth without being obstructed by the rec tangular frame member.

In order to remove the shelf assembly as a unit from the food compartment, the assembly is first adjusted to a position that the horizontal portions of the rear bell cranks are in line with and will pass between the prongs of the bifurcated supports as shown in Fig. 11. Then the hook portions of the clips 44 are released from the top prong of each of rear supports !5, then these clips are rotated rearward and downward so that the rear cranks 29 may pass through the rear as well as the forward supports, after which the shelf assembly may be withdrawn as a unit from the food compartment.

Having thus described my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the particular structure illustrated and de scribed for obvious modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A cabinet having a compartment, a plurality of brackets attached to opposite walls of said compartment, shelf structure slidably mounted on said brackets with the entire structure removable from said cabinet as a unit, said shelf structure including a shelf slab, a pair of cranks mounted in said brackets on the opposite walls of said compartments for rotary 6 2 movement transverse to said oppositewalls and for sliding movement parallel to said opposite walls, said cranks having portions thereof pivotally connected to said shelf slab. and adapted to move and support said shelf slab in different positions of vertical adjustment, an operating lever pivotally connected to said shelf slab for movement in a plane parallel thereto, linkage mechanism connecting said lever to each of said cranks, for rotating the latter upon movement of the lever, and means on said lever cooperating with the front edge of the shelf slab for.

holding the latter in any one of a plurality of positions above and below said plurality of brackets.

2. A shelf organization including shelf supports, a shelf slab, and mechanism attached to said shelf slab and removable therewith as a unit and adapted to engage the shelf supports to move and support said shelf slab, said mechanism including a single lever pivotally mounted on the shelf slab at the rear thereof and IIIOV", able substantially parallel to the plane of the shelf slab, arms having horizontal portions pivotally attached at one end to said lever and located adjacent the rear edge of the shelf slab, and means connected to the opposite ends of said arms at each side of the shelf slab and engaging said shelf supports beyond. the side edges of the shelf slab, said means being operable upon movement of said lever to raise and lower said shelf slab above and below said supports.

ROBERT LAY HALLOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 249,035 Gilbert Nov. 1, 1881 862,791 Bawden et al Aug. 6, 1907 898,970 Cook Sept. 15, 1908 940,804 Hanson Nov. 23, 1909 999,633 Cramer Aug. 1, 1911 1,556,711 .Pietrzycki Oct. 13, 1925 1,811,421 Brainard June 23, 1931 1,986,035 Wells Jan. 1, 1935 2,102,536 Kahn Dec. 14, 1937 2,173,108 Hallock Sept. 19, 1939 2,315,053 Hallock Mar. 30, 1943 2,420,173 Hall May 6, 1947

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