US2932404A - Serving mechanism - Google Patents

Description

April 12, 1960 Filed May 27. 1958 D. R. VERSHBOW 2,932,404

SERVING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet l Iuvezatoat- Dwa'eZ ll. Vea'isfiom y KENWAY, JENNEY, WHTER & HILDRETH APril 1960 D. R. VERSHBOW 2,932,404

SERVING MECHANISM Fild May 27, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1530832308 Daniel B. Veawouz a? IBIUAY. IENNEY. WITTER & HILDRETH have United States Patent Cfiice snnvmo MECHANISM Daniel R. Vershbow, Newton, Mass., assignor to Serv-O- Lift Corporation, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts This invention relates to serving mechanism including a vertically movable carrier adapted to support a supply 7 of articles such as dishes, table utensils, trays and the like, together with self-leveling means for automatically maintaining the articles at a constant and efficient dispensing level as the top articles are removed from the carrier, the mechanism being adjustable for articles of various unit weights. Such mechanism requires the employment of resilient means constantly urging the carrier upwardly, at an adjustable rate, to compensate for the articles removed and the employment of such means within the vertical space permitted frequently presents a considerable problem. The primary object of the invention herein resides in the production of novel and compact mechanism for solving this problem.

More specifically the invention embodies a rotary drum together with flexible cable means connected at one end to the drum and at its other end to the carrier and so disposed on and about the drum that rotation of the drum in one direction raises the carrier and rotation thereof in the other direction lowers the carrier. Cooperating resilient means together with a cable connected to and disposed on and about a smaller drum fixed coaxially to the first named drum and forming a double drum therewith is adapted normally to effect raising movement of the carrier. In the preferred form of the invention two such double drums are provided, the carrier and resilient means being directly connected respectively to the larger drum and the smaller drums being connected together by means including cables connected to and disposed on and about such drums. The mechanism furthermore preferably includes means for varying the ratio of the driving connection between the smaller drums. The construction permits such compact arrangement of the parts as substantially to reduce thevertical space otherwise required in the serving unit. The production of novel and improved serving mechanism of this nature and for the purpose described comprises a further object of the invention.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a serving unit embodying the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating operating mechanism within the unit.

The serving unit illustrated in the drawings comprises a hollow base 10 from which rises a vertical housing 11, the base and housing constituting the supporting frame of the serving tmit. A carrier 12 extends through two vertical slots 14 into the housing and projects therefrom horizontally in cantilever fashion over the base 10. The carrier is fixed to two plates 15 within the housing and two rollers 16 on each plate ride vertically within a guideway 18 in the housing, thus supporting the carrier in horizontal position. The carrier is suspended by two cables 19 and 20 secured thereto and extending upwardly over 2,932,404 Patented Apr. 12, 1960 sheaves 21 and 22 respectively. From thence the cables extend partially about and are anchored to a drum 24.

The drum is constantly biased to rotate in clockwise direction (Fig. 2) and thereby counterbalance the weight of the carrier and tend to elevate it, all as illustrated in Fig. 2 and hereinafter described.

The drum 24 together with a smaller drum 25 are fixed to a shaft 26 within the housing. Two like large and small drums 28 and 29 are rotatably mounted in the housing beneath the drums 24-25. Between the drums 24-25 and 28-29 within the housing 11 is a hollow, bottom-slotted arm 30 including a threaded rod 32 connected at one end by a universal joint 33 to a stub shaft 34 rotatably mounted in the housing. The rod is journaled at its ends in the arm and has a nut 36 threaded thereto and extending downwardly and outwardly at 38 anchored to the portion 38 of the nut extend downwardly and are wrapped partially drum 29.

The drums 28-29 are constantly biased anti-clockwise (Fig. 2) by the following described resilient means mounted within the base 10. A pair of tension springs 44 are anchored at one end each to the base at 46. Cables 48 connected to the other ends of the springs extend over sheaves 50 and from thence are connected to a yoke 52. A cable 54 connected to the yoke extends over a sheave 56 and from thence it is wrapped partially about and anchored to the drum 28.

It will now be apparent that the springs 44 constantly bias the drums 28-29 to rotate anti-clockwise. This action operating through the cables 42 places a constant downward pull on the arm 30 which functioning through the cables 40 places a constant clockwise biason the drums 24-25. Thus the springs are adapted to counterbalance the weight of the carrier 12 together with its load. The placing of a load on the carrier will cause it to descend. In order to compensate for increased load upon the carrier and counterbalance it to the desired dispensing position, the operator has only to rotate the shaft 34 as by means of the handle 58. Such rotation advances the nut 36 in one direction or the other along the arm 30. When compensating for increased load the nut will be advanced in a direction away from the pivot 33, thus increasing the effective down pull of the cables 42 on the drum 24 and rasing the carrier. As will also be about and anchored to the apparent, the novel mechanism provides such compact arrangement of the parts as substantially to reduce the vertical space otherwise required in the serving unit.

Having thus disclosed my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Serving mechanism comprising in combination a frame, a carrier supported for vertical movement in the frame, a drum rotatably mounted in the frame, flexible cable means connected to the carrier and so anchored to and variably stored on the drum that rotation of the drum in one direction raises the carrier and rotation thereof in the other direction lowers the carrier, a second drum rotatably mounted in the frame beneath the first drum, means other than said cable means rotatably connecting the drums, and means including resilient means normally operative on the second drum to rotate it and the first drum in directions to raise the carrier.

2. The serving mechanism defined in claim 1 in which said means rotatably connecting the drums includes means the rotary axes of the drums that pivotal movement of the arm effects rotation of the drums.

4. The serving mechanism as defined in claim 3 in which the connection from one of the drums to thearm includes a member adjustable along the arm.

' 5. The serving mechanism defined in claim smaller drum fixed to and coaxial'with one of the first named drums, said means rotatably connecting the drums including a cable anchored to and variably stored on and about the smaller drum.

6. The serving mechanism defined in claim 5 plus a second smaller drum fixed to and coaxial with the other of the first named drums, said means rotatably connecting the drums including a cable anchored to and variably stored on and about the second smaller drum. n p

7. The serving mechanism defined in claim 6 in which said means rotatably connecting the drums includes means disposed between the two smaller drumsfor varying the amount of cable pull applied from the second smaller drum to the first smaller drum.

8. Serving mechanism comprising in combination, a

frame, a carrier supported for vertical movement in the frame, a drum rotatably mounted in the frame, flexible cable means connected to the carrier and so anchored to and variably stored on the drum that rotation of the drum in one direction raises the carrier and rotation thereof in the other direction lowers the carrier, a smaller drum fixed to and coaxial with the first named drum, a cable anchored to and variably stored on and about the smaller 1 drum, and resilient means connected to the last named cable and normally operative therethrough to rotate the drums in' a direction to raise the carrier.

9; The serving mechanism defined in claim 8 plus means between and connected to the resilientmeans and cable for varying the drum rotating pull of the resilient means on the cable.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,251,87 3 Gibbs Aug. '5, 1941 2,601,295 Jensen June 24, 1952 2,812,104 Larsen Nov. 5, 1957

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