US1948778A - Service device - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 27, V H G 201 1,948,778

SERVICE DEVICE Filed 001;. 26. 193].

f/eofor' G. Z050 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

2 Claims.

This invention has reference to a combined service device and dish holder of the character disclosed in Patent No. 1,746,847 issued to me February 11, 1930, and embodies certain improvements hereinafter described and claimed.

One of the principal objects of the present invention resides in the provision of a device of the character in question, wherein each plate is wholly arranged between and supported by complementary sections of the device, so that the entire area of the dish can be utilized for the support of food, and the latter maintained at the proper temperature for a longer period of time.

In carrying out my invention one of the complementary sections of the device is formed to contain hot water, directly above which the dish is supported, so that the food supported on the plate will be maintained in a warm condition for an appreciable length of time.

Another important object of the invention resides in constructing the complementary sections of the device for novel association, and to permit the dish and cover section of the device to be conveniently removed or separated from the lower section as the occasion may require.

In this connection I preferably provide the lower section of the device with opposed fingerreceiving openings, so that the upper cover section of the device, as well as the dish can be very conveniently lifted off the lower section.

The nature and advantages of the invention will be better understood when the following detail description is read in connection with the accompanying drawing, the invention residing in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as claimed.

In the drawing forming part of this application like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views and wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view showing how the dishes are enclosed within the service device, and several of the devices supported in superimposed v relation.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the lower section of one of the service devices.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through one of the service devices showing a slightly modified construction.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be noted that each service device and dish holder is soconstructed that a number of such devices can be stacked one upon the other in superimposed relation, and that the component parts of each device can be constructed from any suitable material and vary in size and configuration without departing from the inventive idea.

Each device preferably includes two complementary sections, a lower section indicated at 10 6 and an upper section indicated at 11, between which the dish at 12 is adapted to be arranged and wholly enclosed by said sections as clearly illustrated. The lower section 10 is of course open at its upper end, and is formed with a lat- 65 erally extended flange 13 upon which the dish 12 reposes, and this flange is continued to provide a vertically disposed flange 14, the material of which is bent upon itself to provide a double thickness with a view of strengthening and I0 reinforcing thisflange 14 as illustrated.

The upper section 11 is open atits bottom, and in the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 1, this upper section is formed with a laterally extending flange 15 which projects from '6 the lower edge of the section and arranged to repose upon the flange 14 of the lower section 10. The flange 15 is continued to provide a depending flange 16 which surrounds the flange 14, and the material from which the section is formed so is bent upon itself to provide a flange 16 of double thickness with a view of strengthening and reinforcing this particular flange as shown. The section '11 includes a top 17 which may form an integral part of the section, but is preferably a 35 separable part permanently attached to the section in any suitable manner. The top 17 of the section is depressed and substantially flat as illustrated, and formed with an outwardly and downwardly extending flange 18 which is bulged '0 as at 19 to receive a bead 20 formed on the adjacent upper edge of the section 11, so that when the top 17 is associated with this section 11, it will be permanently and effectively secured thereto. By having the top 17 depressed as illustrated, it is obvious from an inspection of Figure 1, that a plurality of such serving devices can be stacked one upon the other, the depressed top of one sect'ion receiving the adjacent section of the next serving device. When the complementary sec- 1 tions of each device are associated, the dish 12 W is wholly arranged between the sections, and supported by the flange 13 of the lower section, so that the entire area of the dish can be utilized to support the food, and at the same time enclose the dish by the complementary sections, in order to maintain the latter at a proper temperature for a longer period of time. If desired,

the lower section 10 can be partly filled with hot water, and manifestly, with the dish 12 sup- 1 16 ported by this section, and partly received thereby, the food on the dish will be maintained in a Warm condition for a long period of time. The dish can be very conveniently and easily removed, by first removing the section 11 from the section 10, after which the dish 12 can be lifted from the section 10.

In Figure 3 I have illustrated a slightly modifled construction, wherein the sections 10 and 11' are constructed exactly in the same manner as hereinabove described, but associated in a slightly different manner. It will be noted upon inspection of Figure 3 that the flange 16 which depends from the flange 15' of the upper section 11' reposes upon the flange 13 of the section 10, in counter-distinction to the disclosure'illustrated in Figure 1. In other words, the flange 16' of the upper section is received by the space between the edge of the dish 12 and the flange 14' of the lower section 10. The upper section 11 is also provided with a depressed substantially flat top wall 17.

In order to permit the upper cover section of the device as well as the disk 12 to be conveniently lifted and removed from the lower section, the dish supporting flange is provided with opposed finger-receiving openings 21. These openings are provided in both forms of the invention, namely in the flange 13 of Figure 1 and flange 13 of Figure 3. Obviously by inserting the fingers in the openings 21 in the flange 13 of the device illustrated in Figure 1, the dish can be easily and conveniently lifted from the lower section 10, after the cover section 11 has been removed. However, by reason of the construction shown in Figure 3, the cover section 11 can be lifted from the lower section by inserting the fingers in the openings 21 of the flange 13' after which the dish can be removed in the same manner.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily understood, I desire to have it known that I do not limit myself to what is herein illustrated or described, and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. A combined table service device and dish warmer comprising a bowl-shaped lower section adapted to contain hot water'and having its upper end shaped to provide an outwardly extending horizontal flange upon which the margin of a foodcontaining plate or dish is adapted to rest with the plate or dish supported above the hot water and closing the top of said lower section, said lower section having its upper end shaped to further provide a vertical flange extending upwardly from the outer edge of said horizontal flange, and a removable upper cover section of inverted bowl shape having its lower end shaped to rest upon the upper end of the lower section in surrounding relation to the marginal edge of the plate or dish and in telescopic relation to said vertical flange of said lower section, said upper section having a depressed top wall whereby a number of the devices may be arranged in stacked relation with the bottom section of each device seated within the top of the upper section of the next lower device, said upper section including a body in the form of an annular shell having an outwardly directed bead near its upper edge, said top wall having its margin pressed around the upper end of said body and into and over said bead respectively at the inner and outer sides thereof.

2. A combined table service device and dish warmer comprising a bowl-shaped lower section adapted to contain hot water and having its upper end shaped to provide an outwardly extending horizontal flange upon which the margin of a food-containing plate or dish is adapted to rest with the plate or dish supported above the hot water and closing the top of said lower section, said lower section having its upper end shaped to further provide a vertical flange extending upwardly from the outer edge of said horizontal flange, and a removable upper cover section of inverted bowl shape having its lower end shaped to rest upon the upper end of the lower section in surrounding relation to the marginal edge of the plate or dish and in telescopic relation to said vertical flange of said lower section, said upper section having a depressed top wall whereby a number of the devices may be arranged in stacked relation with the bottom section of each device seated within the top of the upper section of the next lower device, said lower section having notches in opposite sides thereof extending through the horizontal and vertical flanges of the same to permit engagement of the fingers beneath the margin of the plate or dish and the upper section so as to facilitate removal of said plate or dish and the upper section from the lower section.

HECTOR G. ZOIA.

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