US1550210A - Disappearing ice chest - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 18, 1925.

1,550,210 M. .w. coNKLlN DISAPPEARING ICE CHEST Filed oct. 15. 1924* lily' Z Patented Aug. 18, 1925.

.UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

Menzo w. conrinrii, or onaMBnaLi-irii, sourir nnnorn.

DISAPPEARING ICE CHEST.

Application led October 13, 1924. Serial No. 743,241.

ToA all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Menzo 1V. CoNiLiN, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof Chamberlain, in the county of Brule and 5 Statelof South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Disappearing Ice Chests, of which the following is a specication. n

My invention relates to disappearing ice chests, and it is my object to provide such a chest which is of simple, durable and ineX- pensive construction.

A further object is to provide a chest which is mounted for vertical sliding movement in an encased opening in a floor, and which, when not in use, rests Hush with the flooring, the top of the. chest serving as a continuation thereof.

A further object is t0 provide means for counter-balancing the 'weight of the chest when in raised position.

i A further object is to provide means for compensating for the loss of weight due to melting of ice within the chest.

A still further object is to provide a combined pneumatic shock absorber for relieving the impact of the chest against its casing-when lowered, and a guiding means to prevent binding of the chest Within its casing.

With these and other objects in View my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

. Fig. 1 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view through my device.

Fig. 2 is a vertical, transverse, sectional view taken on the line 2HE of Fig. 1, the chest and its easing beingshown in elevation. 1

Fig. 3 is. a detail sectional view illustrating a portion of the lower corner of the .chest iii-raised position, together with the adjacent portion of the casing, the latching means for retaining the chest Vin raised posi: tion being illustrated.

' Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the .casing and adjacent floor joist construction,

the flooring being removed.

-1 .have used thegreferenee character 10 to indicate :generally theV parallel joists com,n

monly used to support the flooring, 11, of a house. These joists are ordinarily spaced about twenty inches apart, and where a very small chest is` used the casing therefor may be formed by using a pair of joists as side membersand bridging across between the Joists to form the other sides. However, ordinary needs require a chest of` greater Width than twenty inches, and I therefore preferably provide a casing for the .chest to slide in as follows:

lTwo or more of the joists, 10, may be cut away as at 12 and the space therebetween encased by transverse casing members, 13, which may be of the same material as the joists. Casing members, 14,V are then arranged `between the members, 13, transverse thereto and parallel to the joists, 10. The members, 14, are spaced from the joists, 10, for a purpose which will hereinafter be set forth.

Vithin the opening defined by the casing members, 13 and 14, is loosely mounted the ice chest or cabinet, having the sides, 15, the bottom, 16, and the top, 17, The top, 17, is equal in width to the length of the members, 13, and in breadth, to the length of the members, 14.` ,It will thus be seen that a pair of projecting leaves, 18, are formed which,when the cabinet is in low ered position, cover the opening between the joists, 10, andthe casing members, 14. The top, 17, is flush with the flooring, 11, when the cabinet is inV lowerediposition.

Reinforcing metallic-L-shaped plates, 19, may be secured to the sides of the cabinet in order to aid in supporting the weight of the same against the casing;

The cabinet may be constructed similarly to the ordinary ice box, and preferably is provided with an inner wall, 20, spaced from the outer walls so astto provide an in sulating air space. In the upper portion thereof is supported the icefreceiving tray, 21, from which the drain pipes, 22, extend downwardly between the walls, 2() and 15, on either side of the cabinet. FlangedA pipe connections, 23, serve `to support-the short pipes, 24, rigidly relative to the cabinet, and also to ferm a communication between the pipes, 24 and 22. The two pipes, 24, serve as legs, which are connected together through the medium.; of the intimes, 25, Vthe converging pipes, 26, andthe Y-shaped fitting, 27 The'vertical pipe, 28h-is 4threaded into the lower portion of the fitting, 27, and carries at its lower end .a leather piston, 29, secured between a threaded nut, 30, and a threaded cap, 31, which latter serves t0 close the pipe, 28.

The pipe, 28, extends into a cylindrical tube, 32, which is embedded at its lower end in a concrete base, or in the floor, 33, of the basement of the house. The tube is apertured, as at 34, a short distance above the lowermost position of the piston, 29. The lower end of the pipe may be closed by the concrete base, and it will be seen that as the cabinet .is moved downwardly toward closed position the piston, 29, will, upon passing the apertures, 34, compress the air within the tube, 32, and be thereby opposed in its further downward movement. The air cushion will then allow the cabinet to slowly sink into place without jarring against the casing. When the cabinet is in its uppermost position, the piston, 29, is still contained in the tube, 32, near the upper end thereof. It will be seen that the tube, 32, will serve as a guide for properly positioning the lower end of the cabinet as it moves up and down, and will allow the cabinet to slide freely within the casing without binding.

Extending outwardly from the fittings, 25, are the short arms, 35, to the ends of which are fastened cables, 36, extending upwardly and around wooden roller pulleys, 39, thence downwardly and terminating in hooks, 40. Upon the hooks, 40, are hung weights, 41, of such size as to balance the weight of the cabinet and its normal contents. Auxiliary weights, 46, may be provided and kept in compartments, 47, constructed along the sides of the casing members, 14, between said casing members and the joist, 10. Sufficient space is left between the sides of the compartments, 47, and the joists, 10, to enable a person to extend his arm therethrough and attach one of the weights, 46, to a hook, 40. The weights, 46, are used when additional food material is placed within the cabinet. f

In order to facilitate raising of the cabinet, I provide a ring, 48, hinged at one side to the top of the cabinet and adapted to lie 1n an annular groove, 49, when not being used.

The corner-bracing irons, 50, may be provided, which extend downwardly to form the legs, 51. When the cabinet is in raised p osition the legs 51, serve to maintain its upright position by engaging the interior of the casing. It will be noted in this connection that the cabinet, when in raised position, extends almost entirely above the opening, and forthis reason the legs, 51, are essential. The legs, 51, may be formed with hooks, 52, on 'their lower ends adapted to embrace the casmg members, 14, when the cabinet isin raised position, and having detent portions, 53, adapted to enter the depressions, 54, in the members, 14.

It may be mentioned here that ordinarily the weight of the cabinet is somewhat more than that of the counter-balancing weights in order that the cabinet may always remain securely in its lowered position. A small amount of force is therefore necessary to lift the cabinet in addition to overcoming the friction between the cabinet and its casing, and the gripping action of the hooks, 52 is sufficient to overcome this difference" in weight so as to maintain the cabinet in its upper position. By pushing down slightly on the top of the cabinet it may be released and allowed thence to drop to position where the piston, 29, encounters the air cushion at the lower end of the tube, 32.

rllhe fittings, 25, are provided vwith inwardly extending open necks, 55, extending over the edges of a sheet metal tank, 56, supported by the diverging arms, 26, and suitably secured thereto as by soldering. The water draining downwardly through the pipes, 22 and 24, will escape through the necks, 55, into the tank, 56, and will be thereby retained so as to preserve the weight of the cabinet and the ice therein constant. lhen new ice is added the water may be drained through a faucet, 57, and the amount taken out may be gauged by the gauge marks, 58, within the tank. Thus if twenty-iive pounds of ice is added to the ice compartment, the Same amount of water may be drawn through the faucet, 57. It will be understood that access to the faucet, 57, may be obtained by going into the basement of the house in which the device is installed.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my invention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a disappearing ice chest, a cabinet mounted for vertical sliding movement in an encased opening in a tioor, means for counterbalancing the weight of the cabinet at any of its positions, a downwardlyextending shaft supported from said cabinet, a piston on the end of said shaft, and a cylinder mounted independently of the cabinet, receiving said piston, and apertured near its lower end substantially above the lowermost posit-ion of the piston, the portion of said cylinder below the aperture serving to provide an air-cushion chamber, and the portion of saidcylinder above the aperturev serving as a guide. f. l

2.-In combination `with' a. floor having a pair o'fspaced parallel joists and'iooring partly supported thereby, the flooring being cut away between said joists, casing members spaced inwardly from said joists, a cabinet mounted between said casing members for vertical sliding movement and having a top designed to cover the entire opening between the joists and to be positioned flush with the flooring when thecabinet is in lowered position, pulleys mounted between the joists and casing members, cables fixed to the lower end of the cabinet and extending over said pulleys, hooks on the free ends of the cables, weights on said hooks and auxiliary weights attachable to said hooks through said openings between the `ioists and casing members when the cabinet is in raised position.

3. In combination with a floor having a pair of spaced parallel joists and flooring partly supported thereby, the flooring being cut away between said joists, casing members spaced inwardly from said joists, a cabinet mounted between said casing members for vertical sliding movement and having a top designed to cover the entire opening between the joists and to be positioned flush with the flooring when the cabinet is in lowered position, pulleys mounted between the joists and casing members, cables fixed to the lower end of the cabinet and extending over said pulleys, weight receiving compartments between the casing members and joists, hooks on the free ends of the cables, weights supported on said hooks and auxiliary weights normally retained in said weight-receiving compartments and attachable to said hooks through the openings between the joists and casing members when the cabinet is in raised position.

4l. In combination with a floor having spaced joists, a casing formed between said joists and having side members spaced therefrom, a cabinet mounted in said casing for vertical sliding movement, the sides of the cabinet fitting intimately within the casing to guide the cabinet and maintain its upright position in all positions of vertical movement, a shaft depending from said cabinet, a guideway slidably receiving said shaft to aid in maintaining the vertical position of said cabinet, pulleys mounted between the casing side members and the adjacent joists, cables affixed to members projecting laterally from and below the cabinet at its lower end and extending over the pulleys, and counterweights on the other ends of the cables.

5. In a disappearing ice chest, a cabinet mounted for vertical sliding movement in an encased opening in a floor, means for counterbalancing a major portion of the weight of thel cabinet at any of its positions, the excess weight of the cabinet over that of the counter-balancing means being sufficient to cause the cabinet to gravitate to closed position when not supported by means additional to the counterbalancing means, an air cushion cylinder mounted independently of the cabinet, and a piston to coact with said cylinder having a connection with the cabinet such as to retard the latter portion of the downward movement of the cabinet.

6. In combination with a floor having spaced joists, a casing formed between said joists and having side members spaced therefrom, a cabinet mounted in said casing for vertical sliding movement, the sides of the cabinet fitting intimately within the casing, angle irons reinforcing the corners of the cabinet and extended below the cabinet bottom to form guides to allow movement of the cabinet to a position entirely above the iloor level, and counterbalancing mechanism to support said cabinet in its raised position.

7. In combination with a ioor having spaced joists, a casing formed between said joists and having side members spaced therefrom, a cabinet mounted in said casing for vertical sliding movement, the sides of the cabinet fitting intimately within the casing, angle irons reinforcing the corners of the cabinet and extended below the cabinet bottom to form guides to allow movement of the cabinet to a position entirely above the door level, and counterbalancing mechanism to support the major portion of the weight of the cabinet in its raised position, said irons being bent upwardly at their lower ends to form hooks positioned to engage the casing members and retain the cabinet in its raised position.

8. In a disappearing ice chest,a cabinet having an ice compartment, the cabinet being mounted iior vertical sliding movement in an encased opening in a floor, means for counterbalancing the weight of the cabinet at any of its positions, a tank supported by the cabinet, and means for conducting the water melted from ice within the ice compartment to said tank in order to compensate for the loss of weight of the ice caused by melting, said last means including a plurality of pipes firmly secured to the cabinet and extending below the cabinet, fittings on the lower ends of the pipes, downwardly and inwardly extending pipe sections removably secured in said fittings, joined at their lower ends, and serving to support between them the said tank, a plunger deaending from said pipe sections, and a guide chamber slidably receiving said plunger.

Signed at Chamberlain, in the county of Brule and State oit South Dakota, this 6th day of ctober, 1924-.

Manzo at conKLni.

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