Broiler

Application filed April 13,

The improvements relate to cooking ranges and more particularly to compartments to be used in connection with gas ovens and ranges, but may be' employed in electrically heated « and other stoves. The principal object of the improvements is to provide a compartment of simple, efficient and convenient construction and operation in combination with a cooking range. A further object is to pro10 vide a cooking compartment of sturdy and rugged construction and yet be neat in ap’. pearance, readily slidable in or removable from the stove.

A still further object is to provide a con15 struction of the aforementioned type having novel anti-friction and alignment means, as well as an improved manner of slidably sup-, porting the compartment. In . accordance with the mathematical axiom that three •20 points determine a plane, it is an object of the. improvements to embody that principle in a novel range construction thereby insuring, at all times, the proper support of movable compartments without twisting or strain^ 25 thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the present improvements will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to theac. ..companying specification and drawings, in 30 which .

Fig. 1 is a phantom perspective view of a portion of. a cooking range, illustrating one application of the present improvements comprising a broiler construction; ·

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the broiler housing;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the broiler housing tracks;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the broiler compartment;

- Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the broiler compartment;

Fig. 6 is a rear end view of the compartment ;

⁴⁵ Fig. 7 is a front vertical view of the device illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on a line across the face of the housing, the drawer being illustrated in section;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing ⁵⁰ the contour of the track in section.

1929. Serial No. 354,778.

In the drawings, the improvements have been illustrated in position beneath an oven of a gas or electric range but it is understood that they may be variously embodied in ranges of this character. For convenience in ₆₅illustration the greater portion of the range has been omitted; that shown in Fig. 1 includes the oven 10 of any suitable form which is provided with oven and broiler burners (not shown). The broiler burners may be eo located in the upper portion of broiler housing 11, just beneath partition 12 which defines the oven bottom and broiler housing top.

The broiler housing is defined by the top 12, sides 13 and 14, back 15, front 16, and base C5 or bottom 17. The front 16 has an opening 18 defined by offset flange 19 surrounding said opening. The oven 10 and housing 11 are supported by frame members 20 and these members in turn may be supported in any 70 convenient manner bn the range. <

The base 17 of housing 11 is provided with guide means 21 extending from the front to the rear thereof and positioned substantially centrally of the base. This guide means com- 7b prises a plurality of spaced tracks 22 and 23, which,‘as seen in Fig. 2 have flanges 24 for securing the tracks to the base. Each track ’ has a vertical wall rising from flange 24 and ^Lterminates in an inwardly extending flange 80 25. As positioned on base 17, these tracks form with the base, a channel or groove 26, lengthwise of the housing, said channel having an open portion extending the length thereof , due to the spacing of the tracks. 85

Upon reference to Figs. 1 and 3, it is seen that the tracks 22 and 23 flare or diverge adjacent each end and terminate short of the front and rear of the housing. The flared front portion of the guide means 21 thereby 90 affords an entrance means to the channel 26, as hereinafter described.

Anti-friction means in the form of rollers 27 and 28 are also mounted in the housing base 17. As illustrated these rollers are located 95 near the front of the compartment, one on each side of guide, means 21 and between it and the sides of the housing. Protruding upwardly from the base of the housing, are a plurality of stop means 29, which are sub- 100

1,851,855 stantially in alignment (transversely of the base 17) with rollers 27, 28, and the forward end of guide means 21.

The broiler compartment 30 comprises a ® drawer shaped member having sides 31, 32, back 33, bottom 34 and an open top and front end. A U-shaped reinforcement plate 39 is bolted, welded or otherwise secured about the forward open end of the compartment ¹⁰ and thereby braces and holds sides 31, 32 and bottom 34 in proper position and insures against distortion of or injury to the compartment. This plate as well as the sides of the compartment are slotted to receive the ¹⁶ hinge pins of door 35. This door is accordingly hinged to open downwardly about a horizontal axis to give the user access to the interior of the compartment and a view thereof without drawing the compartment com²⁰ pletely from the housing.

Stop means for holding the door in horizontal position are also provided as illustrated in Fig. 1. When closed, as seen in Fig. 4, the door 35, held by latch 36 and pin 37, forms ²⁶ the front end of the compartment. Further details of the door and hinge arrangement may be had upon reference to our copending application filed August 21,1928, Serial No. 301,060. A broiler pan (not shown) is adapt⁸⁰ ed to seat on ledges 38 provided on each side of the compartment, and may be removed and replaced at different levels by simply unlatching the door 35 and placing it in open position (Fig. 1).

⁸⁶ The bottom 34 of the drawer or compartment 30 is provided with tracks 40 and 41. As illustrated, these tracks are mounted adjacent the side edges of the drawer or compartment and are formed with grooves which ⁴⁰ serve as guide means for the drawer or compartment in which rollers 27 and 28 are adapted to ride. Upon reference to Fig. 4, it is notable that the forward end of each track is provided with a depression or recess 42 ⁴⁶ (see Fig. 4).

Rollers 43 and 44 are also provided on the bottom of the compartment and are positioned substantially centrally of the rear end thereof. A guide member 45 is located near ⁶⁰ said rollers and projects downwardly from the bottom 34. Stoji means 46 also protrude from the compartment bottom and are positioned so as to be in alignment with stops 29 on the housing base, when the compartment ⁶⁵ is within the housing.

When the compartment 30 is assembled in the housing 11, the rollers 27,28, on the housing base, are disposed in the grooves of tracks 40 and 41 of the compartment. Likewise, the ⁶⁰ rollers 43 and 44 of the compartment are disposed in the channel 26 defined by the tracks 22 and 23 on the base of the housing. It is notable that all the rollers project a slight distance from the plane of their mountings ^J whereby the compartment bottom is suspend ed slightly above the housing bottom so that free sliding movement of the compartment is afforded by the cooperating rollers and guides. Accordingly the opposed faces of the housing and compartment are spaced so _7Cthat friction is reduced to a minimum and wear of the parts is restricted to the tracks of each.

Free sliding movement of the compartment is thereby afforded, outward movement there- _7Gof being limited by the contact of cooperative stop means 29 and 46. It is important to note that the compartment 30 is somewhat smaller than housing 11 and occupies only the lower portion thereof. However, door 35 is much so larger than the open end of compartment 30, and serves to close the opening 18 of the housing.

As the compartment is moved inwardly and approaches the complete closed position gg the rollers 27,28 of the housing enter recesses 42 of the tracks 40 and 41, thereby causing the compartment to slide “home” into closed position with the door 35 sealing the housing opening 18 by engaging flange 19. These 90 depressions or recesses in the tracks which are occupied by the rollers, as described, serve to releasably hold the compartment in closed position.

Upon reference to Fig. 1, it is seen that 95 the rollers 27 and 28 are disposed out of alignment with rollers 43 and 44. This arrangement affords a sturdy construction for supporting the broiler compartment during all its movements and also in all positions in 100 which it may come to rest. The compartment 30 is thus afforded support at a plurality of spaced bearing points offset from one another so that sliding movement is facilitated. Accordingly the weight of the compartment 105 is uniformly distributed and the compartment is maintained substantially level or on an even keel since it is supported at all times at.three spaced points, which points define the apices of an imaginary triangle. Obviously, lie therefore, twisting of the compartment and consequent sticking or binding is eliminated.

While the cooperating guides and rollers prevent lateral movement of the compartment with respect to the housing, i. e., a wab- 115 bling movement, the guide means 45 projects downwardly and rides between the edges of flanges 25 of tracks 22 and 23. Accordingly, the compartment is held in proper alignment and is prevented from sidewise 120 movement about its own vertical axis.

Should it be found desirable to completely remove the compartment 30 from the housing 11, the former is pulled out as far as it will go and then canted upwardly by lifting 125 the door handle until stops 46 on the compartment bottom are clear of stops 29, and then withdrawing the compartment. Reinsertion of the compartment may be accomplished in a similar manner. The diverging ¹³⁰

1,851,865

Various modifications within the scope of the improvements will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the guide or track means may be formed, if desired, in the bottom of the compartment or the parts may be arranged in a manner, other than illustrated, and come within the purview of the invention. ,