US2214239A - Showcase - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 10, 1940. H. E. YOUNG 2,214,239

SHOWCASE Filed Nov. 27, 1937 .-H 1 A /v//////1/ \1 l f INVENTOR.

E35 l E 1 5 2, RNEY.

Patented Sept. 10, 1940 l hifhi i l @FFEQE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to a showcase particularly of the type used in retail meat markets, delicatessens and the like, and the principal objects of my invention are, to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the existing forms of showcases, and to provide a structure that may be cooled by mechanical refrigeration and which has two shelves or surfaces arranged for receiving and displaying meat, fruit, vegetables and other foodstuffs so that all of the articles on both shelves or supporting surfaces are readily visible to persons standing or passing in front of the showcase.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a showcase of the character referred to having in its upper portion simple and efiicient supporting means for racks, trays, pans or the like that receive various articles of foodstufis to be displayed and the upper rear ortion of the showcase having an offset or rearward projection that enables racks or trays of increased length to be positioned on the supporting means, and further, to provide a showcase having in its intermediate portion an inclined shelf or floor preferably composed of concrete and covered with tile or the like, thereby providing what is commonly termed a cold slab upon which perishable articles of foodstuffs such as meats may be displayed, and at the same time retained in a cooled or semi-refrigerated condition.

A further object of my invention is, to provide along the front edges of the display shelf, supports for the reception of decorative material usually employed in connection with the display of meats in retail markets, and which decorative markets are generally in the form of strips of moisture-proof flexible material, cut, shaped and cooled so as to represent parsley or the like.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangements of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevational View of a showcase constructed in accordance with my invention, with the upper portion thereof in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the support for the decorative material along the front of the upper shelf.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the support for the decorative material along the front edge of the lower shelf or cool slab.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a pair of the sup porting brackets and the front rail that combine to provide a support for the upper shelf.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, it designates the lower portion of the showcase which may be constructed from wood or metal, and said lower portion including a frame ii, a front wall it, end wall such as it and a rear wall M.

The rear wall it of the base structure may be composed of or provided with doors to give access to the space within the structure Hi, and which space may be utilized for the storage of supplies, canned goods and unperishable food-- stuffs.

The lower front portion of the base structure it is recessed inwardly as designated by it, in order to decrease the bulky appearance of the base portion of the case, particularly when viewed from in front.

The frame it of the base portion of the structure includes an upper rear rail it, and supported thereby is a board or panel ll that gradually declines toward the front wall if. Overlying this board or panel ll is a sheet it of cork or analogous heat insulating material and overlying this cork is a sheet it of metal, for instance tin, zinc or copper.

Lying on the metal sheet 19 is a body 29, several inches in thickness, of concrete, the upper surface of which is covered by tile 2 l.

, The structure just described constitutes a tile covered cold slab that gradually declines toward its front edge, and which provides a support for meat and other foodstuffs to be displayed, and which slab by reason of its inherent low temperature, maintains the displayed meat or other foodstuffs in cooled condition.

A gutter 22 is formed along the lower front edge of the cooled slab just described which receives any water or liquid that may pass downwardly over the tile surface, and leadin downwardly from this gutter through the body I!) is a waste pipe 23.

The side walls it of the showcase extend a substantial distance above the front and rear walls, and connecting the upper ends of said side Walls is a top plate or panel 24 either of wood or metal, or if desired, said top plate or panel may be in the form of a glazed frame thus increasing the visibility of the interior of the case.

A longitudinally disposed rail [2a is disposed immediately above the front wall l2 in front of the cold slab 20, and extending therefrom to the front edge of the top plate or panel 24 are three panels or sections 25 of glass that are spaced slight distances apart thereby forming two air chambers that function as insulators between the interior of the showcase and the exterior thereof. This glazed front of the case gives full view to the entire chamber within the case above the cold slab.

Disposed above the rail I6 is a longitudinally disposed rail 26, and extending therefrom to a rail 21 that is disposed parallel with and above rail 26 are mullions 28. The spaces between the mullions 28 are normally closed by doors 29, preferably doors that are mounted for outward swinging movement. Rail 21, which may be of wood or metal, extends a short distance rearwardly from the vertical plane occupied by the doors 29, and where this rail is formed of wood, it is encased or partially encased with sheet metal 30. The rearward extension of rail 2'! provides an offset for the chamber within the upper portion of the showcase and thus enables longer racks or trays to be positioned in the upper portion of the showcase than if the upper portion of the rear wall of the case were in vertical alignment with the doors 29.

The space between the rear portion of rail 21 and the rear edge of top plate or panel 24 is normally closed by panels 3! preferably of the sliding type, thus giving ready access into the upper portion of the chamber within the showcase.

Secured to the inner faces of the mullions 28 are the vertically disposed legs of angle brackets 32, the upper legs of which are inclined so that they project downwardly and forwardly from the upper portions of the mullions.

Secured to the forward ends of the inclined upper members of brackets 32 is a longitudinally disposed angle bar 33 that provides a support for the forward ends of racks or trays such as 35 that are positioned in the upper portion of the showcase and the rear portions of these racks or trays rest on the upper portion of rail 21. The racks or trays 35 may be of any conventional construction and of the type used in retail meat markets, delicatessens and the like for supporting meats and other foodstuffs.

The vertical flange of the rail 33 receives a strip 36 of sheet metal, and the latter serves as a support for a strip 31 of flexible, moisture-proof material that is cut, shaped and cooled to represent parsley or other foliage that is used as an attractive decoration for the trays of meat foodstuffs and the like.

Supported by the inclined upper rails of the brackets 32 is a series of longitudinally disposed refrigerant circulation pipes 38 that form a part of a mechanical refrigeration system, and if desired, aplurality of these pipes may be located beneath the rear portion of the top panel or plate 24.

A longitudinally disposed strip of sheet metal 39 may be arranged in the gutter 22 at the lower edge of the upper surface of the cooled slab, which strip serves as a support for a strip 40 of artificial decorative material similar to the strip 31.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a showcase having 'two ,shelves or structures for supporting meat and other foodstuffs on display, and the front of the showcase being of such size and construction as to afford full vision to all portions of both shelves or supporting structures.

The lower one of the shelves or supporting structures is in the form of a cold slab which is particularly advantageous in maintaining in cooled condition, meat or other perishable foodstuffs. The rearwardly offset rail 25 provides for a material increase in the display capacity, of the upper portion of the showcase, by reason of the fact that such construction permits the use of food supporting trays or racks of increased length.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a full- Vision tWoshe1f showcase that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved showcase may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A refrigerated showcase having end walls, a rear wall, a top and a transparent front wall, the upper portion of the rear wall of the showcase being extended rearwardly a substantial distance to form an offset or shoulder, there being an opening formed between the rear portion of said offset or shoulder and the rear portion of the top of the showcase, sliding panels for normally closing said opening, brackets secured to the inner face of the rear wall and extending forwardly therefrom just below the offset or rearward extension of said rear wall, the upper portions of which brackets decline toward their forward ends, means for supporting cooling fluid pipes on the inclined upper portions of said brackets, a horizontally disposed rail supported by the forward ends of said brackets and trays removably positioned above the circulation pipes supported by said brackets with the forward ends of said trays supported by said rail and with the rear portions of said trays resting on the rearward offset portion of said rear wall.

HARRY E. YOUNG.

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