US2826469A - Serving trays for group application to the tops of square living room tables - Google Patents

Description

D. W. GRANT SERVING TRAYS FOR GROUP APPLICATION TO THE TOPS OF SQUARE LIVING ROOM TABLES Filed NOV. 7, 1956 March 11, 1958 INVENTOR. Dawson Wdranf,

S ATTORNEY United States Patent O SERVING TRAYS FOR GROUP APPLICATION TO THE TOPS OF SQUARE LIVING ROOM TABLES Denison W. Grant, Palm Springs, Calif.

Application November 7, 1956, Serial No. 620,97

2 Claims. (Cl. 311-106) This invention relates to improvements in serving trays for group application in quadrate relation to the top of a square living room table such as a coffee or card table, the invention being specifically an improvement upon the aggroupment of serving trays shown in Figure 4 of may Patent No. 2,690,941 of October 5, 1954.

The objects of the invention are (1) to provide serving trays for use in a combination of four arranged in abutting relation to form a rectangle, presupposing four diners at the table, and which are similar in form and dimensions and in each instance are specially shaped in plan to accommodate a complete place setting for a single individual within a minimum of space, each tray having a wider portion at one end dimensioned to pro vide a space for a plate and cutlery and a narrower portion at the opposite end dimensioned to provide a space for a saucer; (2) to provide such serving trays wherein all liability of the displacement of any items of the setting beyond the tray is positively prevented; (3) to provide such serving trays which are held against accidental displacement relatively to the table; (4) to provide such serving trays which may be placed cornerwise upon any rectangular kitchen table while the place setting and the viands are being positioned and readily carried to the living room table to be placed upon it in an exact cornerwise fitting; (5) to provide such serving trays which, as a combination of four arranged in abutting relation to form a rectangle, delimit an open central space for condiments, the serving trays being constructed to support a central condiment tray; (6) to provide such serving trays wherein the table setting and the viands will be so favorably located relatively to the center of mass that their weight will not cause the tipping of the trays as supported upon depending marginal extensions in mutual right angular relation; and (7) to provide such serving trays in a form in which they may readily be made from light weight material such as fiberglas or any desirable plastic.

According to the invention the trays are five-sided, in each instance having two outer longer and shorter sides in right angular relation and a series of three inner sides, the two endmost inner sides of the series being equal in length and extending respectively to ends of the longer and shorter outer side and the intermediate inner side being parallel to the longer outer side and forming suitable obtuse angles with the endmost sides;

-in the assembled relation of the trays upon the table top to form a rectangle the longer outer side of one tray and the shorter outer side of an adjacent tray are in alinement at the same side of the table, the endmost side of the inner series of one tray abuts the relatively opposite endrnost side of the inner series of the adjacent tray and the four intermediate sides of the inner series of the trays delimit a central open rectangular space for condiments; the five sides of each tray are formed with upright walls which prevent displacement from the tray of any items of the tableware setting; and the two outer sides of each tray are extended downward for a suitable 2,826,469 Patented Mar. 11,1958

extent below the bottom of the tray in order to abut cornerwise the meeting sides of the top of the table and to provide finger grips below and beyond the bottom of the tray.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 -is a plan view of the four associated trays as fitted to the top of a square living room table.

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing a side face of the table top and the longer and shorter sides of two adjoining trays.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the serving trays.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a square condiment tray which, if desired, may be arranged over the central open space delimited by the serving trays and supported upon the projections which provide the intermediate sides of the'inner sides.

The serving trays, designated generally as l, are arranged, as shown in Figure 1, in a group of four upon the top of a square living room table, the trays being distinguished from one another by the designations A, B, C and D.

Each tray has longer and shorter outer sides 2 and 3 in right angular relation and a series of three inner sides which consist of two endmost sides 4 and 5 and an intermediate side 6. The sides 4 and 5 are of the same length and each forms an obtuse angle with the side 6, the side 4 joining the side 3 at an obtuse angle and the side 5 joining the side 2 at an acute angle. The several tray sides are constituted by short vertical projections 7 which extend in upright relation from the tray bottom 8. The sides 2 and 3 are provided with short downward extensions 9 and 10 which, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, adjoin the vertical sides of the table top T and enable the cornerwise fitting of the trays upon such top.

The trays may, of course, be made of any suitable material but are preferably made of a moldable material such as the well known fiberglas or any other suitable plastic, the projections 7 in such cases being of inverted U shaped cross section as shown in Figure 3 and having inner and outer walls 11 and 12, the extensions 9 and 10 being formed as continuations of the outer walls 12 of the projections which provide the sides 2 and 3, and the walls 12 of the projections which provide the inner series of tray sides having their lower edges in overhanging relation to the face of the table top T.

In positioning the trays each tray is initially placed cornerwise in supporting engagement with the table top T and with its outer sides 2 and 3 suitably spaced from and adjacent corresponding sides of the table top and is then pushed inward until the extensions 9 and 10 adjoin the table top. With each tray positioned in this manner the side 5 of tray A will adjoin the side 4 of tray B and the sides 5 and 4 of adjacent trays will similarly adjoin throughout the group of trays. The sides 6 of the inner series delimit a central rectangular space in which condiments may be placed. If desired this space may be occupied by a rectangular tray R having marginal horizontal flanges which rest upon the projections 7 that,

provide the sides 6, the condiments being placed upon the bottom of the tray R rather than upon the top of the table.

The place setting of a tray is shown in Figure 1 in the case of the tray A and is the same for all of the trays, such setting consisting of the usual arrangement of plate, cutlery and saucer. It will be noted that each tray has its greatest dimension from front to rear between the outer side 2 and the intermediate inner side 6 and that the dimensions of the tray from front to rear progressively diminish toward the outer side 3, The

lengthwise dimension of the tray'bottom is ample to provide space for a plate, table cutlery and saucer. The dimension of the tray bottom between the longer outer side 2 and the intermediate inner side 6 is ample to provide space for a plate and the cutlery and the diminishing dimensions between the endmost side 4 of the inner series and the side 2 are ample to provide space for a saucer.

The dinner to be served is what has come to be known as a plate dinner. The place setting and viands may be placed upon the trays in the kitchen and the trays thereupon brought to the table or, if preferred, the trays may be positioned upon. the table and the setting made at the table. If the place setting and viands be placed upon the trays in the kitchen the tray will rest upon the kitchen table from which it'will be supported by the extensions 9 and 10 of the outer sides 2 and 3. The dimensions and angular relations of the several sides of each tray are such that as supported from a kitchen table by the extensions 9 and 10 of the outer sides 2 and 3 the table setting and the viands will be so favorably located relatively to the center of mass that their weight will not cause the tipping of the tray. As is obvious the projections 7 will prevent the displacement of any item of the setting of a particular tray from that tray to an adjacent tray. In carrying the trays from the kitchen to the table the sides 2 and 3 will be grasped, the fingers being placed under the extensions 9 and 10 and the thumbs upon the upper faces of the projections 7. The trays, in removal from the table at the completion of the meal, are grasped in like manner. be served by grasping the projections 7 which provide the sides 2 and 3 and pulling the trays slightly outward,

thereupon grasping them in the manner described and lifting them from the table.

The particular dimensions of the trays will, of course, vary with the dimensions of the table top, the sides of card table tops usually having a range from thirty inches as a minimum to thirty-three inches. In the case of the top of a card table of minimum dimensions, thirty inches square, the trays will provide ample room for the place settings and for the central rectangular space in which condiments may be placed.

I claim:

1. An aggroupment of four similar serving trays for application to a square table top in abutting quadrate relation wherein each tray is characterized by a bottom and five marginal sides of which two are outer sides and Convenience may- '4 and the three inner sides consisting of two endmost sides of equal length and an intermediate side which meets the endmost sides at obtuse angles, one of the endmost sides meeting the shorter outer side at an obtuse angle and the other endmost side meeting the longer outer side at an acute angle, the sides of each tray being characterized by projections in upright relation extending from the bottom of the tray, the projections which provide the longer and shorter outer sides being formed with downward extensions for abutting engagement with meeting sides of the table top when the tray, in application to the table top, is moved to its definite position in the aggroupment, the trays, as assembled on the table top, being in a relation wherein an endmost side of one tray adjoins a relatively opposite endmost side of an adjacent tray, the longer and shorter outer sides of two adjacent trays are in alining relation adjacent a corresponding side of the table top and the intermediate sides of the inner series delimit a centrally located rectangular open space, the dimensions of each tray taken respectively between the shorter outer side and the endmost inner side.

which meets the longer outer side being sufficient to provide space for a plate, table cutlery and a saucer, between the longer outer side and the intermediate inner side being sufiicient to provide space for a plate and table cutlery and diminishingly between the longer outer side and the endmost inner side which meets the shorter outer side being suflicient to provide space for a saucer.

2. An aggroupment of serving trays as set forthin claim 1 wherein the projections which provide the sides of the trays are of inverted U-shaped cross section and have inner and outer vertical walls, the inner walls extending upward from the bottoms of the trays, and the outer vertical walls of the projections which provide the longer and shorter outer sides of the tray are formed with downward extensions for abutting engagement with the meeting sides of the table top when the tray, in application to the table top, is moved to its definite position in the aggroupment, the outer walls of the projections which provide the inner sides of the tray having. their lower edges in overhanging relation to-the table top.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kelleghan June 5', 1951'

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