Lid support for food warming vessels

A lid support is described for a food warming vessel which includes lid support arm comprising a channel with a pair of parallel vertical flanges connected by a center panel and a lid connector supported at the free end of the arm and extending downwardly between the flanges. The connector comprises a retaining member formed from sheet material with at least one recess for the handle of a cover with structure for securing the handle in the recess of the connector.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to food cooking and warming vessels and more 
particularly to covered vessels and to a provision for connecting the 
cover to a support arm. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,711 describes a removable cover hinge for food 
containers in which the lid of the container is connected to the free end 
of a support arm composed of spaced apart metal rods by means of a loop at 
the end of the rods constructed to frictionally engage the handle of the 
cover. The frictional engagement is maintained by the bifurcated 
construction of the arm with a hook element at the end of the arm. The 
hook, however, did not always provide secure support for the cover. 
Moreover, the support arm was removably connected to the vessel which 
added to its complexity and manufacturing costs. One object is therefore 
to provide a more secure connection for the cover at the end of the 
support arm. Another object is to provide a new arm design which allows 
the cover to be securely supported and also facilitates cleaning even when 
the arm is permanently secured to a vessel or other support structure. 
These and other more detailed and specific objects of the invention will be 
apparent in view of the following specification and claims wherein the 
figures and detailed description set forth preferred embodiments of the 
invention by way of example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
In FIG. 1 is shown a food warming or cooking vessel 14, in this case a 
cylindrical cooking vessel of the type used in a steam table which is 
particularly useful in warming and cooking foods in restaurants and 
cafeterias. The invention is, however, also used for cooking appliances 
used in the home. The vessel 14 is provided with a circular shoulder 15 at 
its upper end which defines the lower edge of an enlarged upper portion 16 
having an outwardly turned rim 18 at its upper edge. Affixed as by 
welding, screws or other fasteners to the upper edge of the vessel 14 and 
connected at its upper edge to the rim 18 is a bracket 20, the upper end 
of which extends over the rim 18. The bracket 20 includes outwardly 
projecting flanges 22 which support a hinge or pivot 24 for a cover 
support handle 26. The cover support handle 26 comprises a channel 
including parallel longitudinally extending spaced apart flanges 28 and 30 
connected together by means of a top panel or web 32 to which is connected 
a knob 34 for raising and lowering the free end of the handle 26 at the 
right in FIG. 4 up or down about the pivot 24. The center panel 32 of the 
handle 26 can also be used as a support for a clip or bracket 36 used to 
hold a sign to designate the food contained in the vessel 14. 
Connected to the free end of the arm 28 and specifically to the lower 
surface of the web 32 is a connector 38 for a cover 39. Connector 38 is 
formed from sheet metal in this case and includes an upper horizontally 
disposed portion 40, a vertically disposed center section 44 and a 
horizontally disposed end section 46 that defines a retaining member which 
includes a transversely extending slot or recess 48 for horizontally 
disposed bar-shaped handle 54 that is welded at each end to the cover 39. 
The slot 48 has parallel spaced apart side walls that engage corresponding 
side edges of the handle 54. Thus, during use the handle 54 is securely 
engaged in the slot 48 as shown in FIG. 4. On the side of the slot 48 
nearest the observer as seen in FIG. 3, the horizontal portion of the 
connector 46 is bent upwardly at 50 and at its highest point is a 
separation line, i.e. a crack 52 which is normally somewhat above the 
elevation of the rest of the plate portion 46. On each side of the plate 
46 are downwardly deflected wings 47 and 49 with arcuate outer edges 
engaged in a well 55 of the cover 39. During use the raised portion 50 can 
be deflected downwardly by finger pressure as the plate portion 46 is slid 
beneath the handle 54. As the raised portion 50 slides beneath the handle 
54 it will be deflected downwardly by a small amount. When the handle 54 
enters the recess 48 it will snap upwardly, thereby securely locking the 
cover onto the free end of the cover support arm 26. The connector 38 can 
be secured to the handle 26 in any suitable manner as by means of a nut 42 
screwed onto a part of the knob 34 which extends through the handle and 
horizontal connector portion 40. 
The cover 39 is preferably provided with an opening for a spoon as shown at 
the left in FIGS. 1 and 4. This opening is surrounded by means of a 
vertically disposed U-shaped shield for deflecting material away from the 
opening surrounded by the flange 41 in the cover 39. In this way, if some 
fluid accumulates on the cover 39 it will not flow into the vessel and 
contaminate the food. 
Refer now to FIGS. 5-7. As shown in the figures, a lifting knob at the free 
end of the cover support arm 26 is in this case designated 34'. Extending 
downwardly from the center panel 32 and located between the flanges 28 and 
30 is another form of connector 60. The connector 60 in this case includes 
a U-shaped sheet metal connector member comprising vertically disposed 
longitudinally spaced apart plates 62 and 64 connected by means of an 
integral horizontally disposed center portion 65. To receive the handle 
54, there are provided a pair of recesses 62a and 64a in the panels 62, 
64. These recesses extend upwardly from the lower edge of the panels as 
clearly shown in FIG. 7 and include laterally spaced apart parallel 
vertically disposed side walls that engage the side edges of the handle 
54. The knob 34' is journalled for rotation in the center panel 32 of the 
arm 26 and includes a downwardly extending threaded stem 35 which is 
screw-threaded into an opening in an arm 66 of a generally C-shaped holder 
formed from sheet metal and including upper and lower horizontally 
disposed arms 66 and 70 in an integral vertically disposed connecting web 
68. 
To mount the cover 39 on the arm 26, the knob 34' is turned to lower the 
holder 66-70 to the position of FIG. 7. The handle 54 is then inserted 
into the recesses 62a, 64a and the knob is turned in the opposite 
direction to raise the holder panel 70 until it is raised to the position 
shown in FIG. 6, thereby securely retaining the handle 54 and cover 39 on 
the free end of the arm 26. To remove the cover, the knob 34' is turned in 
the opposite direction and the reverse operations are performed. 
Many variations of the present invention within the scope of the appended 
claims will be apparent to those skilled in the art once the principles 
described above are understood.