Device for storing dish-type containers

Device for storing dish-type containers such as plates, dishes or serving trays containing a product, with a vertical column which has a base support at the bottom side, the column being triangular or rectangular in cross-section and provided at each side with supporting elements placed at equal intervals above one another. Each supporting element comprises two pin-shaped projections lying in line with each other in the horizontal direction, and a third pin-shaped projection which is longer than the other two projections and lies cenrally between the other two projections at a certain distance from the line connecting the other two projections to each other. The distance from the bottom projection to the connecting line between the two upper projections is adjustable. The base support for the column comprises a flat bottom plate provided with wheels, which plate is provided with one or more fixing elements for detachable accommodation of the column.

The invention relates to a device for dish-type containers such as plates, 
dishes or serving trays containing a product. The invention relates in 
particular to a device for storing plates with a finished product or a 
semi-finished product in a refrigerator or freezer. It is vitally 
important here that as many plates as possible are stored per unit area. 
Hitherto, mobile racks in which the plates or serving trays were placed 
were used for this purpose. These racks with serving trays occupy a large 
amount of space even when they are not in use. 
The object of the invention is then to provide a device which meets the 
above-mentioned requirements and when not in use can be stored without 
taking up a large amount of space. 
These objects are achieved according to the invention in that the device is 
formed by a vertical column which has a base support at the bottom side, 
the column being provided with supporting elements placed at equal 
intervals above one another for the accommodation of the containers. 
With such a device it is possible to prepare a large number of plates in 
advance and, for example, to provide them with the same type of first 
course or dessert, which can then be served in a short time. A number of 
dishes can also be partially prepared in advance and then stored in, for 
example, the refrigerator or the freezer. 
The column of the device is preferably triangular or rectangular in 
cross-section, and is provided on each side with supporting elements 
placed at equal intervals above one another, and each supporting element 
comprises two pinshaped projections lying in line with each other in the 
horizontal direction, and a third pin-shaped projection which is longer 
than the other two projections and lies centrally between the other two 
projections at a certain distance from the line connecting the other two 
projections to each other. 
In this way plates or dishes can engage with an edge between the 
projections, the bottom projection always supporting the bottom side of 
the plate or the dish, and the two top projections holding the plate in 
balance. 
In an expedient embodiment of the invention the distance from the bottom 
projection to the connecting line between the two top projections is 
adjustable. This design makes it possible to adapt the device to the depth 
of the plates or dishes in question and to the different dimensions and 
shapes thereof. 
The invention will be explained in greater detail with reference to the 
drawing which by way of example shows an embodiment of the invention, in 
which:

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the device comprises a column 1 which has a 
base plate 2 at the bottom side. The base plate has a square surface, and 
in each of the corners is provided with a wheel 3 by means of which the 
device is mobile. Two of the wheels are preferably castors, as a result of 
which the device can be moved easily. 
In the embodiment shown, the column 1 has an essentially square 
cross-section, provision being made for supporting elements 4 at equal 
intervals above one another at each of the sides of the column, which 
supporting elements will be described in detail below, and serve to 
accommodate plates or dishes. 
FIG. 2 shows schematically how a plate is suspended horizontally in a 
supporting element 4. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, each supporting 
element comprises two pinshaped projections 5 lying in line with each 
other in the horizontal direction, and a third pin-shaped projection 6 
lying centrally between the two projections 5 at a distance below the line 
connecting the projections to each other. A plate 7, which can contain a 
finished product or semi-finished product, is inserted with its edge below 
the two projections 5 and rests with its lower side on the projection 6. 
For this purpose, the projection 6 is considerably longer than the 
projections 5. In order to ensure a stable suspension of the plate, the 
upper projections 5 are provided at their free ends with rubber caps 8 
which are the shape of a truncated cone and are fitted in such a way that 
the large base surface faces outwards. The slightly upward-running edge of 
the plate or the dish thus lies well against the conical surface of the 
cap 8. The lower projection 6 is also provided at its free end with a 
rubber cap 9, but this cap is a cylindrical shape. In order to make the 
device suitable for plates and dishes of different dimensions and shapes, 
the lower projection 6 can be moved in the vertical direction relative to 
the upper projections 5, as shown by the double arrow A in FIG. 2. 
FIG. 3 shows a vertical section of the column 1 containing the supporting 
elements 4. The column 1 is essentially formed by a tube 10 with square 
cross-section. Through this tube project horizontal pins 11, which are 
fitted in such a way that two pins always lie parallel to each other in 
the same horizontal plane, and extend at right angles to two side surfaces 
of the tube 10 lying opposite each other. The pins 11, 11' lying in the 
same horizontal plane lie as far away from each other as possible, in 
other words near the corner points of the tube. Viewed in the lengthwise 
direction of the tube, two pins 8 thus always lie spaced apart through two 
opposite side faces of the tube 10, while two pins 11' always run in the 
same way staggered over half the distance through the other side faces of 
the tube 10, in the present case thus intersecting the pins 11 at right 
angles. The pins 11 and 11' are fixed in the tube 10 in a suitable manner 
(not shown), for example by gluing. Both ends of each pin are provided 
with the rubber cap 8. 
Each of the side surfaces of the tube 10 is provided with a guide section 
12 extending over virtually the entire length of the tube 10. This guide 
section is U-shaped in cross-section with outward-flanged end flanges 13, 
by means of which the sections are fixed to the tube. A bar 14 is fitted 
inside the space enclosed by the guide section, which bar 14 is guided by 
the guide section so that it slides in the lengthwise direction. The bar 
14 bears at equal intervals a number of pins 15 projecting through a 
longitudinal aperture 16 provided in the guide section. In the embodiment 
shown in FIG. 3 the pins 16 are fixed to the bar 14 by means of a bolt 17. 
The distance between the pins 15 corresponds to the vertical distance 
between every two pins 11 and 11'. Each pin 15 with the two pins 11, 11' 
lying directly above it forms a supporting element 4, for which purpose 
each pin 15 is provided with a rubber cap 9 at the free end. The distance 
between the pin 15 and the pins 11, 11' lying above it can be altered by 
means of the slidable bar 14, in order to adapt the supporting element to 
the plates or dishes which are to be stored. 
FIG. 5 shows schematically the way in which the adjustment of the 
supporting elements can be carried out. For this, a cover plate 18 which 
projects beyond the tube at the sides and at least overlaps the guide 
section 12 is fitted on the top side of the tube 10. In line with the bar 
14, the cover plate 18 is provided with an aperture 19, through which an 
externally threaded rod 20 is inserted. The rod 20 is provided with a 
turning knob 21 at the end lying above the cover plate, and at the other 
end is connected by a threaded connection to the bar 14. Turning the knob 
21 by hand will thus result in vertical displacement of the bar 14 in the 
guide section 12. 
Finally, FIGS. 4a and 4b show the fixing element 22, by means of which the 
column 1 can be fixed to the base plate. The fixing element 22 comprises a 
rod 23 to which plates 24 are welded diametrically, which plates lie at 
right angles to each other. The rod projects beyond the plates 24 at one 
end, and this projecting part is threaded. In order to fix the fixing 
element to the base plate 2, the threaded end of the rod 23 is inserted 
into an aperture provided in the base plate and fixed by means of a nut 
25. The column 1 is placed over the fixing element, the fixing element 
engaging in a tight fit in the internal cavity of the tube 10. The fixing 
element, and thus the column 1, can be fixed at any desired place on the 
base plate through providing a number of holes in the base plate. 
This device can also be used very well with, for example, serving trays, 
for which purpose the column can then be fixed to the side of the base 
plate 2. For this, the base plate is provided with a second fixing element 
on which the column can be fixed. This means that a number of serving 
trays can then be placed at one side of the column, provided with, for 
example, cups and saucers which are to be served with, for example, 
coffee. 
Other possibilities with the device according to the invention are to 
anchor the column firmly to the base plate by means of an L-shaped bar 
which is fixed to the side of the base plate, and one leg of which runs 
parallel to the column 1, while the other leg is fixed to the top side of 
the column. This L-shaped bar can then be used for fitting a casing in 
such a way that it pivots about the column, so that a closed trolley is 
produced. Refrigeration, for example at the top side, and/or a heating 
unit, for example at the bottom side, can then be provided. Such a trolley 
can then be used independently of a refrigerator or an oven. 
Other accessories can also be supplied in a simple manner, for example a 
support which can be placed on a number of the supporting elements, and on 
which, for example, standardized cutlery trays can be placed.