Patent Abstract:
A rack for carrying or displaying glassware or similar containers holding liquids such as beverages is disclosed. The rack has a planar portion, which may be defined by concentrically arranged wire rings, that supports several yokes around its outer edge. The yokes grasp the containers between outwardly extending arm segments. A straight post handle is joined to the center of the underside of the planar portion of the rack.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to beverage service racks which protect liquid beverages from being spilled when a waitress is accidentally bumped as she is carrying a tray of beverages to a customer&#39;s table. More particularly, it relates to beverage service racks which facilitate carrying glasses of beverages securely, are light weight themselves, and can also be used to display beverages and food items from a tree type of support or mounting. The racks of the present invention are easily disassembled and stored by separating a handle portion attached to the underside of the rack from the tray portion. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A variety of food and beverage racks are illustrated in the prior art. 
         [0003]    One is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,643,735. That patent describes a cardboard disk which incorporates several holes to rest ice cream cones in. There is a reinforcing rim around the disk&#39;s perimeter. A cone purchaser carries them away in the disk and discards it after it has served its purpose. 
         [0004]    Another form of rack is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,334,908. A section around the rim of an Ice bucket contains notches for hanging beverage vessels. The ice bucket itself is held in the upright forks on a floor stand. 
         [0005]    An ornamental design for the top of a table is shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 279,444. The design combines an upper disk with several circular openings with a lower disk which has matching circular openings. The upper and lower disks are separated by a centrally located spacer, and this assembly is attached to a supporting rod or group of rods joined to the lower disk. 
         [0006]    A circular solid tray is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,877 which incorporates several holes holding beverage cups. Legs on the underside of the tray are longer than the extent of the cups and support the tray. A handle for lifting the assembly extends upwardly from the tray. 
         [0007]    Another circular plate with holes in it for beverage cups is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,142,425. A pistol grip handle is attached to the underside of the plate and is located just below one edge of the plate and supports it along one edge. Tabs at the forward ends of arms extending toward the central underside of the plate are locked into slots in the plate. 
         [0008]    Still another circular plate for holding beverage cups and bottles is shown in United States Application No. 2002/0027366. Cups formed in the plate accept the beverage holders and bottles. The plate has somewhat D-shaped handles extending out from underneath opposite sides of the plate. 
         [0009]    All of these sewers are formed with relatively solid inner plate sheet material which makes them cumbersome to carry and difficult to store. The present invention is directed to alleviating those problems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The present invention is an open tray for carrying glasses securely and displaying them readily. Concentrically arranged ring members, which may be wire, support several yokes on an outer ring for holding and displaying glasses, and a centrally located ring may be utilized to engage, hold and display a dish of a food item accompanying the glasses. The yokes extend outwardly from the outer ring and grasp the beverage glasses in arm segments. A space between the ends of the arm segments admits stem portions of beverage glasses formed in that manner and the cup portions of the glasses are nested securely in the arms. A straight post handle is joined to the center of the underside of the tray so that a waitress can grasp it immediately beneath the tray and support the tray with a closed hand and forearm while it is being carried. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the beverage service rack embodying the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view in perspective of a portion of the beverage service rack in  FIG. 1  taken in the direction of arrows  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1  and also showing a beverage glass being held in phantom; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged view in perspective of a portion of the beverage service rack in  FIG. 1  taken in the direction of arrows  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1  and also showing a bowl for a food item in phantom; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged view in perspective of a portion of the beverage service rack in  FIG. 1  taken in the direction of arrows  4 - 4  in  FIG. 1  and also showing a hand in phantom grasping the handle portion of the rack; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a distal end of the handle portion of the beverage service rack of  FIG. 1  and also showing a stand in phantom arranged to receive the distal end of the handle; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of the tray portion of the beverage service rack in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the tray portion of the beverage service rack of  FIG. 1 , taken along the line A-A in  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7A  is a view of like portions, partly broken away, of the tray portion shown in  FIG. 7  and a second identical tray arranged to be nested together; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view, in perspective, of the beverage service rack of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is an enlarged exploded view in perspective, with portions partially broken away, of the beverage service rack shown in  FIG. 8  illustrating a manner of assembling the tray portion of the beverage service rack to the handle portion. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    Referring more particularly to the drawings, the beverage service rack  10  of this invention is shown in perspective completely assembled in  FIG. 1 . The rack is comprised of two portions, a tray portion  10 A and a handle portion  44 . Three wire rings  12 ,  14  and  16  form a substantially planar deck, or tray portion, of the rack. The outer ring  12  and the middle ring  14  are in approximately the same first plane, and the inner ring  16  lies in a second plane which is closely parallel to and below the first plane. 
         [0022]    Wire supporting arms  18 ,  20  and  22  extend outwardly from a washer shaped disk  24  located below the inner ring  16 . The disk  24 , located substantially concentrically with respect to the rings  16 ,  14  and  12 , forms a hub for the wire arms  18 ,  20  and  22  which are attached to it and extend radially away from it. The arms  18 ,  20  and  22  are connected to all three rings. They support rings  12  and  14  at the same level and support the inner ring  16  at a level which is slightly below  12  and  14 . Each of the arms includes a depending section formed between angular bends, as at  26  and  28  for arm  20 , in order to support the rings at their respective levels. The ring  16  is also supported slightly above disk  24 , thus providing a space to accommodate a base portion  40  of a bowl  42  (see  FIG. 3 ) and hold the bowl on the tray portion as the beverage service rack is being carried or displayed. 
         [0023]    A plurality of wire yokes  30  are mounted on the outer ring  12  and extend outwardly from the concentrically arranged rings  12 ,  14  and  16 . The yokes have arm segments  32  which are configured to receive and support cylindrical beverage holders such as the glass  34  (see  FIG. 2 ). The arm segments may be formed with more angularly shaped bends, but the curves or bends are generally crescent shaped as illustrated herein. The distal ends  36  of the arm segments  32  are spaced apart from each other in each yoke  30  in order to form a gate for and permit a stem portion such as stem  38  to pass between them whenever that form of a cylindrical beverage holder is used. 
         [0024]    A handle portion  44  of the beverage service rack  10  is affixed to the underside of disk  24 . Preferably, the handle portion  44  is a straight post or column as shown in  FIG. 4 . That form permits a person about to carry the rack to move his hand, as shown by hand  46 , close to the underside of the tray portion  10 A and permits him or her to use a closed portion of the grasping hand and also a forearm section to support the beverage service rack as it is being lifted or carried. 
         [0025]    Another advantage of a columnar form of handle  44  is that it may be used to mount the beverage service rack and display it in a table arrangement (see  FIG. 5 ). A cage type holder  48  or similar supporting member, provided with an upwardly facing orifice  50 , may be placed on a table, such as table  52 , where a distal end  44 A of handle portion  44  can be lowered into it. 
         [0026]    The tray portions  10 A and the handle portions  44  of the beverage service rack  10  are readily assembled, or disassembled for storage, as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . The upper end  44 B of handle portion  44  may be provided with an internally threaded member  54  (see  FIG. 9 ) which is fixed in the handle portion  44 . The disk  24  has a centrally located aperture  56  through which a threaded bolt  58  may be inserted from the upper side of the tray portion  10 A. When bolt  58  is turned down, it forms a connection between the tray portion  10 A and the handle portion  44  and brings disk  54  into a firm seating engagement on the upper end  44 B of the handle. When assembled in this manner the beverage service rack may be placed in use, and when disassembled by removing bolt  58 , the disassembled tray portions and handle portions are easily stored. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  7 A illustrate how the tray portions  10 A conform to each other, when they are disassembled from their handle portions, and may be conveniently nested together. Each tray portion has a slightly recessed conically shaped center section due to the angular bends  26  and  28  in the arms, such as in arm  20 . The center sections fit together when the underside of one tray portion is lowered in the direction of arrow  60  (see  FIG. 7A ) onto the upwardly facing side of an underlying tray portion. When they are nested together in this manner, the tray portions may be stored in a convenient, stable stack. 
         [0028]    Although particular forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, nevertheless, various modifications can be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, no limitation is intended by the foregoing description, and its full breadth is intended to be covered in the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0