US508449A - Show-tray for dried fruit - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

W. R. M. TORTAT. SHOW TRAY FDR DRIED FRUIT.

No. 508,449. Patented Nov. 14, 1893.

- UNITED STATES:

PATENT OFFICE.

- WILLIAM R. M. TORTAT, OF ATOHIS'ON, KANSAS.-

SHOW-TRAY EO-R DRIED FRUIT.

SPECIFIGATIOlN forming part of Letters Patent No. 508,449, dated November 14, 1893. Application filed January 9, 1893. Serial No. 457,774. (No model.)

To all whom; it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. M. TORTAT, of Atchison, in the county of Atchison and State of Kansas, have invented newand useful Improvements in Show-Trays for Dried Fruit; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to means for preserve ing the appearance of dried fruits so that the rest.

latter may be readily salable although kept on exhibition.

Ordinarily dried fruits are kept in the retail stores in their original packages and covered to prevent undue drying, and such quantities as are exhibited quickly become unsalable owing to their becoming excessively dry, hard and dirty.

The object of my invention is therefore, to provide means whereby quantities of different fruits that have been subjected to the process resulting in what is commonly known as dried fruit, may be kept on exhibition without deteriorating, and, in fact, will have their appearance improved and their value enhanced.

To these ends my in ventio'n consists in the exhibition tray comprising the construction substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lisa plan View of my improved exhibition tray. Fig. 2- is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3-is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig.1.

Like letters of reference indicatelike parts in all of the figures.

At A is indicated a pan having the upper edges of its sides bent outwardly to form flanges, as at a, and at B is indicated a reticulated cover for the pan secured thereto,which cover may be of galvanized wire netting or punctured galvanized sheet iron and becomes the platform on which the dried fruits will The cover may besecured to the pan in any suitable way, as by solder,but I-prefer the construction shown, in which the flanges a are bent around and over the edges of the cover and pressed firmly down thereupon to clamp the same. With this construction, solder may also be used to more firmly secure the edges of the cover within the flanges.

At G are indicated partitions of which any number desired, may be employed. Each partition consists preferably of a narrow strip of sheet metal having at each end a foot piece or yoke c fitting over and adapted to slide upon the flange a. The said foot pieces or yokes may be integral with the metal of the partition or they may be pieces of bent sheet metal soldered thereto.

At one end of the cover or platform B,is a hinged section b for convenience in cleaning the pan when necessary, and this section may extend entirely across one end of the cover or it may comprise only one corner thereof as shown.

At b is indicated a stay piece (of which there may be several) for supporting the platform at intermediate points, and having openings b to permit water to pass through.

The tray is to be used as follows:-Wet sand having been placed in the panin the space below the reticulated cover or platform 13, dried currants, raisins or other dried fruits may be piled upon the platform between the partitions which latter may be applied in any number by passing their yokes over the ends of the flanges and sliding them along thereon as far as desired. The tray may then, if desired, be placed in a show case. If necessary, water, hot or cold, may be supplied to the pan and the sand therein,through the opening formed by lifting the hinged section b. The moisture arising from the wet sand serves to keep the fruit in its original condition, and in fact improves its appearance by partially filling the cells of the fruit that have been closed by the drying process, and,by softening it, place it in asalable shape before customers.

The removable and adjust-able partitions render it possible to exhibit varying kinds and quantities of goods.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and explained a means for carrying it into effect, although without attempting to set forth all of the iormsjin which it maybe embodied trailer the modes of 'its employment,I declare that what I claimis- 1. A moistening tray for dried fruit, com- 5 prising in its construction a pan, a reticulated platform, and a plurality of partitions extendingacross the platform and adj ustahletoward and from each other, for the purpose set forth.

2. A moistening tray for dried fruit, 00m- [0 prising in its construction a pan adapted to retain wet sand and having outwardly turned flanges, a reticulated cover or platform securedto'said flanges, and a partition having afoot piece or yoke at each end, fitting over the said flanges and adapted to slide thereon, r 5 substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM R. M. TORTAT. Witnesses:

J. W. TRUESDELL, P. J. CLARK.

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