Toasters for sliced bread and the like

Claim 1

A BREAD TOASTER COMPRISING A CASING, MEANS IN THE CASING DEFINING A PLURALITY OF UPRIGHT TOASTING COMPARTMENTS, HEATING ELEMENTS FOR TOASTING BOTH SIDES OF THE SLICES OF BREAD IN SAID COMPARTMENTS, ELONGATED OPENINGS THROUGH THE TOP OF THE CASING FOR INSERTING SLICED BREAD INTO THE COMPARTMENTS, BOTTOM MEMBERS FOR CLOSING THE BOTTOMS OF THE COMPARTMENTS AND FOR SUPPORTING SLICES OF BREAD ON EDGE DURING TOASTING, MEANS MOUNTING SAID BOTTOM MEMBERS FOR VERTICAL SWINGING MOVEMENT ABOUT SPACED PARALLEL HORIZONTAL AXES, MEANS FOR SWINGING SAID BOTTOM MEMBERS DOWNWARDLY WHEN THE BREAD IS TOASTED TO PERMIT THE SLICES OF TOAST TO FALL BY GRAVITY FROM SAID COMPARTMENTS, RACK MEANS FOR CATCHING SAID FALLING SLICES OF TOAST, SAID RACK MEANS COMPRISING MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF UPWARDLY OPEN ELONGATED SLOTS ONE DISPOSED BENEATH EACH TOASTING COMPARTMENT AND PARALLEL TO SAID ELONGATED OPENINGS AND ADAPTED TO RETAIN SLICES OF TOAST ON EDGE, AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID RACK MEANS IN SAID CASING FOR HORIZONTAL RECIPROCATORY MOVEMENT FROM A REARMOST POSITION IN WHICH ONE SAID SLOT IS DISPOSED BENEATH EACH TOASTING COMPARTMENT TO A FORWARD POSITION IN WHICH TOAST IN SAID SLOTS IS ACCESSIBLE FOR MANUAL REMOVAL.