Combination heating and serving assembly

Claim 2

In combination with a portable heating and serving assembly comprising a liquid container and a surrounding support member, the container being vertically shiftable between two positions each surrounded at least partially by said support member, said assembly including guide means for selectively moving said container within the support member between a first position wherein the bottom surface of the container may closely overlie a source of heat and a second position wherein said bottom surface is sufficiently elevated above the first position to allow its liquid contents to be drawn off from its bottom level as into a receiving vessel placed at the lower level, the improvement comprising a carrying handle secured to said container and adapted for use in manually carrying said assembly when the latter is disposed in either of said positions and alternately to raise the container from the first to the second of said positions within the support member, said handle having a contact arm disposed when the container is at said first position to engage the surrounding support member and elevate the same whereby its bottom edge may be raised and thus held above the bottom level of the container when the latter is overlying a soUrce of heat.

Claim 3

A heating and serving assembly according to claim 1 wherein said handle carries manually-operable latch means for selectively retaining same at respective carrying position and at support member elevating position.

Claim 4

An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said support member and said container are coaxial cylinders.

Claim 5

A combination heating and serving assembly comprising a container having a bottom surface selectively disposable at a heating position above a source of heat and having a laterally extending drainage outlet disposed adjacent said bottom surface, an upstanding support member peripherally surrounding said container and formed with a plurality of peripherically separated, generally vertically directed guide channels, a corresponding plurality of container support pins connecting the container and support member movably retained along said guide channels between the heating position and the elevated position, one of said support pins comprising said drainage outlet, whereby when the container is lodged at said elevated position, liquid may be intermittently drawn from said outlet into a cup or the like located at a lower level such as that of the heating position, and a handle having its respective ends pivotally secured adjacent the top of said container, each of said ends having a dependently projecting lever arm located between the container and support member and disposed to lift the latter above the bottom level of said container when the latter is disposed at heating position, upon said handle being swung from upstanding to downswung position.

Claim 6

A combination heating and serving assembly comprising a container having a bottom surface selectively disposable at a heating position above a source of heat and having a laterally extending drainage outlet disposed adjacent said bottom surface, an upstanding support member peripherally surrounding said container and formed with a plurality of peripherically separated, generally vertically directed guide channels, a corresponding plurality of container support pins connecting the container and support member movably retained along said guide channels between the heating position and the elevated position, one of said support pins comprising said drainage outlet, whereby when the container is lodged at said elevated position, liquid may be intermittently drawn from said outlet into a cup or the like located at a lower level such as that of the heating position, and a handle having its respective ends pivotally secured adjacent the top of said container, each of said ends having a dependently projecting lever arm located between the container and support member and disposed to lift the latter above the bottom level of said container when the latter is disposed at heating position, upon said handle being swung from upstanding to downswung position.

Claim 7

An assembly according to claim 4 wherein the ends of said guide channels are laterally offset to provide anchorage sockets for said support pins, at each of which positions the entire assembly may be picked up or rotated without relative vertical displacement of the container and support member.