Electric oven toaster toast server mechanism

Claim 2

An electric oven toaster comprising: a. top, bottom, and side wall means forming a cooking and toasting chamber of substantial width, height and depth and said cooking chamber having an enlarged front opening; b. a generally horizontal rack for supporting bread in a generally horizontal position in said cooking chamber or for supporting other food in a generally horizontal position in said cooking chamber, said rack having a forward portion and a rearward portion, the forward portion of said rack being pivotally mounted adjacent to the side walls of said cooking and toasting chamber in said toasting and cooking chamber, and said rearward portion being supported against downward movement when in said horizontal position but being free to be lifted upwardly; c. first electric heating means mounted in said cooking and toasting chamber closely adjacent to the top wall means and spaced a substantial distance above said rack; d. second electric heating means mounted in said cooking and toasting chamber closely adjacent to the bottom wall means and spaced a relatively short distance below said rack; and e. a lift finger positioned within said cooking and toasting chamber closely adjacent to the rear wall of said chamber between the rear wall of the chamber and the rearward portion of said rack for lifting the rearward portion of said rack to thereby pivot the rack and slide the toast or other food out of the front opening.

Claim 3

An electric oven toaster as defined in claim 1 wherein a door is pivoted to said wall means at a lower portion of said front opening below said generally horizontal rack so that when the door is moved to its lower open generally horizontal position the lift finger may lift the rack and slide the toast out of the front opening and onto the generally horizontal surface of the open door.

Claim 4

An electric oven toaster as defined in claim 1 wherein a generally horizontal rod is pivotally mounted at an upper rear portion of the oven toaster, said lift finger is attached to said rod and a manuallly operable lever is positioned outside of the cooking chamber of said oven toaster for rotating said rod to move said finger to lift the rear portion of the rack and slide the toast out of the front opening.

Claim 5

An electric cooking appliance as defined in claim 3 whereIn said lift finger extends downwardly from said rod at one side of the cooking chamber of said oven toaster and another finger is attached to said rod and extends downwardly therefrom at the other side of said cooking chamber so that both of said fingers may contact the rear portion of said food rack for lifting the rack to slide the toast or other food out of the front opening of the oven toaster.

Claim 6

An electric cooking appliance as defined in claim 1 wherein a stop pin is fixed to the wall means of said cooking chamber for limiting upward movement of said food rack.

Claim 7

An electric cooking appliance as defined in claim 1 wherein stop means is located on said oven toaster for preventing movement of said actuating finger into engagement with the electric heating means of said cooking appliance.

Claim 8

An electric cooking appliance as defined in claim 1 wherein an actuating linkage is provided for lifting said finger by moving a lever which is located on the outside of the oven toaster and the mechanical advantage of said actuating linkage is very poor so that while the lever may be readily actuated to lift the horizontal rack and relatively light slices of toast, it would be difficult to lift a relatively heavy piece of food in a cooking pan.

Claim 9

An electric oven toaster comprising: a. top, bottom and side wall means forming a cooking and toasting chamber of substantial width, height and depth, and said cooking chamber having an enlarged front opening, said side wall means including a rear wall and two side walls; b. a generally horizontal rack for supporting bread in a generally horizontal position in said cooking chamber or for supporting other food in a generally horizontal position in said cooking chamber, said rack having a forward portion and a rearward portion, the forward portion of said rack being pivotally mounted adjacent to the side walls of said cooking and toasting chamber in said toasting and cooking chamber, the rearward portion of said rack being spaced from said rear wall and said rearward portion being supported against downward movement when in said horizontal position but being free to be lifted upwardly; c. first electric heating means mounted in said cooking and toasting chamber closely adjacent to the top wall means and spaced a substantial distance above said rack; d. second electric heating means mounted in said cooking and toasting chamber closely adjacent to the bottom wall means and spaced a relatively short distance below said rack; and e. a lift finger positioned within said cooking and toasting chamber closely adjacent to the rear wall of said chamber between the rear wall of the chamber and the rearward portion of the rack for moving into engagement with end portions of slices of toast which may extend rearwardly beyond the rearward portion of the rack and for pushing forwardly on such slices of toast and for lifting the rearward portion of said rack to thereby pivot the rack and slide the toast or other food out of the front opening.

Claim 10

An electric oven toaster comprising: a. top, bottom and side wall means forming a cooking and toasting chamber of substantial width, height and depth, and said cooking chamber having an enlarged front opening, said side wall means including a rear wall and two side walls; b. a generally horizontal rack for supporting bread in a generally horizontal position in said cooking chamber or for supporting other food in a generally horizontal position in said cooking chamber, said rack having a forward portion and a rearward portion, the forward portion of said rack being pivotally mounted adjacent to the side walls of said cooking and toasting chamber in said toasting and cooking chamber, the rearward portion of said rack being spaced from said rear wall and said rearward portion being supported against downward movement when in said horizontal position but being free to be lifted upwardly; c. first electric heating means mounted in said cooking and toasting chamber closely adjacent to the top wall means and spaced a substantial distance above said rack; d. second electric heating means mounted in said cooking and toasting chamber closely adjacent to the bottom wall means and spaced a relatively short distance below said rack; and e. a lift finger positioned within said cooking and toasting chamber closely adjacent to the rear wall of said chamber between the rear wall of the chamber and the rearward portion of the rack for moving into engagement with end portions of slices of toast which may extend rearwardly beyond the rearward portion of the rack and for pushing forwardly on such slices of toast and for lifting the rearward portion of said rack to thereby pivot the rack and slide the toast or other food out of the front opening.

Claim 11

An electric oven toaster as defined in claim 8 wherein a door is pivoted to said wall means at a lower portion of said front opening below said generally horizontal rack so that when the door is moved to its lower open generally horizontal position the finger may slide the toast out of the front opening and onto the generally horizontal surface of the open door.

Claim 12

An electric oven toaster as defined in claim 8 wherein a generally horizontal rod is pivotally mounted at an upper rear portion of the oven toaster, said finger is attached to said rod and extends downwardly therefrom and a manually operable lever is positioned outside of the cooking chamber of said oven toaster for rotating said rod to move said finger to slide the toast out of the front opening.

Claim 13

An electric oven toaster construction having two generally vertical side walls, a top wall and a front opening comprising: a. a cooking and toasting chamber; b. electric heating means positionEd in said oven toaster for supplying heat to said chamber for cooking and toasting purposes; c. a pair of forward toast rack supporting pins extending inwardly from the forward portion of said vertical side walls; d. a pair of rearward toast rack supporting pins extending inwardly from the rearward portion of said vertical side walls; e. a toast rack having a forward portion and a rearward portion, said toast rack being positioned within said oven toaster and connected to said forward pins and said rearward pins so that said rack may be pivoted about said forward pins and lifted at its rearward portion above said rearward pins; and f. a lift finger mounted within said toasting chamber behind said toast rack movable into engagement with the toast rack for pushing forward on the rack and lifting the rearward portion of said rack to pivot the rack and slide the toast out of the front opening.

Claim 14

An electric oven toaster construction having two generally vertical side walls, a top wall and a front opening comprising: a. a cooking and toasting chamber; b. electric heating means positionEd in said oven toaster for supplying heat to said chamber for cooking and toasting purposes; c. a pair of forward toast rack supporting pins extending inwardly from the forward portion of said vertical side walls; d. a pair of rearward toast rack supporting pins extending inwardly from the rearward portion of said vertical side walls; e. a toast rack having a forward portion and a rearward portion, said toast rack being positioned within said oven toaster and connected to said forward pins and said rearward pins so that said rack may be pivoted about said forward pins and lifted at its rearward portion above said rearward pins; and f. a lift finger mounted within said toasting chamber behind said toast rack movable into engagement with the toast rack for pushing forward on the rack and lifting the rearward portion of said rack to pivot the rack and slide the toast out of the front opening.

Claim 15

An electric oven toaster as defined in claim 11 wherein a pair of slots are formed in a forward portion of said toast rack for receiving said pair of toast rack supporting pins, each of said slots having wall means which may be located above, below and at the rear of said supporting pins for suitably holding the rack while it is being pushed forward and pivoted about said forward supporting pins.