Two-Way Adjustable Cooking Grid

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of cooking grills or grids, and in particular to grids that are adjustable.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The prior art known to the Inventor includes the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 311,662; 1,263,863; 1,337,043; 2,549,709; and 3,975,999. All of the aforementioned United States patents disclose cooking grills or spits that are adjustable, however, none of the above cited references disclose a grid that is adjustable in two dimensions. U.S. Pat. No. 2,549,709 comes the closest to the present invention in that it discloses rods moving within tubes to allow an adjustment for width of the grid. However, no means for adjusting the grid in two dimensions are provided.

3. Prior Art Statement

In the opinion of the applicant the aforementioned prior art constitutes the most relevant prior art known to applicant.

The present invention comprises a pair of first and second spaced apart end tubes, each having a concentric axis. A set of parallel spaced apart tubes are attached at right angles to the first and second end tubes. A first rod is fixedly attached to center of the first end tube extending toward the second end tube a predetermined distance. The first rod slidingly engages the center of the second end tube. A multiplicity of rods are attached to the ends of the sets of tubes, the rods extending from the tubes a predetermined distance. A third and fourth end tube are disposed a distance opposite and parallel to the first and second end tubes. A third and fourth set of parallel spaced apart tubes are attached at right angles to the third and fourth end tubes, each tube in the third and fourth set being disposed opposite and concentric to a corresponding tube in the first and second set of tubes. A multiplicity of rods are fixedly attached to the ends of the first and second set of tubes. The multiplicity of rods slidingly engage the center of their opposite tube from the first and second set of parallel spaced apart tubes. A second rod is fixedly attached to the inside end of the third end tube, the rod extending a distance to slidingly engage the inside diameter of the inside end of the fourth end tube. When the aforementioned rods engage their corresponding tube a two-way adjustable grid is formed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved adjustable grid.

Other objects, advantages and applications of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art of grids when the accompanying description of one example of the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The following description makes reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like reference refer to like components throughout the several views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the novel two-way adjustable cooking grid;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention wherein two adjustable grids at right angles are joined together at their periphery; and,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a lifting and adjusting tong to be used in conjunction with the two-way adjustable grid.

Referring, now to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 1 wherein there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprising a two-way adjustable grid 10 which has first and second end tubes 12 having parallel spaced apart axes. A first and second set of parallel spaced apart tubes 16 are disposed between the end tubes 12 and are attached at right angles to end tubes 12. Tubes 16 are arranged to have concentric axes with an opposite member. A multiplicity of rods 18 are fixedly attached to the inward ends of one set of tubes. The rods extend a distance to slidingly engage the inside of their opposite tube 16. A third and a fourth end tube 14 are spaced opposite and have concentric axes with but are spaced apart from the first and second tubes 12. Additional sets of parallel spaced apart tubes 16 are attached at right angles to end tubes 14, each tube 16 having a concentric axis with an opposite member. A further multiplicity of rods 18 are fixedly attached to the inward ends of tubes 16, the rods extending a distance to slidingly engage the inside of the opposite tube 16.

A pair of rods 20 are fixedly attached to the inner end of the pair of end tubes 12, the rods extend a distance to slidingly engage the center of the inside ends of end tubes 14. When the aforementioned rods have been inserted into their corresponding tube, an assembled two-way adjustable grid having four corners is formed thereby.

Four male threaded rods 22 are attached to the corners of the assembled grid and four legs 24 having a threaded aperture threadingly engage the threaded rods. Four removable legs are provided thereby.

In cooking large roasts in an oven it often is preferable to have the roast elevated above the bottom of a roasting pan to apply heat to all sides. It is desirable, too, for optimum flavor and economy to use a roasting pan properly sized for the roast. With the present invention, a single grid can fit a multiplicity of roasting pan sizes, and elevation of the roast above the bottom of the pan is possible if desired. For restaurant and commercial cooking the grid can be adjusted to the exact size of the roasts allowing the economy of cooking a larger number of roasts using individual grids in a single oven.

In another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, a second grid 25 is fixedly attached above the lower grid with the tubes and rods running at right angles to those in the lower grid. The grids are joined at the tubes forming the periphery. A substantial improvement in strength is possible using this configuration, and very heavy roasts such as might be used in restaurants can be accommodated thereby.

Referring again to FIG. 1, a multiplicity of lifting and adjusting pegs 26 are attached horizontally extending outwardly but at right angles to the tubes forming the periphery of the grid. The pegs 26 are disposed in pairs spaced apart and near the inner ends of the tubes forming the periphery of the grid. The bottom portion of a pair of lifting and adjusting tongs 28 (FIG. 3) are fitted under the pegs 26 on opposite sides to lift the roast from its roasting pan. The tongs have a keyhole shape with a flattened top and bottom to facilitate lifting and adjusting the size of the grid.

Still referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 1, to expand the grills, the sides of the pair of tongs 28 are spaced between a pair of pegs 26 on adjacent tubes 16, and on opposite sides. The pegs 26 are placed against the outer surface of the sides of the tongs 28. Pulling the tongs up forces the pegs apart spacing the grid to a further open position. To reduce the size of the grid, the inside edges of the sides of the pair of tongs 28 are placed to straddle two pairs of pegs 26 on adjacent tubes 16 at opposite sides of the grid 10. Pressing the tongs downward forces the grid to a shorter dimension.

Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible and obvious in light of the above teachings.