Michael Anthony Freund

US Patent:

40190226, Apr 19, 1977

Filed:

Apr 30, 1975

Appl. No.:

5/573078

Inventors:

Gene J. Seider - Bloomington MN
Michael C. Freund - Mendota Heights MN
James R. Duffy - West St. Paul MN

Assignee:

Gould Inc. - Chicago IL

International Classification:

F27D 1102

US Classification:

219386

Abstract:

A storage system for a plurality of food trays includes one or more storage modules each having multiple pairs of horizontal rails for supporting a plurality of trays with the hot food positioned along one side wall of the module and the cool food along the other side wall. Forced air inlet means in the rear wall and adjacent the side wall on the hot food side of the tray produces a forced air stream flowing forwardly through the module over the hot food on the trays. A door covers the front of each module and forms air outlet means adjacent the module side wall on the hot food side of the trays so that the forwardly flowing air stream exits through the door. This system is particularly suitable for use with trays which have electrical heating elements embedded in one side of the tray for heating the hot foods thereon. The electrical heaters within the trays have contacts on the bottoms of the trays at the rear ends thereof, and each tray station within the storage module has a plurality of spring contacts for engaging the tray contacts and connecting them to an on-board source. At least one of the rails in each pair has a separately projecting lug near the front of the module for engaging a complementary notch in the bottom of the tray when the tray is fully inserted into the module.

US Patent:

40357090, Jul 12, 1977

Filed:

Apr 30, 1975

Appl. No.:

5/573080

Inventors:

Gene J. Seider - Bloomington MN
Michael C. Freund - Mendota Heights MN

Assignee:

Gould Inc. - Rolling Meadows IL

International Classification:

H02J 704

US Classification:

320 23

Abstract:

A battery charging system for charging a battery from a conventional a. c. power source has a leakage reactance transformer connected between the power source and the battery for reducing the voltage of the power source for application to the battery. The power source is connected directly across the primary winding of the transformer to charge the battery at a high rate until it is charged to about 90% of the final capacity. A voltage sensing circuit is activated when the battery reaches about 80% of the desired final voltage, and this circuit energizes a timing motor which maintains the connection of the source directly across the primary winding of the transformer for a period of one hour, which is the normal time required for the battery charge to be increased from the 80% level to the 90% level. At the end of the 1 hour period, a cam driven by the timing motor operates a switch to connect a resistor, which is external of the transformer, in series with the primary winding of the transformer. This sharply reduces the charging current and the charging of the battery is completed at relatively low current levels which vary over a very narrow range.

US Patent:

39820971, Sep 21, 1976

Filed:

Apr 30, 1975

Appl. No.:

5/573344

Inventors:

Gene J. Seider - Bloomington MN
Michael C. Freund - Mendota Heights MN

Assignee:

Gould Inc. - Rolling Meadows IL

International Classification:

H05B 102

US Classification:

219486

Abstract:

A programmable electronic control system for an array of electrical stations exemplified by food tray stations each of which is adapted to receive a food tray having two or more electrical heaters embedded in the tray. Each tray is detachable from its station. A separate power circuit is associated with each heater element at each tray station for supplying separately controllable power to each individual heater. A manually controlled programming channel is connected to each power circuit and includes means for generating control signals to enable or disable each separate power circuit to permit the programming of the entire array of tray stations. A manually controlled station reset device is connected to the programming channels for each tray station to remove any enabling control signals generated by the respective programming channels for that station to permit the re-programming of individual tray stations. A manually controlled master reset device is connected to all the programming channels for all the stations to remove any enabling control signals generating by any of the programming channels to permit the re-programming of the entire array of tray stations. A tray sensing device disables the power circuits associated with the respective tray stations whenever trays are absent from the respective stations, and enable the programming channels associated with the respective tray stations whenever trays are present at the respective stations.

US Patent:

41679830, Sep 18, 1979

Filed:

Apr 30, 1975

Appl. No.:

5/573079

Inventors:

Gene J. Seider - Bloomington MN
Michael C. Freund - Mendota Heights MN
James R. Duffy - Inver Grove Heights MN

Assignee:

Gould Inc. - Rolling Meadows IL

International Classification:

B62D 5104

US Classification:

180 19R

Abstract:

An electrically powered service vehicle having a plurality of programmable electrical stations is exemplified by a food service vehicle for use with food serving trays including internal heating elements for providing localized areas of heat on the trays for maintaining food placed thereon at a desired temperature. The vehicle has a plurality of storage compartments, each of which holds a plurality of the food serving trays in vertically spaced relation to each other. An on-board d-c. power source is connected to the heating elements within the trays via a plurality of electrical contacts within each storage compartment. A d-c. drive motor for propelling the vehicle is selectively connected to the power source through a drive control. The electrical contacts within the storage compartment are positioned to engage corresponding contacts on the trays when the trays are inserted into the storage compartments. The electrical contacts within the storage compartments are part of a plurality of controllable power circuits associated with each tray station within the various compartments for supplying separately controllable power to each individual tray heater, and manually operable programming means are connected to each power circuit and generate control signals to enable or disable each separate circuit to permit the programming of the various tray stations within the storage compartments.