GB2041612A - Display apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

In an automatic display apparatus a number of articles (5) are supported for movement along a track (9). The track is preferably in the form of a loop, two regions of which (7, 8) act as store regions and store a number of the articles in succession so that the first and last articles (A, C and B, D) are displayed. A continuous chain (11) driven by a motor (16) has pivoted pins (19, 20) which engage with the last support device in each store to transport the associated article to the next store. The pins are tilted out of contact with the article supports in the store but drop down to engage with the last support device as aforesaid so that the apparatus operates in a cyclic manner. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Display apparatus This invention relates to apparatus for automatically displaying a number of articles in succession.

There are numerous circumstances in which a person wishing to view articles requires to have these presented to him in succession. For example a prospective purchaser of wallpaper or carpets will usually wish to view a number of samples before making a choice. In these cases the purchaser may be shown sample books, but these are often unsatisfactory since the visual effect produced by patterned goods can often only be appreciated from largesized samples. If a shop or warehouse wishes to display large-sized samples considerable space will be occupied by the samples or else, in the case of carpets, a stack of samples will be provided which are unwieldly and may not achieve the object of allowing the customer to get an unobstructed view of a large area of each carpet.In any event, whether small or large samples are to be displayed a salesman may find himself having to concentrate on moving the samples into a display position rather than to be able to discuss the goods without interruption and to see the goods in the same manner as the customer as he would wish.

Related problems arise when a number of articles, for example advertising material, are required to be displayed in limited window space, where if a static display is used the amount of displayed material is severely limited.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for automatically displaying a number of articles in succession.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for displaying a number of articles in succession comprising: a plurality of support devices for articles to be displayed; at least one store for storing a plurality of said support devices; a respective stationary guide track corresponding to the or each store and adapted to support the support device for movement along it, each guide track extending from the corresponding store to a second position; and drive means having engagement means adapted to engage a selected one of the support devices in the or each store and arranged to supply a driving force through the engagement means to move a selected support device along the corresponding guide track.

The drive means may be arranged to supply the drive force periodically to respective selected support means in the or each store.

ne engagement means may engage each support device continuously as that support device is moved along said guide track, and the apparatus further including respective disengagement means at the respective second position on the or each guide track operative to disengage the engagement means from the support device.

Said respective second position to which the or each guide track extends may be adjacent a store, each store and each guide track being connected to form a closed loop, such that each support device driven along a guide track to a store takes its place at the end of a succession of support devices in the store to which it is driven.

Each support device may include at least one rotatable member adapted to run on said stationary track.

The track may be continuous and forms said closed loop and the or each store comprises part of the track.

The drive means may include a continuous member and said engagement means is connected to the continuous member so that the engagement means moves in a closed loop during movement of the contain js member.

The reach disengagement means may comprise ar elongate member extending from the continuous member of the drive means.

The elongate member may be operative to engage behind a support device to push the support device along the track, and the or each disengagement means may comprise a ramped member which, in use of the apparatus, is contacted by the moving elongate member to lift the elongate member out of line of motion of the support devices on the track.

The number of stores provided may be two and the two stores may be disposed such that the support devices in the two stores are disposed in rows,which rows are parallel, and so that the first support devices in each row display respect articles simultaneously in one direction, and the last support devices in each row display respective articles in the opposite direction.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accmpanying drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 is an end elevation view of a display apparatus; Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the display apparatus with the upper surface of a guide rail housing removed; Figure 4 is an axial section through part of a support device for articles to be displayed on the apparatus; and Figure 5 is an axial section through the part of the support device shown in Figure and shown in its operative location, the section plane being at right angles to that of Figure 4.

Referring to Figure 1,the display apparatus includes a flat rectangular base platform 1, raised slightly from the ground by feet 2. A central pillar 3 extends up from the base platform 1, and this pillar supports both the drive mechanism for the apparatus and the weight of the articles displayed. A shallow rectangular housing 4 fits pverthe drive mechanism and is se. red to the pillar 3. The apparatus is shown displaying carpets 5 and the end view of the apparatus in Figure 1 is one viewing position, the other viewing position being at the opposite end of the apparatus. From the viewing position of Figure 1 carpets A and B are displayed side by side. The carpets 5 are supported by support devices 6, which will be further described below.

Referring now to Figure 2 it will be apparent that the displayed carpets A and B are disposed back from the end of the base 1 and housing 4 as too are the carpets C and D (not shown in Figure 2) at the other end of the apparatus. Each support device 6 supports two carpets, e.g., A and E placed back to back. The support devices 6 with their associated carpets are grouped into two groups of equal numbers 7 and 8 (only group 7 shown in Figure 2) which constitute stores of the displayed material. At any one time the two end carpets of each group are displayed, in group 7 this is carpet A and carpet C, at opposite ends of the apparatus. These carpets are displayed side by side with carpets from group 8 i.e., carpets B and D respectively.

Referring to Figure 3, a monorail track 9 is supported within the housing 4. The track 9 is generally rectangular in shape and disposed symmetrically within the rectangular housing 4. The corners of the rectangle formed by the track are however rounded to allow articles suppored for movement along this rail to smoothly negotiate the change in direction at the corners. The track 9 supports respective nylon wheels 10 (Figures 4 and 5) of the support devices 6 and thereby supports the weight of the displayed carpets 5. The support devices will be described in more detail below.

Disposed within the rectangle of the track 9 is a continuous linked chain 11 which is linked about four co-planar sprocket wheels 12 - 15. The chain 11 is the drive means by which the displayed carpets on their support devices are driven to adopt new positions on the apparatus. The motive force for the operation of the apparatus is provided by an electric motor 16 which operates continuously throughout the operation of the apparatus. A small sprocket wheel 17 directly connected to the driven shaft of the motor 16 is connected via a belt 18 to the larger sprocket wheel 15 which drives the chain 11.

The chain 11 has two laterally outwardly projecting pins 19 and 20 each spaced halfway around the chain from the other. These pins overlie the track 9, are spaced above the track by a small distance and extend laterally beyond the track. The pins 19 and 20 provide the means whereby the driven chain 11 interacts with the support devices 6. The inside surfaces of the end walls of the housing 4 have respective pin guides 21 and 22. Each pin guide comprises a projecting slat having a slot on its inner facing surface which is art a height of the pins; that is, spaced just above the top of the track 9. The free ends of the pins 19 and 20 are received in these slots as the pins pass along the short sides of the rectangular path of the chain, and the pins are thus kept in their correct attitude which is parallel to the top surface of the track.The inside surfaces of the longer sides of the housing 4 each have a pin lift rr.echanism comprising slats 23 and 24. The slats 23 and 24 have ramped ends 25, shown more clearly in Figure 5, which abut the free end of the pins as they traverse these sides of the housing. The free ends of a pin when it contacts one of the slats 23, 24 rises up the ramp 25 and runs along the top edge 26 (Figure 5) of the slat so that during its movement along this part of the apparatus the pin is tilted upwardly. This tilting is accommodated by a slight twisting of the chain 11. When the pin reaches the other end of the pin lift slat it drops once more to its horizontal position.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, each support device 6 comprises a vertical bar 27 which extends downwardly below the bottom edge of the housing 4. The bar 27 is connected at its lower end with a horizontal mounting bar 28. The bar 28 extends the full width of the carpets and on to which bar the top edges of 2 carpets are secured, back to back. At its upper end of the vertical bar 27 is connected to one edge of a horizontal plate 29 whose opposite edge is connected to a short downwardly extending plate 30. Thd portion of the bar 27 adjacent its upper edge, the horizontal plate 29 and the plate 30 form a h usingforthewheel 10 of the support device. In addition the upper portion of the bar 27 and the plate 30 have respective openings 31 opposite one another which receive the ends of a short rod 32 about which the wheel 10 is rotatably mounted.The wheel 10 has a hub portion 33 which spans and rests on the track 9, and at the ends of the hub portion two circular guides 34 which overlap the sides of the track 9 to keep the wheel in position.

The edges of the horizontal plate 29 that are parallel to the hub portion 33 and hence face along the track 9 when the support device is in location have flat downwardly sloping fenders 35 extending down approximately to the level of the hub portion 33. The upper surface of the horizontal plate 29 has a pin 36 extending upwardly therefrom. This pin 36 is the part of the support device that co-operates with the pins 19, 20 on the chain 11.

One of the fenders 35 on the support device has a stabilising pin 37 extending down from its lower edge and which bears against the track 9 when the support device is tilted beyond a certain angle.

In its operative location the support device rests on the track 9 in one of the store areas 7 and 8 along the track. If the support device is at the end of the row of support devices in a store that one of the carpets carried by it is in a display position. When the chain is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 3 and the pins are in the pin lift position shown in Figures 3 and 5, they are tilted out of contact with the pins 36 on the support devices in the store. When, for example, the pin 19 moves to the ends of pin lift slat 23 it drops to its horizontal position and engages behind the pin 36 of the support device 6A carrying carper A. At the same time pin 20 moves to the end of slat 24 and engages behind the pin 36 of the support device 6D carrying carpet D. The support device 6A is transpprted from the front of store 7 to the back of store 8 where the pin 19 is tilted by the ramped surface 25 of slat 24 and so disengages with support device 6A leaving it in a position where carpet A is now obscured but the other carpet carried by support device 6A is displayed. Similarly the support device 6D is brought to the back of store 7.

The number of support devices 6 in each store is just one greater than the number which occupy a track length, when placed fender to fender that is equal to the length of the slats 23 and 24. This ensures that when one support device is deposited at the back of a store, one support device at the front end is pushed beyond the pin lift slat where it can be engaged by the pin on the chain 11.

It will be appreciated that as the support devices are pushed along in the stores, contact between the support devices is by fender to fender contact, so that there is no contact between the wheels 10 of the devices which would, if it occurred prevent them rotating. The stabilising pin 37 bears against the guide track 9 if the support device is tilted, this prevents the support device and hence the supported carpetfrom swinging sideways of the track.

The time for which a support device is at one end of a store, and hence the time for which one of the carpets carried by that support means is displayed, depends in part on the speed of the electric motor 16 and the diameter of the sprocket wheel 15. The display period also depends on the length of the track in the store areas 7 and 8. It will be apreciated that while the pins 19 and 20 aretransversing the pin lift slats 23 and 24 the support devices are all stationary and the end carpets are being displayed.

An additional period of display time is provided during the period when a support device is being moved from one store to the other, for since the carpet being moved is 'edge-on' when viewed from the end of the apparatus it does not interfere with the view of the two carpets which are then at the respective ends of the two stores which face that viewing position.

It will be appreciated that either of the pins 19 and 20 can be omitted, with the result that the display time for a particular carpet is increased. In such a case, when two stores are provided the store arrangement needs to be adjusted since for part of the cycle one store contains two more support devices than the other.

A further feature of the embodiment shown in the Figures is that if one of the support devices is removed from the track, it effectively makes one engaging pin ineffective so that display time is doubled. In an embodiment in which only one store is used, removal of a support device will cause the display to stop although the chain will continue to rotate. This can be used to advantage, since if a closer inspection of a particular displayed article is desired, the article with its associated support means can be removed from the track and further display of articles will be halted.

Claims (18)

1. Apparatus for displaying a number of articles in succession comprising: a plurality of support devices for articles to be displayed; at least one store for storing a plurality of said support devices; a respective stationary guide track corresponding to the or each store and adapted to support the support device for movement along it, each guide track extending from the corresponding store to a second position; and drive means having engagement means adapted to engage a selected one of the support devices in the or each store and arranged to supply a driving force through the engagement means to move a selected support device along the corresponding guide track.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the drive means is arranged to supply the drive force periodically to respective selected support means in the or each store.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the engagement means engages a support device continuously as that support device is moved along said guide track, and the apparatus further including respective disengagement means at the respective second position on the or each guide track operative to disengage the engagement means from the support device.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said respective second position to which the or each guide track extends is adjacent a store.

each store and each guide track being connected to from a closed loop, such that each support device driven along a guide track to a store takes its place at the end of a succession of support devices in the store to which it is driven.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 where the track is continuous and forms said closed loop and the or each store comprises part of the track.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein each support device includes at least one rotatable member adapted to run on said stationary track.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein each support device is adapted to carry an article to be displayed such that the article is disposed below the level of the stationary track and the rotatable mem beris arranged to run on an upper surface of the stationary track.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which the drive means includes a continuous member and said engagement means is connected to the continuous member so that the engagement means moves in a closed loop during movement of the continuous member.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the closed loop along which the engagement means moves is substantially parallel to the stationary track.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 in which the continuous member comprises a linked chain.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wheren the closed loop formed by the chain is in a horizontal plane, the chain being driven by a motor via a horizontal sprocket wheel.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11 in which the drive means includes a plurality of said engagement mew..;.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the number of engagement means corresponds to the number of stores.

14. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 13 wherein the or each disengagement means comprises an elongate member extending from the continuous member of the drive means.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14 when dependent on claim 3 wherein the elongate member is operative to engage behind a support device to push the support device along the track, and the or each disengagement means comprises a ramped member which, in use of the apparatus, is contacted by the moving elongate member to lif the elongate member out of line of motion of the support devices on the track.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein the or each ramped member includes a raised edge which extends alongside a store and on which the elongate member is supported when in the vicinity of the store and the number of support devices along the track, when touching, is approximately equal to the length of said raised edge of the ramped member.

17. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceeding claims in which the number of stores provided is two, and the two stores are disposed such that the support devices in the two stores are disposed in rows, which rows are parallel, and so that the first support devices in each row display respective articles simultaneously in one direction, and the last support devices in each row display respective articles in the opposite direction.

18. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.