US2954878A - Display rack - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 4, 1960 c. L. METZLER ETAL 2,954,878

DISPLAY RACK Filed Feb. 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TORS.

MW gm THEIR A TT RNEYS' Oct. 4, 1960 c. 1.. METZLER ETAL 2,954,378

V DISPLAY RACK Filed Feb. 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. (bar/e5 L. Me/z/er BY J'0/7I1 D. War/wt THE/R AT TORNE Y5 i ate DISPLAY RACK Filed Feb. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 7%,063

Claims. '01. 211-184 This invention comprises a new and improved display rack for small articles of merchandise such as safety razors, blade packages and the like.

The rack as a whole is so constructed and arranged that it may be mounted in any convenient location to attract the attention of the customer and to present an assortment of articles for selection and self-service purchase. In order that the articles may be arranged in adjacent stacks or banks the rack includes in its structure an elongated base having a series of independently adjustable partitions rising therefrom. These partitions may be set at any desired spacing to accommodate articles of different widths and shapes and so adapt the rack to display a great variety of articles from season to season or to satisfy the current demand of customers.

Accordingly important features of the invention relate to the construction of the individual partitions and to their interrelation with the base or body of the rack. Preferably the partition may be cast of light metal or molded of synthetic resinous plastic and may be translucent or transparent. They may also include resilient clamping means for releasably engaging and holding them in any desired position of adjustment on the base and between its end walls.

The partitions as herein shown include at each vertical edge a post that is extended at its foot in the shape of a hook making sliding engagement with a longitudinal edge of the base. At one side of the partition a clamp is formed by partially separating the hook from the body of the partition and yielding clamping engagement with the base results from the resilient nature of material of the partition and its hooked extension.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the rack.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a corresponding bottom view, and

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation partly in section on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

- The rack as herein illustrated includes a merchandise supporting base elongated and generally rectangular in contour. The base may be constructed of sheet metal and formed with a rounded head 11 on each of its longitudinal edges. These beads merge downwardly through re-entrant valleys or channels into outwardly inclined skirts or aprons 12. The aprons in turn merge downwardly into underlying channel sections 13, each including an inner upturned rail that serves to back up and support one or more clamping brackets by which the rack as a whole is secured in place.

At each end of the base 10 is secured a fixed end wall 14 having a box section at its lower end which fits over the ends of the channel sections 13 of the base and may be screwed to the webs of these sections as indicated in Fig. 3.

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Between the end walls 14 is arranged a series of upstanding partitions 15 that as best shown in Fig. 4 rest at their lower edges upon the base 10 and are provided at each vertical edge with an upright post 17. These posts face each other across the width of the base 1 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 and each post is provided with an outer buttress flange 18. Each of the walls 17 with its flange 18 is extended at its lower end in the shape of a hook 19 which fit slidingly upon one of the beads 11 of the base and extends into the re-entrant valley formed beneath the bead. It will be apparent that the elfect of these hooks is to hold each partition securely upright and in place upon the base 10 while leaving it free for longitudinal movement to any desired position of adjustment.

The hook at one side of each partition is converted v into a resilient clamp 21 by means of a slot formed in the buttress flange 18 and extending upwardly therein for a substantial distance, thus separating the clamp 21 from the adjacent post 17. The partition as a whole with its posts and buttress flanges may be molded as an integral article from synthetic resinous material such as Vinylite or Lucite, since these compounds have the resilient characteristics required for the clamp 21. Any one of the partitions may be released for sliding movement on the base by temporarily pulling its clamp outwardly against its inward bias and the partition will be automatically locked in place as soon as the desired adjustment has been effected.

The mounting elements of the rack comprise a pair of brackets 24, constructed of strap steel and completely enclosed within the base of the rack. Each bracket has a flat intermediate portion underlying the base and ears 25 projecting laterally and slidably supported by the interior rails of the channel sections 13 of the base. Each bracket has also a downwardly extending leg 26 carrying a wing bolt 27, and an oppositely arranged leg 28 carrying a contact button 29. The legs 26 and 28 are designed to span a rail or other fixed support which is then engaged by screwing in the wing bolt 27. The two brackets may be located at any convenient point and when subjected to stress by the bolt the legs 26 and 28 are spring slightly outwardly and then reinforced and backed up by engaging the interior rails of the channel section 13. When this occurs, the brackets are, of course, locked in position with respect to the rack and to the support upon which it is mounted.

It will be apparent, therefore, that the channel section 13 has the functions of retaining the brackets 24 within the rack assembly, supporting them for longitudinal adjustment and reinforcing them in whatever clamping position they may be located. In addition to these mechanical functions, the channel sections 13 cooperate with the aprons 12 and substantially conceal the mounting brackets and so contribute to the neat and pleasing appearance of the rack.

Having thus disclosed our invention and described in detail an illustrative embodiment thereof, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A display rack for banks of razor blade packages, comprising a flat elongated base having a rounded bead extending along each longitudinal edge and merging through a re-entrant channel into a downwardly extending apron, in combination with a series of upright partitions each having a flat lower edge resting upon the base, and an upright post at each vertical edge supported by a tapering buttress flange, one of said flanges being slotted upwardly from its lower end and thus providing a resilient clamp having a hook at its lower end engageable with the bead of said base, extending into said re-entrant channel beneath the bead and serving to clamp the partition to the base in all positions of longitudinal adjustment thereon.

2. A display rack as described in claim v1 further characterized in that the post and buttress flange of each partition are extended to form the hook which engages the bead of the base.

3. A display rack for articles of merchandise, comprising an elongated base merging at its longitudinal edges into underlying channel sections having an inner upturned flange, fixed end walls having at their lower ends box sections fitting over the ends of said channel sections, and a series of movable partitions engaging the longitudinal edges of the base and each having at one edge a built-in clamp partially separated therefrom by an upwardly extending slot for releasably holding the partition in place between the end walls of the rack.

4. A display rack for articles of merchandise, comprising an elongated base of sheet metal merging at both longitudinal edges into rounded beads, in combination with a series of upright partitions having an upright post at each vertical edge reinforced by an outwardly extending buttress flange, the posts and flanges extending downwardly in the shape of hooks embracing said beads, and

4 one of said hooks beingpartially separated from the adjacent post and thus forming a resilient clamp.

5. A display rack for articles of merchandise, comprising an elongated base merging at its longitudinal edges into aprons extending downwardly and inwardly forming re-entrant channels beneath the edges of the base, in combination with a series ofpartitions reinforced at their vertical edges, spanning the base and having hook shaped extensions slidable in said rte-entrant channels, the hookshaped extension at one side of each partition being resiliently connected to the side of the partition as a whole and above the bottom edge thereof for disengageably holding the partition in place on the base of the rack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 355,511 Danner Jan; 4, 1887 2,869,812 Hamel i Jan. 20, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,158,548 France r Jan. 27, 1958

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