U.S. patent number 3,556,023 [Application Number 04/726,165] was granted by the patent office on 1971-01-19 for display rack.
Invention is credited to Howard J. Marschak.
United States Patent |
3,556,023 |
Marschak |
January 19, 1971 |
DISPLAY RACK
Abstract
A display rack formed of components or parts which may be
readily set up, attached and interlocked to each other without the
use of tools or nuts, bolts or other extraneous fastening elements.
The parts of the display rack interlock by the proper positioning
of the parts in their proper relationship. The parts include tie
members or bracing bars interlocked with upright members. A panel
cap or top cover member interlocks with the upright members and a
base which includes a kick plate interlocks with side members which
also interlock with the upright members.
Inventors: |
Marschak; Howard J. (Evanston,
IL) |
Family
ID: |
24917501 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/726,165 |
Filed: |
May 2, 1968 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
108/1;
248/220.41; 108/180 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B
96/00 (20130101); A47B 57/045 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47B
57/04 (20060101); A47B 57/00 (20060101); A47B
96/00 (20060101); A47f 003/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;108/1--10,28,32,152,144,150,111 ;248/242 ;211/147,124,153
;52/243,495,720 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gay; Bobby R.
Assistant Examiner: Finch; Glenn O.
Claims
I claim:
1. A display rack comprising, a pair of spaced uprights, each of
said uprights formed of a sidewall and an inwardly extending front
wall which terminates in an inwardly extending vertical generally
V-shaped flange, each V-shaped flange forming a pocket for
receiving the opposite ends of a board vertically positioned
between the uprights to form the wall of the rack, said front walls
having slots along the length thereof, a plurality of shelves, each
of said shelves having rearwardly extending hook members which
interengage with said slots in the front walls of the uprights to
detachably secure said shelves to said uprights, each said V-shaped
flange having a slot, a panel cap having a latching member secured
to the slots in said V-shaped flanges to secure the cap to the
uprights.
2. A structure as defined in claim 1 in which slots are provided in
the vertex of the V-shaped flanges and a bracing bar having hooked
ends is adapted to extend between the uprights and interlock with
the slots in the vertexes of the flange for the purposes of holding
said uprights in a fixed relation relative to each other.
3. A structure as defined in claim 1 which includes a base unit
comprising a pair of side members detachably secure to the slots in
the front wall of the upright members, a kick plate detachably
secured to the front of the side members, and a base shelf which is
positioned in engagement with the side members and the kick
plate.
4. A structure as defined in claim 3 in which the kick plate has
ears having detents, which ears pass through slots in the side
members to lock therewith.
5. A structure as defined in claim 1 in which the front of the
shelves has means for supporting tags of different heights.
6. A structure as defined in claim 1 in which the shelf members are
each provided with a plurality of rearwardly extending hooks to
permit attachment of said shelves to the slots in the front wall of
the upright so that the shelves may be supported in a horizontal
position or at an acute angle with respect to said rear wall.
7. A structure as defined in claim 1 in which the uprights are
provided with front and rear walls each terminating in generally
V-shaped flanges forming pockets for receiving a board between the
front pair of flanges and a board between the rear flanges and with
spaced slots in the front and rear walls of said uprights so that
shelves may be detachably connected thereto, with the shelves
extending forwardly and rearwardly of the uprights in a back to
back relationship.
8. A structure as defined in claim 1 in which the shelves include
side brackets having the rearwardly extending hook members which
interengage with the slots in the front walls of the uprights, said
shelves including a horizontal member resting on said brackets, and
adjustable means on said brackets engaging said horizontal member
to raise and lower the front of said horizontal member.
9. A structure as defined in claim 8 in which the brackets have a
projection engaging the horizontal member rearwardly of the
adjusting means.
10. A structure as defined in claim 4 in which the kick plate is
free to slide up and down to compensate for any irregularities in a
floor surface on which the display rack rests.
11. A structure as defined in claim 4 in which the kick plate and
the adjacent side members while interlocked are free to ride up or
down to compensate for any irregularities in a floor surface on
which the display rack rests.
12. A structure as defined in claim 1 in which the board is a peg
board.
13. A structure as defined in claim 7 in which the board is a peg
board.
Description
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of this invention is to provide a display rack formed of
interfitting parts or components which interlock with each other by
the proper positioning of the parts relative to each other without
requiring the use of any tools, bolts, nuts or extraneous fastening
elements. In other words, the parts or components forming the
display rack have their own interlocking means. This eliminates the
use of tools or extraneous fastening elements in setting up the
display rack. It reduces the time necessary to assemble or set up
the rack. It permit shipment and storage of the components is
disassembled condition, thus reducing shipping charges and storage
space. It permits disassembly of the parts when desired. It permits
assembly and disassembly by inexperienced person in a minimum of
time and with minimum effort.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the display rack in assembled
relationship;
FIG. 2 is a view in reduced scale of the display rack with the
components or parts in disassembled relation;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the upright
members;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the upright member shown in
FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the panel cap which
fits across the top of the rack and its catch means;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of the panel cap showing it
prior to being latched to the upright;
FIG. 6A is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing same in latched
position;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the kick plate;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the shelf, showing
particularly the front of the shelf;
FIG. 9 is a plan view of the brace or tie member which is connected
at its opposite ends to the spaced upright members;
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary plan view showing the manner of connecting
the brace or tie bar to one of the upright members;
FIG. 11 is an elevational view showing one side of the shelf;
FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the peg board support which
is positioned adjacent the lower end of the uprights and between
the upright members for receiving and supporting the lower end of
the peg board;
FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view of the ends of the kick plate
and side member; and
FIG. 14 is a modification showing a modified shelf bracket arm.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT SHOWN IN FIGURES 1 TO 13,
INCLUSIVE
Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2 which show the component elements
forming the put-together display rack, the individual components
will be referred to generally and then will be subsequently
described in detail.
The display rack includes a pair of upright members generally
indicated at 16, both of which are of identical construction. The
cross-sectional shape of the said uprights are best shown in FIGS.
3 and 4. A conventional peg board 18 is adapted to be supported
between the spaced upright members 16, with the peg board forming
the rear wall of the display rack.
The rack includes a transversely positioned bracing bar or tie
member generally designated by the numeral 20, which is secured at
its opposite ends to the upright members approximately midway of
the height of the uprights. Same is shown in detail in FIG. 9, with
the manner of attachment to the upright members best shown in FIG.
10. A plurality of shelves are spacedly secured to the front of the
upright members 16; said shelves are generally designated by the
numeral 22. The details of the shelves are best shown in FIGS. 2, 8
and ll. A panel cap designated generally by the numeral 24 and best
shown in detail in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, is detachabley secured to the
upright members to cover the top of the peg board and cap the top
of the upright members 16. The peg board 18 is supported between
the upright members 16 and rests within a support generally
designated by the numeral 26, the details of which are best shown
in FIGS. 2 and 12. The support 26 is secured to the upright members
16.
The base of the display rack is best shown in detail in FIGS. 1 and
2 comprises a top member which forms the base shelf 28, a pair of
side members generally designated by the numeral 30, the rears of
which are secured to the uprights 16, and a front kick plate
generally designated by the numeral 32 which is secured to the
bottom side members 30. The top member or shelf 28 is adapted to
rest on the side members 30 as well as the kick plate 32.
The display rack is so constructed that it may be readily assembled
and interlocked without the use of any tools, bolts, nuts or
extraneous fastening elements. It is interlocked by merely
positioning the parts relative to each other and interengaging the
locking elements of said parts. Likewise, the display rack may be
readily disassembled merely by disengaging the elements from each
other without the use of any tools so that the parts can be packed
in a collapsed position in a minimum of space either for storage or
for shipment. Fastening elements such as bolts, screws, or the
like, are not necessary for assembling the display rack, hence,
there is no likelihood of any parts being lost. Each of the
component parts fits into place and the rack may be assembled in a
short period of time.
The upright members 16, shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, are each
integrally formed of metal or the like and are preshaped and
slotted, as shown. Since both uprights are identical, a description
of one will suffice. The upright 16 includes a sidewall 34 with a
pair of spaced inturned front and rear walls 36 at right angles to
the sidewall 34. The front and rear walls 36 are each turned
inwardly to form an inclined intermediate flange 37 and is
reversely bent to provide a vertex 38 and an end flange 39. The
intermediate and end flanges 37 and 39 form a generally V-shaped
configuration, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, and provide a pocket
40 therebetween for receiving the ends of the peg board 18. The
inner end flanges 39 are parallel to each other.
The front and rear walls 36 are each provided with spaced slots or
openings 42 on each side thereof along the length or height
thereof. Each pair of slots 42 is aligned The vertex 38 is also
provided with spaced slots or openings 44. Each pair of slots 44
are aligned. The slots 42 in the front and rear walls 36 serve to
permit attachment thereto of the shelves 22, as will be
subsequently described. The slots 44 in the vertex serve to permit
attachment of the tie bar or cross brace bar 20.
In setting up the stand, the uprights 16 are first positioned in
space relation in an upright position and the brace bar 20, like
that shown in FIG. 9, is attached thereto. The brace bar 20
consists of a pair of spaced wire members 46 in parallel relation
with the ends of each wire member turned outwardly at right angles
to the axis of the wire member to form a hook 48, therefore, each
brace bar has four hooks 48. The wire members 46 are held in spaced
relation by short spaced cross wires 49 brazed thereto. The hooks
48 extending in opposite directions at the ends of the brace bar
are fitted into the slots or openings 44 in the vertex 38 of the
upright 16, as best shown in FIG. 10, to thereby lock the
transverse brace bar 20 to the uprights 16. One of such brace bars
20 is positioned approximately midway of the height of the
uprights, as best shown in FIG. 2, to firmly support the uprights
in spaced relation. More of such brace bars spaced at different
elevations may be used if desired.
The peg board 18 which forms the rear wall of the display rack is
positioned, as best seen in FIG. 10, in the pocket 40 between the
flanges 37 and 39. The opposite side edges of the peg board are
usually tapered or chamfered as at 50 complementary to the
inclination of the intermediate flange 37 to nest there against,
with the back side of the peg board resting against the flanges 39.
A peg board may be positioned on the front side ad the back side of
the uprights, as shown in FIG. 10, if it is desired to have display
racks with shelves extending forwardly and rearwardly, or back to
back. Thus, while FIG. 1 shows the shelves extending forwardly of
the peg board, a similar arrangement may extend from the opposite
or back side of the display rack so that the same two uprights 16
can support a peg board and shelves forwardly, as shown in FIG. 1,
and with a peg board and shelves also extending outwardly or
backwardly of the rack shown. To accomplish this back to back
arrangement, a peg board 18a, similar to peg board 18, is supported
in the rear pockets 40 of the uprights and the shelves are mounted
to be attached to the slots 42 in the rear wall 36 to extend
rearwardly of the rear wall 36, in the same manner that they are
mounted to the front wall 36 and extend forwardly thereof. The
front and rear walls 36 have identical slots 42 therein.
The bottom of the peg board 18 rests in the peg board support 26,
best shown in FIG. 12. The peg board support 26 includes a
channel-shaped member having a bottom wall 52, a vertically
extending front wall 53, and an angularly inclined rear wall 54
which terminates in a horizontal flange 55. Welded to each of the
opposite ends of the front wall 53 are L-shaped members 56 having
their sides 57 spaced from the ends of the channel-shaped member.
The peg board support 26 is secured to said uprights 16 between a
pair of spaced uprights in close proximity to the bottom of the
uprights, with the sides 57 entering and engaging the oppositely
positioned two slots 42 in the front wall 36 of the uprights. This
locks the bottom support 26 to the uprights and positions the
channel of the support in alignment with the pockets 40 of the
uprights to receive the bottom portion of the peg board. The bottom
support 26 engages the side members 30 which locks the side members
30 from rising.
The base of the unit includes a pair of spaced side members 30
which interlock with the slots 42 in the front walls 36 of the
uprights. The top and bottom of the side members 30, best shown in
FIGS. 2 and 13, have inwardly turned horizontal flanges 58 with an
upwardly vertically extending flange 59. The side members have an
inwardly turned front flange 60. The front flange 60 is positioned
at an inclined angle and is provided with a plurality of spaced
slots 62, each communicating with an opening 63. The rear of the
bottom side members 30 are each provided with a plurality of spaced
inverted L-shaped hook members, not shown, which are generally
similar to the hook members 106 shown, in FIG. 14. The hook members
extending rearwardly of the bottom side members 30 are interlocked
with the spaced slotted openings 42 in the lower portion of the
front wall of the uprights 16. A kick plate 32 (FIGS. 2 and 13)
having a front wall 65 has a plurality of spaced lugs or ears 66
extending rearwardly therefrom at right angles to the front wall
65. The ears 66 have detents 67 formed therein.
The ears 66 are inserted in the slots 62 with the detents 67
passing through the openings 63 in the slots 62. The detents will
then lock the kick plate 32 to the side members 30 as the kick
plate lowers slightly relative to the side members 30, with the
detents then engaging the front flanges 60. The kick plate 32 is
thus interlocked to the two opposite side members 30. The kick
plate has inwardly turned top and bottom flanges 60 which terminate
short of the ears 66. The base shelf 28 is adapted to fit on the
two spaced side members 30 and on the front kick plate 32. The
interlocking arrangement of the kick plate 32 and side members 30
allows the parts to ride up and down and to compensate for any
irregularities in the floor surface on which the stand rests.
The base shelf 28 is provided with spaced downwardly extending
sidewalls 68 which engage the side members 30 to prevent accidental
removal from the side members. The front wall 69 of the base shelf
is curved and shaped similarly to that which will be described in
connection with the remaining shelves, shown in detail in FIG. 8,
for the purpose of serving to retain the price tag or other
designation or identification media which might be inserted in the
front trackway.
Extending across the top of the uprights 16 and positioned over the
top of the peg board is the panel cap 24 which is shown in detail
in FIGS. 5, 6 and 6A. The panel cap 24 comprises a top wall 70 with
downwardly extending front and rear flanges 72 of reduced length to
provide a recessed area 73 between the outer edge of the top wall
70 and the flange 72. Suitably secured to the underside of the top
wall, adjacent each of the opposite ends, is an inverted L-shaped
clip or catch member generally designated at 74, which is secured
to the top wall 70 by rivets 76 or it may be welded thereto. The
downwardly extending leg 77 of said clip terminates in an upwardly
and inwardly angularly inclined lip 78.
The catch member 74 has an opening 80 which has threaded engagement
with a threaded bolt 82 extending through an opening 83 in the top
wall 70 of the panel cap. The lip 78 of the catch member is adapted
to engage the two opposite uppermost slots 44 in the vertex 38 of
the uprights 16 to lock the panel cap 24 to the uprights, as shown
in FIG. 6A. The panel cap 24 is positioned on the top of the
uprights 16 so that the panel cap covers the uppermost portion of
the uprights 16. When the spring catch 77 engages the top of slot
44, as shown in FIG. 6A, the entire display is locked together. The
threaded bolt 82 when properly rotated will cause the horizontal
outer portion of the catch member 74 to move in relation to the top
wall 70. This provides an adjustment for variations in the size of
the peg board and also provides a tightly connected display
unit.
The shelves 22 are spacedly secured to the uprights 16 and each of
said shelves is formed to provide a top wall 85, a pair of spaced
sidewalls 86 (FIG. 11), with the rear of each of the sidewalls
stamped or formed to provide a plurality of rearwardly extending
hook members 87, best shown in FIG. 11. The uppermost hook member
87 is of an inverted L-shaped and has a single slot 87'; the
intermediate hook member 88 is provided with a pair of spaced slots
89 and 90, and the lowermost hook member 91 is likewise provided
with a pair of spaced slots 92 and 93. The slots 89 and 92 in the
intermediate and lower hook members are in vertical alignment with
the slot 87' in the uppermost hook member 87, whereas the slots 90
and 93 in the intermediate and the bottom hook members are
positioned at an angle with respect to the uppermost slot 87' but
are alignment therewith at an angular plane.
If it is desired to mount the shelf 22 so that the shelf extends in
a horizontal plane then the hook members are attached to the slots
42 in the front wall 36 of the uprights 16, with the slots 87', 89
and 92 of the hook members in engagement with the slots 42 of the
uprights. However if it is desired to mount the shelf at an acute
angle with respect to the vertical plane of the peg board then the
slots 87', 90 and 93 of the hook members are utilized and are in
engagement with the slots 42 in the uprights 16 and this will tilt
the shelf upwardly at an acute angle.
The front of each of the shelves 22 and the base shelf 28 is shaped
as best shown in FIG. 8, namely, the horizontal wall 85 of the
shelf at the front is bent vertically upward as at 94 and then
horizontally forward as at 95, then reversely rearward to from a
curved channel or pocket 96, then downwardly to form a generally
concave-shaped wall 97 which bows rearwardly to form a channel or
pocket 98, then continues downwardly and is reversely bent on
itself to form a bottom channel or pocket 99. The bottom reversely
bent portion terminates in a lip 100 above the bottom of the
channel or pocket 98. This arrangement provides two trackways along
the entire front length of the shelf so that price tags or
identification designations of two sizes may be inserted in said
trackways and be held therein. For example, a price tag A has its
upper and lower ends supported in the pockets 96 and 99. A shorter
price tag B has its upper end supported in the pocket 96 and its
lower end in engagement with pocket 98 and secured by the lip
100.
The foregoing structure comprises the preferred embodiment of the
invention and is evident, the entire rack may be readily assembled
or disassembled without the use of any tools, bolts, nuts, or
extraneous fastening elements.
FIG. 14 EMBODIMENT
FIG. 14 shows a modified shelf construction. The shelf comprises a
wooden shelf member 102 supported on a pair of spaced arms or
brackets 104 formed of metal or the like. The brackets or arms are
each provided with rearwardly extending interlocking hooks 106
which are adapted to engage the front slots 42 in the uprights 16.
The upper portion of the brackets or arms are provided with a
plurality of upwardly extending pointed projections 108 which
engage the underside of the wooden shelf 102. Adjacent the front
end of the arm is a recessed portion 110 and extending upwardly
thereof is a threaded shank 112 which extends partially through a
suitable opening 114 in the wooden shelf. A nut 116 is secured to
the threaded shank 112 and is positioned in the recess to engage
the underside of the shelf. Adjustment of the nut will level the
shelf with respect to the bracket arm.
It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be
made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope
of the appended claims.
* * * * *