Display Tray And Bracket Assembly

Abstract

A shelf bracket assembly for a display tray which is positionable between a pair of horizontally spaced posts, said posts having opposed surfaces with a plurality of axially aligned, vertically spaced, openings therein. A pair of first members are provided with projection means thereon which are receivable into the openings in the posts. The first members are provided with first flange means for engaging the sides of the posts thereby preventing same from twisting relative thereto. A pair of second flange means extend also from said first members laterally of the first flange means. A pair of second members are fixed to the display tray and have means thereon for releasably securing same to the second flange means on the first members so that the display tray will be supported on and by the posts. The second members can be separated from the first members for purposes of adjustment in the height of the first members relative to the posts and for the purpose of disassembly.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a shelf bracket for supporting a display tray on a pair of upright and elongated posts and, more particularly, relates to a shelf bracket which relies on the pressure of the display tray positioned between the posts for maintaining the engagement of the self bracket with the upright posts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various types of supporting devices for display trays are known and have proven to be successful commercially. However, display trays which are positioned between a pair of horizontally spaced, upstanding and elongated posts have not been entirely satisfactory due either to the use of complicated mechanisms for securing the same to the posts or, where simplicity is attained, due to limited reliability or flexibility. Particularly, where the devices are acceptably reliable and capable of commercially necessary adjustment, they are often space consuming which results in a decrease in the size of the display tray which can be mounted between the posts.

One type of display tray supporting device utilizes a post having a plurality of vertically spaced, rectangular-shaped openings in one wall thereof which receive the hooks on a support member. The openings in the posts must be large enough to receive the hooks on the support member. When stability of the known support members is required, then two rows of vertically spaced openings are provided in the posts which receive at least a pair of horizontally spaced hooks on a support member. This construction thereby minimizes the tendency of the support member to twist relative to the posts. In many instances, particularly where an attempt is made to provide the many openings needed to maximize the number of vertical positions to which the display tray can be adjusted, one wall of the post has so many openings therein that they substantially weaken the post structure.

Therefore, the objects of this invention include:

1. To provide a shelf bracket for a display tray which is positionable between a pair of horizontally spaced, upstanding and elongated posts wherein the assembled thickness of the shelf bracket is minimized in order to maximize the size of the display tray.

2. To provide a bracket assembly which is of a two-piece construction and wherein the connection between the two pieces is simple and requires no maintenance.

3. To provide a bracket assembly, as aforesaid, which relies upon pressure of the display tray positioned between the pair of posts to maintain the bracket assembly in engagement with the posts.

4. To provide a racket assembly, as aforesaid, which is inexpensive to manufacture, rugged and very simple to use.

Other objects and purposes of this invention will be apparent to persons acquainted with apparatus of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled display tray arrangement;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged end view of the display tray and the bracket assembly;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the bracket assembly.

Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference only and will not be limiting. The words "up," "down," "right" and "left" will designate directions in the drawing to which reference is made. The words "in" and "out" will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the device and designated parts thereof. Said terminology will include the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar import.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objects and purposes of the invention are met by providing a pair of two-piece bracket assemblies which are positionable between the ends of a display tray and a pair of horizontally spaced, upstanding and elongated posts so that one of the bracket members will be positively held adjacent the posts by the display tray and consequently unable to be separated from the posts until after the pieces of the bracket assembly secured to the end of the display tray are separated from the members engaging the posts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The merchandise display tray 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a pair of leg structures 11 and 12 separated by a spacing bar 13. A pair of L-shaped brackets 14 and 16 are secured to the leg structures 11 and 12, respectively, as by welding the spacing bar 13 is secured as desired to the horizontal legs of the L-shaped brackets 14 and 16, here by a plurality of screws 17. A pair of posts 18 and 19 are secured to the vertical legs of the L-shaped brackets 14 and 16, as by screws 21, and have a plurality of vertically spaced, circular openings 20 therein.

The display rack 10 is further comprised of a shelf or tray 22. In this particular embodiment, the tray is comprised of a wire mesh construction having two sidewalls 23 and 24 and two end walls 25 and 26 and a bottom wall 27. The length of the tray 22 is slightly less than the spacing between the posts 18 and 19 to define a pair of clearances 30 therebetween, one of which is shown in FIG. 3.

The bracket assembly 28 is comprised of two parts, namely a first member 29 which is securable to the posts 18 and 19 and a second member 31 fixedly secured to the end walls 25 and 26 of the tray 22. The first member 29 is comprised of a flat base portion 32 having a pair of openings 33 (FIG. 3) therethrough, the spacing between said openings 33 being identical to the vertical spacing between the openings 20 in the posts 18 and 19. A pair of pins 34 having enlarged heads 36 are received through the openings 33 so that the pin portions 34 project outwardly therefrom. The diameter of the enlarged heads 36 is greater than the diameter of the openings 33 and are secured to the base portion 32, as by welding (FIG. 3).

A pair of tabs 37 and 38 are formed on the upper end of the base portion 32 and project outwardly in parallelism with the pins 34. In this particular embodiment, the tabs 37 and 38 are horizontally spaced a distance only enough greater than the thickness of the posts 18 and 19 to enable said tabs to embrace said posts easily yet snugly. A pair of tabs 39 and 41 are formed at the lower end of the base portion 32 and project outwardly in parallelism with the pins 34 and are spaced a distance equal to the thickness of the posts 18 and 19.

The base portion 32 also supports a pair of laterally extending L-shaped flanges 42 and 43. In this particular embodiment, the legs 44 and 46 of the flanges 42 and 43 are parallel with the base portion 32 and are connected thereto by the legs 47 and 48 (FIG. 3). The flange legs 44 and 46 are offset from the base portion 32 a distance approximately the thickness of the heads 36, whereby said heads 36 are recessed in the trough 49 formed by the base portion 32 and the legs 47 and 48.

The outer edges 51 and 52 (FIG. 2) of the flanges 42 and 43 are inclined 4.degree. to 10.degree. from the vertical to define locking surfaces. In this particular embodiment, the edges 51 and 52 are inclined at 5.degree..

The second member 31 is secured to the end walls 25 and 26 as by welding. The second member 31 is comprised of a flat sheet metal base 53 having end portions 54 and 56 which are bent at 180.degree. back upon the base portion 53 to define a pair of elongated recesses 57 and 58. The end portions 54 and 56 are formed in such a manner that the elongated recesses 57 and 58 are inclined 4.degree. to 10.degree. to the vertical. Furthermore, the width of the elongated recesses 57 and 58 is slightly greater than the thickness of the flanges 42 and 43 and the horizontal spacing between the bottoms of the recesses 57 and 58 is preferably equal to the horizontal distance between the surfaces 51 and 52 so that when the flanges 42 and 43 are inserted into the recesses 57 and 58, the second member 31 will become supported on the flanges 42 and 43.

OPERATION

The operation of the device embodying the invention will be described in detail hereinbelow for a better understanding of the invention.

Since the length of the display tray 22 is slightly less than the horizontal spacing between the posts 18 and 19, there is just enough room in the clearances 30 defined therebetween for the reception of the first and second members 29 and 31, respectively, of the two bracket assemblies 28 at each end of the tray. The pins 34 of the first members 29 are inserted into the openings 20 in the posts 18 and 19. The tabs 37, 38 and 39, 41 engage the sidewalls of the posts to assist the pins 34 in preventing a twisting of the first member 29 relative to the posts 18 and 19.

The second members 31 which are secured to the end walls 25 and 26 of the tray 22 are telescoped over the flanges 42 and 43 of the first member 29 so that the tray 22 will become supported on the first members 29. The inner side surfaces of the elongated recesses 57 and 58 will engage the edges 51 and 52 on the first member 29 to define an interlocking engagement between the first and second members. Since the space between the horizontally spaced posts 18 and 19 is virtually taken up by the length of the tray 22 and the assembled thicknesses of a pair of bracket assemblies 28, the first members 29 are positively held against the posts 18 and 19 so that the pins 34 thereof are able to retract from the holes 20.

When adjustment in the height of the tray 22 relative to the posts is desired, the second members 31 secured to the tray 22 must be disconnected from the first members 29. This is accomplished by lifting the tray 22 upwardly. The inner surfaces of the recesses 57 and 58 will become disengaged from the edges 51 and 52. Once the tray 22 is moved out from between the posts 18 and 19, the first members 29 can then be pulled outwardly away from the posts and the pins 34 are withdrawn from the openings 20. The first members 29 can then be selectively repositioned vertically on the posts 18 and 19. The process of assembling the shelf to the posts 18 and 19 is the reverse of the disassembling process.

Claims

I claim:

1. In a bracket assembly supporting a display tray positioned between a pair of horizontally spaced, upstanding and elongated posts, said display tray having a length slightly less than the horizontal spacing between said posts thereby defining a pair of clearances between said display tray and said pair of posts, said pair of posts having opposed surfaces, said opposed surfaces having a plurality of axially aligned, vertically spaced openings therein, the combination comprising:

support members having projection means thereon received in axially aligned openings in said posts, said support members having first flange means thereon engaging the lateral sides of said posts adjacent said opposed surfaces on said posts to thereby prevent said support members from twisting relative to said posts and second flange means extending laterally of said first flange means, said second flange means including a pair of oppositely directed, elongated flanges extending substantially parallel to said posts, said flanges uniformly increasing in lateral width in a vertical direction with respect to said posts to define a pair of wedge-shaped surfaces;

guide members fixedly secured to the ends of said display tray adjacent said posts and in said clearances, said guide members having groove means thereon corresponding in shape to and being dimensioned to receive said second flange means and being releasably secured thereto, said support members and said guide members having an assembled thickness equal to the combined clearance dimensions between said display tray and said pair of posts whereby said support members are tightly urged against said posts and thereby unable to be separated from said posts until after said display tray and said guide members have been separated from said support members.

2. The bracket assembly defined in claim 1, wherein said openings in said posts are circular in cross section and wherein said projection means is circular in cross section.

3. In a bracket assembly supporting an article support means positioned between a pair of horizontally spaced frame elements having opposed surfaces with a plurality of axially aligned spaced openings therein, said article support means having at least a portion thereof having a length less than the horizontal spacing between said frame elements thereby defining at least one clearance space between one end of said article support means and an adjacent one of said pair of frame elements, bracket means disposed in said clearance space for interconnecting said one end of said article support means to said one frame element, and mounting means for interconnecting the other end of said support means to said other frame element, said bracket means comprising:

a support member releasably mounted on said one frame element in one of a plurality of mounting positions, said support member having projection means thereon freely slideably received in one of said openings in said one frame element, said support member also having means thereon engageable with said one frame element for preventing said support member from twisting within a substantially vertical plane relative to said one frame element;

a guide member secured to said one end of said article support means adjacent said one frame element and in said clearance space, said guide member being releasably mountable on said support member;

flange means fixedly secured to one of said support member and said guide member, said flange means including a pair of oppositely directed, elongated flanges which substantially uniformly diverge to define a pair of wedge-shaped surfaces; and

groove means fixedly secured to the other of said support member and said guide member, said groove means defining grooves corresponding in shape to and being dimensioned to receive said flange means for releasably connecting said support member and said guide member, said support member and said guide member having an assembled thickness substantially equal to the width of said clearance space whereby said support member is maintained in engagement with said one frame element due to said article support means being positioned between said pair of frame elements.

4. A bracket assembly according to claim 3, wherein a further clearance space is provided between the other end of said article support means and the other of said pair of frame elements, and said mounting means comprising a further bracket means identical to said first-mentioned bracket means.

5. A bracket assembly according to claim 3, wherein said projection means comprises at least one pin projecting outwardly of said support member and into at least one of said openings in said one frame element.

6. A bracket assembly according to claim 3, wherein said means for preventing said support member from twisting relative to said one frame element includes flange means on said support member for engaging the sides of said one frame element to thereby prevent said support member from twisting relative to said one frame element when said support member is engaged therewith.