Base For A Display Rack

Abstract

A base for a display rack which may be shipped disassembled and may be readily assembled and interlocked without the use of any tools, bolts, nuts or extraneous fastening elements. Said base comprises spaced side members and a front kick-plate having means for self-interlocking with said side members, and a base shelf for self-interlocking with said side members. The rear of each side member is interlocked with spaced upright members, which uprights have means for supporting the rear of the base shelf.

Description

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is an improvement on the base for forming the display rack disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 850,942, filed on Aug. 18, 1969, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,159.

In the instant application, the kick-plate sleeves over the front flanges of the side members of the base and the louvers or tongues formed in the kick-plate lock into the openings in the front flanges. The flattened top and bottom end flanges on the kick-plate retain the front flanges of the side members and act as sway braces in the assembly. The kick-plate also has top and bottom flanges between the flattened top and bottom end flanges which serve to stiffen the kick-plate. The rear of each side member is interlocked with spaced upright members, which uprights have means for supporting the rear of the base shelf.

The foregoing features are an improvement in the kick-plate disclosed in my co-pending application in that it simplifies the manufacture of the kick-plate, eliminates die struck hooking parts, utilizes less material, and uses only standard stock dies. It also provides additional support for the rear of the base shelf. The aforesaid features also render the structure less vulnerable to damage in shipping and also eliminates inadvertent disengagement when assembled. It is also cheaper to produce.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display stand utilizing the base formed in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the components forming the base.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view showing the front flange of the side member and the kick-plate prior to locking.

FIG. 4 is a view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 1, showing the parts of FIG. 3 in a locked position.

FIG. 5 is a view showing the rear end of the side members and the lower end of the uprights, and

FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing fragmentary portions of the rear of the top member or shelf of the base and the upright with the means by which the rear of the shelf is supported.

The display rack is formed of a pair of spaced channel-shaped uprights 10, a base generally indicated at 12 having a pair of side members 14 which are detachably interlocked with the uprights 10, a shelf 16 which forms the top of the base and which rests on and is interlocked with the side members 14, and a front kick-plate 18 detachably secured to said side members. The shelf 16 is provided with a rearwardly extending channel 20 on which the back panel or pegboard 22 rests.

The uprights 10 have a side wall 11, a rear wall 13 and a front wall 15. Secured to the front wall is an L-shaped member 17 which provides a longitudinal channel 19 between it and the front wall 15 for receiving and supporting the opposite sides of the pegboard 22. A panel cap 24 fits over the top of the back board 22 and is detachably secured to the uprights 10. The foregoing is a general description of the display rack.

The invention herein resides in the specific construction of the base member, generally designated by the numeral 12. Each side member 14 of the base comprises a side wall 26, an inwardly turned top flange 28 provided with spaced slots 30. The rear end of the side wall is provided with rearwardly extending inverted L-shaped hooking members 32 which engage the slots 34 in the front wall 15 of the uprights 10 to lock the side members 14 of the base to the uprights. The uprights may be provided with additional slots 36 along the length thereof to which are attached additional shelves, not shown. The front of said side wall 26 is inclined or slopes downwardly and inwardly from the top towards the bottom and is provided with an inwardly extending front flange 38 provided with an upper slot 39 and a lower slot 40. Extending forwardly of the front flange 38 at the top of said side wall is a lip or projection 42 having a forwardly sloping front edge 43.

The kick-plate 18 comprises a front wall 44 having at the top thereof an inwardly and downwardly inclined or sloping top flange 46 and at the bottom thereof an upwardly inclined or sloping bottom flange 47. Said flanges are at an acute angle. The said inwardly extending sloping flanges 46 and 47 are bent adjacent the opposite ends to form inwardly extending top and bottom flat end flanges 48 and 49 which are substantially parallel with the wall 44 of the kick-plate but are spaced therefrom.

Adjacent each of the opposite ends of the kick-plate are a pair of louvers or tongues 50 which are sheared and bent inwardly and are formed from the wall 44. Said louvers or tongues are adapted to interlock with the spaced openings 39 and 40 on the front flange 38 of the side members, as best shown in FIG. 4; that is, the open or front end 52 of the louver or tongue enters the slot or opening 39 and 40 in the front flange 38 of the side member and the inwardly extending tongue 50 interlocks with the front flanges 38, and the inwardly extending end flat flanges 48 and 49 of the kick-plate sleeve over the top and bottom ends of the front flange 38 and interlock therewith. The end flanges 48 and 49 retain the front flanges 38 of the side members and act as braces to prevent sway. When the kick-plate 18 is secured to the side members 14 it will be inclined inwardly from the top toward the bottom. The flanges 46 and 47 of the kick-plate serve to stiffen the kick-plate.

The shelf 16 is provided with spaced locking members which are depressed tongues 54 and said tongues are adapted to engage and interlock with the slots 30 in the top flange 28 of the side members 14. The front of the base shelf 16 is inclined forwardly and downwardly to form a front wall 56 and then is bent inwardly to form an inturned end 58. When the shelf 16 of the base member is locked to the side members 14 the opposite ends of the front wall 56 will extend over the lips or projections 42 of the side members 14, with the inturned front end 58 extending slightly inwardly. The opposite ends 57 of the front wall 56 will be positioned adjacent the lip 42, as best seen in FIG. 1. The front wall 56 will complete the base, as best seen in FIG. 1.

This invention also includes the manner in which the rear end of the top member or shelf 16 of the base is supported by the uprights 10. As best seen in FIG. 6, the opposite end edges 60 of the vertical flange 62 of the shelf 16 extend to the edges 16' of the shelf 16. The opposite end edges 64 of the shelf channel 20 which supports the bottom of the pegboard terminate short of the edges 60 of the rear flange 62 to provide exposed opposite rear flanges 66 at the rear of the shelf. Formed in the front wall 15 of the uprights 10 is a projection 68 having a top edge 69. In positioning the shelf 16 in relation to the uprights 10, the exposed rear flange 66 is positioned adjacent the front wall 15 of the upright and the bottom 70 of the rear exposed flange 66 rests on the top edge 69 of the projection 68. This supports the rear of the shelf 16. The opposite ends of the channel 20, as well as the channel, will be alined with the longitudinal channels 19 of the uprights 10.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A base for a display rack, said base having a pair of side members, and a kick-plate at the front thereof, said side members each having a side wall and an inwardly extending front flange, said kick-pate having a front wall and inwardly and rearwardly extending end flanges at its opposite ends and at the top and bottom of said kick-plate substantially parallel with the front wall and spaced from the front wall which forms sleeves to slip over and engage the inwardly extending front flanges of said side members, and means on the front wall of said kick-plate and the inwardly extending front flange of the side members cooperating to interlock the kick-plate to said side members.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for interlocking the kick-plate to the side members comprises a tongue on the front wall of the kick-plate interlocking with an opening in the front flange of the side member.

3. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for interlocking the kick-plate to the side members comprises a tongue on one and a slot on the other.

4. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which each of the side members has an inwardly extending top flange and in which a shelf is positioned on said top flanges with said shelf and top flanges having means for interlocking.

5. A structure as set forth in claim 4 in which the shelf has a forwardly and downwardly inclined front wall and in which each of the side members has a projection which closes the open ends of the inclined front wall.

6. A structure as set forth in claim 4 in which each of the side members are interlocked at the rear thereof with an upright and in which the upright has means engaging the rear of the shelf for supporting the rear of the shelf.