U.S. patent number RE36,669 [Application Number 09/136,812] was granted by the patent office on 2000-04-25 for display pole support structure.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Metaline Products Company Inc.. Invention is credited to August J. Zilincar, III.
United States Patent |
RE36,669 |
Zilincar, III |
April 25, 2000 |
Display pole support structure
Abstract
Support structure for securing a display pole to a conventional
supermarket shelving unit. The structure includes a bracket adapted
to be mounted to the front of a pre-existing shelf by fingers which
are inserted through apertures in the top surface of the shelf. The
other end of the bracket includes a jacket member for holding the
display pole. A pair of such brackets are utilized for holding the
display pole, with the brackets in vertical alignment and each
being mounted to a respective one of a pair of vertically spaced
shelves.
Inventors: |
Zilincar, III; August J. (Old
Bridge, NJ) |
Assignee: |
Metaline Products Company Inc.
(South Amboy, NJ)
|
Family
ID: |
24419884 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/136,812 |
Filed: |
September 25, 1998 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
604508 |
Feb 21, 1996 |
05657884 |
Aug 19, 1997 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
211/86.01;
211/103; 211/57.1; 211/59.1; 248/220.31; 248/220.41; 248/226.11;
248/227.2; 248/534 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F
5/0043 (20130101); A47F 5/0068 (20130101); A47F
5/0815 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47F
5/00 (20060101); A47F 005/00 (); A47F 010/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;211/119.003,57.1,59.1,103,86.01,113,175,118,87.01
;248/218.4,219.4,245,534,220.31,222.51,220.43,220.41,226.11,227.2,227.3,231.9 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
SpaceXpander.TM. system illustration and assembly
instructions--date unknown..
|
Primary Examiner: Gibson, Jr.; Robert W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Davis; David L.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A bracket for supporting a pole in a substantially vertical
orientation from a substantially horizontal shelf, wherein the
shelf has a planar top surface terminating in a front edge, a
plurality of apertures through said top surface arranged at spaced
locations along a line parallel to said front edge, and a lip which
extends concavely downwardly and forwardly from said shelf front
edge to terminate in a lip edge parallel to said shelf front edge,
the bracket comprising:
a substantially planar plate member having at least one finger
extending from an edge of said plate member, each of said at least
one finger being sized to fit within a respective one of said
apertures and being displaced out of the plane of said plate member
so that said plate member can rest on said shelf planar top surface
with said at least one finger extending through said respective
aperture;
.[.a jacket.]. .Iadd.an engagement .Iaddend.member adapted to .[.at
least partially surround.]. .Iadd.engage .Iaddend.said pole so as
to substantially limit lateral movement of said pole with respect
to said .[.jacket member.]. .Iadd.bracket.Iaddend.;
coupling means for coupling said .[.jacket.]. .Iadd.engagement
.Iaddend.member to said plate member in such orientation that said
pole is oriented substantially vertically when .[.held.].
.Iadd.engaged .Iaddend.by said .[.jacket.]. .Iadd.engagement
.Iaddend.member when said plate member rests on said shelf planar
top surface; and
a stabilizer plate adapted to engage said lip edge when said plate
member rests on said shelf planar top surface with said at least
one finger extending through said respective aperture.
2. The bracket according to claim 1 wherein:
said at least one finger is configured to extend away from and back
towards the plane of said plate member as said at least one finger
is traversed from said plate member edge to the distal end of said
at least one finger.
3. The bracket according to claim 2 wherein said shelf apertures
are equally spaced apart and there are two parallel fingers spaced
apart so as to each extend through a respective one of a pair of
apertures.
4. The bracket according to claim 1 wherein said coupling means
includes:
an elongated bar member secured at a first end to said .[.jacket.].
.Iadd.engagement .Iaddend.member and at a second end to said
stabilizer plate;
an elongated coupling member secured at a first end to said plate
member opposite said at least one finger and extending away from
said at least one finger, said coupling member adapted for
longitudinal overlapping sliding engagement with said bar member;
and
adjustable securing means for securing said coupling member to said
bar member with a desired overlap therebetween so that the position
of said stabilizer plate relative to said plate member is such to
insure that said stabilizer plate engages said lip edge when said
plate member rests on said shelf planar top surface with said at
least one finger extending through said respective aperture.
5. The bracket according to claim 4 wherein said adjustable
securing means includes:
an elongated longitudinal slot in said coupling member and
overlying said bar member; and
clamping means extending through said slot for clamping said
coupling member to said bar member.
6. The bracket according to claim 5 wherein said clamping means
includes:
a threaded opening in said bar member in registration with said
slot; and
a threaded member extending through said slot and threadedly
engaged in said threaded opening, said threaded member having an
enlarged head which bears against said coupling member when said
threaded member is threaded into said threaded opening.
7. The bracket according to claim 1 further including biasing means
for resiliently biasing said stabilizer plate toward said plate
member.
8. The bracket according to claim 7 wherein said coupling means
includes a first elongated hollow bar member secured at a first end
to said jacket member and at a second end to said plate member,
with said .[.jacket.]. .Iadd.engagement .Iaddend.member closing
said first bar member first end and said first bar member second
end being open, and said biasing means includes:
a second elongated hollow bar member open at a first end and
secured at a second end to said stabilizer plate, with said
stabilizer plate closing said second bar member second end, said
second bar member being disposed at least partially within said
first bar member for longitudinal movement therein; and
a compression spring disposed within said first and second bar
members, said spring bearing against said .[.jacket.].
.Iadd.engagement .Iaddend.member at a first of its ends and against
said stabilizer plate at a second of its ends.
9. The bracket according to claim 8 wherein said biasing means
further includes means for limiting the movement of said second bar
member relative to said first bar member, comprising:
an elongated longitudinal slot in said first bar member;
an opening in said second bar member in registration with said
slot; and
a pin member extending through said slot and into said opening.
10. The bracket according to claim 9 wherein said opening in said
second bar member is internally threaded and said pin member
comprises a threaded screw.
11. A bracket for supporting a pole in a substantially vertical
orientation from a substantially horizontal shelf, wherein the
shelf has a planar top surface terminating in a front edge, a
plurality of apertures through said top surface arranged at spaced
locations along a line parallel to said front edge, and a lip which
extends concavely downwardly and forwardly from said shelf front
edge to terminate in a lip edge parallel to said shelf front edge,
the bracket comprising:
a substantially planar plate member having at least one finger
extending from an edge of said plate member, each of said at least
one finger being sized to fit within a respective one of said
apertures and being displaced out of the plane of said plate member
so that said plate member can rest on said shelf planar top surface
with said at least one finger extending through said respective
aperture;
.[.a jacket.]. .Iadd.an engagement .Iaddend.member adapted to .[.at
least partially surround.]. .Iadd.engage .Iaddend.said pole so as
to substantially limit lateral movement of said pole with respect
to said .[.jacket member.]. .Iadd.bracket.Iaddend.;
coupling means for coupling said .[.jacket.]. .Iadd.engagement
.Iaddend.member to said plate member in such orientation that said
pole is oriented substantially vertically when .[.held.].
.Iadd.engaged .Iaddend.by said .[.jacket.]. .Iadd.engagement
.Iaddend.member when said plate member rests on said shelf planar
top surface; and
securement means coupled to said .[.jacket.]. .Iadd.engagement
.Iaddend.member for engaging said pole to prevent longitudinal
movement of said pole with respect to said .[.jacket member.].
.Iadd.bracket.Iaddend..
12. The bracket according to claim 11 for use with a pole formed
with a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures, wherein said
.[.jacket.]. .Iadd.engagement .Iaddend.member includes an aperture
and said securement means includes a pin member insertable through
said .[.jacket.]. .Iadd.engagement .Iaddend.member aperture and a
selected one of said pole apertures.
13. A pole support system for use with a pair of vertically spaced
substantially horizontal shelves each having a planar top surface
terminating in a front edge and with a plurality of apertures
through said top surface arranged at spaced locations along a line
parallel to said front edge, and including a pair of brackets each
comprising:
a substantially planar plate member having at least one finger
extending from an edge of said plate member, each of said at least
one finger being sized to fit within a respective one of said
apertures and being displaced out of the plane of said plate member
so that said plate member can rest on said shelf planar top surface
with said at least one finger extending through said respective
aperture;
.[.a jacket.]. .Iadd.an engagement .Iaddend.member adapted to .[.at
least partially surround.]. .Iadd.engage .Iaddend.said pole so as
to substantially limit lateral movement of said pole with respect
to said .[.jacket member.]. .Iadd.each bracket.Iaddend.; and
coupling means for coupling said .[.jacket.]. .Iadd.engagement
.Iaddend.member to said plate member in such orientation that said
pole is oriented substantially vertically when .[.held.].
.Iadd.engaged .Iaddend.by said .[.jacket.]. .Iadd.engagement
.Iaddend.member when said plate member rests on said shelf planar
top surface;
wherein a first of said brackets is secured to a first of said
shelves and the second of said brackets is secured to the second of
said shelves in vertical alignment with the first bracket.
.Iadd.14. The bracket according to claim 13 wherein said engagement
member is adapted to at least
partially surround said pole..Iaddend..Iadd.15. The bracket
according to claim 1 wherein said engagement member is adapted to
at least partially surround said pole..Iaddend..Iadd.16. The pole
support system according to claim 11 wherein said engagement member
is adapted to at least partially surround said pole..Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to display poles and, more particularly, to
support structure for a display pole which is readily attachable to
a pre-existing shelving unit and is adaptable for different size
shelves.
In present day supermarkets, the proliferation of different
products has resulted in a shortage of product display space. Thus,
within an existing supermarket, the amount of shelving space is
fixed and, as new products become available, there may not be
shelving space which is able to accommodate such new products. Many
products are packaged so that they are mounted on cards or the like
(e.g., in blister packs) which are designed to be hung from a
hanger which typically comprises a thin substantially horizontal
rod mounted to an aperture in a fixed support. These packaged
products do not require a shelf for their display and it is
therefore desirable to not utilize any space that could be used for
shelving to display such packaged products. It is therefore a
primary object of the present invention to provide structure for
displaying such packaged products which does not utilize any
shelving space.
Since the shelves are already in existence, and are somewhat
standardized, it is another object of the present invention to
provide such structure which "piggybacks" onto pre-existing shelf
space without interfering with products taking up the shelf
space.
Although somewhat standardized, there are variations among shelving
from different manufacturers. It is therefore a further object of
the present invention to provide such structure which is adaptable
to such varying shelving.
There presently exist display poles which are formed with a
plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures adapted for supporting
the aforementioned product hangers. An example of structure for
holding such a display pole in front of a supermarket shelving unit
is the SpaceXpander.TM. system sold by L & N Sales Co. of
Huntingdon Valley, Pa. This structure includes a pair of extension
rods which are secured at their rearward ends to pre-existing slots
in one of the stanchions from which the shelves are hung, the
stanchions being at the rear of the shelves. The display pole is
then secured to the forward ends of the extension rods by means of
machine screws. While somewhat effective, this structure is
disadvantageous in that it is difficult to install, especially to
pre-existing shelving which has product thereon. This structure is
further disadvantageous because in order to adapt to different
depth shelves, different length extension rods must be provided. It
is therefore a more specific object of this invention to provide
structure which supports a display pole, is easy to install, and
which adapts to varying shelving without requiring the replacement
of parts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Conventional supermarket shelving includes a substantially
horizontal shelf having a planar top surface terminating in a front
edge. A plurality of apertures through the top surface of the shelf
are typically arranged at spaced locations along a line parallel to
the front edge of the shelf. The aforedescribed objects are
attained in accordance with the principles of this invention by
providing a bracket for supporting a display pole in a
substantially vertical orientation, the bracket being adapted for
mounting to such a shelf by means of the apertures. The bracket
includes a substantially planar plate member having at least one
finger extending from an edge of the plate member. The finger is
sized to fit within a respective one of the shelf apertures and is
displaced out of the plane of the plate member so that the plate
member can rest on the planar top surface of the shelf with the
finger extending through the respective aperture. The bracket also
includes a jacket member adapted to at least partially surround the
pole so as to substantially limit lateral movement of the pole with
respect to the jacket member, and a coupler for coupling the jacket
member to the plate member in such orientation that the pole is
oriented substantially vertically when held by the jacket member
when the plate member rests on the planar top surface of the
shelf.
In accordance with an aspect of this invention, the finger is
configured to extend away from and back towards the plane of the
plate member as the finger is traversed from the plate member edge
to the distal end of the finger.
A supermarket shelf usually includes a lip which extends concavely
downwardly and forwardly from the shelf front edge to terminate in
a lip edge parallel to the shelf front edge. This lip is typically
used to hold a card with pricing information for products on the
shelf. In accordance with another aspect of this invention, the
bracket further includes a stabilizer plate adapted to engage the
lip edge when the plate member rests on the planar top surface of
the shelf with the finger extending through the respective shelf
aperture.
In accordance with yet another aspect of this invention, the
coupler includes an elongated bar member secured at a first end to
the jacket member and at a second end to the stabilizer plate. An
elongated coupling member is secured at a first end to the plate
member opposite the finger and .extending away from the finger, the
coupling member being adapted for longitudinal overlapping sliding
engagement with the bar member. Adjustable securing means are
provided for securing the coupling member to the bar member with a
desired overlap therebetween so that the position of the stabilizer
plate relative to the plate member is such to insure that the
stabilizer plate engages the lip edge when the plate member rests
on the planar top surface of the shelf with the finger extending
through the respective aperture.
In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, there is
provided a pole support system for use with a pair of vertically
spaced substantially horizontal shelves and including a pair of the
aforedescribed brackets, wherein a first of the brackets is secured
to a first of the shelves and the second of the brackets is secured
to the second of the shelves in vertical alignment with the first
bracket.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing will be more readily apparent upon reading the
following description in conjunction with the drawings in which
like elements in different figures thereof are identified by the
same reference numeral and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a shelving unit to which is
mounted a display pole support system according to the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view showing a first embodiment of an inventive
adjustable bracket mounted to a shelf and holding a display
pole;
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the bracket of FIG.
2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an alternative embodiment of
an inventive bracket where the position of the stabilizer plate is
not adjustable; and
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of another
alternative embodiment of an inventive bracket where the position
of the stabilizer plate relative to the plate member is
self-adjusting.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a pair of vertically
spaced substantially horizontal supermarket shelves 10, 12. As
shown, the shelf 10 has a planar top surface 14 terminating in a
front edge 16. A plurality of apertures 18 through the surface 14
are arranged at spaced locations along a line parallel to the front
edge 16. The shelf 10 further includes a lip 20 which extends
concavely downwardly and forwardly from the shelf front edge 16 to
terminate in a lip edge 22 which is parallel to the shelf front
edge 16. Such a lip 20 typically is used to hold a card with
pricing information for products on the shelf 10. The shelf 12
typically is identical to the shelf 10 and both of the shelves 10,
12 have structure (not shown) at their rearward ends which engage
slots in vertical stanchions to support the shelves thereon, as is
conventional. While described in the environment of a supermarket
such shelving is also utilized in other types of commercial retail
establishments, and it is not intended that this invention be
limited to use in supermarkets.
FIG. 1 also illustrates a display pole 24 of the type supported by
the inventive structure. As shown, the display pole 24 is a long
hollow tube, illustratively rectangular in cross section, with a
plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures 26 on opposed sides.
Although shown as being square, the display pole 24 can have any
desired cross-sectional configuration. Thus, the display pole 24
can also be rectangular, round, triangular, or even be a U-channel.
The display pole 24 is adapted to support a plurality of product
hangers 28 along its length. An exemplary hanger is the
Scan-Lok.TM. hanger manufactured by T-PlasTech Corp., of Englewood,
Colo. The hangers 28 each includes a substantially horizontal rod
30 for supporting products mounted on cards or the like (e.g., in
blister packs) and a rod 32 terminating in a holder 34 for product
identification and price information. The rods 30, 32 extend from a
plate 36 which has a pair of projections (not shown) extending from
its other surface which are adapted to each pass through a
respective one of the apertures 26 so as to mount the hanger 28 to
the pole 24. Conventionally, the hanger 28 is a unitary structure
molded from plastic.
The inventive support structure comprises a bracket, designated
generally by the reference numeral 38, and adapted to be used in
pairs. The bracket 38 is preferably formed of metal, although it
can also be molded from plastic, and is designed to engage a pair
of the apertures 18 at a first end and hold the display pole 24 at
a second end. Thus, the inventive bracket is suspended from the
front of the shelf 10 so that, without replacement of any parts,
the bracket 38 can be used with any depth shelf. As shown in FIGS.
1-3, the inventive bracket 38 includes a substantially planar plate
member 40 having a pair of fingers 42 extending from an edge 44 of
the plate member 40. The fingers 42 are sized to fit within the
apertures 18 and are shaped to extend away from and back toward the
plane of the plate member 40 as a finger 42 is traversed from the
edge 44 to its distal end 46. Thus, as best shown in FIG. 2, the
plate member 40 can overlie and rest on the planar top surface 14
of the shelf 10 with the fingers 42 extending through respective
apertures 18. The shape of the fingers 42 is such that they are
readily insertable through respective apertures 18 when the plate
member 40 is held in a substantially vertical orientation but
cannot be removed from the apertures 18 when the plate member 40 is
rotated to a substantially horizontal position overlying the planar
top surface 14.
The bracket 38 further includes a jacket member 48 for at least
partially surrounding the display pole 24 so as to substantially
limit lateral movement of the pole 24 with respect to the jacket
member 48. Illustratively, the jacket member 48 is a hollow tube
having the same cross sectional configuration as the pole 24 and
with internal dimensions sized slightly larger than the external
dimensions of the pole 24 so as to provide slight clearance for the
pole 24 to be moved longitudinally within the jacket member 48 for
adjustment purposes. The jacket member 48 is formed with a pair of
opposed apertures 50 on two sides. A bolt 52 and wing nut 54 are
preferably provided. The bolt 52 is adapted to extend through a
first one of the apertures 50, through a pair of opposed apertures
26 of the pole 24, and through the other aperture 50 of the jacket
member 48. The wing nut 54 is then secured to the bolt 52 to hold
the pole 24 securely therein so as to prevent longitudinal movement
of the pole 24. Preferably, the front end of the jacket member 48
is formed with a gap 56 so that the wing nut 54 can be tightened to
bring the side walls 58, 60 of the jacket member 48 closer together
to secure the pole 24 against lateral displacement.
The bracket 38 further includes a coupler for coupling the jacket
member 48 to the plate member 40 in such orientation that the pole
24 is oriented substantially vertically when held by the jacket
member 48 when the plate member 40 rests on the shelf top surface
14. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, the coupler is
adjustable, as will be described in full detail hereinafter. As
previously described, the shelf 10 includes a lip 20. To provide
stability to the bracket 38 when the fingers 42 extend through the
apertures 18 of the shelf 10, the coupler includes a downwardly
extending stabilizer plate 62 which is adapted to engage the lip
edge 22 when the bracket 38 is mounted to the shelf 10, as best
shown in FIG. 2. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, the coupler
is adjustable to accommodate varying shelf dimensions including the
spacing of the apertures 18 from the front edge 16 and the
horizontal displacement of the lip edge 22 from the front edge 16.
Accordingly, the coupler includes an elongated bar member 64 having
a first end welded to the jacket member 48 and a second end welded
to the stabilizer plate 62. Illustratively, the bar member 64 is
formed of hollow rectangular tubing.
The coupler also includes an elongated coupling member 66 secured,
as by welding, to the plate member 40 at the end of the plate
member 40 opposite the fingers 42, the coupling member 66 extending
away from the fingers 42. As an alternative to the welding of the
pieces 40, 66, the plate member 40 together with the coupling
member 66 can be stamped and formed from a single piece of sheet
metal. Preferably, the coupling member 66 is a three-sided and
right angled body sized to overlap the bar member 64 with slight
clearance to allow longitudinal sliding motion therebetween. To
adjustably secure the coupling member 66 to the bar member 64, the
bar member 64 is formed with a threaded aperture 68 in its top
surface and the coupling member 66 is formed with an elongated slot
70 through its top surface. The positions of the aperture 68 and
the slot 70 are such that when the coupling member 66 overlies the
bar member 64, the aperture 68 is exposed through the slot 70.
There is further provided a wing screw 72 which extends through the
slot 70 into threaded engagement with the aperture 68. When the
desired overlapping between the coupling member 66 and the bar
member 64 is achieved so that the stabilizer plate 62 engages the
lip edge 22, the wing screw 72 is tightened to securely clamp the
coupling member 66 to the bar member 64.
In use, a pair of the brackets 38 support a pole 24. One of the
brackets 38 is mounted to an upper one of the shelves in a shelving
unit and the other bracket 38 is mounted to a lower one of the
shelves in vertical alignment with the upper bracket. During
mounting of the brackets, the overlap between the coupling member
66 and the bar member 64 of each bracket is adjusted and secured.
The pole 24 is then inserted through the pair of vertically aligned
jacket members 48 and adjusted to the desired height. The bolt 52
is then installed in the upper one of the brackets 38 to securely
hold the display pole 24. The hangers 28 are then mounted to the
pole 24 at desired locations along the length of the pole 24.
It is noted that although the upper and lower brackets are
preferably identical, only one of the brackets needs to have the
bolt 52 installed therein. It is further noted that the pole 24 can
be suspended at any desired height and does not necessarily have to
rest on the floor or the shelving unit base.
There may be certain instances where adjustability of the coupler
is not a requirement. FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of an inventive
bracket 74 where there is no adjustability of the distance between
the stabilizer plate 76 and the plate member 78. Thus, the
stabilizer plate 76 and the plate member 78 may be formed from a
single piece of sheet metal and the bar member 80 may be welded at
one end to the stabilizer plate 76 and at the other end to the
jacket member 82.
FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of an inventive bracket 84 wherein
the position of the stabilizer plate 86 is self-adjustable relative
to the plate member 88 so that the bracket 84 automatically adapts
to any size shelf lip 20. As shown, the bracket 84 includes a
jacket member 90 the same as the previously described jacket
members. A first elongated hollow bar 92 is welded at a first end
to a side of the jacket member 90 so that the jacket member 90
closes that end of the bar 92. The other end of the hollow bar 92
is open, and the plate member extends beyond that open end,
preferably as a continuation of the top surface of the bar 92. The
stabilizer plate 86 is welded to a second hollow bar 94 and closes
a first end thereof. The other end of the hollow bar 94 is open.
The hollow bar 94 is disposed within the hollow bar 92, with the
stabilizer plate 86 extending out past the open end of the bar 92.
The bar 94 is sized so that it is free to move longitudinally in
the bar 92. A compression spring 96 is disposed within the bars 92
and 94, with a first end of the spring 96 bearing against the side
of the jacket member 90 which closes off the end of the bar 92 and
the second end of the spring 96 bearing against the stabilizer
plate 86 which closes off the end of the bar 94. Accordingly, the
stabilizer plate 86 is resiliently biased toward the left, as
viewed in FIG. 5, so that when the bracket 84 is secured to a
shelf, the stabilizer plate 86 bears against the lip edge 22. To
limit movement of the bar 94 relative to the bar 92, the bar 92 is
formed with an elongated longitudinal slot 98 and the bar 94 is
formed with an opening 100 in registration with the slot 98. A pin
is then provided which extends through the slot 98 and into the
opening 100. Preferably, the opening 100 is internally threaded and
the pin comprises a short threaded screw 102. To assemble the
bracket 84, the spring 96 is placed within the bar 94 and then the
spring 96 and the bar 94 are together inserted into the bar 92. The
screw 102 is then inserted through the slot 98 and threaded into
the opening 100. The screw 102 therefore functions to hold the
bracket 84 together as well as to limit movement of the bar 94 by
butting against the ends of the slot 98.
Accordingly, there has been disclosed improved support structure
for a display pole which is readily attachable to a pre-existing
shelving unit and is adaptable for different size shelves. The
adaptability is in two respects. First, since the bracket mounts to
the front of a shelf, it can be used with any depth shelf. Second,
the adjustable coupler adapts to different size lips and to
different spacing of the shelf apertures from the shelf front edge.
While illustrative embodiments Of the inventive structure have been
disclosed herein, it is understood that other embodiments and
modifications may be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art
and it is intended that this invention be limited only by the scope
of the appended claims.
* * * * *