US1986078A - Folding display rack - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 1, J. P. (SPANG FOLDING DISPLAY RACK v Filed March` 27, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l 25 InvenToT.

Uoseph PSpong byfwmw Jan. 1, 1935. J. P. sPANG FOLDING DISPLAY RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 27, 1934 T. Omo .mu BPM m5 ,pw h` p e S w W ...mw 6

ous other advantageous '.teatureswhich willbe Patented `Jan.` 1, 1935 UnirsefsTAfr invention relates to a foldingldisplay rack and has for its object to provide a novel device] of this type whichis, simple in `,construction and inexpensive to manufacture and whichhas varisubsequently pointed" out.J 1

In the drawings:y f E Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating `afolding display rackembodyingmy invention; ,i

Fig. 2 is a view showing rthe rackfolded; f Fig` 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1with parts broken out; Fig. 4 is a fragmentaryside view withparts broken out; L Q11' :r Fig..5 is a fragmentary`s ectiona-l viewshowing the upper hinge connection for the end'members; Fig. 6 isla section on the liner 6%6, Fig. .4; Fig. '7 is a sectional viewshowing thelmanner of securinglthe placard-.supporting strips in place Fi g 8 is a fragmentaryfjtoppmnzveW, of the back andone end member; i y

The display rack is of that type which comprises aback member to which shelves arehinged and two end members also hinged to thegback member and adapted when in their operative position to support the `shelves at the ends ibut capable of being'. folded against .the back, member-when the rack is in its foldedcondition. The back. member is constituted by a strip` of angle iron Whichx-is bent into a general U shape to present'the two side portions 1 and 2 and the top or bridgeportion 3.. The sides l and 2 and ithetop-portion 3 arelthus integral with eachv other. ThisU-Shaped angle iron structure is suitablybraced by bracemembers 4 and-5 which cross'each other and each of which extends from the top of one side tofthe `bottom of the other side. 'I hese brace {members arerig.-

idly secured at -their endstothefside members 1 Each tie rod '7 has nuts, 9 screwthreaded thereto agar Yt the back member when the display rack strip 12 thatis-formed at its end with a loop 13 that encircles the-tie rodi?, y

Thei endgmembers which support the shelves in vtheir horizontalor'operative position are vin-L- dicated generallyat 14l and 15. Each en'd'memf.

the top: .cro ss member 1'7 anda rear,vertically-V `extendinghingemember 18.' The` leg member vertical leg may be made straight or; the upper` portion. thereof mayl be inclined rearwardly slightly as Ashown at 20,.the,latter being the construction herein shown.

The rear hinge membenlfis in `the. formlof Ta f strip of. metal which=is spot weldedor .riveted at its :upper end to therear rendof the member 17 and is connected to thefront memberlfby means., of cross bars -21, said :barsalso functioningv as shelf-supporting bars; "These cross bars 2l can Abegspotpwelded or rivetedto `the .hinge member; 18, a`ndtheffront leg 16 of the end members thereby making rigid end members ofthe skeletonlype. p j 'f i s -fI'heghinge connection between each'end meme ber 1 4 and 15 ,and the back is constituted by. two trunnions'22, 23 formedA at'thetop" and bottom of each hinge member18. Thetrunnions 22 ex'- tend Vthrough openings formed in the horizontal leg24 of.; the top .member3 of the back ,as seen in Fig. 5; and thelower trunnionsn23.- are received .inftheloops in the bearing brackets 25. which aresecured tothe inside-faces of the Lforwardly-extendinglegs 8 .adjacent the lower ends thereof. Thes e. bearing brackets maybe-inthe form vof metal straps which are rivetedorspotfweldedto the legs Sandgthe ends of which lare bent. into loop. formation' tofreceive 'the'.trunnionskv makes a simplebut'effective ywaybfl connecting theend members'141and 15to the back; e Each shelf 11, except* the top shelf; is provided; at each end :Withxa doWn-turnedflip'261adapted to embrace.thecorrespondingcross bar 2l as best seen. in Figs. 1 and 4, said lips ythus notonly, providingmeans for supportingthe'shelf 5in-its hora izontal position butgby the engagement with :the outside of the bars .#21 ,preventing the ends Y1 4, 15 from i swinging outwardly. Atithe :front end each shelf 311. except thetop .shelL-Lis :formed tol nt between the rearwardly-extending legs 27 of the front posts 16 as shown in Fig. 3, and when the shelves are in their horizontal or operative position, said shelves co-operate with the end l0. ber is formed with `a" f ront post or leg portion .16', y

members to hold said members in their shelf-` supporting position and to prevent the end members from swinging either inwardly or outwardly.

The top shelf is long enough to rest on and be supported by the horizontal flange 29 of the upper member -17 of each-end and the front edge of the top shelf is shown as bent downwardly slightly,

as indicated at 28, thereby covering or overlying the corner 19 of the end member.

When it is desired to fold the display rack; vth'eV shelves can be swung upwardly sufficiently tol dis-1 engage the lips 26 from the cross bars 21 and the.

end members 14 and 15 may th'en be swungbutwardly sufficiently to allow the shelves tofdrop down into their folded position. After kthis is done then the end-members: may be swung inwardlyagainst the folded shelves asshown in Fig. 2 and by the dotted lines in Fig.73. f y The horizontal flanges 19 of the upper member l1'7 are bevelled so v-that vthey are narrower at the rear end adjacenty the pintlel22 as shown at 30 in Fig. 8. The rear'corner of the top shelf 11 is also bevelled or cut away as indicated', at 44'in Fig. 8. The purpose of'this'is'to provide a construction by which ay relatively small outward movement of the end member from its normal shelf-supportingposition will clear 'the flange 29 from the top shelf` so as to allow the top shelf to be folded downwardly. This is illustrated in Fig. 8 wherein the end member 14 is shown in full lines in its shelf-supporting position and in dotted lines in a position which Vpermits the top shelf to be folded. .l

When the display rack is to be erected the end members '14 and V15 will be swung outwardly somewhat beyond their normal shelf-supporting position and thenv the shelves may be swung upwardly, after which the ends may be brought inwardly to a position to permit the lips 26 to be engaged with the cross bars 21. As stated above, when the display stand is erected the co-operation of the shelves withv the end members 14 and 15 serve to lock the end members from swinging movement in eitherdirectionthereby making a relatively stiff and rigid structure. 32 indicate placard-supporting strips i which may conveniently be of ymetal and which are adapted to be secured to the front posts' 16 directly below the front edge of each shelf. Each placard-supporting member is constructed to support a placard which gives some data, such for instance as the price, concerning the articles displayed on the corresponding shelf. These placard-supportingstrips 32 are Yshown as being detachably secured tothe posts-"6 through suitable fastening devices 33, those herein shown having ahead 34 and a bifurcated stem which extends through an opening in the strip 32 Tandan opening 37` in the front leg 35 of the posts 16, the ends of Veach part of thestem beingbent outwardly as shown at 36. Each yplacard-supporting strip 32 has portions 38 struck up therefrom which formloops .adapted 'to embrace a placard 39 on which the desired data regarding the articles on display may be printed. These placards can thus be readily changed as the goods on the .shelves are changed f i Y' The back of the rack is provided with two yuprights or projections 40 which carry an upper placard-supporting 4member 41, the latter also having the loopportions 42 to receive a placard 43 bearing data descriptive of the goods on display.

When the display stand is to be folded the placard-supporting strips 32 will be removed, the construction of the fastening "devices 33 -permitting this to be Vreadily done. 'f f I claim: l. A folding display rack comprising a back member formed from an angle iron bent to present two upright portions and an upper connecting portion, a hinge member secured to the lower end of .each upright portion, two end members each having a pintle at its lower end received in the corresponding hinge member and a pintle at its upper end received in an opening in the horizonltal angeof .the top member of the back, each end member having shelf-supporting bars, and shelves lpivoted to the Vback member, each shelf having at each end alip to overlie the top and Aouterfac'e of l a shelf-supporting bar.

2. A display rack comprising a back member, shelves pivoted thereto to fold 'downwardly thereagainst, two .end members also pivotedto the back member to fold against the folded shelves, each end'memberfhaving 'an angle iron front portion, a rear hinge portion and shelf-supporting bars connecting the angle iron front portion and hinge portion, each shelf having at each end a lip to overlie the top and outer face of 'the corresponding "shelf-'supporting bar, the front portion of each shelf being confined between the rearwardly-extending legs 'of the angle iron front portions of 'the end members, whereby the shelves hold the end membersV from swinging inwardly and the lips von the shelves not only support the shelves but hold the end members from swinging outwardly.

3. A display rack comprising a back member, shelves pivoted thereto to fold downwardly thereagains't, two end members also pivoted to the back member to fold against the folded shelves, each end member'having a front post portion, a rear hinge portion and shelf-supporting bars connecting the post portion and the hinge portion, the frontportion of each shelf when in operative position beingboni'ned between the two post portions and 'thereby preventing inward swinging movement of said end members, and the ends of the shelves-resting on'and having interlockingV engagement with the shelf-supporting bars and thereby preventing outward swinging movement of saidvv end members. y

4. A display rack comprising -a back member formed from a metal strip bent to ypresent two upright portions and an upper connecting portion, ta hinge member secured to the lower end of each upright portion, two end members each having a pintle at its lower end received in the corresponding hinge member, and a pintle at its upper endv reoeived'in -an opening in the upper connecting portion of the back member, each end member having shelf-supporting bars, and shelves pivoted to the back member and adapted to fold downwardly thereag'ainst, each shelf having at each end a detachable interlocking engagement with the shelf-supporting bar by which the shelf is supported, 'which interlocking engagement serves to prevent the end member from outward swinging movement.

JOSEPH P. SPANG.

Images