US2769550A - Novelty utility article - Google Patents

Description

1956 K. B. ROLLIVNS ETAL 2,769,550

NOVELTY UTILITY ARTICLE Filed March 31, 1952 INVENTQRS MARK L ROLLJNS KAT$1NE BECK ROLLINS United States Patent a NOVELTY UTILITY ARTICLE Kathrine Beck Rollins and Mark L. Rollins, Valley Stream, N. Y.

Application March 31, 1952, Serial No. 279,564

1 Claim. (Cl. 211-11) This invention relates to improvements in novelty utility articles providing receptacle means and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved novelty utility article having a number of walls defining individual compartments for the reception of goods, stationery merchandise, mail and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved novelty utility article in which there are pairs of walls interconnected by spacing webs to form substantially upwardly open receptacle compartments, each adjacent pair of said walls being in turn interconnected at upper edges by integrating webs to define a continuous series of combined cooperative receptacle compartments.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved novelty utility article in which there is a plurality of upstanding walls, each wall spaced from adjacent walls, alternate walls being interconnected at the bottom by integrating webs, or at the top, to form an undulating assembly defining a series of alternating upwardly open receptacle recesses for the reception of articles, mail, and the like, with shelf means extending from selected walls for supporting discrete articles and the like thereon.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel utility article of the type described, in which longitudinal leg means is secured to all the lower interconnecting webs and providing means upon which said article is both supported and may be moved slidably over any supporting surface.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a novel utility article of the type described, which is'formed of a single main sheet of material with a series of major upstanding corrugations and undulations along its length, defining a series of upwardly open receptacle recesses having smoothly contoured walls, forward and rearward upper marginal portions of the first and last of said corrugations forming lip-like shelves for the support of discrete articles, and/or time indicating means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel utility article of the type described, in which said major assembly of continuous undulations is supported on a support assembly comprising frame and drawer means, the drawer means being slidably retractable to afiord access to the interior thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novelty utility article of the type described, which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, attractive in appearance, and highly effective for its intended purposes.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying illustrations, forming a part hereof, and in which,

Figure l is a perspective view showing a preferred form of the invention, with two compartments.

Figure 2 is a right end elevational View of the device shown in Figure 1, as seen on plane 2-2 of Figure 1.

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Figure 3 is a perspective view showing another modified form of the invention, with several compartments.

Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 2, but showing a modified form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing another modified form of the invention.

in the manufacture and use of novelty utility articles various considerations must predominate, depending upon the desires of the manufacturer and the ultimate consumer or user thereof. Where, for example, incoming mail is to be sorted and arranged in accordance with any desired pattern of the user, it is important that such sorting means be simple and convenient and at the same time constructed so as to be attractive in appearance while retaining its full utilitarian purposes and facilities. The present invention discloses such a novelty utility article, which is quite attractive in appearance, yet is so constructed that not a whit is subtracted from its appearance in the course of providing for full utilitarian objectives. It not only permits sorting of any generally planar articles and objects, not restricted to mail alone,

in one or more discrete and plainly visible compartments, but also, as desired, may provide for the storage of other articles in a novel manner.

in order to understand clearly the nature of the invention, and the best means for carrying it out, reference may now be had to the drawings, in which like numerals denote similar parts throughout the several views.

As seen best in Figures 1 and 2, there is a major assembly generally indicated at it which has a first upstanding wall 12, which may be formed of sheet material of suitable rigidity or stiliness, such as plastic, metal, compositions, or other materials, and has an upper edge 14 bounded by vertical side edges 16 and 18, and terminating in its lower marginal portion 2% in a curved web 24. However, as seen in Figure 4, such wall 32a may be smoothly curved somewhat as shown. The lower marginal portion 38 of the wall 32 is smoothly integrated with the curved web 40 which then turns upwardly smoothly for integration with the fourth wall 42, which again is shown in Figures 1 and 2 as planar.

Ball feet 44, 46, 43 and 5:), formed of the same material as the walls 18, 24, 32 and 42, may be secured to the curved webs 22 and 4% of the device shown in Figures 1 and 2, by means of cement, adhesives, or other fastening means, or may be cast integral therewith. The lower portions of the ball feet are all brought into a common plane, so that they will all make equal contact with a table top or other supporting surface when the device is placed thereon. When in use, it is seen that the device may be placed on a table top with its ball feet resting thereon, as in Figures 1 and 2, or with its curved webs 22a and ila resting thereon as in Figure 4 in case the balls such as :4 are omitted,

A pair of compartments or receptacles 52 and 54 are thus formed, which are not only upwardly open, but also open at each end, and mail, envelopes, stationery, or the like may be disposed therein, as at 69, resting on the walls 24 and 4-2 in the manner shown, and on the webs 22 and 49. By making the walls plastic and transparent, it is easy to see at a glance just what mail has arrived, and the user may also make suitable identifying notaof articles, clips, and the like.

. 3 tions thereon, as for example, the notation MAIL on the wall 12, and Mr. John Doe, and the notation Mrs. Eohn Doe being shown on the second wah 42, on the upper margin thereon. By sloping the walls and curving them somewhat, as seen in Figure 4, the appearance is somewhat enhanced, and in addition, the envelopes may be arranged to incline somewhat more toward the rear for increased stability.

Referring now to Figure 3, it is seen that there is a I plurality of such walls 1.8.), 24-5, 325, 42b,etc., which correspond generally to the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2. However it is seen that there are more than two compartments, the number of compartments being in-' of Figures 1 and 2, or the tubular runners like 76in Figure. .3, we employ the bottom drawer assembly 1045;

for this purpose, lending weight and stability thereto, and providing additional utility features. Theupper compartmented portion of the unit may have the walls 120,

24c, 420, etc., corresponding to the similarly numberedv walls and construction of Figures, 1, 2 and 4, and or may be formed like the walled assembly of Figure 3, omitting however, the runners 76 and78.

creased by the addition of integrated upstanding walls 62, 64, 66, and 63, with curved webs 70, 72 and 74 interconnecting them as shown. Further it is seen that there are tubular cylindrical runners or legs 76 and 78 secured to all the lower end webs 22b, 40b, 70 and 74, either by molding, adhesively, or otherwise, maintaining them in rigid array. The runners 76 and 78 are substantially parallel as shown, and their lower edges lie in a 7 common plane, so that they will not scratch or mar the table top on which they rest.

At the same time, they are hollow cylinders, and may have various articles, such as pencils, pens and the like, inserted through their open ends for ready use when a needed. The front walllZb has its upper'margin bent smoothly forwardly as at 80, and 'thence downwardly as at 82 and upwardly as at 84, to form a trough 86 to receive small articles, pencils, paper clips, and the like 88. At the same time, the rear wall 63 may have its upper margin 90 upturned and then downturned as at 92, and thence formed into a planar trough bottom 94, with upturned lip 96, terminating in an upstanding wall portion 98, containing a clock 1 30. The trough 94 may be employed to hold suitable implements 102, pencils, pens and the like as needed.

. Referring now to Figure 5, it is seen that there is a 7 bottom assembly 104 formed in the general shape of a .7 boX, with top wall 106, back wall 108, bottom wall 110,

Although we have described our invention in specific terms, it will be understood that various changes may be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement without departing from the'spirit and scope of the invention i as claimed. 7

We claim: 7

A novelty utility rack consisting of a plurality of mutually spaced main compartment walls all of which are mutually parallel and formed of rigid sheet material,

curved floor web walls integral with and interconnecting lower portions of adjacent main compartment walls to form successive upwardly open compartments, curved top'web walls integral with and interconnecting upper portions of adjacent main compartment walls of successive compartments to form an undulating upwardly open, serially'successive plurality of spaced compartments integral with each other, a pair of hollow tubular support runners disposed in mutually parallel array below said" floor web walls and secure thereto for supporting the same, a first integral shallow rack lip trough carried by;

one of said main compartment wallsat its upper end for supporting articles, a second integral shallow rack lip trough carried by another or said main compartment walls at its upper end for supportingarticles, said first and second rack lip troughs being carried by main compartment walls at opposite ends of said utility rack so as to extend in opposite directions outwardly therefrom, and

an upstanding stub wall integral with said second rack'lip trough with a socket formed in said stub wall and adapte for supporting articles seated in said socket.

. References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 161,591 Payer Jan. 9, 1951 238,117 'Hillman Feb. 22, 1881' 600,879 Louden' Mar. 22, 1898 648,311- Stiehl Apr. 24, 1900 1,659,509 Ashbrook Feb. 14, 1928 2,023,150 Ritchie Dec. 3, 1935 2,249,265 Bauder July 15, 1941 2,604,724

Watts July 29, 1952

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