US2859546A - Advertising display device - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 11; 1958- T. GUTTERSON 2,859,546

ADVERTISING DISPLAY DEVICE Filed NOV. 12, 1954 IN V EN TOR.

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United States Patent ADVERTISING DISPLAY DEVICE Thomas Gutterson, Santa Barbara, Calif.

Application November 12, 1954, Serial No. 468,227

(Ilaims. (Cl. 40-10) This invention relates to an advertising display device and, more particularly, to a demountable advertising display device adapted to be utilized in conjunction with conventional mounting means provided in grocery stores and similar establishments to indicate to a prospective customer the location of certain goods whose position might not be readily ascertainable without the utilization of the advertising device of my invention.

It is conventional practice in self-service grocery stores, such as supermarkets and the like, to stack the merchandise on shelves and to indicate the price thereof by mounting price tags thereunder in conventional price tag moldings. However, when a special is run, as is so frequently the custom during week-end promotions, it is frequently necessary for the prospective purchaser to search through the store seeking the advertised special" or specials. This is attributable to the fact that the mechandise is stacked on the shelves in parallel lines and it is usually impossible to distinguish the different categories of merchandise, one from the other, by looking down the relatively lengthy aisles along which the shelves are arranged.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide an advertising display device which includes a demountable mounting member and a legend-bearing display card adapted to be mounted in said mounting member to indicate the location of the goods to a person standing in the aisle in which the goods is located or elsewhere in a line of vision with the display card.

An additional object of my invention is the provision of an advertising display device which includes a mounting member having movable legs provided thereupon which permit the mounting member to be demountably located in the conventional price tag molding usually utilized in most supermarkets and other retail establishments.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a mounting member of the aforementioned character which includes a receptacle for the reception of the aforesaid display card to permit different display cards to be mounted in the mounting member so that an appropriate display card may be selected for use in conjunction with the mechandise whose location is being advertised on the display card.

An additional object of my invention is the provision of an advertising display device of the aforementioned character wherein the mounting member includes retaining means for maintaining the display card in a predetermined position thereupon.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an advertising display device of the aforementioned character which includes a unitary mounting member formed from resilient material so that the aforesaid legs of said mounting member may be adjusted to compensate for differences in the dimensions of price tag moldings with which the mounting member is utilized.

An additional object of my invention is the provision of an advertising display device of the aforementioned 2,859,546 Patented Nov. 11, 1958 character which includes a recess for the reception of an associated display card and which incorporates retaining means for said display card located to position the display card at a selected angle so that the display card will attract the attention of an individual looking for the merchandise with which the display card is associated.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a mounting member of the aforementioned character which has cutting means on the extremities of the aforesaid legs so that the mounting member can be readily utilized by inserting it in penetrable surfaces such as the sides of corrugated containers and the like.

An additional object of my invention is the provision of a mounting member which includes adjustable retaining means so that the angle of inclination or orientation of the display card mounted in said mounting member may be varied to suit the particular application in which the advertising display device of my invention is utilized.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawing which is for the purpose of illustration only and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the advertising display device of my invention mounted in association with the price tag molding on a merchandise supporting shelf;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the advertising display device of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the broken line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of a portion of the advertising display device of my invention showing the resilient legs thereof in expanded condition;

Fig. 5- is a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the mounting member incorporated in the advertising display device of my invention;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the advertising display device shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Figs. 1-3 thereof, 1 show an advertising display device 10 constructed in accordance with my invention and including a mounting member 12 and a display card 14 supported thereupon. The mounting member 12 is, as best shown in Figs. 1-3 of the drawing, of generally U-shaped configuration and includes a pair of spaced legs 16 connected by an integral intermediate bight 18. The oppositely disposed extremities of the legs 16 are provided with angularly oriented foot portions 20 and the entire mounting member 12 is preferably formed from a single piece of spring steel or similar resilient material to permit the legs 16 to be moved toward each other or to permit them to spring outwardly away from each other to accommodate variations in size of the conventional price tag moldings, such as the molding 22, in which the mounting member 12 is shown as being supported.

The price molding 22 is conventionally utilized to support price tags which are located under the merchandise 24 supported on a shelf 26 to indicate the sales price thereof.

The upper and lower edges of the price tag molding 22 are provided with recesses 28 in which the foot portions 20 on the extremities of the legs 16 are located to secure the mounting member 12 in operative relationship with said molding.

Due to the inherent resilience of the spring steel or other material from which the mounting member 12 is fabricated, the legs 16 thereof are normally disposed in spread-apart position, shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, and it is necessary to press the legs 16 toward each other to permit the foot portions on the extremities of said legs 3 to be fitted within the recesses 28 on the upper and lower edges of the molding 22. The normal bias of the legs outwardly serves to urge the foot portions 20 into intimate relationship with the recesses 28 and thus insures that the mounting member 12 will be positively retained in operative relationship with the molding 22.

The foot portions 20 are, as best shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, provided with sharp, pointed ends 30 having knife edges thereupon. Therefore, if it is desired to insert the foot portions 20 on the legs 16 of the mounting member 12 in a side wall of a corrugated paper container or the like in which merchandise is frequently displayed in grocery stores, the sharpened ends 30 of the foot portions 20 are pushed through the side walls of the corrugated paper containers and are retained therein to dispose the mounting member 12 for the reception of an associated display card 14. A receptacle 32 is provided in the mounting member 12 and is constituted by an elongated slot 34 formed therein and extending from one leg 16 through the bight 18 and into the other leg 16. Retaining means 36 constituted by an integral transversely oriented bar 38 extends across the slot 34 and is utilized to maintain the advertising display card 14 in the slot 34 in a predetermined orientation, as will be apparent from the description appearing hereinbelow.

The display card 14 is, as best shown in Figs. l-3 of the drawing, constituted by an elongated, substantially rectangular piece 40 of paper, plastic, or other suitably thin material, bearing an advertising legend 42 upon the opposite surfaces thereof. Provided in the inner extremity of the display card 14 is means engageable with the retaining means 36 constituted by a notch 44 in the edge of said inner extremity. A corner of the inner extremity of the display card 14 is cut away, as at 48, to facilitate the insertion or removal of the said extremity in the receptacle 32.

During the process of installing the display card 14 in the mounting member 12, the legs 16 of said mounting member are disposed in the expanded position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing to facilitate the mounting of said display card in the receptacle 32 in said mounting member. The inner extremity of the display card 14 is first fitted within the receptacle 32 and the notch 44 provided therein fitted over the retaining bar 38. Subsequently, the inner extremity of the display card 14 is rotated about the bar 38 to cause the opposite corner of the display card 14 to underlie the upper leg 16 of the mounting member. The notch 44 must be of suflicient depth to permit the legs 16 to be moved inwardly to fit the narrowest tag molding and is necessary to permit such inward movement.

The advertising display device is now ready for insertion in a price tag molding and the resilient legs 16 are pressed toward each other to reduce the distance therebetween to an extent which will permit the insertion of oppositely disposed foot portions 20 upon the extrern-' ities of said legs in oppositely located recesses 28 in an associated price tag molding 22. When the foot portions 20 are located adjacent the recesses 28, the legs 16 are released and the foot portions 20 are sprung into their respective recesses 28 to maintain the mounting member 12 in operative relationship with the price tag molding 22.

It will be noted that the bar 38 is located in a position in the slot 34 which causes the advertising display card 14 to assume an attitude divergent from a horizontal axis. In this manner, a dynamic and eyecatching orientation of the display card is achieved. It is also obvious that the location of the retaining bar 38 determines the orientation of the display card 14 with respect to the mounting member 12 and to a surface upon which it is located.

In some applications, the price tag molding 22 is disposed in an angularly oriented fashion, as best shown in Fig. of the drawing, and it is desirable to provide a mounting member 50, the lower leg 52 Qt (high is somewhat shorter than the upper leg 54 thereof. Therefore, when the mounting member 50 is located in the angularly oriented price tag molding 22, it will assume a position substantially similar to that assumed by the mounting member 12 having legs of substantially identical length. It should also be noted that the mounting member 50 is provided with lower and upper retaining bars 38 and 56 which extend across the slot 34 constituting the receptacle 32. Y

The advertising display card 14 is provided with lower and upper oppositely disposed notches 44 and 58 in the opposite edges thereof to receive, respectively, the lower and upper retaining bars 38 and 56, as best shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. It is readily apparent, therefore, that the advertising display card 14 will be maintained in operative position within the slot 34 by the engagement of the notches 44 and 58 upon the retaining bars 38 and 56. If it be desired to maintain the advertising display card 14 in a horizontal rather than in an angularly oriented position, the relationship of the retaining bars to each other can be altered to cause the display card 14 to assume said horizontal position.

An alternative embodiment 60 of the advertising display device of my invention is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the. drawing and includes a mounting member 62 formed from spring wire or the like. The mounting member 62 is constituted by a pair of identically shaped, substantially semi-circular clips 64 which have leg portions 66 formed integrally therewith. The clips 64 are maintained in operative relationship with each other by ties 68 and the semi-circular portions thereof are spaced apart to define a receptacle 70 for the inner extremity of a display card 14.

Straddling the receptacle 70 are movable upper and lower retaining bars 72 and 74, respectively, which can be shifted on the semicircular portions of the clips 64 to locate them in a desired orientation so that the orientation of a display card 14 mounted thereupon may be adjusted to suit the particular application in which the advertising display device 60 is utilized. Since the semicircular portions of the clips 64 tend to spread apart from each other, the retaining bars 72 and 74 may be frictionally maintained in positions of adjustment upon the clips 64. However, I have provided serrations 76 on the sides of the clips 64 to insure positive retention of the retaining bars 72 and 74 in a selected position.

I thus provide by my invention an advertising display device which is characterized by flexibility of utilization and extreme simplicity in both mounting and demounting the display device from points of application and use. Furthermore, the display device of my invention permits the attention of prospective purchasers to be called to the articles of merchandise with which the display device is associated since it extends outwardly into the aisle of an establishment in which it is used to direct the attention of the purchaser to the particular location sought.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an advertising display device for use in conjunction with a mounting member having oppositely disposed recesses therein, the combination of: a substantially U- shaped clip incorporating movable legs the ends of which are disposable in said recesses and having an elongated slot provided intermediate its ends with retaining means: and a legend-bearing display card having one end disposed in said slot, said one end having means thereupon engageable with said retaining means to maintain said card in a predetermined position in said clip.

2. In an advertising display device for use in conjunction with a mounting member having oppositely disposed recesses therein, the combination of: a substantially U-shaped clip incorporating resilient legs the ends of which are disposable in said recesses and having an elongated slot provided intermediate its ends with retaining means; and a legend-bearing display card having one and disposed in said slot, said one end having means thereupon engageable with said retaining means to maintain said card in a predetermi ed position in said clip.

3. in an advertising display device for use in conjunction with a mounting member having oppositely disposed recesses therein, the combination of: a substantially U-shaped clip incorporating movable legs the ends of which are disposable in said recesses and having an elongated slot provided intermediate its ends with retaining means, said retaining means being constituted by bar means extending transversely of said slot; and a legendbearing display card having one end disposed in said slot, said one end having means thereupon engageable with said retaining means to maintain said card in a predetermined position in said clip.

4. In an advertising display device or use in conjunction with a mounting member having oppositely disposed recesses therein, the combination of: a substantially U-shaped clip incorporating movable legs the ends of which are disposable in said recesses and having an elongated slot provided intermediate its ends with retaining means; and a legend-bearing display card having one end disposed in said slot, said one end having notch means thereupon engageable with said retaining means to maintain said card in a predetermined position in said clip.

5. In an advertising display device for use in conjunction with a mounting member having oppositely disposed recesses therein, the combination of: a substantially U-shaped clip incorporating movable legs the ends of which have cutting edges thereupon and are disposable in said recesses and having an elongated slot provided intermediate its ends with retaining means; and a legendbearing display card having one end disposed in said slot, said one end having means thereupon engageable with said retaining means to maintain said card in a predetermined position in said clip.

6. In an advertising display device, the combination of: a mounting member having resilient legs which are movable toward or away from each other to permit said legs to be supported in mounting fixtures of difierent dimensions, said member having an elongated slot therein and incorporating retaining means thereupon, said retaining means being constituted by spaced bar means extending transversely of said slot; and a legend-bearing display card having one end disposed in said slot, said one end having means thereupon engageable with said retaining means to maintain said card in a predetermined position in said clip.

7. In an advertising display device, the combination of: a mounting member having resilient legs which are movable toward or away from each other to permit said legs to be supported in mounting fixtures of difierent dimensions, said member having an elongated slot therein and incorporating retaining means thereupon, said retaining means being constituted by spaced bar means extending transversely of said slot; and a legend-bearing card having its extremity in said slot and notches in its opposite edges engageable with said bar means to maintain it in a predetermined position in said slot.

8. In an advertising display device, the combination of: a mounting member having resilient legs which are movable toward or away from each other to permit said legs to be supported in mounting fixtures of different dimensions, said member having an elongated slot therein and incorporating retaining means thereupon, said retaining means being constituted by adjustable spaced bar means extending transversely of said slot; and a legend-bearing display card having one end disposed in said slot, said one end having means thereupon engageable with said retaining means to maintain said card in a predetermined position in said clip.

9. A retainer clip including a unitary, substantially U-shaped body having a receptacle for an advertising card therein and retainer means extending transversely of said receptacle to engage a notch in said advertising card.

10. A retainer clip including a unitary, substantially U-ehaped body having a receptacle for an advertising card therein: and retainer means extending transversely of said receptacle to engage a notch in said advertising card, said retainer means being constituted by bar means extending transversely of said retainer and formed integrally therewith.

11. A retainer clip including a unitary, substantially U-shaped body having a receptacle for an advertising card therein and retainer means extending transversely of said receptable to engage said advertising card, said retainer means being constituted by movable bar means extending transversely of said retainer and movable thereupon.

12. A tag holder comprising an elongate resilient strip, an car on each end of the strip, a centrally located slot running longitudinally of the strip and an aperture adjacent an end of the strip.

13. A tag holder comprising an elongate resilient strip, an ear formed on each end of the strip for engaging the edges of a shelf channel when the strip is bent in the form of a reversed C, a centrally located slot running longitudinally of the strip for accommodating a tag and an aperture adjacent each end of the strip for receiving projections of the tag mounted in the bent strip.

14. A tag holder comprising an elongate resilient strip, an edge at each end of the strip bent away from the same side of the strip for forming an ear for engaging the edges of a shelf channel when the strip is bent in the form of an inclined U, a centrally located slot running longitudinally of the strip for passage therethrough of a tag and an elongate aperture adjacent each end of the strip for receiving projections from the end of the tag mounted in the bent strip.

15. A tag holder according to claim 14 in combination with an elongate tag provided with projections extending at right angles from an end thereof and mounted in the holder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,475,134 Oakes Nov. 20, 1923 1,738,892 Gray Dec. 10, 1929 1,915,116 Barrett June 20, 1933 2,573,413 Duncan Oct. 30, 1951 2,598,890 Cisi et a1. June 3, 1952

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