US3125385A

US3125385A - friedman

Info

Publication number: US3125385A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1964-03-17
Anticipated expiration: 1981-03-17

Description

March 17, 1964 Filed Dec. 3, 1962 E. J. FRIEDMAN STOCKING DISPLAY BAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VENTOR EMERSON I FRIEDMAN ATTORNEYS March 17, 1964 E. J. FRIEDMAN 3,125,385

STOCKING DISPLAY BAR Filed Dec. 3, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 4:9 EMERSON IJ'. FRIEDMAN ATTORNEYS March 17, 1964 E. J. FRIEDMAN 3,125,385

STOCKING DISPLAY BAR Filed Dec. 3, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. EMERSON J. FRIEDMAN WZQ W/ZVWW ATTORNE YS United States Patent 3,125,385 STOCKING DISPLAY BAR Emerson J. Friedman, New York, N.Y., assignor to US. Industries, Inc., New York, N .Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 3,. 1962, Ser. No. 242,012 9 Claims. (Cl. 312-107) This invention relates generally to structures for displaying merchandise and more specifically to a self-service display case for womens hosiery and the like comprising one or a plurality of modular units having improved means for making the merchandise contained therein accessible to the buyer in combination with means for indicating the successive items and their arrangement to promote such accessibility.

Prior attempts to provide self-service display cases for womens hosiery have involved generally a storage unit or case'containing, for example, a series of shelves or compartments arranged one above the other and laterally for containing individually flat stacked packages of womens hosiery according to size, color, etc. Indicia above each shelf or compartment may indicate the merchandise therein, and the buyer generally must search throughout the many storage compartments, usually by withdrawing merchandise therefrom to check the precise color, style, length,

etc. until she has found the particular hosiery item which she wishes.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing is cumbersome, leads to confusion and oftentimes requires the buyer to call upon ths assistance of a sales person in order to find the item of hosiery which the buyer Wishes to select. It is the purpose of the present invention to obviate these difficulties and to disclose herein a hosiery display case which lends itself more readily to the efficient sale of hosiery by the self-service method.

More specifically, I have devised a display case for womens hosiery and the like which comprises an elongate rectangular unit having top, bottom, rear and sidewall surfaces and which further includes means for dividing the unit internally and longitudinally into a plurality of separate merchandise compartments which are accessible from the front of the unit. Each of the compartments may contain, for example, a plurality of individual flat packages of womens hosiery stacked on edge therein much in the manner used in storing phonograph records. In this position, the individual hosiery packages are easily withdrawable from a merchandise compartment. In combination with the foregoing, I provide at least one display compartment adjacent to the plurality of merchandise compartments, the display compartment having internal lighting means for illuminating the interior and a facing translucent member covering the front thereof. The trans lucent member displays illuminated advertising intelligence pertaining to the arrangement of the merchandise in the other of the compartments. Such advertising, in addition to presenting a pictorial representation of the class or type of hosiery contained in the adjacent merchandise compartment, may in addition contain directions pertaining to the selection of items from the merchandise compartments. Normally, in addition to the display compartment there will be provided a specific data strip facing outwardly and at a convenient angle for viewing running longitudinally beneath the several merchandise compartments, which strip will contain such items of information as the color, size, etc.

A particular and advantageous feature of the present invention is that each display unit may be made in modular form to be arranged in vertical tiers with several other units, and the entire group of units may further be placed or stacked upon a storage cabinet base. Fastening means "'ice are provided for mounting the several display units one upon the other and means are provided in combination with the fastening means for making severable electrical connections between each of said units and the base cabinet for conducting electrical power to each of the lighting means Within the display compartments.

As a consequence of the foregoing structure, an extremely attractive display case has been devised which lends itself with great flexibility to the accommodation of many diiferent styles and sizes of womens hosiery without the previous complications found in prior self-service units. These and other advantages of the invention together with additional details of the construction thereof will become apparent upon examination of the following description, by way of a non-limiting example of a particular embodiment devised in accordance with the invention and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a combination of the modular units of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation in cross-section of portions of the modular units and of a base cabinet upon which they may be mounted;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front cross-sectional view of one of the display units;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view taken in the direction of

arrows

4, 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevation similar to FIG. 3 illustrating an alternate form which the modular units may assume;

FIG. 6 is a detail showing a bracket arrangement for securing an advertising member to the uppermost of the modular display units; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a back-to-back arrangement of the display units for accessibility by a buyer from opposite sides thereof.

Referring now to the drawing, initially to FIGS. 1-3 thereof, a plurality of modular units In have been illustrated stacked one upon the other, and collectively upon a base storage cabinet 11 to form a self-service stocking bar. Each of the modular units it) has an elongate rectangular shape and consists of top, bottom, rear and sidewalls 12- 16. The major portion of the unit 10 is devoted to a series of merchandise compartments 17 which are formed by intermediate vertical panels 1 8 secured for sliding withdrawal within a plurality of grooves 19 cut into the interior of the top 12. It will be understood that the spacing of the panels 18 is purely arbitrary and that a sufiicient number of grooves lit will be provided to accommodate varying of the Widths of the compartments 17.

Running longitudinally beneath the several compartments 17 is a data strip 2t? which faces outwardly and is inclined inwardly at an angle of approximately 45. The strip 20 may display, for example, an acetate strip containing indicia indicating the specific color and size, for example, of individual groups of stockings contained in the compartments 17. The stockings themselves, which normally come from the manufacturer in individually Wrapper flat packages containing single pairs of several pairs of stockings of a given size, shape or color, may be stacked upon their sides in the several compartments 17 to leave accessible the ends of the packages for withdrawal therefrom.

In the particular embodiment illustrated, each of the units 10 defines a display compartment 22 which contains a fluorescent lighting fixture 23 aflixed longitudinally to the interior of the top 12. A power unit 24 including the starter mechanism for the fixture 23 is secured to the base or bottom panel 13. The unit 24 is electrically energized by wiring 26 leading from the lower adjacent unit 10 which may be plugged into the unit 24 at 26a to energize the same. An electrical connection 25 leads from the unit 24 to the fixture 23. The unit 24 contains a further electrical connection at 27 with the electrical cord 28 which leads to the next higher unit to energize the power unit therein. In order to provide this means for transference of current, the upper and

lower walls

12 and 13 are provided with

openings

29, 30 for the passage of the

respective wiring

26 and 28. The wiring of the fluorescent fixtures 23 will be in parallel so that should a fixture 23 fail to function, this will not interrupt the circuit. The interior of each of the compartments 22 will be made white in order to provide maximum reflective qualities therefrom.

As will be seen, the compartments 22 have the fronts thereof covered by a translucent member 31 which is a composite laminate of an outer layer of clear glass 31a, an inner layer of ground or frosted glass 31c and an intermediate layer of clear acetate 31b. The latter comprises an art insert upon which various pictorial representations have been made and upon which may additionally be provided written directions pertaining to the arrangements of the hosiery in the respective adjacent merchandise compartments 17. Referring to FIG. 1, for example, the facing of display members 31 show successively in connection with the four modular units 10 each a different bodily form of the wearer which is to be associated with the characteristic form of the individual stockings arranged in the adjacent compartments 17. A buyer would therefore, first examine the display members 31 to decide which general bodily form or figure would characterize her, and thereafter, by following perhaps directions upon the display member 31 and finally the specific information or data contained upon the strip 20, the buyer would very quickly be able to withdraw an individual package of stockings from the correct compartment to complete her purchase. The individual display units 10 and their combination therefore, readily lends itself to apprising the buyer quickly of the general area in which her purchase is to be found and thereafter, by an easy succession of directions, indicating the particular slot or compartment from which her purchase may be made.

FIG. 4 is a detail showing the manner of securing the display member 31 across the front of a compartment 22. An L-shaped molding piece 33 is attached by the screw 34 to a heavy vertical panel 35 separating the compartment 22 from the adjacent compartment 17. The member 31 (see FIG. 2) is further secured by sliding therein within upper and

lower grooves

36, 37 provided within the interior surfaces of the top and

bottom walls

12, 13.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the units 10 has a plurality of

openings

29, 30 respectively in the upper and

lower wall surfaces

12, 13 for receiving a plurality of

cylindrical mounting posts

39 and 40. The post 39 defines a central bore for the passage therethrough of

electrical wiring

26 and 28 in order to make the electrical interconnections between the successive units. In addition, the unit 24 receives its power from a connection 41 from the base storage cabinet which mounts a receptacle 42 for plug-in purposes. The latter is energized by wiring 43 which enters the rear wall 44 of the storage cabinet 11 and as will be understood, it may be connected to a conventional wall receptacle.

Each of the posts 39 contains a radially reduced diameter 39a for insertion within corresponding openings in the facing top and bottom of the units 10 and the storage cabinet 11. The mounting post contains pins 46a which may be inserted within smaller openings in the respective facing surfaces. By this means, the

posts

39, and 40 support the modular units 19 one upon the other in spaced relation to provide an attractive spaceseparated display of these units.

The storage cabinet 11 is of conventional design and contains, in the present embodiment, two sliding

doors

46, 47 which are held within upper and

lower tracks

48, 49. It will be noted that the rear wall 44 of the cabinet 11 and the rear walls 14 of the successively tiered units it are aligned vertically. Therefore, as seen in FIG. 7, the entire display combination consisting of a single base cabinet 11 and a plurality of units 10 mounted thereupon, may be placed back to back in a store or supermarket in order to accommodate larger quantities of stock merchandise.

Further features may be noted in connection with the display compartment 22. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, a compartment 22 contains a removable door 50 to give access from the rear of the unit to the electrical circuitry and to the lighting fixture 23 therein. The door 50 is held flush with the adjacent rear wall section 14 by means of upper and lower magnetic catches 51 permitting the door 50 to be withdrawn from the rear of the compartment. In order to provide gripping means, the aperture 53 is provided. The door 50 further defines a plurality of vent holes 54 for assuring that the compartment 22 will not become overheated.

A modification of the display compartment 22 has been illustrated in FIG. 5. In the alternate embodiment, the display member 31' does not cover the front of the entire display compartment but occupies only slightly more than half of the frontal area. This permits of an adjacent illuminated display recess 55 which may contain, as illustrated, a sample display 56 of hosiery merchandise. The buyer therefore, may take the item of hosiery from the compartment 55 in order to examine the texture and shade thereof without removing such items from the packages contained in the adjacent compartments 17'.

In FIG. 6 is shown an end view of an advertising bracket which may be inserted in the openings 29 at the ends of the uppermost display unit 10. The bracket comprises plug elements 57 which are interconnected by a horizontal rod 58. The rod 58 in turn mounts two opposed triangular shaped

members

59, 60 made of solid rod material or of tubing, which are separated sufliciently to slidingly receive an elongated advertising member or display card 61. By utilizing the brackets described, one at each end of the upper unit 10, the display card 61 may extend lengthwise of the top unit 10.

It will be understood that the foregoing description relates to particular embodiments of the invention and is merely representative. Therefore, in order to fully appreciate the spirit and scope of the invention, reference should be made to the appended claims, in which I claim:

1. A display case for womens hosiery and the like comprising an elongate rectangular unit having top, bottom, rear and side wall surfaces, means for dividing said unit internally and longitudinally into a plurality of separate merchandise compartments accessible from the front of said unit, each of said compartments being adapted to contain several individual flat packages of womens hosiery wear stacked on edge therein and having the ends thereof exposed for individual Withdrawal from said compartment, at least one display compartment within said unit in combination with and adjacent to said merchandise compartments, said display compartment comprising internal lighting means for illuminating the interior and a facing translucent member covering the front thereof, said translucent member containing display items of advertising intelligence pertaining to the arrangement of said merchandise in the other of said compartments.

2. A display case according to claim 1 in which said units are modular and means are provided for fastening said units one upon the other in successive tiers.

3. A display case according to claim 1 in which said translucent member covers a portion only of the front of said display compartment permitting space adjacent to said member within said compartment for the display of sample merchandise representative of the items positioned in the adjacent merchandise compartments.

4. A display case according to claim 2 in which each of said display compartments includes a receptacle for electrically connecting and disconnecting said internal lighting means, and said receptacle is conducted internally of said fastening means successively to next lower units and therefrom to a source of voltage.

5. A display case for Womens hosiery and the like comprising a plurality of elongate rectangular units having top, bottom, rear and side wall surfaces, each of said top and bottom surfaces defining a plurality of spaced longitudinal openings, a number of cylindrical mounting posts having radially reduced end portions for reception in said openings to permit stacking of said units one upon the other in vertically separated relation, means for dividing each of said units internally and longitudinally into a plurality of separate merchandise compartments accessible from the front of said unit, each of said compartments being adapted to contain several individual flat packages of womens hosiery wear stacked on edge therein with the ends thereof exposed for individual withdrawal from said compartment, a display compartment within the end portions of each of said units in combination with said merchandise compartments, said display compartment comprising internal lighting means for illuminating the interior thereof and further comprising a facing translucent member for covering the front thereof, said trans lucent member containing display items of advertising intelligence pertaining to the arrangement of said merchandise in the other of said compartments, said mounting posts intermediate said display compartments being hollow to form electrical conduit means and wiring connections through said hollow mounting posts connected to each of said lighting means, said lighting means and wiring being provided with quick disconnect means in each of said units.

6. A display case according to claim 5 in which a base cabinet is provided for mounting several of said units thereupon in successive tiers, mounting posts separate the top surfaces of said cabinet and the lower surface of the lower unit, means are provided in the top surface of the cabinet for receiving the lower portions of the mounting posts used to support the tiers of units, and said base cabinet is provided with electrical wiring for the transmission of power internally thereof to the lower of said units.

7. A display case for Womens hosiery and the like comprising a plurality of elongate rectangular units having top, bottom, rear and side wall surfaces, each of said top and bottom surfaces defining a plurality of spaced longitudinal openings, a number of cylindrical mounting posts having radially reduced end portions for reception in said openings to permit stacking of said units one upon the other in vertically separated relation, means for dividing each of said units internally and longitudinally into a plurality of separate merchandise compartments accessible from the front of said unit, each of said compartments being adapted to contain several individual flat packages of womens hosiery wear stacked on edge therein with the ends thereof exposed for individual withdrawal from said compartment, a display compartment within the end portions of each of said units in combination with said merchandise compartments, said display compart ment comprising internal lighting means for illuminating the interior thereof and further comprising a facing translucent member for covering the front thereof, said translucent member containing display items of advertising intelligence pertaining to the arrangement of said merchandise in the other of said compartments, a removable access door at the end of said rear wall and said display compartment, quick disconnect means connected to said door and to the interior of the top and bottom surfaces of said unit for fastening said door to said unit, said quick disconnect means permitting withdrawal of said door from the rear of said unit, said mounting posts intermediate said display compartments being hollow to form electrical conduit means, and Wiring connections through said hollow mounting posts connected to each of said lighting means, said lighting means and wiring being provided with quick disconnect means in each of said units.

8. A display case according to claim 7 in which a plurality of grooves running from front to rear are defined within the internal upper surface of the top of each unit, a plurality of vertical panels are received Within at least some of said grooves for defining said merchandise compartments, and top and bottom grooves are provided across the front of said display compartment within the facing top and bottom surfaces thereof for the sliding reception of end portions of the translucent member, the edge of said member adjacent to said merchandise com partments being held by end fastening means to a vertical partition intermediate said display compartment and adjacent one of said merchandise compartments.

9. A display case according to claim 7 in which the topmost unit of a display case in which the mounting post locations at the top surface of the uppermost unit mount bracket means generally adjacent to end portions of said unit, and said bracket means holds a member containing advertising along the front thereof, said member extending between said bracket means lengthwise of said unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,337,728 Scott Apr. 20, 1920 1,544,949 Smiley July 7, 1925 1,649,652 Beckhardt Nov. 15, 1927 2,255,744 Loeb Sept. 9, 1941 2,496,221 Koch Jan. 31, 1950 2,783,880 Kayton Mar. 5, 1957

Claims

7. A DISPLAY CASE FOR WOMEN''S HOSIERY AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATE RECTANGULAR UNITS HAVING TOP, BOTTOM, REAR AND SIDE WALL SURFACES, EACH OF SAID TOP AND BOTTOM SURFACES DEFINING A PLURALITY OF SPACED LONGITUDINAL OPENINGS, A NUMBER OF CYLINDRICAL MOUNTING POSTS HAVING RADIALLY REDUCED END PORTIONS FOR RECEPTION IN SAID OPENINGS TO PERMIT STACKING OF SAID UNITS ONE UPON THE OTHER IN VERTICALLY SEPARATED RELATION, MEANS FOR DIVIDING EACH OF SAID UNITS INTERNALLY AND LONGITUDINALLY INTO A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE MERCHANDISE COMPARTMENTS ACCESSIBLE FROM THE FRONT OF SAID UNIT, EACH OF SAID COMPARTMENTS BEING ADAPTED TO CONTAIN SEVERAL INDIVIDUAL FLAT PACKAGES OF WOMEN''S HOSIERY WEAR STACKED ON EDGE THEREIN WITH THE ENDS THEREOF EXPOSED FOR INDIVIDUAL WITHDRAWAL FROM SAID COMPARTMENT, A DISPLAY COMPARTMENT WITHIN THE END PORTIONS OF EACH OF SAID UNITS IN COMBINATION WITH SAID MERCHANDISE COMPARTMENTS, SAID DISPLAY COMPARTMENT COMPRISING INTERNAL LIGHTING MEANS FOR ILLUMINATING THE INTERIOR THEREOF AND FURTHER COMPRISING A FACING TRANSLUCENT MEMBER FOR COVERING THE FRONT THEREOF, SAID TRANSLUCENT MEMBER CONTAINING DISPLAY ITEMS OF ADVERTISING INTELLIGENCE PERTAINING TO THE ARRANGEMENT OF SAID MERCHANDISE IN THE OTHER OF SAID COMPARTMENTS, A REMOVABLE ACCESS DOOR AT THE END OF SAID REAR WALL AND SAID DISPLAY COMPARTMENT, QUICK DISCONNECT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID DOOR AND TO THE INTERIOR OF THE TOP AND BOTTOM SURFACES OF SAID UNIT FOR FASTENING SAID DOOR TO SAID UNIT, SAID QUICK DISCONNECT MEANS PERMITTING WITHDRAWAL OF SAID DOOR FROM THE REAR OF SAID UNIT, SAID MOUNTING POSTS INTERMEDIATE SAID DISPLAY COMPARTMENTS BEING HOLLOW TO FORM ELECTRICAL CONDUIT MEANS, AND WIRING CONNECTIONS THROUGH SAID HOLLOW MOUNTING POSTS CONNECTED TO EACH OF SAID LIGHTING MEANS, SAID LIGHTING MEANS AND WIRING BEING PROVIDED WITH QUICK DISCONNECT MEANS IN EACH OF SAID UNITS.