US2770898A - Card holder - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 20, 1956 'H. H. LUTz ETAL CARD HOLDER Filed Feb. 9, 1952 2,770,898 Patented Nov. 20, 1956 CARD HOLDER Harry Henrik Lutz, Bronx, and William Greenberger, New York, N. Y., assignors to The Hopp Press Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 9, 1952, Serial No. 270,814

1 Claim. (Cl. 40-10) This invention relates to a structurally and functionally improved card holder primarily intended for the display of price indicia.

It is a primary object to furnish a holder which may readily be associated with shelves or other supporting surfaces adjacent which merchandise is disposed and by means of which a customer will be aware of the price or other information with respect to that merchandise; the present unit serving to maintain this information against unauthorized removal or rearrangement of the indicia.

A further object is that of providing a card holder in which the clerks or other store personnel may readily dismount the parts and reassemble the indicia to provide precisely the desired information with regards to price or otherwise; units constructed in accordance With the present teachings, being preferably of a nature such that they will provide space adequate for the housing of all cards which are necessary to furnish the required data.

Another object of this invention is that of designing a unit of this type which will include relatively few parts each individually simple and rugged in construction; such parts being capable of economical production and having a long eifective life.

With these and other objects in mind, reference is had to the attached sheet of drawings illustrating practical embodiments of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of one form of card holder;

Fig. 2 is a face view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken along the line 3 3 .and in the direction of the arrows asindicated in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 4 4 and in the direction of the arrows as also indicated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but in enlarged scale and showing the parts of the holder in process of disassembly;

Fig. 6 is a face View of a second form of holder constructed in accordance with the present teachings;

Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional views taken along the lines 7 7 and 8 8 respectively as well as in the direction of the arrows as indicated in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the holder parts as shown in Figs. 6 to 8 but illustrating the same in disassembled positions.

A holder embodying the present invention is primarily intended to display the price of merchandise. As such, it may include a window or display aperture of an area adequate to frame two or three cards. It will be apparent, however, that a greater number of cards or only a single card may be so displayed. Likewise, information other than merely price can be revealed.

Ordinarily, the holder will be mounted upon a supporting surface such as exist adjacent the edge of a shelf. To that end, a bracket portion 10 may be ailixed to the assembly and include spaced arms conveniently overlying and underlying the shelf faces. As shown in Fig. 4, one

of these arms may support a clamping bolt 11 or as in Fig. 8, a screw 12. In substitution of such securing means or auxiliary thereto, one of the bracket arms may simply be formed with an opening 13 as in Fig. 1 through which a suitable securing unit such as a nail (not shown) may be driven. Various other methods of securing the assembly against accidental or unauthorized detachment may be resorted to; such structure being within the skill of any mechanic installing the holder in accordance with the wishes of the store manager.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the card holder includes a.

rear plate 14 having its upper and lower edges defined by laterally and inwardly extending flanges 15. Within the space thus defined, the holder may support a plurality of cards 16. The faces of the latter will be exposed between the opposed edges of the different flanges. Within the body of the holder, adequate space will preferably exist to receive and retain an entire assembly of cards such a-s will provide all necessary permutations for price indicia or other necessary information.

The holder is disposed within a receiver including a rear wall 17 suitably secured to the bracket portion 10. This rear wall has extending forwardly from it a bottom ilange 18 and side flanges 19. The latter terminate in an inwardly extending part providing a front face 20, lying generally parallel to the rear Wall 17. Within the area of the front face, an aperture 20 is provided which defines a window or framing portion adequate for the display of the exposed face of the card or cards 16 mounted by the holder. At this time, it will be observed that no flange is provided between the upper edge of rear Wall 17 and the front face 20. The intervening space has a Width adequate to accommodate the card receiver. Therefore, the latter may be disposed within the pocket which is in fact provided between the rear wall 17 and front face 20; the height and length of the holder being preferably such that it will completely till that pocket.

A latch structure normally preventing movements between the outer member :and holder is furnished in the grouping yof Figs. l to 5 by having the adjacent surface of the inner and outer member formed with or mounting a detent structure. Conveniently, that structure may take the form 'of a recess 21 formed in the rear face of plate 14 and a protuberance 22 formed in the forward face of plate 17. The area of the recess 21 is such that it will accommodate the projection 22. So accommodated, the parts will lie in face-to-face Contact with each other. The lower flange 18 is formed with an opening 23 through which access may be had to the lower ange of the card holder.

1n use it wil-l be appreciated that t-'he stack of cards 16 may readily be arranged to display the desired information between the flanges 15 with the unused cards stored to the rear yof the exposed cards. The entire holder assembly may be made of plastic, metal or in any other suitable material. That material, however, should embody at least a limited degree of flexibility insofar as the rear wall or plate 14 lis concerned. Regardless of this, however, it will be Iappreciated that with the holder disposed in the pocket of the outer encasing or receiving member, the cards may not be longitudinal-ly displaced from the holder. Also, so disposed, the detent structure will be operative. Therefore, unauthorized or accidental movements o-f the holder from within the carrier may not occur. However, should an authorized person desire to rearrange the display indicia, this may readily be achieved by simply inserting a suitable implement 24 through opening 23 and causing it to press against the outer face of lower ilange 15. Such pressure will cause thrust to be transmitted along rear Wall 14 and due to the camming action between the parts, that wall will flex to an extent such that 'the detent structure will become inoperative. This has been shown in Fig. 5. With the partsso formed it is obvious that a continuous thrust on the holder will result in the latter moving clear of the outer encasing member. Thus, the holder and its contained cards 16 will be exposed for removal and rearrangement of'theoards after which the holder maybe again, positioned in the pocket.

In thestructnre shown in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, the pocket or outer encasing member conveniently includes a rear plate orl wall 25 from the side and bottom edges of which flanges 26 extend laterally and inwardly. The holder includes a forward plate 27 formed with a Sight aperture or window 28. This plate is provided with rearwardly and inwardly extending flanges 29 adjacent its upper and lower edges. These receive between them the cards 16. The detent or latch structure is furnished hy securing to the inner face of the rear wall 25 a spring tongue `30; The free edge of the latter terminates a distance above the inner face of lower ange 26 in excess of the height of lower flange 29.

Therefore, in common with plate 14, after the carrier plate 27 mounts cards, the faces of which are exposed through the Window 2S, the carrier may be inserted into the poel-:et of the outer 'or encasing member. ln the latter form of the invention, this will include the plate 25 and its flange portions 26. So inserted,the cards retained by the holder will be precluded from displacement by the side anges 26.

With the holder fully in position, the spring tongue 30 will override the upper edge of lower flange 29. Therefore, it will latch over and abut its edge to prevent a withdrawal of the holder 27 from the mounting member 25. With the ends of plate 27 overlapped by the side flanges 26, the retained cards will, of course, not be removable from the assembly. In common with the first described structure, the depth of the channels provided by flanges 29 may be such that an entire card set may be stored and retained therein.

Under these circumstances, it is apparent that a child or yany unauthorized person will not be in a position to either shift the cards or to remove them. Also, similar to the construction of Figs. l to S inclusive, it will not be readily apparent as to how the parts of the assembly may be separated. However, an authorized person having knowledge of the unit will be able to readily disassemble the parts so that the cards may be shifted as desired. This will be achieved by simply exerting pressure through the window 2S against the face of the outermost card. The cards being flexible, it follows that the pressure will be transmitted to tongue 30, This will result in the latter i beingV shifted rearwardly. In such position, it will clear the upstanding edge of lower flange 29. Thereupon, the cardholder or retainingportion may be withdrawn.

Thus among others, the several objects of the invention as specifically aforenoted, are achieved. Obviously, various changes in structure and rearrangements of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claim.

We claim:

`In a device for mounting and displaying cards haveinteritting members, thecombination of a card holder member comprising .a rear wall, an apertured front wall, a top wall and Ia bottom wall joining said frontand rear walls to define a passageway open at the ends to the interior of said card holder, said top and bottom walls being substantially parallel to each other and substantially coterminous with said front and rear walls; an encasing member for receiving said card holder comprising a rear wall, an apertured front wall, providing an opening substantially complementary to the 'opening of said card holder, a bottom wall joining said front and rear walls substantially coterminous therewith and a top opening formed in said encasing member by said rear, front, end and bottom Walls to receive said card holder entirely within said encasing member, a protuberance and recess interengagement between said card holder and said'encasing member at the `rear wall thereof and an access passage through thebottom wall of said encasing member permitting contact from the exterior with the bottom wall of said card holder whereby in the intertting position of said card holder and encasing member the height and width of the holder place the upper wall `of the holder within the encasing member and obstructing the top opening of said encasing member while the end walls of said encasing member obstruct the side openings of the card holder whereby thesole means of removal of said card holder from said encasing member is through said top opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,502,137 DeForeest Iuly 22, 1924 1,662,813 Cobb Mar. 20, 1928 1,680,998 Krantz Aug. 14, 1928 1,754,851 Dey Apr. 15, 1930 1,797,114 Adamsv Mar. 17, 1931 1,826,671 Ohnstrand Oct. 6, 1931 1,979,005 Montanye Oct. 30, 1934 2,027,086 Brookey Jan. 7, 1936 2,320,463 Pavlovic June 1, 1943

Images