US3102640A

US3102640A - Display rack

Info

Publication number: US3102640A
Application number: US72936A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth W Keller
Original assignee: Warner Lambert Pharmaceutical Co
Current assignee: Warner Lambert Co LLC
Priority date: 1960-12-01
Filing date: 1960-12-01
Publication date: 1963-09-03
Anticipated expiration: 1980-09-03

Description

K- W. KELLER Sept. 3, 1963 DISPLAY max 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed D90. 1, 1960 INVENTOR.

KENNETH W, KELLER BY u W H Qaddw A TTORNE Y P 1963 K. w. KELLER 3,102,640

I DISPLAY RACK Filed Dec. 1, 1960 2 s t -s g INVEN TOR.

KENNETH W. KELLER BY w H. wu

A T TORIVE Y United States Patent 3,102,646 DHSPLAY RACK Kenneth W. Keller, Westlield, N..l., assign'or to Warner- Larnbert Pharmaceutical Company, Morris Plains, N.J-, a corporation of Delaware Filed Bee. 1, 196b, Ser. No. 72,936 1 Claim. (Cl. 211-128) The present invention relates to a display rack and more particularly to an improved display rack for the storage and display of packaged products wherein the storage capacity is readily adjustable to conform to the volume of products to be displayed.

The sales volume of merchandise is frequently influenced to a significant extent by the manner in which it is displayed to the purchasing public. This is particularly true when many competing products are offered for the same general uses. Exemplary of such products are packaged medicinal products where attractive display is frequently difficult due to the small s'mes of the packages and the small display areas available in many pharmacies Where such products are offered for sale. While various forms of display racks are available, these are normally of fixed capacity with a result that as packages are sold, vacant spaces develop in the rack. This is not conducive to efiicient storage and may well induce the retailer to refill the vacancies with competing brands, thus diluting the impact upon the consumer desired by the manufacturer of the product originally displayed.

An object of this invention is to provide a display rack for the attractive and efficient display of packaged merchandise.

Another object of this invention is to provide a product display rack in which the area available for merchandise display is readily adjustable to conform to'the quantity of merchandise to be displayed.

Other objects and the advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the assembled display rack of this invention;

FIG. 2. is a view in perspective of a tray extension element separated from the display rack illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a detail view in section of a portion of the display rack in FIG. 1 illustrating the manner in which the tray extensions are supported and guided and held in any desired laterally extended position.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several views of the above drawings illustrating said display rack.

Referring now to the drawing, and more especially to FIG. 1, the display rack of this invention includes a frame 11 which supports a plurality of merchandise carrying trays 12, so arranged in offset manner so that the lower tray is located at the front of the raok and each succeeding vertical tray is located progressively further toward the rear of the rack. While the display rack illustrated in FIG. 1 contains three such trays 12,. this number is merely exemplary. End members 13 are fastened to the frame 11 and extend in a forward direction at each end of the trays 12 and act as arms to aid in supporting merchandise therein. The front and rear sides of each of the trays 12 terminate in downwardly turned lips 14.

Associated with each tray 12 are two tray extensions 15, one at each end of each tray 12, having front and rear vertical side surfaces 16 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The side surfaces '16 of the tray extensions 15 are slidably engaged so as to be able freely to telescope within the downwardly turned lips 14 of the trays 12.

BJUZJMQ Patented Sept. 3, 1963 The tray extensions 15 are supported at each end of the display rack by leg members 1? by means of bolts or other fastening means 2t which engage the end surfaces 17 of the tray extensions through holes, for example the hole 18 shown in the end member 17 of the extension 15 illustrated in FIG. 2. The leg members 19 rest upon feet 201.

Each tray extension 15 is provided with a centrally located longitudinal slot 22 through which protrudes a stud 23 fastened to the frame 11 and the bottom surface of each tray 12,. One such stud 23 is associated with each tray extension 15.

A decorative front panel 24 is provided on which may be printed advertising and promotional copy.

The storage capacity of the display rack of the present invention may be readily adjusted by either an inward or an outward movement of the leg members; 19. Movement of each leg member results in a simultaneous telescoping movement of the tray extensions 15" associated therewith. Maximum outward movement is limited since when the inward end of each central slot 22 in each tray extension 15 comes into contact wtih the stud 23, no further outward motion is possible. This prevents the possibility of any tray extensions being separated from the display rack. FIG. 3 illustrates a tray extension in such an outermost position. At the same time, the tray extensions are guided within the downward turned lips 14 of the trays 12, thereby insuring that the tray extensions move outward in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the display rack.

It is understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A display rack comprising a supporting skeleton frame- Work forming a plurality of steps rising upwardly from front to rear, and having a horizontally disposed shallow tray fixedly mounted on each of said steps, each fixed tray comprising a horizontal supporting surface having vertically disposed front and rear surfaces integral therewith each of which terminate in a downwardly turned lip thereby forming a channel, an [auxiliary tray at each end of said fixed tray engaging the lower surface of each of said fixed trays and adapted for outward horizontal movement relative thereto, said auxiliary trays each comprising a horizontal supporting surface and having vertically disposed front and rear surfaces slidably mounted in and engaged by the front and rear channels of each fixedly mounted horizontal tray whereby said extension trays are each adapted for movement outwardly and for telescopic movement inwardly with respect to said fixedly mounted trays, stop means comprising a stud in the fixed tray in frictional engagement with a lateral slot in the horizontal surface of said auxiliary tray for limiting the out-' ward horizontal movement of said auxiliary trays and a pair of unitary frames supporting the outer ends of each of said auxiliary trays whereby said auxiliary trays may be moved outwardly or telescoped inwardly in' unison relative to said fixed trays.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 375,519 Walker Dec. 27, 1887 883,001 Curtis Mar. 24, 1908 1,542,485 Ebert June/16, 1925 1,895,283 Friedemann Ian. 24, 1933