GB2219729A

GB2219729A - Improvements in vertical column display units

Info

Publication number: GB2219729A
Application number: GB8813870A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Arthur Clancy
Original assignee: S H Wire & Tube Products Limit
Current assignee: S H Wire & Tube Products Limit
Priority date: 1988-06-11
Filing date: 1988-06-11
Publication date: 1989-12-20
Anticipated expiration: 2008-06-11
Also published as: GB2219729B; GB8813870D0

Abstract

Vertical column display units for use in shops, exhibitions and the like, comprise vertical supports and "ladders" made of welded steel wires. The display unit provided by the invention has a pair of supports (10, 12) but each of the supports is capable of performing two functions, that is to say it is itself adapted to receive and hold a "ladder" 14 and it is also adapted together with a similar support to provide another means of receiving and holding a second "ladder" 14, in an angular relationship to the first "ladder" about a vertical axis of the display unit. <IMAGE>

Description

"Improvements in vertical column display units." A known type of vertical column display unit for use in shops, exhibitions and the like comprises a pair of channel-shaped supports and a pair of wire "ladders" which can be clamped between the two supports to provide a generally rectangular crosssection unit with ladders in two opposed sides of the unit. Each ladder simply comprises a pair of laterally spaced upright wires joined by a series of vertically spaced horizontal wires arranged so that the upright wires provide the "staves" and the horizontal wires the "rungs" of the "ladder". The purpose of the wire "ladders" is to provide a series of vertically spaced anchorages for removable arms which may be used, for example, to carry a series of garment hangers.The presence of the two ladders enables the unit to accept removable arms projecting on opposite sides of the vertical column itself, and the construction from two channel-shaped supports and two ladders, plus the nuts and bolts necessary to clamp the two supports together is inexpensive.

It is the object of the invention to provide a vertical column display unit of the type which has channel-shaped supports and "ladders", which has a greater versatility than the known units of this general type.

According to this invention a vertical column display unit comprises at least a pair of supports and means for clamping the supports together each support being so shaped in cross-section that, on the one hand, it is itself adapted to receive and hold a "ladder" and on the other hand, it is adapted, together with another of the supports, when in the assembled relationship, to receive and hold a second "ladder" in an angular relationship to the first ladder, about a vertical axis of the display unit.

In a preferred construction, there are two supports adapted to be clamped together in a back-toback arrangement in which each of these supports is itself adapted to receive and hold one of two first ladders, and the two supports are adapted when in the back-to-back relationship to receive and hold at least one second "ladder" disposed substantially at right angles to the positions available for the two first "ladders According to a preferred feature of the invention the supports are so constructed that they can be clamped to the other support(s) either in an arrangement which provides the facility for receiving and holding the second "ladder" or "ladders" or in an arrangement which does not provide that facility, in which case, the unit only provides facility for receiving and holding a first "ladder" or first "ladders".

According to another preferred feature of the invention the cross-section of each support is that of a channel open on the outside, there being an inturned lip on the outside of each flange of the channel, so that a pair of facing grooves is formed on the outside of the web, each groove being defined by a marginal portion of the web, the flange and the lip; the facing grooves providing locations for the vertical edges of a first "ladder".It is further preferred that the web of the channel is dished inwardly and that each flange has an inward extension, so that an inwardly open groove is formed by the inward extension of a flange, the step of the dished portion of the web and the part of the web between the flange extension and the step of the dished portion, this inwardly open groove providing a location for one vertical edge of a second "ladder" at right angles to a first "ladder" located in the facing grooves of the support.

The invention also includes units in which one or more ladders are located and held by one or more of the supports. It will be appreciated that even the simplest, two support, unit provides for one to four "ladders" to be fitted; more complex units could provide for a larger number of "ladders", for example, a unit comprising four supports each itself adapted to receive and hold a first "ladder" and adapted to co-operate at each end with another support arranged at right angles to itself in a manner to locate a second "ladder" at 450 to its own first "ladder" would be capable of receiving and holding up to eight "ladders".

The expression "ladder" as used herein is to be broadly understood as including any generally laminar or plate-like structure providing a series of vertically spaced locations for attachment. In its basic form it comprises a pair of "staves" and a series of "rungs", but it could comprise other structures e.g. a flat plate formed with a series of vertically spaced holes. Also, although it is preferred to make the "ladder" in wire, it is to be understood that it could be made of other materials such as plastics rods, or even as a plastics injection moulding.

A vertical column display unit in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded view of the unit, Figure 2 is a perspective view of one form of assembled unit, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of another form of assembled unit.

Vertical column display units are most frequently used in shops and stores for displaying garments, but it is to be understood that the unit hereinafter described can be used for a wide variety of purposes; it will however, be convenient to refer to a garment display use by way of example.

As shown in Figure 1, the unit comprises a pair of identical extruded aluminium supports 10 and 12, a set of four "ladders" 14 (only two of which are shown in Figure 1) and bolts 16, nuts 18 and spacers 20 as will be more fully explained.

The cross-sectional shape of the supports 10 and 12 is of considerable importance, and will be described in detail. In general it may be said that each support is of channel-shaped cross-section, the channel comprising a web 22 and a pair of outwardly projecting flanges 24, so that the channel opens outwardly. However, it will be noted that each flange 24 has an inturned lip 26 at its outer extremity and an inward extension 28 on the inside of the web 22. Thus, each flange is in the shape of a letter "F" though at one side, the letter is reversed. In addition, the web 22 has a central dished portion 30, with a flat bottom and inclined steps 32 and 34 forming the edges of the dish.

Each support 10 and 12 therefore has a pair of facing grooves 36 bounded by the flanges 24, the lips 26 and one of the marginal (undished) portions of the web 22. It also has a second pair of inwardly opening grooves 38 each bounded by a flange extension 28, one of the steps 32 and 34 and one of the marginal portions of the web 22.

Each of the four ladders 14 is made of a welded wire construction and comprises two upright "staves" 40 and a set of horizontal vertically spaced "rungs" 42. Such ladders are known in vertical display units and their purpose is to allow various fittings to be readily attached to and detached from the "rungs" 42.

The overall width of each ladder is slightly less than the overall width between the bottoms of the pair of facing grooves 36 in one of the supports, so that the "ladder" can be slid into the two facing grooves from one end of the support 10 or 12. Hence, it is possible to locate and secure a ladder 14 in one of the supports 10 or 12, since once it has been slid into position, it needs only be retained at the top and bottom of the support. A ladder in this location is shown in Figure 2 at 50.

The two supports 10 and 12 are each formed with clearance holes 44, and a corresponding number of bolts, nuts and spacers are provided. It is possible to clamp the two supports together in a spaced apart relationship by passing each bolt through a hole 44 in one of the supports, then through a spacer, and then through the corresponding hole 44 in the other support, the whole assembly being secured by the nut.

It will be noted that the dishing of each web 22 provides accommodation for the heads of the bolts and the nuts, so that they do not interfere with the fitting of "ladders" into the grooves 36.

In the assembled back-to-back position of the two supports 10 and 12, it is also possible to slide a "ladder" into the facing grooves 38 at each side of the assembly. These "ladders" are disposed at 900 to the ladders in the grooves 36 and a "ladder" in this location is indicated in Figure 2 at 52.

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown the assembled vertical column display unit comprising the two supports 10 and 12 which have been secured together in the correct spaced apart relationship as just described, and fitted with "ladders" 50 and 52. It will be clear that it is possible to fit from one to four "ladders" in a unit of this construction. Figure 2 also illustrates the attachment of garment hanger rails 54, each of which has a base 56 fitted with clamping means not visible in Figure 2, for clamping the garment rail on to two of the "rungs" of one of the ladders. Figure 2 also illustrates that these garment hanger rails 54 can be fitted at a variety of vertical positions on the unit.

Further, it shows that other items may be secured to the vertical unit, because in Figure 2, there is illustrated a wire mesh screen 58 which is provided with attachment bases not visible in Figure 2, for attachment to the "rungs" of one of the ladders in similar fashion to the manner in which the rails 54 are attached to those "rungs".

The entire assembly is completed by a cap 60, which is a press fit into the top end of the vertical column, and which when in position prevents accidental upward displacement of any one of the "ladders".

Turning now to Figure 3, there is illustrated a simpler construction, in which the two supports 10 and 12 have been connected together in a back-to-back arrangement, without fitting the spacers 20. It is necessary to use shorter bolts for this construction.

The omission of the spacers 20 means that the dished portions 30 of the two supports and the extremities of the extension flanges 28 abut each other, thus forming a vertical column comprising the two supports, with no spacing between them. It is then possible to fit ladders such as that shown at 62 into the two pairs of facing grooves 36, but the absence of spacing between the supports 10 and 12 means that it is not possible to fit "ladders" at right angles to the two ladders 62.

It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the particular assembled constructions illustrated in Figues 2 and 3, nor is it restricted to precise details of the supports 10 and 12 illustrated in Figure 1. An arrangement is envisaged, where there are four supports each of which has a pair of facing grooves 36, but instead of the inward extensions 28 of the flanges 24, there are simply corner recesses closed on the outsides but open on the insides. It would then be possible to assemble four of these supports in an arrangement in which each occupies one side of a square, but there is a space between adjacent corners of the four supports. Four "ladders" could then be fitted into each of the supports, and an additional four "ladders" could be fitted into the corner spaces each one engaging in two adjacent corner recesses, and being disposed at 450 to the "ladders" in the adjacent supports themselves. With such an arrangement, it would be necessary to provide an additional central column to which all four supports could be bolted, but the result would be a vertical support unit which would have up to eight "ladders".

It will also be appreciated, that a single support 10 or 12, fitted with a "ladder" in its facing grooves 36, could be secured to the rear of a pair of shopfitting panels, with its "ladder" accessible through a vertical space between the ends of the panels. In this way, a vertical series of "rungs" for attachment of garment rails or the like is available in a panalled wall feature.

Claims

Claims:

1. A vertical column display unit comprising at least a pair of supports and means for clamping the supports together each support being so shaped in cross-section that, on the one hand, it is itself adapted to receive and hold a "ladder" and on the other hand, it is adapted, together with another of the supports, when in the assembled relationship, to receive and hold a second "ladder" in an angular relationship to the first "ladder", about a vertical axis of the display unit.

2. A vertical column display unit as claimed in Claim 1, in which there are two supports adapted to be clamped together in a back-to-back arrangement in which each of these supports is itself adapted to receive and hold one or two first "ladders", and the two supports are adapted when in the back-to-back relationship to receive and hold at least one second "ladder" disposed substantially at right angles to the positions available for the two first "ladders".

3. A vertical column display unit as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the supports are so constructed that they can be clamped to the other support(s) either in an arrangement which provides the facility for receiving and holding the second "ladder" or "ladders" or in an arrangement which does not provide that facility, in which case, the unit only provides facility for receiving and holding a first "ladder" or first "ladders".

4. A vertical column display unit as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the cross-section of each support is that of a channel open on the outside, there being an inturned lip on the outside of each flange of the channel, so that a pair of facing grooves is formed on the outside of the web, each groove being defined by a marginal portion of the web, the flange and the lip; the facing grooves providing locations for the vertical edges of a first "ladder".

5. A vertical column display unit as claimed in Claim 4, in which the web of the channel is dished inwardly and each flange has an inward extension, so that an inwardly open groove is formed by the inward extension of a flange, the step of the dished portion of the web and the part of the web between the flange extension and the step of the dished portion, this inwardly open groove providing a location for one vertical edge of a second "ladder" at right angles to a first "ladder" located in the facing grooves of the support.

6. A support for a vertical column display constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A vertical column display unit comprising one or more "ladders" located and held by one or more supports each in accordance with any one of Claims 1 to 6.

8. A vertical column display unit constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.