US1717123A - Self-serving store - Google Patents

Description

June 11, 1929. N. T. SHARP 1.717.123

SELF SERVING STORE Filed March 2, l928 2 Sheets-Sheet l J June 11, 1,929. N. T. SHARP 1,717,123

SELF SERVING STORE Filed March 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I .9 w as Patented June 11, 1929.

NELSON '1. SHARP, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

SELF-SERVING STORE.

Application filed March 2, 1928. Serial No. 258,549.

The present invention relates to a self serving store, and aims to provide a novel and improved arrangement whereby the various fixtures are associated for providing a maximum amount of floor space, as well as for permitting the clerks at the checking counter to have an unobstructed View of the entire shopping area of the interior of the store.

With this principal object in view my invention contemplates the provision of shelv: ing arranged near the front and side walls of the store with those at the sides extended forwardly at acute angles in double tiers and a similar arrangement provided centrally at the rear end of the store room so that a clerk at the checking counter can easily see all of said shelves as a check on articles removed therefrom by purchasers, walkways being provided in rear of the side shelving and between the centrally and angularly ar ranged shelving for permitting the replenishing of articles thereon from t e rear thereof.

My invention further contemplates pro viding a checking counter adjacent the entrance and exit doorway of the store, a turnstile adjacent the checking counter permit'ting persons to pass therethrough without passing by the counter when entering the store and requiring those desiring to leave the store to pass by the checking counter, the operation of said turnstiles being adapted to actuate a basket conveyor for returning baskets to a bin from which they were taken by persons entering the store, the baskets being placed upon the conveyor by the clerk after he has checked the articles selected by the patron.

My invention provides a store arrangement of the above indicated character, which is of a simple nature, which bay be installed economically, and one which will be efficient and practical in use.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made with in the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan showing my 1mproved arrangement,

Figure 2 1s a perspective view of the checking counter and turnstiles, illustrating the manner in which persons enter and leave the store,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of the shelving, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 44 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 desi nates the front wall of a store having wintows 11 therein at opposite sides of a door opening 12, the latter providing the only way of entering and leaving the store.

The opening 12 is closed by doors 13 hinged at opposite sides of the door frame. Spaced slightly from the front wall 10 at each side of the door opening 12 are shelves 14 which extend toward the opposite side walls of the store and are connected to longitudinally arranged shelves 15 slightly spaced from the opposite side walls of the store. By spacing the shelves 14 and 15 from the front and side walls of the store it can be seen that walkways are provided behind said shelves which will permit the replenishing of goods on the shelves from the rear thereof. The shelves 15 extend rearwardly to points past the center of the store and are connected to shelves 16 extending forwardly atacute angles thereto. Spaced from the angularly arranged shelves 16 and in parallel relation therewith are shelves 17, providin walkways 18 in the rear of said shelves or replenishing of goods on both the shelves 16 and 17. The ends of the walkways 18 at opposite sides of the store are closed by walls 19 which may contain thereon lists and prices of the various goods arranged upon the various shelves. 7

In the rear of the store room adjacent the side walls are arranged various fixtures, such as a delicatessen department 20, a fruit and vegetable department 21, a stand for broomsand mops 22, a self serving refrigerator 23, a meat market 24, and a cold storage meat refrigerator for the meat market 25. Glass show cases 26 ma be arranged at the forward portions of tfie delicatessen department and meat market in order to display goods therein. By the arrangement shown it can be seen that people desiring to purchase goods at the various departments will have ample room and congested conditions will be obviated. The delicatessen department 20 and the meat department 24 are in communication with walkways 27 which extend along the side walls of the store and communicate with the walkways 18 leading to shelves walkway 31 therebetween which communicates with the rear walkway 29. The forward end of the walkway 31 is closed by a wall 32 which may contain reading matter relative various goods displayed.

In the center of the shopping area cramstore, slightly in advance of the intermediate portion thereof and directly in rear of the entrance and exit opening 12, is a checking counter 33, ofi-substantially U-shape in plan presenting side counters 34 and a rear end counter 35. The forward ends of the side counters 34 are closed by a railing 36 so as to provide a compartment or cage in which the checking clerks are stationed, and spaced from the forward ends of said counters are a pair of turnstiles 37 through which patrons must pass when entering and leaving the shopping area of the store. Arcuate railings 38 connect with the ends of the side counters 34 and extending outwardly therefrom conform to the path of movement of the bars 39 of the turnstiles, being supported from the floor by means of posts 40. On opposite sides of the turnstiles from where the arcuate railin s 38 are placed are cases 41 which have the upper portions thereof constructed, as at 42, for supporting bags or other receptacles to be used by' patrons of the store. It can be seen that the arcuate cases 41 also conform to the path of movement of the bars 39 of the turnstiles 37 and form guards compelling patrons to pass through the turnstiles when entering the shopping area of the store. Attached to the cases 41 are forwardly extending railings 43 attached to the front wall 10 of the store, as indicated by the numeral 44. Vhen a person enters the store and desires to proceed to the shopping area he must pass through either one of the turnstiles 37, as indicated by the arrows 45.

At the outer sides of the side counters 34 and spaced therefrom intermediate their ends are arcuate bins 46 which contain baskets that may be used by persons enterin the store and desiring to purchase oods. rom the outer, forward portions 0 the bins 46 are railings 47 which extend forwardly to points forward of the outer ends of the arcuate railings 38 and then at an angle towards the posts 48 of the turnstiles, as at thereunder when leaving the shoppin,

49. At the points where the railings 47 and 49 meet posts 50 are provided for supporting said railings, while the outer ends of the railings 49 are attached to the posts 48 to assist in supporting the same. Extending rcarwardly from the bins 46 at the inner sides thereof are railings 51 which terminate in line with the rear counter 35. As shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, a person after purchasing articles may leave the store only by passing by the checking counter 33, as the means of entrance to the turnstile from the shopping area of the store is between the counter 33 and the railings 51, bins 46, and railings, 47, as clearly illustrated by the arrows 52 shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. The turnstiles are of a con struction for turning only in certain directions so that it is impossible for a person to enter or leave the store otherwise than that desired by the operator of the store.

Attached to each turnstile 37 and extending upwardly therefrom is a rod 53 having on the upper end thereof a gear 54. The gears 54 at the upper ends of the two rods mesh with other gears 55 at the forward ends of horizontal rods 56, supported by means of uprights 57 having bearings 58 thereon through which the rods extend. The rear ends of the rods 56 extend through the outer ends of frames 59 and carry thereon rollers 60 about which belt conveyors 61 are trained from rollers 62 carried at the inner ends of the frames. These frames are supported above the side counters 34 by means of uprights 63 supporting the inner ends thereof, while relatively wide guard boards 64 support the outer ends rising from the bins 46. By referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, it can be seen that the conveyors are associated with the bins in a manner so that baskets carried by the conveyors will bedeposited into the bins. As the inner ends of the conveyors extend to the side counters 34, baskets may be placed thereon by (hecking clerks after 100 ing over goods sc ected by the purchaser. As the conveyors 1 are elevated, persons may conveniently pass area of the store. By having the turnstile connected with the conveyors, it can b seen that the operation of the turnstiles will actuate the conveyors, thus forming an economical form of power. Also, by having the turnstiles operate the conveyors they will be actuated according to the turning move- .ment of the turnstiles and thus obviate the provision of any other operating means.

The detail construction of the shelves adjacent the side walls of the store, centrally of the store, and the shelves 16 and 17 disposed at an angle thereto, is shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, being constructed of a plurality of uprights 65 having horizontal boards 66 supported thereby on which the articles to be displayed are placed. Below the lowermost boards or shelves 66 on the side towards the shopping area, are arranged facing boards ,67 so that articles placed on the floor beneath these shelves from the rear will not be visible by the par-- ties making purchases, thereby providing storage compartments 68 in which goods maybe placed that are to be exhibited for sale on the shelves above thus obviating the necessity of a store room of enlarged size for containing the goods prior to the placing thereof on the shelves as well as making it more convenient to replenish the shelves. Beneath the shelves 66 on which the articles are placed for sale are small belts 69, trained over bars 70 semi-spherical in cross section supported at the forward or purchasing side of the shelves and over rotatably mounted rollers 71 at the rear side of said shelves. Between the bars 70 and rollers 71 are idlers 72 for holding the lower run of the belt up so that the same will not be visible or interfere with articles placed onthe shelves therebeneath. In front of the bars 70 are horizontal strips 73 which extend along the entire length of the shelves and have openings 74 therein so that the portions of the belts extending over said bars will be visible. An opening (4 is arranged in the strip'at each point where a belt is positioned. On the belt 69 are numerals 75 visible through the openings 74 to indicate the price of the articles arranged on the shelf below. By havmg various prices printed on the belt it can be seen that turning the belt will bring different prices to view in order to compensate for any change in prices, as well as the placing of differently priced articles upon the shelves. As the spaces betweenthe shelves" 66 are open from both" sides, itcan be seen that a clerk in the store may pass, down the various walkways and replenish the shelves with articles, while the purchasers in the shopping area on the opposite side of the shelves may select articles desired by them. In this way the clerks do not interfere with the parties making purchases and thereby relieve any congestion in the store which might otherwise result.

When the store is open for business, checking clerks are stationed in the cage or compartment surrounded by the counter 33 and railing 36, and some of the clerks may be assigned to placing articles upon the various shelves. When the meat market, delicatessen, and fruit and vegitable departments are used, clerks are employed in these departments in order to wait on customers. Persons desiring to make purchases in the store, enter the main entrance and pass through either one of the turnstiles 37 in the'direction indicated by the arrows 45. While passing through the turnstiles they may remove paper bags from the racks 42 the empty baskets in the bins 41 and pass to the basket bins 46 where they may remove a basket if they desire to purchase a large quanity of goods. Then passing on to the different'shelves, they may select articles desired. If they desire meat, fruit, or vegetables, or goods at the delicatessen counter they are waited on by clerks stationed in these departments for that purpose. After they have made their purchases, they passby the counter, in the direction indicated by the arrows 52, passing between the bins 46 and the side 34 of the main counter 33. At the counters the articles are checked over and paid for by the purchasers, and the clerk then places upon the conveyors 61, and when the articles are paid for and wrapped at the Checking counters, the patrons pass again through the turnstiles at opposite sides'of the counter and out through the door opening 12. As the parties pass through the turnstiles turning the same the rotatable movement of the shafts is trans;v

mitted to the conveyors 61 in order to actuate the same and-deposit the empty baskets into the basket bins 46 where they may be again used by other patrons entering the store and desiring to make purchases. As articles are removed from the various shelves, the clerk assigned to placing articles on the shelves may easily remove articles from the storage compartments 68 in replenishing articles on the shelves.

By the arrangement shown and described, it can be seen that possible congestion in the shopping area is reduced to a minimum, and that by arranging some of the shelving in double tiersgextending towards the checking 'counters'itincreases the article exhibiting andsellingcapacity of the storeand the clerksiagt the checking counters may at all times have a clear and unobstructed view of invention, what I cla1m as new is:

1. A self-serving store having an entrance.

and exit doorway, a checking counter within the store adjacent said doorway, a pair of turnstiles adjacent said checking counter and slightly beyond each side thereof, basket bins, conveyors arranged for depositing baskets placed on the same into said basket bins, and means for operating said conveyors upon operation of said turnstiles.

2. A self-serving store having an entrance and exit doorway, a checking counter within the store adjacent said doorway, a turnstile adjacent said checking counter between the same and the entrance and exit doorway, railings arranged for compelling patrons to pass by the checking counter when counters leaving the store and for permitting persons to enter the store without passing by the checking counter, a basket bin, a conveyor for receiving baskets and depositing the same into the bin, and means for actuating said conveyor upon operation of said turnstile.

3. A self-serving store having an entrance and exit opening therein, a substantially U- shaped checking counter having side counters and a rear counter, basket bins spaced from the opposite side counters of said checking counter, a pair of turnstiles positioned between the side counters and entrance and exit doorway and slightly to the outer sides of said side counters, and railings arranged for compelling patrons to pass between said basket bins and said counters When leaving the store and for permitting persons entering the store to obtain baskets from said bins without passing by the checking counter, and conveyors arranged above said side counters for depositing baskets into said basket bins when placed thereon by clerks at the checking counter, and means for actuating said conveyors upon operation of said turnstiles.

4. A self-serving store having an entrance and exit doorway, a checking counter within the store adjacent the doorway, a turnstile at one side of said checking counter, a

bin to receive baskets used by the purchaser in making purchases, an overhead conveyor leading to'said bin and by which the baskets are returned, and means responsive to the operation of the turnstile for operating the conveyor.

' 5. A self-serving store having an entrance and exit doorway, a checking counter within the store adjacent the doorway, a turnstile at one side of said checking counter, a bin to receive baskets used by the purchaser, an overhead endless bolt trained over rollers and leading to the bin, a horizontal shaft connected to one of the rollers, and a vertical shaft extending from the turnstile and geared to said horizontal shaft for operation of the conveyor by the operation of the turnstile.

NELSON T. SHARP.

Images