US2103578A - Display holder - Google Patents

Description

H. s. FORD DISPLAY HOLDER Dec. 28, 1937,

'Filed Feb. 9, 1957 IOL f1 nm Mm., e

' Patented Dec. 28, 1937 UNITED STATES PZT E NT This invention relates to display holders and particularly to display holders of the type made use of by merchants in displaying for sale stacks of articles such as neckties and socks.

It is generally customary .in merchandising articles of this class to arrange the socks or ties, or light articles, in groups of a commo-n size, common style or common price, and it is highly advantageous to prevent intermingling of articles of dlerent groups, which, unless precautions are observed, frequently occurs accidently when` the articles are inspected or handled by prospective customers. It has been proposed that the several groups orpiles of ties and the like may be maintained separate bythe use of individual holders for such groups and one form of holder made use of for this purpose comprises a simple flat base member, having a surface upon which'a pile or stack of articles may be disposed and retaining guards forl laterally confining the pile. It has been found, however, that While a stack of articles,

i for instance socks, When originally placed in position will present a neat and attractive appearanceto prospective customers, the pile or stack of articlesv Will not be adequately retained in position by any of the restraining devices now commonly use'dand that they will slide from the display devices unless such devices are provided with restraining Imeans which so envelop the socks that the attractiveness of the display is markedly decreased. It is the purpose of .the present invention to provide a display holder of simple while the articles displayed may be removed singly from time to time until the holder is empty, a suitable legend, which may be a manufacturers name or slogan, price mark, grade mark, or other information for a prospective purchaser, is at all 00 times placed permanently upon the upper surface of the uppermost article in the stack retained upon the holder. It has heretofore been found almost impossible to maintain suitable identifying legends closely associated with stacks of such articles in holders of the class described.

In accordance with the present invention, ,however, this may be easily done and the advantages flowing from this feature of the invention will be apparent to all who are called upon to make use of such devices.

A preferred form of the invention will be disclosed by way of example, this form being fully illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a perspective View of a display holder embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view, partially in section, of a display holder having a somewhat modified form of article retaining means.

The display holder illustrated is in many particulars of conventional type comprising a base il) which is preferably of light weight as when fabricated of wood and which may have any desired outline. I'he base i@ shown is primarily intended for the reception of a pile of socks such as indicated at El, and has a reduced end iii having a width only slightly greater than the top of a folded sock the remainder of the base being somewhat wider, and the end of the larger portion remote from the reduced portion It having some ornamental configuration, such as indicated at |02.

Guard members are indicated at i2, these guard members being fabricated of wire and being generally U-shaped, the ends of the wire being inserted in suitable apertures provided for their reception in the Vbase member l. The guard members are intended to prevent sliding of individual socks, or of Vthe pile of socks, ofi of the base member, and do to a substantial extent. However, as pointed out beorathe guards i2 cannot in and of themselves Wholly prevent this sliding movement or displacement and it is not possible to wholly surround theA pile of socks with guards since the articles cannot in such cases be as advantageously displayed.

In accordance with the present invention an additional member is provided for positively retaining the pile of articles upon the display holder. While this additional member maybe formed in various ways, it may conveniently comprise a generally U-shaped member I3, fabricated for instance of Wire, the free ends of the member being inturned and loosely received within apertures formed in the base l0 so that the member may be said to be pivotally attached to the base for rocking movement about an axis just below and parallel to the upper, or article receiving, surface of the base. Member i3 may be s aid to have two generally parallel leg portions I3' and a transverse midportion |32 connecting the leg portions, the transverse portion I 32 being preferably formed as a loop and the Vplane of the loop being disposed at a slight angle to the plane of the leg portions, as shown in Figure 2. Means is preferably provided for retaining the looped portion |32 of member I3 in the position in which it is shown in Figures 1 and 2, i. e., this portion resting upon the upper surface of the uppermost article of a stack of articles resting upon the base III. The loop is so disposed angularly with respect to the leg portions I3 that it preferably lies substantially horl- Zontally upon the upper article. The loop |32 also comprises a suitable base for the attachment of an advertising placard such as indicated at I4 the attachment being made in any suitable manner and upon the placard, which may be a piece of pasteboard or the like, may bewritten any suitable advertising indicia, grade marks, size numbers or other information of interest to the merchant or prospective purchasers.

The advertising placard will remain substantially parallel to the base I 3 during the time that the device is in use although its angularity will change somewhat with the height of the pile of articles upon which it rests. It will be appreciated that advertising cards of various types may be used and that they may be secured to the loop |32 in various ways, also that the cross member |32 may be so disposed as to make substantially a right angle with the base at all times instead of being substantially parallel, considerable variation of the invention in this respect being permissible in order that the wishes of various users of the display holder may be met.

Preferably means is provided for maintaining close contact of the portion |32 of the member I3 with the uppermost article of the pack. In the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 resilient springs are made use of for this purpose, one such spring being indicated at I5. Spring I5 has one end I5 attached to the base I9, its opposite end |52 attached to the adjacent leg I3 of member I3 and its intermediate portion coiled about the inturned portion of leg i3. Springs I5 serve to maintain loop |32 in rather tight contact with the uppermost ar' ticle of the pile II so that the pile is firmly retained in position upon the base I3. If desired the customary guard members I2 may be dispensed with since the swinging member I3 will adequately retain a substantial pile of articles upon the base Iil without the assistance of stationary guards. It is of course easy to remove any one of the stack of articles by simply rocking the member I3 upwardly about its pivotal axis to release Vthe same. The member I3, however, is pressed downwardly with sufficient force to render it dicult to remove an article surreptitiously and without lifting the same, thus discouraging theft or unauthorized removal.

If desired, means may be provided for more positively securing member I3 in article retaining position, for instance the lower ends of the legs I3 may be provided with loops or eyes I6 which encircle the shank of a bolt Il' positioned Within a cylindrical aperture formed in the base Ill. Bolt I1 is provided at one'end with a head Il and its other end isthreaded at |12, a wing nut I8 having threaded engagement with he threaded end of the bolt.

Upon tightening of the wing nut IB, the ends I6 of member I3 are tightly gripped by the bolt head I1 and the wing nut I3 respectively, being forced against the adjacent faces of the base Ill. Member I3 is therefore frictonally retained in position and no article may be conveniently re moved without loosening of the wing nut I8. If desired means for positively locking member I3 in article engaging position may be adopted but in the average case such positive locking means is not necessary.

Obviously the swinging retaining member I3 may be pivotally attached to either end of the base IG and, as has been previously explained, its exact shape and the material from which it is fabricated may be varied to suit circumstances.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a display holder for ties, socks, or similar articles, in combination, a base member having a surface for supporting a stack of articles, a bail formed of a single, continuous generally U- shaped Wire or rod, the open end of the U being pivoted to said base about an axis substantially.

parallel to and below said surface, the free end of said bail having a reentrant bight, the said bight lying in a plane at an angle to the plane of said U, a fiat plate secured to and filling said bight, said bight and plate being adapted to contact with and lie at upon the uppermost article of a stack resting on said base.

2. In a display holder for ties, socks, or the like, in combination, a base of similar size and conguration as the articles and having a surface for supporting a stack of such articles, stationary guards at the lateral edges of said base extending vertically upwardly therefrom, a bail pivoted to said base about an axis substantially parallel to and below said surface, said bail passing between and guided by at least one set of oppositely disposed stationary guards, the free end of said bail having means to support a plate at an angle to the rest of the bail to rest substantially flat upon the topmost article in a stack.

HARRY STACY FORD.

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