US2422261A - Plate holder - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1947. C RlCHARDs 2,422,261

' PLATE? HOLDER Filed Nov. 22, 1944 HTTO/ENE Y Patented June 17, 1947 UNITED STATES iPA'iENT OFFICE;

PLATE HOLDEF? Charles Richards, Quincy, Mass.

Application November 22, 1944, SerialN'o. 5643662 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a holder for displayinga plateor the like.

The invention hasfor an object to provide a novel and improved plate holder for supporting a plate on edge for display and decorative purposes, whichis simplein structure and which may be economically manufactured.

Withthis-general object in View and such others asma'yhereinafter appear, the invention consists intheplate holder hereinafter described and parti cularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the. drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, Fig. 1v is a perspective view of a plate holder embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; and Fig. 3 is a front elevation partly in cross section to. be hereinafter. referred to.

In general, the-present invention contemplates a-noveland improved plate holder adapted to rest onxa flat surface such as a table. or shelf andhaving. provision for. supporting a circular or irregular shapedp'late orv the like on edge in a. substantially verticalor slightly tilted position for display purposes in a safe and evenly balanced manner. To this end, the present plate holder is provided with a base portion having spaced grooves for engaging the periphery of the plate at spacedpoints and having a back rest againstwhich the back of the plate rests to display'the plate at a slight angle from the vertical.

In practice the bas portion; comprises a T- shapedstructure having its legs. extended-over a relatively wide area and proportioned so as to reduceto aminimum liability of'tipping or overbalancing of the unit when supporting a relatively large or heavy plate. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the provision of spaced grooved members and the disposition of the back rest provides a three point contact with the plate, that is, the periphery of the plate is engaged at two spaced points and the back of the plate at one point, the whole being proportioned so as to provide a safely balanced structure designed to minimize the liability of the plate rolling out sideways, slipping out of the grooves or tipping over should the unit be jarred.

Referring now to the drawings, the illustrated plate holder comprises a T-shaped base It] having a transverse portion l2 extending across the front of the unit and a leg l4 extending rearwardly from substantially the center of the transverse base portion l2. Equidistantly spaced from the center of the transverse portion l2, a pair of grooved rim engaging members i6, iii are provided for engaging the periphery of the plate 2%! at spaced points along its lower edge; and; upstanding from' the rearward'l'y extended? le'g Hi is an upright member 22 comprising a back rest for the plate, as illustrated. The structure isparticularly suitable for manufacture from the var ious mouldable plastic materials, from wood, or any other material which may prove of advantage and may be relatively light in'wei'ght ascom pared to theweight of the platewhich it is adapted to support.

As herein shown; the rim engaging members or blocks l6", {8 are mounted on the" top of or formed integrally with the transverse portion l2 and are providedwith grooves or slots 24 25 extending substantially diagonally across the inner corners of the blocks l6, [8; and, as best shown in Fig. 3, the slotted portion may be concave. to provide recesses as indicated at 28} so that a relatively small portion 3t of the closed end of each slot engages the periphery ofthe plateto be supported In other words the curvature: of the concave recesses is intentionally made to differ from that of the pla-teswhich'the un-it 'i's d'esigned-to-supp'ort. The recesses 23 Bit'also provide clearance for that portion of the plateextending between the rim engaging portions- 3i and the latter are disposed-at a-height sufficientto support the lowermost-edge-of the plate free-of the topsurface of the transverse portion i=2. closed ends 3 of the spaced slots engaging the plate prevent the same from rolling o'utsideways and the side walls of :the-slotengage the sides-of the plate to prevent the same from slipping forward or backward; The. slots-mayand .preferably will be of sufiicient width to provide ample clearance for a relatively thick plate.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the upstanding back rest 22 is mounted on or formed integrally with the rearwardlyextended leg It, the back rest being of a predetermined height and spaced from the rim engaging member l6, [8 so as to support the plate at an appropriate angle from the vertical for display purposes. The distance from the front face of the back rest to the rim engaging members is preferably made relatively short and the height of the back rest is proportionately short, thus reducing to a minimum the overall dimensions of the unit. Thus, as shown in Fig. 2, the back rest is disposed to support the plate at an angle of approximately 15 degrees from the vertical and the point of engagement of the back rest with the plate is below the center of the plate. A smaller diameter plate may be engaged a slight distance above the center thereof, but, in general,

the back rest is preferably of a height such as to engage the average size plate to be displayed (about eight inches in diameter) at approximately the center thereof, or, at most, a relatively short distance above or below the center according to the diameter of the plate. This structure, together with the extension of the leg l4 rearwardly, for a substantial distance beyond the back rest 22 ensures stability of the unit even when subjected to jarring.

In order that the plate may be balanced in the unit, it will be observed that the leg [4 of the base extends a substantial distance beyond the face of the back rest, thus counteracting any tendency of the plate to tip over backward. Thus in practice,

the unit may be proportioned so that the distance from the front face of the transverse member [2 to the further end of the rearwardly extended member I4 is at least twice the distance from said front face to the face of the back rest '22, and, the height of the back rest from the floor will not exceed the distance from said front face to the end of the rearwardly extended member IQ. Also,

the length of the transverse portion |2Imay be substantially twice that of the rearwardly extended leg l4.

From the above description it will be observed that the present plate holder is designed to accommodate plates of a wide range of sizes, the grooved rim engaging members being arranged to support the rim of different diameter plates at spaced points and in a manner such as to dispose the lowermost edge of the plate free from engagement with the upper surface of the transverse member I2. It will also be observed that the grooved rim engaging members are designed to prevent lateral displacement of the plate from the unit, and that the unit is so proportioned that although the unit may be relatively light in weight and the overall dimensions thereof relatively small, the unit is enabled to support a, relatively large and heavy plate without danger of overbalancing and tipping.

It will be observed that the present unit is simple in construction and lends itself to manufacture at minimum expense.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A plate holder for supporting a plate for disin the preferred embodiment of the invention,

being provided with grooves extending from their inner and adjacent faces to the upper surfaces thereof, each groove having sidewalls and an outer end wall and being opened at its inner face, said. walls being adapted to cooperate with the rim portion of a, plate supported in the grooves and upon the base member, to prevent forward, rearward and lateral displacement of the plate from the grooves, said longitudinal member having an upright supporting member adapted to engage and Support the back ofthe plate.

2. A plate holder for supporting a plate for display purposes comprising a T-shaped base structure having a transversely extended forward member and a longitudinal member extended rearwardly therefrom, said transverse member.

having two spaced-apart rim-engaging members and an intermediate portiondisposed below said rim-engaging portions, the inner and adjacent faces and the upper surfaces of said rim-engaging members being provided with grooves, each groove having sidewalls and an outer end wall and being opened at its inner face, said walls being adapted to cooperate with th rimmed portion of a plate supported in the grooves and upon the base member to prevent forward, rearward and lateral displacement of the plate from the grooves, said longitudinal member having an upright supporting member adapted to engage and support the back of the plate, said transversely 7 extended forward member, said rearwardly extended longitudinal member, and said upright being formed integrally with one another.

CHARLES RICHARDS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS I Date Timberlake Apr. 23, 1907

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