US2528388A

US2528388A - Display stand

Info

Publication number: US2528388A
Application number: US86544A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richards Charles
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-04-09
Filing date: 1949-04-09
Publication date: 1950-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 1967-10-31

Description

Oct. 31, 1950 c. RICHARDS 2,528,388

DISPLAY STAND Filed April 9, 1949 IN V EN TOR.

ZwJ ECAWJ.

ywemcm ATTORA/EV Patented Oct. 31, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY STAND Charles Richards, Quincy, Mass.

Application April 9, 1949, Serial No. 86,544

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a display stand for displaying dishes such as a cup and saucer or the like.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and attractive display stand for supporting a dishsuch as a saucer alone or for sup porting a cup and saucer as a unit in a manner such that the ornamental or decorative portions of the cup and saucer may be most effectively. displayed and which is simple in structure and may be economically manufactured.

With this general object in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the display stand hereinafter de scribed and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a display stand for a cup and saucer embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the display stand shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view in cross section, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of displa stand embodying the present invention designed for displaying a saucer alone, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the display stand shown in Fig. 4.

In general, the present invention contemplates a novel and improved display. stand or holder adapted to rest on a flat surface such as a table or shelf, having provision for supporting a circular dish or plate such as a saucer on edge in a slightly tilted position for display purposes in a safe and evenly balanced manner. Provision is also made for supporting or suspending a cup in a position relative to the saucer so that the ornamentation of the cup and saucer may be most effectively displayed for sales and ornamental purposes.

To this end, the present display stand comprises a sheet metal frame or easel structure having a central longitudinally extended and rearwardly inclined back rest member provided at its lower end with a transversely extended base forming the forward support for the structure, and a rear brace or strut forming the rear sup port having forwardly extended diverging arms connected to and extending beyond the upper edge of the base, between which the lower rim portionof a plate or saucer is supported on edge at a slight angle from the vertical, the whole being proportioned so as to provide a safely balanced structure designed to prevent inadvertent tipping of the unit or displacement of the plate from its support. In order to display the cup in which the cup may be suspended by its handle in a position in front of and substantially centrally'of the face of the saucer so that the ornamentation along the marginal portions of the saucer and on the side of the cup may be most effectivel displayed.

In a'modified form of the invention the central back rest member is shaped to accommodate dishes or plates of varying depths, or may be used for supporting a plate of larger diameter in an inclined position for display purposes, the back rest in the modified form engaging the back of the plate at a single point.

Referring now to the drawings, the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises adisplay stand or holder for supporting a cup and saucer and includes a central longitudinally ex' tended and rearwardly inclined back rest member or upright l0 having a transversely extended base member l2 at its lower end forming the forward support for the unit, and an angle strut or brace having a leg I4 connected at its upper end to the back of the upright portion 10 and. forming the rear supporting leg for the unit,

The second leg [6 of the angle brace is bent and extended forwardly from the lower end of the leg l4 and at an upwardly inclined angle, the for ward portion of the leg I 6 being slit longitudinally and spread apart in a V-shape to form two arms I8, 20 arranged to straddle the central back rest member I0 and to be connected at spaced points to the upper edge of the transversely extended base member I 2. The V-shaped arms I8, 20 extend diagonally beyond the edge of the base member I2 and form supporting arms,

for the rim of the plate or saucer at spaced points, the outer end of each arm being bent upwardly substantially at right angles to the arms to form retaining ledges 22 for the rim of the saucer. The upper end of the central upright member ID is provided with a forwardly and downwardly extended loop portion 24 having an upwardly bent hook portion 25 at its free end from which a cup may be suspended by its handle in a manner such as to dispose the cup in a position substantially centrally of the saucer, as illustrated in dotted lines in Figs. land 2.

, In practice,'the present display stand may be economically manufactured from relatively thin sheet metal strips such as sheet brass, the centrally disposed back rest portion l0 and the integral angle brace portions I 4, I6 comprising either side of the centrall disposed upright member it which is connected to the base at a point adjacent the apex of the triangle. In assembling the display stand, the upright back rest member I0 may be soldered or otherwise secured at its lower end to the back of the fiat sheet metal base plate l2, and the upper end of the leg 14 of the angle brace may be likewise soldered to the back of the upright member ID at a point adjacent the upper end thereof. The forwardly and angularly extended arms I8, 20 may rest on horizontal cut out edge portions of the downwardly inclined sides of the base member l2 and may also be soldered thereto to form an integral triangular shaped supporting structure defined by the sides 16, M and I6 having a transversely extended forward support l2.

From the description above of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be observed that the saucer is suppor ed in the stand between the arms I8, 20 which engage the saucer at spaced points along its periphery, and the back of the saucer rests sub stantially flat in a rearwardly inclined position against the central back rest member it! thus providing a three point bearing or support for the plate. In practice, the weight of the saucer in its tilted position is arranged to urge the lower edge of the rim forwardly on its upwardly inclined supporting arms I8, 20 and into engagement with the retaining ledges 22. The angle at which the plate is supported is made sufficient so that when the stand is placed on a table the display is disposed substantially at right angles to the line of vision of the observer, and in the illustrated embodiment of the invention is shown as inclined approximately twenty-five degrees from a line perpendicular to the table. It will also be observed that the hook portion 26 for the cup is disposed within a space defined by a vertical line drawn from the forward lower edge of the base plate I2 when viewed in side elevation, see Fig. 2, and is disposed relative to the back rest It so that the side of the cup may rest against the face of the saucer and substantially centrally thereof so as to enable the observer to view the decorations on the cup and saucer together. The length of the transverse base plate l2 and the perpendicular distance from the forward edge of the base to the lower end of the rear supporting le M is suflicientl great to provide a balanced structure and the inclined supporting member ID and hook 26 are proportioned relative to the base and rear support so that the weight of the cup and saucer will be distributed to maintain a state of equilibrium. It will also be observed that the outer ends of the forward support plate It and the lower end of the rear support leg M form a three point bearing support for the unit thus eliminatin rocking or uneven balance of the stand.

In the embodiment of the display stand illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, which is designed to support a plate or saucer alone, the structure shown is substantially similar to the structure above described except that the back rest portion is formed in a modified S-shape having a concave portion 33 between the triangular base member 32 and the upper end of the rear supporting leg 3 and a convex portion 36 extending beyond the upper end of the leg 34. This construction is designed to accommodate a relatively deep dish or saucer, the concave portion providing clearance for the back of the dish or the modified design may accommodate a plate or saucer of larger diameter, and in either event, the rear face of the dish or plate is arranged to be engaged only at a point along the convex portion 3'5 of the back rest, the lower edge of the rim being supported between the spaced arms 38 to provide a three point bearing support for the dish. It will be apparent that the structure shown in Figs. 4 and 5 may be modified to also support a cup by extendin the S-shaped back rest and bending the same to form a hook similar to that shown in Fig. 2.

From the above description it will be observed that the present display stand is simple in construction and lends itself to manufacture at minimum expense. It will also be observed that the design and proportions of the display stand are such as to ensure stability of the unit and such as to enable display of a cup and saucer so that the ornamentation and design of the cup and saucer may be conveniently viewed together as a unit in a safe and evenly balanced manner.

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:

l. A display stand of the character described, comprising a single longitudinally extended and rearwardly inclined back rest member having a transversely extended base member at its lower end, a single rear supporting strut secured to said back rest, and a pair of forwardly extended and upwardly inclined rim engaging and retaining arms extended from the lower end of said rear strut to and beyond the upper edge of said base member.

2. A display stand of the character described, comprising a single longitudinally extended and rearwardly inclined back rest member having a transversely extended base portion at its lower end, a single rear supporting strut for said back rest member, and a pair of spaced rim engaging arms extended forwardly and upwardly from the lower end of said rear strut to and beyond the upper edge of said base portion, and means formed integrall with said back rest member for suspending a cup in front of and substantially centrally of a saucer supported by said arms and said back rest member.

3. A display stand of the character described, comprising a longitudinally extended and rearwardly inclined back rest member having a transversely extended base member at its lower end, a rear supporting strut secured to said back rest, and a pair of forwardly extended and upwardly inclined rim engaging and retaining arms extended from the lower end of said rear strut to and beyond the upper edge of said base member, said back rest member comprising a relatively arms;

4. A display stand of the character described, comprising a longitudinally extended and rearwardly inclined back rest member having a transversely extended base member at its lower end, a rear supporting strut secured to said back rest, and a pair of forwardly extended and'upwardly inclined rim engaging and retaining arms extended from the lower end of said rear strut to and beyond the upper edge of said base member, said back rest member comprising a relativel narrow and reversely curved strip having a convex portion at its upper end against which the back of a saucer may rest when supported between said arms.

5. A display stand of the character described, comprising a relatively narrow sheet metal strip frame structure including a central longitudinally extended and rearwardly inclined back rest strip having a transversely extendedsheet metal base member resting on edge secured to the lower end of said back rest and extended equidistant on each side thereof, an angle brace member having a rear supporting leg secured to the back rest, the lower end of said rear leg being bent forwardly and upwardly and longitudinally slit for a portion of its length, the slit portions being spread apart to form two diagonally extended and spaced rim engaging and retaining arms secured to and extended beyond the upper edge of said base member.

6. A. display stand of the character described, comprising a relatively narrow sheet metal strip frame structure including a central longitudinally extended and rearwardly inclined back rest strip having a transversely extended sheet metal base member resting on edge secured to the lower end of said back rest and extended equidistant on each side thereof, an angle brace member having a rear supporting leg secured to the back rest, the lower end of said rear leg being bent forwardly and upwardly and longitudinally slit for a portion of its length, the slit portions being spread apart to form two diagonally extended and spaced rim engaging and retaining arms secured to and extended beyond the upper edge of said base member, the upper end. of said back rest member being forwardly looped and provided with a hook at its free end disposed to suspend a cup by its handle in front of and substantially centrally of a saucer supported by said arms and said back rest member.

CHARLES RICHARDS.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 396,362 Marks Jan. 15, 1889 687,020 .Hallenberg Nov. 19, 1901 741,663 Hexom et al. Oct. 20, 1903 743,048 Suffern Nov. 3, 1903 1,225,462 Jones May 8, 1917 1,542,672 Crapo June 16, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 20,566 Great Britain Sept. 9, 1913