US2532965A - Display rack for panels - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 5, 1950 F. E. THOMAS I 2,532,965

DISPLAY RACK FOR PANELS Filed July 29, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

F. E. THOMAS DISPLAY RACK FOR PANELS Dec. 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 29. 1947 INVENTOR. 9% a5? flown/1A flAma W Patented Dec. 5, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to display apparatus and more particularly to a novel display rack for panels, such as wall paper panels.

Wall paper display has always been a problem in the industry. Various means have been employed without success in an effort to avoid continued use of the usual display books of wall paper which are not only expensive'and unsatisfactory but which do not and cannot provide for new designs originated after the permanent book has beenbound. Moreover as bound in a book the wall paper is displayed to the prospective customer in a'manner that is least attractive.

The present invention is designed to avoid the use of such bound books and to afford a novel wall paper display rack whereby wall paper may be attractively displayed and wherein the wall paper designs may rapidly and easily be changed from time to time as desired.

A general object of the invention is to provide a novel rack of economical construction and capable offaffording hinged support for a plurality of wall paper panels and to afford means for an advertising display.

A more specific object of the invention is to design a rack adapted to be mounted on a wall or other support, and which may be opened to facilitate convenient connection to the panels and closed to afford a neat and attractive display.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a rack such as above described, a simple and efficient means for removably connecting the panels to the rack.

Still another object of the invention is to position the panels so that they slope upwardly and forwardly to compensate for bending thereof as they are moved on their hinged connections during examination of the panels.

The foregoing and other objects and advantag-es of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the novel rack with panels applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a front view of the rack;

Figure 3 is a rear View of the front section of the rack;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4- 2 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5--5 of Figure 2; and I Figure :3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View corresponding to Figure 5.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the novel display device comprises a rear section f adapted for connection to an-associated support 3, such as a wall. A front section 4 is hinged at 6 (Figure 2) to the rear section and carries a hookB adapted to engage a pin l8 (Figures 1 and 5) on the rear section to retain the front section in closed position. The front section affords support, as hereinafter described in detail for a plurality of panel I2, with display sheets [3, such as, for example, Wall paper panels mounted thereon, as by adhesive.

Referring now to Figures 3 to 6, it will be seen that the rear section 2 is a substantially rectangular frame secured to the support 3 as by screws l4, and comprising a groove or slot adapted to receive an associated display board (not shown). The front section comprises side walls 15 with substantially vertical rear edges adapted to engage the rear section 2. The front edges of the walls l6 slope downwardly and forwardly and are connected to a similarly sloping front wall It with vertical slots 20 adapted to accommodate flexible hinge portions 22 of the panels 2. The side walls l6 and the front wall i8 are also connected to top and bottom walls 2i and 23.

Top and bottom clamp bars 26 which slope parallel with the front wall [8 clamp the hinge portions 22 against the rear surface thereof, said bars being slidably fitted within upwardly opening brackets 26 secured to the respective side walls H5 and the front wall I8.

Figures 5 and 6 show in detail the hinge portions 22 of the panels and the manner in which said portions are applied thereto. In these fig ures, it will be seen that each hinge portion is in the form of a flexible double sheet 28 preferably extending the full depth of the panel l2 and em bracing the rear edge thereof. The sheet it which is secured to the panel as by adhesive is inserted through the slot 26 and is bent against the rear surface of the front wall for engage ment with the clamp bar which clamps the sheet against said surface.

It may be noted that the panels as best seen in Figure 4 slope downwardly and forwardly to compensate for bending of the panels which are generally flexible.

Thus as the panels are displaced from their normal position perpendicular to the wall as best seen in Figures 1 and 5, the panels tend to bend downwardly at their forward edges. I have discovered that by sloping the panels upwardly, this tendency is reduced, and furthermore such bend- 3 ing as does take place does not cause shadows to be cast over the front edges of the panels by the rear edges thereof.

During assembly and disassembly of the panels l2, the front section 4 of the rack is moved to its open position on the hinges 6, and after assembly of the panels, the front section 4 is latched in its closed position by the hook and pin device 8, lil to afford a compact and attractive display.

It will be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A display rack for panels comprising a substantially vertical rear section adapted for connection to an associated support, a front section comprising side walls with substantially vertical rear edges and front edges sloping downwardly and forwardly, a front wall secured to said front edges and sloping forwardly and downwardly,

substantially vertical slots in said front wall adapted to receive said panels, a pair of brackets supported by said front section at opposite sides of said front wall at the rear surface thereof, each of said brackets having a slot open at the top thereof and sloping downwardly and forwardly, a 1;!

clamp bar slidably receivable within said slots and having a surface parallel to said wall surface clamping the ends of said panels thereagainst and a hinged connection between said sections to accommodate access to said bar.

2. A display rack for panels comprising a rear section adapted for connection to an associated support, a front section comprising side walls and a front wall connected therebetween, one of said side walls having a hinged connection to said rear section, a plurality of substantially vertical slots through said front wall adapted to receive the ends of said panels, a pair of upwardly opening brackets supported by said front section behind said front wall, and a clamp bar slidably fitted within said brackets and extending transversely of said slots for clamping said ends against the rear surface of said front wall.

3. A display rack for panels comprising a rear section adapted to be connected to an associated support, a hollow front section having a hinged connection to the rear section, a plurality of vertical slots through the front section adapted to receive the ends of said panels, a pair of brackets within said front section, and a clamp bar slidably fitted in said brackets and extending transversely of said slots to clamp said ends.

FLORIS E. THOMAS.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 170,585 Perkins et al Nov. 30, 1875 493,304 Shaffer Mar. 1, 1893 838,004 Bryant Dec. 11, 1906 1,890,182 Hunter Dec. 6, 1932

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