US2581468A - Combination article display device and price indicator unit - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 8, 1952 M. CARUSO 2,581,468

COMBINATION ARTICLE DISPLAY DEVICE AND PRICE INDICATOR UNIT Filed Dec. 10, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTOR. flZk/e/a 042mm.

Jan. 8, 1952 M. CARUSO 2,531,468

COMBINATION ARTICLE DISPLAY DEVICE AND PRICE INDICATOR UNIT Filed Dec. 10, 1947 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR. Mae/.4 Chev/so 4 TTOf/VE Y.

Patented Jan. 8, 1952 COMBINATION ARTICLE DISPLAY DEVICE AND PRICE INDICATOR UNIT Mario Caruso, Maplewood, N. J., assignor to C-Eight Laboratories, Newark, N. J.

Original application December 26, 1946, Serial No.

718,529. Divided and this application December 10, 1947, Serial No. 790,845

7 Claims. (01. 4o-5 This invention relates to article display devices and price indicators applicable to article dispensers in general, and is particularly adapted for vending machines such as disclosed in co-pending application Serial No. 718,529, filed by applicant December 26, 1946, and of which application the present case is a division.

In most vending machines the articles to be dispensed are usually observable by the purchaser. In devices where such articles of merchandise are obscured, it is preferred to provide representations of the difierent articles carried in the ma chine.

The present invention contemplates the employment of a novel combination article display device and price indicator containing representations of the several articles of merchandise contained in and dispensable from a vending machine, and which combination device is an independent entity which may be bodily associated with or removed from the vending machine, and wherein the several representations of articles are removably mounted in the device so as to permit their exchange or replacement, and wherein in conjunction with each article-representing display there is provided a selective price indicator for denoting the cost of an article to be dispensed.

The main objects of the present invention are to provide a combination article display device and price indicator which is relatively simple, inexpensive and effective, and wherein means are provided for removably holding individual articlerepresenting displays, and wherein with each such display is associated a selective price indicator adapted to disclose the cost of the article displayed, and wherein both the displays as well as the price indices are translucent for rendering them readily visible when illuminated. The foregoing and numerous other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the ensuing description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a presently preferred form of the device;

Fig. 2 is a partial detail top view of the device with portions thereof removed;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of a portion of the price indicator disc;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4--4 through Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top view of a vending machine cabinet showing a combination article display deyice and price indicator;

Fig. 6 is a partial section taken on line 6-6 through Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail sectional "view taken on line l! of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a fragmental section taken on line 8-8 through Fig. 2; and

Fig; 9 is a fragmental perspective detail View of the article display carrier with the article display-representation extending beyond its carrier.

Referring now specifically to the various figures, the present device comprises a substantially step-shaped frame, generally indicated at I0, comprising lower and upper or elevated portions, including a base H terminating at one end in a rear supporting flange l2 and having an upwardly bent front flange I3 terminating in a forwardly directed elevated ledge 14. Base II is provided with a plurality of openings I5, as clearly seen in Figs. 2, 7 and 8, which openings are separated from one another by relatively narrow spacing areas l6.

Article-representing display Superimposed over the base and attached thereto is a continuous top structure, generally indicated at I l, which is composed of a row of upwardly bowed, spaced sections or portions l8 provided with openings i9, which latter substantially register with openings l5 of the base. These bowed-out portions are connected by relatively narrow spacing areas 20, which are fixedly secured to spacing areas 16 provided between the openings of the base. Each of the bowed sections or portions constitute, together with their respective base portions, individual frame-like receptacles for accommodating individual articlerepresenting displays, denoted generallz. at 2|.

Each of the article displays constitutes a display carrier 22, as seen in Fig. 9, which comprises a transparent sheet bent upon itself at 23 so as to form top and bottom layers 24 and 25 between which is removably placed a preferably, translucent article-representing display 26. Both ends of display 26 are preferably provided with arcuated cutouts 21 which clear the end portions of the display carrier, thereby facilitating the observation of the vending machine portion just below the article displays, and particularly of the magazines holding articles to be dispensed. Thus it is simple for the attendant serving the machine to locate an empty magazine and to re.- fill the same with the correct merchandise. Carrier 22 normally is fiat, but when inserted into any one of the receptacles it is flexed upwardly .so thathits body conforms to the bowed-out portion l8, while its longitudinal side edges engage and are securely held at the opposite junctions between spacing areas l6 and 20 of the base and of top structure II, respectively, as clearly seen in Fig. 8.

Price indicator ing the fulcra of rotatably mounted -discs 3,0.

a sired cost price of the article to be dispensed.

The latter are operative below ledge J4 and -.be-

tween that ledge and an angle membertl. disposed beneath and spaced from ledge l4 and extending lengthwise beyond both ends of the ledge, as clearly seen in Fig. '1. The downwardly directed fiange32 of .angle 3.! serves as a "reiniorcement for the device. The ends ,of the angle arerecessed at.33, these recessed portionsserving as end-supports for the device, as seen in "Figs. 6 and 7. :Along the rear-edge of angle. formation 3| there are provided cut-outsbr openings 34, indicatedinFigs. 2.and' 7. These openings registerswith openings-28 provided -intop ledge l 4.

The price indicator discs 30 are made of rotatably mounted on pins 29, which latter pass through both the top ledge l4- and angle 3!,

may beadjusted exteriorly of the ledgeto any position-so that any oneof the translucent-numbers'becomes framed within and visible through opening 28. -As stated, boththe display items as wellas the numerals of disc 30 are translucent. It is preferred to place beneath the combination article display; device and price, indicator a suitable light source 36, as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and "7, which light source provides sufiicient illumination below both the display matter as well as the numerals of the" price indicator to render them easily readable. In Figs. '5,'6'and 7 themrangement of the device in respectto a vendingmachine-is clearly illustrated. As stated previously, the device represents an entirely self-contained structure which may "be"bodily placed into or removed from anexisting vending machine. Suitable supporting means, such as shown at 3T and;38 in'Figs. 6 and 7, are provided, which supporting means are preferably equipped with top and bottom end stops 3!! and 7 39' to prevent shifting of thedevice withinthe machine. "It is'also preferred that the "device is covered by, for instance, a glass panel, such as indicated in "Figs: 5 and}; at 40, which isjset into the cover-4| of'the'machine.

-Frorn the foregoing description of the present any desired setting to indica'te the prevailing de- The simple and efiective construction of the device renders it relatively inexpensive and also pleasant to look at, and the translucency of the displays and of the price numbers definitely adds :to the "practicability randattractiveness of the structure.

Having thus described the present invention,

a it is obvious that changes and modifications may berequired for the purpose of adapting the device to various vending machines, all within the scope of the present invention as covered by the annexed claims.

I claim:

.1. In a, device .for displaying in vending machinesand the-like articles of merchandise and theirprices a self-contained structure adapted for bodily placement into and removal from such vending machine, said structure comprising a frame having a step-shaped loaseprovided at its rear edge with a supporting'fiange,arr upwardly bent front flange and a forwardly'direc-te'd ledge, said base having a plurality of apertur'es separated by spacing areas a continuous topstructure superimposed over and attached to the spaning areas of the base and having upwardly bowed, apertured sections registering 'with'the base apertures and'forming with-their respective apertured base portions individual receptacles; bowed, translucent article-representing displays removably held within said receptacles and having cutouts at their ends; an angular front-supporting member for the frame associated withand spaced from, said ledge; a plurality .oi registering..,aperturesprovided in said ledge and insaidangular member, a plurality of opaque rotaryprice-bearing discs operative between the ledge :and said member-and having translucent numerals adapt- ,ed .to be aligned with the registering apertures provided in the ledge and in saidangular frontand in the angular member beingali-g-nedwith the center portions of said apertured sections of the top structure attached to. the base.

, 2. The combination with a vending-machine .or thelike provided with rear and frontalsupporting means for a combined merchandise-dis- .play and price-indicating unit,- the latter .comprising a frame adapted for bodily placement into and removal in respect .to.said supporting means ofthe vending machine, said frame consistingoi a-substantially step-fshapedsbase havin iailower portion and an elevated Iedgathe lower portion supporting atop structure, said lower. base portion .and saidtop structure iorming sections haw :ing registerin apertures separated by joined spacing areas, the sections ;0i the .top structure being bowed and forming with-their; correspondin base section i iv dual displ y recepta l s;

.a; downwardly directed flange formed at; the-rear .of the'base and being adapted to rest jllDOllrSELid rearsupportingmeans, an upwardly d irected flange forming a step in the base-xand-termi hating in said: ledge which -extends forwardly; an angular front support for said base arranged beneath and extending sidewiselybeyond the-ends of said ledge and being-adapted to restuponthe frontal supporting means; said ledge and said angular front support-having aligned apertures; a pluralityoi pins spacing the -fro-nt-suppert'from and associating it with said ledgerbowed; trans-- lucentmerchandisedisplays removably secured in said.display-receptacles; and opaque pricebearing discs rotatably mounted-about said pins and operable between said ledge and said front support; said discs having peripherally arranged translucent numbers, said discs being so arranged in respect to the apertures of said ledge that any one of their translucent numbers may be placed into registry with the aligned apertures of the ledge and of the front support.

3. In a combination article display and price indicator unit for vending machines, adapted for placement into and removal from a vending machine, a substantially step-shaped frame comprising a base having a rear supporting flange adapted to rest against an end stop in the vending machine, an upwardly directed flange at the front and terminating in a forwardly extending ledge, said base having a plurality of separated apertures, a continuous structure superimposed upon and secured to the base and comprising a plurality of upwardly bowed, spaced sections provided with apertures, these latter apertures registering with the apertures of the base, the bowed sections forming individual receptacles for article-representing displays; said forwardly extending ledge having a plurality of relatively small apertures and pins passing through the ledge and being spaced from these small apertures, opaque discs rotatably suspended from the pins beneath said ledge and having circumferentially disposed translucent indices, an angle structure beneath the discs and terminating in a downwardly directed flange provided with end recesses. the recessed ends serving as frontal support for the unit, said pins p ss g through said angle structure, the latter having apertures registering with the small apertures in the ledge, the indices of the discs being adapted to become visible through the small apertures in the ledge and the registering apertures of the angle structure, when illuminated from beneath the latter, said pins, said small apertures in the ledge and in the angle structure and the centers of the upwardly bowed, spaced sections supported by the base being aligned in a vertical plane.

4. In a combination article display and price indicator unit for the top portion of a vending machine equipped with means for accommodating the unit, the latter being adapted for bodily insertion into and removal from said top portion of the vending machine, said top portion having rear and frontal supporting and shiftlimiting means for the unit, said unit comprising a step-shaped frame composed of a base having substantially rectangular apertures and an upper structure with upwardly bowed, similarly apertured sections, the apertures in the base and in the upper structure registering, said sections forming receptacles for translucent, exchangeable article-representations adapted for illumination from beneath, said base having a downwardly directed rear supporting flange and an upwardly directed frontal flange terminating in a forwardly extending ledge, an angle structure suspended from the ledge and having a arranged translucent indices rotatably mounted.

between said ledge and said angle structure so that one of the indices of the discs can be made visible through the apertures in the ledge, said openings in the ledge being aligned with the longitudinal center lines of the apertured sec-- tions.

5. In a combination article display and price indicating unit as in claim 4, said discs being sodisposed in respect to said ledge that a portion of the discs extends beyond the ledge sufficient- 1y to render the discs adjustable exteriorly of the ledge.

6. In a combination article display and price indicator unit as in claim 4, said frontal supporting flange of the angle structure having recesses at both its ends for engagement with the frontal supporting and shift-limiting means provided in the vending machine top portion.

7. In a combination article display and price indicating unit, a substantially step-shaped frame structure having a lower rear portion and a frontal portion elevated in respect to the rear portion, said rear portion having a series of upwardly bowed, spaced and apertured receptables for removablyjaccommodating translucent artide-representing displays, said frontal elevated portion having a series of price-indicating discs corresponding in number to that of the receptacles, said discs having peripherally disposed translucent indices, said frontal portion comprising a ledge and an angle structure, the latter being spaced from and disposed beneath said ledge, said discs being operatively mounted between the ledge and the angle structure, the latter and theledge having registering openings adapted to render visible the indices of the disc, said openings being centrally aligned with the uppermost center portions of the apertured receptaclm.

MARIO GARUSO.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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