US2634186A

US2634186A - Display cabinet for stores and the like

Info

Publication number: US2634186A
Application number: US156397A
Authority: US
Inventors: Zuss Sidney
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-04-17
Filing date: 1950-04-17
Publication date: 1953-04-07
Anticipated expiration: 1970-04-07

Description

April 7, 1953 s. zUss DISPLAY CABINET FOR STORES AND THE LIKE Filed April 17. 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 511mm 'Zuss BY 5m AMI/WW April 7, 1953 k s. zUss DISPLAY CABINET FOR STORES AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 17, 1950 57 INVENTOR. bIDNEY ZUss Patented Apr. 7, 1953 1 OFFICE DISPLAYCABINET son STORES AND THE LIKE Sidney Z us's, Brooklyn, Y;

Application April 17, 1950, Serial No. 156,397

'l fil'aim. (01. 312-201) This invention relates to new and useful im- 1 rovements in display cabinets for stores and the like.

One-object of the invention is the provision of a display cabinet including a cabinet member adapted normally to occupy the waste space at the top of the display cabinet which is too high for the display of items of merchandise in the ordinary maner and too high to be reached conveniently to remove such merchandise, said cabinet member being slidable down the face of the display cabinet to a more convenient height.

Another object of the invention is the provision in the cabinet member of novel shelf means which serve to display items thereon even when the cabinet member is in its uppermost position and which serve also to hold said items securely in place as the cabinet member is raised and lowered. I I II Still another object of the invention isthe provision of means for easing the task of raising and lowering the cabinet member and means for guiding the latters movements. I

In one form of the invention, it is proposed to use a wei ght and pulley arrangement while in a modification of the present invention it is proposed to use a spring loaded means for easing the task of raising and lowering the cabinet member. I I I I I I in connection with that form of the invention employing the spring loaded means for easing the task of raising and lowering the cabinet member, it is proposedto provide a lock means which will retain the cabinet member in a raised position and which will also serve to retain the cabinet member in a lowered position to allow easy loading of the cabinet member while in its lowered position without danger of the cabinet member being accidentally raised by the spring loaded means.

It is a further object of the present invention to construct display cabinets which are simple and durable and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects, and advantages thereof, reference will be hadto the following description and accompanying drawings; andto the appended claims in which the variousnovel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure: I

Fig. l is a perspective view of the display cab- 7 ma tithe invention.

Fig. '2 is a side seventh of th aispis abmet with the sliding cabinet member in its lowermost position. I

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4; is a sectional view on line 44 of Fig.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of means shown also in Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view on line 6- 6 of Fig. 1. I I I Fig. ';7 is a sectional view on line 1! of 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of means shown in Figs. 6 and '7. I I I Fig. 9 is a vertical section-a1 view of the display cabinet constructed in accordance with a modification of the present invention. I I

Fig. 10 is a front elevational view of the top portion of the cabinet shown in Fig. 9 with portions thereof broken away to reveal interior constructions. I I I I i Fig. 11 is an enlarged partial horizontal sectional view taken on the line I lll of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged front elevational view of the lock means used in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 9 to 11. r I r I The display cabinet, according to the first form of the present invention illustrated in Figs. 1 tot, includes a main cabinet body having a lower cab inet portion H having wooden sliding doors [2 of the usual construction which slide in tracks 13.

i The side walls ll of the cabinet extend above the portion 1 I at a decreased width, front to back so that above the lower cabinet portion l l a counter shelf I5 is provided. Beginning at the said counter shelf and extending upward as far as is practical with regard to displaying items of merchandise therein and conveniently removing said items is a central or upper cabinet portion [6 having a front wall 19 and glass doors I! sliding in tracks l8 in the usual manner, said portion I6 being separated from portion l I by a rearward extension of shelf [5. As best seen in Fig. 3, cabmet It is provided with a plurality ofshelves 20 which are supported in any suitable manner, such as by screws passed through the side walls I4 of the cabinet. The cabinet H] is of course provided also with a rear wall 2 I, and also with a top piece 22, which, however, is located a considerable distance above the cabinet portion it which is roofed by a partition 23. For a purpose to be explained hereinafter the cabinet portions H and 15 do not extend all the way back to the rear wall 2! but are provided with a separate rearwall Z4 spaced a -short distance forward of the over-all rear wall 21. I I I The construction is such that the cabinet extends a considerable distance above portion l6;

which distance in the usual cabinet is a worthless part of the cabinet due to its extreme height. According to the invention the cabinet portion I6 is made only as high as is practical and the space thereabove made use of in the following manner:

A box-like cabinet member 25 is slidably mounted on the front face of cabinet l6 and is located normally in front of the cabinet space above the cabinet portion l6 as shown in Fig. l, but can be pulled downward by means of a handle 26 to the position shown in Fig. 2 where its contents are easily accessible.

Cabinet member 25 comprises a rear wall 21 secured to top and

bottom walls

28 and 36, all of said walls also being secured to side walls 3|. Glass doors 32 sliding in tracks 33 also are provided.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3 and 4, cabinet member 25 is provided with a plurality of shelves 34 each tilted downward toward the glass doors 3 2 and provided with a lip 35 of transparent material such as glass. Thus, even though the cabinet member 25 is located at a substantial height above eye level, items of merchandise placed on the inclined shelves 34 are clearly visible through the lips 35. Preferably the shelves 34 are mounted in slots 36 in the side walls 3| during the assembly of the cabinet, and the lips 35 are secured to the edges of the shelves by screws 31. It is. also to be noted that articles placed on the shelves 34 are held firmly in place during the up and down movements of cabinet 25 by the lips 35.

In order to facilitate raising and lowering the cabinet 25 the following counterweight system is provided:

A bar 38, is secured to the inner face of each of the side walls M of cabinet near its upper end and extends forward out of the cabinet through a slot All in the front wall [9 thereof, see Figs. 2, 3 and 5. The rear and top walls 2'! and 28, respectively, of cabinet 25 are slotted as at 4| to receive the bar 38 when said cabinet is in its upper position. Mounted on each bar 38 near its ends are a pair of pulleys 42 over which pass a rope, cable or, preferably, a chain 43. One end of each chain 43 passes through a vertical hole 44 in a block 45 secured to the side wall 3| of cabinet member 25 and is secured in any suitable manner to the under side of said block. The other end of each chain is secured to a counterweight 36 which moves up and down in the space between the rear wall 2| of cabinet I6 and the rear wall 24 of the cabinet portions H and H5.

The construction is such that the weight 46 balances the weight of cabinet member 25 and facilitates the moving up and down of the latter, and will hold the latter in the upper position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 or allow the same to remain in the lower position of Fig. 2. The blocks 45 serve not only as anchors for the chains 43 but also by contacting the bars 38, limit the upward movement of the cabinet member 25.

It is appreciated that suitable lock means can be provided for securing the cabinet member 25 in either a raised position or in a lowered position.

In order to guide cabinet member 25 in its vertical movements the following means are provided:

' Secured to the front wall i9 of the portion of cabinet I6 above counter shelf are a pair of vertical slideways or tracks 41, see Figs. 1, 6 and 7, one adjacent either latera e ge Oi the cabinet. Each slideway 41 comprises arectangular sheet metal tube having a longitudinal slit 48 in the lateral center of its forward wall. Secured to the rear wall 21 oi cabinet member 25 in alignment with each slideway i! are a pair of vertically spaced bearing brackets 56 each having journalled therein a roller bearing 5| which rides up and down in the slideway in contact with the front or rear wall thereof. In Fig. 6 the upper roller 5| contacts the front wall of the slideway and the lower roller the rear wall. In this manner the cabinet member is rigidly guided in its up and down movements yet is easily moved due to the rolling action of the bearings 5|.

Referring particularly to Figs. 6, 7 and 8, each bracket 50 which is substantially H-shape in cross-section, is formed of two castings secured together and each comprising a face plate 52 secured by screws to the rear wall 21 of cabinet member 25, and a connecting web 53 which passes through the slit 46 in the slideway 51 and is extended laterally to form half of a sort of journal box 54 for the roller bearing 5|. The two halves of the journal box are provided with interlocking end walls 55, the adjacent edges of which are provided, one with a cutout 56 and the other with a prong or peg 5'! adapted to said cutout. A bolt 58 passes through the web 53 of one half of the bracket and is threaded into the other half and serves to secure the two halves together. The adjacent faces of the journal box are finished cylindrically and embrace the bearing 5| for some distance on either side of its vertical axis, the horizontal axis of the roller, however, extending laterally beyond the box for cooperation with the front or the rear wall of the slideway.

In order that the lower one of the rollers 5| in Fig. 6 will ride on the rear wall of slideway 47, a thin shim 60 is placed between the bearing bracket 50 and the wall 21 to which it is secured.

In the modification of the present invention illustrated in Figs. 9 to 10, there is a main cabinet body 50 having spaced side walls 5| and a rear wall 52 mounted between the side walls. From Fig. 9 it will be noted that the bottom edges 5|? of the side walls 5| are inclined slightly rearward and upward to tilt the cabinet 56 slightly rearward against a building wall against which it is positioned. Mounted between the side walls 5| there is a bottom wall 53, located slightly above the bottom edges 5P and a top wall 54, located a considerable distance below the top edges of the side walls 5|. Also mounted between the side walls 5|, substantially midway between the bottom wall 53 and the top wall 5 there is a partition 55 which divides the interior of the cabinet 50 into a lower cabinet portion 56 and an upper cabinet portion 57.

Mounted within the lower cabinet portion 56 there are shelves 58 and the front of that cabinet portion is closed by sliding doors 59 of wood or other opaque material. The top and bottom edges of the doors 59 are slidably supported in track members 60 mounted on the adjacent faces of the bottom wall 53 and the partition 55 ad jacent the front edges thereof. Similarly, there is mounted within the upper cabinet portion 51 superimposed shelves 6| supported on the back wall 52 by angle braces 62.

The front edge of each of the shelves 6| is provided with a transparent lip 63. The front of the upper cabinet portion 51 is closed by slidacetone ins doors 6-4 of glass or other transparent material. Thetop andhottom edges of the doors '6! are slidably received in track members 65 'moimtedon ftheadliacent faces of the top wall "'54 and the, partition 55 adjacent the front thereof.

As described (in connection with the first form of the presentinvention, the top of the top cabinet portion 151 is only as high as a person of avemgeheight .canreach while standing on the floor on which the cabinet '58 is resting. Located above the top cabinet portion 5'] and between the Side walls 5| land-to the front thereof, there is a separate cabinet member 66. The cabinet member .616 is formed of Laback wall'ii'i and a bottom "wall 68 mounted between spaced "side walls169. The top of the cabinet member '66 is closed by atop wall 16 extended between the side walls .69 a slight distancebelow the top edges thereof. Within the cabinet member 66, there are provided rearwardly' and upwardly inclined cabinet member "66 upon the front edges of the side walls 51 of the cabinet 59 so that the cabinet member can be moved vertically upward and downward to permit access to be had to the interior of that cabinet member. The slidable mounting means comprises channel-shaped track members 15., see particularly Fig. 111, secured to the front edges of the side walls 5!, above the upper cabinet portion 57, by spaced screws i6, see also Fig. 10. Secured tothe back wall .6! of the cabinet member 66,there are complementary track members '11 formed with T-shaped heads 18 slidably received in the channel-shaped track members 15. The complementary track members 11 are secured to the back wall 61 by spaced screws 19. Although no bearings are shown in connection with the

track members

75 and 11 it is appreciated that suitable roller bearings could be provided between the adjacent faces thereof for easing the sliding movements of the track members 11 in the track members 15 without departing from the scope of the present invention. The track members are located behind the cabinet member 66, when in its raised position, to be hidden thereby and serve to guide the cabinet member 66 in its sliding movements relative to the cabinet body 56. Mounted on the bottom face of the bottom wall 68 of the cabinet member 66 there is a suitable chrome-plated handle 89 by which a grip can be had on the cabinet member 66 for sliding it downward.

Means is provided for holding the cabinet member 66 in the raised position shown in Figs. 9 and and is characterized by a pair of horizontal braces 8 l. Those braces 8| have their rear ends mounted on the inside faces of the top ends of the side walls 51 of the cabinet 59 by spaced screws 82, see Fig. 9. The front ends of the braces 8| are projected beyond the front edges of the side walls 5| over the top of the cabinet member 66.

Mounted on the top faces of the projected front ends of the braces 8| there are hollow casings 83 which enclose drums, not shown, which are spring urgedlin one direction. 'Engagedaboutthe drums within the casings 83., there are flexible lengths of steel wire or'the like 134. Specific details or the interior or the casing 83 are not being illustrated as such devices are generally known by those skilled in the .art and such details formho part of the present invention beyond retaining the cabinet member 66 in its raised position.

The free ends ofthesteel'wires'6'4 are projected downward from the interiors of the casings :83 and through holes .85 formed "in "the free front ends of the braces 81,, see Fig. "9. After passing through those'hol'es '85, the free ends of the'steel wires 16d are attached to blocks '86 which are mounted ionthein'si'deffaces of the side walls 69 of the cabinet memb'er 6.6. The spring urged drums within the casings "83 can be designed to meet the weight of different loadswhich might be placed in the cabinet members 36 when the cabinets are employed in di'fiere'nt types of businesses. Thus, in a lingerie shop a pull on the steel wires 3'4 of from cam ipounds will be suiiicient to retain the cabinet member 66 in a raised position, but in a cigar store a pull of to pounds would be 'suflicient "while a pull of from so to es pounds would be required in a drug store.

The top portions of the main cabmet 5n and the cabinet member '66 are roofed over by a cornice 81 which encloses 'all of the top support ing mechanism hiding the same from view. The cornice S1 is "formed of sheet metal and is secured'to the outside faces of the side walls 5| of the main cabinet 56 "by means of screws 88., see Fig. 9.

Provided in connection with the cabinet member fit there is a lock means for securing the cabinet member in either a lowered or a raised position. That lock means comprises a vertically arranged latch bar 89 which is pivotally supported intermediate of its ends upon the back face of the back wall 61 of the cabinet member 66, upon a pivot pin 90. Engaged about the pivot pin 96 there is a spring 9| which has one end 9P bent to engage one side of the latch bar 69 and its other end secured to the back wall 61 by several staples 92. The staples are located a suflicient distance from the latch bar 89 so as not to interfere with pivoting thereof and the spring 9| exerts a force turning the latch bar against a short stop pin 93 which projects rearward from the rear face of the rear wall 61. The lower end of the latch bar 89 is projected beyond the bottom of the cabinet member 66 and is provided with a handle 94 by which the latch bar can be turned against the action of the spring 9| away from the stop pin.93.

Projecting forwardly from the upper track. member of the upper cabinet portion 51 of the cabinet 59 there are

short bolt members

95 and 96. The

bolt members

95 and 96 are located on opposite sides of the latch bar 89, as shown in Fig. 12. One side of the latch bar 89, adjacent the bottom end thereof, is formed with a laterally projecting keeper element 91 having a flat bot tom face which rests on the flat top face of the bolt member 95, when the cabinet member 66 is in its raised position, for holding the same raised. When the handle 94, as viewed in Fig. 12-, is moved to the right to pivot the latch bar 89 against the action of the spring 9|, the keeper element 91 will be disengaged from the top face of the bolt member 95 and the cabinet member 66 will be freed to be moved to its lowered position.

The top face of the keeper element 9! and the bottom face of the bolt member 95 are correspondingly rounded so that on upward movement of the cabinet member 66 the keeper element 97 will idle past the bolt member 95.

Likewise, the other side of the latch bar 89 at the top end thereof has laterally projecting from the side thereof a keeper element 98. The bottom face of the keeper element 98 and its respective bolt member 96 are complementarily rounded, so that when the cabinet member 66 is being pulled down to its lowered position, the keeper element 98 will ride over and idle past the bolt member 96. However, the top face of the keeper element 98 is flat and when the cabinet member 66 reaches its fully lowered position that flat top face will be snapped, by the action of the spring 9!, beneath the flat bottom face of the bolt member 96 securing the cabinet member 66 in its lowered position.

Thus, it will be apparent that a suitable latch means has been provided which will act to secure the cabinet member 66 in a raised position against accidental lowering until such time as the keeper element 91 is disengaged from the bolt member 95 or in a lowered position against accidental raising until such time as the keeper element 98 is disengaged from the bolt member 96.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

In a display cabinet, the combination which comprises a housing having a base with vertically disposed end walls, a back and a top, horizontally disposed vertically spaced shelves extended from a 8 the back and between the end walls of the housing, a horizontally disposed partition positioned above the uppermost of said shelves and spaced downwardly from the upper end of said housing, closures positioned in the front of said cabinet, tracks positioned on the forward edges of each of the end walls of the housing, each of said tracks being channel-shape in cross section having a back with side walls and with flanges extended inwardly from the edges of the side walls providing vertically disposed slots in the faces of the tracks, horizontally disposed bars positioned against the inner surfaces of the end walls of the housing, positioned in the upper end of the housing and extended therefrom, a box-like casing having a back, bottom, top, end walls, a closure, and shelves positioned in front of the housing, H-shape brackets having spaced parallel flanges connected with webs positioned with one of the flanges thereof secured to the back of the casing and with the other of said flanges in said tracks, pulleys journaled on the ends of said horizontally disposed bars, a counterweight positioned in said housing, cables trained over the pulleys with one of the ends thereof connected to said casing and the other of said ends connected to the counterweight, and a closure on the front of said boxlike casing.

SIDNEY ZUSS.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 108,930 Murdock Nov. 1, 1870 373,753 Bead Nov. 22, 1887 527,629 Traut Oct. 16, 1894 575,747 Whitney Jan. 26, 1897 617,965 Lippincott Jan. 17, 1899 912,921 Ucker Feb. 16, 1909