US2813359A

US2813359A - Shelf molding

Info

Publication number: US2813359A
Application number: US416459A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ferdinand Jerome
Original assignee: Hirsh Manufacturing Co SA Co
Current assignee: Hirsh Manufacturing Co SA Co
Priority date: 1954-03-16
Filing date: 1954-03-16
Publication date: 1957-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 1974-11-19

Description

Nov., w, 1957 J. FERDMNAND SHELF MOLDING Filed Maron ;L6 1954vv Y. mmm; @me fm2 2,813,359 Patented Nov. 19,1957

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SHELF MOLDING Jerome Ferdinand, Chicago, Ill., assignor to S. A. Hirsh IlManufacturing Company, Skokie, Ill., a corporation of linois This invention relates to a shelf and shelf molding structure. The invention is useful wherever it is desired to equip the peripheral edges of a shelf or like structure with a molding. It has special utility, for example, in connection with stores wherein the shelves are used for storage and display and wherein it is desired to provide labels or tags aligned with the commodities upon the shelves for identifying the brand, price, etc. thereof.

In shelf arrangements as described above, it is customary to equip the storage and display shelves with moldings that releasably support price tags which are preferably alignable with the merchandise. A problem has resulted in providing moldings that can be attached quickly and easily to the shelves with a minimum of structure so that an economical assembly results and one that is not encumbered with obstructions that would interfere with the free removal and replacement of merchandise on the shelves. In addition, the wood used for shelving is prone to split and splinter and care must be taken in driving any support members into the wood shelf.

It is accordingly an object of `this invention to provide means for overcoming the disadvantages in known shelf` and molding structures. Another object of the invention is to provide shelf molding that can be quickly and easily secured to a shelf or similar structure. Still another object is to provide in a shelf and molding structure a molding strip having a barbed tongue projecting into and being fn'ctionally gripped by the walls of a groove extending longitudinally along a peripheral `edge of the shelf.

A further object is in providing molding equipped with a tongue having spaced protuberances extending laterally therefrom that bite into the body of a wooden shelf when the tongue is driven into a slot or groove provided by the `shelf and are therefore operative to anchor the molding to `the shelf. Yet a further object is ito provide a continuous barb-equipped tongue having `sloping protuberances projecting laterally therefrom, the protuberances being `adapted to bite and dig into the walls of a grooveprovided by a Wooden shelf into which `the tongue is inserted, the sloping protuberances being operative to distribute stresses over a relatively wide area `and thereby `prevent shelf splintering but being very effective to `securely. anchor the tongue within the groove and, thereby, the moldingyto the shelf. Additional objects and advantages will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

Embodiments of `the `invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whichi Fig. l is `a broken perspective View showing a shelf equipped with a molding `strip incorporating the invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View taken vertically through the shelf and molding strip; Fig. 3 is a broken rear view in elevation of a molding strip embodying the invention; and Pig. 4 is a broken transverse sectional view showing a modified form of molding strip.

In the drawing, a shelf structure is indicated by the numeral 10. Preferably, the shelf is made from wood but, as will be appreciated, it may be formed of other materials that are suliiciently yieldable so that the fibers thereof can be compressed when the` tongue of amolding strip is inserted into an elongated slotor groove 11 which is provided along the peripheral edge portion 12 ofthe shelf. For example, the shelf 10A may be one found in grocery stores and which is used to support and display merchandise thereon.

Secured to the peripheral edge 12 of the shelf `10 is an elongated molding strip 13 thatis adapted` to slideably and releasably support a tag or` label 14 that is alignable with the merchandise supported upon the shelf and which provides indicia such` `as the numerals15 which designate the price of the merchandise being displayed. The specific configuration of the molding strip 13 may take various forms, and the manner in which `the tag 14 is supported by the strip may also vary. Neither are particularly pertinent insofar as the present invention is concerned.

Two different forms of` molding strips are shownyin the drawing. The strip 13 has a` downwardly- `and outwardly-extending leg 16` terminating in an upwardlyoriented liange 17. Together the leg 16 and flange 17 provide a channel .or recess 18 that receives the lower edge of the tag 14. Along its upper edge, the strip 13 has `a forwardlyand downwardly-turned edge 19 that frictionlly grips an elongated resilient member 20. The member 20 may be rubber Iand is intended to be permanently retained within the strip 13. The rubber member or strip 20 engages the upper edge of the tag 14 and the frictional engagement between the member and the edge ofthe tag prevents inadvertent movement of the tag longitudinally along the molding strip.

In Fig. 4, a modied form of molding strip is shown and is designated with .the numeral13. The molding strip 13' has a downwardlyand outwardly-extending leg 21 terminating in an upwardly-oriented tip 22 that 4provides a groove 23 that receives the lower edge of a tag 14. Adjacent its upper edge, the strip. 13' has an outwardlyturned ange portion 24 that is turned downwardly and provides "a groove 2.5 that `receives the upper edge of the tag 14'. It is noted that both forms `of the molding strip at the upper end thereof provide a rearwardly-turned portion that tightly abuts the upper surface of the shelf and which also has a slight curvature and merges gradually into the surface of the shelf. Through this construction there is little danger that the molding strip will be driven from place upon the shelf by the removal of merchandise from the shelf.

4The molding strip 13 is equipped with an outwardlyextending tongue 26 that is equipped `adjacent the outer end thereof with a pair of barbs '27 and 28; As is shown clearly in Fig. 2 the tongue 26 extends into the `groove 11 provided by the shelf, `and when in such position the molding strip 13 tightly abuts the peripheral edge 12 of the shelf. Similarly, the strip 13" is equipped with a tongue 26 having barbs 27 and 28' thereon. The tongue 26 also extends into the groove 11 provided by a shelf 10.

In both embodiments of ythe invention the barbs extend laterally from the tongue and `proect both upwardly and downwardly therefrom. The barbs, ofcourse, Aare operative to resist movement of the molding strip outwardly from `theshelf to which it is attached. Unfortunately, however, the barbs have not-provided adequate resistive force so as to prevent, after periods `ofgusze, inadvertent loosening of the molding strip from the shel-f and eventually complete removal therefrom. It has been considf ered that the barbs could be increased dimensionally so as to provide a greater biting action into the walls 29 and 30 that define the groove 11. The material from which the shelves are made, however, is quite prone to split and splinter and this alteration in structure has not provided a satisfactory answer to the problem of molding removal, etc. from the shelves.

I have discovered, however, that if the barbed tongue is provided at spaced points with laterally-extending protuberances 31, as is indicated best in Fig. 3 and which are also shown in Figs. 2 and 4 by the dotted lines, the molding strips can be rmly and quite permanently anchored in position upon the shelves and without the shelves Splitting or splintering while the tongues of the molding strips are driven into the grooves. Preferably, the protuberances 31 have sloping wall portions 32, as is shown in Fig. 3. It has been found that by providing these sloping or tapering protuberances the stresses created within the walls of the groove 11 are distributed 'throughout a relatively wide area and the magnitude of the stresses varies from point to point along the Walls of the groove. This stress distribution is operative to permit insertion of the tongues into the grooves without the walls thereof becoming split while the tongues are being inserted. The structure then that results is that of an elongated molding strip that is anchored throughout substantially its entire length by an elongated barbed tongue to a shelf and at spaced points the anchoring force is considerably increased through the laterally-extending protuberances. While the anchoring force is quite high at the protuberances, yet the spreading of the anchoring stresses over a relatively wide area prevents the shelf from being splintered when the molding strip is anchored thereto.

While in the drawing the protuberances 31 are shown extending upwardly from the longitudinal line of the groove 11, it will be apparent that the protuberances might extend downwardly or they might alternate and one extend upwardly while the next extends downwardly, and so on.

While in the foregoing specification an embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail for purposes of illustration, it will be aparent to those skilled in the art that considerable change in these details may be made without departing from the spirit and principles of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a structure of the character described, a shelf provided with a groove in a peripheral edge thereof, and a molding strip equipped with a tongue extending into said groove, said tongue being offset at spaced points from the main portion thereof to a width slightly greater than the width of said groove to dene localized pressure points adapted to anchor said molding strip to said shelf.

2. In combination with a shelf formed of yieldable material and having an elongated groove in a peripheral edge thereof, a molding strip adapted to support indicia tags thereon and having an elongated tongue projecting outwardly therefrom end extending into said groove, said tongue being supported with laterally projecting barbs extending the length of the strip that engage the walls of said groove, said tongue being oifset at spaced points from the main portion thereof to provide localized pressure points at which the barbs bite into the wall of the groove and thereby anchor said molding strip to said shelf.

3. In combination with a shelf formed of yieldable material and having an elongated groove along a peripheral edge thereof, a molding strip equipped with a tongue extending into said groove, said tongue being equipped with spaced-apart, laterally-extending protuberances olset from the main portion of the tongue to engage the walls of said groove under spaced localized points of pressure and anchor said tongue within said groove.

4. In combination with a wooden shelf provided with an elongated groove in a peripheral edge thereof, a molding strip adapted to support tags and having'an edge portion engaging the top of the wooden shelf and spaced therefrom an elongated tongue projecting outwardly therefrom received in said groove, said tongue being equipped with longitudinally-extending ribs forming barbs, said tongue also being provided with longitudinally-spaced laterally-extending protuberances operative to bite into the walls of said groove on the side adjacent said edge portion and anchor said tongue therein.

5. In a wooden shelf and molding strip structure, a shelf having a peripheral edge provided with an elongated groove extending longitudinally thereof, and a molding strip adapted to support indicia tags thereon and being equipped with an outwardlyextending tongue projecting into said groove, said tongue being elongated and equipped with barbs, said tongue providing also a plurality of spaced-apart, laterallyextending protuberances, said protuberances having sloping walls whereby the force of engagement with the walls of said groove varies from point to point therealong.

6. A molding strip adapted to be secured to a shelf structure, comprising an elongated molding strip adapted to receive and support indicia tags thereon and being equipped wih a shoulder along its upper edge to engage the top edge of a shelf and an outwardly-extending tongue, said tongue being provided with spaced-apart barbs offset laterally at spaced points to provide protuberances to be inserted into an elongated groove provided in a shelf, said tongue having a plurality of spaced-apart, laterally extending protuberances having a gradually varying height whereby to distribute the stresses along the walls of said groove throughout a relatively wide area and to afford variation of the magnitude of the stresses from point to point along the walls of the groove.

7. A molding strip adapted to be secured to a shelf structure, comprising an elongated molding strip adapted to receive and support indicia tags thereon and being equipped with a shoulder along its upper edge to engage the top edge of a shelf and an outwardly-extending tongue, said tongue being provided with spaced-apart barbs offset laterally at spaced points to provide protuberances to be inserted into an elongated groove provided in a shelf, said tongue being provided with a plurality of spaced-apart, laterally-extending protuberances projecting beyond the normal line of the barbs with which said tongue is equipped.

8. A molding strip adapted to be secured to a shelf structure, comprising an elongated molding strip adapted to receive and support indicia tags thereon and being equipped with a shoulder along its upper edge to engage the top edge of a shelf and an outwardly-extending tongue, said tongue being provided with spaced-apart barbs offset laterally at spaced points to provide protuberances to be inserted into an elongated groove provided in a shelf, said tongue being provided with a pluj rality of spaced-apart, laterally-extending protuberances projecting beyond the normal line of the barbs with which said tongue is equipped, and in which said protuberances have sloping walls.

References Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS