US2902167A

US2902167A - Shoe display rack

Info

Publication number: US2902167A
Application number: US654886A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joe L Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-04-24
Filing date: 1957-04-24
Publication date: 1959-09-01
Anticipated expiration: 1976-09-01

Description

Spt. 1, 1959 J. SMITH 2,902,167

SHOE DISPLAY RACK Filed April 24, 1957 mmvrox Joe L. SMITH Q w w K ATTORNEY United States This invention relates in general to merchandise display and, more particularly, to a shoe display rack.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe display rack which is adapted for ready, detachable engagement upon a shoe box for displaying one shoe of the pair therein normally contained, the use of which rack obviates the need for costly, large display cabinets, cases, and the like, and permits display of samples of substantially the entire line carried by a shoe store in customarily unused space.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a shoe display rack which is adapted for engagement upon a shoe box so as to not cause disturbance of same while reposed upon a store shelf and which permits the box to be fully closed by its associated cover when the rack is in operative position.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shoe display rack which is adapted for easy adjustment for firmly supporting shoes of various sizes.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a shoe display rack which is light weight; which may be economically manufactured; and which is reliable and durable in usage.

These and other detailed objects are obtained by the structures illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe display rack constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention, illustrating the rack in operative, mounted position upon a shoe box.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rack.

Referring now by reference characters to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates a conventional shoe box, sized for receiving a pair of shoes, having side walls 1 and end walls 2, and associated therewith is the usual flanged cover 3. Provided for use with shoe box A is a shoe display rack indicated generally at B, being formed preferably from a single length of spring steel wire stock having desired resiliency and strength. Each of the end portions of the wire constituting display rack B are bent back upon themselves in U-shape, forming inner and outer opposed legs 4, 5 to provide spaced apart, downwardlyopening box-engaging clips 0, c whereby when in operative position the bend 6 of each clip 0, c will be disposed upon the upper edge of the normally outer end wall 2 of box A with the related legs 4, 5, respectively, abutting against the outer and inner faces of said end wa l 2. At the lower end of each leg 4 of each clip 0, c, which legs may be of greater length than legs 5, rack B is bent substantially perpendicularly to said legs 4 to provide aligned heel-spacer portions '7, which will be horizontally presented when rack B is in mounted position. Forwardly of each heel-spacer portion 7, rack B is shaped to provide cooperating shoe clamps 8 of general inverse V-design,

atent O each comprising an upwardly and forwardly extending leg 9 and a corresponding downwardly and forwardly extending or return leg 10, whereby said clamps 8 project upwardly above portion 7. Forwardly of each leg 9 of clamps 8 the adjacent sections 11 of the wire forming rack B extend outwardly in slightly downwardly inclined relation to the horizontal and in mutual converging relationship, being joined at their forward ends through a connecting end portion 12 extending therebetween.

In the usage of rack B for shoe display purposes, the user will remove one shoe from shoe box A and engage the clips 0, c of rack B upon forward end wall 2 of said shoe box and thereupon restore cover 3 to fully closed condition, which cover may be easily placed over clips c, c (Figure 2). The shoe to be displayed, as indicated at S, is then presented upon rack B so that the under portion of the forward end or toe thereof will rmt upon connecting member 12, with

rack sections

11, 11 receiving, supportedly thereon, the lateral sections of the vamp portion of shoe S. Opposite rear lateral portions of shoe S, normally upwardly of the heel, will be tightly abutted by clamps 8 with the resulting positive engagement securely maintaining shoe S against accidental dislodgement from rack B. It will be noted that clamps 8 extend upwardly a distance for providing reliable lateral support to the shoe S substantially throughout its height while the increasingly widened base portion of clamps 8 will engage the shoe over a relatively extensive area. The downward and forward inclination of the outer portion of rack B is slight enough to prevent any gravitational effect of sufiicient strength to urge shoe S toward displacement, yet the angle of such inclination is adequate for full presentation of shoe S for exhibition purposes. Rack B may be easily adjusted by hand so as to force clamps 8 toward and away from each other so that the intervening distance will be slightly less than the width of the portion of shoe S to be engaged therebetween, thereby assuring a reliable, gripping action for securement of shoe S while on display. The rack of the present invention is so designed and constructed that it will provide requisite shoe support and yet entail minimum weight so that it will not create an upsetting force upon the associated shoe box which will hence remain in normal, undisturbed state upon the shelf. The weight of the shoe retained within box A will adequately counter-balance the displayed shoe, thus preventing any undesired disarrangement of the stock on the shelves. The inherent resiliency of the wire forming rack B permits mutual adjustment of clamps 8 to render rack B capable of accommodating shoes of varying widths so that a single rack may be used for a wide range of shoe sizes. The movement of clips 0, 0' along the edge of box Wall 2 consequent to adjusting movement of clamps 8 will be smooth and unimpeded, as the same will substantially slide therealong.

It will thus be seen that by the use of the present invention a shoe store operator will be obviated the necessity of utilizing expensive, sizable display cases and yet be enabled to place on display the various types and styles of shoes available for sale within space heretofore deemed unusable for such purposes. It is recognized that racks B are especially suited for use with womens and childrens shoes, which are customarily of relatively light weight, but it is, of course, within the scope of this invention to so adapt rack B for use with heavier footwear, such as mens street shoes, and the like. Display racks of the present invention may be very inexpensively produced, are easily mounted in operative position and dismounted therefrom, and the adjustment thereof is simply accomplished by the application of either inwardly or outwardly directed pressure upon clamps 8, as indicated. As

3 racks B are of unitary construction the same are not readily damaged,- but are highly durable in usage.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the formation, construction, arrangement, and combinat'ion of the severalparts" of the shoe display rack may be'made and substituted for these herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle Of my invention;

Having thus described my invention-, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An individual shoe display rack formed from a single length of resilient Wire stock for use with a shoe box having sidea-nd end walls, said rack being of general L l-formation with its side portions beingsymmetrical, each side portion having a downwardly-opening clip memher formed at its free end, eachclip having vertical legs for embracing a wall of the shoe box, there being a heelspacerp'ortion provided outwardly of each clip and being substantially axially perpendicular to the legs thereof, a

clamp member for engaging a lateral portion of a shoe being provided immediately adjacent and outwardly of the related heel spacer, each clamp being an upwardly extending loop having a rearward and forward leg, an elongated vamp support portion extending outwardly and slightly downwardly from the associated clamp member, said elongated portions being connected in their outer end portions by a transversely extending toe support, said side portions of said rack being. normally spaced apart a distance less than the width of the shoe to be received whereby said clmp' members will he placed under tension for reliable gripping of such shoe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 795,117 Harding July 18, 1905 940,812 Hermann Nov. 23, 1909 1',178',I04 Robertson Apr. 4, 1916 ra a a "v