US2926877A - Display and merchandise supports - Google Patents

Description

March 1, 1966 E. M. LEVY DISPLAY AND MERCHANDISE SUPPORTS Filed Dec. 11, 1953 INVENTOR. Edward M. Levy wood, metal, fiber board, and other materials.

panels are provided with uniformly spaced holes or perfon.

United States Patent DISPLAY AND Mnncmnsorsa SUPPORTS Edward, M. Levy, Evanston, HL, assignor to Reflector Hardware Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 11, 1953, Serial No. 397,619

3 Claims. (Cl. 243-423) The present invention relates to improvements in mer chandise display fixtures and more particularly to improvements in a merchandise display supporting bracket of the type which is adapted to be demountably attached in a plurality of different positions on the face of an upright perforated panel to display and support various items of merchandise on racks, rods, or the like, secured to the bracket.

The present invention is a direct improvement over that disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 304,274, filed August 14, 1952, now Patent 2,766,958.

In the merchandising field, retail stores have been able to increase their sales volume by displaying the different items of merchandise in full view of the purchasing public on support brackets which may be demountably carried on upstanding perforated panels constructed of wallboard, These ations therein in spaced-apart vertical and horizontal rows for the purpose of detachahly receiving the merchandise supports, clips or brackets which have been specifically designed to display the difierent items of merchandise. The material from which the panels are made, the weight and size of the merchandise to be carried on the detachable supporting brackets, and the type of the hooks onthe merchandise supporting brackets, normally govern the thickness of the panels. Generally, the perforated panels are approximately one-eighth inch 'thick, but this thickness maybe varied as noted above. Therefore, a merchandise supportingbracket used in combination with such panels is provided with offset tongue means, hooks, or the like, having one or more horizontal offset leg portions thereon of a length substantially equal to the thickness of the panel andhaving .a cross-sectional area which is somewhat less than the diameter of the perforations in the panel. Also, the thickness of the material of the merchandise supporting bracket is normally less thanfthe "thickness of the panel. With this arrangement, the tongue'me'ans, hooks, or the. like, on

the merchandise supporting bracket may be inserted throughcooperating perforations in thepanel so that an upstanding leg portion at the rear end of each of the supporting items of merchandise for display purposes on a perforated panel of the type noted. However, it has been found that each time this type ofbracket is mounted on the panel and subsequently removed therefrom to alter a display, the rearwardly extending hooks on the bracket are jammed in the cooperating perforations in the panel. Consequently, in order to free the hook members on the jammed bracket, additional force or pressure is applied =thereto. This causes the front edge, as well .as the rear edge, of the periphery of each perforation to be crushed and badly distorted. In other words, the perforations which have been used by the supporting brackets are sufficiently mutilated to destroy the symmetry of the perforations and the decorative painted surface is chipped off of the front surface of the panel in the area surrounding the perforations. Also, when the additional force is applied to free the hook members they are badly bent and rendered useless. If the displays on the perforated panel are changed at frequent intervals, by changing the positions of the merchandise supporting brackets, the display panel becomes less and less attractive as more and more of the perforations are mutilated in the manner noted above. Inasmuch as a great many of the perforated panels now in use are made of relatively soft materials, the amount of mutilation of each of the perforations therein is suflicient to render the panels useless as an attractive decorative display for merchandise within a very short time. It is the main object of the present invention to provide an improved merchandise supporting bracket which peripheral edges of the perforations therein and without bending the hooks thereon.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pivot point on the main body portion of the support bracket so that the rearwardly and upwardly extending legs on the bracket will easily pass through the perforations in the display panel in either direction without binding or jamming in the perforations in the panel.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved merchandise support bracket of the type noted above, which is of universal construction and in which the front body or base portion of the bracket is used as the supporting member for racks, rods, and the like, of various kinds, types and shapes which are designed to carry different items of merchandise.

it is still another object of the present invention to provide a merchandise support bracket for use in displaying merchandise on a perforated panel, which is fabricated from a single sheet of metal, plastic or the like, comprising a flat front body member that will distribute the Weight of an article of merchandise supported thereon over a considerable area of the front surface of the perforated panel and a pair of leg members formed adjacent to the upper edge of the body member for demountably supporting the bracket on the panel and. at least one upstanding ear formed along the upper edge of the body member which is provided to permit the leg members to readily pass in either direction through the perforations in the panel without jamming or binding therein.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will best be understood from the following description thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in Which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the present merchandise displaysupporting bracket, the support being shown demountably attached to a fragment of an upright perforated panel;

Fig. 2 is a slightly enlarged front elevation, of a supporting bracket of the type shown in my previously noted rear edges of the perforations in the panel when the bracket is being removed therefrom;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged front elevation of the improved merchandise display supporting bracket of the present invention and shows a small portion of the perforated panel of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a 'vertical section taken along line 66 of Fig. 5 and illustrates the manner in which the improved merchandise display supporting bracket of the present invention is detachably mounted on the perforated panel; and,

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View of the panel shown in Fig. 6 and shows the manner in which the rearwardly extending legs of the improved merchandise display supporting bracket of the present invention are pivotally rotated out of the perforations without jamming or binding therein when the bracket is being removed from the panel.

As illustrated in the drawings, the basic element of the merchandise display supporting bracket in all of its forms is a unitary member, shown generally at 119, comprising an upstanding base plate 11 having a flat rear surface 12 of substantial area adapted to lie vertically against and bear upon the frontface 13 of an upright or vertically disposed panel 14 having a plurality of uniformly spaced circular perforations 15 therein arranged in equally spaced-apart vertical and horizontal rows. The support member 10 is preferably stamped and formed from a single sheet of metal or the like, with a plurality of identical hook portions formed integrally upon and extending rearwardly from the upper edge 16 of the base plate 11. These hook portions are spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing between adjacent perforations 15, but it should be understood that the base plate 11 may be extended so that hook portions thereon are spaced apart a distance equal to any multiple of the spacing between adjacent perforations 15.

Each hook portion comprises a longitudinally straight first leg element 17 having one end integral with the upper edge 16 on the base plate 11 and extending rearwardly therefrom at right angles to the plane of the base plate, each leg 17 being adapted to extend completely through one of the perforations 15. The length of each leg 17 will be determined in accordance with the thickness of the perforated panel on which the support member 10 is to be used. Normally, the thickness of the panel will be at least one-eighth inch or greater and the thickness of the material from which the merchandise support bracket is fabricated will be less than the thickness of the panel on which it is to be used. The outer extremity of each leg 17 is bent upwardly to provide a second upstanding leg element 18 that is substantially parallel to the plane of the base plate 11 and is adapted to bear upon the rear surface 21 of the panel 14 when weight is applied to the front of the base plate, as will hereinafter be explained.

In order to increase the longitudinal rigidity of each of the rearwardly extending legs 17 and to provide a transversely curved lower surface 19 thereon having a radius slightly less than the radius of the inner walls of the perforations 15, the upper surfaces of the first legs 17 are transversely dished, as at 20, throughout their entire lengths to provide them with a convexo-concave cross section. As a result of this dished condition of the upper surfaces 20 and the resulting corresponding curvature of the lower surfaces 19 of the legs 17, these legs may bear downwardly forcefully upon the inner walls of the perforations 15 without distorting those walls, even though the panel 14 may be fabricated from relatively soft material such as ordinary wallboard, or the like. If desired, the upstanding legs 18, as shown in the drawing,

- may also be given the same transverse curvature as that given to the legs 17, since this imparts to legs 18 increased longitudinal rigidity.

In the form of the mechandise display supporting bracket 10 illustrated in the drawings, an outwardly extending rod 22, shown in dotted lines to represent any desired form or shape of rack for carrying mechandise, may be welded or otherwise secured to the front surface of the base plate 11. The particular size, shape or character of the specific rack, rod or other device for carrying merchandise which is secured to and supported by the base plate 11 forms no part of the present invention and it is contemplated that the support bracket 10 may be universally employed in combination with all such racks for carrying mechandise.

It will thus be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present merchandise display supporting bracket 10 may be constructed with racks for carrying merchandise which have numerous variations depending upon the particular character of the items of merchandise to be displayed on the panel. It should be noted, however, that the force of the weight of the merchandise to be carried by the support bracket is transmitted to the perforated panel at a plurality of surfaces having, in combination, a very considerable area. A large portion of this force is transmitted to the front face 13 of the panel 14 by the flat base plate 11 which bears upon that face. Another portion of the force is applied to the bottom half of the inner walls of the perforations 15 by the transversely curved under surfaces 19 of the leg elements 17, and the remainder of the force is transmitted to the back surface 21 of the panel 14 by the upstanding legs 18.

It will thus be appreciated that the merchandise support bracket 10 is so constructed that the force of the weight of the merchandise carried on the racks or the like secured to the base plate 11 of the support bracket 10 is transmitted to the panel 14 at several places and over a substantial area of the panel, thereby making it possible for the support and panel to bear loads of considerable magnitude without distorting or otherwise damaging a perforated panel constructed of relatively soft material.

The foregoing description of the improved merchandise support bracket 10 of the present invention, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 7, also applies to the merchandise support bracket 10a illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 which is the same as my prior bracket disclosed in the previously mentioned copending application. Consequently, the same reference characters have been used to designate corresponding parts in the drawing except that the suffix a has been added to the reference characters designating the corresponding parts of the elements of my prior bracket 10a shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

A description will now be given of the manner in which my prior merchandise support bracket 10a shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 is removed from and replaced on the perforated panel 14a. With the bracket 10a supported on the panel 14a in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3, the lower end of the base plate 11a is rotated or pivoted upwardly and away from the front surface 13a of the panel 14a until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 4. In this position, the forward upper surfaces of the longitudinal first leg element 17a engage the upper curve front peripheral edge of the perforation 15a in the panel 14a and the rear lower curve surface 19a of the rear end of the first leg element 17a engages the lower curved rear peripheral edge of the perforation 15a. Further upward rotation of the base plate 11a in an attempt to remove the support 10a from the panel 14a causes the elements noted above to tightly wedge, bind and jam in the perforation 15a as can be readily appreciated by reference to Fig. 4. When the additional upward pressure is exerted, the above noted elements of the bracket 10a will dig into the soft material of the panel 14a at the upper front and lower rear peripheral edges of the perforation 15a and will chip the paint from the surface 13a of the pan l 14a surrounding the perforation 15a and will destroy and distort the clean, sharp peripheral upper front and lower rear peripheral edges of the panel 15a. The additional pressure exerted ona bracket that is thus wedged or otherwise jammed in the perforations 15 may also cause the legs 17a to bend at the junction with the base plate 11a. Since each merchandise support bracket a is provided with at least two legs 17a and since a plurality of such brackets are normally used in various combinations on the panel 14a indisplaying items of merchandise in an artistic and attractive manner, a large number of the perforations a are mutilated each time a display is changed. For this reason, it has been necessary to replace the perforated panels 14a and the brackets 10a at frequent intervals. It should be understood, however, that a certain amount of mutilation of the edges of the perforations 15a can be avoided provided a certain amount of care andpatience is exercised in removing the brackets 10a from the panel 14a. This can be accomplished by carefully sliding the bracket 10a slightly forward just before it reaches the position shown in Fig. 4 and then further rotating the bracket upwardly as it is pulled in the forward direction until the upstanding leg 18a is in a position to clear the edges of the perforation 15a to .permit the bracket to be withdrawn from the panel 14a. It has been found, however, that even though the merchants had been warned to be particularly careful in removing the merchandise support bracket 10a from the associated panel 14a that the panel becomes unsightly and must be replaced after the displays thereon had been changed a few times. i

After the support bracket 10a has been removed from the panel 14a in the manner described above, it maybe relocated in any other desiredposition by first inserting thelegs 18a into a pairof perforations 15a and then rotatingor pivoting. the support bracket 10:: downwardly to bring the base plate 11a into conatct with the front surface 13a of the panel 14a. The problem of mutilation of the edges of the perforations 15a is not as serious in replacing the support bracket 10a on the panel as it is during the time it is removed therefrom because the legs 18a and 17a pivot more freely in the perforations 15a although a certain amount of mutilation occurs as the upper surfaces of the leg 17a are inadvertently or carelessly jammed against the upper front peripheral edges of the perforations 15a. After the merchandise support brackets 10a have been replaced on the panel 14a, they are ready to receive and support the items of merchandise so that they are suitably displayed and more of such ear elementsproperly placed may be utilized to carry out the improved function of permitting the removal and replacement of the bracket in the perforations on an associated panel'without mutilating the perforations therein. Also the upstanding ear elements 24 may be positioned outside the hooks instead of between them as illustrated in the drawings.

In order to remove the improved merchandise support bracket 10 from the perforated panel 14, the lower portion thereof is rotated or pivoted upwardly and away from the front surface 13 of the panel 14 in exactly the same manner as previously described in connection with the removal of the prior bracket 10a from the panel 14a. However, due to the position and length of the upstanding ears 24 above the upper edge 16 of the bracket, the rear of the :upper edge 25 provides a pivot point with the front surface 13 of the panel 14, about which the base plate 11 is rotated as it is rotated outwardly and upwardly to remove the bracket from the panel. As the rotary movement of the base plate 11 continues, the rear upper edge 25 slides along the front surface 13 of the panel 14 and permits the curved portions of the lowor end of the leg 17, where it joins with the upstanding leg 18, to clear the lower rear edge surface of the perforation 15. Also, due to the pivotal action between 'the upper edge 25 of the ear elements 24 along the surface 13 on the panel 14, the front curved portion of the leg .18, where it joins with the upper edge 16 of the base plate 11, is rotated out and away from the upper front edge of the perforation 15. Thus, the merchandise support bracket 10 may easily be removed from the panel 14 without jamming, binding or mutilating the peripheral edges of the perforations 15 or the hooks on the bracket itself.

After the support bracket 10 has been removed in the manner noted above, it may be relocated in any other r desired position on the panel 14 by first inserting the carried by the particular merchandise rack or racks that are secured to the front surface of the base plate 11a. As previously noted, the merchandise .rack secured to the base plate 11a is schematically represented by the dotted broken rod 22a and may be of any desired shape or size to conveniently carry the particular item of merchandise to be displayed.

A description will now begiven of the manner in which 7 the improved merchandise support bracket 10 of the present invention, shown in Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 7, is removed and replaced on the panel 14 without mutilating the perforations 15 therein. At the outset it should be noted that in my improved support bracket 10, two spaced-apart upstanding ear elements 24 are integrally formed as an upward extension with the base plate 11 along the upper edge 16 thereof. Attention is directed to the fact that the upper edge 16 of the base plate 11, on the support bracket 10, as well as the corresponding upper edge 16a of the support bracket 19a, is positioned a slight distance above a line drawn between the lower curved surfaces 19 on the spaced-apart rearwardly extending legs 17 as shownin Figs. 5 and 6. The upper edges 25 of the upstanding ear elements 24 on the base plate 11 are positioned approximately in alignment with the upper edge of two spaced apart perforations 15 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Although two upstanding ear elements 24 have been shown on the merchandise support bracket 10, it should be understood that one or legs 18 into a cooperating pair of perforations 15 and then rotating or pivoting the support bracket downwardly to bring the base plate 11 into contact with the front face 13 of the panel 14. During this operation, the rear upper edge 25 again provides the sliding pivot point with the front surface 13 on the panel 14 to guide the leg elements 18 and 17 in the order named through the associated perforations 15 Without jamming, binding or distorting the peripheral edges of the perforations.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described by Way of illustration, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein which come Within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A. merchandise support bracket demountably secured upon an upright panel having a plurality of vertically and horizontally spaced-apart perforations therein comprising, a vertically disposed single-piece imperforate base plate having a horizontal upper edge and having a rear surface bearing against the front surface of said panel, a pair of laterally spaced-apart hook members integrally formed upon said upper edge of said plate, each of said hook members including a leg integrally joined to said upper edge of said base plate and extending rearwardly therefrom through one of said perforations of said panel and then upwardly along the rear surface of said panel, the undersurf-aces of the rearwardly extending portions of said legs normally resting on said anel within said perforations so as vertically to support said base plate, the upwardly extending portions of said. legs being adapted to bear against the rear surface of said panel to prevent withdrawal of said legs from said perforations while said base plate is vertically disposed on said panel, and an ear integrally formed on said upper edge of said base plate and projecting upwardly therefrom, the upper extremity of said ear terminating in a top edge located well above said upper edge of said base plate and well above said rearwardly extending portions of said legs, said top edgeof said ear being adapted to contact the front surface of said panel to provide an axis of pivotation about which said base plate may be rotated in a direction away from the front of said panel in order to remove said support bracket from said panel, the presence of said top edge of said ear at an elevation above said upper edge of said base plate causing a partial but substantial withdrawal of said legs from said perforations simultaneously with the pivotal movement of said plate, thereby tending to avoid binding of said legs in said perforations during removal of said support bracket from said panel.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said ear is located on said uper edge of said base plate between the junctions of said hook members with said upper edge.

3. A merchandise support bracket demountably secured upon an upright panel having a plurality of vertically and horizontally spaced-apart perforations therein comprising, a vertically disposed single-piece imperforate base plate having a horizontal upper edge and having a rear surface bearing against the front surface of said panel, a pair of laterally spaced-apart hook members integrally formed upon said upper edge of said plate, each of said hook members including a leg integrally joined to said upper edge of said base plate and extending rearwardly therefrom through one of said perforations of said panel and then upwardly along the rear surface of said panel, each of said hook members being transversely dished along the length thereof to impart increased longitudinal and transverse rigidity thereto, the undersurfaces of the rearwardly extending portions of said legs normally resting on said panel within said perforations so as vertically to support said base plate, the

upwardly extending portions of said legs being adapted to bear against the rear surface of said panel to prevent withdrawal of said legs from said perforations while said base plate is vertically disposed on said panel, and a pair of laterally spaced-apart ears integrally formed on said upper edge of said base plate and projecting upwardly therefrom between the junctions of said hook members with said upper edge of said base plate, the upper extremity of said ears respectively terminating in top edges lying along a straight line located well above said upper edge of said base plate and well above said rearwardly extending portions of said legs, said top edges of said ears being adapted to contact the front surface of said panel to provide an axis of pivotation about which said base plate may be rotated in a'direction away from the front of said panel in order to remove said support bracket from said panel, the presence of said top edges of said ears at an elevation above said upper edge of said base plate causing a partial but substantial withdrawal of said legs from said perforations simultaneously with the pivotal movement of said plate, thereby tending to avoid binding said legs in said perforations during removal of said support bracket from said panel. 3

References fiited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 241,991 Jones May 24, 1881 1,416,969 OConnor May 23, 1922 1,504,522 Sherer Aug. 16, 1924 2,213,115 Bales Aug. 27, 1940 2,240,225 Place Apr. 29, 1941 2,542,753 De Swart Feb. 20, 1951 2,614,701 Mapson Oct. 21, 1952 2,810,539 Levy et a1 Oct. 22, 1957

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