US2932405A

US2932405A - Literature display rack

Info

Publication number: US2932405A
Application number: US691096A
Authority: US
Inventors: Peiffer Robert Howard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-10-18
Filing date: 1957-10-18
Publication date: 1960-04-12
Anticipated expiration: 1977-04-12

Description

April 12, 1960 R. H. PEIFFER LITERATURE DISPLAY RACK Filed Oct. 18,1957

INVENTOR. ROBERT H. PE/FFER A TTORIIEY United States Patent ice Patented Apr. 12, 1960' LITERATURE DISPLAY RACK Robert Howard Peilfer, Rochester, N.Y.

Application October 18, 1957, Serial No. 691,096 3 Claims. c1. 211 0) The present invention relates to display racks, and more particularly ,to racks for displaying literature, such as advertising leaflets, itravel folders, train or airplane schedules, etc. Y

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a literature rack which will be attractive in appearance, and which will clearly and fully display the pamphlets placed therein. To this end, it is a further object of the invention to provide a literature rack made of a transparent material so that a person glancing at the rack can see clearly the whole of the outside cover of each leaflet or pamphlet in the rack.

Another object of the invention is to provide a literature rack of the character described which is simple in construction, which can carry readily a number of different pamphlets or leaflets, and which can be made and sold at a reasonable price.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a literature rack made according to one embodiment of this invention, showing in dotted lines literature displayed therein;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of this rack without any literature therein, and with the supporting easel folded against the back;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the rack;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing a pocket of the rack expanded by the literature contained therein, the literature being shown in dotted lines; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view looking at the rear of the rack.

The display rack illustrated in the drawing comprises a back made of heavy cardboard, pressed board, or the like. The literature, which is to be displayed, is adapted to be carried in pockets formed by holders 11. Each holder is made of transparent plastic material, such as an acetate. Each holder is of general U-shape in cross section. It is open at both ends. It has, however, a bottom 12 slightly inclined downwardly from its rear wall 14 to its front wall 13. The upper edge terminal portions of both the front and

rear walls

13 and 14 are folded over along their full lengths as denoted at 20 and 21, respectively, to provide extra strength. The front wall 13 of each holder, moreover, is formed so that it is normally curved toward the rear wall of the holder from bottom to top, as shown in Fig. 2. The elasticity of the plastic thus puts a constant pressure on the literature in the holder to hold the pamphlets or circulars erect.

In the embodiment shown, the width of each holder is only slightly less than the width of the back 10. Each holder is secured to the back by a plurality of binding posts 15. Each binding post comprises a clear plastic headed stud 16 and 'a clear plastic screw 17. Each screw extends through a grommet or eyelet 18 in the board .10 and through a grommet or eyelet 19 in the folded over portion 20 of the back 14 of the holder. Each screw threads into the headed stud portion 16, which is passed through a hole in the folded over portion 21 of the front wall 13 of the holder. The cooperating eyelet 18 in the back board and the axially aligned associated eyelet 19 tend to hold the screw 17 of each binding post against rotation. In the embodiment of the invention shown, there are four ,equi-spaced studs for securing each of the holders 1 1-to the back 10. of the display rack; and the two holders are disposed vertically one above the other.

In use, the binding posts serve as separators dividing each holder into three pockets to receive leaflets or other literature L. When the pockets are empty, the front walls 13 of the holders are pressed by the inherent resiliency of the plastic toward the back walls thereof, as shown in Fig. 2, but when literature is inserted in the pockets, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the literature will force the front wall 13 forwardly.

As already pointed out, the inherent resiliency of each holder will cause the front wall to apply a constant pressure on the leaflets, to press the leaflets toward the back of the holder, and hold them erect. The downward inclined bottom wall of each holder tends to cause the leaflets left in the rack to move toward the front, as leaflets are removed from the rack.

The holder may be supported in display position by a folding cardboard easel, such as denoted at 25 (Fig. 5), which is secured to the back of the rack by screws 26 or by glue or any other conventional means; or the rack may be suspended from a wall by hooks or nails passed through eyelets or grommets 27 in the back.

The back 10 may carry advertising or other matter relating to the literature to be displayed if desired.

The display rack of the present invention permits any literature displayed therein to be readily seen. In substantially all previously known literature racks only so much of the literature therein was visible as extended above the pockets of the racks.

With the construction described, it is possible quickly to disassemble the rack by removing the binding posts and screws, thereby enabling the holders to be disassembled from the back. This makes the rack a knock-down item which saves shipping space and shipping costs.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A literature display rack comprising a back, a pocket, said pocket being U-shaped in cross-section and being made of a single sheet of clear, transparent, resilient plastic, and means for securing said pocket to said back, said securing means comprising a plurality of binding posts which are passed through the front and rear walls of the pocket and which are secured in said back, said binding posts acting as separators to divide the pocket into a plurality of compartments.

2. A literature display rack comprising a back, a pocket, said pocket being U-shaped in cross-section and being made of a single sheet of clear, transparent, resilient plastic, the bottom wall of said pocket being inclined downwardly from rear to front, and the front wall of said pocket being bent rearwardly from bottom to top, whereby the resiliency of the plastic applies a pressure the literature erect, the upper marginal portions of both the front and rear walls of said pocket being bent upon themselves to form double-thickness marginal top edges for the pocket which reinforce the pocket, and means, for securing said pocket to said back, said securing means passing through the double-thickness marginal top edges of saidtpocket and comprising a headed stud and a screw, said back and the double-thickness marginal top edge of the rear wall of the pocket having axially-aligned grommets therein, and the double-thickness marginal top edge of the front wall of the pocket having a registering hole therein, the head of said stud engaging against the front wall of the pocket and the shank of said stud passing through said hole, and said screw passing through both said grommets and threading into the shank of said stud.

3. A literature display rack comprising a back, a pocket, and means for securing said pocket to said back, said pocket being open at both ends and being U-shaped in cross-section and being made of a single sheet of clear, transparent, resilient plastic, the bottom wall of said pocket being inclined downwardly from rear to front,

1 and the front wall of said pocket being bent rearwardly from bottom to top, whereby the resiliency of the plastic applies a pressure to any literature placed in the pocket, tending to hold the literature erect, and said securing means comprising a plurality of equispaced binding posts which are passed through the front and rear walls of the pocket and which are secured in said back, said binding posts acting as separators to divide the pocket into a plurality of compartments;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 493,154 Dempsey Mar. 7, 1893 579,566 Drenning Mar. 30, 1897 643,917 Tendick Feb. 20, 1900 714,137 Branch Nov. 25, 1902 1,094,511 Armor Apr. 28, 1914 1,105,835 Radley Aug. 4, 1914 2,210,048 Swanson Aug. 6, 1940 2,437,415 Berry Mar. 9, 1948 2,560,110 Horn July'10, 1951 2,698,690 Rubenstein Jan. 4, 1955