US2943742A - Self-service merchandise display rack for boxes - Google Patents

Description

July 5, 1960 R. H. COLLEY 2,943,

SELF-SERVICE MERCHANDISE DISPLAY RACK FOR BOXES Filed June 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ...all uHhg hy lOn Hotla -v INVENTOR. RUSSELL H. COLLEY BY aK/KZZ y 5, 1960 R. H. COLLE-Y 2,943,742

SELF-SERVICE MERCHANDISE DISPLAY RACK FOR BOXES Filed June 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

3L4 RUSSELL H. COLLEY ATTORNEY SELF-SERVICE MERCHANDISE DISPLAY RACK FOR BOES Russell H. 'Colley, Holley Lane, Darien, Conn.

Filed June 25, 1958, Ser. No. 744,397

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-49) This invention relates to combined display and vending devices designed primarily for the self-service trade and relates more particularly to a rack for displaying packaged or boxed articles such as hosiery wherein there are a relatively large number of package facings in a display rack requiring a very limited amount of floor space.

The increasing tendency of food supermarkets to sell non-food items has made it necessary to provide more display stands and since available space is limited it becomes apparent that a merchandise display structure must provide means for displaying a larger number of the items within a small area. In fact, it has been found that the more packages displayed, having a wide variety of colors and sizes, as in the case of hosiery, the greater is the selling appeal.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a' merchandise display unit wherein a large number of the packaged items are neatly arranged in full view of the customer and a considerable quantity of the boxes can be removed while giving the appearance that the supply is well filled at all times.

The improved display unit of the present invention has a novel gravity feed arrangement wherein only a single box containing a given size and color of the article is visible but as the packages are successively removed by the customer another one immediately takes its place. Not only is the supply self-replenishing but it is also self-arranging so as to require only infrequent servicing by the store attendant for the purpose of adding more stock to the display.

Another object of the invention is to provide a selfservice merchandise display shelf wherein each of the packaged items is located adjacent to a picture of the item and, if desired, a color swatch, and the full face of the package is prominently visible. This facilitates selfservice by enabling the customer to arrive at a decision more quickly as to which article to purchase.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for replacing a package in the same ordered arrangement if the customer picks up a package and then changes her mind about purchasing the same. This feature eliminates one of the principal disadvantages in gravity feed display units since they provide no place to return the unwanted item and it usually is placed on the floor or returned to some shelf far distant from the display rack. Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a gravity feed display unit with magazine or hoppers of varying size so that a larger number of the faster selling items can be stored in the hopper while a smaller hopper is used for the less-called-for items. This arrangement increases customer convenience and at the same time provides for greater efliciency of commodity storage.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a combined merchandise display and self-service vending unit embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2. is a central vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

nae States atenr r 2,943,742 Patented July 5, 1960 Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view showing one of the inclined display shelves with a plurality of rows of merchandise boxes thereon, the boxes in each row being arranged in superimposed or stacked relation.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a barrier plate for limiting downward travel of the upper layer of boxes.

Fig. 5 is a broken side elevation showing two adjoining shelves and the boxes numbered in the order in which they are dispensed.

Fig. 6 is similar to Fig. 5 but shows the arrangement after one box has been removed from the lower end of the two shelves.

Fig. 7 shows the arrangement after two boxes have been removed.

Fig. 8 shows the arrangement after the removal of three boxes.

The display rack shown in Figs. 1 and 2 has end walls 10, each having a rear vertical edge 11 and a forwardly inclined front edge 12 which is vertical at its lower end as shown at 13. This lower section includes an upper wall 14, a lower wall 15 which is supported on a base 16. A front rail 17 extends the full width of the display unit. A vertical panel 18 olfers support for the lowermost shelf. An electrical connection 20 provides power for illumination purposes. A drawer 21 for surplus stock is positioned in this lower section.

A plurality of forwardly inclined shelves extend between the end walls 10 and are supported thereby. The lowermost shelf 23 extends down to the front rail 17 of the lower section and is of sufficient width to receive 4 rows of the merchandise boxes which are shown at 22.

The next shelf 24 above shelf 23 provides a sufiicient clearance between the two shelves to receive two superimposed boxes although, as was earlier pointed out, the precise arrangement is a matter of choice. The higher shelves are arranged to receive a greater height of boxes since they support the merchandise of sizes or varieties in greater demand.

Thus, the third shelf 25 provides a clearance for three layers of boxes on shelf 24. This third shelf is shown as being of sufiicient depth to receive three rows of boxes and the fourth shelf 26 provides sufiicient clearance to permit seven superimposed merchandise boxes on the next lower shelf 25. There is clearance for four layers of boxes on shelf 26 and the next upper shelf 27 is of lesser depth and receives only two rows of boxes.

It will be noted that the front edges of all the shelves are substantially the same distance from the inclined front edges 12 of the opposed end walls.

Each of the shelves 23 to 27 are divided into a plurality of compartments by means of wall members 30 which may be stamped out from sheet metal and having right angular flanges 31 along the lower edges for permanent attachment to the shelf as by means of welding. The distance between each two adjoining walls is slightly greater than the width of the merchandise boxes 22. A narrow wall or stop 33 is secured at the front edge of each Wall 30 and limits the forward travel of the front box. These flanges or stops are sufficiently narrow to expose the major portion of the front edge of the boxes and permit them to be raised by the customer and reviewed.

At the forward end of each shelf there is secured a generally C-shaped trackway or flanged support 34 for price cards 3-5. It will be noted that the narrow vertical front wall 33 is of a height slightly greater than the distance between the two adjoining shelves so that when the boxes are fed from the rear of the display unit the upper end of this front wall or stop 33' is always higher than the front box. For instance, there is clearance between second shelf 24 and third shelf 25 for three layers of boxes. If the customer removes the first box indicated at 22a, the box 221) immediately to its rear will move downwardly to the position previously occupied by box 22a. If, then, the customer decides not to take the first box she has but to place it one top of box 22b and flange 33 prevents it from falling off the shelf.

A panel 37 is positioned above shelf 27 and there is sufiicient clearance for five layers of merchandise boxes. This panel is inclined at an angle more nearly vertical than shelf 27 and on the front face of this panel there is an elongated, generally C-shap'ed trackway 48' which receives a plurality of transparent plastic boxes 4% which may contain a color sample of the merchandise. Below trackway 48 is a second trackway 41 which receives priceinformation cards 42.

Panel 37 also supports a rectangular frame 43* which receives a plurality of transparent panels M' having imprinted thereon in translucent colors various advertising data and these panels are illuminated from the rear by lighting means 45. Another advertising panel 46 at the top of the display unit receives illumination fromthe same source.

Fig. 3 shows a representative shelf 26' having three rows of boxes 22 which originally were four deep. Assume the customer has removed the first box from the front row and decides to return it, front wall or flange 33 is of sufficient height to receive this box as shown at 22c.

It will be noted that the height of flange 33' is greater than the height of vertical walls or partitions 30 and that the height of each one of the latter is such as to extend upwardly to the lower face of the next upper shelf. 7 In the case of the uppermost shelf 27 the vertical partitions extend substantially to the lower end of panel 37. By this arrangement the vertical walls act as guides for the opposed ends of the rows of boxes carried thereon in superimposed relation and permit two-way gravity flow of the boxes, i'.e., the top boxes at the rear can flow both forwardly and downwardly as the boxes at the front are successively removed. I V

A modified arrangement for limiting downward travelof the boxes is shown in Figs. 4 to 8. A baffle plateor barrier 50 having a plurality of downwardly extending box-engaging fingers 51; is mounted on the lower surface of each shelf above the lowermost shelf. This plate is mounted at the forward end of the shelf and the distance from each finger to' the forwardedge of the next lower shelf is equal to the depth or length of onebox.

Thus, as show'niri- Fig lower shelf 52 has no bafile from the front to the" rear. The nextshelf 53 is of sufiicient depth to receive two rows of boxes and there is slightly more clearance between the shelves than is necessary to receive four layers of the boxes. At the forward end of shelf 53, on the lower surface thereof, the bafile plate is mounted and fingers 51 thereof extend downwardly into each compartment defined by two opposed vertical walls.

The boxes 22 on lower shelf 52 are numbered 1 to ll, said numbers indicatingthe order in which they are fed to the front of the shelf for removal by the customer. The same is true with fespect to the numbered boxes on shelf 53. In Fig. 6,- the first box has been removed from shelf 52 and the number 2 box hastaken its place. Boxes 3 and 4 then move fofwardly before the number 5 box does so and the other boxes follow in the indicated order as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

What I claim is:

1. A self-service merchandise display rack for boxes of articles comprising a pair of end walls whos'e' ffdnt edges are inclined upwardly and rearwardly and provided with a plurality of spaced; diagonally inclined shelv'es extending between the end walls,- said shelves being of progressively decreasing depth as they proceed upwardly and terminating at their front edges adjacent the inclined front edges of the end walls,- vertical partitions extending from each shelf upwardly to the lower face of the next upper shelf each pair of adjoining partitions forming end guides for lateral rows of boxes carried thereon in superimposed relation, narrow stop plates at the forward end of each partition limiting downward and forward travel of the boxes while exposing a major portion of the front edges of the boxes.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein said stop plates are of a height greater than the distance to the next upper shelf so as to support boxes which have been removed from a shelf and then replaced after the gravity feed has carried another box to take its place.

3. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein stops extend downwardly from the front edge of each shelf and limit downward and forward travel to the front of the shelf of all boxes except the uppermost on each layer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNI-TED STATES PATENTS 1,339,973 OConnor Sept. 6, 1921 1,716,964 Kuck June 11, 1929' 1,745,164 Griflith "J a'n. 28, 1930 2,228,775 Morgan Ian. 14, 1941 2,555,102 Anderson J May 29', 1951 2,857,694 Abrams Oct. 28, 1958

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