US3014294A

US3014294A - Adjustable price tags

Info

Publication number: US3014294A
Application number: US11621A
Authority: US
Inventors: Singer Samuel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-02-29
Filing date: 1960-02-29
Publication date: 1961-12-26
Anticipated expiration: 1978-12-26

Description

Dec. 26, 1961 JNVENTOR. SAM UEL SINGER AT ORNEY'S' 3,014,294 ADJUSTABLE PRICE TAGS amuel Singer, 2133 Judah St., San Francisco, Calif. Filed Feb. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 11,621 8 Claims. (c1. 40-5 The present invention relates to improvements in adjustable price tags, and more particularly to adjustable price tags designed for use upon the edge of a display shelf.

The present structure is an improvement in price tags of the general character disclosed in my copending Application, Serial Number 784,932, filed January 5, 1959, now abandoned and entitled: Price Tags.

Price tags of this type envision the use of a continuous strip of flexible tape upon which is imprinted a series of characters, such as the numerals to 9. The tape is contained in a compact housing which has a window -or windows through which one character is visible at a time on each of the tapes used.

Adjustment of the price indicated is effected by sliding the tape in the housing, as by the tip of the finger, to reveal a different character.

The subject-matter of the copending application is principally concerned with the use of a pre-curled tape which winds itself up in a housing adapted to be clipped into the flanged retainer strip usually provided on a shelf edge.

The present invention contemplates an improved construction of the housing which incorporates means for releasably locking the housing'in place upon the retaining strip While at the same time locking the tape against movement so that changes in the location of the tag or the prices indicated thereby cannot be made accidentally or by the casual shopper.

These price tags are used in great numbers in the average large store. For example, the usual city super market will use from five thousand to seven thousand or more price tags upon its display shelves. Consequently, even small savings in the cost of the individual tag will mount up to very considerable figures.

The present tag incorporates a novel means for locking the price tag to a standard retaining strip, the locking means being simple to use and inexpensive to manufacture.

It is therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide an adjustable price tag which may be used with standard mounting strips provided on the edges of display shelves, these strips usually being coextensive with the edge of the shelf and having confronting flanges .along the opposite sides of the strip.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mounting means of the character described which is but which provides a locking action sufliciently strong and positive in nature to securely hold the price tag in place.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described which will automatically lock the tape against movement while locking the price tag unit in piace on the retaining strip.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds, and the new and 3,614,294 Patented Dec. 26, 1951 useful features of the invention will be fully defined in the claims hereto attached.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of an adjustable price tag constructed in accordance with the present invention and mounted upon a section of retaining strip;

FIGURE 2, a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3, a view taken similarly to that of FIGURE 2, but illustrating the price tag in condition for release from the retaining strip; and

FIGURE 4, a plan sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my adjustable price tag includes a housing 11 formed with an apertured front face 12 and side and end walls Hand 14, respectively, extending rearwardly therefrom.

Mounted in the housing 11 are one or more tapes 16 having a plurality of information-indicating characters 17 thereon, the tapes being mounted within the housing with a portion of the tape visible through the aperture in the front face 12. Also mounted in the housing 11, behind the tape 16, is a backing plate 18.

Mounting means 19 is provided on the housing 11, the mounting means being provided with outwardly extending

flanges

21 and 22 at the opposite sides of the rear of the housing for interlocking engagement with the confronting

flanges

23 and 24 of a standard retaining strip 26.

The retaining strip 26 is normally attached to the edge of display shelf 27 in the manner best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawing, the attachment being eifected by suitable screws 28, or the like. a

In accordance with the present invention, and as an important feature thereof, the

flanges

21 and 22 on the mounting means may be moved between a first position spanning less than the distance between the

flanges

23 and 24, see FIGURE 3, and a second position extending outwardly in position to engage under such flanges, see FIGURE 2. l

The mounting means 19 includes a mounting member 29. As may best be seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawing, the member 29has a central portion of channel-shape providing up-standing sections which are bent outwardly along a portion of their length to provide inolined sections 31 and '32, these sections then being bent over to provide the

flanges

21 and 22.

For convenience, the sections 3132 and 21-42 may be designated as wing portions.

As an important feature of the invention, the wing portions are formed to provide an increment of motion of the flanges 2.1 and 22 toward the housing 11 as they move outwardly from the release position to the lock position shown in FIGURE 2. This combined motion outwardly and toward the housing is provided by the configuration of the mounting member 29.

As may be seen from a comparison of FIGURES 2 and 3, outward displacement of the

flanges

21 and 22 will cause them to swing closer to the rear end of the housing. The mounting member 29 is proportioned so that the

flanges

21 and 22 will not only engage under the

flanges

23 and 24, but will clamp the latter flanges tightly against the housing. This securely and positively locks theprice tags in place against both removal and sliding of the price tag on the mounting strip.

The described movement of the mounting member 29 is here effected by a screw means 33 which is manually operable from the front of the housing. This means in- 'cludes a flat-headed screw which passes through openings in the housing front 12 and backing plate 18 and through the channel portion of the mounting member 29.

Threadably engaged on the screw 33 is a C-shaped clip 34 mounted with its

ends

36 and 37 bearing against the rear of the central portion of the mounting member 29. The central portion of the clip '34 through which the screw 33 is threaded, is wide enough to engage and displace out- Wardly the

inclined portions

31 and 32 of the mounting member 29.

This may be clearly seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, FIG- URE 3 showing the device in normal position and FIG- URE 2 showing the clip screwed down, the clip acting to force the wing portions outwardly and toward the housing in the described manner.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a novel and inexpensive means for mounting an adjustable price tag upon a standard shelf edge retaining strip with the mounting means automatically locking the price tag in place and at the same time locking the tape in the tag to prevent unwanted changing of prices.

I claim:

'1. In an adjustable price tag having a housing formed with an opening at its rear side, a mounting member secured in said housing and having wing portions extending to opposite sides of the housing at the rear thereof, said wing portions being formed for selective movement between a first position wherein the wing portions extend outwardly sufficiently to engage under confronting flanges of a mounting strip and a second position wherein the wing portions are retracted sufiiciently to clear such flanges, and means for selectively displacing said wings between said first and second positions.

2 In an adjustable price tag having a housing formed with an opening at its rear side, a mounting member secured in said housing and having wing portions extending to opposite sides of the housing at the rear thereof, said wing portions being formed for selective movement between a first position wherein the wing portions extend outwardly sufllciently to engage under confronting flanges of a mounting strip and a second position wherein the Wing portions are retracted sufliciently to clear such flanges, said wing portions being formed to provide an increment of motion toward said housing as they move from said second to said first position whereby the flanges of said mounting strip will be clamped between said housing and said wing portions when the latter are in said first position, and means for selectively displacing said wing portions between sad first and second positions.

3. In an adjustable price tag having a housing formed with an opening at its rear side, a mounting member secured in said housing and having wing portions extending to opposite sides of the housing at the rear thereof, said wing portions being formed for selective movement between a first position wherein the wing portions extend outwardly sufficiently to engage under confronting flanges of a mounting strip and a second position wherein the wing portions are retracted suificiently to clear such flanges, said wing portions being formed to provide an increment of motion toward said housing as they move from said second to said first position whereby the flanges on said mounting strip will be clamped between said housing and said wing portions when the latter are in said first position, and means for selectively displacing said wing portions between said first and second positions, said means including a manually rotatable element at the front of said housing formed for spreading said wing portions from said second position to said first position upon rotation thereof.

4. In an adjustable price tag having a housing formed portions diverging rearwardly therefrom and terminating in flat areas parallel to the front of said housing and extending to opposite sides of the housing at the rear thereof, said wing portions being formed for selective movement between a first position wherein the wing portions extend outwardly sufliciently to engage under confronting flanges of a mounting strip and a second position wherein the wing portions are retracted sufliciently to clear such flanges, and screw means operable from the front of said housing and having a portion movable between the divergent wing portions for selectively urging said flat areas apart and toward the housing.

5. In an adjustable price tag having a housing formed with an opening at its rear side, a mounting member secured to the front of said housing and having wing portions diverging rearwardly therefrom and terminating in flat areas parallel to the front of said housing and extending to opposite sides of the housing at the rear thereof, said wing portions being formed for selective movement between a first position wherein the wing portions extend outwardly sufficiently to engage under confronting fianges of a mounting strip and a second position wherein the wing portions are retracted sufficiently to clear such flanges, a screw having a threaded shank mounted through holes formed centrally in said housing and said mounting member, and a C-shaped member having ends bearing against the rear of said mounting member and a medial section threadably engaged with said shank and positioned between the divergent wing portions, the width of said medial section being related to the divergent wing portions so as to urge the latter outwardly upon movement of the medial section toward the front wall of the housing under the influence of said screw.

6. In an adjustable price tag having a housing formed with an opening at its rear side, mounting means on said housing formed with outwardly extending ears parallel to and spaced from the opposite sides of the rear of said housing, said mounting means being formed for moving said ears toward said housing for clamping the confronting flanges of a mounting strip between said ears and the housing.

7. An adjustable price tag, comprising a housing formed with a front wall and side and end walls extending rearwardly therefrom, said front wall having apertures formed therethrough on opposite sides of a retained central strip, mounting means secured to said central strip and extending rearwardly through the housing for engagement with a shelf mounting strip, a pair of flexible tapes each having a plurality of information-indicating characters thereon, each of said tapes being mounted within said housing with a portion visible through one of said apertures, and a backing plate mounted in said housing behind said tapes whereby the tapes may be moved to exhibit difierent information-indicating characters, said mounting means having wing portions extending rearwardly through the central portion of said housing and dividing said housing into separate chambers adapted to contain the ends of said tapes, the distal ends of said wing portions being formed with outwardly extending ears parallel to and spaced rearwardly from the rear edges of said side walls, said mounting means being formed for selectively urging said ears toward said side walls for clamping the confronting edges of the mounting strip between the ears and the housing.

8. An adjustable price tag, comprising a housing formed with a front wall and side and end walls extending rearwardly therefrom, said front wall having apertures formed therethrough on opposite sides of a retained central strip, a pair of flexible tapes each having a plurality of information-indicating characters thereon, each of said tapes being mounted within said housing with a portion visible through one of said apertures, said tapes being of resiliently stiff material formed with an inherent curl whereby the ends of said tapes will tend to curl up within said housing, a backing plate mounted in said housing behind said tapes whereby the tapes may be moved to exhibit different information-indicating characters, a mounting member secured to the front of said housing and having a central portion bearing against the rear of said backing plate and wing portions diverging rearwardly therefrom and terminating in flat areas parailel to the front of said housing and extending to opposite sides of the housing at the rear thereof, said wing portions being formed for selective movement between a first position wherein the wing portions extend outwardly sufliciently to engage under confronting flanges of a mounting strip and a second position wherein the wing portions are retracted sufliciently to clear such flanges, a screw having a threaded shank mounted through holes formed centrally in said housing and said mounting member, and a C-shaped member having ends bearing against the rear of said mounting member and a medial section threadably engaged with said shank and positioned between the divergent wing portions, the width of said medial section being related to the divergent wing portions so as to urge the latter outwardly upon movement of the medial section toward the front Wall of the housing under the influence of said screw, said divergent wing portions cooperating with said housing to define chambers adapted to receive and promote curling of the ends of said tapes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,150,314 Stephens Aug. 7, 1915 2,546,483 Venters Mar. 27, 1951 2,585,420 Ailes Feb. 12, 1952 2,830,394 Gordon Apr. 15, 1958 2,921,393 Wood Jan. 19, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 776,362 Great Britain June 5, 1957