US3071880A

US3071880A - Display sign fixture

Info

Publication number: US3071880A
Application number: US129830A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ronald H Taub
Original assignee: Creative Displays Inc
Current assignee: Creative Displays Inc
Priority date: 1961-08-07
Filing date: 1961-08-07
Publication date: 1963-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 1980-01-08

Description

Jan. 8, 1963 R. H. TAUB 3,071,880

DISPLAY SIGN FIXTURE Filed Aug. 7, 1961 INV EN TOR.

' Rona/d H. mm

' ATTORNEY I United States Patent- 3,071,880 DISPLAY SIGN FIXTURE Ronald H. Taub, Highland Park, Ill., assignor tov Creative Displays Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois 'Filed Aug. 7, 1961, Ser. No. 129,830 3 Claims. (Cl. 40-11) This invention relates to fixtures, or brackets, for merchandising signs, and more particularly concerns display sign fixtures of the type which are adapted to be attached to the 'O-shaped retainer strips commonly used on the edges of store shelves. 7

It is nowadays common to employ flat Ct-shaped retainer strips on the edges of store shelves and counters, and to place removable tags in these to designate the price of nearby merchandise. Occasionally, however, it is desired to draw the customers attention to certain of the merchandise. In this evcnt, fixtures or brackets have been available which can be attached to the retainer strip and which havean outward extending arm to support an advertising sign or price tag. I g r Generally speaking, these fixtures or brackets have suffered one of two disadvantages. The very simple fixtures are often difficult to remove from the retaining strip without risking damage to the fixture or to the strip, while many of those fixtures which can easily be attached and removed are unduly complex and expensive.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a fixture for merchandising signs which may easily be attached to and removed from retainer strips, and which is simple, rugged, and low in cost. Another object is to provide a bracket which can be attached to retainer strips of varying size. A further object is to provide an improved and easily-made display sign fixture. Other and more particular objects will become apparent as the description of this invention proceeds.

Briefly, there is provided a sign fixture made of a single length of resilient wire formed into an arm-like portion for carrying a display sign, and a portion for engaging the channels on a retainer strip. This latter portion has three legs, which, prior to insertion into the channels, have a generally U-shape, but which are deformed upon such insertion into a more or less triangular form, with one leg and the junction of the other two legs being resiliently received and held in the respective channels. The leg originally opposite the leg in one of the channels remains free, and can be gripped readily when it is desired to remove the fixture in order to further deform the U-shaped portion and thus disengage the legs.

Accommodation of the fixture to retainer strips of differing sizes is provided by any one or more of three features. the control leg of the U-shaped portion is made longer than the greatest expected size of the retainer strip. Second, the three legs may be non-coplanar, that is they do not lie in the same plane so that one leg is resiliently urged against the back of the retainer strip. Third, it the arm-like sign carrying portion of the fixture is provided with an offset section to clear the channels, then the offset section may also be made non-coplanar with any two of the legs. By the second and third features, the fixture will also be held firmly in virtually all retainer strip channels irrespective of channel size.

Furthe details and advantages of the invention will be described in the following specification which is to be read in conjunction with the attached drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the installed display sign fixture;

FIGURE 2 shows a side view of the fixture;

FIGURE 3 shows, with solid lines, a front view of the channel-engaging portion of the fixture as one leg is inserted into its channel, and shows in dotted lines the same portion as it is being deformed during installation;

3,071,880 Patented Jane, 19 3 FIGURE 4 follows FIGURE 3 and shows the channelengaging portion after the portion has been inserted into both channels or the retainer strip; and

FIGURE 5 shows a side sectional view of an oversize channel with the fixture held rigidly in place.

Turning first to FIGURE 1, the complete display sign fixture is shown as it appears after being attached to retainer strip 10, which in turn is affixed to the visible edge of a merchandise display shelf 11. Retainer strip 10 has a pair of

opposed channels

12 and 13 which face toward each other; these channels are defined by flanges 14 and 15 and are spaced apart at a distance usually equal to the thickness of shelf 11.

The fixture itself is formed of a single length of a resilient metal wire, such as for example a spring steel, and has an outwardly-extending arm 16 and channel-engaging leg portions defined by

legs

17, 18, and 19. These legs are received in and cooperate with the opposed channels 12 and 13 'of retainer strip 10 and serve to firmly and resiliently attach the fixture to the strip.

Display sign 21 is carried by arm 16 and contains any desired advertising or pricing matter. Sign 21 preferably consists of two sheets (which may be attached at opposite edges as shown) joined by a rivet 22, which may be partially encircled by an engaging means such as hooked section 23 of the arm 16.

A side View of the inventive fixture, prior to installation into retainer strip 10, is shown in FIGURE 2, and attention is directed to that figure. It is seen that arm 16 comprises an offset section 24, the latter being for the purpose of providing clearance for the flanges of the retainer strip (flange 15 in FIGURE 1). In the embodiment shown, arm 16 extends upward, but the angle it makes with ofiset section 24 can be made acute so as to angle arm 16 downward.

By having the three

legs

17, 18 and 19 in other than one single plane, and optionally having offset section 24 also non-coplanar with respect to any two of the three legs, the fixture tends to contact the side flanges as well as the opposite inner faces of the channels of the retainer strip, and hence resiliently grip strips of various sizes.

Turning to FIGURE 3, the step of attaching the fixture is shown. The fixture is shown just as leg 17 has been inserted behind flange 15 of channel 13; the three

legs

17, 18, and '19 are here shown in full lines in their relaxed, generally-U-shaped positions. It will be noted that the lengths of the legs, and the angles between each of the legs or between leg 17 and offset section 24- can be arranged as desired, provided only that central leg 18 is longer than the spacing between

channels

12 and 13. Advantageously, however, the respective angles are about (i.e. 90 plus or minus 30).

If the free or terminal leg 19 is pressed toward the opposite leg 17, the angles between each of the respective legs decrease, and the vertical distance between junction 26 (of legs 18 and 19) and the leg 17 adjacent section 24 similarly decreases. In this position, shown dotted in FIGURE 3, junction 26 may be inserted into channel 12.

The final position of the in-place fixture is shown in FIGURE 4. Junction 26 is resiliently held in place in channel 12 while leg '17 is similarly in rigid spring-like engagement in channel 13, forming a generally triangular configuration of three legs.

A particular advantage of the inventive fixture is that it is easily removed after it has been installed. With reference to FIGURE 4, the available free leg 19 need merely be gripped and/or pressed toward leg 17 so as to return the legs to the position shown by dotted lines in FIGURE 3 and-the fixture can be lifted out in a manner opposite to that in which it was installed.

Another major, though optional, feature of the invention is depicted in FIGURE 5, which is a side sectional view of the installed fixture.

Channels

12 and 13 have purposely been shown oversize to illustrate the ability of the non-coplanar legs to securely and immovably engage such channels. Thus, free leg 19 and the far end (from the position of the observer) of leg 17 press against the rear face of retainer strip 10, while junction 26 and the near end of leg 17 bear against the inner faces of flanges 14 and 15 respectively. Further support may be provided by offset section 24 which similarly bears against the rear face of retainer strip 10.

From the foregoing description, it is evident that the objects of the invention have been satisfied, and that a sign fixture has been provided which is simply made and which can readily be attached to and removed from retainer strips of varying size.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with one particular embodiment thereof, it is manifest that various alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A sign fixture for attachment to a retainer strip having a pair of opposed spaced channels, said fixture comprising a single length of resilient wire formed into a display-sign-carrying portion and a channel-engaging portion, said channel-engaging portion having three legs arranged in a generally U-shape, with the leg adjacent said display-sign-carrying portion being receivable in one of said spaced channels and the juncture of the other two legs being resiliently receivable in the other of said channels, said three legs being non-coplanar, with the terminal leg being directed away from the plane of the other two legs.

2. Fixture of claim 1 wherein said display-sign-carrying portion has an offset section near the leg adjacent said portion to provide clearance for said retainer strip.

3. Fixture of claim 2 wherein said ofiFset section is noncoplanar with any two of said legs and is thereby urged toward said retainer strip when said fixture is inserted into said spaced channels References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS