US3074194A - Merchandise display shelf with integral convertible price tag molding - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 22, 1963 D. L. MAPSON 3,074,194 MERCHANDISE DISPLAY SHELF WITH INTEGRAL CONVERTIBLE PRICE TAG MOLDING Filed Aug. 22. 1960 filia- I.

IN VEN TOR.

DOA/HAD L MAPS 0N 3,074,194 MERCHANDISE DHSPLAY SHELF WITH HNTEGRAL CGN WE KTEBLE PRHJE TAG MOLDING Donald L. Mapson, La Habra Heights, Calif assignor to M 8; 1) Store Fixtures, Inc., a corporation of California Filed Aug. 22, 1969, Ser. No. 59308 2 (Ilainrs. ill. 40-16) This invention relates to store fixtures and particularly to shelves on which merchandise is displayed for sale.

It has long been common practice to equip the front edges of merchandise display shelves with price tag mouldings for securely holding conventional celluloid price tags placed therein at various points along the shelf, with the tags inclined to render them more readily visible to the customer. Heretofore such mouldings have been secured to shelves, both wood and sheet metal, by fasteners or by special fixtures secured to the shelves by fasteners.

in some stores, the management prefers price tag mouldings having a streamlined decorative appearance. T-hus food stores generally like to have their shelves equipped with artistically shaped mouldings of extruded aluminum. Heretofore, fasteners or special clips fastened to the shelf have been required for securing such decorative mouldings to the front edge of merchandise display shelves.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a sheet-metal merchandise display shelf which is adapted to be equipped with a price tag moulding of extruded aluminum without the necessity of fasteners or special fittings on the shelf for use in mounting said moulding on said shelf.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a merchandise display shelf formed of sheet steel having a sheet steel price tag moulding formed integrally therewith which may optionally be used as the instrument for mounting a price tag moulding of extruded aluminum on said shelf.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects as Well as furLher objects and advantages will be made mani fest in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of the front edge portion of a merchandise display shelf equipped with a preferred embodiment of the extruded aluminum ticket strip of the present invention and with the ends of said ticket strip covered by a protective finish clip.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the left end of the front edge of the shelf shown in FIG. 1 and is taken in the direction of the arrow 2 in said figure.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 and illustrates the manner in which the knife edges of the tongues of the finish clip maintain this clip in place after it has been applied to one end of said extruded aluminum ticket strip.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the aforesaid finish clip.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the invention is there disclosed as embracing a sheet metal shelf comprising a flat sheet metal body 11 which in normal use is supported in a horizontal position. These shelves are provided in various lengths for displaying merchandise in stores, a common size being 3 feet long. Opposite ends of each shelf 10 are reinforced by sheet metal angles 12 which are placed just beneath the ends 13 of the sheet metal body 11 and spot welded thereto.

The front edge 14 of the sheet metal body 11 is reinforced by a downward and rearward bend 15 of 180 and then a downward bend 16 of 90 to form a reinforcing angle with a substantial vertical web 17. Bent forwardly from a lower edge of the web 17 at an angle of about 135 is a lower web 18 a lower edge portion of which Patented Jan. 22, 19 58 if is bent forwardly and upwardly from the web 13 at an angle of about to form a lower flange 19.

The rigid reinforcement formed by the aforesaid bends from the material of the shelf body 11 along its front edge 14 not only thus reinforces the shelf body 11 but comprises a price tag moulding 20 having the lower flange 19 and an upper flange 21 formed between the bends l5 and 16, these flanges converging forwardly and being spaced apart just the distance necessary to retain price tags 22 of a standard rectangular size in a bowed condition when inserted between said flanges.

he shelf it) of the invention is adapted to perform its function of displaying merchandise and presenting price tags 22 at selected points along the front edge of the shelf by use of the price tag moulding 20 as aforesaid.

When the shelf 1% is thus used, opposite ends of the moulding 2d are adapted to be finished by two finish clips 27 each of which includes a flat ear shaped plate 23 from which two tongues 29 are bent inwardly so that said tongues lie in a plane disposed at right angles to the plate 28. The two tongues 29 are shaped so as to curve away from each other starting at the line where they are formed integral with the plate 28 and then terminate in parallel end portions 3% having sharp outer edges 31.

While thus complete in itself as above described, the present invention is designed so that it may be optionally equipped with a relatively decorative price tag moulding 32 without the necessity of employing conventional fasteners such as screws or bolts to secure the same to said shelf. The moulding 32 is preierably formed by extrusion from aluminum and includes an obtuse angled body 33 having a decoratively fluted front surface 34 and terminating at its upper and lower edges respectively in streamlined price tag holding flanges 35 and 36. EX- truded with the body 33 are rearwardly extending upper and lower bosses it? and 41 which are adapted to be slidably received between the flanges 2i and 19 when inserted endwise therebetween until opposite ends of the ornamental moulding 32 are flush with those of sheet metal moulding 2%.

An alternative and sometimes preferable mode of assembly of the ornamental extruded moulding 3-2 on the sheet metal moulding 2% is to insert the bosses 4-0 and 41 broadside between the sheet metal price tag holding flanges l9 and 21. It is to be noted that external corners C and C of the bosses 4t and n are sharp angled and these corners have clearance above and below these corners, respectively, so as to continue in engagement with the converging inner faces of the flat flanges 19 and 21 until the bosses are pushed entirely into the space between these flanges. The corners C and C being spaced slightly further apart than the base portions of flanges l9 and 21, the spring bias of the latter, when these flanges are released after bosses it? and 4?. are inserted therebetween, continues to hold said bosses in said deeply assembled relation with said flanges, as shown in FIG. 4.

When the shelf it? is thus equipped with the ornamental moulding 32 the ends of the latter may be given a trim finished appearance by application of a pair of the clips 27 as clearly shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings. When the clips 27 are thus applied, the parallel end portions 30 of the spring tongues 29 of these clips extend beneath the flanges 35 and 36 of ornamental moulding 32 so that the sharpened edges 31 of these tongues bite into the metal of the moulding 32 thereby increasing the resistance made by the clips 27 to withdrawal from this association with the moulding 32. The ear-shaped plates 28 of these clips, when so applied, cover the ends of both the ornamental moulding 32 and the sheet metal moulding 20 in which it rests.

The drawings show the ornamental moulding 32 applied so that the boss 4% engages the flange 2i and the boss d1 engages the flange 19. When the moulding 32 is so applied, the flange 35 thereof forms a flush continuation of the upper surface of the shelf front edge 14. In most instances, such a flush relationship of the upper edge of the moulding 32 with theshelf lii is preferable.

In some instances, however, it is desired that the shelf be provided with a slight upwardly extending lip along its front edge. Wherever this is the case, the assembly of the ornamental moulding 32 with the shelf 10 is effected by an inversion of the moulding 32 from the position extends upwardly about one-half inch above the'frontedge I 14 of the shelf 18.

There are thus seen to be three distinctly different optional modes'of assembling the structural elements of the novel merchandise display shelf 10 of the invention. In each of these modes of assembly the shelf fully performs its functions of a support for merchandise on display and a-means for supporting price tags at any point along a front edge of the shelf to which they may be'applied. Where economy of investment is a prime consideration, the shelf 18 of the invention may be purchased initially without including either the moulding 32 or the clips 27 and when thus bought will perform all the essential func tions of a merchandise display shelf. As the customer desires or can afford equipment having a more ornamental aspect it is unnecessary for him to purchase new shelves but by merely buying ornamental mouldings 32' and clips 27 for his shelves, may accomplish the desired end by assembling these with the original shelves, without the assistance of any tools and without using any conventional.

fasteners.

While only a single embodiment of the invention is disclosed herein, it is to be Understood thatvarious.

changes and modifications may be made inthis without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of f the appended claims. The claims are: 1. In a sheet metal shelf, the combination of: a thin sheet metal shelf body; a sheet metal price tag moulding formed integrally with the shelf by bending the sheet metal of the shelf body downwardly .coextensively with the front edge of the shelf to form flat tag-gripping flanges at upper and lower edges of said moulding, said flanges. converging forwardly at an angle of approximately 45 an ornamental price tag moulding formed of extruded aluminum and coextensive in length with said shelf and havbetween outer edges of said sheet metal moulding flanges.

whereby said flanges must be temporarily sprung apart to admit said bosses broadside between said flanges, the latter then resuming their original spacing to trap said bosses between said flanges, said sharp boss corners having clearance to engage internal faces of said flanges deep within the space between said flanges, the spring bias of said flanges thus firmly mounting said: ornamental moulding on said sheet metal moulding.

2. In a sheet metal shelf, the combinationv of: athin sheet metal horizintal shelf body; a sheet metal price tag moulding made coextensive and integral with the front edge of said body by bending the material of said edge downwardly and rearwardly 180 to provide an upper.

horizontal price tag holding flange, then bending said material downwardly to form a vertical upper portion of a moulding back wall, then bending said material 45 forwardly. to form a forwardly inclined lower portion of said wall, and finally bending said material 90 upwardlyto form the lower price tag holding flange ofsaid mould irig; an extruded ornamental price tag moulding coextensive with said shelf body and having forwardly converging 7 price tagholding flanges along its upper and loweredges; and a pair of parallel externally sharp cornered bosses formed integral with said ornamental moulding rearward 1y therefrom and inwardly from upper and lower edges respectively of. said ornamental moulding, said external sharp corners of said bosses being spaced slightly farther apart than said sheet metal moulding flanges, whereby-a slight springing of said back wall is requisite to introducing said bosses broadside between'said sheet metal flanges, said sharp. boss cornersthereupon extending snugly into the angles between said sheet metal moulding flanges and said back wall so as to firmly mount said ornamental extruded moulding on said sheet metal moulding.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,872,053 Zimmerman Aug. 16*, 1932 1,925,603 Reiher Sept 5, 1933 2,320,463 Pavlovic June. 1, 1953" 2,352,100 Hornung June 20, 1944 2,626,472 Stingl Jan. 27, 1953 2,730,824 Cohen Jan. 17, 1956 2,838,860 Finnerty June 17, 1958 2,950,554 Foster Aug. 30, 1960

Claims (1)

1. IN A SHEET METAL SHELF, THE COMBINATION OF: A THIN SHEET METAL SHELF BODY; A SHEET METAL PRICE TAG MOULDING FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH THE SHELF BY BENDING THE SHEET METAL OF THE SHELF BODY DOWNWARDLY COEXTENSIVELY WITH THE FRONT EDGE OF THE SHELF TO FORM FLAT TAG-GRIPPING FLANGES AT UPPER AND LOWER EDGES OF SAID MOULDING, SAID FLANGES CONVERGING FORWARDLY AT AN ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY 45*; AN ORNAMENTAL PRICE TAG MOULDING FORMED OF EXTRUDED ALUMINUM AND COEXTENSIVE IN LENGTH WITH SAID SHELF AND HAVING FORWARDLY CONVERGING TAG-GRIPPING FLANGES AT UPPER AND LOWER EDGES THEREOF; AND A PAIR OF UPPER AND LOWER REARWARDLY EXTENDING EXTERNALLY SHARP CORNERED BOSSES FORMED ON SAID ORNAMENTAL MOULDING COEXTENSIVELY THEREWITH, THE EXTERNAL CORNERS OF SAID PAIR OF BOSSES BEING SPACED APART A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY IN EXCESS OF THE OPENING BETWEEN OUTER EDGES OF SAID SHEET METAL MOULDING FLANGES WHEREBY SAID FLANGES MUST BE TEMPORARILY SPRUNG APART TO ADMIT SAID BOSSES BROADSIDE BETWEEN SAID FLANGES, THE LATTER THEN RESUMING THEIR ORIGINAL SPACING TO TRAP SAID BOSSES BETWEEN SAID FLANGES, SAID SHARP BOSS CORNERS HAVING CLEARANCE TO ENGAGE INTERNAL FACES OF SAID FLANGES DEEP WITHIN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID FLANGES, THE SPRING BIAS OF SAID FLANGES THUS FIRMLY MOUNTING SAID ORNAMENTAL MOULDING ON SAID SHEET METAL MOULDING.

Images