US3100573A

US3100573A - Exhibit stand

Info

Publication number: US3100573A
Application number: US112477A
Authority: US
Inventors: George R Cox
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-05-24
Filing date: 1961-05-24
Publication date: 1963-08-13
Anticipated expiration: 1980-08-13

Description

Aug. 13, 1963 G. R. cox 3,100,573

EXHIBIT STAND Filed May 24. 1961 IN VEN TOR.

GEORGE R. COX

United States Patent 3,100,573 EXHIBIT STAND George R. Cox, Bellport, N.Y., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the United States Atomic Energy Commission Filed May 24, 1961, Ser. No. 112,477 4 Claims. (Cl. 211177) This invention relates to an exhibit stand and more particularly to an exhibit stand in which the parts are readily and conveniently assembled and disassembled for use, shipment or storage.

An exhibit stand is a device for supporting material for display purposes and may incorporate lighting equipment for directing light on the display material. A portable exhibit stand is one which may be assembled at the site of the display and after use may be disassembled for storage or shipment tor use elsewhere or at another time. when disassembled or else completely unattractive in order to obtain the characteristics which are required to make them portable. As a result, it is quite common to construct on site an exhibit stand with the intention of discarding .it after use because of the difiiculties and expenses frequently found in preserving the apparatus for shipment or later use.

The present invention embodies in a single exhibit stand many of the advantages found in both existing portable and permanent exhibit stands as well as other advantages to be described further below. The invention concerns a portable exhibit stand of simple construction which is very light in weight, convenient to assemble and disassemble and readily shipped or stored as well.

Furthermore, these features-are obtained without sacrificing the important esthetic values which generally are desirable in devices of this type.

In accordance with the principles of this invention, the exhibit stand is composed of a pair of flat units of tubular construction supporting a flat exhibit board which are all integrated into a unitary assembly. The back side of the exhibit board is provided with structural and bracket members which integrate the parts to form a unique exhibit stand in accordance with this invention.

It is, therefore, a first object of this invention to provide an exhibit stand of simple construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lightweight stand for supporting and exhibiting a display.

Still another object is to provide an exhibit stand which is readily assembled on site for display purposes and is then disassembled and packaged for easy transportation and storage.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter become more evident from the following de scription of preferred embodiments of this invention, with reference made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a isometric view of one preferred embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a expanded view of detail 2 of the stand shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 shows a modification of the stand illustrated in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, exhibit stand is seen to consist in partof a pair of similar upright units 12 and '14.

Units

12 and 14 each consists of a continuous metal tube (such as aluminum) with

swivel lamps

16 and 17, respectively, at the top end, and are substantially flat, that is, co-planar. The other end of the tube in each unit may be welded in at 18 and 19, respectively, to form a sturdy unit with flat bottom poltions 22 and 23 extending flush with the floor for support.

Vertical struts

24 and 25 are welded at both ends Existing portable stands are usually bulky ice as illustrated to the tubes of

units

12 and 14 to support a display board 26 which adds rigidity to the assembly as a whole. Display board 26 is, a flat, rigid member having displays on the

side facing lamps

16 and 17. Four support brackets 28 and a swivel bracket 32 are attached permanently on the back of board 26 as shown. Brackets 28 provide the means for attaching board 26 to

vertical struts

24 and 25 of

units

12 and 14. The exploded view in FIG. 2 illustrates this arrangement. There it will be seen that vertical strut 24, for example, is provided with a threaded screw 34 which has its head exposed to be inserted into the wide portion of a slot 36 in bracket 28. Board 26 slides down until the head of screw 34 slips into the upper narrower portion of slot 36. To mount board 26, therefore, the latter is raised as shown in FIG. 1 topermit engagement of-all the brackets 28 with their respective supporting screws on

vertical struts

24 and 25.

A modified invented V-shaped tube or rod 38 forming bracing means is swivelly mounted on bracket 32 in the manner illustrated so that the outer ends thereof are free to be engaged with

claws

42 and 43 mounted on

units

12 and 14 respectively.

Wing nuts

44 and 45 may be used to insure positive and permanent engagement at these points.

A jig bar 46 is shown in phantom extending between

units

12 and 14. Bar 46 has

spring clips

47 and 48 for engaging with the tubing at these points. One or more jig bars 46 may be used to hold up

units

12 and 14 during set-up of the display and may be either removed or left in place "after board 26 is secured in place.

Electric lead wires

52 and 54 for

light fixtures

16 and 17 extend through the interiors of the tubes, as illustrated, thereby permitting convenient delivery of electric power to

lamps

16 and 17. It will be noted that no tools are required for the assembly or disassembly of stand 10. In fact, not even a screw driver is required. In shipping exhibit stand 10, board 26- is removed and stored fiat with rod 38 swivelled up against the back of the former.

Units

12 and 14 are also flat and so may be stored against or adjacent board 26.

In the modified arrangement of FIG. 3, exhibit stand 60 is designed to accommodate a pair of somewhat

narrower display boards

62 and 64. End unit 60 here is somewhat similar to

units

12 and 14 shown in FIG. 1, except that a pair of

struts

68 and 72 are welded into place as shown, instead of the single

vertical strut

24 or 25. However,

boards

62 and 64 are mounted on their respective struts in similar fashion, using

brackets

74 and 76 for this purpose. Bottom display board 61 is provided with the swivel bracket 78 from which the V- shaped rod 82 is pivoted to extend down to engage claw 84 in the lower portion of unit 60. This arrangement permits, with proper use of display material, more material to be shown in the limited space available and the creation of three-dimensional effects.

It will be seen that there has been provided an exhibit stand which is structurally rigid, portable and convenient to use. While embodying all the advantagesmentioned above, it yet does not sacrifice materially any of the esthetic features found in permanent exhibit stands. When disassembled, the stand consists of sections which are substantially flat so that they may be readily crated and shipped for later use. During assembly, no tools or skills of any type are required. Each stand carries integral therein its own lighting arrangement, and two of the sections, namely the end units, are alike This permits the end units to be used interchangeably as well as having other advantages which are readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

While only two preferred embodiments of this invention have been described, obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may :be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.- t

Iclaim:

11. A portable exhibit stand comprising, in combina-, tion, a pair of spaced upright units, each of said units consisting of a relatively thin, structurally strong con- 7 tinuous element bent substantially in a flat plane to form a lower portion, an intermediate display portion, and an upper, forwardly extending light supporting portion, strut means in the display portion of each unit attached at the ends thereof to said unit, display board means extending between said units supported by said strut means and having at least one forwardly extending display surface and a back surface, and brace means pivoted on said back surface having a pair of arms extending out each for lockable engagement with one of said upright units for forming therewith a rigid, display structure and for swinging fiat against said back surfiace [for convenient storage when said stand is disassembled.

2. The exhibit stand of claim 1 in which jig means are provided to hold said units upright and in proper spatial relationship while said display board means is mounted across said units and said brace means is pivoted into engagement with said units. r Y

3. The exhibit stand of claim 1 in which the displa portion of each unit is provided with at least two interconnecting struts, said display board means consisting of at least two display boards extending between said units, and said brace means is pivoted on the back surface of one of said display boards, thereby presenting a display having a three-dimensional efiect.

4. The exhibit stand of claim 1 in which the lower portion of each said unit has a substantially horizontal section of said element forward from and immediately below said display board means :to accommodate additional display material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,235,284 Carver Mar. 18, 1941 20 2,235,649 Shaw Mar. 18, 1941 2,732,481 King Jan. 24, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 631,859 Great Britain Nov. 10, 1949

Claims

1. A PORTABLE EXHIBIT STAND COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF SPACED UPRIGHT UNITS, EACH OF SAID UNITS CONSISTING OF A RELATIVELY THIN, STRUCTURALLY STRONG CONTINUOUS ELEMENT BENT SUBSTANTIALLY IN A FLAT PLANE TO FORM A LOWER PORTION, AN INTERMEDIATE DISPLAY PORTION, AND AN UPPER, FORWARDLY EXTENDING LIGHT SUPPORTING PORTION, STRUT MEANS IN THE DISPLAY PORTION OF EACH UNIT ATTACHED AT THE ENDS THEREOF TO SAID UNIT, DISPLAY BOARD MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID UNITS SUPPORTED BY SAID STRUT MEANS AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE FORWARDLY EXTENDING DISPLAY SURFACE AND A BACK SURFACE, AND BRACE MEANS PIVOTED ON SAID BACK SURFACE HAVING A PAIR OF ARMS EXTENDING OUT EACH FOR LOCKABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE OF SAID UPRIGHT UNITS FOR FORMING THEREWITH A RIGID, DISPLAY STRUCTURE AND FOR SWINGING FLAT AGAINST SAID BACK SURFACE FOR CONVENIENT STORAGE WHEN SAID STAND IS DISASSEMBLED.