US3204689A

US3204689A - Display panel assembly

Info

Publication number: US3204689A
Application number: US278288A
Authority: US
Inventors: David S Howell
Original assignee: Arlington Aluminum Co
Current assignee: Arlington Aluminum Co
Priority date: 1963-05-06
Filing date: 1963-05-06
Publication date: 1965-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 1982-09-07

Description

Sept. 7, 1965 D. s. HOWELL DISPLAY PANEL ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 6, 1963 INVENTOR.

DAV/0 5. HUM 62A @fi/Wv /3%fg2Q ATTORNEKS.

Sept. 7, 1965 D. s. HOWELL 3,204,689

DISPLAY PANEL ASSEMBLY Filed May 6, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Y DAV/D S. HOWELL United States Patent 3,204,689 DISPLAY PANEL ASSEMBLY David S. Howell, Royal Oak, Mich, assignor to Arlington Aluminum Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed May 6, 1963, Ser. No. 278,288 2 (Ilaims. ('Cl. 160-135) This invention relates to display devices and, in particular, to display panel assemblies adapted to receive and hold posters or articles in a variety of positions best suited for eiiective display.

One object of this invention is to provide a display mounting panel assembly wherein the material to be displayed, such as posters or articles, is mounted upon display mounting panel units which are in turn supported upon the uprights of vertical standards in such a manner as to be movable into a variety of positions, such rearrangement enhancing distinctiveness of display as a result of such capability of repositioning.

Another object is to provide a display mounting panel assembly of the foregoing character wherein the display mounting panel units are pivotally connected to the uprights of the standards in such a manner as to be foldable relatively to one another or arranged at various angles in order to bring about repositioning of the panel units.

Another object is to provide a display mounting panel assembly of the foregoing character wherein the panels of the display mounting panel units are mounted in panel frames which in turn carry coupling brackets circumferentially slidably engageable with stop collars mounted on the standards so as to be capable of swinging relatively to the standards.

Another object is to provide a display mounting panel assembly of the foregoing character wherein the coupling brackets are so mounted on the panel frames as to enable the display mounting panel units to be arranged at the same level or at different height levels without requiring any adjustment or rearrangement of the coupling brackets or collars or any other parts of the assembly other than to merely invert one or more of the panel units before connecting their coupling brackets or clips to their respective collars.

Another object is to provide a display mounting panel assembly of the foregoing character wherein the stop collars are in the form of upwardly-facing annularly grooved or recessed cups permanently attached to the standards; and wherein the coupling brackets are in the form of clips permanently attached to the panel frames, thereby enabling the display mounting panel assembly to be quickly assembled or disassembled, and arranged or rearranged in various positions by unskilled persons without the use of tools.

Another object is to provide a display mounting panel assembly of the foregoing character wherein the display mounting panel assembly can support unusually heavy articles without collapsing, and can be dragged from one position to another along the floor without coming apart.

Another object is to provide a display mounting panel assembly of the foregoing character wherein the uprights of the standards are formed in sections in such a manner as to be capable of being lengthened or shortened as desired, so as to permit the assembly to be set up either upon the floor of a room or on a counter or in a show window with a raised floor.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation, slightly in perspective, of a display panel assembly according to one form of the invention, wherein the mounting panel units are shown in solid lines to be arranged on different levels with dotted lines showing the mounting panel units arranged on the same level;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the display panel assembly of FIGURE 1, showing the construction in greater detail;

FIGURE 3 is a further enlarged fragmentary view of the upper portion of the upright of one of the standards and its panel-supporting collar or cup, together with the pivot brackets or clips and the adjacent portions of the mounting panel units carried by them, as shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal section taken along the line 44 in FIGURE 3, but upon a further enlarged scale;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of one of the pivot brackets or clips attached to a portion of a mounting panel frame, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4; 7

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 6-6 in FIGURE 2, but upon an enlarged scale, showing the pivotal connecting means between the lowermost upright section and the base of the standard;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 77 in FIGURE 2, but upon an enlarged scale, showing the pivotal connecting means between two sections of the upright of the standard; and

FIGURES 8 to 12 inclusive are diagrammatic representations, upon a reduced scale, showing various different arrangements of the display mounting panel units of the display mounting panel assembly of FIGURES 1 and 2 made possible according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIGURE 1 shows a display mounting panel assembly, generally designated 20, according to one form of the invention as consisting generally of a plurality of standards 22 composed of bases 16 and sectional uprights 18 to which a plurality of display mounting panel units 24 are swingably and removably attached by means of readily-detachable coupling devices 26. The base 16 of each standard 22, of which five are shown in the drawings for purposes of demonstration but not limitation, comprises a dished or convexoconcave member (FIGURE 2) having a dome-shaped upper portion 28 and an annular peripheral lower portion 30 adapted to rest upon the floor or other supporting surface. Detachably secured to and rising from the base 16 are the interchangeable lower and upper coaxial tubular

standard sections

32 and 34 respectively of the sectional uprights 18, so constructed that the lower'sections 32 of each upright 18 may be omitted and the upper section 34 coupled directly to the base 16 by means of lower and upper coupling devices generally designated 36 and 38 respectively (FIGURES 6 and 7).

The connecting

devices

36 and 38 are similar in principle and each includes a pair of axially-spaced cupped

discs

40 and 42 mounted in axially-spaced relationship to one another, such as by welding, near the lower end. 44 of the

standard section

32 or 34, each having an upper end 46. The cupped discs tit and 42 have central holes 48 therein receiving the threaded shank of a coupling screw St the head of which is Welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the upper disc 40. The base 16 (FIGURE 6) is provided with a central hole 52 in which is mounted an internally-threaded tubular plug or bushing 54 longer than the thickness of the upper portion 28 of the base 16 and secured in any suitable way within the hole 52, as by upsetting or cold-heading its opposite ends in the manner of a rivet. This construction provides the additional length of threads which is not possible when the portion 28 of the base 16 is stamped or otherwise formed from sheet metal or from thin cast metal.

Mounted in the upper end 46 of the lower section 32 of each upright 18 (FIGURE 7) is an internally-threaded plug 56 held in place by screws 58 threaded through radial holes 60 through the side walls of the tube 32 into the plug 56. The latter contains a threaded bore 62 which receives the corresponding1y-threaded shank of the screw 50. The upper end 46 of the upper standard section 34 (FIGURE 3) is closed by a plug or button 64 secured therein and having a rounded top.

The readily detachable coupling devices 26 which swingably and readily detachably connect the display mounting panel units 24 to the standards or uprights 22 include lower and upper stop collars or

coupling stops

66 and 68 respectively secured in vertically-spaced relation ship to the upper section 34 of the upright 18 of each standard 22 (FIGURE 2). Each stop collar or coupling stop 66 or 68 (FIGURES 3 and 4) is in the form of a short sleeve having a central bore 70 in the lower portion thereof adapted to snugly receive the standard section 34,

and in its upper section contains an upwardly-facing larger diameter counterbore or annular recess 72 of enlarged diameter. The stop collars or coupling stops 68 are secured to the standard section 34 in any suitable manner, such as by a locking screw 74, for example a self-threading sheet metal screw or drive screw.

Fitting slidably into the counterhore or annular recess 72 of each stop collar or cup 68 is the laterally-offset end portion 76 or 78 (FIGURES 3 and of a lower or upper coupling bracket or

clip

80 or 82 respectively, which are mounted at different distances from the lower and upper ends of the panel units 24. Each coupling bracket or

clip

80 or 82 has an elongated central attachment portion 84 connected to the ends or coupling

portions

76 and 78 by mutually-perpendicular intermediate portions 86 providing the otfset relationship of the ends 78 to the central attachment portion 84, which in turn is drilled to receive screws 88 (FIGURES 4 and 5) threaded therethrough as at 9.0 into the vertical side rails 92 of the rectangular panel frames 94. The frames 94 also include lower and upper

horizontal rails

96 and 98 which are of channel cross-section (FIGURE 4) receiving the edges of plateshaped panels 100 and serving as a border frame for the latter. The panel frames 94, coupling brackets or

clips

80 and 82 and panels 109 collectively constitute the panel units 24. Each mounting panel 160 is provided with spaced multiple perforations or small pegboard holes 102 for facilitating the mounting of articles to be displayed upon the panel units 24.

In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that the display assembly 26 is in its disassembled condition and that it is desired to erect it for use upon a door. To accomplish this, the lower and

upper sections

32 and 34 of each sectional upright 18 are coupled to one another by threading the downwardly-projecting portion of the screw 50 (FIGURE 7) into the threaded bore or socket 62 by holding one of the

sections

32 or 34 stationary and rotating the other relatively to it until the two sections are firmly united to one another with their

abutting ends

44 and 46 in tight engagement (FIGURE 7). The

thusassembled sections

32 and 34 are then united to their respective bases 16 by rotating each upright 18 as a unit with the lowermost screw 50 aligned with the threaded bushing 54 in each base 16 until the lower end 44 of the section 32 snugly engages the upper portion 28 of the base 16.

The standards 22, thus assembled, are then arranged in spaced-apart relationship to one another at separations of their sectional uprights 18 approximately equal to the widths of the panel units 24. The operator then grasps each panel unit 24- in his hands and hooks either the end or coupling portion '76 or the end or coupling portion 78 of the lower and upper clips or

pivot brackets

86 and 82 into the counterbores 72 in a corresponding pair of lower and upper stop collars or cups 66 and 68 (FIG- URE 2). This operation is preferably carried out by simultaneously dropping the clip ends or coupling portions 76 or 73 into the

cups

66 and 68 of two properly spaced adjacent standards 22 in order to mount each panel unit 24. The operation is then repeated with the remaining panel units 24 in the manner just described.

As previously stated and shown in FIGURE 2, the upper coupling clip 82 is placed nearer to the upper rail 98 than is the lower clip 86 to the lower rail 96. If the panel units 24 are to be mounted at different levels, their upper clips 32 are placed uppermost in the panel units 24 desired to be positioned on the higher lever, whereas the lower clips 86 are placed uppermost by inverting the display mounting panel units 24 which it is desired to position on the higher level. The result is shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2 with the first and third display mounting panel units from the left being lowermost and the second and fourth display mounting panel units 24 uppermost. If, however, it is desired to place all of the panel units 24 on the same level, as shown by the dotted line positions of the second and fourth display mounting panel units 24- in FIGURE 1, all of the upper coupling clips or coupling brackets 82 are placed uppermost.

Thus, it will be seen that without the aid of tools, the display mounting panel units 24 and standard 22 can be swingably and quick-detchably secured to one another and placed either on the same level or on different levels or swung into the same plane or at various angles to one another as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 by the swinging action brought about by the coupling clip or

bracket ends

76 and 78 sliding circumferentially in the counterbores 72. A zigzag arrangement of the display mounting panel units 24 is shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, a rectangular arrangement in FIGURE 8, and a cruciform arrangement in FIGURE 9. A W-shaped arrangement is shown in FIG- URE 10, a star-shaped or Wheel-spoke arrangement in FIGURE 11, and a triangular arrangement in FIG- URE 12.

The articles to be displayed are secured by pegs, hooks or other devices (not shown) placed in the performations 102. Posters, placards or other sheet material may be secured to the display mounting panel units 24 either by pegs, screws, nails, thumbtacks, push pins or the like.

What I claim is:

I. A foldable display mounting assembly, comprismg a multiplicity of vertical standards disposed in laterallyspaced parallel relationship,

said standards having bases at the lower ends thereof upright rising from said bases, and upper and lower annular coupling stop collars secured in vertically-spaced relationship to the upper portions of said uprights,

said stop collars containing upwardly-facing annular recesses extending therearound;

a multiplicity of plate-shaped vertical display mounting panel units disposed between said uprights and having parallel opposite vertical edge portions,

and vertically-spaced upper and lower coupling brackets having attachment portions secured to said opposite vertical edge portions of said panel units and having laterally-oifset hook-shaped portions extending vertically therefrom into readily detachable circumferentially-sliding engagement with said annular recesses of said coupling stop collars.

5 2. A display mounting panel assembly, according to claim 1, wherein said coupling brackets are double-ended, with hook-shaped coupling portions extending in opposite directions from their opposite ends and selectively slidably engageable with said stop collar recesses of said coupling stops in response to inversion and reversion respectively of said panel units.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 150,320 4/74 Hills 248-124 5/89 Pincus 248-124 2/90 Carey et al 160-351 6/91 Buchholz 160-135 7/06 Lynch 182-189 8/26 Rhodes 160-135 10/58 Stifiel 160-135 FOREIGN PATENTS 7/49 Germany. 4/28 Great Britain.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A FOLDABLE DISPLAY MOUNTING ASSEMBLY, COMPRISING A MULTIPLICITY OF VERTICAL STANDARDS DISPOSED IN LATERALLYSPACED PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP, SAID STANDARDS HAVING BASES AT THE LOWER ENDS THERELOWER UPRIGHT RISING FROM SAID BASES, AND UPPER AND LOWER ANNULAR COUPLING STOP COLLARS SECURED IN VERTICALLY-SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID UPRIGHTS, SAID STOP COLLARS CONTAINING UPWARDLY-FACING ANNULAR RECESSES EXTENDING THEREAROUND; A MULTIPLICITY OF PLATE-SHAPED VERTICAL DISPLAY MOUNTING PANEL DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID UPRIGHTS AND HAVING PARALLEL OPPOSITE VERTICAL EDGE PORTIONS, AND VERTICALLY-SPACED UPPER AND LOWER COUPLING BRACKETS HAVING ATTACHMENT PORTIONS SECURED TO SAID OPPOSITE VERTICAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID PANEL UNITS AND HAVING LATERALLY-OFFSET HOOK-SHAPED PORTIONS EXTENDING VERTICALLY THEREFROM INTO READILY DETACHABLE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY-SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ANNULAR RECESSES OF SAID COUPLING STOP COLLARS.