US3225939A

US3225939A - Display and delivery for packaged goods

Info

Publication number: US3225939A
Application number: US344339A
Authority: US
Inventors: Braun Bernard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-02-12
Filing date: 1964-02-12
Publication date: 1965-12-28
Anticipated expiration: 1982-12-28

Description

Dec. 28, 1965 I B. BRAUN 3,225,939

DISPLAY AND DELIVERY FOR PACKAGED GOODS Filed Feb. 12, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

BERNARD BRAUN JOHN P. CHANDLER FIG. 4

mW Q I H II, .I 4

2 n w m HIS ATTORNEY.

Dec. 28, 1965 B. BRAUN 3,225,939

DISPLAY AND DELIVERY FOR PACKAGED GOODS Filed Feb. 12, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /\-"\\F I\ G. 5 6 I "f" 3 /R 29 r [7 k n FIG. 6 l4 .0

c INVENTOR.

BERNARD BRAUN k A BY JOHN P. CHANDLER l4 HIS ATTORNEY.

Dec. 28, 1965 B. BRAUN I 3,225,939

DISPLAY AND DELIVERY FOR PACKAGED GOODS Filed Feb. 12, 1964 s Sheets-Sheet a IS F IG. 1 1 a 0 F l G. 9 F l (3. 1O

54 54 38 3e i w /54 58 6O 38 5a 56 x INVENTOR. BERNARD BRAUN JOHN P. CHANDLER HIS ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,225,939 DISPLAY AND DELIVERY FOR PACKAGED GOODS Bernard Braun, 13072 226th St., Laurelton, N.Y. Filed Feb. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 344,339 6 Claims. (Cl. 211148) This invention relates to a display and delivery system for canned or otherwise packaged goods and has for its principal object the provision of a novel means of packaging canned articles and displaying the same for access by the purchaser without a clerk first removing the cans from the cartons and putting them on display for the customers.

Another object of the invention is to provide the combination of a novel container or carton for the cans and a frame structure of skeletal construction with plural shelves for supporting the cartons in an inclined position so that an opening can be quickly formed in one end wall of the carton of suflicient size to permit one or two cans at a time to roll horizontally therefrom by gravity with stop means limiting the forward travel of the carton on the supporting frame and a bracket or cradle in advance of the stop means for receiving the lead can in a position where it can be readily grasped by the customer and lifted from its support, causing another can to immediately roll or slide into its place by gravity.

The provision of inclined shelves in supermarkets for receiving a goodly supply of cans which are gravity fed has a great improvement over the older practice of simply storing cans on a shelf. These trackways and supporting structure are relatively expensive and it requires manual unpacking of the boxes and placing the cans in the trackways from the rear.

In accordance with the present invention, the end wall of the carton has a perforated or otherwise weakened line which can be readily severed to provide an end wall opening of rectangular configuration and the carton then placed in one of the several shelf frames and the task is finished. The cans automatically feed themselves by gravity to the front bracket where they are easily removed. Rectangular boxes which can slide down the inclined path may also be used with the present invention.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus for an improved system of the display and delivery of canned goods wherein there is a great saving in floor space over the older types of rear loading frames having downward inclined tracks, wherein, space must be provided at the rear for the loading operation after the cans have been removed from the cartons in which they are shipped.

A further object of the invention is to provide a display and delivery combination for canned goods wherein the shipping cartons for the cans become the visual display device and rendering it unnecessary to remove the cans from the carton when the same is opened and permitting the carton to function as a selling vehicle when properly ornamented and provided with a selling message.

Yet another object is to provide a novel display rack or frame with separately formed shelf frames, i.e., frames that form downwardly inclined shelves for the cartons. The display racks can be shipped in collapsed condition so as to occupy little shipping space.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the display and delivery system of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the special carton in its initial closed condition;

FIG. 3 shows the carton when the leading end wall section has been opened and is ready for the delivery of cans;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the shelf frame;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the base frame;

FIG. 6 is a plan view thereof;

FIG. 7 is a broken side elevation showing the means of mounting the shelf frame;

FIG. 8 is a section taken on line 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a broken perspective view showing a modification;

dFIG. 10 is a section taken on lines 10-10 of FIG. 9; an

FIG. 11 is a rear elevation of the rear frame.

The combination of the present invention essentially comprises a base frame 10, a plurality of rectangular shelf frames 11 and a plurality of shipping cartons 12 of special construction for the cans. The base frame includes two side frames 14 of identical construction connected at the back by rear frame 16.

This rear frame has two vertical bars 18 connected by horizontal bars 19 having hinge-forming loops 20 at their ends. The rear frame is reinforced at its lower end by

horizontal bars

21 and 22 and generally vertical, diagonal braces 23, the parts being secured together by welding.

Each side frame includes an inverted, U-shaped supporting frame 24 whose lower ends extend diagonally upwardly at 26, forming reinforced legs. It further includes horizontal bars 28, parts again being secured together by welding. The loops 20 receive the rear vertical leg 30 of each inverted U-shaped side frame, thus forming hinge elements. In shipping, the side frame may be swung, one to the front and one to the rear of rear frame 16 and the parts, thus collapsed, occupy very little space. By referring to FIG. 6, it will be noted that the loop 20 located at the right hand end of bar 19 is offset selightly rearwardly of loop 20 at the other end to permit the right-hand frame (when viewed from the front) to more readily fold to the rear of rear frame.

The loops 20 on the lowermost cross bar 22 of rear frame 16 rest upon the horizontal bar 29 on the side frame next to the bottom bar and this limits downward travel of the rear frame which is in effect hung on the side frames.

The shelf frame 11 is shown in detail in FIG. 4 and it includes a horizontal U-shaped base frame at the bottom having a front bar 31 and side bars 32 which terminate at their rear ends in U-shaped books 34 which are mounted on horizontal bars 19 of the rear frame. It further has inverted U-shaped side frames 36 welded at their lower ends to side bars 32 and provided with front bars 37. It has a similar central frame 38 welded to a lower bar 39.

It also has connecting bars 40 extending between side bars 32, the front one 40 of which has inverted U-shaped hooks 41. The shelf frame also has an upper front bar 42 spaced slightly rearwardly of the front of the shelf frame.- This bar limits forward movement of the cartons on their inclined support. Finally, the shelf frame has two brackets, each formed with two legs 43 welded to the transverse rods 40 and 4t) and joined by a for ward loop 44 which extends upwardly at a point slightly in advance of cross bar 31 and forms a cradle 44, to receive an article, round or otherwise, as it moves out of the carton.

The special carton 12 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Most cartons for cans have a closed lower Wall and a top wall with the usual hinged flaps glued together. This top wall would correspond to wall 45 of FIG. 2. In the carton of the present invention, however, all the walls are permanently sealed except one end wall 46 which has two vertical inner flaps 47 (when viewed as in FIG. 2) and two

outer flaps

48 and 49. Near the lower end, but above the upper edge of outer flap 49, these inner end walls 47 have a horizontal perforated or otherwise weakened line 50, thus forming two lower vertical flap sections 51. The inner face of horizontal flap 49 has a number of interrupted glue spots 52 to provide for easy opening. Before the carton is placed in the shelf frame, or afterwards if desired, the lower horizontal flap 49 is pulled downwardly to the position of FIG. 3 and the lower vertical flaps 51 separated from the upper sections 47, along perforated line 50. This forms an opening of rectangular shape and of a size to permit one can to pass therethrough. If desired, of course, the opening could be made high enough for two cans to come through at a time.

By forming the shelf frame in the manner shown, there are two areas in each to receive the cartons, the areas lying on each side of central frame section 38.

The advantage in forming. the shelf frames separate from the base frame resides in the foldability of the latter which reduces shipping areas. Two of the shelf frames can be nested together while shipping.

To use the display and vending apparatus, the base frame is set up in right angular relation as shown in FIG. 6 and the hooks 34 at the rear of the shelf frames engage the cross bar 19 while hooks 41 at the front engage the lower bar 23 of the side frame. The shelf frames are now loaded with the cartons by moving them in from the rear of the frames and 11.

If it is desired to load the shelf frames from the front, which is preferable since it eliminates the need for an aisle to the rear, the modified arrangement of FIG. 9 may be used. The fixed top front bar 42 of the shelf frame is replaced by two hinged bars 54 having hinge loops 55 at their outer ends for pivoted mounting in V-shaped recesses 56 in bars 36.

The opposite ends of bars 54 have hooks 58 passing into holes 59 in a plate 60 welded on central frame member 38. By raising a bar 54, a single carton can be pushed rearwardly to the shelf and the hook 58 then passes into the plate opening.

While there have been described herein what are at present considered preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that the exemplary embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims, and that all modifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be included therein.

What I claim is:

1. A frame including a plurality of downwardly inclined supports, in combination with a plurality of cartons of cans to be dispensed and carried in said supports, the cartons having an end wall opening of a size to permit one can at a time to roll from the carton while on said inclined support, a stop mounted on the frame adjacent the lower end of each support limiting forward travel of the carton on the support and a cradle extending forwardly of each support to receive a can as it rolls from the carton and to be replaced by a second can when the first one is removed by raising it upwardly from the cradle.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein means are provided for moving the stop away from carton engaging position to permit front loading of the frame supports.

3. A frame formed of wire and including a plurality of downwardly inclined supports, in combination with a plurality of cartons of cans to be dispensed and carried in said supports, the cartons being normally closed but having an end wall opening of a size to permit at least one can at a time to roll from the carton while on said inclined support, a stop mounted on the frame adjacent the lower end of each support limiting forward travel of the carton on the support and a bracket extending forwardly and upwardly of each support to limit forward travel of a can as it rolls from the carton and to be replaced by a second can when the first one is removed by raising it upwardly from the bracket.

4. A frame member including opposed side frame and a plurality of downwardly inclined supports, in combination with a plurality of cartons of cans to be dispensed and carried in said supports, the cartons, each having an end wall opening of a size to permit at least one can at a time to roll from the carton while on said inclined support, a pivoted bar mounted on the side frames of the support for limiting forward travel of the carton on the support and a bracket extending forwardly and upwardly of said support to limit forward travel of a can as it rolls from the carton and to be replaced by a second can when the first one is removed byraising it upwardly from the bracket, said bar being movable out of the path of a carton to permit a carton to be moved onto the support, and means for receiving the bar in carton-engaging position.

5. A'display and delivery device for canned articles comprising a rack forming a base frame, a plurality of rectangular shelf frames supported thereon and provided with downwardly inclined carton supports, a shipping carton of cans on one shelf frame and provided with an end wall opening of a size permitting a can to roll forwardly by gravity, stop means limiting forward movement of the carton on the supports and an upturned bracket in advance of said stop means to receive one can in dispensing position and to allow a second can to roll forwardly when the first has been removed by raising it upwardly from the bracket.

6. A display and delivery device for canned articles comprising a skeletal rack forming a base frame formed of wire, a plurality of rectangular shelf frames also formed of wire supported thereon, each provided with a pair of downwardly inclined carton supports, a shipping carton for cans on one shelf frame and provided with an end wall Opening of a size permitting at least one can to roll forwardly by gravity, stop means limiting forward movement of the carton on the supports and an upturned bracket in advance of said stop means to receive one can in dispensing position and to allow a second can to roll forwardly when the first has been removed by raising it upwardly from the bracket.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,898,056 2/1933 Johnson 229-17 2,125,000 7/1938 Considine 211-181 X 2,235,977 3/1941 Bitney 211-55 2,289,751 7/1942 Brenholt 211-49 2,315,595 4/1943 Chappory 2l1148 2,386,546 10/1945 Ely 229-17 2,680,522 6/1954 Temple 211-181 X 3,101,148 8/1963 Brown 211-148 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner.