US3315389A - Display device - Google Patents

Description

A ril 25, 1967 F. DRUECK, m

DISPLAY DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 16, 1965 A riE 25, 1967 F. DRUECK, JR

DISPLAY DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 16, 1965 m I i Z a United States Patent 3,315,389 DISPLAY DEVICE Fred Drueck, .112, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Prevue Display Services, Inc, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Sept. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 487,749 9 Claims. (Cl. 4053) This invention relates to display devices and more particularly to display devices having a member which rotates back and forth in an oscillatory fashion, whereby a progressively expanding display is provided.

Numerous display devices of both the stationary and moving types have been devised and are presently avail-' able. People in the advertising field are, however, constantly striving to create new eye catching displays which will attract attention. Moving, or animated, displays generally attract greater attention, particularly if it is not readily apparent how they operate.

While displays of the latter type are preferred, they are relatively more expensive since they require moving parts. A major consideration in designing displays of this type is therefore their cost. Another major consideration is the complexity of construction and still another is the maintenance problem presented. Displays are generally used for only a relatively short period of time and, therefore, unless they are inexpensive, simple in construction :and relatively maintenance free, it is virtually impossible to create a market for them. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved displays and, in particular, moving displays.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved moving displays which are relatively inexpensive, simple in construction and virtually maintenance free.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide improved moving displays which may be readily assembled in the field.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide improved moving displays which may be readily changed to provide different displays. It is therefore con templated that the motivating portion of the display which represents the greatest proportionate cost of the display can be used with one or more different types of motivated portions.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The above objectives are accomplished with the display of the present invention which, generally, includes a support stand which supports the entire display including the motivating portion and the motivated portion. A front panel is aflixed to the support stand and the motivated portion is rotatably affixed to it. The front panel also conceals the mechanism for operating the motivating portion.

The motivated portion comprises a circular disk which is split along a radius thereof. It is secured to the back of the front panel and the front panel has a slot formed in it through which the disk is extended as it rotates. A progressively expanding display is therefore provided,

The motivating means is adapted to rotate the disk in one direction to a predetermined position and then to reverse its direction. There are no fixed connections between the motivating means and the disk so that the entire front panel can be quickly and easily replaced to provide a different display.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a moving display constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side plan view of the display of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the display of FIG. 1, prior to affixing the front panel to the support stand;

FIG. 4 is a of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view illustrating the driving connections between the elements of the display device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the disk; and

FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the front panel;

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a display device 10 exemplary of the present invention is illustrated including a support stand 12, a front panel 14, a disk 16 and a cover plate 18. The support stand 12 can be formed from a single sheet of material, such as cardboard, which is folded to form tapered side walls 19, a front wall 20, a top wall 21 and a bottom wall (not shown). A partial back wall can be provided by extending the side walls 19, the top wall 21 and the bottom wall and forming them with a tongue and groove arrangement so that when folded and appropriately fitted with one another a sturdy support is provided. The lower end of the front wall 20 is also extended and folded outwardly to provide a support base 22 which will prevent the display device from tipping forward.

The front panel 14 can also be formed from a single sheet of material, such as cardboard, which has its side edges folded to provide side walls 24-27, each of which has a pair of extending tabs 29 formed in spaced relation thereon. The tabs 29 are correspondingly positioned and adapted to engage within slots 30 formed in the front wall 241, to secure the front panel 14 to the support stand 12. As can be best seen in FIG. 8, the front panel 14 has an aperture 32 centrally formed therein and is cut along a line extending from its lower edge to the aperture 32 and is further cut along its lower edge so that a triangular section 33 thereof can be folded inwardly to provide a slot 34 in its front face. It may also be noted, in FIG. 3, that the portion of the side wall 26 to the right of the slot 34 is longer in width than the other portion of the side wall. With this construction, the one edge of the slot 34 will be slightly offset to the other edge so that the disk 16 can easily pass through it, in the manner described below. The front panel 14 also has a cutout 31 in which a pin 40 secured to the disk 18 can enter, as the disk is rotated, to permit 360 rotation of it.

As can be best seen in FIG. 7, the disk 16 has a diameter which substantially corresponds to the height and width of the front panel 14. An aperture 36 which is preferably the same diameter as the aperture 32 is centrally formed in the disk 16. The disk 16 is also out along a radius and a triangular "section 37 thereof is folded back to provide a slot 38 in the disk. A flat headed pin 40 is passed through an aperture (not shown) formed in the disk 16 and is fixedly secured thereto by means of fastening means such as a pressed fitted washer 41.

The disk 16 is rotatably secured to the front panel 14 by means of a grommet 42 passed through the apertures 32 and 36. The grommet 42, as can be best seen in FIG. 5, has side walls 43 which are oversized and the disk is partial sectional view taken along lines 4-4 partial sectional view taken along lines Patented Apr. 25, 1967.

therefore fixedly secured to the front panel but with little frictional engagement between the mating surfaces thereof. The disk 16 therefore can freely rotate.

A motor 46 which is preferably an electric motor of the .type having a forced actuated reversing clutch arrangement, that is, the type which reverses rotation when it encounters resistance to rotation in one or .the other directions, is fixedly secured to the rear of the front Wall 20 of the support stand 12 by means of motor mounting screws 47. The shaft (not shown) of the motor 46 is passed through an aperture (not shown) in the front wall 20 and has a disk driving assembly secured to it. The driving assembly includes a hollow cylindrical member 49 which is slipped over the motor shaft and is secured to it by fastening means such as the set screw 50. A U-shaped rod 54 is fixedly secured to the cylindrical member 49 and has one of its legs 55 adapted to engage a pin 23 extending through the front wall 20 of the support stand 12. Its other leg 56 lies in a plane parallel to the plane in which the leg 55 lies but is angularly disposed from the leg 55 and is reversely bent to provide a slot 57. Additional support for the leg 55 can be provided by fixedly securing a support plate 58 to the cylindrical member 49 and by fixedly securing the leg 55 to it.

A cover plate 18 conceals the grommet 42 and the cutout 31 in the front panel 14. The cover plate 18 is held by a plug 51 having an enlarged head portion 52 which is fixedly secured in the end of the cylindrical member 49 and extended through the aperture 44 in the grommet. A cup shaped member 53 having an aperture 59 can be secured to the back of the cover plate 18 and the enlarged head portion 52 of the plug 51 passed through the aperture to support it.

The pin 40 secured to the disk 16 is positioned so that when the front panel 14 with the disk secured to it is affixed to the support stand 12 the pin 40 engages within the slot 57 and the slot 38 in the disk 16 is aligned with the slot 34 in the front panel. When the motor 46 is energized, the leg 56 is rotated and carries the pin 40 with it, within the slot 57, so that the disk 16 is also rotated. The folded triangular section 37 of the disk 16 progressively extends out of the slot 34 formed in the front panel 14 and a progressively increasing display is therefore provided. The leg 55 also rotates and when it engages the pin 23 in the front wall 20 of the support stand 12 it restricts the rotation of the motor 46, thereby causing it to reverse its direction of rotation. Upon reversing the direction of rotation, the exposed portion of the disk 16 is continually decreased as it is passed through the slot 34 and concealed behind the front panel 14. The operation of the display device continues in this fashion, as long as the motor means 46 is energized.

It may be observed that the cut-out 31 in the front panel 14 allows 360 rotation of the disk 16 since the pin 40 in the disk can enter the cut-out 31 and will not engage the front panel. Also, the longer leg 55 permits relatively thin material to be used for the display device. It is apparent that the stopping pin 23 could be placed elsewhere, for example, in a position to be engaged by the leg 56, but the cantilever action of the leg 56 striking the pin 23 would be greater and would require more support for the pin. By using the longer leg 55, the force is not as great and permits some flexing of the leg 55 so that the display device is not damaged. Using the two legs 55 and 56 also permits closer spacing of the front panel and the support stand since otherwise longer stop and guide pins would be required which, in turn, would require greater spacing between them. Greater degree of rotation is also permitted since rotation is only limited by the width (diameter) of the leg 55.

It can be seen that the display device 10' can be easily knocked down for shipping and reassembled at the job site. With the fiat headed pin 40 on the disk 16 removed the entire front panel 14 and the disk 16 can be folded flat. The support stand 12 can also be folded fiat when the motor 46, the pin 23 and the driving arrangement are removed. At the job site, the support stand 12 is folded and the partial back panel interlocked, the motor 46 secured to the support stand by means of the motor mounting screws 47 and the fiat headed pin 23 secured to it. The driving arrangement for the disk 16 is next fastened to the shaft of the motor 46 by means of the set screw 50. The pin 40 is then secured to the disk 16 and the side walls of the front-panel 14 folded and the tabs 29 thereon inserted in the slots 30 formed in the front wall 20 of the support stand 12. The display device 10 is then operative upon energizing the motor 46.

As indicated above, the support stand 12, the front panel 14, the disk 16 and the cover plate 18 can all be fabricated of cardboard so that a relatively inexpensive display device is provided. Also, since the front panel 14 and the disk 16 can be fabricated of cardboard this portion of the display device can be easily and inexpensively replaced to provide different type of displays. The support stand 12, the motor 46 and the driving arrangement is therefore usable with any number of front panels and disks.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently atained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Now that the invention has been described, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A display device comprising, in combination: a support stand having a front wall; motor means having a shaft secured to said front wall, said motor means being of the reversing type when its direction of rotation is restricted; drive means secured to said shaft; a front panel secured to said front wall of said support stand having a slot formed therein extending from one side edge thereof to its center; and a disk having a slot formed therein extending from its edge to its center rotatably secured to said front panel and adapted to extend through said slot in said front panel as it is rotated; means secured to said disk which engage said drive means, whereby said disk is rotated; and stop means engaged by said drive means to thereby cause said motor means to reverse its direction of rotation and cause said disk to pass back into said slot in said front panel.

2. A display device comprising, in combination: a support stand having a front wall with an aperture formed therein; motor means secured to the back of said front wall having a shaft extending through said aperture, said motor means being of the reversing type when its direction of rotation is restricted; drive means se cured to said shaft; a front panel secured to said front wall of said support stand having a slot formed therein extending from one side edge thereof to its center; and a disk having a slot formed therein extending from its edge to its center rotatably secured to said front panel and adapted to extend through said slot in said front panel as it is rotated means secured to said disk which engage said drive means, whereby said disk is rotated; and stop means engaged by said drive means to thereby cause said rnotor means to reverse its direction of rotation and cause said disk to pass back into said slot in said front panel.

3. A display device comprising, in combination: a support stand having a front wall with an aperture formed therein; motor means secured to the back of said front wall having a shaft extending through said aperture, said motor means being of the reversing type when its direction of rotation is restricted; a drive assembly secured to said shaft including a U-shaped member adapted to be rotated by said shaft, one leg of said U-shaped member being positioned in a plane parallel with the other leg thereof and angularly disposed thereto, said leg being reversely bent to provide a slot; a front panel secured to said front wall of said support stand having a slot formed therein extending from one side edge thereof to its center; and a disk having a slot formed therein extending from its edge to its center rotatably secured to said front pane-l and adapted to extend through said slot in said front panel as it is rotated; means secured to said disk engagable in said slot for rotating said disk; and stop means engaged by one of said legs to thereby cause said motor means to reverse its direction of rotation and cause said disk to pass back into said slot in said front panel.

4. A display device comprising, in combination: a support stand having a front 'wall with an aperture formed therein; stop means secured to said front wall; motor means secured to the 'back of said front wall having a shaft extending through said aperture, said motor means being of the reversing type when its direction of rotation is restricted; a drive assembly secured to said shaft including a member adapted to be rotated by said shaft, said member having a first leg adapted to engage said stop means to cause said motor means to reverse its direction of rotation and a second leg in a plane parallel with said first leg and angularly disposed thereto, said second leg being reversely bent to provide a slot; a front panel secured to said front wall of said support stand having a slot formed therein extending from one side edge thereof to its center; and a disk having a slot formed therein extending from its edge to its center rotatably secured to said front panel and adapted to extend through said slot in said front panel as it is rotated; and means secured to said disk adapted to be engaged in said slot to rotate said disk.

5. A display device comprising, in combination: a support stand having a front wall with an aperture formed therein; a stop pin secured to said front wall; motor means secured to said front wall having a shaft extending through said aperture, said motor means being of the reversing type when its direction of rotation is restricted; a drive assembly secured to said shaft including a member adapted to be rotated by saidshaft, said member having a first leg adapted to engage said stop means to cause said motor means to reverse its direction of rotation and a second leg in a plane parallel with said first leg and angularly disposed thereto, said second leg being reversely bent to provide a slot; a front panel secured to said front Wall of said support stand having a slot formed therein extending from one side edge thereof to its center and a cut-out for a drive pin; and a disk having a slot formed therein extending from its edge to its center rotatably secured to said front panel and adapted to extend through said slot in said front panel as it is rotated; a drive pin secured to said disk adapted to be engaged in said slot to rotate said disk.

6. A display device comprising, in combination: a support stand formed from an integral sheet of material and having a front wall with an aperture formed therein; a stop pin secured tosaid front wall; motor means secured to the back of said front wall and having a shaft extending through said aperture, said motor means being of the reversing type when'its direction of rotation is restricted; a drive assembly secured to said shaft including a member adapted to be rotated by said shaft, said member having a first leg adapted to engage said stop means to cause said motor means to reverse its direction of rotation and a second leg in a plane parallel with said first leg and angularly disposed thereto, said second leg being reversely bent to provide a slot; a front panel formed from an integral sheet of material and adapted to be secured to said front wall of said support stand, said front panel having a slot formed therein extending from one side edge thereof to its center and a cut-out for a drive pin; and a disk having a slot formed therein extending from its edge to its center rotatably secured to said front panel and adapted to extend through said slot in said front panel as it is rotated; a drive pin secured to said disk adapted to be engaged in said slot to rotate said disk.

7. A display device, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said sheet of material is cardboard.

8. A display device comprising, in combination: a support stand having a front wall with an aperture formed therein; a stop pin secured to said front wall; motor means secured to the back of said front wall and having a shaft extending through said aperture, said motor means being of the reversing type when its direction of rotation is restricted; a drive assembly secured to said shaft including a member adapted to be rotated by said shaft, said member having a first leg adapted to engage said stop means to cause said motor means to reverse its direction of rotation and a second leg in a plane parallel with said first leg and angularly disposed thereto, said second leg being reversely bent to provide a slot; a front panel secured to said front wall of said support stand having side walls and a slot formed therein extending from one edge of one of said side walls to its center, said side wall on opposite sides of said slot being different in size so as to offset said front panel to provide a larger slot; and a disk having a slot formed therein extending from its edge to its center rotatably secured to said front panel and adapted to extend through said slot in said front panel as it is rotated; a drive pin secured to said disk adapted to engage in said slot to rotate said disk.

9. A display device comprising, in combination: a support stand having a front wall with a plurality of spaced slots formed therein and an aperture centrally formed between said slots; a stop pin secured to said front wall; motor means secured to the back of said front wall and having a shaft extending through said aperture, said motor means being of the reversing type when its direction of rotation is restricted; a drive assembly secured to said shaft including a member adapted to be rotated by said shaft, said member having a first leg adapted to engage said stop means to cause said motor means to reverse its direction of rotation and a second leg in a plane parallel with said first leg and angularly disposed thereto, said second leg being reversely bent to provide a slot; a front panel having side walls, each of which has an extending tab adapted to engage in respective ones of said slots to secure said front panel to said front wall of said support stand, said front panel having a slot formed therein extending from the edge of one of said side walls to its center; said side wall on opposite sides of said slot being different in size so as to offset said front panel to provide a larger slot; and a disk having a slot formed therein extending from its edge to its center rotatably secured to said front panel and adapted to extend through said {slot in said front panel as it is rotated; a drive pin secured to said disk adapted to engage in said slot to rotate said disk.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,011,517 8/1935 Geoifrion 4034 X 2,082,612 6/1937 Bourquin 40-34 2,788,173 4/1957 Lovelady 40-61 X EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. W. J. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A DISPLAY DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A SUPPORT STAND HAVING A FRONT WALL; MOTOR MEANS HAVING A SHAFT SECURED TO SAID FRONT WALL, SAID MOTOR MEANS BEING OF THE REVERSING TYPE WHEN ITS DIRECTION OF ROTATION IS RESTRICTED; DRIVE MEANS SECURED TO SAID SHAFT; A FRONT PANEL SECURED TO SAID FRONT WALL OF SAID SUPPORT STAND HAVING A SLOT FORMED THEREIN EXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE EDGE THEREOF TO ITS CENTER; AND A DISK HAVING A SLOT FORMED THEREIN EXTENDING FROM ITS EDGE TO ITS CENTER ROTATABLY SECURED TO SAID FRONT PANEL AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND THROUGH SAID SLOT IN SAID FRONT PANEL AS IT IS ROTATED; MEANS SECURED TO SAID DISK WHICH ENGAGE SAID DRIVE MEANS, WHEREBY SAID DISK IS ROTATED; AND STOP MEANS ENGAGED BY SAID DRIVE MEANS TO THEREBY CAUSE SAID MOTOR MEANS TO REVERSE ITS DIRECTION OF ROTATION AND CAUSE SAID DISK TO PASS BACK INTO SAID SLOT IN SAID FRONT PANEL.

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