US3468428A

US3468428A - Tubular section for rotatable display units

Info

Publication number: US3468428A
Application number: US647373A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elmer L Reibold
Original assignee: ELMER L REIBOLD
Current assignee: BURKE COMMUNICATION INDUSTRIES Inc; ELMER L REIBOLD
Priority date: 1967-06-20
Filing date: 1967-06-20
Publication date: 1969-09-23
Anticipated expiration: 1986-09-23

Description

Sept. 23, 1969 E. L. REIBOLD TUBULAR SECTION FOR ROTATABLE DISPLAY UNITS Filed June 20, 1967 (5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I 1/ i I 1 I 15 2 i I7 l; ULI

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74a I 4 2 23 J94 Inventor Sept. 23, 1969 E. L. REIBOLD 3,463,423

TUBULAR SECTION FOR ROTATABLE DISPLAY UNITS Filed June 20, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet Elmer L. Pez'bold 65 @43 KM I flzzorney Sept. 23, 1969 E. L. REIBOLD 3,468,428

TUBULAR SECTION FOR ROTATABLE DISPLAY UNITS Filed June 20, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 l l l fl all .w.u"" J'UWl." H 71% V mum mm." 1/

Inventor EZmerL. Rez'bold yuwbj/fizum,

United States Patent 3,468,428 TUBULAR SECTION FOR ROTATABLE DISPLAY UNITS Elmer L. Reibold, 1020 Harrison St, Park Ridge, Ill. 60068 Filed June 20, I967, Ser. No. 647,373

Int. Cl. A47f /02; F16m 13/02; A47b 11/00 US. Cl. 211-144 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In this specification, the gist of the technical disclosure resides in a section of tubing having one or more sleeves on the exterior of its wall portion, the pivot post of rotatable display units being insertable in the sleeves, and one or more sections of such tubing being mountable in spaced apart relationship on a structural bar member of a conventional store fixture to convert it into a rotatable display unit.

This invention relates to a tubular section for rotatable display units, the section having one or more sleeve members arranged on the exterior of its wall portion.

Many conventional merchandising fixtures have exposed structural bar members which besides being unsightly do not perform any display function. In order to show a given amount of merchandise for demonstration or sale, more fixtures of the conventional type are needed thus adding to the expense and space required than if these structural bars could themselves be utilized for display purposes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tubular section having one or more sleeve members po sitioned around its outer perimeter to receive pivot posts of rotatable display units, the tubular section being adapted for mounting on an exposed structural bar member of a merchandising fixture either singly or in spaced apart relationship with other such tubular sections in whose sleeves the pivot posts of other display units may be inserted.

It is another object of this invention to provide such tubular sections with a decorative external finish, useable with tubular spacing sections of like decorative external finish and similar configuration to serve as a sheath for a structural bar member throughout its length.

It is another object of this invention to provide such tubular sections which are not rotatable relative to the structural bar member on which they are mounted.

It is another object of this invention to provide such sections which are easily mountable and positionable on a structural bar member.

A still further object of this invention is to provide tubular sections with sleeves which can be made quickly and inexpensively for mounting on a structural bar member to convert it into a useful rotatable display fixture.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a convenient and inexpensive method of manufacturing tubular sections having one or more sleeve members thereon.

These and other objects of the invention will be readily apparent from the detailed description which follows and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of part of a store fixture having structural bar members on which sleeved tubular sections according to this invention are mounted with intervening spacers, showing a rotatable display unit positioned in the sleeve of a tubular section.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sleeved tubular section according to this invention.

3,468,428 Patented Sept. 23, 1969 FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of a sleeved tubular section having a wall only partially surrounding the central cavity.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a sleeved tubular section similar to that shown in FIG. 3 but whose sleeves have walls that only partially surround the sleeve bores, and of a structural bar member in cross-section received in the central cavity of the tubular section.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a sleeved tubular sec tion having sleeves positioned transversely of the tubular section.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a circular sleeved tubular section according to this invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a tubular section having sleeve bores through thick segments of the wall.

FIG. 8 is an elevation view of an extrusion die having die openings corresponding to the cross-sectional configuration of the sleeved tubular section illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an extruded length of sleeved tubing after having passed through the extrusion die illustrated in FIG. 8, and showing one section cut therefrom to provide a sleeved tubular section as illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a spacing tubular section.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIGURE 1 illustrates part of a conventional store fixture 1 having upright structural bar members 2. Spacing sections 3 are shown mounted on the bar member 2, with interposed sleeve tubular sections indicated at 4. The sleeved tubular sections 4 include a wall portion 5 extending around a central cavity 6. The interior side 7 of the wall portion has a cross-sectional configuration corresponding to the cross-sectional configuration of the exterior side wall 8 of the structural bar member 2 on which it is adapted for use. The central cavity 6 of the sleeved tubular section 4 is slightly larger in cross-sectional dimension than the cross-section of the structural bar member 2 to permit longitudinal movement of the sleeved tubular section 4 on the bar member 2 and to allow for the protrusion of any screw heads or other fastening devices beyond the side wall of the bar member.

The exterior side 9 of the wall portion 5 of said sleeved tubular section 4 may be fluted for decorative purposes as illustrated at 10 in FIGURE 3.

The sleeved tubular section includes one or more sleeve members 11 arranged on the exterior side wall of the tubular section to receive a pivot post 12 of a rotatable display unit 13.

The sleeve members 11 include a sleeve wall 14 extending around and defining a sleeve bore 15 of circular crosssectional configuration. The sleeve wall 14 may be continuous and completely surround the sleeve bore 15 as shown in FIG. 3, or the sleeve wall 14a may only partially surround the sleeve bore 15 leaving a gap 16 between two end portions 17 of said sleeve wall as shown in FIG. 4. The gap 16 is smaller than the diameter of the sleeve bore and also smaller than the diameter of a pivot post 12 receivable in said bore for rotation, so as to prevent the pivot post 12 from working out of the sleeve 11 through the gap 16.

The length of the sleeve member 11 is of sufiicient dimension to hold a length of pivot post 12 substantially in co-axial alignment therewith and to prevent substantial canting or cocking of the pivot post 12 within the sleeve bore.

The sleeve member 11 is preferably arranged with its sleeve bore 15 longitudinal of the tubular section 4, the axes of the sleeve 11 and the tubular section 4 thus being parallel. This sleeve arrangement permits relatively easy and inexpensive manufacture of such sleeved tubular sections by the extrusion process when made for example of aluminum or other extrudable material. Sleeve members may, however, be arranged in other positions such as transverse of the tubular section 4 as shown in FIG. 5, the axis of the sleeve thus extending in a direction perpendicular to that of the axis of the tubular section. This permits mounting the tubular section on a horizontal structural bar 18 whereupon the sleeve members 11a extend upwardly to rotatably receive a pivot post of a display unit, thus converting the horizontal structural bar member 18 into a rotatable display fixture.

The tubular wall portion 5 may either completely surround the central cavity 6 of the tubular section 4 as illustrated in FIG. 2, or it may only partially surround the central cavity 6 as illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 3. As mentioned above, the sleeve members 11 may also be formed with walls 14a which only partially surround the sleeve bore 15. A gap is thus provided in the wall portions of both the tubular section 4 and each of the sleeve members 11. A convenient and inexpensive method of manufacturing such sleeved tubular sections, having the respective axes of the sleeves and tubular section extending in parallel relation, will now be described.

A bar of aluminum or other extrudable material of desired thickness and of any convenient length is first obtained. An extrusion die 19 as shown in FIG. 8 is then provided, having die openings 20 conforming to the desired cross-sectional configuration of the walls 14a of the sleeve members 11 and the wall portion 5 of the tubular section 4, each of which have gaps in their respective wall portions as illustrated in FIG. 4. The need of extrusion core means which would otherwise be required to form the sleeve bores 15 and the cavity portion 6 of the tubular section, if such bores and cavity were completely surrounded by their respective walls, is thereby eliminated. The bar of aluminum or other extrudable material is then forced through the die in a conventional extrusion operation, to produce a continuous length of tubing 21 having one or more sleeves formed thereon, both the tubing and sleeves having continuous longitudinal gaps in their respective walls as described. Such extruded sleeved tubing 21 is then 'cut cross-sectionally into shorter lengths as illustrated in FIG. 9, such lengths corresponding to the length required to rotatably hold a desired pivot post 12 of a display unit 13 in said sleeve. Only two steps are required to thus economically produce the sleeved sectional tubing as described, (1) forcing the extrudable bar through the described extrusion die, and (2) cross-sectionally cutting the extruded length into the desired sleeved tubular sections.

The spacing sections 3 are similar in construction to the sleeved tubular sections 4 with which they are to be used, including a wall portion 5a extending around a central cavity portion 6a. The interior and exterior sides of the wall portion 5a correspond to those of the sleeved tubular section, but the spacing sections 3 do not have sleeve members arranged on the exterior side wall. The spacing sections are preferably constructed of the same material as the sleeved tubular sections and with the same exterior fluting or other decorative design.

Both the sleeved tubular sections 4 and spacing sections 3 may be constructed with mating sections in the form described in United States Patent No. 3,131,792, adapted to be snapped together on a bar member to enclose the same and present an external substantially joint-free appearance. One or both of the mating sections of the sleeved tubular sections constructed in this manner include sleeve members arranged on the exterior side wall.

In using the sleeved tubular sections 4 and spacing sections 3 to convert an upright structural bar member 2 into a rotatable display fixture, sections are selected corresponding to the cross-sectional configuration and dimensions of the bar member 2. A length of such spacing section 3 is then selected and mounted on the bar member 2, either by positioning over the top to receive the bar member 2 in the central cavity portion 6a and sliding the spacing section 3 down to the base 22 on which the bar member 2 is mounted or if the spacing sections 3 are constructed with mating sections as described in United States Patent No. 3,131,792, by snapping the mating sections together on the bar member at its lowermost point. A sleeved tubular section 4 is then selected and similarly mounted on the bar member 2 resting against the spacing section 3. Another spacing section 3 of desired length is next mounted on the bar 2, then another sleeved tubular section 4, and thus alternately mounting spacing sections 3 and sleeved tubular sections 4 as desired for the entire length of the structural bar member 2.

The spacing sections 3 are selected of such length as to space sleeved tubular sections 4 a distance that will.

permit rotation of a display unit 13 and an article placed thereon, and to also allow space for insertion and withdrawal of the pivot post 12 of display units 13.

The wall portion 5 of the sleeved tubular section 4 preferably includes one or more fiat sides 23 in its crosssectional configuration for use on structural bar members of corresponding cross-sectional configuration, such as U-shaped, square, or rectangular for example, which will prevent rotation of the sleeved tubular section 4 on the bar member. The sleeved tubular sections may also be ovular in cross-sectional configuration for use on corresponding bar members of such configuration, which will also prevent rotation on a corresponding ovular bar member. However, the cross-sectional configuration of the wall portion 5b as shown in FIG. 6 may also be circular for use on bar members of circular cross-section. In this case, holding means such as set screw 24 may be provided to bear against the wall of the bar member and hold the circular sleeved tubular section 4b against rotation with respect to the bar member. Such holding means may also be utilized to hold a sleeved tubular section 4 and 4b from longitudinal movement with respect to the bar member 2 and in such construction the sleeved tubular sections 4 and 4b may be used without spacing sections if desired. Any conventional holding means, such as abutments affixed to the bar member and other well known means, may be employed to hold the sleeved tubular sections from longitudinal movement with respect to the bar member in lieu of the preferred spacing sections.

To convert a horizontal bar member 18 into a rotatable display fixture, sleeved tubular sections 4 having sleeve members 11a arranged transversely of the tubular section are selected. The horizontal bar member 18 is then inserted in the central cavity portion 6 of the desired number of tubular sections 4, in which position the transverse sleeve members 11a will extend vertically. The pivot posts 12 of rotatable display units 13 may then be inserted for rotation in the sleeve members 11a to convert the horizontal structural bar member 18 into a rotatable display fixture.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the Wall portion 50 includes a thick segment 25 through which sleeve bores 15 extend longitudinally and sleeve bores 15a extend laterally of the tubular section 4. This arrangement permits use of such tubular sections on either vertical or horizontal structural bar members. The lateral sleeve bores 15a may be obviously omitted if desired for use only on vertical bar members, or the longitudinal sleeve bores 15 may be omitted if desired for use only on horizontal bar members.

It is to be understood that the particular forms of the invention described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are preferred embodiments, and that various changes in the shape, size, materials and arrangement of parts may be made.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A sleeved tubular section for rotatable display units, comprising a peripheral wall portion, a central cavity surrounded by said wall portion, a sleeve positioned outwardly of said cavity, a circular bore through said sleeve adapted to receive for rotation the pivot post of a rotatable display unit, the longitudinal extent of said sleeve and circular bore being long relative to said pivot post to provide support along a substantial portion of its length to maintain said pivot post in substantial co-axial alignment with said circular bore when received therein and to prevent canting of said pivot post Within said sleeve when articles of weight are placed for display on said rotatable display unit.

2. A sleeved tubular section as set forth in claim 1, wherein said wall portion surrounding said cavity includes at least one flat side in its cross-sectional configuration to hold said tubular section against rotation relative to a structural bar member received in said central cavity, the cross-sectional configuration and dimension of said cavity corresponding substantially to the cross-sectional configuration and dimension of that part of said bar member received in said cavity to hold said tubular section against transverse movement relative to said structural bar member, said sleeve including a sleeve wall extend ing around said circular bore for a distance greater than one-half the circumference of said bore but less than the entire circumference of said bore, the axis of said bore through said sleeve being parallel to the axis of said cavity.

3. A sleeved tubular section as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cavity is adapted to receive a structural bar member of a store fixture, said wall portion includes a thick segment through its longitudinal extent, said sleeve and circular bore being formed through said thick segment and adapted to receive for rotation the pivot post of a rotatable display unit, and a second circular bore formed through said thick segment in a direction perpendicular to that of the first mentioned circular bore.

4. A sleeved tubular section as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cavity defined by said wall portion is adapted to receive a structural bar member of a store fixture, said circular bore of said sleeve extending in a direction perpendicular to that of the axis of said tubular section, said circular bore thereby extending vertically to receive the pivot post of a display unit for rotation when said tubula rsection is mounted on a horizontal bar member of said store fixture.

5. Tubular sections for rotatable display units, including a sleeved tubular section and a spacing tubular section, said sleeved tubular section comprising a peripheral wall portion having at least one flat side, a cavity defined by said wall portion adapted to receive a structural bar member of a store fixture, said bar member having a crosssectional configuration corresponding to the cross-sectional configuration of said cavity, a sleeve member positioned on the exterior side of said wall portion, a circular bore extending through said sleeve member adapted to receive for rotation the pivot post of a rotatable display unit, said bore extending vertically when said tubular section is mounted on said structural bar member, said sleeve member being long relative to said pivot post to support it in substantial co-axial alignment with said circular bore when received therein and to prevent canting of said pivot post, said spacing tubular section comprising a peripheral wall portion and a cavity defined by said wall portion, said cavity of said spacing tubular section being adapted to receive said structural bar member, the cross-sectional configuration of said cavity of the spacing tubular section corresponding to the cross-sectional configuration of that part of said bar member received therein, said spacing tubular section being adapted for abutment against said sleeved tubular section when said sections are mounted on said structural bar member, said spacing tubular section being of a length to space said sleeved tubular section from a second such sleeved tubular section mounted, above on said structural bar member that distance needed to insert and withdraw rotatable display units therein and therefrom without interfering with said second sleeved tubular section and a display unit therein.

6. A rotatable display fixture, comprising a structural bar member, spacing tubular sections slidingly mounted on said structural bar member and in spaced apart relationship, sleeved tubular sections slidingly mounted on said bar member and interspersed between said spacing sections in abutting relationship therewith, at least one sleeve formed exteriorly on each of said sleeved sections, said sleeve comprising a sleeve wall and a cylindrical bore extending vertically when said sections are mounted on said bar member to rotatably receive a pivot post of a device, said sleeve wall bounding said bore being long relative to said pivot post to maintain said pivot post in substantial co-axial alignment with said bore when received therein to prevent canting of said pivot post, said tubular sections including a peripheral Wall portion having at least one flat side and having a cross-sectional configuration and dimensions substantially corresponding to those of said structural bar member on which they are mounted to prevent rotational and transverse movement of one with respect to the other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,028,593 6/1912 Naumann 108105 2,023,047 12/ 1935 Ganoe 52--720 2,388,297 11/ 1945 Slaughter.

2,415,243 2/ 1947 Hickman.

2,692,689 10/ 1954 Wynne 108-139 XR 3,007,558 11/1961 Miller 52738 3,223,449 12/1965 Naylor 297-437 XR 3,371,963 3/ 1968 Weller 297-445 3,131,792 5/1964 Gronemon et al. 5238 ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner R. D. KRAUS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.