US3530593A

US3530593A - Display device for carpet samples

Info

Publication number: US3530593A
Application number: US760294A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fred Howard
Original assignee: Howard Displays Inc
Current assignee: Howard Displays Inc
Priority date: 1968-09-17
Filing date: 1968-09-17
Publication date: 1970-09-29
Anticipated expiration: 1987-09-29

Description

Sept. 29, 1970 F. HowARD 3 DISPLAY DEVICE FOR CARPET SAMPLES Filed Sept. 1'?V 1968 INVENTOR 'FRED HOWARD 3,530,593 DISPLAY DEVICE FOR CARPET SAMPLES Fred Howard, New York, N.Y., assignor to Howard Displays, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 17, 1968, Ser. No. 760,294 Int. Cl. B65d 73/00 U.S. Cl. 35-55 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A substantially flat carrier of extruded plastic having parallel ribs or rails which are profiled for retaining small swatches of carpets. The device clampingly receives a substantially larger sample carpet swatch so that comparison may be carried out for the customer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention may be conformed to and is employable in a great variety of industries, such as carpet or broadloom manufacture, pile and other textile fabrics, plastic tiles, wall coverings made of plastic or paper materials and like matters, in particular, where a selection of a material has to be made prior to definite and final order by the purchaser.

It is therefore one of the objects of the invention toprovide means affording a speedy and pleasing display system for selected material or materials simultaneously in various sample sizes and permitting ready exchange of such samples of material with respect to its holder or carrier.

It is another object of the invention to provide means conducive to a highly wear-resistant display device, which can be mass-produced, is easily stacked, is rather flat and not `bulky for storage and shipping, is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, is benda-ble and flexible and can be readily incorporated in existing display organizations, if desired.

Still a further object of the invention is the provision of means facilitating effective and convenient mounting of carpet and like samples without the employment of any tools, adhesives and like accessories and of further means aiding in an efficient demonstration of such samples in supermarkets, stores or in the home,

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of means permitting the use and re-use of carpet and like samples in display devices without subjecting the samples to Apunching or other injurious operations prior to their mounting, release or reassembly, so that the aforesaid samples become practically not deteriorated in any way, while being displayed and handled during demonstration.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide means resulting in a compact, but easily accessible and wellarranged display system for carpet swatches and similar material, which system allows for any desired sequential order of said swatches and the like with respect to the exposed display surface.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the drawing and the ensuing specification thereof, which are exemplary and explanatory of the principles of the invention and are in no way restrictive thereof.

BRIE-F DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tray-shaped carrier for relative small and larger carpet swatches embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elongated sectional view of the carrier of FIG. 1 with small and larger samples applied to said carrier.

FIG. 2a is an enlarged cross-section of box-shaped extension pursuant to the invention, the section being according to FIG. 2a-2a'.

FIG. 3 indicates in an exploded and perspective view a handle and an extension piece disassociated from the carrier of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now in greater detail to the attached drawing there is disclosed in FIG. 1 a carrier or tray 10y of plastic material which is highly resistant to impact, may be flexed and is made preferably of extruded styrene and like plastic composition. The bottom wall 11 of the tray is substantially flat throughout, whereas the top wall 12 is provided with one or more tracks 13 each of which being constituted or formed by two adjacent profiled rail means '14, which run in parallel relation to each other, as shown. Each rail is T-shaped in cross-section with a flat flanged head at 15, but may have any other suitable configuration for the purpose of retaining between two adjacent rail means a plurality of colored swatches of

carpet

16, 17, 18, etc. Each of these swatches has'a backing of yieldable material 19, such as made of jute, rubber and similar substance, so that these swatches may be at first flexed, as seen in FIG. 2 at 204 and then inserted for engagement between adjacent rail means 21, 22, as it becomes clear from FIGS. l and 2.

Instead of flexing the swatches it is also possible to bend to a certain degree color tray 101 and then to insert the aforesaid swatches of carpet between adjacent rail means.

To end rail 22 provided with an upright end piece or ledge 23 and upper horizontal lip 24 directed toward the adjacent rail 21 there is adhesively attached or welded thereto an extension member 25.

This member 25 may also be manufactured during extrusion together with tray 10 and can thus constitute a single extruded device, as is well understood.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 clamp extension means 25 is affixed to the tray and consists in one preferred embodiment of a flat bottom 26 which is provided near one end 27 with one upright ledge 28 substantially coextensive with the aforesaid end ledge 23. Clamp extension 25 is further defined by a thorn-like ledge 29, which terminates in a sharp-ended edge 29a which is directed angularly and rearwardly toward the rear end 30 of box-shaped clamp extension 25 as more clearly depicted in fragmentary sectional view of FIG. 2a.

The upper flexible wall 31 of rear end 30` is inclined and forms a lip 32 directed toward end ledge 29, in angle thereto, normally overlies the same in overlap relation and terminates in a sharp end edge 32a.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 wall 31 together with lip 32 may be flexed about end corner 33 and momentarily spread apart relative to ledge 29 in order to facilitate insertion of a respective end piece 34 of a relatively large carpet swatch 35, which e.g. extends lengthwise and Widthwise across the top of the aforesaid relative

small carpet swatches

16, 17, 18, 20, etc. and top wall 12. Thus box-shaped extension means 25 clampingly receives and retains end piece 34 of a large size carpet sample 35 which corresponds in all respects, such as to color, weave, etc. to small carpet swatch, say, 17 for comparison sake and other purposes.

It is well understood that sample 35 may be readily disengaged from clamp extension 25 and interchanged =with another carpet sample, which corresponds to a swatch of reduced size, e.g. designated by numeral 16,

or sample 35 may be swung o1' flipped over in the direction of arrow A in order to obtain access to the backing and/ or swatches therebelow.

According to the invention it is also possible to insert between adjacent rail means a lengthy carpet swatch (not shown) Which extends along any of the tracks 36 and thus exposes a swatch of an intermediate size. It is further iwell understood that carpet sample 35 may be engaged by and clamped in box-shaped extension 25 with the top face 35a facing all the tracks 13 and then swung back, if desired, for comparison and like demonstration purposes.

FIG. 3 discloses extension or holder means 40 with the same parts designated and as seen in FIG. 2a, but with the rearmost end of the extension means shaped to receive a handle 41 made of relative hard plastic material and suitable to be slid by means of the V-shaped ends 43 of ts legs 42 into correspondingly shaped end wall 44 of extension 40. Top wall 31 and bottom wall 26 of extension piece 40, in this instance, terminate in two substantially U-shaped and springy wall portions 31a and 26a, which are spaced apart from each other at slot 45 to facilitate also firm engagement of the handle ends 43 upon exertion of pressure thereof against the aforesaid wall portions at slot 45 and in the direction of and for location in V-shaped end wall 44.

It is well understood that instead of a single ledge 29 extending within and across the box-shaped rear end 30 a plurality of spaced apart ledges may be provided, which may assume any suitable configurations (toothshape) for implementing increased retention of a sample piece or pieces within said read end 30. The release of the sample 35 may be readily had by lifting or flexing apart top wall 31 together with lip 32 from ledge 29, as may be easily realized.

As railheads 15 and cover 31 are substantially flush and level with each other the flat bottom 11 of one carrier body may 'be stacked on the top of another carrier body for storage and shipping purposes.

It is further to be noted, that carrier body 10 may be provided with an easle or like known support ,(not shown) or with an opening 46, to either place said carrier in an inclined position on a counter or to facilitate suspension of said carrier from a wall, respectively.

It will be seen from the aforesaid disclosure, that there has been created according to the invention a very compact, highly efficient, inexpensive and useful carrier structure which lends itself to a great variety of applications in the display and other accessory industries and may be modified according to the purpose intended.

What is claimed is:

1. A display system for carpet and like samples of relative small and larger sizes characterized by a substantially tray-shaped carrier body having a top face provided with one or more tracks, each track being formed by proiiled rail means offset with respect to said top face and extending in parallel reation to each other, said rail means being arranged in predetermined distance Cir to each other and being shaped to frictionally and clampingly engage between adjacent rail means at least one at and yieldable carpet sample of a given length, the width of said sample corresponding to said distance between two adjacent rail means, and extension means connected to said carrier body at one end of the latter, said extension means being provided with clamp means located near said one end and being adapted to receive for retention by said clamp means one end edge of at least one carpet sample of relatively larger size than that of said one sample engaged by said adjacent rail means.

2. A display system according to claim 1, said extension means forming a box-shaped extension piece directed parallel to and substantially coextensive with said tracks, said box-shaped extension piece carryingl therewithin a sharp-edged ledge, and a cover on said extension piece provided with a sharp-edged lip normally engaging said ledge, whereby upon lifting said cover lip away from said ledge the end edge of said larger carpet sample may be clamped in position between said lip and said ledge.

3. A display system according to claim 2, said sharpedged ledge and said sharp-edged lip being angularly directed to and for contact with each other.

4. A display system accordng to claim 2, said extension piece being provided with an offset ledge for abutment against and connection with a rail means located at said one end.

5. A display system according to claim 2, said rail means and said cover being substantially ush with each other, the bottom of said tray-shaped carrier body being substantially fiat, so that said body may be placed level with and on top of said rail means and said cover of another carrier body for stacking purposes.

6. A display system according to claim 1, adjacent rail means being each provided with a flanged head to facilitate retention of a carpet sample therebeneath.

7. A display system according to claim 6, said trayshaped carrier body and said rail means being fabricated from an impact resistant, flexible plastic material, for enhancing the insertion and retention of a carpet sample during engagement by said rail means.

8. A display system according to claim 1, wherein said extension means is provided in its bottom with an opening to facilitate suspension of the same.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 836,358 11/1906 Anchell 206-82 1,691,712 11/ 1928 Frederick 206-82 1,770,325 7/1930 Sheyn '206-82 2,929,160 3/1960 Lyttle.

HARLAND S. SKOGQUIST, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 206--82