US3537196A - Shelf display sign - Google Patents

Description

3,537,196 SHELF DISPLAY SIGN Phillip Hopp, New York, N.Y., and Harry H. Lutz,

Dumont, N.J., assignors to The Hopp Press Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 5, 1968, Ser. No. 742,856 Int. Cl. G09f 3/18 US. C]. 40-11 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shelf display sign suitable for use on shelf moulding which has a pair of spaced oppositely disposed facing grooves extending lengthwise along the moulding, includes a blank having a mating groove for engaging the first of the moulding grooves and a substantially fiat face upon which price, level of stock and coded data processing information can be displayed for use in conjunction with automatic ordering systems. The blank carries a fastener for engaging the second moulding groove to hold the blank in position under spring tension.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a shelf display sign for use on market shelves and the like.

The great expansion in recent years of self-service markets has resulted in a need for a simple and clear, yet attractive, means for conveying price information to store patrons. Conventional self service store practice is to individually price mark shelf items for the convenience of the customer and to also include on the shelf edge the price of the items so displayed. In addition, it becomes necessary with changing retail prices and shifting of goods from one part of the store to another, such, for example, as is necessary during store promotions or sales, to be able to easily and rapidly remove previous prices and include the latest prices.

There has been a trend in recent years in large retail.

and supermarket stores to inaugurate automatic ordering systems for replenishing shelf items which utilizes a scanner and data collection unit. Consequently, it is necessary to label shelves with electronic coded indicia to be picked up by the scanner and then forwarded to a central data processing unit.

Although many attempts were made to overcome the foregoing and other difliculties, none, as far as we are aware, was entirely satisfactory when carried into practice commercially.

BRIEF SUMMARY We have now developed a shelf display sign which may be releasably secured to market display racks or moulding upon which indicia, such, for example, as price, stock level or coded data processing information may be included.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple means by which shelves in self-service markets may be marked as to price and other information.

Another object of this invention is to provide a shelf display sign which may be easily attached to the shelf moulding.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a shelf display sign from which price or other printed indicia may be easily removed while the sign is mounted on shelf moulding.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of the shelf display United States Patent ice sign in engagement with a segment of shelf moulding mounted on the shelf;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the shelf display sign taken along the line 2-2;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the shelf display sign partially disengaged from the segment of shelf moulding;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of the shelf display sign; and

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the shelf display sign.

The shelf display sign, in accordance with our invention, is for use on market shelf moulding or racks having a pair of spaced oppositely disposed facing grooves extending lengthwise along the moulding. The shelf display sign includes a blank having a mating groove on one side for engaging one of the grooves of the moulding and a substantially flat smooth face upon which indicia may be shown. Such indicia, for example, can include level of stock and coded data processing information for use in conjunction with automatic ordering and inventory control systems. A fastener is carried by the blank and has a pair of spring-actuated gripping members for engaging the second groove of the moulding opposite to that engaged by the mating groove of the blank. The blank, which may be formed of plastic in any color or type, can thus be releasably secured in the moulding and price or other information included on the face which can be easily removed as marketing conditions dictate.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a front elevation view of blank 14 releasably secured to the shelf rack or moulding 10. A fastener 15 is carried by the blank for insertion into the hollow cavity 24 and is maintained in position by rivets 19 and 20. Fastener 15 is provided with a pair of spring-actuated gripping members 16 and 17 for engaging groove 13 of moulding 10. FIG. 2 shows the blank 14 in engagement with shelf moulding 10 which in turn is attached to a shelf edge 11. The blank is provided with a substantially smooth flat face 23 upon which price, level of stock or data processing information may be included. This information may be printed, for example, on paper or plastic tape and adhesively attached to face 23. The smooth surface of face 23 permits rapid removal of the tape or other markings so that different prices, for instance, responsive to changing market conditions may easily be included without the necessity for removing the blank or adding a new shelf sign.

FIG. 3 shows a shelf display sign in a partially engaged position with the shelf moulding. Hollow cavity 24 for carrying spring-actuated member 15 is provided with flared recesses 21 and 22 which permit gripping members 16 and 17 to be moved upwardly as the blank is moved downwardly for insertion onto moulding 10. For releasably mounting the blank in the moulding, gripping members 16 and 17 are first inserted in groove 13 and the blank moved downwardly. The spring action of fastener 15 forces gripping members 16 and 17 to move upwardly in recesses 21 and 22 which permits mating groove 18 on the opposite side of the blank to engage groove 12 of the moulding. Fastener 15 is conveniently formed of a one piece resilient metal Wire which can be included in hollow cavity 24 when blank 14 is formed.

Substantially flat, smooth surface 23 of blank 14 permits a store clerk to attach to face 23 price indicia and other information on separate adhesive tapes. When it becomes necessary to shift shelf stock items from one place to another, or market conditions necessitate price change, the adhesive tape containing price information may be removed and replaced by tape bearing the new price while the stock level or coded data processing tapes are left intact or changed as the case may be. Similarly,

the information on stock level may be replaced without disturbing the other tapes. Thus, the shelf display sign need not be removed from the shelf moulding to facilitate tape changes. In addition, spring-actuated fastener 15 permits blank 14 to be removed from shelf-moulding by first moving the blank downwardly in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 2 and then disengaging mating groove 18 from groove 12 of shelf moulding 10 by pulling outwardly. While the blank is engaged and the shelf display sign is in position on the moulding, fastener which only engages lower groove 13 of moulding 10 urges the blank upwardly against groove 12 of the moulding causing a friction contact between thesemembers which locks the sign securely in the moulding and does not permit easy lateral movement. Thus, the shelf display sign is not easily moved to another location on the shelf by oflicious persons or children which would; cause confusion to store patrons without firstdisenga'ging the fastener from the moulding grooves.

Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments; it is to be under stood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and .scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and appended claims.

What is claimed is: x

1. A shelf display sign for use on shelf moulding having a pair of spaced oppositely disposed facing grooves extending lengthwise along the moulding, which comprises a blank provided with a mating groove on one side for engaging the first of said grooves of the moulding and a face upon which indicia may be shown, a hollow cutout section of said blank on the side opposite said mating groove, a spring member fastened to said blank with a portion thereof within said cutout section, first and second spaced gripping member sections of said spring member, said hollow cutout section being constructed and arranged to allow unrestricted movement of portions of said gripping member with respect to said blank upon said gripping member sections being yieldingly urged away from said second of said grooves of the moulding to allow said gripping member sections to be placed therein.

2. A shelf display sign in accordance with claim 1 wherein the fastener comprises a resilient one-piece metal wire for insertion into the hollow section of the blank and a pair of flared recesses which permits the gripping members to move vertically and to remain under spring tension while the blank is engaged by the shelf moulding.

References Cited JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner W. I. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner

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