Article Display Stand

This invention relates to display stands, and more particularly, to display stands for displaying articles such as pamphlets, advertising brochures, road maps, paperback books, and the like.

Many different types of stands for displaying such articles are known in the prior art, including both stationary racks or stands and rotatable racks or stands. Such racks or stands generally have means defining a plurality of pockets sized approximately to the articles to be supported therein. An example of a typical prior art rotatable article display stand is commonly located in drug stores, department stores and the like for supporting and displaying greeting cards.

Banks and similar businesses generally display various advertising brochures and literature explaining the banking services, but such materials are generally displayed in fixed display devices since most of the prior art devices are either unsuitable for use in banks and the like, because of their appearance or costs, or lack of adaptability to the limited number of brochures and the like generally displayed by banks. Moreover, it is sometimes desirable to provide a bulletin board or similar display surface in a bank lobby or the like, and most of the prior art display racks or stands do not lend themselves to use as bulletin boards or the like.

The present invention is a rotatable article display rack or stand which has a plurality of pockets on its outer surface for supporting and displaying brochures, pamphlets and the like. The display rack or stand of the invention is stable in use and is constructed such that it may readily be used as a bulletin board support or the like. Moreover, the appearance of the display rack or stand of the present invention is particularly suitable for use in bank lobbies or other similar locations and is readily adaptable to the needs of such businesses in that it may be used for supporting both bulletin boards and articles to be displayed with the relative portion of the device utilized for displaying articles limited to that needed to display the brochures and other literature of the particular business.

The present invention utilizes a plurality of pairs of stacked wire baskets which are interengaged and secured together in assembled relationship such that the baskets define a plurality of pockets with the lower basket in each pair supporting the bottom of an article to be displayed and the top basket in each pair providing divisions or side supports at the sides of adjacent pockets.

The stacked baskets are secured in a frame and are supported on a generally vertical shaft by means which effectively supports the assembly at approximately its mid height, thereby rendering the display rack of the present invention exceptionally stable in use.

Moreover, because of the unique construction of the display rack of the invention it is economical and durable and may be subjected to rough handling without causing damage thereto.

Additionally, the display rack of the invention may be partially disassembled and reassembled in a shipping configuration whereby the display rack forms a partially self-contained shipping package.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an economical, durable article display rack wherein a plurality of like or dissimilar articles may be supported and displayed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rotatable article display rack for displaying articles such as pamphlets, advertising literature, paperback books and the like, wherein a plurality of nested, wire baskets are provided to define the bottoms and side portions of pockets for holding the articles to be displayed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an article display stand comprising a plurality of nested together wire baskets rigidly held in assembled relationship by a frame and supported as an assembly on a generally vertical shaft with the support for the assembly being positioned approximately midway between the top and bottom of the assembly, thereby rendering the display rack stable in operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an article display rack or stand which may be simultaneously used to display articles such as greeting cards, advertising brochures and the like and to support a bulletin board thereon.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a frame of strong yet economical construction which includes means for quickly and easily mounting a plurality of bulletin boards thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bulletin board stand which includes a rigid frame rotatably supported on a generally vertical shaft with a plurality of bulletin boards readily removably secured to the frame.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a display stand or rack in accordance with the invention showing a bulletin board removed from the display stand.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective exploded view of a pair of the baskets used to form a plurality of article display pockets in the stand of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary view in section looking down on one corner of the bottom basket in a pair of baskets forming pockets in the display stand of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, looking down on a top basket in the pair of baskets of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the frame and guides used to secure the baskets together and support them on the shaft of the display stand.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the shaft and basket guides and supports used in the assembly of FIGS. 1 and 5.

FIG. 7 is a somewhat diagrammatic view in elevation of the guides and support shaft used in connection with the baskets of the invention.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view in vertical section of one of the guide sleeves used to support the basket assembly on the support shaft.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective exploded view of a bottom corner portion of the frame of the display stand of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view looking down on an assembled corner portion of the frame of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary plan view of one of the reinforcing guides used on the bottom basket of each pair of baskets in the assembly.

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary view in section looking down on one of the corners of a bulletin board support rack in accordance with the teachings of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view looking toward the back of a bulletin board for use with the display rack of FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary perspective view of the article supporting section of the display rack of the invention showing the back panels which define the rear of the pockets and showing portions of the wire basket assemblies in dot-and-dash lines.

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 12, of a modified means of securing bulletin boards to a bulletin board supporting frame.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, an article display stand S comprises first, second and third pairs 10a, 10b and 10c, of stacked wire baskets, and panels P rigidly secured to a supporting frame F to define a plurality of article supporting pockets wherein articles such as advertising literature and the like L may be supported. The assembly comprising the baskets, panels and frame is rotatably supported on an elongate, generally vertical shaft 11 supported, in turn, on a base 12.

The construction of the stand S is such that a bulletin board B may be readily applied to and removed from the stand, if desired, by inserting hooks 13 and 14 on the back of the bulletin board B into spaces 15 defined at the corners of the assembly (see FIG. 3).

The pairs 10a, 10b and 10c of stacked baskets are substantially identical in construction, and accordingly only one pair or assembly 10a of baskets will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. In these figures, the pair or assembly 10a comprises a bottom basket 16 and a top basket 17. The bottom basket 16 comprises a pair of perimeter wires 18 and 19 formed into substantially rectangularly shaped closed loops having four sides. Each side has a pair of corner wires 20 and 21 secured thereto, adjacent the juncture of two sides of the loop and extending downwardly from the top perimeter wire 18 past the bottom perimeter wire 19 and then bent horizontally and extending to the opposite side of the perimeter wires at which the corner wires extend upwardly past the bottom perimeter wire 19 to the top perimeter wire 18. A plurality of pairs of equidistantly spaced bottom support wires 22-23, 24-25, 26-27 and 28-29 are uniformly spaced along each of the sides and extend in generally parallel relationship to the corner wires 20, 21. The pairs of bottom support wires 22-23, etc., define bottom supports for articles placed in the pockets defined by the baskets.

The top basket 17 comprises a perimeter wire 30 formed in a closed loop having a generally rectangular shape with four sides and pairs of corner wires 20', 21', secured thereto adjacent the juncture of opposite sides of the loop and extending downwardly therefrom and thence substantially horizontally to the opposite side and thence upwardly to the perimeter wire. Three equidistantly spaced wires 31, 32 and 33 are joined to the sides of the loop between the corner wires 20' and 21' and these equidistantly spaced wires define divisions or side supports between the pockets defined by the wire baskets in the assembly of FIG. 1. As seen in FIG. 2, the center wire 32 is terminated at its juncture with the wire 31 extending transversely thereto such that the center of the top basket remains open.

Thus, when the two baskets 16 and 17 are nested together as in FIG. 1, the wires 31, 32 and 33 of the top basket comprise dividers or side supports for literaure L placed in the pockets defined by the baskets, and the wires 22-23, 24-25, 26-27 and 28-29 define bottom supports for the articles.

The wires of the wire baskets are welded together, as for example, by resistance welding, and a reinforcing anti-wobble guide 32 is welded to the underside of the bottom basket 16 in each basket assembly 10a, 10b and 10c. The anti-wobble guide 32 comprises a washer 33 which closely surrounds the shaft 11 and has a pair of brackes 34 and 35 welded thereto and welded to the underside of the bottom basket 16. As seen in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the middle basket assembly 10b has a washer and braces welded on both the top and bottom sides thereof.

The frame F which supports and rigidly secures together the baskets to form a unitary assembly, is seen best in FIGS. 5 through 10 and comprises a plurality of elongate upwardly extending angle members, with three angle members 36, 37 and 38 arranged substantially back-to-back at each corner of the frame F. A fourth angle member 39 extends between the bottoms of the corner assemblies 36, 37 and 38 and is secured at its opposite ends between adjacent walls or flanges of the angle members 36, 37 and 38 by means of a screw or rivet 40 or the like. A washer-like spacer 41 is engaged between the angle member 39 and angle member 38 to insure adequate clearance for the panels P and corner wires 20, 20' and 21, 21' of the baskets (see FIGS. 3, 4 and 10).

The anti-wobble guide structure and shaft support structure includes the elongate shaft 11 extending downwardly into the base 12 and projecting upwardly through the bottom anti-wobble washer 32 and into the upper end of which is received the reduced diameter end 42 of shaft section 43 which has its upper end secured in a tubular thrust sleeve 44 having a radially outwardly directed flange 45 on the upper end thereof and lined with a low friction plastic material or the like 46 which terminates in a plastic washer-like flange 47 on top of the flange 45 of the thrust sleeve 44. The shaft section 43 may be secured in the thrust sleeve 44 by any suitable means such as screws or rivets or the like 48 and 49.

In use, the bottom of the lower basket 16 in the middle basket assembly 10b is sandwiched between a pair of anti-wobble guides 32 and a second tubular thrust sleeve 44' is secured to a second shaft section 50 extending upwardly therefrom through the anti-wobble guide 32 secured to the bottom of the top basket assembly 10a.

Thus, the basket assembly is secured and supported on the shaft 11 at a point approximately midway between its top and bottom, and the support is accomplished via relatively low friction, smooth engagement between the anti-wobble guides 32 and plastic flanges 47 of thrust sleeves 44 and 44'.

Instead of the separate shaft sections 43 and 50, a single shaft section may be extended completely through the thrust sleeves and associated anti-wobble guides 32. In either this construction or that earlier described, the height of the basket assembly may be adjusted by changing the position of the thrust sleeves relative to the shaft section.

As seen best in FIGS. 1 and 14, the spacing between adjacent basket assemblies 10a, 10b and 10c is accomplished by means of the panels or panel sections P which have a predetermined width to space the basket assemblies apart a desired distance. For example, as seen in FIG. 14, the bottom basket 16 of bottom basket assembly 10c is placed in the frame F with the corner wires 20 and 21 extending between the spaced apart angle members 36, 37 and 38 (FIGS. 3 and 4) and a first panel strip P1 is then inserted between the same frame members with its bottom edge resting on top of the horizontally extending wires of the bottom basket member 16. Thereafter, the top basket 17 is inserted into the frame by positioning the corner wires 20' and 21' between the angle members 36, 37 and 38 (see FIG. 4) and thereafter, a second panel member P2 of substantially greater width than panel member P1 is inserted between the angle members at its opposite ends and is disposed with its bottom edge on top of the horizontal wires of top basket 17. The bottom basket 16 of the middle basket assembly 10b is then inserted into the frame with the horizontal wires thereof resting on the top edge of panel member or members P2 and subsequent basket assemblies and panel members are positioned and supported in the frame in a corresponding manner until the desired number of basket assemblies is placed.

If desired, the bulletin board B may be removably attached to the display stand by inserting the hooks 13 and 14 on the back of the bulletin board downwardly into the spaces 15 defined by the basket and frame assembly.

The concept of the present invention, i.e., a rigid unitary structure comprising a frame with wire baskets secured thereto, may be used for constructing a bulletin board support as indicated generally at 51, in FIG. 12. In this construction, the perimeter wire 18 (and perimeter wires 19 and 30) of the baskets is received in the space between the adjacent angle members 36, 37 and 38, and spring clips 52 and 53 are secured to the oppositely extending flanges of angle member 38 for receiving screws 54 and 55 extended through the edge of bulletin boards B' and through aligned openings in the flanges of angle members 36, 37 and 38, and thence through the spring clips 52 and 53.

Alternatively, the assembly may be used to support bulletin boards in the manner illustrated in FIG. 15, wherein screws 54 and 55 are extended inwardly through the other flanges of angle members 36 and 37 and into the end edges of the bulletin boards B'.

Screws or rivets and the like may be extended through the flanges of the angle members 36, 37 and 38, and through adjacent end portions of panel members P1 and P2, to rigidly secure the basket assemblies, panel members and frame together.

In a typical display stand constructed in accordance with the invention, the perimeter wires 18, 19 and 30 are seven gauge wires while the remaining wires in each of the baskets are twelve gauge wires. Further, the display stand is approximately 203/8 inches wide on each side thereof, and the shaft 11 has a one inch outside diameter. The angles 36, 37 and 38 are preferably 3/4.times.3/4.times.1/16 inch aluminum, and the bottom angles 39 are preferably 1/2.times.1/2.times.1/16 inch aluminum angles. Panels P1 preferably have a depth of 31/2 inches and panels P2 a width or depth of 51/2 inches. Moreover, the width of each pocket formed by the basket assemblies, i.e., the distance between wires 31, 32 and 33 is approximately 4.3 inches and the distance between the bottom support wires 22, 23 and 24, 25, etc., is approximately 1.33 inches.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is, therefore, illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the description preceeding them, and all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents are, therefore, intended to be embraced by those claims.