US2949323A - Display rack structure - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 16, 1960 L. D. MOORHEAD DISPLAY RACK STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 13, 1957 L es/ie D. Moor/1e; 4/

INVENTOR.

BY WdlJm/Q'M Aug. 16, 1960 L. D. MQORHEAD 2, 49,323

DISPLAY RACK STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 13, 1957 IIIIIVII IIIALIIIIVIII EN TOR.

BY Mun) 5'IlllllIlV/I L cs/ie D. M ca /i ea c/ v I V nited State This invention relates to new and improved display structures and display racks. More particularly this invention relates to display structures which permit the ready assemblage of a very wide variety of different shapes and forms for display purposes as the situation requires.

Display racks and shelving are required in a number of instances. They may be used when presenting exhibits and displays for various manufacturers and commercial enterprises. They may be used in the common grocery store or drug store for stocking goods or displaying magazines, etc.

' A display structure which may be readily erected or dismantled, or one which may be changed in configuration to best present articles of merchandise to the observer, or one which may be readily changed in shape to conform to space requirements is most desirable when as above used. Such display structures are also desirable when compared to ordinary display installations in that such installations are ordinarily constructed by carpenters or other artisans at a fairly considerable expense and are assembled with the use of nails or other like means. Besides requiring more or less skilled artisans for their erection, said installations, when disassembled, are done so with a considerable loss of time and are often incapable of re-erection in another setting without a sacrifice in appearance or without additional carpenter work for adjusting to space requirements.

The present invention is designed to embody the advantages of flexibility of design and ease of installation and dismantling, while at the same time overcoming the above listed disadvantages of other structures.

Another object is to provide for the construction of display racks, which While readily capable of erection and dismantling, are nevertheless structurally stable and sturdy.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a display structure utilizing only two main structural type parts, or building blocks.

Still other objects and purposes of this invention will be apparent after consideration of the attached drawings wherein:

Figure I is a perspective view of some assembled building blocks previously referred to.

Figure II is a perspective View of some of the building blocks prior to assembling.

Figure 111 is a cross section view of two of the disks with a peg hole sandwiched between them and showing a method of attaching these component parts.

Figure IV is a perspective view of two types of peg poles used in this invention.

Figure V is a partial cross section of assembled display racks showing how flat shelving may be supported.

- Figure VI is a perspective view of one variety of display rack which may conveniently be erected using the building blocks of this invention.

L Figure VII is a perspective view of another type of display rack which may be erected utilizing the building blocks of this invention.

Figure VIII is a perspective view of another type of display rack which may be erected utilizing only the peg poles of this inventio Referring now in particular to the above-mentioned figures:

Figure I shows the two main building blocks of this invention. These are the peg pole 1 and the multi-holed circular disks 2. The peg poles are so designed that they are of hollow construction and have regularly staggered corresponding holes directly diametrically opposite from each other. For example, a bolt 3 such as is shown in Figure III will be readily insertable through both holes a and a because a and a are directly opposite each other. Similarly, a bolt inserted through hole b shown in Figure I will protrude out from hole b a hole directly opposite from hole b of peg pole 1. Holes a and a and b and b and all the other holes in the peg poles are so located that bolts inserted through any two diametrically opposite holes will not come in contact with bolts inserted through any other two diametrically opposite holes.

The bolt holes in the circular disks are arranged thusly:

A number of holes are drilled at regular intervals about the center hole 5 of the circular disk 2, such as, for example, 12 holes at 30 intervals or 18 holes at 20 intervals or 16 holes at 22.5 intervals. Then additional holes are drilled at regular intervals from the center of the disk toward the circumference of the disk in straight lines extending from the center of the disk through the. centers of the first drilled 12 or 18 holes etc., as the case may be. These additional holes drilled out toward the circumference of the disk create a fan-like appearance of holes covering the disk.

When a person desires to join two opposite disks to a peg pole he does so by inserting a bolt 3 first through a hole in one of the disks, then through two directly op posite holes in the peg pole and then through a hole in another disk. This is shown in cross section in Figure III.

It is preferred that the holes of the disks through which the bolts are inserted be corresponding holes so that the holes in each of the disks be aligned for their connection With other peg poles. After the bolts are inserted through one disk and the corresponding holes of the peg pole and then through the hole in the other disk, a wing nut is fastened and tightened onto the end of said bolt. The peg poles may extend from the disks at various angles or if desired either horizontally or vertically perpendicular therefrom. Examples of these possibilities are shown in Figures I, II, VI and VII. Usually, for additional structural strength, the peg poles will be attached to the disks through two sets of diametrically opposite holes such as is shown in Figure III. This may be de sired, for example, when peg poles are used as vertical supports for display racks such as shown at 7 and 8 in Figure VI. The back wall of the display rack shown in Figure VI might also, for example, be one of a number of the common peg boards presently in use for displaying merchandise or for use in mounting tools in home workshops. All that is necessary is that there be holes in said peg board through which nuts can be fitted to attach same to the peg poles of this invention.

It should be noted that in Figure VI a peg pole 9 extends through the centers of each of the disks 2. This is another feature of the invention permitting evengreater flexibility of display rack design. The bottom of the peg board 10 is bolted through holes in pole 9, and the sides of the peg board 10 are bolted through holes in the vertical support poles 7 and 8. Bolts are placed through holes in the peg pole 9 between the ends of the pole and the disks, thereby preventing the disks fromslipping off the ends of said peg pole. Also in the display structure shown in Figure VI only single disks are used at each of the ends of the display. This is in order to permit the ready fastening of rectangular peg boards to the vertical support poles 7 and 8 and the horizontal support pole -9;.

Peg poles, such as are shown at 11 and 12 of Figure VI, when extending out from the circular disks 2 at an angle, may function as the legs for the rest of the display rack. In Figure V two methods of providing supports for flatshelved display racks are shown. A bolt of suitable length is inserted through the two holes of a peg pole and then is inserted through a supporting material 13. A wing nut 14 is then attached to that end of the bolt protruding through the support 13. The support 13 should have a flat surface 15 at its top so that any shelving 16 placed upon same will be stable; It may be desirable to insert two bolts through the peg pole and then through the support in order to insure that the support will stay securely in place. The other method shown in Figure V employs a peg pole 17 as the support for the shelving 16-. Figure VII shows a peg pole 17 straddling two peg pole support legs 18 and 19. Of course, peg pole 17 is fastened to the legs 18 and 19 by means of bolts extending all the Way through peg pole 17 and 13 in one instance and peg pole 17 and 19 in the other case, after which wing nuts are attached to the ends of said bolts, and then one end of a flat shelf is rested upon the top of peg pole 17 for support purposes. In Figure VIII, there is shown an example of a display rack which may be easily constructed without the use of any of the disks of this invention, but utilizing only the peg poles of this invention for its formation. Peg pole 25 is bolted to peg pole 26, and peg pole 27 is bolted to peg pole 28. Peg poles 25 and 27 serve as support legs for the rack and peg poles 26 and 28 serve as supports for the peg board 29 which is suitably bolted to poles 26 and 2.8.

The multiplicity of holes in the disks and peg poles assure that double connections of any peg poles between two disks can be made whenever it is felt that it is necessary for sound construction.

The peg poles used in this invention may also be square, as shown in Figure IV, rather than round, also as shown in Figure IV, so long as there are regularly staggered holes running therethrough, the axes of which are perpendicular to each other. In addition to the previously described methods of supporting flat shelving another method is shown in Figure VII. Here a peg pole extends from disk 2 at an angle While peg pole 21 exextends vertically from disk 2. At the desired height a sup ort 13 is connected to the vertical pole 21 in a manner as shovm in Figure V, and shelving 22 is then rested upon the. support 13. The outer edge of the shelving 22 terminates in lip 23, and the end of support pole 20 terminates just behind said lip. Of course, if desired, the shelving 22 may be plain without any such lip thereon, which is merely provided for artistic efiect.

The disks of this invention are preferably made from a hard masonite material approximately one-fourth inch thick or from sheet steel approximately %5" thick.

The peg poles of this invention are preferably made from sheet steel or some other similar material. The holes of the peg poles may be drilled While the metal is still in flat sheets, and then the sheets may be cut into metal strips which are then rolled into hollow cylinders :and welded, or the metal may be first cut into strips and rolled into cylindrical form and the holes drilled, depending upon the option of the manufacturer and the type of manufacturing equipment he has available. The holes are preferably in the neighborhood of 9 inches in diameter, and the bolts, of course, are of a slightly smaller diameter (approximately and are approximately 2 inches in length.

The previously referred to supports for .the shelving may be chosen from a wide variety of structures which will suitably function as supports. Square angle iron or square angle aluminum or wood stripping or peg poles may function as supports. Strips of metal or other types of material attached to the under side of the shelving may also suitably serve as supports.

it may be seen that by employing relatively few structural members in the device of this invention an extremely large variety of display racks in various shapes may be easily erected, the display racks illustrated in this invention embodying only a few of the designs possible and meant to be illustrative only.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable demountable rack structure, comprising two spaced upright members, each upright member including a pair of spaced plates having a hole near the center thereof and a plurality of radially aligned holes, the holes in one of said plates corresponding in position with the holes of the other plate, a plurality of poles disposed between the plates of each member and having a plurality of holes, members extending through corresponding holes in the plates of each upright member and through a hole in said poles for securing said plates and poles together to form a rigid structure, and a cross member extending through the center hole of said plates and connecting said upright members.

2. An adjustable dernountable rack structure, comprising two spaced upright members, each upright member including a pair of spaced plates having a center hole and a plurality of radially aligned holes, the holes in one of said plates corresponding in position with the holes of the other plate and being equally spaced in the radial direction, a plurality of poles disposed between the plates of each member and having a plurality of holes spaced the same distance apart along said poles as the holes on said plates are spaced radially from one another, bolts extending through corresponding holes in the plates of each upright member and through a hole in said poles for securing said plates and poles together to form a rigid structure, and a pole extending through the center holes of said plate and connecting said upright members.

3. An adjustable demountable rack structure, comprising two spaced upright members, each upright member including a pair of spaced disc-shaped plates having a hole near the center thereof and a plurality of holes radially aligned and concentrically arranged around said first mentioned hole, the holes in one of said plates corresponding in position with the holes of the other plate, a plurality of poles disposed between the plates of each memher and having a plurality of holes spaced the same distance apart along said poles as the holes on said plates are spaced radially from one another, members extending through corresponding holes in the plates of each upright member and through a hole in said poles for securing said plates and poles together to form a rigid structure, and a cross member extending through the center hole of said plates and connecting said upright members.

4. In an adjustable demountable. rack structure: a pair of substantially flat plates in spaced parallel relation, each having a plurality of equally spaced, radially aligned holes, the holes in one of said plates corresponding in position with the holes of the other plate, a plurality of poles disposed between said plates and having a plurality of holes spaced the same distance apart along said poles as the holes on said plates are spaced radially from one another, and members extending through corresponding holes in the plates of each upright member and through a hole in said poles for securingsaidplates and poles together to form a rigid structure.

5. In an adjustable dernountable stand structure: a pair of flat plates in spaced parallel relation, each, having a plurality of radially aligned holes, the holes in one of said plates corresponding in position with the holes of the other plate, a plurality ofpoles disposedbetweenthe plates of each member and havinga plurality ofholes,

and members extending through corersponding holes in the plates of each upright member and through a hole in said poles for securing said plates and poles together to form a rigid structure.

6. An adjustable display rack structure, comprising two spaced upright members, each upright member including a pair of spaced disc-shaped plates having -a center hole and a plurality of radially aligned holes concentrically arranged around said first mentioned hole, the holes in one of said plates corresponding in position with the 10 holes of the other plate and being equally spaced in the radial direction, a plurality of radially arranged tubular poles disposed between the plates of each member and having a plurality of diametrically opposite holes spaced the same distance apart along said poles as the holes on said plates are spaced radially from one another, a plurality of bolts extending through corresponding holes in the plates of each upright member and through opposed holes in said poles for securing said plates and poles together to form a rigid structure, and a pole extending through the center holes of said plate and connecting said upright members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,588,268 Roche June 8, 1926 1,667,256 Herrschoft Apr. 24, 1928 2,170,192 Gersbach et al Aug. 22, 1939 2,210,047 I Stieglitz Aug. 6, 1940 2,466,148 Birr Apr. 5, 1949 2,531,520 Lankford Nov. 28, 1950 2,640,934 L'ago June 2, 1953 2,658,776 Wilcox Nov. 10, 1953 2,715,537 Hofheimer Aug. 16, 1955 2,759,574 Miller Aug. 21, 1956

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