US2152731A - Advertising demonstration device - Google Patents

Description

April 4, 1939. P. cRosLEY, JR

ADVERTISING DEMONSTRATION DEVICE Filed Nov. 27. 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet lv INVENTOR. Pon/EL @Rasur-5 Je.

ATTORNEYS,

April 4, 1939. P. cRosLEY, JR

ADVERTISING DEMONS TRATION DEVl CE' Filed Nov. 27, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EIGL. /4

INVENTOR.

MCP@

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE The Crosley Ohio Corporation, a corporation of Application November 27, 1936, Serial No. 112,966

5 Claims.

My invention relates to devices of relatively low cost Afor presenting graphic demonstration of qualities and capabilities of manufactured articles. For the purpose of a specific disclosure herein, I shall describe a particular exemplary embodiment of my invention, it being understood that this is not a limitation thereon, and that it will be within the skill of the man in the art, in the light of my teachings, to adapt the device to the solution of similar problems in connection with diierent manufactured articles.

There is on the market today a type of domestic electric refrigerator, having the usual shelves in the food compartment, but also having a series of shelves attached to the door. The insulated door is domed out to accept these latter shelves, so that no space for them is taken from the food compartment proper. The shelves in the door not only serve to accept and retain a Wide variety of the less bulky articles normally kept in a refrigerator, but present these articles in a position of convenient, ready and rapid access when they are needed. The various. articles are, moreover, individually available without rearrangement. Further, the number of such articles, held in the door, is such as would occupy a surprisingly great area of the normal shelf space in the food compartment proper. This can be understood when it is remembered that the greater number of such small articles are not capable o-f being stacked and therefore occupy a great horizontal area of shelf space, but relatively little vertical space. Nevertheless the actual percentage of Shelf space saved is quite surprising especially in view of the visual impression which the compact shelves in the door give. It is quite diicult to explain this in words in such a way as to make an attention getting presentation, and hitherto, for a full appreciation of the capabilities of the device an actual demonstration with a full sized refrigerator and a number of articles to be placed therein has been necessary. An actual demonstration as an attention getting display is, of

a course, not always possible or economical. As

has been indicated above, it is a fundamental object of my invention to provide a device of relatively low cost for the graphic demonstration of these qualities.

The more specific objects of my invention will be apparent from what follows: and I achieve the several objects by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe the aforesaid exemplary embodiment.

Reference is made to thedrawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device with the movable member in one position.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view with the movable 5 member in the alternative position.

Fig. 4 is a semi-diagrammatic View of an operating and indicating mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, fragmentary, showing one part of an exemplary hinge mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View of the cooperating part of the hinge mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of another form of hinge construction.

In the particular exemplary embodiment of my invention to which I have referred, I provide a large panel, indicated generally at I, and means to hold this panel in display position. Such means may be an easel member, of conventional formation, such as that indicated generally at 2 in Fig. 1; but it is obvious that any suitable supporting means may be used. A consideration of Figs. 2 and 3 will showv that I place upon the panel a representation of a refrigerator with the doo-r open. The size of the panel and the pictorial representation thereon may bev dictated by convenience and consideration of the effect desired. In actual practice I make the'panel large enough to display a refrigerator full size.

To theleft in Fig.*2, I have indicated the body of the representation of the refrigerator at 3, the food compartment at 4, an evaporator at 5 and various shelves 6 in the food compartment. The panel I is preferably, though not necessarily cut out around the edges of the representation of the refrigerator as shown.

The door of the refrigerator, as depicted on the panel is open, and is indicated at 'I in Fig. 3. This is merely represented on the right half of the panel; and while the panel may, if desired, be 40 cut away about the representation of the. door, I prefer not to do this butto leave above and below the door, as at 8 and 9, spaces for advertising, descriptive or explanatory matter. The door is shown as recessed and containing a shelf structure indicated generally at I. It will beA noticed that the interior of the food compartment, and the shelves in the door, as depicted on the main panel I, are both empty. 1

A supplementary panel II of a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of the representation of the door 'I in Figure 3 is hinged to the main panel I along the line of thev door hinges in the representation. A convenient and inexpensive way of doing this is shown in section in Figure 7 where the main panel is slotted along the hinge line as at I2, and a hinge strip I3 Which may be of stout paper, cloth, leather or the like is attached, as by cementing, tothe supplementary panel II, is passed through the slot I2 and is fastened to the back of the panel I. 'Ihistype of hinge is adequate where the device is to be used as a demonstration means by a salesman, or for self-instruction by a prospective purchaser. Where the demonstration device is to be mechanically operated over long periods of time, a diiferent type of hinge, such for example as that hereinafter to be described, is preferred. Whatever type of hinge is employed, will permit the supplementary panel II to be swung against the main panel I either to the right or to the left as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In the exemplary embodiment ofv my invention which I am describing, the supplementary panel I I is adapted to cover either the face of the food compartment when swung to the left as Yshown in Fig. 3, or the door when swung to the right as shown in Fig. 2. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 2, I represent on one side of itrthe door I with the shelves I0 filled with the normal small articles to be found in refrigerators, such as eggs I4, tomatoes I5, a carton of butterV I 6, lemons I1 and the like. The articles are well displayed, life size when the refrigerator is full size, and can readily be recognized for what they are and counted. The various representations can, if desired, be reproduced from photographs of therefrigerator itself with and .without articles therein. On the otherside of the supplementary panel II, as shown in Fig. 3, I represent the food compartment 4, the evaporator 5, the shelves 6. In

lthis instance, however, the food compartment shelves, instead of being empty contain various articles. In the exemplaryembodiment, because one purpose is to show how much of the shelf area in the foodcompartment would be taken up by the articles which can be held in the shelves on the door, it is essential that the articles shown on the food compartment shelves be the same articles as shown on the door shelves in Figure 2,' and recognizable as such in kind and quantity.

Preferably, the observer will be able to identify and count the several articles.

It will now be clear that with the supplementary panel swungto the position shown in Fig.'2, the observer1 is given a graphic and striking representation of the refrigerator with the food compartment empty and the shelves of the door lled with articles. He can see not only the large number of articles which can be placed in the shelves on the door, but also can see the way in which the articles are presented for ready and convenient access. With the supplementary panel swung to the position shown in Fig. 5, the observer can see what the condition is when the same articles are taken from the shelves on the door and are placed o-n the shelves in the food compartment. The spaces 8 and 9 can be employed either for display or for explanatory legends concerning the demonstration. The demonstration itself is as simple and rapid as the swinging ofthe supplementary panel, and is as readily understandable as a demonstration by an ope-ratork would be, while consuming much less time and involving, of course, much less cost. While I have described my demonstration device as constructed for afspecic purpose, it will readily be understood that the invention can be adapted to the demonstration of different qualities and.V

advantageous to have the demonstration carried on repetitively by machinery. In thisv event a more durable type of hinge construction is advantageous, and I have illustrated one such hinge construction in Figures 4, 5 and 6. Here the supplementary panel I I has a bifurcated, metallic hinge part I8 attached to it. as by rivets I9. Thehinge part engages a pintle 20. The panel I has riveted on its underside, as at 24, ametal piece ZI, a portion 23 of which extends through a slot in the panel I, and is bent as at 22 to engage the pintle 20. The disposition of these parts is shown to advantage in Fig. 3. If the hinge members I8 non-rotatably engage the pintle 20, it is possible, by attaching a gear 25 to the pintle (which gear extends through a perforation 26 in the panel I), to drive the supplementary panel I I so as to swing it from one position to the other as by means of a meshing gear, a rack or the like.

I have shown an exemplary driving mechanism in Fig. 4. Here a'motor 26 mounted on a suitable support 21 drives a speed-reducing gear train 28 by means of a worm 29. On the driven shaft 30 of the gear train there is mounted a crank 3|. This is connected by means of a link 32 to a rocker member 33, pivoted as at 34 tothe frame and having teeth 35 meshing with the teeth of the gear or pinion 25 on the pintle 20. The link 32 is preferably either made resilient as shown or is provided Withrlost motion means. The rocker is so related to the crank that the rotary motion of thelatter produces a rocking motion in the former whereby the supplementary panel I I is swung back and forth slowly between its alternative positions. Power leads 39 and 43, controlled by a switch supply current to the motor.

Where different legends on the space 8, for example, have to doA with the positions of the supplementary panel II, it is advantageous to have means for calling attention to the Alegends selectively as determined by the position of the panel. This may be accomplished by locating indicating lamps or other indicating devices 4I) and 4I adjacent the legends and actuating the devices in accordance with movements of the panel. Means for this is indicated in Figure 4, where the rocker arm has an actuator finger 36 adapted selectively to operate switches 37 and 38. The switch 38 is in series in the circuit 42 of the indicator 4B. The switch 37 is in series in the circuit 44 of the indicator 4I.

It will be understood that the indicating mechanism, while of especial utility in connection with the automatic operation of the device, is of interest also when the device is hand operated. The contact actuating mechanism can therefore be retained even though the motor, gear reduction, lever and link be eliminated. Equivalent apparatus both for the mechanical operating means and the indicating means may o-f course be used.

Modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

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

1. In a device of the character described, a main panel, a representation of a refrigerator with its door open located on substantially half of said panel, and a representation of a closure for said cabinet located on the other half of said panel, a supplementary panel hinged to said main panel substantially at the meeting line of the aforementioned representations, and bearing on its surfaces respectively representations of a portion of said cabinet and of said closure, such that when said supplementary panel is swung against said cabinet it appears to form a part thereof, and when swung against said closure represents said closure, the representations on said supplementary panel differing from those on the main panel so as to demonstrate differing conditions of use or non-use, and in which the main panel bears alternative legends, and indicating means for said legends, and in which operating means for said indicating means are provided for actuation in connection with movements of said supp-lementary panel and having mechanical means for moving said supplementary panel to alternative positions in a predetermined cycle, and means in connection therewith for automatically operating said indicating means.

2. In a device of the character described, a main panel and a supplementary panel hinged thereto substantially centrally, said main panel bearing a representation of a device having two cooperating parts, the representation of said parts lying respectively on either side of the hinge line, said supplementary panel bearing on its faces respectively representations of said parts, whereby when said supplementary panel is swung in one direction against said main panel it forms a portion of the representation of one of said parts thereon, and of the other of said parts thereon when swung in the other direction, the representations of said parts on said main and said supplementary panels differing from each other so that the alternative positions of said supplementary panel indicate different conditions of the device, said main panel also bearing alternative legends, and having actuatable indicating means for said legends, and means for actuating said indicating means in accordance with movements of said supplementary panel.

3. In a device of the character described, a main panel, a representation of a refrigerator with its door open located on substantially half of said panel, and a representation of a closure for said cabinet located on the other half of said panel, a supplementary panel hinged to said main panel substantially at the meeting line of the aforementioned representations, and bearing on its surfaces respectively representations of a portion of saidcabinet and of said closure, such that when said supplementary panel is swung against said cabinet it appears to form a part thereof,

and when swung against said closure represents said closure, the representations on said supple,- mentary panel differing from those 0n the main panel so as to demonstrate differing conditions, said main panel bearing alternative legends, actuatable indicating means for said legends, and operating means for said indicating means actuated in connection with movements of said supplementary panel.

4. In a device of the character described, a main panel, a representation of a refrigerator with its door open located on substantially half of said panel, and a representation of a closure for said cabinet located on the other half of said panel, a supplementary panel hinged to said main panel substantially at the meeting line of the aforementioned representations, and bearing on its surfaces respectively representations of a portion of said cabinet and of said closure, such that when said supplementary panel is swung against said cabinet it appears to form a part thereof, and when swung against said closure represents said closure, the representations on said supplementary panel differing from those on the main panel so as to demonstrate differing conditions, said main panel bearing alternative legends, actuatable indicating means for said legends, operating means for said indicating means actuated in connection with movements of said supplementary panel, and mechanical means for moving said supplementary panel to alternative positions in a predetermined cycle.

5. In a device of the character described, a main panel divided longitudinally into approximately equal parts, one of said parts bearing a representation of a refrigerator with its door open showing the interior of the refrigerated compartment thereof in an empty condition, the other of said parts bearing the representation of an open door for said refrigerated compartment, said door being of a type adapted to contain articles, said representation showing said door in an emplty condition, and a supplementary panel on the POWEL CROSLEY, J R,

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