US2988233A - Modular type display racks - Google Patents

Description

June 13, 1961 J. B. PENDERGRAST, JR, 'E'IAL ,9

MODULAR TYPE DISPLAY RACKS INVENTORS JOHN B.PENDERGF?AST, JR. WAYNE F. BROWNINGJJ R.

w/ x. W

ATTORN Y J1me 1961 .1. B. PENDERGRAST, JR.. ErAL ,9

MODULAR TYPE DISPLAY RACKS Filed July 25, 1960 3 Shams-Sheet 2 INVENTORS WAVNE F. BROWNINGJJH.

JOHN B.PENDERGRAS1;JR-V

June 13, 1961 Filed July 25, 1960 J. B. PENDERGRAST, JR., ETAL MODULAR TYPE DISPLAY RACKS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 JOHN BPENDER6RALJR WAYNE F. BROWNIN6,JR.

A ORNEV Patented June 13, 1961 hce 2,988,233 MODULAR TYPE DISPLAY RACKS John Brittain Pendergrast, In, Atlanta, and Wayne Ferris Browning, J12, Avondale Estates, Ga. (both of Box 1597, Atlanta 1, Ga.)

Filed July 25, 1960, Ser. No. 52,002 3 Claims. (Cl. 211-448) This invention relates to a modular type display rack and especially to a display rack unit which is readily and easily assembled and disassembled and whereby identical units or units of differing lengths but identical cross sections may be combined and attached together to increase the capacity. I

It is often necessary in supermarkets and other stores and the like to display certain items of merchandise or to store in a readily accessible manner such things as cases and cartons of drink bottles. Sometimes the storage racks or display devices must be moved from one spot in the supermarket to another. Other times the display or storage rack is insufficient in size and capacity to handle the accumulated items and the anticipated increase, whereby it is necessary to quickly provide additional space on the existing display or somehow to increase the size thereof. Also, in present day merchandising, since attractiveness and appearance enters somewhat into the picture, it is important that whatever display or storage rack is provided, it should be of neat and attractive appearance with clean-cut lines without objectionable sharp corners or protrusions or pieces which may injure customers. It is, therefore, no simple task to provide a display device which meets all or even most of these requirements. Some prior art devices are very ditficult to assemble and disassemble or to move from place to place. Other prior art devices are very easy to assemble or disassemble but lack sufiicient structural rigidity or versatility to adequately support the merchandise placed thereon.

The present modular support rack is particularly advantageous in the manner of assembly and disassembly and the ease and simplicity of multiplying the number of such storage units by connecting them together end to end or side by side.

Generally described, the present modular rack is an open front and open type of support rack with a bottom and back and light weight, optional dividers or partitions along the length thereof in vertical alignment. The entire rack as a unit is assembled from a structural frame of light weight, metal channels attached together by fastplaced, sheet metal screws. Two vertically spaced back support members, with the open channels facing each other, form the back vertical support structure attached together across the top thereof by an upper channel held in place with sheet metal screws fastened into the top of the two vertical members; and two back-to-back channel members attached on opposite sides of the bottom of the two vertical members form the bottom connection therebetween. Two identical side members attach on a respective side, each screwed to one of the respective vertical members, and these are connected at the front thereof by means of a front horizontal channel member having one end screwed to one end of a respective side member. This completes the entire structural frame for a modular rack unit. A flat bottom of plywood or the like is placed over the rectangular or square frame formed by the two side members, the front member and the back member, and is screwed in place by screws which are infitting into the side of the channel. Two or more back plywood members are fitted together along a common line substantially in the center thereof with a decorative strip joint and the top edge of the top plywood panel is covered by a decorative metal strip. Optionally, open Wire end panels or separators constructed from chrome plated wire in an open welded pattern may be attached by screws onto the top of the plywood bottom. Additional units are added simply by attaching the sides of one unit to the sides of an identical unit in a modular fashion.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a modular type rack with an open top and an open front which is easily and economically assembled and disassembled.

Another object of this invention resides in the particular use of seven or eight structural channel members attached together in a particular fashion to form the entire structural skeleton of the modular unit whereby a minimum of material is used and a minimum of assembly time is re quired.

An additional object of this invention. resides in the arrangement whereby identical modular units of this invention may be attached together side by side in an unlimited number to multiply the size of the display rack accordingly.

Still another advantage of my invention resides in the simplicity of construction whereby economical structural members may be used and relatively inexpensive cover panels of plywood or similar material may be used to provide a decorative facing of the device.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the disassembled structural units of the skeleton frame of the present rack in their respective assembly positions.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the unit in FIG. 1 in assembled position with a bottom panel shown in dotted lines about to be placed in position.

FIG. 3 is a broken cross-sectional view of a detail taken substantially along the line 33 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a broken cross-sectional view of a detail taken substantially along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one completely assembled modular panel unit as assembled from the structural members shown in FIGS. 1 through 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the unit shown in FIG. 5 with merchandise stacked thereon and with a side partition optional wire panel or separator placed thereon.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, the skeleton frame for the entire modular unit is composed of a plurality of light weight metal channels having screw holes pro-formed therein and being adapted for quick and easy and economical assembly and disassembly for shipping or for moving from one location to another in the same store. The skeleton frame designated generally by the numeral 10 is composed of a plurality of channels which starting from the back of the unit to the bottom are identified as a pair of U-shaped channels 12, 14 of identical size and construction, each being placed in a vertical position with the open channel thereof facing each other. Each of the members 12, 14 has been pre-drilled with holes 16 therein at the top and along the front facing of the channel member and at the bottom thereof to re ceive other structural members as shown hereinafter. Members 12, 14 are connected together at the top by means of a horizontal structural member 18 of channel construction with pre-drilled holes therein matching with holes 16 in the top of each of the respective channel members '12, 14. Member 18 is fastened in place by four metallic screws 19. The bottoms of members 12, 14 are attached together to support the members in substantially vertical condition by a special combined channel member 20, having a bottom channel 22 thereof placed in position about the bottom of each of the members 12, 14and fastened in place by four screws 24 inserted from the front into the front web of each of the channel members 12, 14. Welded to channel '22 is a top flanged, cross-strip 25 fitting and extending upwardly between members 12, f4. Channel 22 has a top flange 23 thereon. Members 22, 25 preferably are welded or otherwise attached together prior to packaging and shipment of the unit. The rectangular, or square if preferred, bottom frame of the device is assembled through the use of two side members 26, 28 of substantially identical construction placed in opposed relationship with the open channel thereof facing one another about the respective upper members 12, 14. One portion of each of the members 26, 23 at position 30, 32 thereof is discontinuous so that the members 26, 28 will overlap and fit flush against the bottom of a respective member 12, 14. Bolts and nuts 34 are screwed in place through the respective members 26, 2 8 into a respective member 12, 14. The bottom frame is complete upon the addition of the front piece 36 of similar channel construction with the channel placed inwardly facing the back of the frame and being attached in place by means of sheet metal screws 38 screwed through the web of member 36 into the ends 39, 40 of respective side members 26, 28.

Assembly In the assembly of the frame of the display rack, which may take place adjacent the aisle of a store, the two members 12, 14 are positioned vertically and the special bottom cross-member 22 is positioned in place and fastened by the screws. Then the three outside perimeter bottom members 26, 28 and 36 are laid end-to-end in their rectangular pattern and fastened together at respective abutments by means of the respective screws 24, 34 and 38. The frame is now assembled in the manner shown in FIG. 2 ready to receive thereon the bottom panel member 42 shown in dotted lines in elevated position about to be laid on top of the frame. The bottom member 42 is a pre-cut, sized,.flat sheet of plywood, Masonite or other similar sheet of material having the edges thereof preferably bound by a decorative strip 43 of edging material, metal material or other suitable decorative material to cover the raw edge. Sheet 42 is laid against the flange 23 of channel 22 and also against the top edges of the respective channels 26, 36 and 28 and may be fastened in place thereon by small sheet metal screws, the heads of which may be counter-sunk in the top of the sheet 42 to hide them from sight. Member 25 is the back edge of the bottom frame against which bottom 42 fits.

In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, it is readily seen that the front end of member 26 abuts and connects to the one end of member 36 and is held in place by screws 38 thereon in a rigid manner. Similarly, it is shown in FIG. 4 that the top end of member 12 connects to and fastens inside the end of top member -18 and is held in place thereon by the screws 15 Following the assembly of the bottom sheet 42 on the bottom frame, the entire decorative rack assembly is completed through the addition of a pair of vertical back cover panels 46, 48 of flat panel construction of plywood, Masonite or other suitable sheet material, preferably matching with the bottom sheet 42, and each having a decorative edging 50, 52 thereon to decoratively cover the raw edges thereof and being sealed at the joint between the two members 46, 48 along the common, abutting line by a connecting strip 54 which may be of chrome metal, stainless steel, plastic or other suitable decorative material. The top of the vertical section is covered preferably by a decorative metal strip or the like 56 which is fastened in place by one of the contemporary, very satisfactory mastics or glues or which may be attached in place by-small sheet metal screws.

In FIG. 6, there is shown another completely assembled, identical rack 60 having merchandise 62 stacked thereon and being provided with one of the optional and additional decorative, transverse wire separators 64 constructed by suitable wire bending and welding of chrome metal wire bent to form an outside perimeter frame 66 having cross-connecting wires 68 thereon and vertical decorative wires 76 forming some sort of attractive pattern therewith. The bottom 7 4 and side 76 of frame 66, 7t), 72 are of elongated tubular construction and are provided, respectively, with screw openings in which screws are inserted and screwed to the respective panels 42, 46 and 48.

If desired, the rack shown in FIG. 5 and the rack 60 shown in FIG. 6 are easily combinable as multiple units to extend the size of the merchandise display by abutting them along the side members 26 thereof placing the vertical members 12 of the FIG. 5 device and 14 of the FIG. 6 device in vertical abutting alignment whereby screws may be fastened through the abutting members 26, '28 which are co-extensive and abutting vertical mem bers 12, 14 lock the two sections firmly together. If desired, a decorative metal strip, such as a T-joint metal connector (not shown), may be inserted in the space or gap defined between the two sections in order to cover the open space therebetween. The metal partitions or dividers 64 may be employed wherever desired to break the continuity of the devices to define certain size areas, or to lend whatever styling or arrangement is desired.

The display racks of this invention may be assembled or built on location in the store or supermarket or any other place from the back toward the aisle.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my display device, together with a suggested manner of combining units thereof to multiply the overall device, this is by way of illustration only and is not to be construed as any sort of limitation on the scope of my invention, since various changes, alterations, substitutions, eliminations, modifications, and variations may be made in the embodiments shown without departing from the scope of the invention shown and defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a decorative display device, a pair of vertical, open, channel members positionable vertically in spaced, opposed relation with each other to define an open, vertical back frame, with inwardly turned channel edges and tops, a top connecting member attachable across the top of said vertical members against the top in-turned edge to fasten said members together, a pair of screws attaching said top member to each of said top edges of said vertical frame members, a bottom cross-member attachable on each of said vertical members at one end thereof and being fastened in place by a pair of screws on each end thereof, said cross-member being in front of said back members, a pair of spaced, opposed and identical horizontal bottom channel members positioned each with one end thereof at a bottom end of a respective vertical back member and each having an in-turned top and bottom edge, a portion of the top in-turned edge of each member being removed to accommodate the lower end of a respective vertical back member, a pair of screws attaching each of said bottom horizontal members to said vertical members, a top cross-strip attached on the top of said bottom cross-member, a front connection member having one end thereof attached to a respective horizontal member forming a bottom frame therewith, a flat sheet of material positionable over said bottom frame and attachable in place thereon adjacent said top crossstrip, at least one flat back panel constructed from a fiat sheet of material placed over the fronts of both of said vertical members to hide same, and extending to and adjacent to said bottom panel to form a closed back and bottom therewith.

2. The device in claim 1 including a transverse partition member positionable on said bottom and having one side thereof closely adjacent to said back panel, said partition member being constructed from wire in the form of an open wire frame.

3. In a decorative display device, a pair of vertical open, channel members positionable vertically in spaced, opposed relation with each other to define an open, vertical back frame with inwardly turned channel edges and top, a top connecting member attachable across the top of said vertical members against the top in-turned edge to fasten said members together, a pair of screw members attaching said top member to each of said top edges'of said vertical frame members, a bottom cross-member attachable on each of said vertical members at one end thereof and being fastened in place by a pair of screws on each end thereon, said cross-member being in front of said back members, a pair of spaced, opposed and identical horizontal bottom channel members positioned each with one end thereof at a bottom end of a respective vertical back member and each having an in-turned top and bottom edge, a portion of the top in-turned edge of each member being removed to accommodate the lower end of a respective vertical back member, a pair of screws attaching each of said bottom horizontal membars to said vertical members, a top cross-strip attached on the top of said bottom cross-member, a front connection member having one end thereof attached to a respective horizontal member forming a bottom frame therewith, a fiat sheet of material positionable over said bottom frame and attachable in place thereon adjacent said top cross-strip, at least one flat back panel constructed from a fiat sheet of material placed over the fronts of both of said vertical members to hide same, and extending to and adjacent to said bottom panel to form a closed back and bottom therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,666,401 Sussman Apr. 17, 1928 2,643,170 Vanderveld June 23, 1953 2,644,591 McMahan July 7, 1953 2,661,993 Little Dec. 8, 1953 2,787,382 Williams Apr. 2, 1957 2,872,049 Slater Feb. 3, 1959 2,933,195 Radek Apr. 19, 1960 2,934,181 Weber Apr. 26, 1960 2,940,605 Logie June 14, 1960

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