Display-stand.

Application filed September 6,1913. Serial No. 788,398.

To dll whom, it mdy concern:

Be it known that I, Henry J. Lampert, tr citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis,; Missouri; have invented । certain new 5 and useful Improvement in Display-Stands, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art· to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to display stands or racks for holding articles of merchandise that are offered for sale.

One object of my invention is to provide a neat and ornamental display stand that 15 can be shipped in “ knockdown ” form to retail merchants and then assembled or set up easily without the aid of tools or removable fastening devices.

Another object is to provide a strong and 23 rigid display stand for packaged of biscuits, crackers or similar articles that can be manufactured at a low cost and which is so desigiie'd that amplA space is provided on the members .of: the stand for receiving ad25 vertisements relating to the goods or merchandise displayed on the stand.

Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

⁸⁰ Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of a display stand constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is an inverted perspective view of said stand with the shelves removed; Fig. 3 is a vertical sec⁸⁶ tional view of the stand; Fig. 4 is a detail , sectional view illustrating the means that I prefer to use for connecting the shelves to the legs of the stand; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken ®n the line 5—5 of Fig.

⁴⁰ 4; Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view illustrating the means that I prefer to use for connecting the legs to the top of the stand; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7—7 of Fig. 6.

⁴⁶ Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates the legs of the stand, B designates the top, and C designates the shelves of which there are two. The exact number ⁸⁰ of shelves is, of course, immaterial so far as my invention is concerned, and it is also immaterial whether the stand is rectangularshape and provided with four legs or triangular shape and provided with three legs.

⁶⁶ . The legs, top and shelves of the stand are preferably formed from sheet metal and they are connected together in such a manner that the stand can be , disassembled and shipped in knockdown form to. a retail merchant and then assembled easily by the mer- 60 chant without the aid of tools or detachable fastening devices. The top B preferably consists of a rectangular-shaped^; piece of sheet metal 1 whose edge portions are turned downwardly so as to form shallow flanges 2 65 that are connected by rivets 3 or in any... other suitable manner to a strip of metal 4 that extends clear around the sheet 1 so as to reinforce and strengthen same and also form a deep flange that gives the top of the 70 stand a substantial. and solid appearance and also serves to hide from view the connections between the legs and said top. Said strip 4 preferably extends slightly above the top surface of the sheet 1 so as to form a 75 lip 5 at the edge of the top, as shown in Fig. 6, that prevents the packages or articles displayed on the top of the stand from falling off of the same. The /shelves 0 are of similar construction, and each is formed from 80 a piece of sheet metal 1®, whose edge portions are flanged and permanently connected to a strip of metal 4® arranged in such a manner that the upper edge of same will project slightly above the top surface of the 85 sheet 1® and thus form a retaining lip around the edge of the shelf. The legs A are ap- ¹proximately right angle shape in cross section, and while they may be formed from pieces of lightweight angle-iron I prefer to ⁹⁰form them, from pressed metal so that the stand will be light, the lower ends of said legs flaring outwardly at 6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, so as to impart stability and also an ornamental appearance to the stand. ⁹⁵

The legs A are detachably connected to the top B of the stand and the shelves are detachably connected to said legs so as to enable the parts of the stand to be disassembled and assembled easily. In the ¹⁰⁹preferred form of my invention as herein shown, each leg is provided at its upper end with a laterally projecting flange 7 that slips under a strap 8 connected to the under side of the top of the ¹⁰⁵stand, as shown in Fig. 2, said flange 7 being formed from a piece of metal that fits between the side portions of the leg and which has depending wings 9 that are connected by rivets’or in any other suitable ¹¹⁰

1,109,765 manner to the side portions of the leg. By forming the legs in this manner I obtain rigid legs whose upper ends have a comparatively large bearing area on the under side of the top of the stand but I do not wish it to be understood that my broad idea is limited to such a construction for the legs could be detachably connected to the top of the stand in various other ways without de10 parting from the spirit of my invention.

The corner portions of the shelves C fit inside of the legs A, which are angle-shaped in cross section, thus securely bracing the legs. Said shelves are connected to the legs 15 by means of clips 10 on the legs that lap over the depending flanges 4^a on the shelves, the clips herein shown being formed from short strips of metal that are riveted or otherwise connected to the legs and which 20 are bent laterally away from the legs, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so as to form spaces in which the vertical flanges at the edges of the shelves can fit snugly. In assembling the stand the legs are first 25 connected to the top B by slipping the capJiieces Or flanges 7 at the upper end of the egs underneath the straps 8 on the under side of the top of the stand, and thereafter the shelves C are arranged between the legs 30 and forced downwardly so that the clips 10 j on the legs will embrace the depending i flanges 4^a on the shelves. To disassemble the | stand it is simply necessary to remove the shelves and then detach the legs from the ; 35 top B. i

A stand of the construction above-de- ; scribed is light and strong and it can be : manufactured at such a low cost that a ί manufacturer of biscuits, crackers or other small merchandise that is put up in package form can afford to furnish the retail merchant with stands for displaying the manufacturer’s goods.

The stand can be shipped in knockdown form, and when it is received by the retail merchant it can be assembled or set up easily without the aid of tools or detachable fastening devices.

The stand presents a neat and ornamental appearance, and the wide flanges on the top and shelves and the wide side portions of the legs not only give the stand a solid substantial look but they also afford ample space for advertising matter relating to the goods or merchandise displayed on the stand.